Sony announced their latest ultra-zoom camera which succeeds the H50 I reviewed a while back. The new Cyber-shot HX1 features Sony’s Exmor sensor and a “Sony G” lens, which is supposedly of better quality than traditional Sony and Zeiss lenses that has been in past Cyber-shot cameras. I hope to get my hands on this one for review… and I really hope it’s better than the H50.

Sony Cyber-shot HX1
(Ultra-zoom camera)

• 9 effective megapixels (Sony Exmor CMOS)
• 28 – 560 mm (f2.8 – f5.2) 20X optical zoom lens
• Optical image stabilization
• 3 inch tilting LCD
• Intelligent Scene Recognition (automatic scene mode selection)
• Face detection and recognition remembers faces; blink and smile detection
• Sweep Panorama creates a large wide-angle photo by just panning the camera (is it just me or does this make fun of the “2 shot stitch” of the Pentax X70 launched earlier today?)
• Full manual controls
• 10 FPS full-res, brief burst mode (up to 10 photos)
• Non-wide, unconventional “1080p” movie mode (1440 x 1080) with stereo sound
• Takes Memory Stick Duo memory cards
• Uses a lithium-ion battery
• Available in April for $500

Related articles:

• New Sony cameras feature Exmor CMOS sensors
• Sony Cyber-shot W220 and rumors
• Sony presents twelve new Cyber-shot models!
• Sony Cyber-shot G3 announced
• Sony announces more cameras