Sony H55: 10x zoom and 720p video

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While the Sony HX5V is clearly a direct rival to the new Panasonic TZ10, the Cyber-shot H55 seems to be a closer match to the TZ8.  2010 is definitely set to be the year when ultra-zoom compacts with HD video do battle.

Just ahead of the PMA, the main American photography show, Sony has unveiled this Cyber-shot H55, which will no doubt attract the attention of anybody interested in the Panasonic TZ8.

The new H55 takes the same long, slab-like form factor of the HX5V (and the TZ cameras, for that matter, but adds a 14 Megapixel CCD sensor (which also seems to be in fashion), rather than one of Sony's CMOS Exmor R sensors.  The newcomer will, it seems, be less at home with higher sensitivities  It still has a 10x wide-angle (25-250 mm f/3.5-5.5, 5 cm macro mode) lens and the SteadyShot optical stabilisation system.

A decidedly mass-market camera, the H55 has a stripped back interface, whose mode dial includes an automatic intelligent option with scene and face detection, amongst other things, as well as P, M and video modes.  The H55 can shoot 720p HD video as MP4 files, but there are no dedicated controls for starting playback.  More interestingly, it has a burst mode that can reach 10 frames per second at its maximum resolution as well as an automatic tripod-free panorama mode.  We thought both of these features were the speciality of the Exmor R CMOS sensor ...

The 3'' LCD screen only has 230 000 pixels unfortunately, a resolution that's a little stingy for the size.  Just like the TZ8, the H55 doesn't have HDMI and you'll have to make do with standard A/V cables.

The Sony H55 will be available in black or silver for around £350.

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