Sony Cyber-shot DSC HX50V Review | 108 Data compared

The Sony Cyber-shot HX50V stands out as a highly portable compact camera featuring a massive 30x optical zoom lens (24–720mm equivalent) and a 20.2-megapixel sensor. It is praised for its impressive, highly effective Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation that successfully handles handheld shooting at long telephoto reaches. Additional strong points include its solid physical handling, full PASM manual controls, a thumb-operated exposure compensation dial, and capable automatic stacking features like Backlight Correction HDR. Battery life is another major pro, outlasting competitors with a CIPA rating of 400 shots per charge. It also features a unique multi-interface hotshoe that can accommodate external viewfinders, flashes, or microphones. However, the camera falls short in several areas, most notably its fixed 3-inch LCD screen, which suffers from poor visibility in bright outdoor conditions and lacks touch sensitivity. Its wireless capabilities are highly frustrating, featuring a convoluted Wi-Fi setup process, poor documentation, and an inability to upload directly to social media without a smartphone app. The menu system is overly dense and linear, making basic setup adjustments tedious. Autofocus tracking slows down considerably under dim lighting....

The Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX50V is a solid, pocketable, and well-balanced mega-zoom camera that features an impressive 30x zoom lens equivalent to a 24-720mm range on a 35mm SLR. Equipped with a 20.4-megapixel CMOS sensor, it produces maximum image sizes of 5184×3888 pixels and records Full HD 1920×1080 video in MPEG4 or AVCHD formats. The camera includes physical controls like a mode dial, a dedicated exposure compensation dial, and a multi interface shoe for attaching accessories like flashes or electronic viewfinders. Performance-wise, the camera boasts a quick two-second startup time, excellent image stabilisation that mitigates handheld camera shake, and surprisingly clean image quality up to ISO 3200, with noise only becoming a noticeable problem at ISO 6400 and above. The reviewer identifies several clear advantages and disadvantages for potential buyers looking to invest in this model. On the positive side, its major pros include its compact and travel-friendly form factor, an extraordinarily powerful zoom range, integrated Wi-Fi capabilities, and built-in GPS functionality. On the negative side, its notable cons include the complete lack of RAW image capture, the absence of an...

The Amateur Photographer review highlights the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX50 as a compact, capable travel camera featuring an impressive 30x optical zoom lens (24-720mm equivalent). Key pros include a rapid 0.1-second autofocus at wider angles in daylight, along with creative picture effects like "rich tone monochrome". Conversely, the review notes that autofocus performance slows to approximately one second at maximum zoom, especially in low-light conditions. While the camera includes an effective AF assist beam for dark environments, users must accept these performance trade-offs inherent in a compact, long-zoom device. Amateur Photographer

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX50 is identified by ePHOTOzine as a groundbreaking, highly recommended travel camera, noted as the first truly pocketable compact to feature a 30x optical zoom lens. The review praises its excellent color reproduction, reliable image quality, fast 10 fps shooting speed, built-in Wi-Fi, and strong battery life. ePHOTOzine However, the camera is described as somewhat heavy and bulky for its class, lacking RAW shooting capabilities. Additionally, low-light performance suffers from significant image noise at ISO 3200 and above, according to the ePHOTOzine review. ePHOTOzine

The Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX50V is a highly portable travel compact camera featuring a massive 30x optical zoom lens (24-720mm equivalent) built into a solid, part-metal body with manual exposure controls. It is equipped with a 20.4-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor, a Bionz processor, built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, and an Optical SteadyShot system to counter camera shake. While it lacks a built-in viewfinder or a touch-sensitive screen, it offers a 3-inch display and a Multi-Interface Shoe to mount an external electronic viewfinder or flashgun. The review highlights several distinct pros and cons regarding its real-world performance. On the positive side, the camera boasts a superb, highly versatile zoom range, advanced manual exposure settings for enthusiast photographers, and a genuinely pocketable design. However, it suffers from notable drawbacks, including the complete absence of raw file capture, sluggish autofocus performance in low-light environments, and poor image quality under close scrutiny, as photos reveal a stippled texture and heavy noise reduction blurring at 100% magnification.

The Sony CyberShot HX50V is a mid-range travel zoom point-and-shoot camera that pairs a 20.4MP CMOS sensor with an expansive, standout 30x zoom lens (24-720mm equivalent). On the pros side, the camera delivers remarkably sharp images with sub-0.1% distortion and minimal chromatic aberration, which is highly unusual for an extended-zoom model. Despite its plastic housing, it features a durable, premium build with a comfortable grip, a sharp 921k-dot LCD screen, and useful manual features like a physical exposure compensation dial and PASM shooting modes. Additionally, it offers a strong battery life rated for 400 shots, built-in NFC connectivity, and a multi-interface shoe for external accessories like flashes or microphones. However, the camera has notable cons, with its most significant "Achilles heel" being poor low-light performance for both video and still images. Ramping up the ISO settings drastically introduces noise and scrubs away fine detail, while the camera's physical bulk keeps it from being comfortably pocketed in normal clothing. Furthermore, the zoom control slider feels cheap compared to the rest of the body, and the overall color accuracy is somewhat uninspiring,...

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX50V is a travel-friendly superzoom compact camera that stands out for packing a powerful 30x optical zoom and an impressive 400-shot battery life into a relatively slim, pocketable body with a solid rubberised grip. A unique advantage of this model is its top-mounted multi-interface shoe, allowing users to expand functionality by attaching an external viewfinder, flash, or microphone. Additionally, it features a dedicated exposure compensation dial for fast exposure adjustments and a top-notch image stabilization system that enables users to successfully capture sharp, handheld photos even at the maximum 30x telephoto range. However, the camera has several performance and handling drawbacks, most notably its aggressive standard noise reduction setting which smudges fine details even at a low sensitivity of ISO200. The 3-inch screen lacks touch sensitivity, suffers from poor visibility under direct sunlight, and the menu system requires tedious vertical scrolling to navigate. Furthermore, its built-in Wi-Fi is quite basic, lacking the ability to control advanced manual settings remotely or upload photos directly to social media. Priced at S$699, it is an expensive choice that competes closely...

The Sony Cyber-shot HX50 is lauded by What Digital Camera for its compact, ergonomic design and powerful 30x optical zoom, earning an 86% overall score. Key strengths include a comfortable grip, an effective exposure compensation dial, and a hot shoe that allows for optional electronic viewfinders. Conversely, the review notes that the fast zoom lever makes precise framing difficult and highlights the high cost of accessories. Additionally, the 20.4MP sensor limits image quality, which received a lower score of 80% compared to the camera's high design and feature ratings. What Digital Camera

The What Digital Camera review of the Sony Cyber-shot HX50 highlights its 30x optical zoom in a pocketable body, featuring exceptional battery life that comfortably handles 300+ shots. A standout feature is the effective multi-frame blur reduction mode, which, when combined with SteadyShot, enables sharp handheld images at the maximum 720mm-equivalent focal length, despite the inherent challenges of managing such a zoom. Conversely, the review notes significant handling difficulties at full telephoto, with optical stabilization alone insufficient to prevent shake. Additionally, the 20.4MP sensor's aggressive noise reduction at higher ISOs and poor performance for action shots in multi-frame mode lead to a "master of none" conclusion.