Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX100V to Offer 30x Zeiss Lens

The Cyber-shot HX100V's clearest predecessor, the HX1, has a 20x optical zoom lens. The HX100V's angle of view starts at a wide 27mm. That f/2.8-5.6 30x Zeiss Vario-Sonar T* optic contains 11 elements in 10 groups with one ED glass element and one aspheric element, marking the first time premium Zeiss optics have been available on a Cyber-shot.

Driving the HX100V is a 16.2 megapixel, 1/2.3-inch backside illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor and a BIONZ image processor. Cyber-shot cameras, including the HX100V, are now no longer exclusively able to accept Memory Stick media. They can accept SDXC, SDHC and SD cards as well as the Memory Stick formats.

Sony's GPS/Compass function, when enabled in the HX100V, will record the shooter's location and direction. When photos are later uploaded to a computer, that location information will be carried over.

The HX100V will record 1080 HD video at 60p. A new version of the popular Sweep Panorama function, Intelligent Sweep Panorama HR, will produce larger 42.9 megapixel panoramic images with one press of the shutter. Like other Cyber-shots announced for 2011, the HX100V will offer 3D Sweep Panorama mode. Dual Rec mode, introduced with Sony's point-and-shoots announced at CES this year, will allow users to record video and reduced-resolution stills at the same time.

Superior Auto mode, a relatively new addition, will automatically choose any scene mode for the environmental settings at hand, including those modes that capture more than one frame in rapid succession.

On the hardware side, the HX100V will boast a sharp 3.0-inch 921k-dot LCD. There's an electronic viewfinder as an alternative with an FLC (Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal) display containing 201,600 pixels of resolution.

The camera body is sculpted into a rounded, classic DSLR shape. Optical image stabilization is available with Active Mode, borrowed from Sony's Handycam camcorders. Like the HX1 before it, the HX100V will capture full-resolution stills at up to 10 fps for a maximum burst of ten frames.

Pricing and availability
The Sony Cyber-shot HX100V will be available in April. It's the heaviest Cyber-shot in terms of features and comes with an equally heavy price tag of $449.99.