The Sony Cybershot DSC HX1 is one of the most advanced digital cameras you will find. What helps to make the Cybershot DSC HX1 different is that Sony has used a different type of sensor. This speeds up processing and makes the camera capable of taking a rapid burst of photos. This is great for fast moving subjects such as sports and wildlife.

There are plenty of other advanced features including manual exposure controls, innovative options for wide photos with a sweep panorama mode (aspect ratios of 40:9 and 60:9), a 3 inch tilting LCD screen, a viewfinder and image stabilisation. It also has a 20x, wide angle lens and a 9 megapixel sensor.

For anyone who like to shoot movies with their digital camera the Cybershot DSC HX1 offers High Definition video recording.

As you can see this camera has a great range of features. These give you great flexibility and creative control when taking photos.

Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
As I have come to expect from cameras with large lens units picture quality is a little better than you would expect from smaller, pocket cameras. Here there are no problems with sharpness. One issue that does show up is purple fringing. This is something I usually see with longer lenses, but there is no doubt it is more pronounced with the Cybershot DSC HX1 than normal. With smaller prints this should not be an issue, but you may have to clean up the problem for larger shots.

Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
With the zoom not being used focusing is softer. Again this is something I expect to see. There are cameras that can produce a sharper shot than this, but you will not notice a great deal of difference unless you are planning to make prints above A4 size.

Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
Here you can see the power of the zoom. It can get you in so much closer than more standard length lenses. Purple fringing is the price you pay. It is more noticeable again than I am used to seeing.

Outdoor 4 (Building)
This shot provides confirmation of the points I have made so far. Sharpness is good without quite matching some of the more advanced Canon and Nikon digital cameras, but this would not put me off from buying the Cybershot DSC HX1.

Outdoor Portrait
There should be no problems with taking this type of shot. The Cybershot DSC HX1 is capable of taking plenty of pleasing portraits in natural light.

Indoor Portrait with Flash
Light is evenly distributed. The camera also does well to control the power of the flash on the face with very little light being reflected back into the lens. The flash is more powerful than you find on smaller compacts. The fact it pops up away from the lens can also help to reduce the danger of red eye appearing in your portrait shots.

Indoor Portrait without Flash
This is a fair attempt, although the picture is a little darker than it could be. This suggests you will need to use flash to get the best out of the camera in almost all indoor situations, unless there is plenty of window light available.

Colours
Sony digital cameras produce well balanced colours. I like the way the colours look in my outdoor scenes. I also feel that my outdoor portrait has a natural look to it.

Macro
My macro test shot has a crisp feel. The Cybershot DSC HX1 should be able to handle most close up situations. It can focus from 1cm from the subject and is a good choice if you are looking for a camera that works well for macro photography.

ISO 400 and ISO 1600
There is not too much to report here. Noise levels do creep up as you move up through the various ISO levels. The good news is that the colours remain true apart from in the darkest areas of a shot.

Overall
The Cybershot DSC HX1 can handle most situations very well. Purple fringing can be an issue where light, such as from the sun, catches the edge of light coloured objects.

Shutter delay times are good. A single shot took just 0.23 seconds with five taking 9.63 seconds. With flash times were 0.55 seconds for one shot and 10.12 for five shots.

I also tested out the fast burst mode. I could not quite match the times claimed by Sony, but this may have been because I was only using a standard memory card. I managed to record a burst of 10 shots in 1.85 seconds. It should be noted though according to the Sony website fast cards do not give an advantage.

To turn the camera on and take the first picture took 2.5 seconds. This is a fast time.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

The Cybershot DSC HX1 is built like a smaller Digital SLR. It has a sturdy feel to it.

114.5 x 82.8 x 91.8mm

453g

Lithium ion (NP-FH50). Sony estimates you should be able to take around 390 shots in between charges.

Sony has built 11mb of memory into the camera. This is enough for about 5 shots. The Cybershot DSC HX1 is compatible with the following memory cards: Memory Stick™ Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo™. Memory Stick PRO Duo™ High Speed (No Speed Advantage), Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo™ (same speed as PRO Duo).

Click here to save money on memory cards..

Difficult. With all these feature to get used to it will take time to fully understand all the options you have available to you. Sony has worked hard to make the camera as easy as possible to use and I like the inclusion of the various buttons and dials on the top and back of the camera. These help to place a number of key features at your fingertips.

High Definition movies, burst shooting speeds, manual exposure controls, layout of buttons and controls, flexibility of lens, wide shooting options

Purple fringing an issue with larger prints

There are not many digital camera that match up to the Cybershot DSC HX1, but the Canon Powershot SX1 IS has a similar set of features, including a high speed burst mode.

If you are looking for a truly fully featured digital camera then the Sony Cybershot DSC HX1 ticks most boxes. I like the innovation in the area of shooting wide photos, plus all the other controls. The layout of the camera controls and buttons is good too. Throw in picture quality and you have a camera that is hard to beat.

Front View

Back View

Top View

Sample Menu

Description:	9 megapixels and 20x optical zoom
Ease of Use:	8
Features:	9
Colour:	8
Macro:	9
Indoors:	8
Value for Money:	8
Style:	8
Movie Mode:	10
Image Quality:	9
Build Quality:	8
Total:	85
Verdict:	This is one of the most advanced digital cameras you can find. Picture quality is very good and is backed up with a stunning set of features. If you are serious about photography, but do not want to step up to a Digital SLR then take a look at the Cybershot DSC HX1.
Review Date:	June 2009
Related Pages:	Sony DSC HX1 Specification Sony DSC HX1 Sample Images Sony DSC HX1 Features
Comparisons:	Canon Powershot SX1 IS vs Sony Cybershot DSC HX1

	GBP 299.99
	GBP 329.9
	GBP 339
	GBP 372.4
	GBP 372.48
	GBP 376.08
	GBP 389
	GBP 389.99
	GBP 399
	GBP 425.00
Click a flag for prices from other countries:

Camera	Rating
Fuji Finepix S200EXR	87
Panasonic DMC FZ38	87
Canon Powershot SX1 IS	87
Sony DSC HX1	85
Canon Powershot SX10 IS	85
Canon Powershot SX20 IS	84
Olympus SP-570 UZ	84
Olympus SP-590 UZ	83

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, please make sure you double check the feature set and specification at the point of purchase.

Sony DSC HX1