You got to be kidding
Checking the reviews from the Canon SX210, Panasonic TZ10 and the Sony HX5V I stumbled over a couple head scratchers.
How is it possible that with much less features than the HX5V the Canon and the Panasonic has the same 10 from 10 as the Sony?
How is it possible that the $399 Panasonic with half the video resolution of the Sony and also missing all the bells and whistles like 10 fps, HDR, HHT and much more can have the same value like the Sony HX5V what is $50 cheaper?
And the Canon SX210 with the same price as the Sony but totally outclassed is just ONE point below the SONY HX5V?
And the Canon SX210 with the same price as the Sony but totally outclassed is just ONE point below the SONY HX5V?
Come on people from TR, if we should take these ratings halfway serious, do not do such obviously miss ratings, that is embarrassing.
But I guess that if the value was rated correctly with 10 from 10 (show me any camera right now with a better feature to price ratio) and the feature point of the Canon would be at maximal 7 and the Panasonic at maximal 8 then it would be even clear for the Panasonic and Canon fans that the SONY HX5V is the new top dog in 2010 and that 10 Megapixel is better than the both 14 Megapixel cameras.
It would send a nice message to the companies and maybe they would finally get the message that the Megapixel race is futile.
But I guess that if the value was rated correctly with 10 from 10 (show me any camera right now with a better feature to price ratio) and the feature point of the Canon would be at maximal 7 and the Panasonic at maximal 8 then it would be even clear for the Panasonic and Canon fans that the SONY HX5V is the new top dog in 2010 and that 10 Megapixel is better than the both 14 Megapixel cameras.
It would send a nice message to the companies and maybe they would finally get the message that the Megapixel race is futile.
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There seems to be a lot of barrel distortion in the wide angle video of the HX5 as shown here.
When I compared a in store video from the HX5 and the Canon SX210 I noticed the following not so nice things.
There is a huge barrel distortion in the beginning and at 22 sec of this video. Also there it the quite slow refocus from macro to tele between min 0.42 and 1.0 and the failure to refocus between 1.0 and 1.05
If compared to the wide angle from the Canon SX210 at sec 28 there seems to be a big difference here.
If any body who has a HX5 can try to recreate the barrel distortion or error to refocus from tele to macro and confirm this please leave a comment with your findings or your youtube video here or at the forum thread.
It would be interesting to know if the distortion is more noticeable in extreme close ups and vanishes more with the distance.
Compared with the SAMSUNG WB1000 (same lens as in the new WB2000) there is much less distortion in this 25 mm lens. (more see my WB2000 blog)
I did a quick check with my HX1 in a close up video shot, and there is a bit barrel distortion, but that is still OK in my book.
I could recreate the indoor focus error from tele to macro but outdoors with more brightness and color the HX1 worked like she should.
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Compare the TX7 with the Optical Image Stabilizer to the HX5 with the Optical Image Stabilizer in active mode.
Watch the clips in full screen and best in you screen resolution.
(mouse on 360p and then change to 720p or 1080p)
Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 Optical Image Stabilizer walking along the street
Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V (Shake Reduction optical active mode) walking along the street
Cyber-shot DSC-HX5 (Shake Reduction optical active mode) running along the street
here is a copy from this forum post
Would you buy this camera again after getting a chance to "test drive" it. Do you get what you needed from this camera?
In a word, "Yes" to both questions.
I bought the WX1, wanting to get the "multiple image technologies," mainly the Hand-held Twilight (HHT) mode. It was fast, the HHT mode definitely worked amazingly, but I was very disappointed with the camera's basic image quality.
I bought the TX7 as a lark, after playing with it at my local SonyStyle store, and comparing images I took in the store against images from the WX1 that I had taken in the same store. The image quality was just miles better than the WX1's -- finally, here was a camera with decent image quality, plus all of the technologies, including the new and very useful HDR mode. I later confirmed the image quality differences between the two cameras in other settings, and that was the end of the WX1 for me.
Prior to playing with the TX7 and getting it, though, I had been planning on getting the HX5 all along -- and I just couldn't resist when news hit the forum that it was shipping. So, I bit on one.
The main thing is that the HX5's image quality is substantially better than the TX7's -- the colors are once again a magnitude more correct -- certainly, this is the first of the three Exmor cameras I've purchased that really had "correct" color. And I've definitely noticed much better sharpness "around the edge of images" with the HX5 over the TX7.
So, for the first time, I really feel like I've got a Sony Exmor camera that "isn't substantially substandard to the rest of the industry" in basic image quality -- I think it's absolutely "right in the ballpark" with anything else that's roughly comparable. I certainly appreciate the functions it has over the TX7 -- bracketing, manual exposure mode, plus a few other things -- so that makes it fit my needs better than the TX7. And finally, all of the "multiple image modes" -- HHT, AMB, HDR, and its ultra-fast continuous shooting -- just put the HX5 in a class above any other competitor in the market -- they simply allow you to get shots that the other cameras just can't get at all, or can't get without going into ultra-noisy high ISO settings.
So, I'm really quite impressed with the HX5. Oh, it sure doesn't have the absolute best image quality in the segment, but it's definitely in the ballpark. And its technologies give it image and video capturing capabilities that are simply unmatched by anything else, period. Finally, it is just plain FUN to use, which all of these Sony Exmor cameras have been. Right now, I could use my Canon G11, my Canon S90, my Panasonic LX3, and several other cameras I have on hand. But I prefer to grab my Sony HX5. That's what it all truly boils down to.
Tom Hoots
http://thoots.zenfolio.com
There seems to be a lot of barrel distortion in the wide angle video of the HX5 as shown here.
When I compared a in store video from the HX5 and the Canon SX210 I noticed the following not so nice things.
There is a huge barrel distortion in the beginning and at 22 sec of this video. Also there it the quite slow refocus from macro to tele between min 0.42 and 1.0 and the failure to refocus between 1.0 and 1.05
If compared to the wide angle from the Canon SX210 at sec 28 there seems to be a big difference here.
If any body who has a HX5 can try to recreate the barrel distortion or error to refocus from tele to macro and confirm this please leave a comment with your findings or your youtube video here or at the forum thread.
It would be interesting to know if the distortion is more noticeable in extreme close ups and vanishes more with the distance.
Compared with the SAMSUNG WB1000 (same lens as in the new WB2000) there is much less distortion in this 25 mm lens. (more see my WB2000 blog)
I did a quick check with my HX1 in a close up video shot, and there is a bit barrel distortion, but that is still OK in my book.
I could recreate the indoor focus error from tele to macro but outdoors with more brightness and color the HX1 worked like she should.
------------------------
Compare the TX7 with the Optical Image Stabilizer to the HX5 with the Optical Image Stabilizer in active mode.
Watch the clips in full screen and best in you screen resolution.
(mouse on 360p and then change to 720p or 1080p)
Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 Optical Image Stabilizer walking along the street
Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V (Shake Reduction optical active mode) walking along the street
Cyber-shot DSC-HX5 (Shake Reduction optical active mode) running along the street
pretty impressive for running while filming isn´t it?
if you want you can also compare it to the one year old SONY Cyber-shot DSC-W270
here is a copy from this forum post
Would you buy this camera again after getting a chance to "test drive" it. Do you get what you needed from this camera?
In a word, "Yes" to both questions.
I bought the WX1, wanting to get the "multiple image technologies," mainly the Hand-held Twilight (HHT) mode. It was fast, the HHT mode definitely worked amazingly, but I was very disappointed with the camera's basic image quality.
I bought the TX7 as a lark, after playing with it at my local SonyStyle store, and comparing images I took in the store against images from the WX1 that I had taken in the same store. The image quality was just miles better than the WX1's -- finally, here was a camera with decent image quality, plus all of the technologies, including the new and very useful HDR mode. I later confirmed the image quality differences between the two cameras in other settings, and that was the end of the WX1 for me.
Prior to playing with the TX7 and getting it, though, I had been planning on getting the HX5 all along -- and I just couldn't resist when news hit the forum that it was shipping. So, I bit on one.
The main thing is that the HX5's image quality is substantially better than the TX7's -- the colors are once again a magnitude more correct -- certainly, this is the first of the three Exmor cameras I've purchased that really had "correct" color. And I've definitely noticed much better sharpness "around the edge of images" with the HX5 over the TX7.
So, for the first time, I really feel like I've got a Sony Exmor camera that "isn't substantially substandard to the rest of the industry" in basic image quality -- I think it's absolutely "right in the ballpark" with anything else that's roughly comparable. I certainly appreciate the functions it has over the TX7 -- bracketing, manual exposure mode, plus a few other things -- so that makes it fit my needs better than the TX7. And finally, all of the "multiple image modes" -- HHT, AMB, HDR, and its ultra-fast continuous shooting -- just put the HX5 in a class above any other competitor in the market -- they simply allow you to get shots that the other cameras just can't get at all, or can't get without going into ultra-noisy high ISO settings.
So, I'm really quite impressed with the HX5. Oh, it sure doesn't have the absolute best image quality in the segment, but it's definitely in the ballpark. And its technologies give it image and video capturing capabilities that are simply unmatched by anything else, period. Finally, it is just plain FUN to use, which all of these Sony Exmor cameras have been. Right now, I could use my Canon G11, my Canon S90, my Panasonic LX3, and several other cameras I have on hand. But I prefer to grab my Sony HX5. That's what it all truly boils down to.
Tom Hoots
http://thoots.zenfolio.com
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I dug out my old Canon A60 which has roughly the size of the SONY HX5 if you do not measure the protrusions.
As with most pictures here in the blog, click on it for bigger size.
The height difference is less dramatic
I put something under the HX1 to get the upper height right for comparison.
Samsung HZ30W/35W
Aside from the 3" AMOLED display, the usual HD 720p, GPS tagging and PASM I do not see anything out of the ordinary except the whopping 15x in such a tiny size. But every time I see an exciting Samsung, the image quality is lacking so much that it becomes a deal breaker to me.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 (Lumix DMC-TZ10)
99 (W) × 59(H) × 28 (D) mm (3.9×2.3× 1.1 (in)), 12 mp, 720p, 10x, 3", 02.2010
Nikon COOLPIX S8000
103 x 57 x 27 mm (4.1 x 2.3 x 1.1 in.), 14 mp, 720p, 10x, 3" 920k, 02.2010
Ricoh CX3 with back-illuminated sensor
102 x 58 x 29 mm (4 x 2.3 x 1.1 in), 10 mp, 720p, 10.7x, 3" 920k, HDR, ultra high speed shooting, 02.2010 RICOH website
Canon PowerShot SX210 IS
106 x 59 x 32 mm, 14 mp, 720p, 14x, 3" wide, full manual, 02.2010
Or something completely different like the new Fujifilm FinePix HS10
30 x zoom via lever or lens ring, 10 MP BSI CMOS sensor (hellllo SONY), 10 fps for 7 pictures and new motion-tracking auto focus, Full HD (1080p) video with stereo, Super High Speed movie capture at 1000 fps (hellllo CASIO), Motion Panorama mode for ‘one shot’ sweeping panoramas (hellllo SONY), Advanced capture modes including unique Motion Remover mode that removes tourists and other moving objects from your photographs (goood bye mother in law), RAW and JPEG, hot shoe (helllo cold feet), lots of dedicated buttons, 3" tilt screen (hellllo SONY) and lots more for $499
As with most pictures here in the blog, click on it for bigger size.
The height difference is less dramatic
I put something under the HX1 to get the upper height right for comparison.
Samsung HZ30W/35W
Aside from the 3" AMOLED display, the usual HD 720p, GPS tagging and PASM I do not see anything out of the ordinary except the whopping 15x in such a tiny size. But every time I see an exciting Samsung, the image quality is lacking so much that it becomes a deal breaker to me.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 (Lumix DMC-TZ10)
- Sensor 1/2.33" Type CCD • 14.5 million pixels total • 12.1 million effective pixels (HX5 CMOS Sensor 1/2.4" 10.2 million pixels (remember less is better)) Power O.I.S lens-shift stabilization is 2x better than normal (HX5 Active Mode 10 x better than normal) 1280x720 pixels @ 30fps
- (HX5 1920x1080 @ 60fps i) 2.3 frames/sec Max. 5 images (Standard mode), Max 3 images (Fine Mode) (HX5 10 frames/sec Max 10 images best quality) GPS
- (HX5 GPS and recording of the shooting direction (compass))
- higher resolution LCD than the HX5
99 (W) × 59(H) × 28 (D) mm (3.9×2.3× 1.1 (in)), 12 mp, 720p, 10x, 3", 02.2010
Nikon COOLPIX S8000
103 x 57 x 27 mm (4.1 x 2.3 x 1.1 in.), 14 mp, 720p, 10x, 3" 920k, 02.2010
Ricoh CX3 with back-illuminated sensor
102 x 58 x 29 mm (4 x 2.3 x 1.1 in), 10 mp, 720p, 10.7x, 3" 920k, HDR, ultra high speed shooting, 02.2010 RICOH website
Canon PowerShot SX210 IS
106 x 59 x 32 mm, 14 mp, 720p, 14x, 3" wide, full manual, 02.2010
Or something completely different like the new Fujifilm FinePix HS10
30 x zoom via lever or lens ring, 10 MP BSI CMOS sensor (hellllo SONY), 10 fps for 7 pictures and new motion-tracking auto focus, Full HD (1080p) video with stereo, Super High Speed movie capture at 1000 fps (hellllo CASIO), Motion Panorama mode for ‘one shot’ sweeping panoramas (hellllo SONY), Advanced capture modes including unique Motion Remover mode that removes tourists and other moving objects from your photographs (goood bye mother in law), RAW and JPEG, hot shoe (helllo cold feet), lots of dedicated buttons, 3" tilt screen (hellllo SONY) and lots more for $499
- Canon PowerShot SX200 IS
03 x 61 x 38 mm (4.1 x 2.4 x 1.5 in), 12 mp, 3", 12x, 720p, 02.2009 - Casio Exilim EX-FH100
104 x 60 x 28 mm (4.1 x 2.4 x 1.1 in), 10 mp, 3", 10x, 720p, 01.2010, HDR, ultra high speed shooting and high speed video - Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR
99 x 59 x 23 mm (3.9 x 2.3 x 0.9 in), 12 mp, 3", 12x, VGA, 07.2009 - Kodak EasyShare Z950
110 x 67 x 36 mm (4.3 x 2.6 x 1.4 in), 12 mp, 3", 12x, 720p, 07.2009 - Nikon Coolpix S630
58 x 97 x 26 mm (2.3 x 3.8 x 1 in), 12 mp, 2.7", 7x, VGA, 02.2009 - Olympus Stylus 9010 / µ-9010
94 x 58 x 31 mm (3.7 x 2.3 x 1.2 in), 14 mp, 2.7", 10x, 720p, 01.2010 - Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 (Lumix DMC-TZ7)
103 x 60 x 33 mm (4.1 x 2.4 x 1.3 in), 10 mp, 3", 12x, 720p, 01.2009 - Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 (Lumix DMC-TZ10)
- Ricoh CX2
102 x 58 x 29 mm (4 x 2.3 x 1.1 in), 10 mp, 3", 10x, VGA, 09.2009 - Samsung HZ35W
106.6 x 60.5 x 28mm, 12 mp, 3", 15x, 720p, 01.2010, GPS - Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5
102 x 58 x 29 mm (4 x 2.3 x 1.1 in), 10 mp, 3", 10x, 1080i, 01.2009, GPS, HDR, +++ - SONY TX5
The Competition
103.3 x 59.6 x 32.6 mm (4.07 x 2.35 x 1.28 in), 14 mp, 3", 12x, 720p, GPS, PASM, 01.2010
or if you are into water-sports this soon to introduced Sony might interest you... if on the other hand that gives you an idea about the HX5, than look at the aquapac 420 Aquapac website or for a cheaper solution look at Over Board and their - Waterproof Zoom Lens Camera Case [OB1052BLK] £19.99
Regarding the Barrel distortion, it only appears when You zoom out to the max wide angle. In the end of the video i stepped back, and adjusted the zoom so the distortion is gone
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0R6JxCvbD4
also watch my other vids
Gordan and www.cameralabs.com has a full review of the HX5V up.
ReplyDelete