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Sony HX99

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX99 front
 
  • 18MP - 1/2.3-inch Sensor
  • 3.00" Tilting Display
  • ISO 80 - 12800
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • 24-720mm (F3.5-6.4) lens
  • 242g - 102 x 58 x 36mm
  • Released September 2018
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
91
Imaging
45
Features
67
Overall
53

Sony HX99 overview

Sony HX99 is Sony's Small Sensor Superzoom camera originally released on September of 2018. It comes with a 18 MegaPixel, BSI-CMOS 1/2.3-inch sized sensor and has a peak resolution of 4896 x 3672.

The HX99 is placed #6 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and all around #386 out of 1465 for cameras in our list. You can try our Smart camera filter to find camera listings based on your customized factors.

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The following is a chart of multiple criteria used in the scoring system.

Sony HX99 Pros and Cons

Below is a list of pros and cons of the Sony HX99 based on features which are generally seen as essential in a camera.

above average min ISO (80)
built-in touchscreen
exports RAW files
flash built-in
good megapixels (18 megapixels)
great battery power (360 CIPA)
image stabilization
includes face detect autofocus
includes HDMI socket
includes tracking focus
lighter than competition in class (242 grams)
long zoom (720mm)
long zoom range (24-720mm 30.0 x zoom)
NFC connection
pretty good screen size (3.00")
relatively wide (24mm)
screen has good resolution (921 k dots)
screen tilts
selfie friendly display
video res high (3840 x 2160 resolution)
you can focus manually
can't use external flash
has no phase detect autofocus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
max zoom aperture not good (f6.4)
no headphone socket
no microphone socket
no Timelapse mode
sensor is small (1/2.3-inch)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
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Sony HX99 Sensor details

The size of the sensor on the Sony HX99 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3-inch). The 28 mm² sensor is able to resolve 4896 x 3672 pixels and aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera boasts Image Stabilization. Optical stabilization is superior than digital stabilization since the latter may lead to cropping.

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The BSI-CMOS sensor boasts 18 megapixels and gives a native ISO range of 80 to 12800. RAW photos are saved therefore you have wider room to maneuver in post.

The picture underneath displays the HX99's sensor dimensions compared to other common sizes. The HX99 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.8 and is highlighted in green.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX99 sensor size Kodak's Tri-X Black-and-White Film Now 30% Cheaper

To get a sense of specific aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Sony HX99 dimensions

Sony HX99 is 0.53 lbs (242 gr or 8.54 oz) and features external measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4"). The weight of general Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387 gr and the Sony HX99 is lighter in comparison with various rivals.

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Down below is a shot of the Sony HX99 alongside a soda so you can have a feel for its scale.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX99 dimensions scale

The top view underneath will illustrate the button layout on the HX99.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX99 topview buttons dials

Sony HX99 Lens specs

The HX99 houses a built-in lens and it has a focal range of 24-720mm making it a 30.0 x zoom which is great and would allow you to zoom all the way in.

At the widest 24mm, it will have an aperture of f3.5 and that is fairly slow and not ideal in low light situations and you will probably find it difficult to capture good bokeh. You would also have to up the ISO setting producing noisy pictures. On the tele end, 720mm is incredible zoom and comes at f6.4 making it really sluggish and you will need to apply slow shutter speeds.

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Sony HX99 Connectivity

The HX99 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • NFC Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Cameras that have NFC and Bluetooth compatibility can be used wirelessly by smartphones. You can copy pictures and oftentimes change camera settings without connecting straight to the camera.

Some applications even provide a Liveview and press the shutter when you aren't close to the camera. If the camera has a HDMI out, it can be attached to an external screen. Most cameras enable you to charge the battery through the USB socket.

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Sony HX99 Video specs

The highest video resolution on the Sony HX99 is 3840 x 2160 and it can shoot in AVCHD and XAVC S format. 2160p gives a fantastic resolution for video recording. You will be able to crop to Full HD to get clearer results. Be wary of the massive file sizes and make sure you have got good SD cards that have fast write speed. The camera doesn't include a mic and headphone socket which means that you have little control over your audio. It is probably best to consider another model if you require good audio in your video clips.

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Sony HX99 Weather Sealing

Sony HX99 doesn't include weather proofing so rainy conditions can easily ruin the camera.

Sony HX99 Display and Viewfinder

The Sony HX99 comes with a 3.00" tilting display supporting a resolution of 921k dots.

It possesses a selfie friendly display to get self portraits as well as group photos if needed. Additionally the display is touch friendly which means you will be able to set focus points plus adjust settings using your finger.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX99 screen and viewfinder Leica to Release Innovative Hybrid Medium Format Camera in 2 Years

The View Finder details regarding Sony HX99 are the following:

  • ViewFinder Electronic
  • ViewFinder Resolution 638k dots
  • ViewFinder Coverage 100 percent
  • ViewFinder Magnification 0.5x

In those sunny outdoor situations which make the camera screens washed out and tricky to view, viewfinders are pretty valuable.

Sony HX99 Shutter specs

Sony HX99 is able to shoot continuously at 10.0 frames/s. The highest shutter speed is 1/2000 seconds.

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Sony HX99 Flash and Hot shoe specs

Sony HX99 boasts only built-in flash with missing external flash ability.

Sony HX99 Autofocus specs

Sony HX99 boasts just Contrast Detect Autofocus and does not have Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is more faster and accurate in comparison with Contrast Detect autofocusing. The camera comes with Face detect which can be useful for people photography.

It also includes Tracking Autofocus for subjects on the move. Sony HX99 has got manual focus if required in low light situations or you require more accurate focus control.

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Sony HX99 Battery life

The battery power (NP-BX1) on the Sony HX99 is fashioned to last for 360 photographs with respect to the CIPA specifications which is higher than the usual when compared to its class. The typical Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR features the highest (600) battery life in this kind of cameras.

Following is a listing of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras that come with the highest battery life:

Sony HX99 for specific types of photography

The following bar chart displays a analysis of the Sony HX99 for specific types of photography. To look at more, have a look at the specific section underneath.

Sony HX99 Portrait photography info

The Sony HX99 receives a rating of 53 which is average, and means the camera is relatively suitable to use for portraits. Shooting portrait images favors greatly towards sensor specs, support for RAW files and capability to use external lighting.

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you can focus manually
megapixel count decent (18MP)
offers face detection focus
supports RAW formats
no external flash support
tiny sensor size (1/2.3-inch)

Sony HX99 Street photography info

Getting a exceptional rating of 77, the Sony HX99 is a excellent fit for street photography. A good street photography camera comes with a good balance of picture quality and portability.

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screen tilts
has image stabilization
exports RAW formats
lighter than competitors (242 grams)
sensor is very small (1/2.3-inch)

Sony HX99 Sports photography features

A average sports photography rating of 58 means the Sony HX99 is somewhat suitable for shooting sports. A camera must have good tracking plus continuous shooting for sports photography.

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great zoom range (24-720mm 30.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization
resolution is good (18 megapixels)
offers tracking focus
good battery pack (360 per charge)
very small sensor size (1/2.3-inch)
lack of phase detect auto focus

Sony HX99 Travel photography features

Size is really crucial when getting a travel camera. On the whole, the Sony HX99 gets a superb 76 as a travelling camera which is a fantastic option to purchase for your holidays.

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great battery power (360 per charge)
lighter than others (242 grams)
good MP (18MP)
flash built-in
selfie friendly display
relatively wide (24mm)
great reach (720mm)
does not have Timelapse function
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)

Sony HX99 Landscape photography information

For anybody looking to buy a digital camera for landscape photography, the most essential factor will no doubt be image quality. The Sony HX99 and it's decent score of 58 as a landscape camera is reasonably appropriate among its competition.

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has manual focus
rather wide (24mm)
nice screen size (3.00 inch)
image stabilization
decent megapixels (18MP)
supports RAW formats
great battery pack (360 shots)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.5)
very small sensor (1/2.3-inch)
does not have Timelapse function

Sony HX99 Vlogging highlights

A camera for vlogging really should offer a articulating screen, mic input and ideally IBIS. Taking everything in to account, the Sony HX99 is a terrific option for vlogging as it gets a awesome score of 76.

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quite wide (24mm)
screen is selfie friendly
touchscreen enabled
has image stabilization
supports face detect focusing
video res high (3840 x 2160 pixels)
lighter than competitors (242g)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
doesn't have mic socket

Sony HX99 Alternatives

If you are interested in alternatives to the HX99, below is a number of the top rated cameras which fall in to the category of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The graph here provides you an overview of the HX99 compared to it's highest scoring competitors mentioned previously.

These are various other cameras you might have a look at as alternate options. To look at a comprehensive comparison, simply click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Make
Sony
Model
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX99
Type
Small Sensor Superzoom
Released
2018-09-01
Physical type
Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
BSI-CMOS
Sensor size
1/2.3-inch
Sensor measurements
6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area
28.1mm²
Sensor resolution
18MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio
1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution
4896 x 3672
RAW pictures
Max native ISO
12800
Min native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Lens
Lens mount
fixed lens
Lens focal range
24-720mm (30.0x)
Largest aperture
f/3.5-6.4
Macro focus range
5cm
Crop factor
5.8
Screen
Type of display
Tilting
Display diagonal
3.00"
Resolution of display
921k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
Electronic
Viewfinder resolution
638k dots
Viewfinder coverage
100 percent
Viewfinder magnification
0.5x
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 secs
Highest shutter speed
1/2000 secs
Continuous shooting rate
10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation
Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range
5.40 m (with Auto ISO)
Flash options
Auto, flash on, slow sync, flash off, rear sync
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions
3840 x 2160 (30p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 30p, 24p, 120p)
Max video resolution
3840x2160
Video file format
AVCHD, XAVC S
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless
Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
242 grams (0.53 lbs)
Physical dimensions
102 x 58 x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4")
Other
Battery life
360 photographs
Form of battery
Battery Pack
Battery model
NP-BX1
Self timer
Yes
Time lapse feature
Storage type
SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo
Card slots
Single
Cost at launch
$469