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Customer Reviews for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
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Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
Model: DSCHX9V/B
SKU: 2317038
UPC: 027242808768
This digital camera features technology for capturing high-resolution images and HD movies. Optical image stabilization helps prevent blurred images, and face detection, smile and antiblink technologies help ensure great portraits.
Average Customer Rating:
4.5
out of 5
(142 Reviews) 142
Rating Snapshot 142 reviews
5 stars
95
4 stars
33
3 stars
8
2 stars
4
1 star
2
90% of reviewers would recommend this product to a friend
(
128 out of
142)
Customer Reviews for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
Review 1 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
Hoped for more
Customer Rating
3.0
Posted by: just4clicks
from KC
on 09/08/2012
Ease to Use
2.0
Features
4.0
Picture Quality
3.0
Value for Price
3.0
What's great about it: Size, quick pictures
What's not so great: Flash location, pic quality
I had high hopes when I purchased this camera. I've to 2 other Cybershots over the years that I loved. The worst flaw, in my opinion, is the location of the pop-up flash. It is on the top right corner in the exact location that you place your finger to steady the camera when you take a shot. I have lost a lot of opportunites for a picture due to my finger causing the flash not to pop up. Eventually I could probably learn to place my finger elsewhere but if you hand the camera to someone else to snap a shot for you, you have to explain the whole issue to them so they will not have their finger in the natural place for the finger to rest. I have also noticed that the pictures do not look as sharp as those taken with my other cameras. If you're a one handed camera holding picture taker, or if you never intend to have to use the flash, this camera might be for you.
About me... Parent with kids, Love capturing special occasions, Photo enthusiast, casual user
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-1point
0out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
Great Camera. Lots of features.
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: BobbieM
from Belle Fourche SD
on 08/11/2012
Value for Price
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Fully automatic but several manual settings also
What's not so great: Video only viewable in picture playback mode. Not compatible with Windows Media Player
It's a great little camera. Great zoom. Lots of featurs to play with. This camera takes the best animal pictures that I have ever taken. I have two problems. One is trying not to place my left hand finger on top of the flash casing, and two, is trying to find a medium to play the videos. They look great in the camera, but not compatible with Windows Media Player. I haven't tried to create DVDs yet or play through HDMI cable on my Sony TV. I hope those will solve the ;problem. Otherwise, it takes great pictures and is easy to use.
About me... Love capturing special occasions, Photo enthusiast
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
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Review 3 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
It has professional camera functions.
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
4.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Zoom, Panorama 3D, Many functions, User Manual Help buit-in
What's not so great: Flash pop-up, movie-button next where we hold the camera
Really a good camera. I liked it and I have been using to take pictures of my vacations.
Clear pictures and vivid colors. Good burst mode to take action pictures.
If correctly set, you can take good pictures in dark places.
About me... Parent with kids, Love capturing special occasions, casual user
I would recommend this to a friend!
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
eForCity - Li-ion Battery and Battery Charger Set Bundle for Cyber-shot DSC - N1 / DSC - T100
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 4 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
Happy, happy...getting the greatest shots ever!
Customer Rating
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
5.0
What's great about it: Light weight, great range of shooting, never-fell shots
What's not so great: Only need left finger guard for flash.
I didn't think anything would make me put away my Nikon Pro 16, this did. I can get shots so quickly and unnoticed that they are all amazing.
The quality and range are way up there. Now I may really want to get the 20 mp at some point. The added income from my photos is really helping and it's something I love to do with this camera.
The quality and range are way up there. Now I may really want to get the 20 mp at some point. The added income from my photos is really helping and it's something I love to do with this camera.
About me... Semi-pro videographer, Love shooting sports, semi-pro photographer, Parent with kids, Love capturing special occasions, Photo enthusiast
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 5 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
Sony DCS-HX9V is a great photo and video camera
Customer Rating
4.0
Value for Price
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Features
5.0
Images for this Review
(click to see full-size image)
I've bought a lot of cameras over the years and primarily use digital SLRs so I can shoot RAW images. I bought this camera for its video shooting and backlight sensor (good photos in low light), and to have a compact, easy to carry camera. The photo quality of this camera is nothing short of fanatsic. It rivals photos I've taken with my DSLR. What I like most about this camera is its ability to do tracking focus of video shots, which are amazing, the number of shots per second for action shots, and the overall quality of the photos, which really are amazing. I have a Sony 1080p camcorder, and I don't even bother to carry it anymore.
It's a bit bigger than the tiny, in the pocket, cameras you can buy today, but well worth it. If it shot RAW as well as JPEGs, I'd be even more enthusiastic, but one can only ask for so much. You can select the video format, e.g., 720 or 1080, which is important from a file size and video editing standpoint. If you shoot a lot of video, the battery drains quickly, but if you mix in video and photos, you will be fine. I very highly recommend this camera. It's easilly to finest compact camera I've ever owned.
About me... casual user
I would recommend this to a friend!
+12points
12out of 12found this review helpful.
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Review 6 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
I wanted so much to love this camera!
Customer Rating
3.0
Posted by: djayphotog
from bronx, ny
on 05/17/2012
Ease to Use
3.0
Features
5.0
Picture Quality
4.0
Value for Price
4.0
What's great about it: Nice size, many auto and manual features, excellent pics, great video
What's not so great: awkward handling, orange people pics, furry audio
All my cameras have been Sony Cybershots and have served me excellently. Therefore, when I needed a new pocket camera, this is the first place I looked. The HX9v was rated top pick by CNET and has enthusiastic reviews. However, there are issues. I want to be able to react quickly to a photo op. However, I found the controls on top to be placed awkwardly. The elongated power button is nearly flush with the back top edge and close to the middle of the length of the camera so that it cannot be easily reached with the right hand. I had to power on with my left hand. The shutter button is second in from the right so that you have to reach over the settings wheel to snap a picture.
Shots of landscapes, buildings, any inanimate object were beautiful and detailed although the color was deeper than reality. Unfortunately, however, in the case of pics of people, the results were consistently orange even though I tried to use the features available to fix it. Nothing worked. Since people shots are the most important to be accurate, and I could not get the camera to achieve the right color, I finally and sadly, although I believe that this is a high-quality camera, had to return it. In speaking with the staff, one suggested that the one I purchased may have been defective, but since it was the last one in stock, I could not exchange it and try another. Yes, I would recommend this to try, but with the above caveats.
About me... Love capturing special occasions, Photo enthusiast, outdoor photo enthusiast, food photographer
I would recommend this to a friend!
+6points
7out of 8found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
Excellent when you master it
Customer Rating
5.0
Ease to Use
4.0
Features
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
What's great about it: Quality, function, usability
What's not so great: Flash location, learning curve
This is a very good camera. It takes excellent photos. The only reason it doesn't get all fives is the learning curve but that's because it's so full featured and the location of the flash is less than ideal.
About me... Photo enthusiast, casual user
I would recommend this to a friend!
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
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Review 8 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
Great camera
Customer Rating
4.0
Ease to Use
5.0
Features
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
What's great about it: Quality pictures and the settings are amazing!!!!
What's not so great: Takes forever to take the pictures
This camera is a very nice and stylish camera and the features you get are great. I bought it for a trip I had taken and needed something to capture some very good quality pictures. I did some research and this was one that I came down to. I used it on my trip and this thing really brought life to our trip as it captured every detail that surrounded us. I love that there is so many settings that I actually used them all to see what big difference it would make. The 3D pictures looked great when I connected the camera to my tv. The only down side about this camera is that it is very slow in processing the pictures it takes. Your gonna have to wait a bit while it comes back up into picture mode and if you are trying to capture many pictures all at once this is not going to be the camera for you. If you have the patience and not in a big hurry this camera will not let you down.
About me... Love capturing special occasions, casual user
I would recommend this to a friend!
+11points
11out of 11found this review helpful.
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Review 9 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
Great camera
Customer Rating
5.0
Ease to Use
4.0
Features
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
What's great about it: Focus retained at zoom (digital & optical), features, AVCHD recording, image quality, price
What's not so great: Not the best explaination on how to use certain modes, flash in an inconvenient place, memory card spring flimsy
Bought on clearance for $179, along with a Nikon 8200 to compare. I thought I would like the Nikon more, but it was exactly the opposite. This camera is great, especially for the price. At $329 however, I would consider other options.
First camera had a faulty memory card slot, it wouldn't spring the card back up when you pressed it. It would get stuck and you'd have to remove the battery to pry the card out. Took it back, and they ordered one from the website for the same price. Genuinely surprised, usually they'd say "sorry, that's it. We don't have anymore and can't give it to you for that price." Good job on that.
Battery has been about average. Not bad, but keep a charger or spare nearby if you're going to be shooting or recording for any extended period.
Other than that, the camera is great. Shoots wonderful pictures, very fast shutter, and has amazing focus even at full digital zoom. That's what sold me, compared to the Nikon 8200, this was very clear and focus was great.
Also, I do lots of video editing, so being able to record in AVCHD in multiple bitrates is great as well. More compression, but looks great for a point and shoot.
If you can find it on sale, grab it. But for full price, look around.
About me... casual user
I would recommend this to a friend!
+6points
6out of 6found this review helpful.
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Review 10 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
Beautiful color and great zoom!
Customer Rating
5.0
Ease to Use
4.0
Features
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
What's great about it: Good price
What's not so great: Lots of settings, takes time to figure out
This camera is exactly what I was looking for. All of my friends have raved about the quality of the pictures it takes, for the price I paid. Everyone has said it was a good purchase. It has A LOT of settings which are fun to play with, but it takes a while to learn them and figure out which setting is best for the picture you want to take. Now I just leave it on Auto and the camera basically decides for me. I have not been disappointed!
About me... Parent with kids, Love capturing special occasions, casual user
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
Great HD Camara..and GPS
Customer Rating
5.0
Ease to Use
5.0
Features
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
What's great about it: Records in HD Stereo
What's not so great: GPS is Hard to set it up.
Needed to replace an old model ...
This camera is Great.
This camera is Great.
About me... Photo enthusiast
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
3out of 4found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
All the Bells & Whistles
Customer Rating
5.0
Ease to Use
5.0
Features
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
What's great about it: 16.2MP-MPEG-4 Video-$279-what else can I say!!
What's not so great: nothing
What a great camera-has everything as my more expensive sony camera but pocket size-took it to Van Halen, great pictures/video-I'm a semi-professional photographer and bought this for my wife-it's so easy to use and has 16.2 MP with MPEG-4 video-it doesn't get much better than that-I would recommend to everyone!! 5 Stars!!
About me... Semi-pro videographer, Love shooting sports, semi-pro photographer, Video enthusiast, Photo enthusiast
I would recommend this to a friend!
+5points
5out of 5found this review helpful.
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Review 13 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
One Great Camera
Customer Rating
5.0
Ease to Use
5.0
Features
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
Images for this Review
(click to see full-size image)
What's great about it: Sharp Crisp Photos, Great Low Light Photos, Light, Excellent Panorama Mode
What's not so great: Nothing
This camera is one good camera for the money. It takes excellent photos. All the photos are sharp and crisp. It take very low light shots with the Auto + Mode, Low Light Mode. Has a great pet mode. Smile detection. Face Detection. It has 16x zoom and with digitial it goes up to 56x. and 16mp. Very life like videos in Sonys proprietary mode. Has 3D photos and movies that can be viewed on a 3D HDTV, excellent panorama mode. Quite a few scene modes plus P and M mode. Memory recall mode. Long battery life.
About me... semi-pro photographer, Love capturing special occasions, Photo enthusiast
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
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Review 14 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
Excellent
Customer Rating
5.0
Ease to Use
4.0
Features
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
What's great about it: Features, and picture quality
What's not so great: Flash not located in a good spot on the camera
Bought this at a very good price on clearance. I'm relpacing an 11 year old Olympus 3.2 megapixal camera. Up until this point my Olympus served me well, and despite it's age, the camera took in many ways superior pictures to most pocket camera's I've dealt with over the years ( with much greater pixel count #. I originally paid quite a bit of money for my Olympus, and today that amount of money would buy me a digital SLR camera.
Well, I finally decided to retire my old camera for an new one with a better zoom # old was only 3x optical, 7.5x with digital zoom ). Also the Olympus used smart media memeory which has long gone extinct.
I found the Sony and it fits the bill. The camera has a vast array of features with a nice 16x optical zoom, in a much smaller size than my original camera. Picture quality is excellent in both auto and manual modes.The video mode is also very good, which surprised me a bit. My only gripe with the camera, is the placement of the flash. It is in the spot that the average person rests their finger while holding the camera, so it blocks the flash when it pops up. Fortunately, if your finger blockes the flash poping up, it won't damage the camera. You'll have to move your finger and try the flash again. I would recommend this camera to anyone that wants a camera with more than entry level features, but does not want to step up to an SLR.
Well, I finally decided to retire my old camera for an new one with a better zoom # old was only 3x optical, 7.5x with digital zoom ). Also the Olympus used smart media memeory which has long gone extinct.
I found the Sony and it fits the bill. The camera has a vast array of features with a nice 16x optical zoom, in a much smaller size than my original camera. Picture quality is excellent in both auto and manual modes.The video mode is also very good, which surprised me a bit. My only gripe with the camera, is the placement of the flash. It is in the spot that the average person rests their finger while holding the camera, so it blocks the flash when it pops up. Fortunately, if your finger blockes the flash poping up, it won't damage the camera. You'll have to move your finger and try the flash again. I would recommend this camera to anyone that wants a camera with more than entry level features, but does not want to step up to an SLR.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
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Review 15 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
Great camera but bad users manual
Customer Rating
4.0
What's great about it: The 16.2 mp takes great photos that be zoomed in clearly.
What's not so great: The userrs manual.
The user manual only identifies 2 of the 10 modes on the settings dial. You have to play with the camera a very long time to learn how to operate all of its functions. The older CyberShot camera manuals were much better. Even the Sony website does not offer a complete guide on the use of this camers. I LOVE the camera's photo quality, optical zoom, digital zoom and LCD viewing screen. I hate the flash location and reading through all of the menus in order to use the camera properly.
About me... Parent with kids, Love capturing special occasions, Photo enthusiast, vacation memories, family photos
I would recommend this to a friend!
+6points
6out of 6found this review helpful.
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Review 16 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
so many features for a poor camera
Customer Rating
4.0
Posted by: cashiersguy
from Cashiers
on 04/18/2012
Features
4.0
Picture Quality
3.0
Value for Price
2.0
What's not so great: My finger is always over the flash
I have had the camera for three months with little use and the flash is broken!! The flash refuses to come out of the camera. What a poor design. The current images are not thta great, given the lens.
It is also a heavy camera. should have bought a SLR.
It is also a heavy camera. should have bought a SLR.
About me... casual user
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-7points
1out of 9found this review helpful.
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Review 17 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
Excellent camera for a features-nut
Customer Rating
5.0
Ease to Use
5.0
Features
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Value for Price
5.0
What's great about it: Tons of features and options, Beautiful pictures and videos, Easy to use, Long battery life, Multiple memory card option
What's not so great: Popup flash gets in the way, Video file extensions (.mp4 or .avchd)
I've had this camera for 4 months now, and I still love it! The features are never-ending (great for when I want to experiment with various light filters and shutter speeds and aperture values for artistic photos), but there are automatic "easy" settings for when I'm just taking pictures of memories.
My favorite feature is the user-programmable settings, so I can set it up how I like and have those setting profiles saved for future use. Also, the dual-microphone makes for incredible audio quality on videos, which is a must since I have a very musical family.
I haven't experimented with the 3D features yet (mainly b/c I don't have a 3D TV... yet), but I like having that option in case I ever go the 3D route.
The only things I don't like about the camera (although none of these are deal breakers to me):
1. The back screen catches fingerprints like nothing I've ever seen. However, this is easily fixable by an anti-fingerprint screen protector.
2. The highest quality video files are in .avchd format (standard for HD), which is only readable using HD software. I made this mistake on my first few videos, which I then could not watch without buying special software. Easily fixed by changing the output settings for videos BEFORE the video is shot.
3. The flash literally pops out of the top on the right side. I have actually found that I rarely NEED the flash since the low-light capabilities are already so advanced. However, this means I am surprised every time it pops up under my finger, since I am not doing a very good job of training myself to not place my finger there.
1. The back screen catches fingerprints like nothing I've ever seen. However, this is easily fixable by an anti-fingerprint screen protector.
2. The highest quality video files are in .avchd format (standard for HD), which is only readable using HD software. I made this mistake on my first few videos, which I then could not watch without buying special software. Easily fixed by changing the output settings for videos BEFORE the video is shot.
3. The flash literally pops out of the top on the right side. I have actually found that I rarely NEED the flash since the low-light capabilities are already so advanced. However, this means I am surprised every time it pops up under my finger, since I am not doing a very good job of training myself to not place my finger there.
In doing my pre-purchase research, I found that Best Buy's price on the HXV9 was quite comparable with online sites (within $5-10), so I opted to buy the HXV9 from bestbuy.com, and pick up in store. There will always be something more reliable to me about getting a major purchase from a physical store, and I wasn't about to buy a $10-cheaper option from an online store I've never heard of.
That being said, there are great (cheaper) options for extra batteries and chargers elsewhere; I got a pack from Amazon for $12.48 that includes a charger, car charger, and 2 batteries. The batteries are off-brand, but I've found that these give you the remaining battery time in minutes on your camera screen (unlike Sony batteries), and they have a longer battery life, too.
Overall, I would not trade this camera for any other. This little camera has once again proven to all my friends and family that Sony Cybershots ARE the best out there... as long as you get the higher-end versions like the HX9V. Everyone who looks at my camera/pictures and compares it with theirs has suddenly started considering upgrading!
About me... Love shooting sports, Video enthusiast, Love capturing special occasions, Photo enthusiast, love taking artistic photos
I would recommend this to a friend!
+10points
10out of 10found this review helpful.
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Review 18 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
Difficult set up, otherwise a breeze.
Customer Rating
5.0
Posted by: msboom
from Honolulu, HI
on 04/13/2012
What's great about it: Fast sharp photos.
What's not so great: It took a LONG time to figure out how to set it up.
Instructions should have specified somewhere in writing that it was necessary to turn the dial on the back in order to set up date, time, etc. I've never had a camera with that kind of dial before and had a heck of a time figuring it out.
About me... casual user
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
2out of 4found this review helpful.
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Review 19 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
Very very good camera
Customer Rating
4.0
Ease to Use
5.0
Features
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Value for Price
4.0
What's great about it: zoom, photo quality, video quality
the 16x optical zoom at 10 MP has brought me some excellent pictures, especially when viewed on a computer (they look good on the camera display, but they're even better on a larger screen). the video quality is awesome, and the panorama feature is great once you get the hang of it.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
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Review 20 for Sony - Cyber-shot 16.2-Megapixel Zoom Digital Camera - Black
excellent
Customer Rating
4.0
Ease to Use
4.0
Features
5.0
Picture Quality
5.0
Value for Price
4.0
easy to use once you figure out the different functions
About me... casual user
I would recommend this to a friend!
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
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