In recent times, a third category has emerged: the super-zoom digital hybrid. Combining the lens power of a Digital SLR and the smaller size of a compact camera, the superzoom has taken off among those who like plenty of photography options without a small laptop bag to carry the kit around in.
Sony's latest HX1 comes right in at the top-end of this hybrid league. Its 20x zoom gives is the equivalent of a 560mm telephoto lens, while it can shoot full high definition videos at 30 frames-per-second. Its three inch LCD viewer is tiltable, allowing over-the-shoulder snaps, often necessary in big crowds.
Its 9 megapixels may sound relatively modest, but this is rendered irrelevant by the quality of the new CMOS sensor, which allows a continuous shooting mode of 10 frames-per-second. This virtually guarantees a decent shot of a fast-moving object, especially at sports events.
It has nice extra features, such as a panorama mode that stitches shots together automatically as you shoot. Finally, it has an HDMI output port to play videos or slideshows directly onto your high definition TV.It has competition, especially from Canon's hybrid SX1. But this is a top-rate digital camera that leaves little to be desired.
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