Sony Camera :Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V Reviews
Sony Cyber-shot HX5V digital camera is unique for its 10.2-megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor, and prized for its 10x optical zoom lens in a pocketable size. Its offers a useful 25mm wide-angle to an equally useful 250mm telephoto equivalent. The lens has a two-step aperture with an ND filter, which offers either f/3.5 or f/8.0 at wide-angle; at telephoto maximum aperture is f/5.5, as well as the minimum aperture is f/13. Autofocusing is achievable to simply five centimeters at wide-angle, or 100 centimeters at telephoto.
But Sony creates for your relative deficit of zoom having a ton of features including unmatched video recording, an integrated GPS (with compass) for geotagging your photos, innovative in-camera software, and extremely solid image quality with low noise at all ISO sensitivities. In fact, the DSC-HX5V is one of well-rounded point-and-shoot camera we have seen shortly. Despite a few minor annoyances, it’s our latest Editors’ Choice superzoom model and one in our 10 best digital cameras. If 10x is sufficient zoom for you, this talented pocket camera is definitely worth checking out.
Design
Other manufacturers offer compact superzoom cameras in numerous colors; the DSC-HX5V is just available in black. The camera has some nice ergonomic grooves, and also at 2.38 by 4.13 by 1.19 (HWD), it will fit in most pockets. The big 3-inch LCD bests the same-size display on the Canon PowerShot SX210, which has an aspect ratio of 16:9. Since images at maximum resolution are captured in a 4:3 aspect ratio, they simply eat up 2.5 inches, so you get black bars on both sides. The display about the DSC-HX5V uses a 4:3 aspect ratio, so images fill the entire screen.
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When it comes to zoom factor, the DSC-HX5V is for the stingy affiliate with a 10x lens that spans 25-250mm. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 offers 12x and starts at 25mm can extend to 300mm. The Canon PowerShot S210 prevails here; its 14x lens starts at 28mm but can right to 392mm. If your primary goal is merely get as much zoom as you possibly can inside your pocket; the PowerShot S210 is the best best option. Still, the DSC-HX5V boasts better efficiency.
Performance, Shooting Modes, and additional Features
When it comes to speed, the DSC-HX5V excels. The camera may start up and shoot in an average of just 2.33 seconds, which is quick, and you will only experience a normal of 0.5 seconds of shutter lag. And yes it only gets faster known as, the DSC-HX5V can fire shots off with an average of just 1.8 seconds between them, and in burst mode, you are able to capture 10 frames per second.
Making use of Imatest to objectively measure image quality, the DSC-HX5V tested very well, delivering moderately sharp images that should please many people. Considering 50 spots in the frame, the DSC-HX5V averaged 1,796 lines per picture height with an average of 1,987 in the center and 1,357 from the corner regions, The PowerShot SX210 IS, however, offers a higher level of sharpness few other superzoom model can hit, averaging an impressive 2,543 lines from the center, and 1,290 within the corners.
Basic Specifications
Resolution: 10.20 Megapixels
Lens: 10.00x zoom (25-250mm eq.)
Viewfinder: LCD
LCD Size: 3.0 inch
ISO: 125-3200
Shutter: 30-1/1600
Max Aperture: 3.5
Mem Type: MS Duo / MS PRO Duo / SD / SDHC
Battery: Custom LiIon
Dimensions: 4.1 x 2.3 x 1.1 in.(103 x 58 x 29 mm)
Weight: 7.1 oz (200 g) includes batteries
Availability: 03/2010
With the DSC-HX5V, you receive full manual control on the aperture and shutter speed, however the camera lacks shutter speed and aperture priority modes. But during its plain-jane automatic shooting modes, the DSC-HX5V excels at shooting images in low light and not using a flash, offering high ISO settings that produce negligible noise. The PowerShot SX210 can shoot up to ISO 400 before approaching 1.5 percent noise (the limit of acceptability), even though the DSC-HX5V shoots clean images completely up through ISO 1600. The Sony produces much cleaner images at low ISOs too; just .56 percent and .61 percent at ISO 100 and 200 respectively. To match, images from the PowerShot SX210 were twice as noisy at 1.29 and 1.30 percent respectively.
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Sony has loaded the digital camera with a wide array of in-camera effects which help deliver better shots. First, iSweep Panorama allows you to swipe the camera up, down, right or left, whilst it fires multiple images and then stitches them together in a few seconds. And it works, check out this demo.
The Handheld Twilight and Anti-Motion Blur effects handle noise reduction, but in a smart, new way. The level of image noise produced at higher ISOs is usually consistent, and you can’t ever tell where it is going to show up in the frame. In these modes, the digital camera shoots six images in less than one second and then merges together the least noisy portions of the frame to produce the cleanest possible master image. During my tests, these modes reduced image noise by as much as 30 percent.
The geotagging feature within this camera unlike another other. Samsung’s HZ35W ($349.99, ) and Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-ZS7 include a GPS that may tag your photos with location information, when you have an image viewer that supports tagging, like Picasa or iPhoto, you can view your images plotted on a map. The DSC-HX5V does this, but it also features an integrated compass-it may also provide you with whereby direction the photo was taken. Picasa can display your photo within a Google Earth 3D model that seems like street view in the search engines Maps.
Video and Interaction
It’s rare that any compact cameras offer high-definition video recordings with a resolution greater than 1280 by 720, also footage is normally limited by 30 progressive frames per second. The DSC-HX5V records at 1920 by 1080 and doubles the frame rate to 60 interlaced frames per second for video playback that appears very fluid. And recording video with this camera is often a pleasure; it feels like a dedicated camcorder. You may zoom in or out and refocus without saving any noise in the motor, and also the audio captured sounds great thanks to built-in stereo microphones. The DSC-HX5V isn’t the best-connected camera you can find: It would’ve been better if Sony had included standard mini-USB and mini-HDMI ports, in order to plug the camera into your computer or HDTV with cables you already own. Instead the organization chosen proprietary cables.
Sony Camera
The camera supports Sony’s new wireless protocol, Transfer Jet. If you buy a Memory Stick that features Transfer Jet technologies, it is possible to connect the camera wirelessly to other Move Jet products to transfer photos and videos. (You’ll pay about $50 dollars more for this feature.) Sony offers an optional Transfer Jet accessory for PCs and HDTVs-it connects via USB.
Sony’s $350 Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V features excellent image high quality, unmatched video recording, innovative software features, and a big, beautiful LCD. It is not perfect, however: You can get more zoom elsewhere and its connectivity options could figure to be improved. If those are your priorities, you would be best with all the same-price Canon PowerShot SX210. But if you want the best balance of performance and features for the investment inside the superzoom class of compact cameras, this camera delivers.
