Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V digital camera

The superzoom market is expanding by leaps and bounds with every camera manufacturer out there launching their own point and shoot cameras with these zoom capabilities. This market is getting truly populated and giving consumers a plethora of options to choose from. These prosumer cameras are targeted at those who want an all-in-one camera featuring ultra zoom capabilities, HD video recording and stylish DSLR looks. 

The rubberized handgrip makes it easy to carry this camera

Sony have launched the Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V superzoom camera, which possesses these features and have also thrown in a couple of additional ones such as a GPS compass and 3D sweep panorama. The camera is priced slightly higher than the likes of the Fujifilm FinePix S3300 and the Kodak Easyshare max Z990, but does possess more features than them. Read on to find out if this offering from Sony stacks up to the competition and if it is worth a shot.

Sony Cybershot DSC HX100V

Flip out screen makes it easy to capture images at angles

The 3-inch flip out screen at the back can be tilted in a way that one can easily click images from either high or low angles. This is a similar to the feature found on the Nikon CoolPix P500. The buttons of this camera are located to the right of the screen. These buttons include a four-way navigational pad for display, continuous shooting, timer and flash. To the side of the camera are also buttons for accessing features like video recording, playback, menu and erase. There is a jog dial located on the top right side of the camera at the back, which can be clicked and used for adjusting various settings like ISO sensitivity, aperture priority, etc. This feature made it very easy for us to adjust the different settings.

On the top of the HX100V are buttons for accessing the electronic view finder (EVF) or LCD display, custom settings, focus and a mode dial, which helps in switching between the various modes of this camera. The on/off button is also located near the mode dial and has an LED backlighting to denote if the camera is on, off or on charging. The colour of the LED is yellow when on and orange when charging. This may not be a grand design implementation, but it surely can be a useful one. The zoom trigger is located next to the shutter release button and is a common design seen on most cameras.

The mode dial has various settings

The pop up flash is housed directly above the lens and feels sturdy. The EVF is featured directly at the back of it; making the camera retain its compact properties. A unique, but not uncommon feature of this camera is that it can be charged directly by plugging it to a power source. This removes the hassle of removing the battery every time it needs to be juiced up. Connectivity options are located to the left of the camera near the charging port. These include a mini HDMI and a proprietary USB port. The flaps of these ports are made of plastic and feel sturdy, as well. The battery bay is located underneath and it also houses a slot for the memory card. Though the flap does not have a locking mechanism, the flap is sturdy and it will not open unless intended. The overall design of this camera is really good and it feels sturdy as well.