Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1

Auto Mode

Spin the dial to Easy, and the camera goes into full auto mode, where the only options that the user can control are the image size and flash. We found this mode to be very straightforward to use; anyone who is intimidated by the menu options in the other modes will feel at home here.

Movie Mode

The HX1 shoots high definition movies, recording 30 frames per second of video at a maximum resolution of 1440 x 1080. That's a little bit lower than the Canon SX1, which shoots at Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080. Whether this matters or not is another question; we doubt that most users will notice the difference between the two resolutions. Otherwise , the video features of the two Ultrazoom cameras look pretty similar; they both record the video to H.264 format, which is relatively easy to edit, and also offer standard definition modes. We'll have to wait to get both cameras in the lab to judge the quality of the videos that both cameras take, but they both look good ont eh short samples we were able to record at the PMA show.

Drive/Burst Mode

The HX1 shoots an impressive 10 frames a second in a burst of 10 images, thanks to the Bionz processing chip in the camera. However, this should be used sparingly, as the camera than takes an additional 5-6 seconds to write the images out to the memory card, during which time you can't take any more pictures or do anything else. So, this feature requires some finesse in picking the right moment to shoot. Additional options for 5 and 2 frames a second are also available if required.

Playback Mode

A decent selection of controls for playing back images are available; slideshows can be created, and some basic image editing tools are on offer. You can, for instance, trim, remove red eye, sharpen, add soft focus and do some color tweaking. We can't quite see why you would want to, but you can also add a fish-eye lens effect or make unhappy people smile with the happy faces filter. We'd suggest that you instead focus on making the subjects really smile, as the effect is likely to only appeal to the Batman's nemesis, the Joker.

Custom Image Presets

The SCN spot on the mode dial offers access to a decent selection of scene modes, including high sensitivity, portrait, advanced sports shooting, landscape, twilight portrait, twilight, gourmet, beach, snow and fireworks. That's a shorter list than some cameras, but is enough to cover most eventualities. The additional modes on the mode dial include the standard shutter, aperture and program modes, plus a manual control mode.