Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V 18.2 MP Exmor R CMOS Digital Camera with 20x Optical Zoom and 3.0-inch LCD (Black) (2012 Model)

by Sony

• 18.2 megapixels "Exmor R" CMOS sensor for superior low-light performance
• 20X optical zoom
• 3.0-inch LCD
• GPS and Compass record shot location & direction
• Wi-Fi sharing

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 1.4 x 4.2 x 2.5 inches ; 9 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0072DKWQ0
• Item model number: DSCHX30V/B
• Batteries 1 Lithium ion batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (167 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,067 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 27, 2012

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Capture and share all the action with the ultra-zoom DSC-HX30V. It's advanced 18.2MP sensor records 2D or 3D still photos and Full HD 1080/60p videos, while its 20X Optical/40X Clear Zoom lens features 3-way stabilization for movies.

	Full HD 1080/60p Videos.		18.2MP Exmor® R CMOS sensor.		Wi-Fi® Sharing.
	Record crystal clear movies at the highest resolution available with capabilities for 60p in 1080.1 This provides stunning, fast motion video with less distortion for playback on your HDTV.2		The 18.2MP Exmor R CMOS sensor captures ultra-high definition images that take full advantage of the camera’s sharp Sony® G lens. The sensor enables advanced processing that reduces noise levels, resulting in stunning low light images with incredible details.		Wi-Fi lets you quickly upload photos and videos directly to social media sites, back them up on a network-connected PC, or view them on a large screen TV.4

Technology

18.2MP Exmor® R CMOS sensor The 18.2MP Exmor® R CMOS sensor captures ultra-high resolution images that take full advantage of the camera’s sharp Sony® G lens. The sensor enables advanced processing that reduces noise levels, resulting in stunning low light images with incredible details.	High-speed AF To improve focusing speed and sensitivity, the Exmor® R CMOS sensor uses its rapid throughput to deliver high-quality image signals to the camera's BIONZ® processor. The result? Tack-sharp focus in as little as 0.1 seconds, so you never miss a shot.	Optical and Clear image zoom The HX30V boasts 20x optical zoom plus 40x Clear Image digital zoom technology to bring you near enough to capture distant details. Powerful By Pixel Super Resolution processing reduces graininess for crisper, more realistic, higher-quality images—even in close-ups.
Amazing HD Movies Record crystal-clear movies at the highest resolution available with Full HD 1080/60p AVCHD™ video capture.1 Stunning, fast motion video with reduced distortion looks great when played back on your HDTV.2 Notice a perfect photo opp while shooting video? With dual record of stills and movies, you can shoot both at the same time.	Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization reduces shake and blur by countering camera movements in all directions. Active 3-Way stabilization adds digital rolling control that counters clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation, resulting in more stable videos even at long focal lengths.	Wi-Fi® sharing Wi-Fi® lets you quickly upload photos and videos directly to social media sites, back them up on a network-connected PC, or view them on your TV.4 Wi-Fi® enabled smartphones and tablets can also pull images from your camera and upload them to social media.5

Product description and full feature list

The DSC-HX30V Digital Camera is equipped with the latest technology.
Explore the full range of features and options below.

 

18.2 MP Exmor® R CMOS Sensor The 18.2MP Exmor® R CMOS sensor captures ultra-high definition images that take full advantage of the camera's sharp Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® lens. The sensor enables advanced processing that reduces noise levels resulting in stunning low light images with incredible details. High speed AF To improve focusing speed and sensitivity, the Exmor® R CMOS sensor uses its rapid throughput to deliver high-quality image signals to the camera's BIONZ® processor. The result is fast, DSLR-like focusing speeds, even in low light. The result? Tack-sharp focus in as little as 0.1 seconds, so you never miss a shot. Optical zoom plus Clear image zoom Most digital zooms use electronic cropping to get closer to the subject, resulting in unsharp images. With Clear Image Zoom the powerful processor compares patterns found in adjacent pixels and creates new pixels to match selected patterns, resulting in more realistic, higher-quality images. Clear Image Zoom doubles optical zoom for closer photos. Full HD 1080/60p Record crystal clear movies at the highest resolution available with capabilities for 60p in 1080.1 This provides stunning, fast motion video with less distortion for playback on your HDTV.2 With dual record of stills and movies, you can shoot both at the same time. Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization with 3-way Active Mode Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization reduces shake and blur by countering camera movements in both horizontal and vertical directions. Active 3-Way stabilization adds digital rolling control that counters clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation, resulting in more stable videos even at long focal lengths. GPS and Compass GPS and compass record location data and camera direction as you shoot movies and photos. GPS Log lets users track a photographic journey and later view the path and images on a map. Map View in PlayMemories Home™ software, allows users to view images on a map showing where they were taken. The logged path and images can also be displayed on Google Earth.6 Smile Shutter™ technology Smile Shutter™ technology captures a smile the moment it happens. Simply press the Smile Shutter™ button and the camera does the rest. You can also select adult and child priority and indicate the degree of Smile Detection sensitivity. Intelligent Scene Recognition can now be used together with Smile Shutter™ mode when the Intelligent Auto mode is on.

Capture the decisive moment with up to 10fps Capture full 18.2 megapixel resolution images at up to 10 frames per second, helping to ensure that the decisive moment is captured such as the soccer ball flying into the goal. In addition, a mechanical shutter helps reduce distortion when continuously shooting moving subjects. 3D still image and 3D Sweep Panorama™ mode Produce awe-inspiring images with 3D still image and 3D Sweep Panorama™ capabilities.3 Photos will take on a new dimension of creative capabilities for viewing the world in a whole new way. Picture Effect for more expressive photos Picture Effect adds a new level of expression to photos, making ordinary landscapes and portraits come to life by heightening mood and emphasizing certain attributes. Select camera models have up to nine different effects. Photo Creativity Photo Creativity allows you to fine-tune your exposure settings, such as brightness, color, and vividness, and quickly choose the right enhancement for your subject. Now you can view Picture Effects and Photo Creativity effects in real time on the camera's monitor or in the viewfinder before shooting. Background Defocus DSLR photographs are often beautiful because they blur the background, putting the emphasis on the subject. Now our point-and-shoot cameras can deliver this signature DSLR benefit. The system takes two shots, identifies the background and applies a defocused background keeping the subject crisp and clear. Superior Auto mode Get cleaner, more dynamic pictures and fewer missed shots. The camera automatically recognizes the correct scene mode, then quickly shoots and combines up to six shots to produce images with greater clarity, optimum dynamic range using backlight correction HDR technology and lower image noise using 6 shots layering technology. Superior Auto intelligently detects 33 scenes for still images and movies, making it easy to get the best shot. Face Detection technology Face Detection technology detects up to eight individual faces and adjusts focus, exposure, and white balance to help deliver crisp, properly lit images of family and friends.

Wi-Fi sharing and wireless battery charging Wi-Fi lets you quickly upload photos and videos directly to social media sites, back them up on a network-connected PC, or view them on a large screen TV.4 Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones and tablets can also pull images from your camera and upload them to social media.5 Wireless battery charging is available with the included multi-station dock. Anti-blink Function It's frustrating to capture the perfect shot, only to review it later and discover subjects blinked during the photo. The Anti-blink function works to help counter blinking and squinting. When the camera is set to Soft Snap, the Anti-blink function captures two images, recording only the photo with less squinting. If a blink is detected in other shooting modes, a warning will be displayed after you take the shot. Natural Flash Conventional point-and-shoot camera flash shots just don't capture colors the way the eye sees them. Natural Flash controls the white balance of both the background and main subjects. Soft Skin mode Portrait subjects will love the results. Soft Skin mode recognizes skin tones and reduces the appearance of blemishes and wrinkles without affecting the rest of the shot. Intelligent Scene Recognition mode Intelligent Scene Recognition (iSCN) Mode automatically detects 33 different types of scenes and selects the appropriate camera settings. In Auto Mode, the camera takes a single shot using the optimal settings. In Advanced Mode, the camera takes a photo with the optimal settings and, if in difficult lighting (low light or back light) immediately takes a second photo with another optimized setting so you can choose which to keep. Capture the decisive moment, up to 10fps Capture full 18.2 megapixel resolution images at up to 10 frames per second, helping to ensure that the decisive moment is captured such as the soccer ball flying into the goal. In addition, a mechanical shutter helps reduce distortion when shooting moving subjects. Motion Detection Motion Detection, along with Face Motion Detection adjusts ISO sensitivity and increases the shutter speed when movement is detected, reducing blur in moving subjects and faces. Sweep Multi Angle™ mode In Sweep Multi Angle™ mode, the camera takes 15 images at different angles as it sweeps across the scene. By tilting the camera during playback, the camera's Gyro Sensor detects motion and displays the image in a 3D-like view on the camera's LCD.

1. Records in 29 minute segments.

2. Requires HDTV and HDMI cable sold separately.

3. Requires 3D HDTV, HDMI cable (at least 10.2 Gbps) and active 3D glasses sold separately.

4. Requires home network and one device on network to be setup as a DLNA server.

5. Requires PlayMemories Mobile™ app installed on compatible Android™ or iOS device.

6. Service provided by Google and subject to change without notice.

© 2012 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Sony, Cyber-shot, Optical SteadyShot, Smile Shutter, Sweep Panorama, Exmor, BIONZ, Sweep Multi Angle, PlayMemories Home and the Sony make.believe logo are trademarks of Sony. HDMI is a trademark of HDMI Licensing LLC. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Vista are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Mac is a trademark of Apple, Inc. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Features and specifications subject to change without notice.

	NP-FG1 InfoLITHIUM® G Type Rechargeable Battery 3.6V typ. 3.4Wh (960mAh)	NP-BN1 LITHIUM Ion N Type Rechargeable Battery 3.6V typ. 2.3Wh (630mAh)	NP-BX1 LITHIUM Ion X Type Rechargeable Battery 3.6V typ. 4.5Wh (1240mAh)	NP-FV50 InfoLITHIUM H-Series Rechargeable Battery 6.8V typ. 6.1Wh (900mAh)
	NP-FG1	NP-BN1	NP-BX1	NP-FV100
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Product Description

Sony DSC-HX30V/B - renew your passion for photography.What's in the box: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX30V Digital Camera, NP-BG1 Lithium-ion Battery, ACUB10 AC Adapter, Micro USB Cable, Wrist Strap, Instruction Manual and 1-Year Limited Warranty.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

294 of 299 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Very versatile camera/video recorder, has DSLR like shutter performance, robust automatic settings. May 28, 2012

By austin_Larry TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I have had many digital cameras over the years both point and shoot and DSLR. Mostly from the names you would expect: Nikon, Canon, Pentax, and Olympus. I hadn't frankly ever thought of Sony for a camera although I have had Sony camcorders that were very good. I have quite enjoyed using the DSC-HX30V as it has provided vibrant photos in a variety of settings. The 30V really shines in the automatic settings. Although you can set shutter speed and aperture, the 30V was intended to be a high-quality point and shoot that uses the built in powerful software to produce good, well-balanced and saturated shots both indoors and out.

There are two automated modes: superior auto and intelligent auto. Superior auto gives you the fewest options. There was a learning curve to what is available with each type of shooting. The best thing to do is press the menu button. Depending upon the shooting mode more or fewer options show up both in the menu and for options chosen by the 4 way wheel button. For instance I was interested in trying out the burst continuous photo option. That is not available in the superior auto. But it is available under intelligent auto. The smile detect which does actually work (pretty cool you can focus on a subject and the camera will just wait till it detects a smile then fire a shot) was available in intelligent auto not superior auto. Another example: you can't select an ISO until you are either in program auto or manual exposure shooting modes.There is a built in product manual where you can search by keywords and subjects. This is handy but it was only by trial and error that I found what features were available in which modes. The written manual (fairly sparse overall) and the on-camera version don't list which modes which features work in.

Wifi: Obviously Wifi use with this camera is going to be something many people are interested in. I know I was. So far it has been a mixed bag. Wifi to the computer has worked very well. It located my computer and then I had to one time connect to the access point (my Wifi router) and put in the network password. Decent speed in downloads and it will download pictures and video. Downloading to a smartphone. I was very interested to use this feature as you could be out and about say at a child's ballgame and take a great action photo zoomed in way more than a smartphone could and want to share it. I have an iPhone. You need to download the app Playmemories mobile. There is another app Playmemories online but you want the mobile one for sharing with your smartphone. The camera sets up its own network with password. Connect to that network in settings (with an iPhone) and then fairly quickly start the app. Although I get an error message every time that says cannot connect to device it has reliably been connecting and then allowing me to copy photos to my iPhone photo folder. What I have not got to work is video. There are 4 video resolutions and I tried them all. On both the iPhone and iPad. It simply will not download video onto the phone. I am sure Sony is working on this and I expect it to get fixed. It is a nice feature to get to download the photos at least onto a smartphone when out and about.

There is so much else going on with the 30V I am going to summarize the pros and cons below.

Pros:

Extremely fast shooting. I have the Nikon P7000 which I really like but the 30V rivals a DSLR with how fast it shoots when you press the shutter button, especially in Superior auto. You are much less likely to miss a shot.

Very nice, well balanced and nicely color saturated shots in the auto modes. I like my DSLR but with a soon to be 2 year old I have daddy duty when out and about. It is often just too much work to be part of the families day AND have a DSLR and have to change lenses.

Zoom. I love having a 20X optical zoom. It also has a very good digital zoom. I went all the way to 4OX and shot a small wren or warbler across our backyard. There was still a good amount of light in the photo and you could pick out the individual feathers and veins in the leaves. So I would say yes Sony did make a very good digital zoom once you go past 20X.

Size. I held it against an iPhone 4. It is about a quarter of an inch less in length and around the same in width. Much thicker though. Still very impressive.

Video. The great thing about digital cameras nowadays is their ability to act as video cameras as well. I have gotten good video indoor and out with extremely smooth zooming (very impressed with zooming while shooting video) and good audio. Just be aware AVCHD is not the best format for social media sharing or even burning onto DVDs. The two 1080p modes warn you that you need a Blu-ray burner to create a disc. So I have been shooting in 1080i mode. It is still very good. I also have software that allows me to change the AVCHD to a variety of other media formats.

Good interface. A lot of information is presented to you and changing settings is very simple once you play around with the camera for a bit. You get a variety of options for deleting photos for instance. Delete one, delete a range, delete by day. The interface was well thought out and the playback and screen quality is very good and I haven't even used the highest screen resolution.

Decent software. Not the most powerful software but I LOVE that playmemories home allows you to view all of your photos in a calendar format. It is fantastic to be able to go by year or month and see the photos displayed on the day they were taken. And the software quickly found all my photos going back years and added them to the calendar listing. Small amount of editing features but all the basics are included.

Cons:

Battery is so-so. Just a decent battery. You might want to invest in a spare.

Video: Overall this is a pro but right now at least for me I can't get video to share to a smartphone or tablet with playmemories mobile. Also I am not a huge fan of AVCHD for sharing or burning discs. But there are work arounds for this.

No shoulder strap option. For cameras that are also going to be used for video, there should be a shoulder strap option. There is just a wrist option.

The 30V does not shoot in RAW but there are an impressive variety of options for DSLR enthusiasts and people who like to expriment with their photography. The 30v is intended to be an advanced point and shoot not DSLR like. That being said it shoots fast which is the one best DSLR feature (aside from a big sensor) I would want in a point and shoot. And the sensor is pretty impressive. I have not noticed a lot of noise indoors and I get around 7.5 MEG photos in the highest quality setting. One thing to note is that you change EV setting easily in ALL modes including Superior auto. And for the DSLR users thinking of a point and shoot Program auto mode gives you a lot to play with including changing metering, changing focus points, changing white balance, ISO control, color saturation level, and contrast control.

Overall the 30V is an impressive technological package. It continues to surprise me. For instance I was shooting video and focusing on my daughter and up on the screen it started flashing infant. It knew I was shooting an infant. In the auto modes it identifies the best scene very well. I have taken many great shots in the auto modes and I suspect most people will use these modes the most: the 30V does not disappoint here. I love my DSLR but I frankly use point and shoots more. I know many people don't but I like having a 500mm lens in my pocket and a good video camera to boot. What has really impressed me is how fast you get a shot. This was the missing link for me to really enjoy a point and shoot. Sony did a great job here and I am not missing shots anymore. Even though this is a long review there are many features I left out. Sony/Amazon did a good job though explaining them. From a user perspective this is an enjoyable camera producing well-balanced, well-lit, crisp photos and good video. Add the speed of shooting and I highly recommend the 30V.

Update August 23, 2012. The camera continues to operate great. But I wanted to update that I have taken video in many more lighting situations than before. The video is VERY impressive. Crystal clear and fantastic colors outdoors and also very well balanced colors and impressive quality indoors. In fact it is better than any stand alone video camera I have used previously. I shoot video in what Sony calls FH mode. It is 1920 by 1080 at 60i. It is the 3rd out of 4 video quality options and still quite good. Outdoor video played on my TV looks like an HD TV broadcast. And, the HX30V produces the best indoor video quality of any video camera I have used.

148 of 152 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars New Sony HX30V is improvement on HX9V May 5, 2012

By Rob Blackthorn

Amazon Verified Purchase

I received the new Sony DSC-HX30V/B yesterday from Amazon. Like the Wifi module built into the camera. Tested sending pictures to my Galaxy Nexus and it worked great! I had the HX9V. The HX30V/B is faster and more responsive. New picture effects are ok, not great. Video looks amazing; better than the HX9V. Very disappointed that it did not include the wireless battery charger. As I write this post, it is still listed in the specs on Amazon's website. Deal breaker? no. But do not like being mislead either. Is it worth the extra $20 (compared to HX20V) for the Wifi? Yes.

Likes:
- Movie button is easier to start (compared to HX9V) and not lag
- When reviewing pictures, very responsive and populates the pictures quickly
- Wifi built in with WiFi sharing (camera to phone, camera to tv, camera to computer)
- Tog wheel is easier to turn (compared to HX9V)
- Display screen is beautiful and crisp.
- Improved focus speed and 20x optical magnification
- GPS (works great with Google Earth/maps)
- Video, for a point and shoot camera, is awesome! Looks great on HDTV.
- Stereo microphones seem improved over HX9V

Not a fan of:
- misleading advertising concerning "Wireless battery charging is available with the included multi-station dock"
- added picture effects could be better. You can alter them on the computer for the same effect. Would like to see miniature mode for making movies.

Great camera! Lots of features! Amazing picture quality in image and movie mode. If you need a new camera, buy this camera. If you want to save a few bucks, get the Sony HX20V. Same camera without the Wifi.

Peace and much love,
Rob Blackthorn

80 of 84 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice Upgrade from the HX9V May 6, 2012

By Kal Rubaye

Amazon Verified Purchase

I loved my DSC-HX9v so much that its still in the family, just couldn't bring it to my heart to sell such a great camera; and believe it or not the DSC-HX30v is better!

- First thing I liked about the 30v vs the 9v is the buttons on the 30v are bigger and easier to use (dummy proofing of the camera).
- I haven't tested the video out enough (review shall be updated accordingly) but it does look nice! and I believe the steady shot is a bit smoother. There is no lag when pressing the record button like the 9v. You can now also take 13 megapixel pictures while recording video without interrupting the recording (This doesn't seem to work with 60P but only 60i).
- Macro (Haven't played with enough, but this camera has better macro specs then the 9v).
- Pictures are great (I'm no pro) but I have always loved how these cameras have the ability to take quick smooth shots (especially in superior+ mode).
- 20x optical is amazing, there is also the "clear image zoom" feature which provides further zoom as well as a digital zoom (I Personally have both non-optical zooms turned off).
- Panoramas: everyone loves my panorama shots, they are further amazed when they realize its my little point and shoot that made it all happen.
- Wifi: I have used the Wifi feature to share photos on my Android Photon 4g as well as my PC (Keep in mind you have to install the Sony Play Memory software on the device you are connecting to).
- I was disappointed that there was no charging dock like advertised (I saw a review here that mentioned that but received a bunch of negative comments, I think its a legit gripe because I was disappointed when I opened my brand new camera box and found no dock).
- Micro USB connection!!!! This camera was switched to a micro-usb wire for charging and sharing pictures which means I can now use the same micro-usb wire to charge my phone, mouse, headset and camera.
- I also like the look of the 30v, it does not have that metal ring around the lens portion like the 9v so it looks much stealthier.
- Battery feels like it lasts just about the same as my 9v.
- GPS actually functions, my 9v's GPS just couldn't get it going on my trip to Hawaii. This GPS connects quicker.
- Flash: what I like about the flash with the 30v is that it comes up flashes and goes back down instantly unlike the 9v which had the flash pop up and stay lingering for a while. (Low light performance is so good that using the flash usually makes the pics worse I noticed)

The Camera itself just feels like its more responsive and quicker to the punch then the the 9v.