Sony HX300
- 20MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 80 - 12800
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 24-1200mm (F2.8-6.3) lens
- 623g - 130 x 103 x 93mm
- Released February 2013
- Succeeded the Sony HX200V
- Replacement is Sony HX400V
- Read full specs
- Alternatives
- Size Comparison
- FAQ
63 Imaging
44 Features
51 Overall
46
Sony HX300 overview
Sony HX300 is Sony's Small Sensor Superzoom digital camera initially introduced on February of 2013. It uses a 20 MegaPixel, BSI-CMOS 1/2.3" size sensor with a peak resolution of 5184 x 3888.
Sony released this model in an effort to upgrade the older Sony HX200V (Read Full Comparison) and afterwards introduced the newer Sony HX400V (Read Full Comparison) in order to upgrade this model.
The HX300 stands at #43 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and all-around #492 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. You can use our Smart camera finder to find camera rankings based on your customized criteria.
Below is a diagram of specific criteria used in the scoring system.
Sony HX300 history
The Sony HX300 comes with a history of related cameras. Listed below, you can take a look at all past and current models as well as important specifications.
F2.8-6.320MP1/2.3"2013
Sony HX300 Gallery
You can view the HX300 from different angles in the gallery underneath.
Sony HX300 Pros and Cons
Here is a collection of good and bad points of the Sony HX300 based on factors which are normally seen as essential in a digital camera.
Sony HX300 Sensor specs
The spec of the sensor in the Sony HX300 is 6.16mm x 4.62mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the ability to resolve 5184 x 3888 pixels . The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Optical). Optical stabilization is superior than digital stabilization as the latter may produce cropping.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe BSI-CMOS sensor boasts 20 megapixels and supports a standard ISO range of 80 - 12800. Unfortunately, RAW photos are not supported which means that you have less room to maneuver in post.
The image underneath shows the HX300's sensor size in comparison to other popular sizes. The HX300 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.8 and is shown in green.
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next monthTo get an understanding of different aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.
Sony HX300 dimensions
Sony HX300 weighs 1.37 lb (623 grams / 21.98 ounces) and features exterior size of 130mm x 103mm x 93mm (5.1" x 4.1" x 3.7"). The weight of general Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387 grams so the Sony HX300 is weightier compared to its rivals.
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsUnderneath is a image of the Sony HX300 alongside a softdrink to help you have a feel for its size.
The top view under will show you the button design on the HX300.
Sony HX300 Lens details
The HX300 features a fixed lens giving a focal range of 24-1200mm giving it a 50.0 x zoom which is amazing and could allow you to zoom all the way in.
At it's widest 24mm, the lens will have an aperture of f2.8 which will be fairly sluggish and not ideal in low light circumstances and you may struggle to capture good bokeh. You might also have to increase your ISO setting producing noisy photos. Towards the long end, 1200mm is brilliant zoom and comes with f6.3 making it fairly sluggish and you will have to use slower shutter speeds.
Sony HX300 Connectivity
The HX300 has the following connectivity:
- USB Yes
- HDMI Yes
Cameras that contain NFC and Bluetooth compatibility are able to be used wirelessly by smartphones. You will be able to transfer files and sometimes adjust camera settings without the hassle of connecting directly with the camera.
Several apps also give a Liveview and press the shutter in case you aren't close to the camera. If the camera includes a HDMI out, it can easily be attached to an external display. A lot of cameras enable you to charge the battery with the USB port.
Sony HX300 Video details
The highest video resolution in the Sony HX300 is 1920 x 1080 and it can save in file format. 1080p resolution can provide a good balance in video quality vs file size but FULL HD will not give you much room to downsample. The body doesn't include a mic and headphone socket which means you have got zero control over your audio. It is probably best to buy a different model in case you need good audio in your videos.
Sony HX300 Weather Sealing
There is no weather proofing for the Sony HX300 so you have to be cautious in wet or dusty situations.
Sony HX300 Screen and Viewfinder
The Sony HX300 houses a 3 inch tilting display screen with a resolution of 921 thousand dots.
Please note that the display offers no touch support.
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesThe View Finder specifications regarding Sony HX300 are the following:
- ViewFinder Electronic
Viewfinders can be rather helpful in sunny outdoor situations which can make the camera screen washed out and hard to view.
Sony HX300 Shutter details
Sony HX300 continuous shooting rate is 10.0 frames/s. The highest shutter speed is 1/4000s.
Sony HX300 Flash and Hot shoe details
Sony HX300 boasts just built-in flash without external flash ability.
Sony HX300 Autofocusing details
Sony HX300 boasts only Contrast Detect AF and does not have Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot more snappier & exact compared to Contrast Detect autofocusing.
It boasts 9 focus points to choose from. It also features Tracking AF for things on the move. Sony HX300 has got manual focus when needed in low light occasions or you require more accurate control on focus.
Sony HX300 Battery life
The typical Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR offers the highest (600) battery life in this group of cameras.
Listed below is a collection of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras having the best battery life:
Sony HX300 for varying categories of photography
The following chart presents a overview of the Sony HX300 for varying categories of photography. To find out more, go to the specific paragraph underneath.
Portrait photography with Sony HX300
The Sony HX300 gets a rating of 42 which is really bad, meaning that it is not very good to use for portraits. Taking portraits favors heavily to sensor dimensions, support for RAW files together with the ability to work with external lighting.
Sony HX300 Street photography info
Having a modest score of 50, the Sony HX300 is reasonably suited to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera provides a fine balance of image quality and portability.
Sony HX300 as a Sports photography camera
A reasonable sports photography points total of 55 indicates the Sony HX300 is somewhat suitable for photographing sports. A camera really should have fantastic focusing plus fast continuous shooting for sports photography.
Sony HX300 Travel photography factors
Portability is super important in buying a camera for travel. In general, the Sony HX300 gets a decent 54 for a travel camera which makes it reasonably suited to buy for your journeys.
Landscape photography with Sony HX300
For anyone who is looking to purchase a digital camera for landscape photography, the most significant factor will be image quality. The Sony HX300 with it's decent rating of 48 for a landscape camera is reasonably acceptable among it's competitors.
Sony HX300 Vlogging advice
A vlogging camera should offer a articulating screen, microphone input and preferably IBIS. Considering every thing, the Sony HX300 is not very good for vlogging as it gets a really bad score of 25.
Sony HX300 Alternatives
If you are looking for alternatives to the HX300, below is a collection of the top ranked cameras that fall in to the family of Small Sensor Superzoom.
The line graph here provides you an overview of the HX300 compared to it's top ranked competitors shown previously.
These are various other cameras you may look into as alternate options. To look at a thorough comparison, just click on the "compare" link.