I'm usually a digital SLR user, but I've been waiting for a camera like this to come out so I have something to put in my pocket. The features that really made me decide to buy this camera were:1. AVCHD 1080i FULL QUALITY video. Check the bitrate -it's the same as the camcorders. Better than the flip or handheld 'HD' bitrates
2. Wide Picture Stitching. I am astounded by the quality of these pictures. Dumbfounded. Check out the ones I've posted.
3. GPS Tagging. Yepbeen waiting for this since iPhoto introduced the feature into its software.
4. Low-light performance. For a point-and-shoot, you're not going to beat this. Sure, it's no DSLR, but it's pretty great for the price.
5. Pricea zillion features and a totally reasonable price!!!
Mac Compatibility:
I tried out the camera with iMovie, and it worked seamlessly!!! I imported 2 minutes of low-light video footage AVCHD in about 30 seconds from an SDHC Class-6 card. Also used the camera with iPhoto and Aperture, and everything worked great.
Update: I've had time to play around with the different settings -you can see some of my results in the customer uploaded images. The panoramas today came out great! I am still awed by this feature (amazon's tiny photos don't do it justice). Shooting inside in the MOMA was excellent. Outside, I tried the HDR mode, with limited success (still need to experiment, but see what I got). The handheld twilight mode does what it is supposed to, impressively.
*****Cons: Have to remove battery from camera to recharge it. Camera has no AC adapter.
**Summary: Highlights:
* Sonys smallest and thinnest AVCHD capable digital camera (1080i)
* 10x (25mm equivalent) professional-quality optical zoom G-Lens (same lens as professional DSLR)
* 10.2 megapixel back-illuminated ?Exmor R? CMOS image sensor combined with BIONZ image processor
* ISO: Auto/125/200/400/800/1600/3200, Panorama, Anti-Motion & moviesHD (1920 x 1080 pixels),
* High Speed Shooting ? 10 frames per second at 10 megapixel full resolution
* 3-inch (230K pixels) Clear Photo LCD display with a special anti-reflective coating
* Backlight Correction HDR and GPS + Compass and Optical Steady Shot with Active Mode technologies
*****Comparison Prior to purchase:
Review Data: I reviewed over 50 web sites, spoke to camera stores and had the specifications reviewed by photographic professionals.
*WEB Site Reviews: The web sites I reviewed gave mixed reviews but in general this camera came out one of the best point and shoot cameras. In fact many of the complaints I read were by people comparing the camera with high end SLR?s or DSLR?s clearly not an unbiased or practical test, in my opinion a device should be compared with products in the same class to be fair.
*Store and Professional Reviews:I spoke to most of the major and many other camera stores that carried various brands that were familiar with this camera all of them stated they did not have a point and shoot better than this camera. Some stated the camera was as good as some SLR?s and some pointed out the lens and the CMOS image sensor was the same as that found on high end DSLRs.
My Test Results:
*****Indoor Camera mode: Camera tested in the Auto mode, photographed people and pets ? Tested under natural light, incandescent and fluorescent lights all shots were clear and sharp. Camera Tested in a darkened room in Auto mode flash worked picture quality was excellent. Extreme test Camera tested in an almost completely dark room with light seeping through a window blind, picture blurry -camera had trouble adjusting due to streaks of light coming through blind. Repeated test without sunlight comming through blind in the dark camera worked excellent but I had to use "Easy" mode instead of Auto. It pays to try the cameras different modes.
*****Outdoor Camera Mode Camera tested in Auto mode; photographed people and pets pictures were clear and sharp. The camera compensated for my movements, people moving and animal movement even when using zoom at its maximum without a tripod. Photographed a man made waterfall you could actually see the water streaming down the rock. Photographed several high trees all came out straight, even a palm tree. Tested camera at sunset and at night to get the best results you need to learn the cameras mode.
*****Movie Mode: (Inside and Outside)
Photographed people and animals playing inside and outside, a man made waterfall, a television program. Camera adjusted to my movements and gave clear and crisp movies. Sounds were accurate and clear.
*****Viewing:
The camera has a 3 inch LCD display; I had no problem seeing what I photographed even in sunlight.
*****Software:
The camera includes software that allows you to save your pictures as data, WMV, HD and standard mode. All modes worked well.
Conclusion: As far as I am concerned this camera is better than any point and shoot on the market. I agree with a lot of the professionals that stated it was almost as good as a SLR or DSLR when used by the average user. Even in the Auto mode it excelled in many difficult situations both as a fixed camera and movie camera. Due to the camera size you have to be careful not to block the microphone on the top of the camera. If you are a professional photographer this camera is probably not for you though I did talk to one professional photographer that stated they used this camera as a backup at a wedding and the pictures came out as good as their high end cameras in many situations.
*****Cost: I managed to find the camera on sale at for $293.99 when buying 2 accessories @ 15% off.
*****Below are some of the camera specifications to see them all you can go to .
* Optical Zoom : 10x
* Total Zoom : Approximately 20x with Precision Digital Zoom Macro Mode : iAuto(W:Approx.5cm(0.16')
* Drive Mode : Normal / Hi-Speed Burst (High/Mid/Low) / Bracketing
* Shutter Speeds : iAuto(2" 1/1,600) / Program Auto(1" 1/1,600) /Manual(30"-1/1600)
* Aperture : iAuto(F3.5/F8.0(W)) / Program Auto(F3.5/F8.0(W)) / Manual(F3.5/F8.0(W)) (2 Steps with ND Filter)
* ISO : Auto / 125 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200
* Focal Length (35mm equivalent) : 4.25-42.5mm
* AF Modes : 9 points AF / Center Weighted AF / Spot AF
* Burst Mode : Approx 10 fps at 10.2MP (Maximum 10 shots)
* HD Output : HDMI / Component (1080i)
* Flash Modes : Auto / On / Slow Syncro / Off
* White Balance Mode: Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Fluorescent / Incandescent / Flash.
* Image Stabilization : Optical
* Imaging Sensor : 1/2.4" (7.59mm) "Exmor R" CMOS Sensor
* Processor : BIONZ?
* LCD Type : 3.0"1 Clear Photo LCD (230K pixels)
* Lens Type : Sony G-Lens (same as DSLR's)
* Scene Mode(s) : High Sensitivity / Twilight / Twilight Portrait / Soft Snap / Landscape / Beach / Snow / Fireworks / Advanced Sports / Gourmet / PetI'm comparing this camera to my most recent camera: Canon SD1000 and Sony TX1. I'm just a casual photographer. The most surprising thing about this camera is the weight. If you've owned some high end Sony or Canon PowerShot cameras then holding this camera doesn't "feel" normal, it's way too light for it's size...but that's a good thing....sort of. They achieve this weight reduction by using plastic for many of the body parts (the SD1000 and TX1 are mostly, if not all metal). The back is definitely plastic, I'm not quite sure about the front. The mode dial (although very welcome) feels cheap.
That's about it for the bad news. The good news is the GPS locks FAST out of the box and the picture quality is very good, on par with 10-12 mega-pixel cameras. The Sony "extra" features such as panorama and 1080 HD video work as advertised and add value to the Sony versus the only current competitor (with GPS and a mega-zoom) the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 which has not been released yet. You can compare images between the two cameras on the Imaging Resource site as well as some others.
I'm was going to purchase both this camera and the Panasonic to see which one I liked better, however I'm going to be keeping the Sony. I'm very happy with the ease of use, picture quality and the Sony extra features (such as panorama).
For a case, I'm using the Case Logic TBC302. It fits the camera perfectly with barely enough room in the front pocket to hold a spare battery. The Case Logic TBC303 is much larger but not too useful, for example you can't put the battery charger with the camera. It could hold some credit cards or papers, though.
Update: Software
I usually never install the included software because it's so bloated or just not very good to use. However, the Sony PMB (which is on a CDROM or on the internal camera memory when plugged into your computer) is VERY good. Good in that it's not bloated and it just works. You can do everything you expect such as organize and edit your photos or even update/assign GPS data. Also you can download updated GPS data (which helps the camera lock to GPS faster). I would dare say the software is nicer than Picasa or iPhoto due to the speed and built in GPS features. Some other things you can do but I have not tried yet: you can burn a video DVD (either a normal DVD or a AVCHD DVD with 1080i quality, but you need a PS3 or compatible player to watch those).
Update: GPS
I'm happy to report the GPS function works very well. I took a drive while snapping pictures as a test and then examined the recorded locations. The location was being actively updated because it was able to differentiate my position between shots taken seconds apart going about 40 MPH. Very pleased.
Update: Picture Quality
On closer inspection, the picture quality is a bit soft..I wish I could have the camera automatically adjust the sharpening inside the camera (make it more sharp) but this is not a big deal as the PMB software has easy edit controls. You can also manually unsharp after you take the photograph. The low light performance is remarkable, especially the low-light modes that actively combine multiple images (hand-held twilight and back-light HDR modes do this). As long as you're steady and you're not shooting a moving subject you can get some pretty remarkable, low-noise images at night.
Other final comment: when you turn the camera off, there is a slight delay (fraction of a second) before the lens retracts. Not really an issue but just something I'm not used to with my previous cameras and something I just noticed as I'm usually taking quick impromptu photos, on..photo...off. The interface, although totally functional, is not as "refined" as on my Sony TX1 (with touch screen), the LCD resolution is noticeably lower but, again, totally functional.
The mode dial is still bugging me, I feel it's the first thing on this camera that will go...But only time will tell.I have been looking for a new P&S for a while and compared the Sony hx5v v. Canon sx210is v. Panasonic zs3 (as a prelude to the zs7). The most important consideration was image quality followed closely by convenience, a well defined menu system, lens quality, fit and finish and pocketability. The Sony and Panny both had a gps function which was not important to me.
The panny zs3 had poor low light performance and no manual controls. Several bona fide review sites stated that the IQ for the zs7 was inferior to the zs3 so I quickly made a decision that the zs7 was not in contention.
For a comparison between the Sony and Canon I spent lunchtime on a couple of days walking around town taking only photos with the Sony on the trip out...and with the Canon on the walk back to my office. With the same drill in the evening to compare low light performance. I accumulated several hundred photos. When taking the photos I would use whatever mode or camera setting was appropriate at the time. Specifically, I did not set the cameras on Auto and just shoot in that mode. I also took a fair amount of video. A couple of days later I loaded all photos and video onto my computer and began viewing and this is where the Sony fell down. The images were very soft. At a small size they looked fine in fact they looked very good. However, with any magnification, the in-camera noise removal processing was evident and very heavy handed. Other review sites stated this, but I had to see it for myself, and even at ISO 125 (the lowest Sony allows) the images were soft. At pixel peeping levels it was very bad. Details were lost and it all looked like plastic. And if the details aren't there, no amount of work in PS or LR will bring them back to life. The evidence of noise at magnification was low, but I'd rather have native noise and remove it with Neat Image than be stuck with an over processed image. Also, there is no manual mode at all...all auto function. There is no iris for f-stop control, so to limit light Sony has chosen to use a neutral density filter and you get only 2 f-stops. Therefore, you get one depth of field for all images. That is almost anti-camera to me.
Sony claims their CMOS sensor is superior to a CCD sensor. That is apparent in the ability to shoot full resolution images for 10 fps bursts, as well as the hand held twilight and anti blur modes. But, to my eye, I don't see any low light benefit of the CMOS over the CCD and image quality did not compare well, though I don't think that had much to do with the sensor as much as Sony's noise algorithm.
The white balance is inconsistent indoors. You can get a custom WB by shooting a white object, but the native AWB will leave you disappointed. Outdoors the colors are warm no problem there. And it is easy to use anti blur mode to get a quick snapshot anytime and have a good result.
I did not give the video an adequate review since the stills were so disappointing. However, the microphones are situated in the exact wrong location. It is difficult to keep from covering one or both of them as you are filming. It is a very poor design. The flash is weak and poorly located it is easy to block with your fingers. The light from the flash falls visibly off-centered in the image.
The Sony has some great technology. The 10 fps burst is great, the hand held twilight and anti blur are clever and practical. The menu system is well designed and intuitive. It is a good point and shoot camera for someone that wants only that without the need for printing beyond 4x6 or only for casual viewing on the computer.
The Sony was returned and the Canon sx210is won out. Far better image quality, it has a manual mode with up to 15 second exposure, very good HD video at 720p and good sound, superior low light performance, better flash power as well as being able to adjust the eV +/for flash photography, better color gamut, the 14x optical on the Canon is nice some vignetting at 14x, but that is fixable in post process. I do wish the Canon had a faster burst mode.I've had the HX5V since I replaced my Canon SD800IS in March, '10 and have been very pleased with what it has to offer. It captures great images but with a caveat. It is not, strictly, a point and shoot. It has features such as the hand-held twilight, anti motion blur and iPanorama that take some knowledge and practice to make the most of. Most of the complaints I have read here relate to a misunderstanding of the camera features and not a failure in design. I'll address some of the the issues and how I have avoided or dealt with them.
Colors: Most compact digital cameras come with auto-ISO and auto white-balance as the defaults. I always over-ride the auto-ISO with the lowest ISO setting and adjust manually from there if needed. Auto WB is left on, but virtually no current camera will decipher the odd mix of light that compact fluorescent lighting puts out. That's why there is a custom WB setting. When custom white-balance is used properly, colors are rendered nicely. In daylight, I have had no problems and under incandescent outdoor lighting it seems to render colors quite well.
Distortion: Most P&S cameras don't start out at 24mm equivalent on the wide end (one of the reasons that I bought the camera). If you are not used to composing using a wider-angle lens, your shots can produce some perspective distortion. Buildings and interiors need to be shot carefully at wide angles to minimize the "leaning walls" effect caused by the exaggerated perspective of wide angle lenses that is often mistaken for lens distortion. The lens itself is remarkably free of distortion at both the wide and long end of the zoom range. BTW, people shot up close with a wide-angle lens will NOT like how they look!
Lack of detail: The HX5V is not a DSLR. Its 10MP files will never support the detail that you can get with a large APS-C sensor. If you are obsessed with detail and like to view your pictures in minute detail at 100% zoom with your nose 12 inches away from your monitor, this is not the camera for you. That said, it will fit in your pocket and produce sharp, detailed images suitable for 8x10 prints or even larger...if used properly. Auto-ISO will automatically boost ISO in low-light conditions. As stated before, this camera is a compact, not a DSLR. Though it does better at ISO 800 than most, it still has a tiny sensor that is susceptible to noise and the accompanying loss of detail from noise reduction processing at higher ISO. In low light, I have used the hand-held twilight function with excellent results. This mode isn't magic and if the camera moves too much during the multiple exposures, it won't do the job. If you choose your subject well and keep the camera steady, the images in this mode can be very impressive. Digital zoom can cause problems at the long end. Since this feature simply takes a smaller center section of the image and blows it up, resolution suffers. I'm happy with the 10x optical zoom and turning off the "digital zoom" option prevents its use and accidental image degradation.
iPanorama doesn't work: Nonsense. It is actually one of the best in-camera panorama solutions out there. Like everything else, there is no free lunch. You have to practice moving the camera steadily and smoothly across the scene and keep in mind that since it is using the video mode to capture the 100 or so image slices, you are limited to a 1080 pixel tall image (unless you trick it and use the vertical mode sideways to get a 1920 tall panorama).
In general, the HX5V will function as a point and shoot camera but to get the most out of its remarkable feature set, you need to take the time to learn the functions and how to best take advantage of what they have to offer. It is not a camera for everyone but it can be a great 24x7, take-anywhere tool with some class-leading features if use it well.
I have posted some images on my share site with examples of low-light, indoor, outdoor, panorama and extremes of the zoom range.
You can find them at: Well I guess you'll have to take my word for it. Whenever I post the link, Amazon moderators strip it out. Since there are no ads at the site I can't imagine they are fearing revenue loss to my humble competition. Look up the images gallery at Digital Photography Review for examples(a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon). I'd post the link...but it might be removed by a moderator that doesn't know that they own DPReview
You can run a full-screen slide show of the images there as well.
If you want a great compact camera with a load of useful features and are willing to do some of the homework necessary to get the most out of it, the HX5V is an excellent choice. Get one and enjoy it!
Happy shooting!
Dave
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