Sony Cyber-shot HX99 Review

November 6, 2018 | Mark Goldstein | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Half rating star

Introduction

The Cyber-shot HX99 replaces the three-year-old HX90V as Sony's new high-end travel-zoom compact camera. Like the HX90V, it sports the same 30x optical zoom lens with Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T-star branding, 18 megapixel image sensor, high resolution pop-up electronic viewfinder, lens barrel control ring, wi-fi and NFC connectivity and a 180-degree flip-up screen.

New features for 2018 include 4K video recording at 25p and 1080p at 100fps slow-motion, Eye AF, touch focus/touch shutter function, RAW format image recording, location data acquisition via Bluetooth, 10fps continuous shooting for up to 155 frames, and an expanded ISO range of 80-6400.

The launch price of the Sony HX99 has increased significantly compared to the the HX90V, especially in the UK - whereas that model had an asking price of £339/$428, the HX99 now costs £450/$450.

Ease of Use

From the outside, the HX99 looks and feels almost identical to the HX90V model that it replaces, so a lot of the comments that we made about that camera apply equally to this new model.

At 102.0mm x 58.1mm x 35.5mm, the Sony HX99 is still the World's smallest camera on sale to feature a 30x optical zoom. It's noticeably smaller than the 30x compact camera competition from Canon, Nikon and Panasonic, and yet, despite this, it's definitely not short on features.

Sony CyberShot HX99
Front of the Sony Cyber-shot HX99

The 30x zoom lens is certainly impressive, giving a 24-720mm-equivalent focal range, which along with its small stature makes the HX99 very versatile indeed.

The HX99 once again has a pop-up electronic viewfinder. Keen followers of the Cyber-shot range will recognise this from the premium RX100 series, and it ejects in the same way. Flick the release switch by your left hand and up it pops, powering the HX99 on in the process. You'll also need to pull the eyepiece towards your eye though, as otherwise the EVF won't activate when you go to use it, something that the most recent RX100 camera has fixed. Once it bursts into life, the 1,440k-dot resolution is crisp and colour reproduction faithful.

Also squeezed into the HX99's top panel is a pop-up flash, however including this, the EVF and the smaller case design means you don't get a hotshoe mount for attaching a flashgun or other accessory. The older HX60V's useful exposure compensation dial has also been deleted from the HX99, and instead you'll have to nudge the rear panel D-pad down and use the surrounding control ring to adjust exposure. It's no particular hardship, but a dedicated dial would be even easier.

Sony CyberShot HX99
Rear of the Sony Cyber-shot HX99

The miniaturized design also has a knock-on effect of compressing the rear panel buttons together to a point that they're far fiddlier to use than on a larger Canon SX or Panasonic TZ model. The lack of button space also means that the rear thumb rest is pretty tiny and not particularly grippy, although there is a good-sized – if plasticky – front hand-grip.

The control ring around the lens has been retained on the HX99. The ring can be used to operate the zoom, but it can also be customised to control exposure compensation, white balance, ISO sensitivity, shutter speed and aperture. By default, it'll control zoom when the camera is in either of its automatic modes, adjust aperture in program auto, aperture priority and manual mode (with the rear control wheel altering shutter speed), and the lens ring sets shutter speed in shutter priority mode. If you activate manual focussing, the ring is then used to focus, and by pressing the Fn button on the rear panel, the ring will operate the last-used menu option.

The Sony Cyber-shot HX99's LCD screen has been further improved. It's still a 3-inch, 922k-dot panel that can flip up through 180 degrees, making low-level shots easier to compose and selfie-snapping a doddle, but it's also now touch-sensitive.

Sony CyberShot HX99
Top of the Sony Cyber-shot HX99

Well, kind of, in that you can activate touch focus and touch shutter functions, which work even when using the pop-up viewfinder - you can hold the camera up to eye-level and use your right thumb on the LCD screen to drag/posititon the AF point. But that's it - you can't select menu options, or scroll through your image during playback, or any of the other things that you might reasonably expect to be able to do on a touch-enabled device in 2018.

The Fn button on the rear accesses a quick-reference menu of commonly required shooting settings. These include typical options like ISO sensitivity, white balance and flash modes, but also some features more often associated with DSLRs and high-end bridge cameras.

You can chose between matrix, centre-weighted and spot metering options, or also dial in some flash exposure compensation. Focus area is adjustable, too, as is the amount of DRO (Dynamic Range Optimizer) that's applied to high-contrast shots.

Sony CyberShot HX99
Viewfinder Raised

Even the drive modes include some settings not usually found on a compact camera. In addition to the self-timer (2, 5 and 10 second delay options) and continuous shooting (10fps max for up to 155 frames, a big improvement on the HX90V's 10-frame buffer), there are also extensive bracketing options. You can choose from manual and continuous three-frame exposure bracketing with multiple exposure variation options, plus white balance and DRO bracketing.

The Sony HX99 now offers 4K video recording at 25p/100M or 25p/60M in the XAVC S format. If you're into slow-motion, there's a 100p/100M and 100p/60M options in the 1080 XAVC S HD format. Note that you'll need to use a UHS-I/II U3 compatible Micro SD card to access either of these recording modes, and also note that 4K recording time is limited to 5 minutes, at which point you'll need to start a new clip.

When in playback mode, the Fn button can be used to activate the Sony Cyber-shot HX99's Wi-Fi connectivity to send a single image or multiple shots to a smartphone or tablet. NFC pairing makes establishing a connection as simple as just tapping your smart device against the camera, and once connected, a full resolution image will take roughly eight seconds to transfer via Sony's PlayMemories Mobile app, available for Android, iOS and Windows Mobile. The app will also now let you remotely control the HX99 from a smartphone.

Sony CyberShot HX99
The Sony Cyber-shot HX99 In-hand

Unlike the previous HX90V, which included GPS to geolocate your images, the new HX99 instead has Bluetooth connectivity, which can collect and record the location data for a photo/video via a connected mobile device. This saves on battery life, now up to a CIPA rated 460 shots, but is obviously less convenient that having GPS built-in to the camera. You can also use the Bluetooth connection to small-size images to your smartphone for quick sharing.

The HX99 features a full range of creative shooting options like manual control, shutter and aperture priority modes. There's also now two Memory Recall modes (simply labelled 1 and 2 on the mode dial) whereby you can store a particular shooting set-up for quick recall. In addition to a full complement of scene modes, the HX99 also gets Sony's iSweep Panorama feature which occupies a dedicated position on the mode dial.

Finally, there are two automatic modes: program auto enables the usual adjustment of ISO sensitivity, white balance, metering and focussing options whilst maintaining automatic shutter speed and aperture. Then there's the standard scene-detecting fully automatic mode which is selected by opting for the green Auto mode dial icon.

Sony CyberShot HX99
The Sony Cyber-shot HX99's Selfie Screen

With so many modes and features, the Sony Cyber-shot HX99 can be somewhat intimidating to get to grips with if you're coming from a budget no-frills compact camera, especially if you delve straight into the plethora of options in the main menu. Sony's menu design is clear, with settings laid out in logical tabs and sub-pages, though the positioning of particular options within these isn't always intuitive. Fortunately the Fn button and its quick reference menu mean you can usually steer clear of the main menu, whilst the mode dial can be configured to display a brief splash screen graphic explaining the mode you select.

At the bottom of the rear panel, to the right of the playback button, is the new Custom button. By default this opens the ISO menu, but as the name suggests, you can customise it to activate one of the 50 available options.

The Sony Cyber-shot HX99 is quicker than the HX90V to power up and snap an image, taking approximately 1.5 seconds. Once up and running, fast autofocussing ensures daylight subjects are locked on to almost instantly, and with the aid of the AF-assist lamp, autofocussing only slows fractionally in low light.

New to the HX99 is Eye AF, which works in exactly the same way as on the Alpha mirrorless cameras, although it's not compatible with the AF-C focusing mode, making it less useful. Even worse, AF-C mode is actually only available when shooting video, not stills, which instantly makes the HX99 a non-starter for any kind of fast-moving action photography.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 18 megapixel JPEG setting, which produces an average image size of around 6Mb.

Noise

The Sony Cyber-shot HX99 has eight standard sensitivity settings available at full resolution in single-shot mode, ranging between ISO 80 and 6400.

ISO 80 (100% Crop)

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

iso80.jpg iso100.jpg

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

iso200.jpg iso400.jpg

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

iso800.jpg iso1600.jpg

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

iso3200.jpg iso6400.jpg

Focal Range

The Sony Cyber-shot HX99's 30x zoom lens offers a focal range of 24-720mm when converted into a 35mm camera format. Here you can see just how big a zoom range that gives you.

24mm

focal_range1.jpg

720mm

focal_range2.jpg

File Quality

Three JPEG compression quality options are available to accompany all image sizes: SuperFine, Fine and Standard, with file sizes around 12Mb, 6.5MB and 4.5MB respectively.

SuperFine

Fine

quality_super_fine.jpg quality_fine.jpg

Standard

quality_standard.jpg

Chromatic Aberrations

The Sony Cyber-shot HX99 handled chromatic aberrations well during the review, with some purple fringing present around the edges of objects in high-contrast situations, as shown in the examples below.

Chromatic Aberrations 1 (100% Crop)

Chromatic Aberrations 2 (100% Crop)

chromatic1.jpg chromatic2.jpg

Macro

Sony quotes a minimum focus distance of 5cm for the HX99, which isn't particularly impressive. We however were able to focus down to around 3cm with the lens at maximum wide angle.

macro1.jpg

Flash

Four flash settings are available: Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync and Rear Sync. The flash itself is reasonably powerful, but there is some vignetting visible at wide angle from a distance of 1.5m.

Suppressed Flash - Wide Angle (24mm)

ISO 64

Forced Flash - Wide Angle (24mm)

ISO 64

Suppressed Flash - Telephoto (720mm)

ISO 64

Forced Flash - Telephoto (720mm)

ISO 64

A separate menu option controls whether or not red-eye reduction is active. When disabled, our testing revealed a hint of red-eye, but red-eye reduction successfully eliminates this.

Forced Flash

flash_on.jpg

Red-eye Reduction

flash_redeye.jpg

Night

Night-time landscapes can be captured in three ways: Night Scene mode captured this scene with a long 2-second exposure at ISO 80, making a tripod essential. The default Superior Auto mode tries to be clever and shoots multiple frames to reduce image noise. However, the exposure metering is off and the result is too bright. Finally, you can switch to shutter priority mode to manually select a long exposure up to 30 seconds in length. This option was used to shoot the last of our three night-time test images and the result is a 1-second exposure at ISO 125.

night1.jpg

Image Stabilization

Sony's Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation system does a good job of ironing out any camera shake when shooting in good light. In darker conditions some slight blur can show up in some shots if you're not being extra careful to hold the camera still.

Off

On

antishake1.jpg antishake2.jpg

Off

On

antishake4.jpg antishake3.jpg

Picture Effects

The Sony Cyber-shot HX99 contains thirteen Picture Effects, some with additional sub options: Toy camera (normal, cool, warm, green, magenta), Pop color, Posterization (colour, mono), Retro photo, Soft high-key, Partial color (red, green, blue, yellow), High-contrast mono, Soft focus (low, mid, high), HDR painting (low, mid, high), Rich-tone mono, Miniature (top, middle horizontal, bottom, left, middle vertical, right), Watercolor, Illustration (low, mid, high).

Toy Camera

Pop Color

picture_effect_01.jpg picture_effect_02.jpg

Posterization

Posterization B&W

picture_effect_03.jpg picture_effect_04.jpg

Retro

Soft High-key

picture_effect_05.jpg picture_effect_06.jpg

Partial Color (Red)

Partial Color (Green)

picture_effect_07.jpg picture_effect_08.jpg

Partial Color (Blue)

Partial Color (Yellow)

picture_effect_09.jpg picture_effect_10.jpg

High-contrast Mono

Soft Focus

picture_effect_11.jpg picture_effect_12.jpg

HDR Painting

Rich-tone Mono

picture_effect_13.jpg picture_effect_14.jpg

Miniature

Watercolor

picture_effect_15.jpg picture_effect_16.jpg

Illustration

picture_effect_17.jpg

iSweep Panorama

Sony's iSweep Panorama mode gives horizontal and vertical panning options. Three horizontal widths are available: Standard (roughly 120 degrees), Wide (180 degrees) and a full 360-degree pan. There's no ability to simply stop panning at will though. Whichever width you choose, the result is a seamless panorama with a consistent exposure, albeit considerably downsized to 1080 vertical pixels. To be fair to Sony, most competing compact cameras with sweep panorama modes have similar limitations. If you're after something more spectacular, you'd be better off manually snapping adjacent overlapping images and stitching them on a computer with additional software.

Standard
panorama_standard.jpg
Wide
panorama_wide.jpg

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Sony Cyber-shot HX99 camera, which were all taken using the 18 megapixel JPEG setting setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Sony Cyber-shot HX99 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Sony RAW (ARW) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movies & Video

This is a sample movie at the highest quality setting of 3840x2160 pixels at 25 frames per second. Please note that this 30 second movie is 376Mb in size.

This is a sample movie at the quality setting of 1920x1080 pixels at 100 frames per second. Please note that this 30 second movie is 360Mb in size.

Product Images

Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

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Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

Sony CyberShot HX99

Conclusion

The Sony Cyber-shot HX99 is one of the best travel-zoom cameras on the market, offering a compelling mix of great still and video image quality and an upgraded feature-set, in spite of a big jump in the asking price (in the UK at least ).

4K video is the most important addition to the HX99, and it's great quality too thanks to the full pixel readout and no pixel binning. For fans of slow-motion, the 100fps 1080p mode is another great addition.

On the stills side, the continued use of an 18.2MP Exmor R 1/2.3 type sensor means that the HX99 can't quite compete with the Panasonic TZ200, which uses a larger 1-inch sensor, but does allow the HX99 to offer twice the zoom range of the TZ200, which for many people will be more important than out-and-out image quality.

Sony have finally added touch-screen functionality to their travel-zoom range, a much requested feature, but while the ability to set the focus point and fire the shutter is very welcome, it's frustrating that you can't perform simpler functions like controlling the menu system or swiping through and zooming into your images.

The HX99 loses the built-in GPS functionality offered by its predecessor, but gains Bluetooth connectivity, which allows you to quickly transfer images to your smartphone and use said smartphone to record the location data.

On the plus side again, and the HX99 finally has Raw file support, something that it's main rivals have offered for a while. Also very welcome is the Alpha-like Eye AF feature, although it only works with the AF-S focus mode, and not AF-C (as on Sony's mirrorless cameras), which would have made it much more useful.

10fps continuous shooting is the same fast rate as on the HX90V, but it's now for up to 155 frames, rather than 10, so much more useful in real-world shooting.

Despite the price increase, the HX99 is significantly cheaper than the Panasonic TZ200 and slightly more expensive than the Canon SX740 HS. All three are considered to be travel-zoom cameras, but all three have their own particular strengths and weaknesses, so have a good read through our reviews before you decide which one to plump for.

In summary, the Cyber-shot HX99 brings Sony's travel-zoom bang up to date for 2018. Highly Recommended!

4.5 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 4.5
Features 5
Ease-of-use 4
Image quality 4
Value for money 3.5

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Sony Cyber-shot HX99.

Canon PowerShot SX740 HS

The new Canon PowerShot SX740 HS travel-zoom camera now offers UHD 4K video recording and 10fps burst shooting. The Canon SX740 also features a massive 40x zoom lens, 20 megapixel sensor, tilting 3-inch LCD screen, PASM shooting modes, and built-in Wi-fi/Bluetooth connectivity. Read our detailed Canon PowerShot SX740 HS review now, complete with sample photos, test shots, videos and more...

Leica C-Lux

Looking for a family-friendly pocket camera with a long zoom lens? Then the new Leica C-Lux could be right up your street with it's 15x, 24-360mm lens, 20 megapixel sensor and 4K video recording. Find out what we thought of Leica's latest camera in our in-depth Leica C-Lux review...

Panasonic Lumix TZ200

The Panasonic Lumix TZ200 is an extremely well-appointed premium compact camera, offering a mouth-watering array of photographer friendly features and a versatile 15x zoom lens, all wrapped up in a body that you can easily slip inside your pocket. Is this the best compact camera on the market? Read our in-depth Panasonic Lumix TZ200 review, complete with full-size sample images and movies, to find out...

Sony RX100 VI

The new Sony RX100 VI is the most technologically capable compact camera on the market, but is it the right travel-zoom camera for you? Find out by reading our detailed Sony RX100 VI review...

Specifications

Sensor

Sensor Type
1/2.3 type (7.82mm) Exmor R CMOS sensor
Number of Pixels (Effective)
Approx. 18.2 Megapixels

Lens

Lens type
ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* Lens, 11 elements in 10 groups (5 aspheric elements)
F-number (Maximum Aperture)
F3.5 (W) - 6.4 (T)
Focal length (f=)
f=4.25-118mm
ANGLE OF VIEW (35MM FORMAT EQUIVALENT) (STILL IMAGE)
84deg.-3deg.30min.(24-720mm1)2
Focus Range (From the Front of the Lens)
Auto: AF (W: Approx. 5cm (0.16 ft.) to Infinity, T: Approx. 250cm (8.20 ft.) to Infinity) / Program Auto: AF (W: Approx. 5cm (0.16 ft.) to Infinity, T: Approx. 250cm (8.20 ft.) to Infinity)
Optical Zoom
28x
Clear Image Zoom (Still Image)
18M Approx.60x / 10M Approx.80x / 5.0M Approx.113x / VGA Approx.459x / 13M(16:9) Approx.60x / 2.1M(16:9) Approx.153x3
Clear Image Zoom (Movie)
4K:Approx. 45x,HD:Approx. 60x3
Digital Zoom (Still Image)
18M Approx.120x / 10M Approx.161x / 5.0M Approx.226x / VGA Approx.459x / 13M(16:9) Approx.120x / 2.1M(16:9) Approx.306x3
Digital Zoom (Movie)
Approx. 120x3

Screen

Screen Type
7.5cm (3.0type) (4:3) / 921,600 dots / Xtra Fine / TFT LCD
Adjustable Angle
Up by approx. 180 degrees
Display Selector (Finder/Lcd)
Auto/EVF
MF Assist Magnification
7.7x, 15.3x
Touch Panel
Yes

Viewfinder

Screen Type/Number of Dots
0.2-type electronic viewfinder(OLED), 638,400dots
Field Coverage
100%, 4K Movie: Approx.97%
Magnification
Approx. 0.5x with 50mm lens at infinity, -1m-1(diopter) (35mm equiv.)
Eye Point
Approx.20mm from the eyepiece, 19.2mm from the eyepiece frame at -1m-1(diopter) (CIPA standard)
Dioptre Adjustment
-4.0 to +3.0m-1
Brightness Control
Auto, Manual(5steps)

Camera

Image Processing Engine
Yes (BIONZ X)
Steadyshot
Optical
Steadyshot (For Movie)
Yes (Intelligent Active Mode, Optical type with electronic compensation, Anti Rolling type)
Focus Type
Contrast detection AF
Focus Mode
Single-shot AF,Continuous AF(Movie Only),DMF,Manual Focus
Focus Area
Wide,Center,Flexible Spot (S/M/L),Expanded Flexible Spot
LOCK ON AF
yes
Light Metering Mode
Multi Pattern,Center Weighted,Spot,Entire Screen Avg,Highlight
Exposure Compensation
+/- 3.0 EV, 1/3 EV step
ISO Sensitivity (Still Image)(Recommended Exposure Index)
Auto(ISO80-3200, selectable with upper / lower limit),80/100/200/400/800/1600/3200(Extendable to ISO6400),Multi-Frame NR:Auto(ISO80-3200 same as selected range in Auto), 100/200/400/800/1600/3200/64004/1280045
ISO Sensitivity (Movie)
Auto(ISO80-3200, selectable with upper / lower limit),80/100/200/400/800/1600/3200(Extendable to ISO6400)
Minimum Illumination (Movie)
Auto: 9lux (Shutter Speed 1/30)
White Balance Modes
Auto,Daylight,Shade,Cloudy,Incandescent,Fluor.: Warm White,Fluor.: Cool White,Fluor.: Day White,Fluor.: Daylight,Flash,C.Temp./Filter,Custom1,Custom2,Custom3,Custom Setup
WB Micro Adjustment
G7-M7 (57 steps) , A7-B7 (29 steps)
Shutter Speed
iAuto (4" - 1/2000) / Program Auto (1" - 1/2000) / Aperture Priority (8" - 1/2000) / Shutter Priority (30" - 1/2000) / Manual (30" - 1/2000)6
Aperture
iAuto(F3.5-F6.3(W)) / Program Auto(F3.5-F6.3(W) ) / Manual(F3.5-F8.0(W)) / Aperture Priority(F3.5-F8.0(W)) / Shutter Priority(F3.5-F6.3(W))
Image Control
Contrast,Saturation,Sharpness,Creative Style,Color Space,Quality(RAW / RAW&JPEG ( Extra fine, Fine, Standard) / JPEG ( Extra fine, Fine, Standard)
Noise Reduction
high ISO NR:Normal/Low, Multi Frame NR:Auto, ISO100-12800
Dynamic Range Functions
Off, Dynamic Range Optimizer (Auto/Level 1-5), Auto High Dynamic Range: Off, Auto Exposure Difference, Exposure difference Level (1.0-6.0EV, 1.0EV step)
Shooting Mode
Auto(Intelligent Auto/Superior Auto),Program Auto,Aperture Priority,Shutter Speed Priority,Manual Exposure,MR(Memory Recall) 1,2,Movie Mode(Program Auto,Aperture Priority,Shutter Speed Priority,Manual Exposure),Sweep Panorama,Scene Selection
Scene Selection
Portrait,Macro,Landscape,Sunset,Night Scene,Handheld Twilight,Night Portrait,Anti Motion Blur,Pet,Gourmet,Fireworks,High Sensitivity
Continuous Shooting Speed (maximum) (with max. recording pixels)
Spd Priority Cont. Approx. 10 fps, Cont. Shooting Approx. 3 fps789
Self-Timer
Off / 10sec. / 5sec. / 2sec. / 3 consecutive shots with 10sec. 5sec. or 2sec. / 5 consecutive shots with 10sec. 5sec. or 2sec.
Drive Modes
Single,Continuous shooting,Spd Priority Cont,Self-timer,Self-timer(cont.),Cont.-bracketing,Single-bracketing,White balance bracketing,DRO bracketing
Panorama (Shooting)
Sweep Panorama
Picture Effect
[Still Image]:Toy camera, Pop Color, Posterization, Retro Photo, Soft High-key, Partial Color, High Contrast Mono., Soft Focus, HDR Painting, Richtone Monochrome, Miniature, Watercolor, Illustration; [Movie]:Toy camera,Pop Color, Posterization, Retro Photo, Soft High-key, Partial Color, High Contrast Mono.
Creative Style
Standard, Vivid, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, Black & White, Sepia
Number of Recognised Scenes
[Still Image]:Superior Auto: 44 / iAuto: 33; [Movie]:44

Flash

Flash Mode
Flash Off / Autoflash / Fill Flash / Slow Sync. / Rear Sync.
Flash Type
Built-in, manual pop-up
AF Illuminator
Auto / Off

Bracketing
Yes
Flash Range
ISO Auto: Approx.0.3m to 5.4m(11 13/16 inches to 17 feet 8 19/32 inches)(W) / Approx.2.5m to 3.0 m(8 feet 2 27/64 inches to 9 feet 10 7/64 inches)(T)

Recording

Compatible Recording Media
Memory Stick Micro,Memory Stick Micro (Mark2),microSD Memory Card,microSDHC Memory Card,microSDXC Memory Card10
Recording Format
[Still Image]:JPEG(DCF Ver.2.0,Exif Ver.2.31,MPF Baseline compliant), RAW (Sony ARW 2.3 format),[Movie]:XAVC S, AVCHD format Ver.2.0 compatible
Recording Format (Movie Audio)
XAVC S:LPCM 2ch,AVCHD:Dolby Digital(AC-3) 2ch(Dolby Digital Stereo Creator)
Colour Space (Still)
sRGB,Adobe RGB
DCF/DPOF
DCF/DPOF/EXIF/MPF
Still Image Number of recorded pixels (Image Size)
3:2mode:16M(4,896×3,264)/8.9M(3,648×2,432)/4.5M(2,592×1,728),4:3mode:18M(4,896×3,672)/10M(3,648×2,736)/5M(2,592×1,944)/VGA(640×480),16:9mode:13M(4,896×2,752)/7.5M(3,648×2,056)/2.1M(1,920×1,080),1:1mode:13M(3,664×3,664)/7.5M(2,736×2,736)/3.7M(1,920×1,920),Sweep Panorama:Wide(12,416×1,856/5,536×2,160),Standard(8,192×1,856/3,872×2,160)
Movie Recording Mode (NTSC)
PAL/NTSC Selector: [NTSC] AVCHD: 24M FX(1,920x1,080/60i)/ 17M FH(1,920x1,080/60i), XAVC S 4K: 30p 100M(3,840x2,160/30p)/ 30p 60M(3,840x2,160/30p)/ 24p 100M(3,840x2,160/24p)/ 24p 60M(3,840x2,160/24p), XAVC S HD: 60p 50M(1,920x1,080/60p)/ 60p 25M(1,920x1,080/60p)/ 30p 50M(1,920x1,080/30p)/ 30p 16M(1,920x1,080/30p)/ 24p 50M(1,920x1,080/24p)/ 120p 100M(1,920x1,080/120p)/120p 60M(1,920x1,080/120p)
Movie Recording Mode (PAL)
PAL/NTSC Selector:[PAL] AVCHD: 24M FX(1,920x1,080/50i)/ 17M FH(1,920x1,080/50i), XAVC S 4K: 25p 100M(3,840x2,160/25p)/ 25p 60M(3,840x2,160/25p)/ XAVC S HD: 50p 50M(1,920x1,080/50p)/ 50p 25M(1,920x1,080/50p)/ 25p 50M(1,920x1,080/25p)/ 25p 16M(1,920x1,080/25p)/ 100p 100M(1,920x1,080/100p)/ 100p 60M(1,920x1,080/100p)
Proxy Recording
Yes

Interface

Input and Output Terminals
Multi/Micro USB Terminal11, Hi-Speed USB (USB2.0), Micro HDMI
NFC
NFC forum Type 3 Tag compatible, One-touch remote, One-touch sharing
WI-FI
Yes(IEEE802.11b/g/n(2.4GHz band))
Bluetooth
Yes(Ver.4.1)

Power

Power Source
DC3.6V(supplied battery)/ DC5.0V(supplied AC adaptor)
Battery System
NP-BX1
Power Consumption (Camera Mode)
Approx. 1.5W with LCD monitor and approx. 1.8W with viewfinder(CIPA standard)
USB Charge/USB Power Supply
Yes (with supplied AC Adaptor and supplied Battery)
BATTERY LIFE(STILL IMAGES)(CIPA)
Monitor:Approx. 370 / Approx. 185min., Monitor (When Auto Monitor off is set to 2sec):Approx. 460 / Approx. 230min., ViewFinder:Approx. 300 / Approx. 150min.12
BATTERY LIFE(MOVIES ACTUAL SHOOTING)(CIPA)
Monitor:Approx. 55min., ViewFinder:Approx. 55min.131415
BATTERY LIFE(MOVIES CONTINUOUS SHOOTING)(CIPA)
Monitor:Approx. 95min., ViewFinder:Approx. 100min.1314

Others

Shooting Functions
Eye AF,Face Detection,Face Registration,Smile Shutter,Grid Line,Step Zoom/Quick Zoom,Digital Level Gauge,WB Bracketing,DRO Bracketing,MF Assist,Peaking,Zebra,Marker Display,Micref Level,Zoom Assist,My Menu Setting,Self-portrait timer
Playback Functions
BRAVIA Sync(Control for HDMI),9/25-frame index view,Auto Orientation,Slide Show,Forward/Rewind (Movie),Delete,Protect,Motion Shot Video,Automatic Image Rotation,Cont Shoot Grouping
TRILUMINOS Color
Yes16
4K image output
Yes
Operating Temperature
0 degrees C. - +40 degrees C. / 32 degrees F. - 104 degrees F.

Print

Print
Exif Print,PRINT Image Matching (PIM3)

Size & Weight

DIMENSIONS (W X H X D) (APPROX.)
102.0mm x 58.1mm x 35.5mm(4 1/8 in. x 2 3/8 in. x 1 7/16 in.)
WEIGHT (CIPA COMPLIANT)
Approx. 242g (8.6oz) (Battery and Memory Card are included)/Approx. 216g (7.7oz) (Body Only)

What's In The Box

  • Rechargeable Battery Pack NP-BX1,AC Adaptor,Micro USB cable,Wrist Strap,Instruction Manual

Footnotes
1Value displayed on the camera and recorded in the Exif 2At maximum pixel readout. 3Optical zoom from the wide side (except RX1 series and RX0). 4Achieved by using "By Pixel Super Resolution" technology and overlay burst shooting. 5REI = Recommended Exposure Index 6When ISO sensitivity is higher than IS0 3200, the slowest shutter speed limit is 1/4 sec. Manual setting of ISO sensitivity to lower than ISO 3200 is necessary to set shutter speed slower than 1/4. (except DSC-RX0, DSC-RX1, DSC-RX10, DSC-RX100 series models). 7Speed will be slowing after taking some shots. 8You may not be able to shoot images in Burst mode depending on the Shooting mode. 9Continuous shooting speed will be reduced when used together with built-in or external flash. 10For movies, Memory Stick Micro (Mark2), or microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC card of Class 4 or faster is necessary. 11Supports Micro USB compatible device. 12The LCD screen is turned on, shooting once every 30 seconds, the zoom is switched alternately between the W and T ends the flash strobes once every two times, the power turns on and off once every ten times. 13Based on non-stop recording until the limit (29 minutes or 4GB) has been reached, and then continued recording again. Shooting functions such as zoom will not be available. 14Continuous shooting is possible for approximately 29 minutes (limited by product specifications,default setting. except DSC-RX0). 15Indication recording time, which is defined by repeating the cycle: Power on, start recording, zoom (except DSC-RX1, DSC-RX0 series models), stand-by, power off. 16Models capable of extended-gamut recording and HDMI transmission function for both still images and movies. 17Among fixed-lens digital cameras with a built-in viewfinder and telephoto end 700mm or above (angle of view, 35mm format equivalent). As of August 2018, based on Sony research. 18Angle of view (35mm format equivalent). 193840 x 2160 pixels. Continuous recording time is approx. 5 minutes, and may vary with recording environment. 20A Class 10 or higher micro SDHC/SDXC memory card is required to record videos in the XAVC S format. UHS-I (U3) is also required for recording at 100Mbps. 21CIPA standard, internal measurement, at f=4.25mm (wide-end), EV8.5, Program Auto, AF area: Wide, NTSC mode. 22With "Continuous shooting mode: Speed Priority Continuous Shooting" and "Image quality: Fine”. Speed will decrease after some shots have been taken. 23With "Continuous shooting mode: Speed Priority Continuous Shooting" and "Image quality: Fine. Under Sony test conditions. 24Can be connected via Bluetooth with smartphones featuring (as of August 2018): - Android smartphones: Android 5.0 or later and compatible with Bluetooth 4.0 or later, iPhone/iPad: iPhone 4S or later/iPad 3rd generation or later. 25Refer to the download page for details: http://www.sony.net/disoft/d/ 26Does not support full functional compatibility with some of the camera models. See Sony support site for details. 27The images are for illustration purposes only. 28Features and specifications are subject to change without prior notice.

News

The Sony Cyber-shot HX99 and HX95 are the World’s smallest travel high zoom cameras with 4K movie capability and an upgraded image processor. Both models offer a truly versatile zoom range from 24mm at the wide end up to 720mm super-telephoto, 4K video with full pixel readout and no pixel binning, and the latest BIONZ X image processing engine.

The new Sony Cyber-shot HX99 and HX95 will ship in Europe from October 2018, priced at £450 and €520 in Ireland for HX99 and £430 and €500 in Ireland for HX95.

Update: The Sony Cyber-shot HX99 Travel Zoom camera will also be available in the USA in early November for $449.99 USD ($599.99 CAD).

Sony UK Press Release

Sony Announces World’s Smallest Travel High Zoom Cameras with 4K Movie Capability and Upgraded Image Processor

ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* 24-720mm[i] High Magnification Zoom and High Image Quality Lens packed into compact body

Stunning 4K[ii] video with full pixel readout and no pixel binning

BIONZ X™ image processing engine and newly implemented front-end LSI for seriously impressive stills

Versatile operability and shooting capabilities including Eye AF, EVF, Control Ring[iii], Touch Focus/Touch Shutteriii, Tiltable LCD and more for flexible shooting options

Sony today boosted its Cyber-shot® line-up of travel high zoom cameras with the launch of the DSC-HX99 and DSC-HX95.

Designed for users who want an unobtrusive camera that can be carried at all times, the new models are packaged in the world’s smallest[iv] body and offer a truly versatile zoom range from 24mmi at the wide end up to 720mmi super-telephoto. In addition to stunning 4Kii movie footage,at the heart of both models sits the powerful BIONZ X image processing engine combined with a front-end LSI that delivers high-speed continuous shooting at up to 10 fps with a buffer limit of up to 155 images[v]. Furthermore, these new models present a fast AF speed of 0.09 seconds[vi]. Some newly added features are Eye AF, RAW format image recording, touch focus/touch shutteriii function, and location data acquisition[vii] via Bluetooth®.

ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* 24-720mm High Magnification Zoom and High Image Quality Lens

The huge zoom range offered by the HX99 and HX95 means that they are ideally suited to the varied demands of travel photography and capturing daily life. Image stabilisation is controlled with Optical SteadyShot™ which effectively negates the camera shake blur that often occurs during handheld and telephoto shooting. The models are also equipped with a Zoom Assist function that allows the user to zoom out temporarily and displays a wider area when shooting a subject at the telephoto end.

Processing Power

The HX99 and HX95 can capture 4K video footage with full pixel readout and no pixel binning. This means that fine details are beautifully rendered and ‘moiré’ and ‘jaggies’ are significantly reduced. The new models can shoot fast-moving subjects withhigh-frame rate HD[viii] recording at up to 100fps[ix] to produce impressive slow-motion sequences during editing.

As the perfect picture often occurs unexpectedly, photographers need to be able to trust their camera to react quickly. With a Fast Intelligent AF speed of just 0.09 secondsvi and an upgraded BIONZ X processor[x] and front-end LSI, the HX99 and HX95 are a perfect fit, delivering high speed continuous shooting at up to 10fps (buffer limit of up to 155 images)v. For beautifully focused portraits, the new models inherit the much praised Eye AF technology from their α™ siblings and for photographers who prefer to enhance their photos with image editing software, the HX99 and HX95 offer the option to shoot in RAW. Fading light? A maximum ISO6400[xi] means that this isn’t a concern.

Intuitive and Comfortable Operation

Embracing feedback from users of the HX90 series, Sony has implemented Touch Focus and Touch Shutter functionality on the HX99 so that the photographer can directly select their shooting subject and fire whilst also implementing a Touch Pad function for smooth focus point shifting while using the retractable OLED Tru-Finder™. For those who wish to take command of their settings, the Control Ring of the HX99 can be customised with functions such as manual focus or step zooming and both HX99 and HX95 also offer My Menu personalisation for instant recall of up to 30 items and the ability to create custom menus.

A 180-degree tiltable LCD screen allows for easy framing of selfies and group shots whilst an upgraded gripx offers a firm hold and greater stability during shooting. Location data acquisition via Bluetooth® can collect and record location data from a mobile devicevii (Location Information Link) and small size Proxy recording allows transfers to smartphones or uploading to websites for quick sharing.

The new Sony Cyber-shot HX99 and HX95 will ship in Europe from October 2018, priced at approximately £450 and €520 in Ireland for HX99 and £430 and €500 in Ireland for HX95.

Please visit Sony.co.uk for more information: HX99 / HX95

[i]Angle of view (35mm format equivalent)

[ii]3840 x 2160 pixels. Continuous recording time is approx. 5 minutes, and may vary with recording environment

[iii]DSC-HX99 only

[iv]Among fixed lens digital cameras with a built-in viewfinder and telephoto end 700mm or above (angle of view, 35mm format equivalent) lens. As of August 2018 press release, based on Sony research

[v]With "Continuous shooting mode: Speed Priority Continuous Shooting" and "Image quality: Fine”

[vi]CIPA standard, internal measurement, at f=4.25mm (wide-end), EV8.5, Program Auto, AF area: Wide, NTSC mode

[vii]Can be connected via Bluetooth with smartphones featuring (as of August 2018 press release):

Android smartphones: Android 5.0 or later and compatible with Bluetooth 4.0 or later,

iPhone/iPad: iPhone 4S or later/iPad 3rd generation or later

[viii]Class 10 or higher micro SDHC/SDXC memory card is required to record movies in the XAVC S™ format. UHS-I (U3) is also required for recording at 100Mbps

[ix]PAL. 120fps in NTSC

[x]Compared to DSC-HX90 series

[xi]When expanded ISO sensitivity is enabled


Sony USA Press Release

Sony Introduces New Cyber-shot HX99

Sony has introduced a new ultra-compact camera with a stunning ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* 24-720mm zoom lens. The new Cyber-shot HX99 features advanced capabilities in a small form that make it an ideal travel camera. Key features:

ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* 24-720mm High Magnification Zoom and High Image Quality Lens

Stunning 4K video with full pixel readout and no pixel binning

Upgraded BIONZ X™ image processing engine and newly implemented front-end LSI ensure outstanding image quality

Versatile operability and shooting functions including Eye AF, EVF, Control Ring, Touch Focus/Touch shutter, 180°Tiltable LCD and more

Sony has introduced a new ultra-compact camera with a stunning ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* 24-720mm zoom lens. The new Cyber-shot HX99 features advanced capabilities in a small form that make it an ideal travel camera. 

  • ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* 24-720mm (1) High Magnification Zoom and High Image Quality Lens 
  • Stunning 4K (2) video with full pixel readout and no pixel binning
  • Upgraded (3) BIONZ X™ image processing engine and newly implemented front-end LSI ensure outstanding image quality
  • Versatile operability and shooting functions including Eye AF, EVF, Control Ring, Touch Focus/Touch shutter, 180°Tiltable LCD and more

SAN DIEGO — October 15, 2018 — Sony Electronics Inc. – a worldwide leader in digital imaging and the world’s largest image sensor manufacturer – has today announced the Cyber-shot® HX99 (model DSC-HX99) camera, an exciting new travel zoom that packs an extreme zoom range of 24-720mm (1) into the world’s smallest (4) camera body of its kind.

The new HX99 model is the ultimate companion to any travel enthusiast or weekend photographer with extensive functionality that includes the ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* 24-720mm (1) High Magnification Zoom lens, 4K (2) movie shooting, a powerful BIONZ X image processing engine with a front-end LSI, extremely fast AF, Eye AF, 10 fps (5) shooting and more.

ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* 24-720mm High Magnification Zoom Lens

In addition to the extensive 24-720mm (1) zoom range, the versatile new ZEISS® Vario- Sonnar T* lens features Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization, which effectively minimizes the camera shake and blur that often occurs during handheld and telephoto shooting. The new HX99 is also equipped with a Zoom Assist function that allows the user to zoom more accurately while shooting far away subjects by offering a quick, temporary zoom-out display to showcase a wider area.

Processing Power for Video and Stills

Thanks to its powerful BIONZ X processing engine, the new HX99 camera can capture stunning 4K (2) video with full pixel readout and no pixel binning, with minimal “moire” and “jaggies.” The new model also is capable of shooting high-frame rate HD (6) video at up to 120 fps (7) to produce impressive slow-motion sequences during editing.

During still photography, the camera can acquire focus in as little as 0.09 seconds, and it can shoot continuously at up to 10 fps for up to 155 shots (8). The HX99 also is equipped with Eye AF technology, a feature made popular by Sony’s acclaimed lineup of αTM interchangeable lens cameras that locks focus onto a subject’s eye for compelling portrait and fast-action photography. The camera also is capable of shooting images in RAW format and has a maximum ISO of 6400 (9).

Intuitive and Comfortable Operation

The versatile HX99 travel camera includes Touch Focus and Touch Shutter functionality for added convenience, as well as a Touch Pad function for smooth focus point shifting while using the retractable OLED Tru-Finder. The camera also has a Control Ring that can be customized with functions such as manual focus or step zooming, as well as a customizable ‘My Menu’ option for instant recall of up to 30 different settings.

The new camera has a 180-degree tiltable LCD screen that allows for easy framing of self-portraits and group shots, a pop up electronic viewfinder and an upgraded grip that offers a firm hold and greater stability during shooting. It also offers location data acquisition (10) via Bluetooth®, which can collect and record location data from a connected mobile device, and proxy recording that allows instant transfers to smartphones or websites for quick sharing.

Pricing and Availability

The new Cyber-shot HX99 Travel Zoom camera will ship in early November for $449.99 USD and $599.99 CAD. It will be sold at a variety of authorized dealers throughout North America.

A variety of exclusive stories and exciting new content shot with the new Cyber-shot cameras and Sony entire line of α interchangeable lens cameras can be found at www.alphauniverse.com, a site built to educate and inspire all fans and customers of the Sony Imaging brand.

The new Cyber-shot content will also be posted directly at the Sony Photo Gallery and the Sony Camera Channel on YouTube. Detailed information pages within Sony.com for the new products can be found at:

HX99 (US Customers) 

HX99 (CA Customers) 

Image Gallery

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Hands On

Want to see exactly what the new Sony Cyber-shot HX99 travel-zoom compact camera looks like in the flesh?

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the Sony Cyber-shot HX99 travel-zoom compact camera, which wasn't even on show on the Sony Photokina stand (the Sony rep had to find one from behind the customer desk).

A gallery of hands-on photos of the Sony Cyber-shot HX99 travel-zoom compact camera.

Image Gallery

Click on a thumbnail to see the full version.

Preview Images

Ahead of our full review, here are some sample JPEG and Raw images taken with the Sony Cyber-shot HX99 compact camera. The Sony Cyber-shot HX99 is a new travel-zoom camera with a 30x zoom lens (24-720mm), a 18.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor, 4K video recording with full pixel readout and no pixel binning, a tiltable 3" LCD touchscreen, 10fps burst shooting, Raw file support and a full range of manual exposure modes.

A gallery of sample photos taken with the Sony Cyber-shot HX99 compact camera.

Sony Cyber-shot HX99 Sample Images

Sample RAW Images

The Sony Cyber-shot HX99 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Sony RAW (ARW) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

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