Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V

Design and features

Sony's previous attempts at travel zoom cameras have been decent, serviceable affairs with plenty of features to keep up with the class-leading models like Panasonic's Lumix DMC-TZ20. With the HX9V, things are set to change.

This camera feels amazingly sturdy. Not so much "drop it from a great height and watch it come out magically unscathed" sturdy, but solid nonetheless. It feels really good to use, with a textured side grip and thumb rest too at the rear. Along the top edge of the camera, with a mode dial, shutter button and stereo microphone, a pop-up flash unit sits flush with the surface, only opening when needed.

Much needs to be said about the gorgeous 3-inch, 921,000-dot LCD screen at the back, which makes images look fantastic. Flanked by a small array of control buttons, it is miles better than the screens found on its competitors. There's also a one-touch record button just underneath the mode dial to complete the physical button arrangement. Amidst the staggering array of shooting options, you get standard automatic, superior automatic (which takes several shots and merges them together for optimum results), program, manual, iSweep Panorama and 3D shooting for stills, panorama or multi-angle photos. Scene modes and a dedicated background defocus mode are also present as well.


The Sony G lens (not Carl Zeiss, unfortunately) extends to 16x optical zoom with a maximum aperture range of F3.3-5.9. It also opens to 24mm wide-angle for landscape and group shots. Full HD video recording is on-board at 1080p in AVCHD format. Connectivity is via mini-HDMI or a proprietary mini-USB port at the base of the camera. The HX9V has a dual-MemoryStick/SD card slot, which is alongside the rechargeable Lithium-ion battery at the base.

GPS tagging

What makes the HX9V a travel camera rather than just a standard long-zoom compact is its built-in GPS and compass. To initialize the GPS it's necessary to stand in an open area, outside of course, so the camera can obtain a signal. Our first attempt was thwarted by some errant trees in a suburban area. The next attempt was more successful in a wide open park, where the GPS took approximately two minutes to lock on to a signal. Unlike other cameras such as the TZ20, the HX9V doesn't continue to update the GPS when the unit is switched off. Each time the camera starts up, the HX9V obtains a new GPS coordinate (fortunately, it doesn't take two minutes each time).

Performance

The HX9V can take up to 10 full-resolution frames in a row and will then stop to process them. Sony rates the battery for 300 shots.

Image quality

On automatic settings, the HX9V produces bright, punchy and very nice-looking JPEG images. Thanks to the Exmor R sensor, it is also very good at low-light images, producing a crisp shot in most circumstances.

Like most of the 16-megapixel crop of cameras we've seen so far this year, it does over-process images slightly when observed at full magnification, but definitely not as badly as some of its competitors. In bright, contrasty situations, the automatic modes can blow out highlights to some degree.

The HX9V excels particularly with its built-in flash, which works beautifully when illuminating people in the foreground and maintaining a lit, but not overbearing, background. It produces natural-looking skin tones as well. Autofocus is quick and effective, while white balance is mostly accurate in automatic mode, with a tendency to produce slightly warm results (though not at all unpleasant) when shooting in low-light conditions.


As for lens sharpness, the HX9V produces the best results at the centre of the frame, with some sharpness dropping off towards either side. The wide end (24mm) also produces a noticeable amount of distortion. Chromatic aberration, or fringing around high-contrast areas, can be noticed at full magnification, but does not affect image quality too much. At the telephoto end, images become very "crunchy"-looking as the sensor struggles to resolve the detail from the lens, and turns up the ISO to compensate for handshake. Video quality is one of the real strengths of the HX9V, with a very clean image and clear sound thanks to the stereo microphones. You can use the full extent of the optical zoom when filming.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V test from CNET Australia on Vimeo.

Conclusion

With a stack of great features that work as advertised, including a 16x optical zoom lens, the HX9V makes an ideal travel companion for those who enjoy life on the road.