Visually, the Sony HX50V would not necessarily stand out from other models to me. For this you will develop at least a little more interest when the latest addition to the Digital Camera family of Sony is in their own hands. Very generous falls from the roughened surface of the finger on the front of the compact camera, but also the oval cutout for your thumb sits perfectly at least by my standards. Also excluded is an accidental operation of the movie button. Not infrequently, camera manufacturers have in the recent past hardly paid attention and the key provided for example with a slight elevation. That is nonsense and nobody needs. Another issue is indeed primarily critical of their own habit, but I use the parallel RX100 Sony and accordingly problematic I found the weight of the HX50V. Includes battery weighs 275 grams Camera scarce and before now come the screams - well, I was very surprised to see that the RX100 even gets only 240 grams on the scale. So appearances can sometimes be deceiving. How can that be? I suspect the deception must be caused by the magnesium case.
Nevertheless, I feel better wearing in the HX50V and I would now like to comment briefly on the facilities - there anyway more or less all manufacturers follow a similar arrangement. Therefore had been received here on the notable things such as the external (and not self-evident) multi-interface shoe next to the built-in flash, which in turn not automatically pops out of hiding with activated flash. As with the last equipment has been tested also saved here to the cost. Disadvantage: the flash will not trigger Without manual release by the underlying key. For battery power, it may on the other hand only be beneficial. But more on that later. Also positive is the exposure compensation dial on the top and the lush equipped mode dial: Intelligent Auto / Superior Auto / P / A / S / M / MR (Memory Recall mode) / iSweep Panorama / Film Mode / Scene Selection. In addition to the multi-interface shoe is the exclusive for the HX50V GPS receiver, as well as the microphone and on the sides the usual connections for HDMI and USB. Interesting is next to the built-in Wi-Fi receiver (now standard) or the CUSTOM button, which can be assigned to a desired function. That should then have been in this area, we therefore come to the menu.
Menu:
Unfortunately, Sony can not commit to a uniform menu with their various model series. So everything is here once more different and in principle, I find it not bad, but awkward - because again training is required. But one would like to see the advantage, then certainly one of the entspeckte presentation to the other models. The HX50V only displays options available for the mode currently selected. The CUSTOM button ISO offers more than fast access to white balance, metering mode and Smile Shutter. I find letzters most practical, and I myself am big believer from Memory Recall mode. Here you select the retrieved setting when the mode dial is set. Setting can be three profiles on the menu or by previous setting such as lightning which shot is desired, etc. Then the menu and confirm. A wonderful thing that is the manufacturers, unfortunately, only too happy to forget, or not perceived as necessary.
The Sweep Panorama works Sony typically by pressing the shutter button and then the uniform direction of the arrow movement. The Scene Selection offers 17 scenarios including 3D effect for the TV -. But quite disappointing and fails principle revealed no differences to a normal picture. In the Movie mode, I would like to address later. The superior offers automatic back a number of effects, such as brightness, color, animation and visual effects (toy camera, pop color, etc.)
Image quality & Lens:
About the picture quality was dealt with much negative here and mostly the high expectations were probably to blame, triggered by the comparison with the earlier HX20. Of course you have to inform before and ask yourself what I want at all, and what is important to me personally. Untucked the negative Ling and then complaining about things that were known in advance anyway, help anyone seriously dealing with a possible purchase here. Main differences are the optical zoom, the increased focus, improved battery life and Wi-Fi (who needed). On the other hand become worse the flash. Schön would have been to provide the HX50V with a RAW format. As far as the coarse detail. Can we do without the advantages mentioned, the HX20 offers nearly identical qualities for almost half the price of the HX50V. Owner a better camera (as just the RX100), the new model of Sony likely anyway seen only as Zweit.- or third device. This is due to the optical zoom, which makes the HX50 really special.
Thanks to the excellent double image stabilization also succeed out of hand very good shots. The lens offers wonderful for scenery and makes the 24mm focal length for surprising new viewing angle. The ISO values I used the 20-megapixel JPEG setting and had to ISO 800 a thoroughly good picture quality. But back out, you can forget it. Since other compact cameras have better delivered in this price range. Nevertheless, it remains a good performance for this small image sensor. Overall, some purple fringing in high-contrast situations reveal, also the pictures always appear a bit soft - Photoshop can help there. The HDR function incidentally, provides a dramatic increase in the details in the shadows and bright areas. Amazingly, the macro function is allowing it to approach up to 1.5 cm on the object. That's fantastic. For Nachtphotographierer the HX50V offers a maximum exposure time of 30 seconds in the manual mode. What, however, is not working as well the background defocusing. Unlike, for example in the RX100, is not here the opportunity to determine the degree of blur itself and therefore recognizes the camera often not the protruding object.
Video recording:
In the video footage, I often had to fret about that except the video recording no effects or other functions were available. Sony has you reworked and offers the normal video recording via the red button or the previously mentioned option on the dial. The movie mode with adjustable settings offers a Scene Selection, a trigger Smile Shutter during recording, face detection and the possibility to snap at any time during which an image (except in HP (AVC HD 28M)). The zoom is actually barely perceptible and exterior noise, which are always present in principle, even inaudible. Although I am not a supporter of video recordings on compact cameras - this model makes at least a little bit more of it and it offers not only - because due to the high competition, this function needs to be virtually integrated.
Wi-Fi
To use the Wi-Fi controls on the smartphone, you must enter the password at the beginning (is displayed on the screen of the camera). After you get the picture on your smartphone and in contrast to many other models, the delegation is here not only as mehrsekündige delay. For example, in the NX300 from Samsung. As options Sony offers a choice of photo (self-timer, flash, Rear-check) and film. However, the zoom works very unruly and slow. Nor is there any information about the zoom factor currently used. In Movie mode is also the zoom available, but no other functions. As always with the Wi-Fi Stories: A nice gimmick, but not really useful. In addition, you can send the captured image via camera directly to the computer. There is, however, necessary for the first time to connect the camera to the PC to determine the location. But even here the pure convenience factor plays a role, otherwise dispensable.
If want to ask or inform anyone whether there should be other differences between the HX50 and the HX50V - No it does not exist. The only difference is the GPS module. Also I believe it is a decision rather question whether the HX50V as the only model would have been sufficient. This artificial price difference now lies fully in the trend of the times. Very good to watch at the TV equipment. Most also here two identical rows are produced, even with satellite module and one without. In addition to the problematic resource waste, it is ultimately pure moneymaking. But good. I did not want to wander - but that bugs me is currently easy. Again back to camera: For the next trip this model from Sony with GPS and the 30x optical zoom is very helpful Highly Recommended.
