The HX5 is not the usual compact fair we’ve been used to up to now.
The HX5 is the first proper HD Compact. A compact camera which does full HD video.
Under the hood, we have the IMX050 Exmor R sensor. See our article on the technology here. Right now, back-side illumination isn’t the huge leap some expected, but this technology will come into it’s own as sensors get even more densely packed. There is talk of 22MP in a compact for 2011.
The MP4 video mode on the camera records 25p (PAL) and 30p (NTSC model) according to the menus – but I’m not sure if this is like ‘frame mode’ on the old DV cameras, where the sensor employs interlaced scanning and the camera de-interlaces the output to produce 25fps, or whether it’s true 25p.
AVCHD has two quality settings, 1920x1080i@17Mbps and 1440x1080i@9Mbps, both interlaced.
Whilst a HDSLR like the Panasonic GH1 records progressive 24p or 25p on the sensor and converts this to a 60i AVCHD feed for compatibility with TV sets, I suspect that the HX5 does the opposite – recording in interlaced format on the sensor and then converting it to 25p H.264 in-camera for the MP4 mode, or letting your TV set do the de-interlacing work in AVCHD mode.
There is a small chance the sensor switches to progressive scan mode for the MP4 25p recording but I have yet to verify this.
Regardless, footage looks good!
I have the PAL HX5 which records at 25fps rather than 30fps of course. There is not a chance in hell of getting native 25p out of the NTSC model!
Now because the sensor records in a interlaced format, the field rate is 50i – so the footage looks more like video than film. The most obvious way to notice this is how smooth the footage looks on the camera’s LCD in playback mode. I shot my video in AVCHD mode because noise is lower and due to my doubts over the MP4 mode producing ‘fake’ 25p off an interlaced sensor.
It also skips lines to down-sample the 10MP sensor to 2MP (1920×1080) resolution so you do get the same moire and aliasing effects as on the Canon 5D Mark II and 7D. The GH1 bins individual pixels in a crude downscaling method which is never-the-less the best of the bunch.
Video mode on the HX5 does not feature manual control over shutter, ISO or aperture although it does have exposure EV adjustments.
I used Final Cut Pro log & transfer to produce editable Apple ProRes LT and JES to de-interlace this down to 25fps – remember the sensor is in 50i interlaced mode whilst the light was coming in through the lens so this is NOT the same as native 25p. Confusing all this is!!
What do I miss most from the HDSLRs? Surprisingly, not manual controls, interchangeable lenses, shallow depth of field, manual focus or even 24p. The biggest issue for me was dynamic range. It’s VERY easy to blow-out highlights on a small sensor measuring just 7.59mm diagonal. Lanterns, lights, the sky – looks so pale and a bit rubbish! You have to dial in some serious under exposure to get this detail back. It’s not the best camera for shooting contrasty scenes though.
Considering the sensor can fit on the back of your finger nail, it does give pleasing resolution and colour. With the 25-250mm lens on the HX5 at F3.5 you can also attempt some decent shallow depth of field although this tends to be restricted to when objects are close to the lens at the long end of the zoom range.
Unfortunately it doesn’t do macro nearly as well at the long end of the zoom as it does at the wide end.
Dynamic range is one thing – we’re talking such a small sensor here, and the latest generation of which means dynamic range is actually a lot better than it used to be. But the other weak point of this compact is the screen. It’s not as bad as some, but it’s colour, visibility in daylight is pretty dire and it’s not good for checking focus because it’s such low res. It’s half as good as the GH1’s screen and not a patch on Samsung’s OLED compacts or Canon’s DSLRs. The TX7 has a 920k screen but only in playback mode and not in live view.
Thankfully the AF in video mode is decent and doesn’t hunt around. Sometimes it’s slow, but it’s a steady eddy. However, being auto it can sometimes take a lot of messing about to trick it into focusing on something you want which isn’t immediately obvious or filling the frame.
ISO is entirely automatic in video mode, which is a shame. The auto-mode seems to be using a high shutter speed and higher ISO at times, which whilst good for avoiding blur in photos is not helpful to video. A high shutter produces an unnatural and none-film like look to motion.
Special mention for one none-video related feature – that’s Sweep Panorama. It produces brilliant (if slightly low resolution) results on all kinds of shots and it’s like having a fisheye lens. I absolutely love it and I want to see it in DSLRs!
The Samsung WB2000 / TL350 will also have this feature but the Sony implementation is in it’s 2nd generation and is much improved from the older WX1. It now copes with objects moving in the scene whilst stitching the images together and it’s very clever. I believe it uses the high-speed capabilities of the sensor to sample thousands of images before choosing the best fits and feathering the seams.
Battery life was disappointing in video mode but excellent in stills mode. I had GPS turned off. The battery could be doubled in size if the combined Memory Stick / SD slot was moved elsewhere within the body but it is not to be. The camera takes the same slim-line battery as the ultra-compact TX7 and it lasted not much longer than the 30 minutes it took to make my video! The camera was also hot to the touch during use, but then I was shooting on quite a hot day at 30 degrees in the sun!!
Steadyshot on these cameras in video mode class leading for a compact and right up there with DSLRs with OIS, if not better at 25mm. It does however mean that the field of view is cropped slightly in video mode, so the 25mm lens looks more like a 30mm.
Overall, for video this HD compact is unmatched on the compact market. It’s auto-mode is also the best available, closely followed by the Panasonic TZ10. I love the range of the lens, sweep panorama, the powerful stabiliser and I may love it even more if I find that the MP4 25p mode does actually capture 1920×1080 25p from the sensor! There is a Samsung compact on the horizon that has sweep panorama, a 24mm lens with 5x zoom and most importantly 1080p/30 (true progressive) and 720p/60 (which is great for slow motion). This will have a better screen than the Sony and if they make the PAL version 25p rather than 30p it will definitely be worth a look for part 3 of our HD Compacts series.
