Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5743 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Sony
• Model: DSCHX1.CEH
• Released on: 2009-03-08
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Native resolution: 3.0 TFT, 230 x 400 px
• Display size: 2.7

Features

• ExmorTM CMOS sensor boosts sensitivity while suppressing image noise for superb low-light pictures
• 9.1 effective megapixels resolution for very high quality imaging and detail-packed enlargements
• Premium G Lens by Sony with high-power 20x optical zoom range and 28mm wide angle
• 1080p HD movie recording captures crisp, detail-packed HD video clips plus stereo sound at 30 frames per second
• 3.0-inch tilt-angle Clear Photo LCD Plus screen for comfortable framing in any shooting position

Manufacturer's Description

The HX1 combines all the benefits of a digital compact camera with features that you’d expect from a DSLR. Lightning–fast shooting and powerful creative options are all at your fingertips with Sony exclusives like the Exmor CMOS sensor and Sweep Panorama. Add to that the camera’s advanced shooting features, including a 28mm wide angle Sony G lens with 20x optical zoom, and manual controls to fine tune your vision, and you’re fully equipped to take high-quality images, every time.

Whether you’ve got a breathtaking landscape, spontaneous social gathering or fast–moving action in your viewfinder, the HX1 has the power and flexibility to ensure that the result is effortlessly professional. And with a body that’s light and compact, it fits comfortably into a weekend bag, making it the perfect travel companion.

Images are clearer thanks to the noise reduction of the Exmor CMOS sensor View larger

Professional performance
At the heart of the HX1 is the super–sensitive 9.1 megapixel Exmor CMOS sensor.
Developed exclusively by Sony, this advanced sensor cuts image noise to deliver crisp, clean images even at sensitivity settings as high as ISO3200. It works by reducing noise on the sensor itself, before and after analogue to digital conversion. No need now to be held back by low–light conditions, like dusk or dimly lit interiors, the HX1 will capture the moment in sharp detail. The same applies to fast–moving action, like sports, party scenes, a moment when anything can happen.

Press the shutter and the Exmor CMOS sensor, working with the BIONZ image processor, enables you to shoot at an incredible 10 high–resolution frames per second at full 9.1 megapixel resolution, outpacing many professional DSLR cameras. The kick of a ball, a bird in flight: every move caught in crisp detail. The camera also includes two low–lighting shooting modes, Handheld Twilight and Anti Motion Blur, which automatically take six frames at high speed and superimpose them into one optimised shot with reduced blur and less image noise.

Sweep Panorama shoots a high–speed burst of frames to create one amazing panoramic image View larger

Panorama shooting
With light and speed taken care of, the HX1 has a third innovative technology up its sleeve that you’ll be glad of when you next encounter an amazing landscape or city scene. The HX1 is the world’s first digital still camera with Sweep Panorama. Press the shutter, sweep the camera horizontally or vertically and you’ll get one dramatic panoramic shot. This new shooting mode captures more than 30 images at 10 frames per second, then seamlessly stitches only the best parts of the pictures to create the ultimate extra-wide, high-resolution image in approximately five seconds.

Advanced shooting features
What’s a camera without a lens? In the case of the HX1, that’s the precision–engineered G lens by Sony with a massive shooting range, from 28mm wide angle to an ultra-high 20x optical zoom. At this focal range, you’ll be able to squeeze even more into breathtaking landscapes and people–packed scenes or pull distant scenes into sharp focus. And thanks to Optical SteadyShot eliminating camera shake, you won’t need a tripod to ensure your subjects are crisp and clear.

Press the icon and Smile Shutter makes catching smiles easy View larger

Perfect portraits
How many times have you missed that perfect moment with friends and family? The HX1 also comes with Sony’s range of advanced camera features, which include Smile Shutter, Enhanced Face Detection and anti–blink mode, all of which help ensure that people look their best in your portraits. The final part of the picture is the setting. Trickier conditions like backlit portraits are taken care of with Intelligent Scene Recognition, which recognises common shooting scenes and automatically adjusts exposure and other controls so you get great results.

Moving pictures too
The HX1 isn’t just about great still pictures. Just flip the mode dial to video and you’re ready to capture all the action in full 1080p HD at 30 frames a second. The wide angle and high zoom capabilities of the HX1 mean your movie clips will be crisp and detail–packed, and you can enjoy all the accompanying sound in stereo, thanks to the built–in microphone.

Easy sharing and quality viewing
Managing your growing photo collection is hugely simplified by PMB (Picture Motion Browser) software included with the HX1. Just install it on your PC and it provides a perfect archive for your shots which are all just a click or two away. You can arrange them by date, by person, and search through them quickly. From here you can burn them to disc, send them to friends or upload them to sites in a matter of seconds. If you connect your HX1 or computer directly to an HD Ready TV you can view your shots in spectacular HD on the big screen. If your TV is a BRAVIA™ which supports PhotoTV HD, you’ll be able to experience even more lifelike HD images, bursting with detail and colours.

‘Sony’, ‘Cyber-shot’, ’Optical SteadyShot’ and their logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Corporation. All other trademarks acknowledged.

Box Contains

Customer Reviews

Initial impressions of the Sony HX1
I ordered this camera from Simply Electronics through Amazon and was very pleased with the service as it arrived one week later.

The camera on the whole is excellent and a huge step up from anything I've used to date.

The camera is small enough to fit into a small bag (not pocket) yet big enough to be comfortable to hold and operate (even for someone with big, clumsy hands). The menu system is pretty good as well (though I
have nothing to compare it against).

The panorama feature was the main selling point and I've not been disappointed. The standard setting gives an image approx 5000x1000 pixels but you can achieve a pleasing 5000x2000 image by rotating the
camera 90 degrees and using wide mode (I don't think I shall use the wide horizonal setting which gives a picture about 7000x1000 pixels). I'm very happy with both modes and the pictures are simply stunning (definitely not through any skill that I possess). Not sure how I'm going to get these extra wide shots printed yet though.

Using the panorama feature vertically for buildings is not very good at all and on the couple of occassions I've tried it the straight lines are visibly warped. I may try this from further away but initial impressions are not good.

The response time is pretty good. If you hold the button half way (to focus) then the picture is taken very quickly upon pressing it fully. It does take a second to write the image to card so you have to wait for that but to compensate there is burst mode which can take up to 10 frames in one second. You can take up to a maximum of 10 shots before the camera has to write them to card (which takes about 1.5 seconds per picture). I would have liked to be able to take a small number of shots when I press the button without having to wait for the last one to be written but cannot so I shall live with that.

Before I bought the camera I thought the zoom was overkill but I've used it a couple of times and it does a very good job.

My main real gripe is that you cannot attach filters to the lens (something I had "assumed" you would be able to do). Post-processing in GIMP has sorted out most problems but this is a crazy omission.

The only other minor quibble that I have is that even though I have a genuine 8GB Sony memory card (which I purchased through Amazon) I get a message "This Memory Stick may not record or play" every time I turn on the camera and I get an error message whenever I try to format it. I have had no problems actually saving pictures to the card but the message is annoying.

Despite these two last points I'm extremely happy with the camera and the pictures that it has produced.

I'm no camera expert
I bought this camera simply for the burst facility of taking 10 shots a second, as my 2 year old son always moves when im trying to get him off the compact and the shutter lag is too slow.

This is a mean piece of kit.

As i said I dont know much about the intricacies of the system, i.e, what filters do yet. I'm on the learning curve.

What I can tell you is what I have found :

On a seaside trip last week, we tested out the zoom. This camera is a "Superzoom" and it certainly is ! From the beach, we took a photo of a cargo ship not quite on the horizon on full zoom, from that picture we then digitally zoomed in...........incredibly we could read the name of the ship and see that 5 men in hi-viz jackets were talking on deck !!! A similar shot saw us picking up a lighthouse further down the coast.....that ended up being a 25 mile drive to get to !

The effects on the camera are amazing too . You can blur out, hyper space, monochrome with colour centre, retro.......all amzing things that have already had people thinking that I have paid a pro to photo my lad.

Then there is the HD video mode which is superb too.

You can even make miserable people smile, artificially, although setting 5 makes them look like the new "Joker" !!!

On the subject of smiles, it has a setting where the shot is taken automatically , when a subject smiles. Fantastic.

Sorry, if I'm not too technical but I'm not even an amateur really, just a Dad capturing his lad and memories and just speaking as how I've found it.

SONY DSC-HX1
Received this camera as a birthday oresent to replace an ageing Minolta SLR and a JVC DV Camcoder and it really does live up go its billing!
Brilliant camera and would recommend it everytime. You can just point and shoot or play around with the settings to create great looking photos and video footage.