Sony has announced the Cyber-shot HX99 (model DSC-HX99) camera as the world’s smallest travel high zoom camera featuring up to 28X optical zoom and 4K video recording capabilities. The versatile HX99 travel camera will start shipping from November for an asking price of $449 (approx. Rs 33,100).
The Sony camera features an 18.2-megapixel backside-illuminated 1/2.3-inch Exmore R CMOS sensor that has an ISO range of 80-12800. It boasts of a ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T 24-720mmi High Magnification Zoom lens which is equivalent to a 35mm zoom lens and offers a 28X optical zoom.
The device is powered by a powerful BIONZ X image processing engine with a front-end LSI that offers extremely fast autofocus, Eye AF and 10 FPS burst shots. The Zoom lens also makes use of Sony’s Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation that reduces the camera shake and blur that often occurs during handheld and telephoto shooting. There’s a Zoom Assist function that allows the user to zoom more accurately while shooting far away subjects by offering a quick, temporary zoom-out display to showcase a wider area.
The Sony HX99 can capture 4K videos with no Pixel binning and full pixel readout as well as shoot videos at higher frame rates of 120 fps. It also offers location data acquisition via Bluetooth, which can collect and record location data from a connected mobile device. There’s a Control Ring that can be customised with functions such as manual focus or step zooming, as well as a ‘My Menu’ option for instant recall of up to 30 different settings.
Weighing in at a little over 240 grams, the HX99 comes with a built-in retractable OLED Tru-Finder electronic viewfinder that is positioned on one corner of the camera, unlike traditional camera where the viewfinder is located at the centre. There’s a 180-degree tiltable LCD screen that allows for easy framing of self-portraits and group shots.
The Sony Cyber-shot HX99 will be available later this year for an asking price of $449 (approx. Rs 33,100).