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A discussion of the design and features of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1.
Lori Grunin
I've been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I'm currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I've also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.
One of the nicer aspects of the HX1's design, Sony uses a jog dial to navigate and adjust shooting parameters like shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, and so on.
In addition to the typical scene, manual, and semimanual shooting modes, Sony offers a couple of interesting shooting options: Sweep Panorama, which bursts as you pan and automatically stitches the shots together, and Hand-held Twilight, which bursts three shots and blends them together to produce a brighter, relatively low-noise shot in dim conditions.
To go with its HD movie capture capability, the HX1 also offers a stereo mic with reasonable separation. Unfortunately, it's also susceptible to wind noise, and the camera lacks a wind filter.
