Cyber-shot™ HX50 / HX50V from Sony: world’s smallest, lightest camera with 30x zoom and advanced features

From round-the-world expeditions to family walks on a Sunday afternoon, the new Cyber-shot™ HX50 camera from Sony gives every scene the colour, detail and clarity it deserves – even at high zoom. Boasting a 20.4MP sensor and built-in image stabilisation, the HX50 delivers beautifully vibrant photos and Full HD videos, even when you’re far from your subject. What’s more it’s the world’s smallest, lightest¹ digital still camera that packs a powerful 30x optical zoom range.

Packing really big features in a small body

While it’s tempting to rely on your smartphone, the HX50 gives photographers plenty of great reasons to invest in a dedicated pocket camera. Its wide-ranging optical zoom gives users more flexibility to pick their shooting position, while Optical SteadyShot camera-shake compensation gives peace of mind that image quality won’t be compromised. Even at 30x zoom, the HX50 now offers image stabilisation that’s twice as effective as the Cyber-shot™ HX200V².

Powered by a 20.4-megapixel³ Exmor R CMOS sensor and BIONZ processor, the HX50 produces high-resolution, high quality images with exceptional low-light performance. Working at more than twice the speed of the Cyber-shot™ HX200V⁴ at full zoom, high-speed autofocus captures even the most fleeting moments for posterity. What’s more, integrated Wi-Fi lets you share those special memories quickly and easily with friends and family.

For more advanced photographers who like to fine-tune the details of a shot, there’s a dial to adjust exposure compensation plus a mode dial for other manual shooting settings such as P/A/S/M modes. There’s also a Multi Interface Shoe for attaching a compatible electronic viewfinder, flash, or microphone for better video sound quality – the perfect match with the high quality video shooting of Full HD (50p) recording capability. Adding to the package is a Multi Terminal for using a remote controller, very useful for close-ups and movies.

Battery stamina is crucial when you’re travelling and don’t know where the next plug point will be found. The X-type lithium-ion battery in the Cyber-shot™ HX50 is smaller than any of its predecessors⁵, yet delivers 400 photos⁶ from a single charge.

GPS functionality is offered on the HX50V with an embedded GPS Log Recording function, enhancing your post-shooting enjoyment as you reflect on your travels.

Make your own movies

With more people shooting video alongside still photos, the HX50 delivers stunning results. It captures beautifully smooth Full HD movies (50p) that benefit from Optical SteadyShot (Active Mode)⁷ compensation for reduced camera-shake when you’re videoing on the move. Compatibility with TRILUMINOS Colour technology means that footage can be enjoyed with rich, natural colours when viewed on any TRILUMINOS Display TV.

Ready to get a little more creative? The HX50 offers nine different picture effects⁸ to experiment with, giving those shots of the children an entirely new perspective. There are also three picture effects available in Intelligent Sweep Panorama mode⁹, plus four different movie effects¹⁰.

The HX50 is available to pre-order now from www.sony.co.uk and will be generally available in Europe from May 2013.

1 Among digital still cameras with optical zoom of 30x or higher. Based on Sony internal survey, as of this announcement (April 2013).

² Shutter speed comparison at telephoto end of zoom range; Based on Sony internal testing.

3 Effective megapixels; approximate

⁴ Based on CIPA standard, internal measurement. (At telephoto end of zoom range)

5 Compared to digital still camera models in the Sony HX range

6 CIPA standard, internal measurement. Approximate figure: actual value depends on shooting conditions.

7 Compensates for blur in the direction the camera rolls; used in conjunction with electronic blur compensation

8 HDR Painting, Richtone Monochrome, Miniature, Toy Camera, Pop Colour, Partial Colour, Soft High-key, Watercolour, Illustration

9 Pop Colour, Partial Colour, Soft High-key

10 Toy Camera, Pop Colour, Partial Colour, Soft High-key

Technical specifications