Cyber-shot DSC-HX300/BC 20.4 MP Digital Camera with 50x Optical Zoom and 3-Inch Xtra Fine LCD (Black)

Summary: Only this camera empowers me to quickly tweak focus, freeze framing a duck on the other side of a large lake, or a Robin bathing in a neighbor's birdbath -- complete with the individual water droplets falling from that duck's bill as she drinks, or flying off that robin as she shakes herself dry. - - - - Concurring with the positive reviews, I write to highlight essential points. ::::: (1) Image Quality (IQ) ::::: Some blame "20 megapixels" for the poor IQ of their disappointing photos. Reality check: you can *choose* 20, 15, 10 or 5mp as the default. Some just generally declare "bad IQ" at the extreme zoom end; others love the IQ. The reason you're seeing such opposing opinions likely comes down to one fact: 50x zoom is new to us all. Some learn how to tame all that power; some don't. (More on this issue at #5&6 below.) Incidentally, Noise Reduction errs on the side of details (thankfully!), rather than smearing; configure as desired, in the Settings. ::::: (2) "Superior Auto" Modes ::::: There are two, one with a "Plus" designation. Plus adds a sort of *realistic* HDR, among other features; you'll hear machine-gun shutter snaps--- Sony uniquely blends them all into one final picture. Thus, you can not burst shoot while in SAP, but it is available in SA. Great surprise: each mode is pretty darn good! (Hanging out in auto mode when testing a new camera = cheat sheet to inherent firmware flaws. I've experienced no deal-breakers here.) It's even smart enough to apply a bokeh effect re zooms! (Still learning EXACTLY when I can expect that to kick in.) Scene modes are also quite helpful, and exploitable for more than the described purpose. ::::: (3) Lens, Zoom ::::: The lens is threaded for 55mm filters. (See #10) . . . . The headliner 50x optical zoom is complimented by at least 100x "ClearZoom." The latter delights *much* more frequently than disappoints. Toggle it on/off in the settings. There's a separate toggle for straight "digital zoom," which I keep off. ::::: (4) NeatOh! ::::: There's a customizable (limited) button on the top of the camera (oddly placed), & a *convenient* rotating push-in ribbed wheel that keeps, e.g. exposure compensation immediately accessible -- right hand for both. Optional always-present histogram & grid on screen; one tap to change/remove it on the fly (right hand, thumb). ::::: (5) Mechanics ::::: Zooming is reliably fast, as is auto tracking focus. Even at max zoom (50x & 100-140x), IF you adequately brace yourself. Think: you know 20x magnifies your slightest shake; whaddaya think 50x will do? Failing to respect that reality, and prepping yourself accordingly, results in eye-assaulting photos. Likewise, the complex nature of some scenes induces auto focus woes. Quickly curable, thanks to Sony's smart Plan B-- the zoom/focus ring, with a no-eyes-required ridiculously-easy-to-manipulate flip switch (auto/manual focus, left side). . . On the other hand, while snapping itself is fast, an irritating but tolerable wait-state materializes in burst mode's aftermath, per writing the shots to a Class 10 card. ::::: (6) Image Stabilization ::::: The system is golden. But expect no miracles when mimicking a modified version of a rapper within a mile of a microphone. Extreme zoom (50x/optical; 100--140x/ClearZoom) power is new to us all! Each additional mm of zoom necessitates additional care in bracing yourself. Approach the HX300 with related humility ("I don't know diddly 'bout handling a 50x+ camera, so I NEED to be super conscious of my body"), genuinely respect/ learn/ tame it, & you'll be a happy camper. Approach it in the same manner as a less-than-half(!!!) the zoom camera, and the predictable "ugh!" results will spark a bullet-speed return. Bottom-line: This NEW & INTENSE degree of zoom = doom, unless/until you develop bracing techniques (plural!) to harness all that power, AND study the options of *this* camera as well as *its* unique sweet spots. Don't misread me here -- experience via other cameras is helpful. But old-school kinda-braced ain't gonna cut it. Trial & error = my/your BFF. But I assure you, it IS doable! I own a tripod and monopod, which I've yet to use here. Was the learning curve frustrating? You betcha. Worth it? Oooo baby, you better believe it! ::::: (7) You Can D/L the PDF Manual, Now ::::: The full 240 page PDF user manual is linked at dpreview >> Forums >> Sony Cybershot >> search: hx300 PDF. While I rarely RTFM, the HX300's incredible reach alone inspired grabbing & studying that manual while awaiting delivery. Time well spent, as I have zero complaints about image quality, zooming or focusing. At the very least, play CliffNotes by studying the charts outlining what features are available per mode (starts around p80). ::::: (8) A Winning Review ::::: (March 30, 2013 - Amateur Photographer) For those who depend on formal reviewers for camera purchasing, FYI: This UK zine (Zinio on iPad, Web) reviews ultrazooms from Sony, Canon, Fuji & Nikon, awarding first place to the HX300. Reasons: ease of handling, image quality, reliable zoom, speedy autoFocus, "excellent" viewfinder. Having returned Canon's sx50 and Nikon's p510 long prior to snagging this camera, suffice to say that I agree (sluggish/unreliable zoom/focus, viewfinder from Hades, etc). ::::: (9) Suggestion (Images available for your review) ::::: Search Flickr ("hx300") to view FULL resolution 10/15/20mp photos. (Forums typically slice resolution.) You'll see birds, squirrels, ducks, the moon, cars, cityscapes, landscapes, indoors & other shots -- Superior Auto/Plus modes, 50x max optical zoom, 140x (!!) ClearZoom, handheld, no crop, no edit, low light, high ISO. FYI: where mine (pgBnax) look soft or lack focus, it's my bad, NOT the camera. Exception: max ClearZoom (100x to 140x) -- sometimes a wee bit soft IQ; not exactly earth-shattering news to those familiar with the foibles of any form of digital zoom. Even there, a couple of minutes of post-processing on my iPad (PhotoGene) cures whatever initially irked these retinas. Otherwise, I repeat: "grrr!" photos flow exclusively from *my* failure to PAF (pay attention, fool!) while lining up the shot. ::::: (10) Recommended Accessories ::::: ... Wasabi Power Battery (2 Pack) and Charger for Sony NP-BX1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1, DSC-RX100, HDR-AS10, HDR-AS15 . Under $20. Avoids otherwise required in-camera charging. Plus, having 2 spare batteries juiced & ready lets me focus on my beloved hobby, rather than the precise number of shots left before I'm jacked. ... Maximal Power CA LENCAP55 Snap-On Cap for Lens - 55mm Black Lens cap WITH a cord to attach to camera strap. (Really, Sony, couldn't cough up that little but vital cord?!?) $3 ... Maximal Power 55mm Lens Filter Kit Includes Circular Polarizer, UV and Star Lens Filter Kit for 55mm Camera Lens (Black) Under $10. Nice for getting your feet wet with filters. ... AmeriBag X-Small Microfiber Healthy Back Bag Tote Under $30. Stays flat against my back, with minimal punching, as I run multi-mile park trails. I did add a padded sleeve, pulled from one of my dSLR camera bags. Teflon coating conquers rain fears. Bonus: external water-bottle-friendly hugs-it pouch; room for phone, wallet, spare batteries in a change purse, small notebook and more. External & internal pockets are secure, some zipped, some with Velcro. Guys: Color is key re the metrosexual test. ::::: Finally, ("pure opinion" alert!) a few words about.... Pixel Peepers Professional reviewers invariably blow up photos 100-200%, scrutinizing ad nauseum for shortcomings. Once upon a time, I suffered resulting brain-kidnap syndrome. I was so far gone, that I wouldn't even touch xyz camera until favored reviewers presented their "in depth" positive commentary. While awaiting those reviews, I'd move among assorted forums, hungry for morsels about that xyz camera. At some point (Hallelujah!), a few free brain cells sprung back to life, and it finally registered: * I am not paid to pixel peep. * I do not routinely print poster-size photos. * I will not be wallpapering a room with a photo. * I do not carry a computer monitor to share pics with buddies. * I do not work for National Geographic. On the other hand, I am one picky sunnuvawitch as I review the day's shots. But I now approach each look-see as a realist, not a purist. I typically share via iOS-app arranged printed postcards, standard size snapshots, my phone or iPad4, or StreamZoo or Flickr (I left InstaSpam). In other words, to me, common sense = accept/reject photos based on how they will actually/habitually be used, not on the basis of some pie in the sky version of perfection. dSLR vs Point & Shoot (P&S) . . . . I do not confuse a car with a truck, a bike with a Harley, nor a P&S with a dSLR. I understand: purpose dictates which is better for whom at what time. I realize: camera manufacturers are capitalists. . . . . A dSLR-size sensor within a P&S, WITH extreme zoom, IF mechanically possible, would kill lucrative len$e$ lines, not to mention my bank account. Ain't gonna happen. Meanwhile, dSLRs and P&S both *offer* great pics, but neither *guarantees* it. No camera, nor camera genre, is perfect; each & every one involves/instigates one or more compromises. Not one functions within a vacuum; results are fully dependent upon the photographer. . . . . I appreciate my dSLRs, but they're heavy, cumbersome & downright inconvenient. I've created (!) more photos in the past 7 weeks than I have since early November, and that includes holiday periods. NOT because this camera is new to me, but because its usually with me, unlike a dSLR. **And** because I am finally well-armed to capture scenes which, until recently, were within my line of sight, but beyond the mechanical prowess of the camera then in hand. Read: limited reach. BottomLine, for Me . . . . My history includes purchasing an uber-expensive 500mm telephoto lens. I returned it within 48 hours. Felt like I was carrying a football player's thigh. No thank you! . . . . The HX300 will sing in some hands, flop in others, for reasons previously outlined. Fact: it permits capture of scenes even my dSLRs have futzed -- for years -- solely due to reach limitations. This bad boy is now with me when I step out my door, a good 90% of the time. My dSLRs are headed to eBay. I've been through many a P&S folks. This is the first time I knew, deep within, that I'm sacrificing nadda in reaching for the P&S instead. Super-sweet purchase, no question!

This is a simple review so I won't go into every single detail about this camera. I bought this camera because of the 50x zoom, which is very impressive. The camera is easy to use. The menus and options a very user friendly and you don't need to be an expert to use it. It has a build-in user guide if you need help with options. This is not a DSLR camera so don't buy this expecting it to perform like a DSLR. The camera does take great pics and in good lighting it takes some impressive picture. video recorded in 1080p looks crisp. The camera is not very heavy. I can hold it one handed and not feel like I have a brick in my hand. I use this camera primarily to photograph my vacations, outings, family events etc. The 50x zoom has really come in handy. I have used it at the zoo, sporting event and even out deep sea fishing. Using the 50x zoom is great but once you go pass 20x you need very steady hands or a tripod. At 50x zoom the smallest movement made will render the image useless. I find the using the barrel on manual zoom works best at getting less shaky images and video. I have uploaded a short video showing the 50x zoom. The camera was mounted on a flimsy tripod so the video is some what steady. I did not use the barrel to zoom, I used the button so every time I zoomed you could see the camera vibrate. Some may not be happy with the image quality of this camera but I am happy with it. Specs Lens: Max Aperture f/2.8 - f/6.3 35mm equivalent 24mm - 1200mm Optical Zoom 50x Image Sensor: CCD pixels 20.4Mp (Megapixels) Pixels (W) 5184 Pixels (H) 3888 Sensor Type Exmor CMOS Sensor Size 1/2.3 inch Aspect Ratio: 4:3/ 16:9 LCD Monitor: 3in Screen resolution 921,000 dots No Touch Screen Focusing: Min Focus 1cm, Focusing modes Manual, Spot, Face Detection, Multi, Center Recording modes:Easy, Intelligent Auto, Superior Auto, Program, Manual, Aperture-priority, Shutter speed-priority, Memory Recall, 3D Still Image, SCN, Intelligent Sweep Panorama, Movie ISO sensitivity: ISO 80 to ISO 12800 White balance: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent white, Fluorescent natural white, Fluorescent day white, Incandescent, Flash, Custom Shooting Options: Continuous shooting 10fps,Movie mode Video Resolution 1920x1080, 1280x720 720p, 640x480 VGA Video FPS 60 Stereo Sound Yes Optical Zoom with Video Image Stabilisation Yes Interface: HDMI, USB, USB 2 No Wi-Fi No GPS Storage: SD/SDHC/SDXC; Memory Stick Pro Duo File Type: JPEG/AVCHD (MTS); MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (MP4) Power Source: LITHIUM ION NP-BX1 3.6V Box Contents: Rechargeable Battery Pack NP-BX1, Shoulder Strap, AC AdaptorAC-UB10, Lens Cap, Micro USB cable, Instruction Manual Dimensions Weight 650g Width 129.6mm Height 93.2mm Depth 103.2mm

This is actually a very nice camera. I'm only giving it 1 star because of the strap. Yes, that is correct, not the ease of use nor the electronics, the strap. It doesn't fit through the hooks on the side. Nor do straps from other cameras I own. If you go to the Sony web site and enter the model number they have a picture of the hook coming out so you can attach the strap. The hooks on mine don't come out. I tried the Sony web-site "live chat" but the person said they weren't trained in the product and transferred me to someone else but I gave up waiting over 10 minutes. I may return the camera simply because without a strap I'm afraid I'll drop it. Almost $400 is too much to spend for something you can easily carry.

Over the years as a serious amateur photographer I have owned and used extensively Nikon and Hasselblad film cameras and lenses and when digital cameras arrived I began with the Nikon Coolpix 900 and 950, then DSLR's including the Canon EOS 10D, and today I am using a Canon 5D Mark II equipped with L lenses (Canon's premium glass). The Sony HX300 is my first super zoom camera, and as such I spent several hours after receiving the camera from Amazon on March 14 thoroughly reading and studying both the Sony pdf manual and the Sony User's Guide in html format. This was time well spent as there are many useful features on the HX300 that are not found even on my much more expensive Canon 5D Mark II. During this study with both manuals, I tried each feature in the quiet of my living room making sure I understood exactly how the feature worked and what it did. Only then did I set out to explore the performance of the Sony HX300 under "real world" conditions and to compare it to the Canon 5D Mark II under controlled conditions. The two most import things about any camera are its image quality and its performance in actual shooting sessions. Image quality is, of course, a combination of many things including the camera's ability to resolve detail, to properly expose scenes shot under a variety of lighting conditions, color quality, absence of both chroma and luminance noise, etc. Performance is how responsive the camera is and includes such items as how quickly the camera is ready to take a picture after being turned on, the time delay between shots in single shot mode, the ability of the camera's autofocus to work quickly and accurately without "searching", and certainly in the case of a super zoom camera its ability to smoothly and rapidly zoom through its entire set of focal lengths. For a camera of its price and likely use, the Sony HX300 does a remarkably good job of providing high quality images and a very responsive camera. My first test of image quality was to simply walk around my yard and the neighborhood taking images of a variety of flowers that were in early bloom as well as taking pictures of birds coming to the bird feeder in our backyard from about 75 feet away using the Sony HX300 at full zoom. In virtually every single situation the HX300's autofocus was very quick and very accurate, and the powered zoom using the lever on the shutter release was highly responsive and quite fast. The images produced had exquisite detail with good highlight detail retention, perfect color rendition, very good exposures in auto modes, and under these cloudy but bright daylight circumstances with the camera working at low ISO's very low noise. These images straight out of the camera with no post-processing looked very good to excellent. Using very small amounts of post processing mainly to slightly sharpen the images, I was able to obtain excellent large prints (13 X 19 in.) using my Epson 3800 Pro large format printer. The shots of birds on the feeder at the maximum optical zoom (1200 mm) of the HX300 were all hand held, in focus, and showed good detail, albeit not equal to the ISO 80 shots previously described. With one exception (vide infra), I had absolutely no problem hand-holding and autofocusing these 1200 mm maximum zoom shots. The one exception is when I happen to line up a tree in the shot that was about 50 feet behind the bird feeder. In that case, the HX300 always wanted to focus on the texture of the tree trunk behind the feeder. The feeder is plastic without high contrast. I was able to solve the problem completely by switching the focus mode from multi-autofocus to center auto-focus and placing the center focus frame in the EVF on the edge of the bird feeder where there was sufficient contrast for the focusing system to work properly. This initial collection of maximum zoom shots brought home an important lesson about super zoom lenses including the Carl Zeiss lens on the HX300. Remember that the HX300's lens has a maximum aperture of 6.3 at 1200 mm and therefore the ISO will be set at higher values (400-800) to provide a sufficiently fast shutter speed to allow the camera to be hand-held at such a zoom setting. Of course, the higher the ISO, the higher the visible chroma and luma noise in the captured image. I found that these outdoor shots at 1200 mm zoom on a cloudy but not overcast day came in at ISO 800 and a shutter speed of 1/160 - 1/250 sec. The maximum zoom shots were reasonably sharp, but benefitted from noise removal in post-processing which, of course, is always a compromise between detail and noise reduction. Nonetheless, these images gave quite good prints and beautiful images up to 11 X 14 in. I believe with experience I can hand-hold maximum zoom shots at shutter speeds even below 1/160 second and manually set ISO to 200 and achieve even better maximum zoom shots. I think it will be difficult and perhaps impossible to get good maximum zoom images with excellent detail on very cloudy and overcast days or in other low light level situations. The HX300 in such conditions will require ISO's higher than 800 in such situations for maximum zoom images and the result will be more image noise than I would find acceptable. My next photo expedition with the Sony HX300 had the objective of comparing image quality under controlled conditions (tripod mounted camera with timed release of the shutter to avoid vibrations that would lower image detail) of the HX300 with my Canon 5D Mark II and the 24-70 Canon L zoom lens as well as with the Canon 100-400 L lens. I went to a nearby park which has a lake that affords a 1.5 mile unobstructed view to a wooden bridge and homes across the lake. Lots of trees surrounding the lake provided added detail. It was a sunny bright day with no clouds in the sky. I shot a series of shots with the Sony HX300 in IQ mode and in Scene Select Landscape Mode at focal lengths ranging from 24 mm (maximum wide angle) to 1200 mm (maximum optical zoom). I matched the shooting conditions and scene with my Canon 5D Mark II on a tripod using the two L lenses up to the maximum 400 mm of the Canon L zoom lens. Upon arriving home and comparing the images, I was truly amazed at how well the Sony HX300 had performed. In fact, until I got to 100% image size (pixel peeping!), I was very hard pressed to see any difference in the detail or overall quality of these two cameras. I found this to be very surprising since the Sony system is $500 and the Canon 5D Mark II with its L lenses is in the $3500-$4500 range! At 100% image size I was definitely able to see a difference in the quality of the images and it always favored the Canon 5D Mark II which, not surprisingly, showed greater detail and less image noise than the HX300 especially when comparing the 400mm shots made by the two cameras. With that said, the difference is best described as noticeable but not overwhelming as I might have expected. I have shown these comparison images to several photographic friends and all have expressed amazement at how well the Sony HX300 image quality holds up in comparison to the much more expensive Canon equipment. While at the lake I also had the opportunity to try out the Sony on some real "action" situations. A blue heron flew past and landed about 150 yards from me. I was able to get some terrific shots at full 1200 mm optical zoom (ISO 125) that I have printed at 16X20 size. I had the opportunity to try the burst mode of 10 images on a group of ducks in flight. I found that it was going to take some additional practice to master the art of zooming, tracking, and setting off the shutter for pictures of this type, but the camera did track and focus fairly well on this difficult scene. In another instance, a bird was circling high over the water and I was able to zoom to 1200 mm and get a nice detailed shot. While at the lake, I had the opportunity to try out the movie mode of the HX300. I found that it tracked focus on my subjects beautifully, allowed me to smoothly zoom during movie making, recorded the sound nicely, and performed in every way in movie mode as well as I could have desired to produce excellent 1080i AVCHD movies. Just a few final comments. Build quality on the Sony HX300 is quite good. Yes, it is made of composite (plastic), but it feels solid, has a nice textured grip that makes the camera easy to hand hold, and is so wonderfully light compared to my Canon 5D Mark II. I was using a 32 GB ultra high speed San Disk SDHC card, and I had no problem taking single images rapidly in virtually any mode, and even the burst of 10 shots previously described were recorded to the card in about 5-7 seconds which seems quite acceptable to me. The HX300 is not a perfect camera (nor have I yet found one that is!), and here are some things that I would like to see changed. A button press is required to switch between the EVF and the LCD. On the older HX200 there was a sensor which automatically went to the EVF upon sensing the eye. I wish Sony had not removed this feature. The button turning on the EVF is flush with the camera body and quite small making it difficult to find by touch. The same is true for the Focus button, although the latter is only required when changing focus modes. Of course I would like to see a larger aperture than 6.3 when at full optical zoom, but this would likely require a much much larger lens with all the weight and expense that would entail. My bottom line is that if you are in the market for a super zoom camera and you understand that under low light situations you may not find the 1200 mm zoomed images to be acceptable in their level of detail and sharpness, then I would highly recommend the Sony HX300. If you are printing huge images (larger than 16X20), this is probably not the camera for you. If you want a camera that will be great for vacation pictures, pictures of the family, bird photography, wildlife photography, etc. and you are willing to invest some time to learn to properly utilize the camera, then the HX300 may well be the perfect camera for you. Tom Note Added: I I have now posted the images referred to in the above review of the Sony HX300 including the comparison images with the Canon 5D Mark II on the dPreview.com Sony Cybershot Forum. The images, as per Forum requirements were posted at 1/2 the original image size. You can view the post at [...].

This camera is as close to a DSLR as you can get without purchasing a DSLR. I had an HX100 previously and purchased an affordable DSLR to replace it. I learned quickly how much my Sony Cybershot HX100 had spoiled me. I sold the DSLR and upgraded to this newer version of what I had. One of my most favorite features is snapping pictures WHILE I am videoing. That is an awesome irreplaceable feature. What's more is it has been a great solution to low lighting problems like taking pictures of my daughter in a gym for gymnastics. When you snap pictures while it is recording a video they are significantly lighter and it captures great action shots. Many times I have had a video recording and just snap pictures back to back so later I can check to see which ones came out perfect for least blurry action shots. But the lighting is always better taken during the video in low lighting. The perk of this one versus my HX100 is 50x zoom - wow!! You can't beat that in itself for the price! People have mentioned on here that getting a lens that would even nearly touch that zoom would be an astronomical cost on a DSLR. I had purchased the Samsung NX2000 and the zoom was awful. I learned to get a better zoom I would have to buy another lens other than the one it came with and that was an added cost of $200. This wonderful camera is a nice bundle of perfect photography abilities for our family!! Also love the added two picture effects. The one I remember, that I'm using and love is "illustration". We have a boxer mix and I change some of hers to illustration and she looks just like a cartoon dog. LOVE IT!!

First, let me say I fully appreciate all of the comments about the camera in these posts and those in particular by Thomas Wheeler. They have been very helpful in learning how best to use the camera though I have also spent a lot of time reading the online manual and studying many of the reviews of the camera. I was attracted to its advertised specs, the favorable reviews, and the way it felt and handled. I bought the camera about 3+ weeks ago from Amazon and have since taken over 1000 pics and several videos and have come to several conclusions about how I have been able to best achieve the most satisfying pictures for me. I very much like the camera's handling, the quick ready-to-shoot time from turn-on, the quick focus (especially, in high contrast situations), the zoom ring which is very handy for zoom and composition adjustments, the short shot-to-shot times, and the image stabilization system which works very well at long zooms. I am using a SanDisk Extreme SDHC Class 10 memory chip rated at 45 mb/sec. Camera responsiveness has been very good. I have not used a tripod with any of my pics. I generally shoot still shots in the Program ("P") mode where I can control ISO and let the camera determine the best shutter and aperture settings, but I also have taken pics in several of the "Scene" settings and have used the "Superior Auto" setting to let the camera determine the scene and best camera settings with the highest quality. I try to keep the shutter speed short, take pics with bright sun, and well-light settings inside and outside. I also work to keep the ISO at or below 400, around 200, if possible. I have also set the internal sharpening and contrast camera settings to "+". Overall, I have found I get the crispest shots with bright sun, low ISO, high shutter speed, and very high contrast between the subject and its surroundings when using the "P" mode dial setting, even at high zoom. With such conditions, the pics turn out almost razor sharp, with little or no post editing needed even with very high zoom (<= 40x). I have taken some stunningly sharp shots, including macro, near zoom, and distant zoom ones under the aforementioned favorable conditions. The inherent camera focusing system seems to "love" (perform best in) the high contrast, bright light scenario because it seems to work its best then regardless of zoom setting to produce very sharply focused pics. Yes, you must hold the camera very, very steady (as noted in other posts) to allow the Image Stabilization System to do its best as well at long zooms. The low light situation seems to be this camera's Achilles' heel because shooting under this condition is something I am still working on to get a satisfying picture. The camera tends to use high ISOs (and thus, introduces more noise) to compensate for low light, but so far, in the case, most of my pictures show that much clarity and detail are being lost probably due to the low aperture setting, and small image sensor, in particular at the high end of the zoom. Engaging a longer shutter speed (as opposed to higher ISO) in this case may be an alternative. I am also still exploring the in-door "people" picture situation, too. Though I have taken a number of such pictures, I am still working on achieving the best lighting "set-up" indoors with and without flash, but I tend to shoot outdoors in the landscape, wildlife, or macro modes mostly so I have not been very troubled by this yet. It has been suggested that the "Superior Auto" Mode on the camera is a good way to take indoor portrait shots w/o the necessary use of flash. In most cases and situations that I have experienced so far, the camera also seems inclined to produce fairly soft, smooth "edges" around the outline of the subject and surrounding objects regardless of the mode dial/camera settings used and situation. This may be result of the built-in noise reduction system and the fact that the camera has a pretty small image sensor considering the use of its 20+ mp design. These soft edges around objects may appeal to some people because they do appear smoother and somewhat more natural to the naked eye, but I generally prefer sharper edges and have explored using the "Unsharp mask" editing feature within the camera after shooting the image. This definitely helps make the edges much, much crisper which I favor and find more satisfying, but what I don't like is that you have no control over how much the picture is sharpened when using the camera's Unsharp mask, while a photo editing program like "Picasa" or "Photoshop Elements" allows you to determine how much sharpening you want to apply. The camera's adjustment may be just right given the picture taken however as I have also experienced. In any case, as a result of these available options, I can now sharpen any of my pictures as much as I like. This has greatly improved the overall crispness of my images in spite of the aforementioned camera design limitations which is not to say you must do this for every picture you take. It's a matter of preference, picture taken, and what your eye likes. HD Videos have come out quite good in bright light conditions and I have set the video camera settings to allow for auto scene detection to make focusing automatic based on the detected scene in view of zoom changes during the making of the video. Zooming and focusing were easily accomplished. I have attached a 55mm UV filter to the lens threads with no problem, but make sure to get one with high quality glass, a well-made one that will not interfere with camera focusing and general detection of light. I have also taken high zoom (up about 40x) pics of the early morning and early night crescent or partial phase of the moon as well. Again, I have found that taking pics of the partial phase (as opposed to full phase) of the moon has produced the best, (most satisfying for me) pics because of the additional shadows produced by the partial light on the edges of the craters which are clearly visible. These shots are also much better defined after using the sharpening techniques noted above. You can really see the crater edges in these pictures. In summary, in my opinion, this compact bridge camera is a "specialty" camera, intended mainly for the serious amateur and possible professional (as a second or third camera) who knows how to use the camera's inherent strengths to advantage and work around its shortcomings and is willing to explore its many settings and capabilities, including the manual modes. I also think that those who want a simple point and shoot-type camera with a big zoom have many other choices that may be more satisfying and cost a lot less with a quicker learning curve. So far, however, I very much like what this camera can do, how it handles, how it performs (under the scene conditions important to me), its zoom capabilities, its easy-to-select menu options, its construction, and what it can do successfully. Yes, it appears the image sensor is "too small" and the max aperture too low at long zooms given what it tries to do under low light conditions, but what it can do successfully is quite amazing. Ron Notes: I have now finally taken some very clear, fairly crisp, natural looking indoor close-up pics of my granddaughter using the "P" mode dial setting, ISO set to 160 (while letting the camera set aperture and shutter), contrast and sharpness set to "+", using the flash set to auto (but bumped up one notch from the middle setting intensity), noise reduction set to "-", focus point set to "center", and color mode set to "Standard". This was indoors during the day in the morning on a cloudy day in a mid-size room with all room lights turned on for assistance. I was about 6 feet from the subject for most of the shots. This set up was chosen to enable a lot of light on the subject and surroundings. It resulted in the best indoor, daytime "people" pics I have achieved so far with this camera. So much so that I was also able crop down to just her face and this still resulted in the aforementioned clarity and appeal. Little or no additional editing was needed. Ron Additional Notes: I have now taken "people" pics of my grandson using the "P" mode, ISO set to 160, with flash set to one notch above the normal setting, AND, most importantly, with the smile detection option set to "medium smile", and face detection enabled. With these options set, the camera will auto detect the child's face, stay focused on the face, and if he (she) is smiling, then auto shoot the picture! It really works! All you have to do is keep the camera directed at the child's face. The camera does the rest! This was especially valuable for a child that is hard to capture when smiling as well as being very active. It worked perfectly, allowing me to get about 9 pics with a great expression and smile while the child was not necessarily looking directly at the camera. This is a very impressive convenience when taking pics of active children. I have also now taken pics of both the crescent phase of the moon and early evening (sunset) landscape shots using the "S" (or Shutter priority) mode (this mode is favored by the Thomas Wheeler, whose review, noted elsewhere, has been rated the "Most Helpful" Amazon review of this camera), keeping ISO under 400, and keeping a very steady hand while shooting with a slow shutter speed to balance the lower ISO settings in these situations. Results were good, given these low light situations with these manual settings, in fact, much better for my taste than the allowing the camera to shoot these situations in the standard auto or scene modes. Additional note: More recently I am shooting predominantly in the "A" mode because this mode subtle allows adjustments to the aperture for most of the pictures I take in the Macro mode (with a low "F" stop setting for a shallow depth of field/blurred background), "People" mode (mid "F" stop setting), and Landscape mode (with a high "F" stop setting for an increased depth of field). Overall, this ability to change the aperture enables me to compensate not just for type of shot and subject but also with slight Exposure Value changes for varying lighting situations and stay away from high ISO values except under extreme conditions. The camera automatically adjusts shutter speed to compensate for the aperture and Exposure Value settings I choose. So don't be afraid to explore what this camera can do beyond the Scene mode and Auto modes.

I currently use a Panasonic G3 as my main camera and a Sony HX100v as my glorified point and shoot camera when I don't want to carry my entire kit around. Figured I'd upgrade the Sony to this new one. The 50x zoom is epic, I'm surprised how much more impressive the zoom is over the 30x on the HX100 I have. Unfortunately all that zoom doesn't do you a lot of good if you can't get a decent photo out of it. Took around 250 shots over the weekend and was fairly pleased with the camera until I popped the SD card into the computer. What looks great on the tiny camera screen during playback is far less impressive on an IPS monitor. I've shot in multiple modes, ISOs, and quality settings. Only shots I've really been pleased with are the indoor shots using the flash, and nobody buys a super zoom camera for that. Far too much noise in a majority of the shots, and the sharpness just isn't there. I was also surprised how much bigger it was than the HX100. Still fits my hand well, but my existing camera case was a bit tight. Video seems good and the image stabilization works well, even hand held. However at the end of the day the image quality on the stills just isn't up to par. I'm sending it back and will stick with the HX100v, maybe I'll try the Canon SX50, it doesn't have quite so many megapixels crammed onto a tiny sensor.

GREAT PURCHASE. Very Nice used camera. This camera was new as new. Great seller, Great communications.