Dedicated point-and-shoot cameras face an uphill battle. With the ridiculous levels of picture quality that smartphones can achieve, everybody already has a very good camera that can fit in their pocket, so compact cameras really need to be special. The Sony Cybershot HX99, which was just announced at IFA 2018, aims to be just that. First, it’s tiny: at only 8.54 ounces, the new Cybershot is claimed to be “the world’s smallest camera body of its kind.” Secondly, it is able to achieve some pretty impressive zoom capabilities with a 24-720mm fixed lens (a 35mm equivalent) with 28x optical zoom; plus, it’s capable of shooting 4K video.
As for other specs, the HX99 has an 18.2-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, a BIONZ X image processor, an ISO range of 80-12800 and a 180-degree tilting touchscreen. The HX99 comes with some intelligent features to help you get the most out its terrific zoom capabilities and 4K shooting, such as Sony’s Fast Intelligent AF and Eye AF systems, so you can lock-on and keep subjects in focus. It’s capable of 10 fps continuous shooting, too, and it has Optical SteadyShot image stabilization to combat your shaky hand.
At just under $450, the Sony Cybershot HX99 comes in well under what the high-end smartphones, like the Pixel 3 ($799+) and iPhone XS ($999+), as well as many other dedicated compact cameras, cost. And the HX99 looks to be able to capture great landscapes shots, as well as capturing subjects in the distance, all while easily fitting in your pocket.
The Sony Cybershot HX99 is available for pre-order right now and will start shipping in early November.
