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Introduction
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01.Product Tour
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02.Color
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03.Noise
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04.Resolution
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05.Video
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06.Sample Photos
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07.Playback
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08.Hardware
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09.Controls
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10.Design & Handling
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11.Nikon P90 Comparison
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12.Canon SX1 Comparison
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13.Olympus SP-590UZ Comparison
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14.Conclusion
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15.Photo Gallery
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16.Comments
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1
Previous: Page 9
ControlsNext: Page 11
Nikon P90 ComparisonDesign & Handling
The buttons fall right under the fingertips. The manual is rather light on detail, though.
Handling (7.00)
The HX1 fits well into the hand: the large hand grip gives you plenty to grip onto, and the controls fit comfortably into the hand: it’s not going to slip out of the hand unless you deliberately let go. The two handed grip is a little more awkward, though; if you put your thumb onto the back of the body, it either blocks part of the screen or has to go under the bottom of the camera.
Buttons & Dials (8.50)
The important controls of the HX1 are well placed: the shutter button falls under the index finger, with the zoom control just in front of this. When you are using the program modes, the jog dial on the back is the way you change settings, and this falls comfortably under the thumb so you can tweak the settings when shooting with one hand. We did find the zoom control a little light, though; it was rather easy to accidentally jog it and change the zoom mode when reaching for the shutter.
Menus (6.00)
The menus of the HX1 use a cross-bar approach, but it is rather different from the approach that Sony uses on their PS3 games console; on the HX1, the categories are on the vertical, while the sub-options are on the horizontal. When you hit the menu button, you are presented with a variable number of options, depending on what category you are in. The automatic modes have 6 categories, while the manual modes have 17. That’s a lot of options, so selecting some options can involve a lot of scrolling. You do get a text explanation of what the option is, though, so it should not be too confusing for novices. The most commonly used options (such as image size and white balance) are at the top of the list.
Manual & Learning (6.00)
The HX1 comes with an extensive manual in both English and Spanish, which is pretty well written and covers all of the functions of the camera. It’s a little light on details, though; the Hand-held twilight mode is described in two sentences with no specifics on how the mode really works. The manual can be downloaded here.
Shop for the Sony DSC-HX1
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