The Sony Cybershot range of cameras comprises some of the most versatile cameras you could hope to find. Whether you’re photographing wild animals on safari, street scenes, sports, portraits or nature, there’s a Cybershot camera that’s perfect for you.
The thing that all Cybershot cameras have in common is that they are fixed-lens cameras, unlike for example, Sony’s interchangeable lens mirrorless and DSLR cameras. At the entry level you have a camera like the 20.4 megapixel W830 which has a 8x zooming capability. The sensor on this camera is pretty small so it’s best for daylight situations and photos that you don’t intend to print bigger than about 8”x10”. It has lots of built-in features and is a really great camera for someone just starting out on their journey in photography.
In case you’re comparing this camera to your smartphone camera, bear in mind that your camera phone probably doesn’t have optical zoom (digital zoom just crops the image), and will be far more expensive to replace if you damage or lose it!
Moving up in price, we come to the H series of cameras, one of which, the H300, I had the pleasure of reviewing a little while back. What’s really interesting about these cameras is the zoom. They’re what you might describe as ‘megazoom’ cameras, with zoom factors between 35x (the H300) and 100x (the HX400)! It’s pretty astonishing to witness that much zoom first hand. These are great cameras for the casual nature and wildlife photographer, and they take AA batteries, which is awesome when you’re travelling.
The top of the line Cybershot cameras are the ‘R’ cameras, and there are some really impressive models in here. I’m a big fan of the RX100 cameras (as you’ll read in this review) because they are absolutely fantastic cameras for street photography. Very lightweight, very discrete, but packing some serious features nonetheless. And the sensor sizes are appreciably bigger than the aforementioned models, which means you’re gaining the ability to make high quality prints.
With an R camera you’re getting into the realm of making professional-standard photographs. There are even a couple of full-frame sensor models available now, which are quite expensive, but capable of delivering spectacular image quality, even in challenging situations.
The newest version, the RX100 V Wi-Fi has many new features including the ability to record amazing 4K video and continuously shoot at a blazingly fast 24 fps. It’s available for pre-order right now at BestBuy.ca.
One of the great features that Sony has implemented very effectively in a number of their Cybershot cameras is wi-fi connectivity. Not only does this allow you to transfer your images wirelessly, it also allows you to control your camera remotely via your smartphone. I mentioned earlier that some Cybershot models run on AA batteries. Well there are also models that charge via USB which is so much handier than your standard plug-in charger where you have to physically remove the battery and place it in the charger. As with AA batteries, USB charging is a huge plus when you’re travelling.
That’s just a quick overview of the Cybershot range. If you have a set of must-have features, I’m sure you’ll find a Cybershot camera that’s right for you.
