Sony unveils world’s smallest travel high zoom camera with 4K movie recording

Sony unveils thinner and lighter camera to compete in a different league when mobile cameras are all the rage out there.

Deidre

Published On: Oct 27, 2018 | Last Updated: Oct 29, 2018

Smartphones are getting thinner and lighter and more bezel-less as per the current design trends, and the travel high zoom camera is taking a similar path. There are many photographers who still consider smartphone cameras to lag behind compact cameras in the photo race. Consider that smartphone OEMs once had a single selfie and rear camera (two total) for buyers; now, OEMs are offering dual rear cameras, some even three and four rear cameras. And now, selfie cameras are entering the “double the fun” phase and multiplying as well in smartphones such as the LG V40 ThinQ, HTC U12 Plus, the Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018). There are others, of course.

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Sony unveils world’s smallest travel high zoom camera, the DSC-WX800

Sony still sees a market for portable high-zoom cameras, which is why the Japanese camera giant has unveiled the world’s smallest travel high zoom camera in India. Named the DSC-WX800, the new Sony cyber-shot camera goes from 24mm at the wide-end to 720mm at the super-telephoto lens due to its Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T High Magnification Zoom lens. The optical SteadyShot provides image stabilization. The Zoom Assist function helps users zoom out of photos as well to see its crisp resolution.

Smallest travel high zoom camera can record 4K movie footage

The one defining feature of the DSC-WX800 that makes it new is its 4K movie recording capabilities. The DSC-WX800 can shoot video footage in 4K (or Ultra HD) and then play back in 4K as well so that you get the same experience you shot on camera. It does this without pixel binning, which reduces noise (pixelation) in digital cameras.

How does pixel binning work? Pixel binning is a process that takes pixels and creates a super-pixel. The purpose of combining pixels is to not only reduce noise in photos but also to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. It’s something reminiscent of Samsung’s Dual Pixel technology unveiled in the Galaxy S7, combining pixels to produce better images in low light.

Sony DSC-WX800 travel high zoom camera specs and features

photo taken with Sony’s new travel high zoom camera. Image Credit: Sony

There’s more that could be said about the new travel high zoom camera, but the specifications and features will tell the story:

4K video recording
Bionz X image processing engine
Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T High Magnification Lens
back-illuminated Exmor RTM CMOS sensor with 18.2MP resolution
image stabilization with SteadyShot
Zoom Assist
0.09-second Autofocus
Eye autofocus
RAW format image recording
180-degree tiltable LCD touchscreen
touch focus/touch shutter button
low-light photography sensitivity up to ISO 6400
location tracking via Bluetooth
Supports devices with Bluetooth 4.0 or later (including Bluetooth 5.0)
runs Android 5.0 Lollipop or higher
works with iPhone 4s or higher, and third-generation iPad or higher

Price and Availability

The world’s smallest travel high zoom camera, the DSC-WX800, costs Rs. 34,900. It will be available for purchase starting October 29 at Sony Center stores, Alpha Flagship stores, and India’s electronic stores.