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The Sony HX20V takes over from the HX9V that we reviewed last year as the flagship travel compact within Sony’s Cyber-shot compact digital camera range. There is, of course, the HX200V with its 30x zoom, however given the dimensions of that model it’s much more of a superzoom/bridge camera than a travel compact. The HX20V, by contrast, packs a 20x optical zoom yet remains small enough to slip inside a trouser pocket.

Travel compacts are particularly popular at the moment with all of the main manufacturers looking to grab their share of what is a highly lucrative market. The good news here is that the increased competition should make for better cameras, at least in theory. In recent weeks we’ve reviewed the Lumix TZ30 and the Canon SX260 HS, both of which impressed and scored well. Does the Sony HX20V have what it takes to beat either model? Let’s take a closer look at find out.

At its heart the HX20V employs a 1/2.3inch backlit Exmor R CMOS sensor that produces 18.2MP of effective resolution. This might only be a relatively small jump from the 16.2MP resolution of last year’s HX9V model, but it does suggest that Sony isn’t quite ready to give up on the megapixel arms race yet. The new sensor is complemented by the latest generation of Sony BIONZ image processer that allows the HX20V to shoot at a maximum 10fps (albeit for a maximum 10 consecutive frames) and record 1080/50p Full HD video. Sensitivity, meanwhile, ranges from ISO 100 to 12,800.

Other notable highlights, in addition to the 20x optical zoom include a Clear Zoom function that allows up to 40x magnification at full resolution; Sony’s own SteadyShot image stabilisation technology for blur-free images at slower shutter speeds and extended focal lengths; built-in GPS with bundled software that allows you to track your journey via Google maps; a generous range of shooting and exposure modes; a selection of Picture Effect digital effects filters; and last but not least a high-resolution one-touch Panoramic mode.

Sadly though the HX20V is JPEG only, which means it can’t shoot lossless Raw images for enhanced editing potential in a digital darkroom. This does strike us as something of an omission given that the HX20V (or indeed any other travel compact) is likely to be used in all kinds of exotic and interesting locations where a bit of post-production might make all the difference. Needless to say we look forward to the day when more manufacturers include Raw shooting on their travel compact models as standard.

While there’s no Raw, there are two JPEG compression settings to choose from: Normal (more images) or Fine (better quality). If you don’t think you need the full 18.2MP then resolution can be pegged back to a choice of 10MP, 5MP or VGA quality. And while the sensor records 4:3 images by default, it’s also possible to shoot 16:9 at a choice of either 13MP or 2MP. If you want to produce images in either a 3:2 or 1:1 aspect then you’ll need to crop them down on a computer.

Of course, the big draw with the HX20V as with all travel compacts is the convenience of having a huge focal range to hand in a camera only a little bigger than a regular compact. In this respect the HX20V gets a 20x optical zoom that provides the 35mm focal range equivalent of 25-500mm.

Extending its 20x reach a bit further is Sony’s proprietary Clear Zoom technology. This basically doubles the reach of the optical zoom (up to a maximum of 40x) while keeping the full 18.2MP resolution intact. Trying it out, we were actually quite impressed with the results – not the sharpest by any means but certainly usable for Facebook-bound snapshots and the like. If 40x still isn’t quite enough then it’s also possible to use the Digital Zoom to reach a maximum 80x at 18.2MP, 151x at 5MP or 306x when shooting at the VGA quality setting. Good luck getting anything even remotely useable at these settings though!

The HX20V offers a good range of exposure modes, although nothing particularly new that we haven’t seen on an advanced Sony compact before. There are Program and Manual options, and while the degree of user control on both is fairly generous, it’s worth bearing in mind that the Manual mode only offers a choice of maximum aperture (f/3.2) and minimum aperture (f/8), with nothing in between to choose from. In other words, it’s not really all that flexible. 

Intelligent Auto is basically an automatic scene selection mode, and is capable of delivering consistently good results. Superior Auto mode, meanwhile, takes things one step further by automatically firing off several shots at once when required (which isn’t all the time) and then blending the results together. In this respect it’s not unlike having an automatic HDR mode at your disposal, although thankfully a relatively subtle one that aims for realism rather than drama. This makes it particularly useful for tricky lighting situations, such as strongly backlit subjects.

Rounding things off are a range of 15 individually selectable Scene modes, three fully customisable Memory Recall modes and a 3D capture mode (for which you’ll need a compatible 3D monitor to view the results on). There’s also a quirky Background Defocus mode that’s quite well suited to portraits as it takes multiple images and combines them with some clever processing to throw the background out of focus. It doesn’t always work, but when it does the results aren’t too bad.

Last but not least is the Sweep Panorama mode – a really neat feature that Sony has been refining for the past few years. This basically allows you to create 180-degree panoramas simply by holding the shutter button down and sweeping the camera in a predetermined direction. While Fujifilm and Panasonic also offer very credible takes on panormaic technology, Sony still just about has the edge, thanks primarily to the ability to shoot high-resolution panoramas.

As is increasingly de rigueur these days, the HX20V comes with a set of nine different Picture Effect digital filters: HDR Painting, Rich BW, Miniature, Toy Camera, Pop Colour, Partial Colour, Soft High-key, Watercolour and Illustration. It has to be said that some work better than others, but they are quite fun.

Movie abilities have been a strong point of Sony compacts in recent years and the HX20V continues this tradition with a generous – albeit slightly perplexing – range of video recording options. You can choose to record movies in either the HDTV-friendly AVCHD format or the more computer/web-friendly MP4 files. Selecting AVCHD opens up a further range of options, including a top ‘PS’ setting of 1080/50p/28Mbps Full HD, which is supported by ‘FX’ (1080/50i/24Mbps), ‘FH’ (1080/50i/17Mbps) and ‘HQ’ (1080/50i/9Mbps) options.

MP4 recording options, on the other hand, include 1080/25p Full HD, 720/25p HD and VGA standard definition. In all instances, sound is recorded in stereo via two microphones on the top of the camera, and while there’s a wind-cut filter there’s no external microphone input. We like how it’s possible to record still images while the HX20V is shooting video, even though it’s only possible to shoot in 16:9. Sony’s SteadyShot ‘Active’ image stabilisation technology is pretty handy too, especially if you don’t have a particularly steady hand or if you are moving while recording.

While it’s undoubtedly good that Sony has seen fit to include such a broad range of recording options, we do wonder how many users will fully appreciate the differences between the various AVCHD settings, or indeed realise that movies shot at the highest ‘PS’ setting cannot be transferred to DVD. To this end we’d really like to see some clearer in-camera guidance to help users to better understand the choices they are faced with. We should point out that this is not a particular criticism of Sony, but rather all manufacturers who equip their cameras with a multitude of similar-sounding and potentially confusing AVCHD options.

Printer Review: Canon PIXMA Pro-1

MAY 18, 2012

By Dan Havlik

There’s no getting around the fact that the Canon PIXMA Pro-1 is a very large printer. And heavy too. But this is not exactly news. Back when the PIXMA Pro-1 was announced in the U.S. last October, we posted a preview of the printer by our regular contributor Theano Nikitas, who got an early look at it at a Canon manufacturing facility in Virginia. In her preview, Nikitas called the Pro-1 a “behemoth,” a term Canon probably wouldn’t dispute.

Weighing a little over 60 pounds and measuring 27.36 x 18.19 x 9.41 inches (W x D x H), the Pro-1 would seem abnormally large for a printer that can only output photos up to 13 inches wide without any roll feed option. For comparison, the Epson Stylus Pro 3880 can print up to 17 inches wide, is 27 x 15 x 10 inches and weighs just 43 pounds.

But the Pro-1 has a few attributes the competition doesn’t. For one, it uses a 12-ink system of Canon’s Lucia pigment inks including cyan, photo cyan, magenta, photo magenta, yellow, red and a chroma optimizer. More importantly for those who like monochrome prints, there are five black inks: photo black, matte black, dark grey, grey and light grey. In contrast, Epson’s smaller and lighter 13-inch Stylus Photo R3000—which we reviewed in PDN last October—has only eight inks total.

The Pro-1 is also built around a unique tubular ink-delivery system, with the ink cartridges seated on either side of the main printer body (six on one side; six on the other) and accessible via separate front panels. Because of the tubular design, the Pro-1’s print head moves independently, providing a print speed that (depending on settings, paper, etc.), can be more than twice as fast as Canon’s previous 13-inch pro printer, the PIXMA Pro9500 Mark II.

Also, with individual tubes for each ink cartridge, you don’t need to change cartridges or flush the lines when switching from matte black to photo black and back again. This is designed to save time and money, since no ink should, theoretically, be wasted. And considering how much these pigment inks cost—about $36 per 36-milliliter cartridge—that’s a good thing.

But did I mention that this printer is damned big?

Heavyweight Champ
I felt pity for the UPS man who delivered the Pro-1 to my door. When you add in the packaging and the protective materials inside the box, the printer’s shipping weight tips the scales at over 70 pounds. This additional load is a definite consideration for any photographer interested in the Pro-1. This PIXMA is not the sort of thing you can pick up at the photography store, put over your shoulder and shove into the back of your Fiat.

There are also some legitimate delivery concerns. I seem to have had trouble with glitch-y initial test units this month (see my review of the Nikon D4) and the bad luck carried over to the first Pro-1 I was loaned. Though the printer box did not appear to be damaged, somewhere along the way, something happened to the Pro-1’s FINE (Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) print head. (Or at least that was Canon’s analysis.) My prints from the first Pro-1 test unit were marred by striations and smudges on the left side of the photos.

After reporting my problem to Canon, they sent a team out to my office to look at the printer and diagnosed the print head issue. A second test printer was loaned to me and I have not experienced the same issue. Whether or not the first print head was damaged in transit is hard to say. But given the serious impact the Pro-1’s heavy box would make if it were dropped, I wouldn’t be surprised.

Fast and Steady
Though it’s big, the Pro-1 is an attractive printer and feels much more substantial and sturdier than Epson’s 3880 and R3000 models. You’ll need a well-built desk or table to put it on, but the heft is part of the reason the Pro-1 is so quiet. While Canon’s previous pro PIXMA printers were notorious for shaking and shimmying while they printed—I called it the “Canon cha-cha” in a previous review—the Pro-1 was stable and near silent.

It was also quite fast. It took just under five minutes for a 13 x 19-inch (A3+) color or black-and-white print using the “Standard” quality setting. For a “High” quality print, we averaged about six and half minutes. You can’t get much faster than that at this print quality.

In the past, we’ve found Canon’s pro PIXMAs to print slightly dark, forcing us to tweak the brightness of our images about half a stop just before printing. We had no such issue with the Pro-1. Printing primarily on Canon’s Photo Paper Plus Semi-gloss 13 x19-inch paper and using Photoshop’s canned profiles for our color management, our prints were crisp, sharp and true with bold but lifelike color. The Pro-1’s minimum drop size of 4 picoliters is a little larger than we had hoped but even when looking at our prints with a loupe, we couldn’t discern individual droplets.

Maximum resolution is 4800 x 2400 dpi and the Pro-1’s 12,288-nozzle print head did an excellent job of laying down the ink. Transitions between light and dark areas were smooth and natural.

For monochrome prints, the Pro-1 delivered clean whites, rich blacks and a good range of midtones. We didn’t notice any obvious bronzing or metamerism. Comparative black-and-white prints from the Pro-1 and older ones we printed on the Pro9500 Mark II showed much warmer tones from the Pro-1, but it was difficult to tell what caused the difference between the two. (The age of the Pro9500 Mark II prints might have been a factor.)

Extras
Although the Pro-1 doesn’t have a wireless option, it does offer Ethernet if you want to network the printer, along with USB 2.0 and PictBridge.

Though the 36-milliliter, high-capacity ink cartridges are not cheap, we much prefer them to the previous model’s 14-milliliter ink cartridges, which were always running out too soon. The chroma optimizer cartridge is slightly cheaper than the other inks—$30 versus $36—and we felt it did a good job keeping print glossiness even without degrading the color gamut or density of the blacks.

Some added good news about the printer’s large size is you don’t need to factor in extra space at the rear of the printer for manual feed. The bad news is that, although there’s a manual front feed for individual sheets up to 14 x 17 inches, it’s not straight through and the thickest media that can be run through the printer is 0.6mm (or a weight of about 350 gsm).

The rear tray can handle up to 150 sheets at a time and a maximum weight of about 300 gsm. Like the Pro9500 Mark II, though, the Pro-1 does not print borderless on fine-art paper, leaving up to a 35mm border.

The Bottom Line
Though the Canon PIXMA Pro-1 is bigger and heavier than competing 13-inch pro printers out there, it offers something those models don’t: superior printing skills via an innovative tubular 12-ink delivery system. Our color and black-and-white 13 x 19 prints came out of the Pro-1 in a hurry and they were gorgeous. If it seems a bit overkill to make such a large printer that can only output up to 13 inches wide, with no roll feed option, we’d have to assume Canon has other larger format printers—including, potentially, a 17-incher—in the pipeline. If they’re as high quality as the Pro-1, we could be in for something big, both literally and figuratively.

Pros: Sturdy build helps stabilize printer during output; very fast print speed for such high-quality prints; excellent color and black-and-white photo prints with superb detail; quiet

Cons: Very big and heavy for a 13-inch printer; tough to carry and install because of weight and size; no roll feed option; no Wi-Fi; expensive

Price: $999; www.usa.canon.com

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Printer Review: Stylus Photo R3000