Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX300 review

IMAGE QUALITY

The combination of a 20-megapixel sensor and a 24-1200mm (equivalent) zoom suggests that this camera should excel for capturing details in distant subjects. It’s an awful lot of pixels to squeeze into a tiny 1/2.3in sensor, though, so it has its work cut out to manage noise levels.

Distant subjects were captured with more pixels than anything we’ve ever seen – the moon measured 1,570 pixels wide. Focus at the full zoom extension wasn’t perfect and there were some chromatic aberrations towards the edges of the frame, but it compared well with other cameras that match the 1200mm (equivalent) maximum focal length. Focus was excellent at more modest zoom positions, all the way down to the widest 24mm setting.

For sheer magnification, the HX300 sets a new standard.

Photos taken at the minimum ISO 80 setting were slightly speckled but there was plenty of detail even in dense textures such as foliage. However, noise levels quickly rose as the ISO speed went up, and photos at ISO 200 didn’t stand up to scrutiny. This proved to be a common problem, as even in direct sunlight, automatic settings often reverted to ISO speeds from 200 to 800 in order to avoid camera shake. That was a necessary precaution when shooting at the long end of the zoom, but the camera was overly cautious at more modest zoom positions. We frequently felt the need to intervene with manual ISO speed settings in order to get the best from the camera.

This brightly lit shot taken at a modest 40mm (equivalent) focal length and the lowest ISO speed is packed with fine detail.

Details are sharp here too, but the subtle skin textures reveal a slight graininess, even at ISO 80.

Details have softened slightly as we begin to zoom in to this shady subject, pushing the ISO speed up to 400. It’s by no means a bad result, though.

Even this ISO 800 shot looks pretty clean, although there’s a notable lack of fine details.

Skin textures at ISO 640 are scruffy – this shot is best limited to smaller viewing sizes.

Shooting at the full zoom extension in early morning sunlight, details are quite scruffy even at ISO 200. It wouldn’t matter so much if the subject filled the frame, but this shot doesn’t stand up to heavy cropping.

This is the best of 12 shots we took of this subject – a disappointing result.

The HX300’s photos looked great when viewed at typical sizes, but many shots – and particularly telephoto ones – didn’t look so hot after some heavy cropping. Perhaps that won’t be necessary considering the enormous zoom range. However, the Panasonic FZ200, Panasonic FZ72 and Canon SX50 HS all delivered better image quality and broadly matched the Sony for video quality. The HX300 wasn’t far behind for photos, though, and it currently costs less. If funds are tight and you don’t envisage cropping or printing enlargements, it’s an excellent choice.