Sony Cyber-Shot HX50 review

Photo performance was respectable, taking 2.2 seconds to switch on and shoot, and 1.7 seconds between shots in normal use. Burst mode ran at 7fps for ten frames, and took eight seconds to save them before repeating the trick. These are decent results, but not as fast as our current Best Buy pocket ultra-zoom camera, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ40.

IMAGE QUALITY – CLICK SAMPLES TO ENLARGE

Record-breaking specs don’t necessarily lead to class-leading quality, and the opposite is often true when a manufacturer rushes to deliver the biggest zoom or the highest resolution. With that in mind, we were impressed by the consistency of the lens throughout its enormous zoom range. Wide-angle photos were seriously sharp from corner to corner. There was a small, gradual deterioration towards 400mm (equivalent) focal lengths, but it was only really noticeable on subtle textures such as foliage and fur.

 The high-contrast lines in this sample shot are pixel sharp

 The 5cm macro mode performs superbly too

 We took these photos by stepping backwards and zooming in to keep the subject the same size. These 1:1 crops show that focus is sharpest for wide-angle photos, but it holds together reasonably well throughout the zoom range

However, sharp details were only possible when shooting at slow ISO speeds. Because telephoto shots are particularly susceptible to camera shake, it required direct sunlight or a tripod to shoot at the base ISO 80 setting with the zoom fully extended. Overcast weather or shady conditions inevitably pushed the ISO speed up, and the resulting noise reduction took a heavy toll on details. These shots usually looked fine when resized to fit a computer screen, but they didn’t stand up to scrutiny.

 Overcast weather has pushed the ISO speed up to 160, which is enough to make details look syrupy and vague

 Noise reduction has taken a further toll on details by ISO 400 – this shot would be fine when resized to fit a computer screen, but it doesn’t warrant heavy cropping

 Even direct sunlight isn’t enough to eliminate noise textures from subtle details such as these skin tones

The Sony Cyber-Shot HX50 has many positive traits, but it’s not immediately obvious who it’s aimed at. The hotshoe and exposure compensation dial might appeal to enthusiasts, but the relatively noisy sensor, excessively reflective screen, beginner-oriented button layout and lack of raw shooting will probably put them off again. The 30x zoom, excellent video mode and substantial battery life have universal appeal, though. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ40 is still our favourite pocket ultra-zoom camera to date, but the HX50 has enough going for it to carve out its own niche.