Sony HX1, Ultrazoom Wide Compact Camera That Auto-Stitches Images

Ok guys, hold your breath! This seems to be the season for speedy continuous shot, wide angle lens, ultrazoom, hybrid camera that either bridges between a compact and a camcorder or a compact and a DSLR, or all three, and the latest… in-camera photo stitching!

Have you ever tried to stitch pictures to achieve a single massive panoramic picture but disappointed with the results because you don’t really have the patience to do so? Have you ever wished that photos can be stitched automatically in-camera? The new Sony HX1 will be able to do just that.

This very appealing feature is courtesy of Sony’s new “sweep panorama” technology available in the new HX1, which will ship in April for US$500.

Here’s how the technology works, according to a press release by Sony:

“Sweep panorama mode lets you reach beyond the traditional wide-angle lens and capture breathtaking shots. With wide and ultra-wide settings and horizontal or vertical directions, sweep panorama mode can take up to 224-degree horizontal or 154-degree vertical shots.

Using the fast-speed Exmor CMOS sensor, the camera continuously shoots full-resolution images at a high speed. Using the BIONZ imaging processor, it automatically stitches the pictures together to create one stunning panoramic photo. The maximum resolution is 7152 x 1080 (ultra wide horizontal).

“This panorama mode is so seamless that it removes the guess work,” Noblecilla said. “The camera indicates where you are in the degree range, so you know how wide you can shoot and stitches the photos automatically. It calculates and aligns pictures for you without using additional software.”

Sony HX1 features:

• 9.1 megapixels (lower than competitors but does a 1 megapixel difference counts?)
• 20x optical zoom (28mm-560mm)
• take 224-degree panorama shots or 154-degree vertical shots  in one easy press-and-sweep motion
• 1/2.4-inch Exmor™ CMOS sensor technology that delivers outstanding images, reduces noise and can continuously shoot at a high speeds
• 10 frames per second at full 9.1 megapixel resolution in continuous burst mode
• a mechanical shutter that helps reduce distortion when shooting a moving subject
• takes clearer images with about 50 percent less noise when in handheld twilight or anti-blur modes
• Sony G lens and 30fps HD movie clip recording capabilities (with the 20x optical zoom available when shooting in video)
• HDMI connectivity via supplied HDMI accessory (cable not included)
• Intelligent Scene Recognition (iSCN), Optical SteadyShot™ and face detection technologies
• 230,400 pixels tilt-able LCD screen
• no RAW support though…