Sony DSC HX300 Carl ZEISS Vario Sonnar T Review | 108 Data compared

The Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX300 is a DSLR-styled bridge camera that features a massive 50x optical Carl Zeiss zoom lens (24-1200mm equivalent) paired with a high-resolution 20.4-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor. Designed primarily for family users rather than hardcore photo enthusiasts, it offers built-in digital filters, a 10fps burst mode, and Full HD 1080p video recording capabilities. The camera features robust physically styled heft with a deep, comfortable handgrip, and integrates both a tilting 3-inch 921k-dot rear LCD screen and an electronic viewfinder to accommodate diverse shooting angles. Pros and Cons Pros Sharp results when shooting handheld at the maximum optical reach due to refined image stabilisation. Manual zoom ring that appeals to enthusiast handling preferences. Tilting rear LCD screen paired with an eye-level electronic viewfinder for flexible composing. Cons No RAW shooting capabilities, limiting image capture strictly to JPEG format. Small sensor size (1/2.3-inch) crammed with a large, noise-prone 20.4-megapixel count. Missing essential features for its price point, including a hotshoe, accessory port, built-in Wi-Fi, and GPS connectivity.

The Sony DSC-HX300 is a versatile bridge camera highlighted by its massive 50x optical zoom lens, which offers a 24-1,200mm equivalent focal range that allows users to capture everything from wide cityscapes to distant subjects like a faraway zip-line. Built with a comfortable, small DSLR-like ergonomic grip, it features an improved Optical SteadyShot image stabilization system that keeps telephoto shots steady, faster autofocusing speeds, a handy tilting 3-inch LCD screen, and a dedicated button layout that reduces accidental movie recording. It delivers good overall image and Full HD video quality in bright lighting with highly accurate colors, making it an excellent all-in-one travel option for casual photographers who want extreme reach without carrying heavy, interchangeable lenses. However, the camera comes with several performance and design compromises. Because its high 20.4-megapixel resolution is packed onto a tiny 1/2.3-inch sensor, image details look fuzzy, soft, and heavily smeared at ISO 800 and above. When zoomed in fully to 1,200mm, the maximum aperture drops to a dim f/6.3, making it a poor choice for low-light telephoto action. Additionally, the camera suffers from a...

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX300 Review Summary The Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX300 is a bridge camera highlighted by its massive 50x optical zoom (24-1200mm equivalent), a 20-megapixel sensor, and an articulated screen. Its standout strength is video recording, delivering crisp, detailed 1080p footage at 50fps backed by an exceptional optical stabilisation system that keeps handheld shots steady even at maximum zoom. Physically, the camera features an extremely comfortable rounded design and a superb control layout. This includes a versatile lens ring for motorized zoom or manual focus, alongside an intuitive command dial system. However, the camera has notable spec omissions and performance inconsistencies. It lacks a hotshoe, cannot shoot in RAW format, has a below-average 310-shot battery life, and lacks an eye-level sensor for its low-resolution electronic viewfinder. While autofocus is fast, the shot-to-shot save times slow down significantly in low light due to heavy noise reduction processing. Furthermore, image quality suffers because squeezing 20 megapixels into a tiny 1/2.3-inch sensor causes visible graininess and a loss of fine detail at ISO 200 and above. This makes photos scruffy and unsuitable for heavy...

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 is a powerful, point-and-shoot bridge camera defined by its massive 50x f2.8-6.3 (24-1,200mm) zoom lens, making it an appealing option for casual snapshooters who want extreme reach. It delivers very good to excellent image quality for its class in bright lighting, plus smooth 1080/60p AVCHD video recording. The camera's standout feature is its highly effective optical image stabilization, which successfully counteracts hand shake even when fully zoomed in, backed by a quick autofocus system and a fast 10-frames-per-second burst mode. It also features a tilting 3-inch LCD screen, a lens barrel ring for manual focus or zoom adjustments, a programmable Custom button, and excellent multishot modes like Handheld Twilight to assist with low-light shooting. Despite its impressive zoom capability, the camera has notable features-based and physical drawbacks. On the downside, the HX300 lacks essential modern connectivity features like built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, and it completely omits a hot shoe for external flashes or an external microphone input. Enthusiasts will be disappointed that it captures images in JPEG format only, with no raw support, and its high...

The Sony Cyber-shot HX300 is an entry-level bridge camera featuring a 50x optical zoom lens and a 20.4-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor, praised for its comfortable grip, sturdy build, and lightweight design. Performance highlights include effective lens-based image stabilization at maximum zoom and a responsive, dual-mode control ring for manual adjustments. Conversely, the review notes significant drawbacks, including a lack of fine control over the zoom, causing excessively large jumps in focal length. Additionally, the camera forces constant image stabilization with no option to turn it off, resulting in a device better suited for casual users rather than enthusiasts seeking precise control. Amateur Photographer

The Sony Cyber-shot HX300 is a DSLR-styled flagship bridge camera designed around an extraordinarily powerful 50x optical zoom lens (24-1200mm equivalent) and an upgraded 20.4 Megapixel sensor. It stands out for its bright maximum aperture of f/2.8 at the wide end, an improved Optical SteadyShot stabilisation system that effectively minimises camera shake at extreme focal lengths, and a comfortable, secure handgrip. Additionally, the camera features a crisp 3-inch tilting LCD screen, dual zoom controls (a traditional zoom collar and a manual lens ring), a silent zoom motor, and versatile iSweep Panorama and composite shooting modes like Superior Auto and Backlight Correction HDR. Fast-action shooters will also benefit from a swift 10fps continuous burst mode. However, the HX300 compromises on several key features, most notably lacking built-in Wi-Fi, GPS, and a flash hotshoe for external accessories—omissions that are particularly frustrating given their availability on smaller Sony compacts. Handling is hindered by a step backward in design: it removes the eye sensor, forcing users to manually toggle between the screen and the low-resolution, slightly laggy 201k-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF). The switch to...

The Pocket-lint review of the Sony Cyber-shot HX300 describes it as a versatile all-rounder bridge camera that stands out due to its massive 50x optical zoom lens (24-1200mm equivalent) paired with a high-resolution 20.4-megapixel CMOS sensor. Major pros highlighted in the review include a bright f/2.8 aperture at wide-angle settings, a smooth dual-purpose manual zoom/focus ring on the lens barrel, a useful close-up macro mode, a flexible tilt-angle LCD screen, and a solid optical image stabilisation system that effectively handles long focal lengths. The physical design is also praised for being comfortable and intuitive to hold, with responsive autofocus performance tracking most subjects reliably. However, the reviewer argues that the camera's high resolution is ultimately its biggest downside, resulting in compressed pixels on a small sensor. Noted cons include excessive processing artefacts and grain-like structures even in low ISO shots, visible chromatic aberrations, a frequent tendency to overexpose scenes, and a complete lack of RAW file capture for post-processing flexibility. Additionally, the review criticises operational oversights like the lack of an automatic eye-sensor for viewfinder activation, a clunky icon-based menu...

The ePHOTOzine review highlights the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 as a powerful bridge camera, featuring a 50x optical zoom lens (24-1200mm) with effective Optical SteadyShot, a 3-inch tilting LCD, and 10fps continuous shooting. Pros include excellent auto white balance, 1cm macro focusing, and fast autofocus, though it suffers from a bulky, non-pocketable design and a complex, menu-driven interface for manual controls. While offering a versatile range, the HX300 has a lower CIPA-rated battery life of 310 shots compared to older models due to a smaller battery pack. Additionally, the fluorescent white balance presets tend to produce color casts, making the automatic setting more reliable.