Sony Announces World’s Smallest Travel High Zoom Cameras with 4K Movie Capability and Upgraded Image Processor
ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* 24-720mm[i] High Magnification Zoom and High Image Quality Lens packed into compact body
Stunning 4K[ii] video with full pixel readout and no pixel binning
BIONZ X™ image processing engine and newly implemented front-end LSI for seriously impressive stills
Versatile operability and shooting capabilities including Eye AF, EVF, Control Ring[iii], Touch Focus/Touch Shutteriii, Tiltable LCD and more for flexible shooting options
Sony today boosted its Cyber-shot® line-up of travel high zoom cameras with the launch of the DSC-HX99 and DSC-HX95.
Designed for users who want an unobtrusive camera that can be carried at all times, the new models are packaged in the world’s smallest[iv] body and offer a truly versatile zoom range from 24mmi at the wide end up to 720mmi super-telephoto. In addition to stunning 4Kii movie footage,at the heart of both models sits the powerful BIONZ X image processing engine combined with a front-end LSI that delivers high-speed continuous shooting at up to 10 fps with a buffer limit of up to 155 images[v]. Furthermore, these new models present a fast AF speed of 0.09 seconds[vi]. Some newly added features are Eye AF, RAW format image recording, touch focus/touch shutteriii function, and location data acquisition[vii] via Bluetooth®.
ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* 24-720mm High Magnification Zoom and High Image Quality Lens
The huge zoom range offered by the HX99 and HX95 means that they are ideally suited to the varied demands of travel photography and capturing daily life. Image stabilisation is controlled with Optical SteadyShot™ which effectively negates the camera shake blur that often occurs during handheld and telephoto shooting. The models are also equipped with a Zoom Assist function that allows the user to zoom out temporarily and displays a wider area when shooting a subject at the telephoto end.
Processing Power
The HX99 and HX95 can capture 4K video footage with full pixel readout and no pixel binning. This means that fine details are beautifully rendered and ‘moiré’ and ‘jaggies’ are significantly reduced. The new models can shoot fast-moving subjects withhigh-frame rate HD[viii] recording at up to 100fps[ix] to produce impressive slow-motion sequences during editing.
As the perfect picture often occurs unexpectedly, photographers need to be able to trust their camera to react quickly. With a Fast Intelligent AF speed of just 0.09 secondsvi and an upgraded BIONZ X processor[x] and front-end LSI, the HX99 and HX95 are a perfect fit, delivering high speed continuous shooting at up to 10fps (buffer limit of up to 155 images)v. For beautifully focused portraits, the new models inherit the much praised Eye AF technology from their α™ siblings and for photographers who prefer to enhance their photos with image editing software, the HX99 and HX95 offer the option to shoot in RAW. Fading light? A maximum ISO6400[xi] means that this isn’t a concern.
Intuitive and Comfortable Operation
Embracing feedback from users of the HX90 series, Sony has implemented Touch Focus and Touch Shutter functionality on the HX99 so that the photographer can directly select their shooting subject and fire whilst also implementing a Touch Pad function for smooth focus point shifting while using the retractable OLED Tru-Finder™. For those who wish to take command of their settings, the Control Ring of the HX99 can be customised with functions such as manual focus or step zooming and both HX99 and HX95 also offer My Menu personalisation for instant recall of up to 30 items and the ability to create custom menus.
A 180-degree tiltable LCD screen allows for easy framing of selfies and group shots whilst an upgraded gripx offers a firm hold and greater stability during shooting. Location data acquisition via Bluetooth® can collect and record location data from a mobile devicevii (Location Information Link) and small size Proxy recording allows transfers to smartphones or uploading to websites for quick sharing.
The new Sony Cyber-shot HX99 and HX95 will ship in Europe from October 2018, priced at approximately €520 for HX99 and €500 for HX95.
Please visit Sony.co.uk for more information: HX99 / HX95
[i]Angle of view (35mm format equivalent)
[ii]3840 x 2160 pixels. Continuous recording time is approx. 5 minutes, and may vary with recording environment
[iii]DSC-HX99 only
[iv]Among fixed lens digital cameras with a built-in viewfinder and telephoto end 700mm or above (angle of view, 35mm format equivalent) lens. As of August 2018 press release, based on Sony research
[v]With “Continuous shooting mode: Speed Priority Continuous Shooting” and “Image quality: Fine”
[vi]CIPA standard, internal measurement, at f=4.25mm (wide-end), EV8.5, Program Auto, AF area: Wide, NTSC mode
[vii]Can be connected via Bluetooth with smartphones featuring (as of August 2018 press release):
Android smartphones: Android 5.0 or later and compatible with Bluetooth 4.0 or later,
iPhone/iPad: iPhone 4S or later/iPad 3rd generation or later
[viii]Class 10 or higher micro SDHC/SDXC memory card is required to record movies in the XAVC S™ format. UHS-I (U3) is also required for recording at 100Mbps
[ix]PAL. 120fps in NTSC
[x]Compared to DSC-HX90 series
[xi]When expanded ISO sensitivity is enabled
