Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V 18.2 MP Exmor R CMOS Digital Camera with 30x Optical Zoom and 3.0-inch LCD (Black) (2012 Model)

This is my third Sony camera. First had the Sony W100, then upgraded to the Sony DSC-HX5V. I was looking to upgrade again for the mega zoom features and still keep the GPS feature.My review of the Sony HX5V is here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1GTX0QZ6PRHKB/ref=cm_cr_rdp_permOver the years I've owned digital cameras, smartphone cameras keep getting better and better. I was looking to upgrade my camera to get some good zoom functionality and one day had an epiphany when thinking about my digital camera use. I carry my phone with me everywhere. It's become my main camera. My actual digital camera sits at home in its bag and only comes out to play when I travel or take vacation. Once I realized that, I wasn't so concerned about getting a camera that was small or compact because a small, compact camera is what the iPhone has basically become.After looking at all the reviews and doing lots of comparisons at snapsort's site, I settled on the Sony DSC-HX200V. I wanted to keep the GPS feature, I liked the 30X zoom, and thought the HD video recording might come in handy. I liked that the interface was similar to the W100 and HX5V that I'd gotten used to.I'm not a prosumer, or even a camera pro. I'm a guy who wants to turn on the camera, select the auto button and get good photos. The Sony does that. I have taken this camera to Kauai and Maui several times since and it's been great. Battery life has been excellent, the GPS works great and the pictures have been fantastic. The zoom feature works excellent as well as the image stabilization. It took some getting used to carrying around a bigger camera but I'm happy and it's exceeded my expectations.LIKES:Camera has a strap/cord to attach lens cover to camera body so that it doesn't get lost. This is nice. You have to remember to remove lens cap, if you turn on the camera it will kinda pop off, probably not best for it.I didn't think I'd care about the tilt out lcd screen, but I've gotten to really like it a lot.My Sony HX5V LCD screen seemed to scratch easily and I had to get a screen protector for it, but the lcd on the HX200V seems more scratch resistant and haven't had any issues.GRIPES:Sony doesn't include a battery charger anymore. I like charging the battery separate and not in the camera. In fact all three Sonys I've had the cables pretty much stay in the box. I ordered the Sony BCTRV Travel Charger -Black and it fits fine in the camera bag.GPS locking can take a little while depending on your view of the sky. The HX5V would use your last coordinates but this camera seems to start fresh each time and not use the last coordinates. You can speed up the lock by updating the GPS assis file on the camera card. There is Windows software included but I'm a mac guy but if you google sony gpsassist-updater you'll find a nice little mac program that will handle the job. GPS coordinates aren't embedded in videos but you can paste location in iPhoto on Mac.Speaking of camera bags, best one I found via someone else's review is the Case Logic DCB-304 Compact System/Hybrid Camera Case (Black) It holds the camera, has side pockets for charger and cleaning cloths and has a shoulder strap. Works great, highly recommend.Mac & Software:I've seen a few reviews griping about software and mac. People listen, you fled the pc world because of crappy software. Most camera included software is for pc because they really don't have anything better. Mac comes with iPhoto. Learn it and love it. It's better than the crap included software and works fantastic. The pro folks have already moved beyond that to Aperture and and whatever Adobe is selling this week. I have used iPhoto with all three of my Sony cameras and it works great, even with the video files. Other than the GPS assist function mentioned above, if you've got a mac, leave the sony software in the box.Video:I used the video mode this weekend for the first time. My brother had a part on stage at a program and I was way at the back of the auditorium (almost 4,000 people, big place) and I used the zoom feature to zoom in and record. I didn't have a tripod, so the camera rested on my knee and it was a little shaky, but recorded fine and I was even pleased with the audio quality. Loaded the video into iMovie on the mac and did the image stabilization and it turned out great.I noticed that Amazon is now showing that the Sony HX300B is replacing the HX200V. From what I can tell, it's bigger, heavier, shorter battery life and no GPS!!. My HX200V will be my camera for awhile, it's a keeper.

When my backpack was stolen in May in Barcelona, I found myself in the market for a new camera. My old camera was a Sony DSC-HX1, which with only minor flaws, we absolutely loved. I never liked the fact that Sony forced you to use their memory stick, and the picture quality was acceptable, but no where near that of a DSLR. So, when I started my replacement search, I was focused more on Canons, Nikons, and the new Sony Alpha series DSLR. But because we had had such good luck with the Sony DSC-HX1, I decided to at least take a look at the new model, the DSC-HX200V.So, I did a ton of research, visited with several high-end camera shops in the Raleigh area, and spoke with a number of experienced photographers. All the research and the advice led me right back to the DSC-HX200V. My wife wants something that is simple to use and takes great pictures in "auto" mode. And the advice that one photographer gave me, pushed me over the top - he said, "If you spend a lot of money on a Nikon d5100 and leave it in auto-mode, you have wasted a lot of money!" And he was right. Almost any point-and-shoot, including the cameras built into most smartphones today, can take perfectly acceptable pictures in auto-mode. The real question is - what else do they have to offer. The answer to this question is where the Sony DSC-HX200V really shines!Like its predecessors, the camera has a built in panorama mode...just hold the shutter button down and pan left to right. The internal processor stitches the images together into a perfect shot! Don't go looking for this on any other brand camera because Sony acquired the patent when the bought the 'Minds of Minolta'. It is truly amazing technology that allows for the capture of incredible shots. To get these shots with a high end Nikon would require you do stitching in a 3rd party software on your computer like Photoshop.We liked the DSC-HX1, but its big brother has much more power and capabilities. This camera sports a 18 MP processor, and its picture quality rivals (not equals...and it never will) the DSLR. And in 'Scene' mode, they have added a few settings that I really love...like an HDR mode (three images combined to give you perfect light balance) and a "background defocus" mode, which produces DSLR-like images with shark subjects against a blurred background. And for the creative types that like Instagram, you will love the "miniature" mode, which somehow applies filters and light settings to make any picture appear as if it is a miniature model and not real. There is also a setting that will take a B&W shot with one predominant color left in...something that it takes me hours to do in Photoshop in post production.Another really cool feature this camera has is that it automatically senses when you are putting it up to your face, so it switches from the LCD image to an image in the view finder. Sweet! Add to these features the fact that this camera now comes with a 30X optical zoom, allowing you to take shots of craters on the moon (no kidding), and it is one powerful beast. Oh, and Sony got the message about the overall dislike of the memory stick, so now you can also use a standard SD card in this camera! Thanks Sony!All-in-all, this new Sony DSC-HX200v is absolutely everything we ever wanted and more! I give it a full five stars!BTW - warning to those traveling in Europe - take precautions not to fall victim to teams of crafty thieves! They will distract you, take your belongings and you will never ever know it. I suppose the silver lining in this experience for me, was being able to get this new camera!