Sony Cybershot DSC-HX100V Review
Image Quality
All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 16 megapixel JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 4.5Mb.
The Sony CyberShot DSC-HX100V produced images of very good quality during the review period. This camera handled noise very well, not becoming obvious until the relatively slow speed of ISO 800 and then becoming progressively worse at the fastest settings of ISO 1600 and 3200, good for such a small image sensor.
Chromatic aberrations were in evidence but were well-controlled, with some limited purple fringing effects appearing in high contrast situations. The 16 megapixel images were a little soft straight out of the camera at the default sharpen setting and require some further sharpening in an application like Adobe Photoshop, or you can increase the in-camera sharpening level.
Macro performance is quite good, allowing you to focus as close as 5cms away from the subject. Commendably barrel distortion is well controlled even at the 24mm wide-angle focal length of the versatile 16x zoom lens. The built-in flash worked well indoors, with no red-eye and adequate overall exposure. The maximum shutter speed of 30 seconds allows the cameras to capture enough light for most after-dark situations.
The Backlight Correction HDR feature dramatically increases the detail in the shadow and highlight areas, although we miss being able to choose just how much correction is applied. Both the Hand-held Twilight mode and Sweep Panorama modes work as advertised, making it simple to take hand-held low-light and wide-vista shots.
Noise
There are 6 ISO settings available on the Sony CyberShot DSC-HX100V. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting.
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ISO 100 (100% Crop) |
ISO 200 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 400 (100% Crop) |
ISO 800 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 1600 (100% Crop) |
ISO 3200 (100% Crop) |
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Focal Range
The Sony CyberShot DSC-HX100V's 30x zoom lens offers an incredibly versatile focal range, as illustrated by these examples:
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27mm |
810mm |
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Sharpening
Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are just a little soft and ideally benefit from some further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. Alternatively you can change the in-camera sharpening level.
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Original (100% Crop) |
Sharpened (100% Crop) |
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Chromatic Aberrations
The Sony CyberShot DSC-HX100V 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.
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Example 1 (100% Crop) |
Example 2 (100% Crop) |
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Macro
The Sony CyberShot DSC-HX100V allows you to focus on a subject that is just 1cm away from the camera when the lens is set to wide-angle. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject (in this case a compact flash card). The second image is a 100% crop.
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Macro Shot |
100% Crop |
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Flash
The flash settings on the Sony CyberShot DSC-HX100V are Auto, Forced Flash, Slow Syncro, No Flash, with a Red-eye Reduction option in the Main menu. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.
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Suppressed Flash - Wide Angle (27mm) |
Forced Flash - Wide Angle (27mm) |
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Suppressed Flash - Telephoto (810mm) |
Forced Flash - Telephoto (810mm) |
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And here are some portrait shots. As you can see, both the Forced Flash setting or the Red-Eye Correction option caused a tiny amount of red-eye.
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Forced Flash |
Forced Flash (100% Crop) |
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Red-eye Reduction |
Red-eye Reduction (100% Crop) |
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Night Shot
The Sony CyberShot DSC-HX100V's maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds in the Manual mode, which is great news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 2 seconds at ISO 100. I've included a 100% crop of the image to show what the quality is like.
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Night Shot |
Night Shot (100% Crop) |
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Background Defocus
Background Defocus attempts to mimic the sharp subject and out-of-focus background effect that DSLR owners typically enjoy, shooting two frames in quick succession and varying the aperture between each one.
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Off |
On |
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Backlight Correction HDR
Backlight Correction HDR is Sony's solution for improving shadow and highlight detail in photos taken in contrasty light, significantly increasing the image's dynamic range. The examples show the rather dramatic effect of turning this feature on.
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Off |
On |
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Hand-held Twilight
In the Hand-held Twilight mode the DSC-HX100V takes six high-ISO photos in rapid succession and combines them into a single image.
| Manual Mode | Manual Mode (100% Crop) |
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| Hand-held Twilight Mode | Hand-held Twilight Mode (100% Crop) |
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Intelligent Sweep Panorama
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V allows you to take panoramic images very easily, by 'sweeping' with the camera while keeping the shutter release depressed. The camera does all the processing and stitching and even successfully compensates for moving subjects, with the new High Resolution mode successfully creating a 40+ megapixel image.
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| Wide |
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| High Resolution |
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Sample Images
This is a selection of sample images from the Sony Cybershot DSC-HX100V camera, which were all taken using the 16 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.
Sample Movie & Video
This is a sample video from the Sony CyberShot DSC-HX100V camera at the highest quality setting of 1920x1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. Please note that this 15 second movie is 49.6Mb in size.
Product Images
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Front of the Camera |
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Front of the Camera - Lens Extended |
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Isometric View |
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Isometric View |
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Isometric View |
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Isometric View |
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Rear of the Camera |
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Rear of the Camera / Image Displayed |
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Rear of the Camera / Turned On |
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Rear of the Camera / Main Menu |
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Rear of the Camera / Main Menu |
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Rear of the Camera / In-Camera Guide |
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Rear of the Camera / Tilting LCD Screen |
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Rear of the Camera / Tilting LCD Screen |
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Rear of the Camera / Tilting LCD Screen |
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Rear of the Camera / Tilting LCD Screen |
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Top of the Camera |
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Bottom of the Camera |
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Side of the Camera |
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Side of the Camera |
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Front of the Camera |
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Front of the Camera |
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Battery Compartment |
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Memory Card Slot |
Conclusion
The Sony CyberShot DSC-HX100V is one of the best super-zoom camera that we've ever reviewed, offering a compelling mix of advanced features, excellent still image quality, fantastic lens and a class-leading video mode, all at a price that is competitive with its main rivals.
The move to a 16 megapixel sensor may elicit groans amongst more experienced photographers, but in reality Sony have been able to maintain the excellent image quality that the previous 9 megapixel HX1 offered. The 16 megapixel backlit sensor provides excellent results from ISO 100-800, with only the fastest settings of 1600 and 3200 suffering from too much noise and smearing of fine detail. Chromatic aberrations are well controlled and colours accurate, and the incredible 27-810mm lens remarkably doesn't suffer from too much distortion at either end of the zoom range.
In addition to the excellent still images, the Sony HX100V is one of very few digital compacts to offer full 1080p video recording, gaining the upper hand on its key rivals. You can use the 30x zoom during recording, sound is stereo rather than mono, and the AVCHD format ensures that file sizes don't get out of control, although regrettably there is no manual control available during filming. The built-in GPS also works well, unobtrusively and reliably recording your every movement, although the camera takes a few minutes to sync with one or more satellites and the battery life is reduced by around 25% if you leave it constantly switched on.
The full range of manual, aperture and shutter priority modes and the intuitive focus/zoom ring means that the HX100V can rival a DSLR in terms of its handling, although the lack of a RAW mode and the non-rotating LCD screen may put off some more demanding users. The Hand-held Twilight mode delivers great results at night, albeit with an increase in noise levels, and Sony's ever popular Sweep Panorama mode now offers an impressive 42.9 megapixel high resolution mode. The Backlight Correction HDR feature dramatically increases the detail in the shadow and highlight areas, while Sony's excellent hand-holding Intelligent Auto modes are as effective as the competition's.
Add in the 3D Sweep Panoramas and 3D Still Images, amazing 10fps burst shooting mode and 0.1 second auto-focusing, and it's very easy for us to highly recommend the Sony CyberShot DSC-HX100V as an all-in-one, do-it-all camera that won't break the bank.
| Ratings (out of 5) | |
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| Design | 4.5 |
| Features | 4.5 |
| Ease-of-use | 4.5 |
| Image quality | 4.5 |
| Value for money | 4.5 |
Review Roundup
Reviews of the Sony Cybershot DSC-HX100V from around the web.
whatdigitalcamera.com »
As the superzoom market continues to hot up, Sony’s latest HX100V dips its oar into the 30x ultra-zoom sector. With unique features such as GPS (Global Positioning Satellite), does it have the goods to be the very best superzoom out there? The What Digital Camera Sony Cyber-shot HX100V review takes a look…
Read the full review »
reviews.cnet.co.uk »
It's not the size of your camera that counts, but the length of your superzoom. Sony's wading into the long-zooming arms race with its new Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V. It packs a 30x optical zoom and a bunch of 3D goodies to boot. We've gone hands-on in advance of a full review to let you know what to expect when it hits the shops in late April, priced around £400.
Read the full review »
Specifications
| Optical Zoom | 30x |
| Precision Digital Zoom | Approx. 120x (Total) |
| Smart Zoom | up to 216x (with VGA) |
| F | 2.8-5.6 |
| Focal Length (f= mm) | 4.8-144 |
| Focal Length (f=35mm conversion) | 27-810 |
| Macro (cm) | iAuto (W:Approx.1cm(0.03') to Infinity, T:Approx.200cm(6.56') to Infinity) |
| Filter Diameter (mm) | NO |
| Conversion Lens compatibility | NO |
| Carl Zeiss® Vario-Sonnar T* Lens | YES |
| Sony G | NO |
| CCD Type | Exmor R™ CMOS Sensor |
| Size (Inches) | 1/2.3 type(7.75mm) |
| Effective Pixels (Mega Pixels) | Approx. 16.2 |
| Bionz Processor | YES |
| Face Detection | YES |
| Smile Shutter | YES |
| Soft Skin Mode | YES |
| Background Defocus | YES |
| GPS | YES |
| Waterproof | NO |
| Backlight correction | YES |
| Sweep Panorama | NO |
| Intelligent Sweep Panorama | YES |
| Underwater Sweep Panorama | NO |
| 3D Sweep Panorama | YES |
| ClearRAW NR | YES |
| Auto Focus Area (Multi Point) | 9 points (Under Face Undetected) |
| Auto Focus Area (Centre weighted) | YES |
| Auto Focus Area (Spot) | NO |
| Auto Focus Area (Flexible Spot) | YES |
| Manual Focus | YES |
| Aperture Auto Mode | YES |
| Aperture Priority Mode | YES |
| ApertureManual Mode | YES |
| Shutter Speed Auto Mode (sec) | iAuto(2"" - 1/4000) / Program Auto(1"" - 1/4000) / Shutter Priority(30"" - 1/4000) / Aperture Priority(8"" - 1/2000) / Manual(30"" - 1/4000) |
| NR Slow Shutter | 1/3sec or slower |
| Hand Shake Alert | YES |
| Exposure Control | ± 2.0EV, 1/3EV step |
| White Balance | Auto (intelligent), Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent1, Fluorescent2, Fluorescent3, Incandescent, Flash, One Push, One Push Set |
| AutomaticWhite Balance | YES (Intelligent) |
| Light Metering (Multi Pattern) | YES |
| Light Metering (Centre weighted) | YES |
| Light Metering (Spot) | YES |
| Sharpness Setting | YES |
| Saturation Setting | YES |
| Contrast Setting | YES |
| ISO Sensitivity (REI) | Auto / 100 / 125 / 160 / 200 / 250 / 320 / 400 / 500 / 640 / 800 / 1000 / 1250 / 1600 / 2000 / 2500 / 3200 |
| Scene Selection | 11 (Auto / Portrait / Backlight Portrait / Twilight Portrait / Twilight / Backlight / Macro / Landscape / Infant / Spot Light / Low Light ) |
| SteadyShot capability | YES |
| OpticalSteadyShot capability | YES |
| AF Illuminator | Auto / Off |
| Flash Mode | Auto / Flash On / Slow Synchro / Rear Slow Synchro / Flash Off |
| Pre-flash | YES |
| Red-Eye Correction | Auto / On / Off |
| Auto Daylight Synchronized Flash | YES |
| Distance limitations using Flash (m) | ISO Auto: Approx.0.3-Approx.12.7m (Approx.0.984'-Approx.41.7')(W) / Approx.2.0Approx.5.9m(Approx.6.56'-Approx.19.4')(T), ISO3200: up to Approx.18.0m(Approx59.1)(W) / Approx.8.4m(Approx27.6')(T) |
| LCD Screen Size (inches) | 7.5cm (3.0type) |
| LCD Total Dots Number | 921.600 |
| LCD Monitor Type | TFT |
| Auto Bright Monitoring | YES |
| Optical Viewfinder | NO |
| Electrical Viewfinder | YES |
| Recording Media | Memory Stick™ Duo / Memory Stick PRO Duo™(Mark2 only for movie) / Memory Stick PRO Duo™ High Speed (No Speed Advantage) / Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo™ (No Speed Advantage) |
| Recording Media II | SD Memory Card(Class4 or Higher for movie), SDHC/SDXC Memory Card(Class4 or Higher for movie) |
| Recording Format | JPEG |
| DCF (Design rule for Camera File System) | YES |
| DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) | YES |
| Burst Mode (shots) | Approx.10 fps(10 shots) |
| Burst Interval (approximately sec) | Approx.0.1 sec.(10 shots) |
| Still Image size (16M 4608 x 3456) | YES |
| Still Image size (14M 4320 x 3240) | NO |
| Still Image size (13M 4224 x 3168) | NO |
| Still Image size (12M 4000 x 3000) | NO |
| Still Image size (10M 3648 x 2736) | YES |
| Still Image size (9.0M, 3456 x 2592) | NO |
| Still Image size (8.0M, 3264 x 2448) | NO |
| Still Image size (7.2M 3072 x 2304) | NO |
| Still Image size (5.0M, 2592 x 1944) | YES |
| Still Image size (3.1M, 2048 x 1536) | NO |
| Still Image size (VGA, 640 x 480) | YES |
| Still Image size (16:9 mode, 1920 x 1080) | YES |
| Still Image size (16:9 mode, 4,608 x 2,592) | YES |
| Still Image size (16:9 mode, 4,320 x 2,432) | NO |
| Still Image size (16:9 mode, 4000 x 2248) | NO |
| Still Image size (3:2 mode, 4000 x 2672) | NO |
| Still Image size (3:2 mode 3648 x 2432) | NO |
| Still Image size (3:2 mode 3456 x 2304) | NO |
| 2D Panorama | 7,152 x 1,080(204deg) / 4,912 x 1,080(140deg) / 4,912 x 1,920(149deg) / 3,424 x 1,920(104deg) / HR (10,480 x 4,096, 162deg) |
| 3D Panorama | 7,152 x 1,080(183deg) / 4,912 x 1,080(126deg) / 4,912 x 1,920(130deg) / 3,424 x 1,920(90deg) / 1,920 x 1,080(49deg) |
| Moving Image Size (1280x720 30fps Fine Approx.9Mbps) | NO |
| Moving Image Size (1280x720 30fps Standard Approx.6Mbps) | NO |
| Moving Image Size (640x480 30fps Approx.3Mbps) | NO |
| Moving Image Size (320x240 30fps) | NO |
| Moving Image Size (AVCHD 1920 x 1080(50i, Interlace) Approx.17Mbps(Averagebit-rate)) | YES |
| Moving Image Size (AVCHD 1440 x 1080(50i, Interlace) Approx.9Mbps(Averagebit-rate)) | YES |
| Moving Image Size (MP4/AVI 1440 x 1080 Approx.25fps Progressive) Approx.12Mbps(Averagebit-rate)) | YES |
| Moving Image Size (MP4/AVI 1280 x 720 Approx.25fps Progressive) Approx.6Mbps(Averagebit-rate)) | YES |
| Moving Image Size (MP4/AVI 640 x 480 Approx.25fps Progressive) Approx.3Mbps(Averagebit-rate)) | YES |
| Moving Image Size (AVCHD 1920 x 1080(50i, Interlace) Approx.24Mbps(Averagebit-rate)) | YES |
| HD (High Definition) Playback | Under 16M(4,608 x 3,456) |
| Slideshow Playback | YES |
| Slideshow with Music | YES |
| Slideshow Movie | YES |
| Trimming | YES |
| Playback Zoom | YES (8x) |
| Cue & Review (MPEG) | YES |
| Index Playback | 16 / 25 images (Date / Folder-Still / Folder-Movie / AVCHD) |
| Image Rotation | YES |
| Auto Image Rotation | YES |
| Auto grouping and & Best Picture Recognition | YES |
| Battery Remaining Indicator | YES |
| Histogram Indicator | YES |
| Exposure Warning Indicator | YES |
| Disk / Memory Stick remaining indicator | YES |
| PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol) | NO |
| Print Image Matching | YES |
| PictBridge | NO |
| Shop Front Mode | YES |
| Start up time (approximately sec) | Approx. 2.3 sec |
| Menu Language | English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, Czech, Hungarian , Turkish, Greek, Bulgarian, Croatian, Romanian |
| Multi use Terminal with HD | Type3c, AV ( SD ) / USB |
| Multi use Terminal | YES |
| AV Out | NO |
| USB 2.0 Hi-Speed | YES |
| Battery System | Lithium N |
| Supplied Battery | NP-FH50 |
| Stamina (battery life) with the supplied battery(s) in normal shooting condition | 303 shots, 150min (CIPA standard with LCD screen on) |
| Battery for Clock | Manganese-Lithium (MS614SE) |
| Weight (g) | Approx. 525g (1lb 2.5oz.) |
| Weight with Accessories (g) | Approx. 577g (1lb 4.4oz.) |
| SuppliedSoftware | Picture Motion Browser (Windows only), PMP Portable, Music Transfer |
| Supplied Accessories | Rechargeable Battery Pack(NP-BN1), USB charger(AC-UB10/10B), USB cable, Power cord, Neck strap, Lens cap, Lens cap strap, CD-ROM |
| Width (mm) | 121.6 |
| Height (mm) | 86.6 |
| Depth (mm) | 93.1 |
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