20.4 million pixels + 30x optical zoom Sony HX50 review

Telephoto cameras that everyone had in mind before the IT168 review were generally a bit heavy in size. The Sony HX50 telephoto camera we are talking about today is very different. This camera can be said to be the thinnest and lightest camera currently with a 30x optical zoom function. Not only does it look about the same size as an ordinary card camera, but it also has a powerful 30x optical zoom and 20.4 million pixels hidden inside. Today we will try it out to see how this telephoto digital camera performs.

Sony HX50 uses a high-performance G lens with 30x optical zoom and an equivalent focal length of 24-720mm. It also has features such as 20.4-megapixel Exmor R COMS, multiple shooting modes, Wi-Fi control and transmission, lightweight and portability.

"Appearance details

As the latest product of the H series, Sony HX50 has made changes in appearance. The body size is approximately 108.1?63.6?38.3mm, which is larger than the previous H series. The series telephoto camera is more compact. There is a raised anti-slip handle on the left side of the fuselage, which has a good grip and anti-slip effect.

▲The overall appearance and hand-held anti-slip leather cover.

< p>The Sony HX50 telephoto camera uses a 3-inch 921,000-pixel XtraFine LCD screen on the back. In addition to the playback, menu, delete key, and control ring, there is also a "CUSTOM" custom key. You can set settings including white balance, ISO, metering mode, and smile shutter. At the same time, in order to enhance the stability of the telephoto camera, there is a small piece of anti-slip skin on the back for the right thumb.

▲Back of the fuselage

▲Menu operation

The top of the fuselage is equipped with a mode dial, equipped with M (manual exposure), A (aperture priority), S (shutter priority) P ( Program Auto) and other manual modes and semi-manual modes can be used to shoot in different modes. There is also an exposure compensation dial on the right side of the mode dial, so that it can be operated very directly when shooting.

< p>▲The layout of the top of the body

Some of the original H series cameras have electronic viewfinders or built-in pop-up flashes on the top of the camera. In order to reduce the body size and enhance portability, the Sony HX50 has. It adopts the same hot shoe design as many high-end cameras, and can be connected to Sony external flash, electronic viewfinder, stereo microphone and other accessories, which makes it compact and increases the expansibility of shooting functions.

▲Hot shoe

The Sony HX50 has only two interfaces, one is the USB interface for charging and the other is the HDMI interface.

▲Left: USB interface Right: HDMI interface

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▲1240mAh, it is no problem to shoot continuously for a whole day

Summary:

From the appearance, this camera is very textured and has a certain retro temperament. The overall workmanship of the body is good. The simple and intuitive multi-function button design and dual dials on the body allow this camera to meet the needs of home users and professional photography enthusiasts.

"Sony HX50 menu operation. Analysis

People who are new to Sony HX50 will definitely find the menu operation of this camera a bit complicated. The filters or effect functions available in each shooting mode are not necessarily the same, so the author recommends using Readers must be familiar with the menu settings of this camera in advance.

However, the Sony HX50 camera does a good job in terms of optional functions and filter effects, but it is a pity that some filter effects cannot be fully turned on in specific modes. For example, when enhanced automatic mode or intelligent automatic mode is used, all filter functions cannot be turned on, and only photo synthesis effects can be achieved.

However, in the commonly used A/S/M/P settings, the filter effect can be fully turned on. The filter effects of Sony HX50 are very rich, and combined with the advantage of telephoto, it can create many different effects.

▲Menu setting interface

The adjustable scene modes of the Sony HX50 are another feature of this camera. These scene modes include background blur, 3D shooting, fireworks shooting, etc. 17 different modes. For beginner users, the advantage of rich scene modes is that they can take ideal photos through the preset scene modes in the camera even if they do not have sufficient photography foundation.

Summary:

This camera has a very rich selection of scene modes and filter effects. This is another major feature of this telephoto camera in addition to its focal length advantage. However, the filter mode cannot be fully turned on in some specific modes, which is a small regret.

"The picture quality at the telephoto end is still excellent

The biggest advantage of a telephoto camera is that it covers a wide focal length, but whether a telephoto camera is excellent still depends on its performance at telephoto. Top-notch picture quality and anti-shake performance. What is gratifying is that the Sony HX50 does an excellent job in both aspects.

▲1x zoom wide-angle shooting

▲30x zoom telephoto end shooting 100% partial screenshot

Shoot the red part of the upper icon at 30x zoom. It can be seen that the details of the 100% screenshot are obvious. The anti-shake effect at the telephoto end can already ensure the clarity of the picture. There is no need to worry about the blurred picture of the Sony HX50 at large zoom.

Filter effect display

▲Shooting scene

After using different filters, you can see that although it is the same scene, but different filters The effect will produce a brand new feeling.

Summary:

Under optical image stabilization, the image quality is still excellent at the longest 30x zoom end, which can fully meet the needs of travel shooting. However, during the evaluation, we found that the Sony HX50 camera's glare control ability is still lacking, and it will produce more obvious glare under strong light.

"Wi-Fi experience and feelings

Some netizens have asked me on Weibo before, how is this digital camera better than the HX30? In addition to what we have done before In addition to the mentioned improvements in pixels and zoom factor, the biggest change is that Sony HX50 has added Wi-Fi function. WiFi function is a very practical and very in line with the current trend, and it will gradually become a standard feature of future digital cameras. Trend. With this function, we can not only share photos between this camera and smart devices, but also control the camera to shoot by letting the smart device connect through WiFi.

▲Turn on Sony. WiFi function interface

▲PlayMemories Mobile application interface

After successfully connecting to WiFi, we can control the camera through the PlayMemories Mobile application. Let the camera perform zooming and some basic operations, and also support selfies

▲Mobile phone operation page

▲Same as the previous operation, the main application here is photo transfer and sharing

Summary:

The PlayMemories Mobile application is easy to operate and has a simple interface, which adds a lot of convenience to the WiFi function of the Sony HX50. In addition to transmitting photos through Wi-Fi, this camera In addition, you can also use your smartphone to operate the camera under a Wi-Fi connection, which is very useful when taking selfies and group photos.

"Real shot samples and final summary

Photography is the process of discovering and recording beauty. Sony HX50's 30x optical zoom and various creative modes allow you to see even the most distant scenery before your eyes, keep everything around you under control, and stay creative everywhere.

I am a paranoid person. When I got this telephoto camera, I insisted on taking pictures from indoors to outdoors, even night scenes. For a telephoto camera, this requirement is sometimes a bit high, but I was not disappointed when I used the Sony HX50 to see the big picture from the small and show the scenery around me. In addition to giving me a little headache when shooting backlighting and night scene lights, the Sony HX50 with 20.4 million pixels and 30x optical zoom performs perfectly in terms of details, and some camera filters are used during shooting to make the shooting more precise. Have fun.

▲Sensitivity: ISO400 Aperture: f/3.5 Exposure time: 1/30s Focal length: 4mm ()

Background blur effect, this is after taking two consecutive photos with Sony HX50 , based on the position of the object, foreground and background we photographed, we made in-camera adjustments to the background blur of the photo, giving the background of the toy car a relatively soft feel.

▲Sensitivity: ISO80 Aperture: f/3.5 Exposure time: 1/30s Focal length: 4mm ()

▲Sensitivity: ISO800 Aperture: f/5 Exposure time: 1/ 10s Focal length: 4mm ()

For the study shooting, I did not use the camera filter. I just relied on the 20.4 million pixels of the Sony HX50. It should be that no matter how I shoot, the details can be expressed very clearly.

▲Sensitivity: ISO800 Aperture: f/3.5 Exposure time: 1/13s Focal length: 4mm ()

The retro colors make the messy storage room look unique. Sony HX50 allows me to create anywhere at home and try various shooting effects. It gives me the feeling of a small scene and a big world. I can shoot the feeling I want without using PS.

▲Sensitivity: ISO800 Aperture: f/3.5 Exposure time: 1/20s Focal length: 4mm ()

A casual book, using popular color filters to enhance the colors Darker tones produce more realistic photos, and distinct colors give the book a more visual feel.

▲Sensitivity: ISO80 Aperture: f/8 Exposure time: 1.6s Focal length: 23mm Exposure compensation: -0.7 ()

▲Sensitivity: ISO80 Aperture: f/5.6 Exposure Time: 1/30s Focal length: 5mm Exposure compensation: -1 ()

What surprised me when using this camera to shoot night scenes was that when shooting handheld, it was shot with the enhanced automatic mode of Sony HX50 , this camera can automatically recognize hand-held night scenes, then take 6 consecutive photos and combine them into one clear photo. In other words, we can easily get a satisfactory photo with this camera even in dark light conditions.

▲Sensitivity: ISO80 Aperture: f/3.5 Exposure time: 1/200s Focal length: 4mm ()

Finally, it’s time to go out and shoot the scenery. For me who likes cycling , carrying a telephoto portable camera is a good choice. I can hold it in my hand at any time and stop to shoot the scene I like at any time. The scenery under 1x zoom already covers the scenery photography I want. It can be said that I enjoy the feeling of shooting casually.

▲Sensitivity: ISO125 Aperture: f/3.5 Exposure time: 1/100s ()

Want to record vast landscapes while traveling? Recording is easy with the Sony HX50. Use Sweep Panorama mode to scan the camera in the desired direction and the camera will take continuous shots at high speed and then join the captured images to form a single panoramic image.

Final summary of the review:

The Sony HX50 has 20.4 million pixels, 30x optical zoom, and its portable and compact body makes it easy to travel, allowing you to see the big world from a small perspective. , whether walking in the city for street photography or going out, it is a very good companion. The overall body operation looks very professional and can be shot through manual settings. When shooting, the author recommends avoiding backlighting as much as possible. Sony’s telephoto camera is not particularly good at controlling glare. There is no need to get too entangled in menu operations. Once you get an unfamiliar camera, you will naturally understand it better after a few days of running in and getting familiar with it, and you will naturally use many functions as you like.

Sony HX50 also has Wi-Fi function, which can not only share photos with friends through Wi-Fi, but also control shooting directly through Wi-Fi. It can also take selfies or take photos with friends.

The current price of Sony HX50 on JD.com is 2,699 yuan (click to view details). I personally think that this price is relatively reasonable with such a rich set of functions, and it is worth buying. So if you want to buy a telephoto camera in the near future, you can pay more attention to this camera.