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Sony HX300

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 front
 
  • 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
Portability
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.

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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.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-HX350 front thumbnailSony HX350
HX300 vs HX350
24-1200mm
F2.8-6.3
20MP1/2.3"2016
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-HX80 front thumbnailSony HX80
HX300 vs HX80
24-720mm
F3.5-6.4
18MP1/2.3"2016
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Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-HX90V front thumbnailSony HX90V
HX300 vs HX90V
24-720mm
F3.5-6.4
18MP1/2.3"2015
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-H300 front thumbnailSony H300
HX300 vs H300
25-875mm
F3-5.9
20MP1/2.3"2014
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-H400 front thumbnailSony H400
HX300 vs H400
25-1550mm
F3.4-6.5
20MP1/2.3"2014
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-HX400V front thumbnailSony HX400V
HX300 vs HX400V
24-1200mm
F2.8-6.3
20MP1/2.3"2014
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Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-HX50V front thumbnailSony HX50V
HX300 vs HX50V
24-720mm
F3.5 - 6.3
20MP1/2.3"2013
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-HX300 front thumbnailSony HX30024-1200mm
F2.8-6.3
20MP1/2.3"2013
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-H200 front thumbnailSony H200
HX300 vs H200
24-633mm
F3.1-5.9
20MP1/2.3"2013
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-HX20V front thumbnailSony HX20V
HX300 vs HX20V
25-500mm
F3.2-5.8
18MP1/2.3"2012
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-HX200V front thumbnailSony HX200V
HX300 vs HX200V
27-810mm
F2.8-5.6
18MP1/2.3"2012
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Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-HX10V front thumbnailSony HX10V
HX300 vs HX10V
24-400mm
F3.3-5.9
18MP1/2.3"2012
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-HX30V front thumbnailSony HX30V
HX300 vs HX30V
25-500mm
F3.2-5.8
18MP1/2.3"2012
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-H90 front thumbnailSony H90
HX300 vs H90
24-384mm
F3.3-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2012
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-HX100V front thumbnailSony HX100V
HX300 vs HX100V
27-810mm
F2.8-5.6
16MP1/2.3"2011
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-HX9V front thumbnailSony HX9V
HX300 vs HX9V
24-384mm
F3.3-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2011
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-H50 front thumbnailSony H50
HX300 vs H50
31-465mm
F2.7-4.5
9MP1/2.3"2009

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.

features tracking autofocus
flash built-in
good min ISO (80)
great zoom (1200mm)
has manual focus
image stabilization (Optical)
includes HDMI support
long zoom range (24-1200mm 50.0 x zoom)
megapixel count decent (20 megapixels)
nice clear screen (921 thousand dot)
reasonably wide (24mm)
screen size is good (3 inch)
screen tilts up and down
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
doesn't have external microphone jack
doesn't have headphone jack
doesn't have Timelapse recording
external flash not possible
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
more heavy than average in class (623g)
no phase detect AF
no RAW support
screen isn't selfie friendly
sluggish at full zoom (f6.3)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
Photography Glossary

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.

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The 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.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 sensor size Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

To get an understanding of different aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

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.

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Underneath is a image of the Sony HX300 alongside a softdrink to help you have a feel for its size.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 dimensions scale

The top view under will show you the button design on the HX300.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 topview buttons dials

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 screen and viewfinder Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

The 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.

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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.

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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.

Photography Glossary
has manual focus
megapixel count decent (20MP)
can't use external flash
small sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW support

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.

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has a tilting screen
image stabilization (Optical)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
no RAW support
heavier than others in class (623 grams)

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.

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long zoom range (24-1200mm 50.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Optical)
sensor resolution is decent (20 megapixels)
supports tracking autofocus
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
no phase detect AF

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.

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good MP (20 megapixels)
flash built-in
decently wide (24mm)
very long reach (1200mm)
missing Time Lapse mode
heavier than average (623 grams)
does not have selfie friendly display
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)

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.

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focusing manually
reasonably wide (24mm)
screen size is good (3 inches)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent MP (20MP)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
doesn't have Time Lapse mode

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.

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quite wide (24mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
high res video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
display is not selfie friendly
missing external microphone socket
more heavy than competition (623g)

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.

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Specifications

General Information
Make
Sony
Model
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300
Category
Small Sensor Superzoom
Released
2013-02-20
Body design
SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor Information
Sensor type
BSI-CMOS
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor measurements
6.16 x 4.62mm
Sensor surface area
28.5mm²
Sensor resolution
20 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Maximum resolution
5184 x 3888
RAW data
Maximum native ISO
12800
Min native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Number of focus points
9
Lens
Lens mount
fixed lens
Lens focal range
24-1200mm (50.0x)
Largest aperture
f/2.8-6.3
Crop factor
5.8
Screen
Range of screen
Tilting
Screen diagonal
3 inch
Screen resolution
921 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
Electronic
DXO scores
DXO All around score
not tested
DXO Color Depth score
not tested
DXO Dynamic range score
not tested
DXO Low light score
not tested
Features
Lowest shutter speed
30 seconds
Highest shutter speed
1/4000 seconds
Continuous shooting speed
10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation
Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (60, 50 fps)
Maximum video resolution
1920x1080
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
623 gr (1.37 lb)
Dimensions
130 x 103 x 93mm (5.1" x 4.1" x 3.7")
Other
Time lapse feature
Storage slots
One
Price at launch
$339