Photography

Sony gives Euro snappers a smarter and smoother superzoom

Sony gives Euro snappers a smarter and smoother superzoom
The Zeiss lens on the DSC-HX350 includes optical image stabilization
The Zeiss lens on the DSC-HX350 includes optical image stabilization
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The new Sony DSC-HX350 has a 50x optical zoom
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The new Sony DSC-HX350 has a 50x optical zoom
The screen on the DSC-HX350 can be tilted up or down for ease of use
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The screen on the DSC-HX350 can be tilted up or down for ease of use
Sony has given the HX350 a digital viewfinder
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Sony has given the HX350 a digital viewfinder
The Sony DSC-HX350 has a 20.4 megapixel CMOS sensor
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The Sony DSC-HX350 has a 20.4 megapixel CMOS sensor
The screen on the DSC-HX350 can be tilted up or down for ease of use
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The screen on the DSC-HX350 can be tilted up or down for ease of use
The Zeiss lens on the DSC-HX350 includes optical image stabilization
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The Zeiss lens on the DSC-HX350 includes optical image stabilization
A bird's eye view of the Sony DSC-HX350
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A bird's eye view of the Sony DSC-HX350
The HX350 is aimed straight at travelers
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The HX350 is aimed straight at travelers
View gallery - 8 images

Sony has announced another model for its range of Cyber-Shot superzoom cameras. The new Cyber-Shot HX350 is fitted with a Zeiss lens with 50x optical zoom, giving it the equivalent of a 24mm - 1200mm range. It's more than just a one-trick pony, too, thanks to a clever stabilization system for crystal-clear shots at full zoom.

In the world of superzoom cameras, shake is the enemy. After all, no-one wants to carry a tripod around just in case they need to zoom past 30x, especially considering big zooms are favored by parents and travelers who need to pack light.

Sony has fitted the new HX350 with latest version of its Optical Steady Shot system, which cuts down on camera shake by rapidly shifting a group of lens elements. There's also an Intelligent Active Mode to make sure handheld HD video shooting stays smooth. Digital zoom can bump the total magnification up to a massive 100x, although serious shooters will likely want to stay within the 50x optical range.

A 20.4 megapixel sensor and BIONZ X image processor have been set up to deliver crisp handheld shots and HD video in low-light. An ISO range of 80 - 12,800 is on offer in regular shooting, while movie makers can manually select sensitivity between 30 and 3,200.

The HX350 is aimed straight at travelers
The HX350 is aimed straight at travelers

Although it's not a full-on DSLR, the HX350 comes with the full range of P/A/S/M shooting options, and there's a manual zoom/focus ring on the lens. A custom function button also features, allowing users to save their go-to camera setups for later.

Although there is no optical viewfinder, Sony has backed up the 921,600 dot 3.0-inch rear screen with a digital viewfinder with five different levels of brightness. It might seem like a small touch, but a viewfinder makes it significantly easier to frame shots in bright sunlight, and fits in well with the more professional feature set on offer.

The camera measures up at 129.6 x 93.2 x 103.2 mm (5 in x 3.75 in x 4 in), and weighs 652 g (1.43 lb). Users are able to store their images on the usual SD and MicroSD cards, as well as Sony's own proprietary Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick PRO Duo cards.

Pricing will start at €450 in Europe, and the camera will be on sale from January – although it won't be making it to the US at the moment.

Source: Sony

View gallery - 8 images
2 comments
2 comments
Gizmowiz
Tiny sensor, tiny results.
morongobill
Well they just mopped the floor with Canon and Nikon superzoom competitors. That 50x zoom with optical stabilization is a huge advance. I cannot wait till it gets to the US. Until it does, my Nikon P510 is safe from Ebay or Craigslist.