Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX99

[Rone2gr]

I have many cameras during my life. Usually i have 2 cameras, big on and small one.

And small on I had Sony DSC-WX350 years. Camera allways with me, because sizes are small and it make very good colorful pictures. The mechanics of the lens said up and desided to buy "better" camera - Sony DSC-HX99. It has 4k video, much moore settings.

Now I use this camera 6 month. I am very dissapointed. Sony DSC-WX350 was better.

Sony DSC-HX99:

- there are a lot of problems with distance measurement, unable to focus. Of ten pictures 1-2 pictures come blurry. Very often two consecutive pictures in the same place under the same conditions, one becomes out of focus. WX350 havent problem like this.

- Flash. Very poor. In the room, using flash, nonetheless this, camera put exposure tim so low. More that a meter away all thing what are moving, get blurry on pictures. You must open the flash mechanically, it not jumping out automatically.

- I have Zhiyun M2 Crane. The manual allows the buttons to work on this camera track, I have not been able to work them correctly. When I started to record video, camera display goes very dark. Very difficult see outside recording time, the picture, what I recorded. I talk with Zhiyun factory. Problem is HX99 camera software. I cant record videos with this cameta with crane.

Summary, when shooting outdoors in bright light, most of the time you have to check the camera settings and change them constantly to get a good picture, in the dark the percentage of scrap is very high.

I'm selling the camera and at the moment I didnt know, I will continue with Sony

 

[sybersitizen]

The WX350 is smaller and lighter, and it can decide to deploy the flash instead of requiring the user to decide, so those can be considered advantages.

Many newer Sony models cause the LCD to go dim when shooting video with a remote, which can be either an advantage (if you want to conserve battery life) or a disadvantage (if you're still relying on the LCD for viewing). That ought to be an option that can be enabled or disabled.

The HX99 is a more capable camera in almost every other way. Its autoexposure and autofocus are very good, so any such issues must have been due to a defect or user error.

 

[CaliforniaDave]

My HX99 doesn't have any focus issue such as you are describing. There are many options for AF, and perhaps you have something set wrong.

Compact Sony cameras like the HX99 and RX100 series that use the small NP-BX1 battery dim the LCD when shooting 4K. This is presumably because of both battery drain and heat buildup issues.

I don't know what you are expecting from the flash - it is tiny and is working with a superzoom with a slow aperture and small sensor. If you expect it to light up a large room, that isn't realistic, but it should be ok for a small group portrait. I generally never use it.

By the way, do you wear polarized sunglasses when shooting outdoors? The reason I ask is that on the HX99, the screen essentially blacks out in landscape mode when wearing polarized sunglasses. Earlier HX models did not do that. Also, the RX100VI and RX100VII both have that problem, while earlier RX100 models do not have the problem. If I am shooting outdoors with my prescription polarized sunglasses, I use the EVF, which does not have this problem. Obviously the EVF will not work for gimbal use.