Sony Cyber-shot HX100V review

The Sony Cyber-shot HX100V's layout is typical of a superzoom for the most part – it's a sizeable camera, but considering the significant zoom range it's not any bigger than to be expected.

The digital camera's plastic shell is complemented with a rubber grip to the right side that's comfortable to hold in use.

Controls are dealt with by a mixture of mode dial and thumbwheel, met with a variety of single-press buttons, a four-way D-pad and a main menu button on the rear. All major shooting options are quick to access, and the rear thumbwheel is well located for shifting between options when in the manual modes.

Sensitivity (ISO) is accessed by pressing the thumbwheel and cycling through the major settings, which can make this mode location feel a little isolated.

A Focus button sits behind the shutter release, next to a Custom button that's useful to assign functionality to, though the limit of options doesn't extend beyond AEL, White Balance, ND Filter, Metering and Smile Shutter.

What's most special about the HX100V, however, is the inclusion of a dual zoom system.

Around the shutter is one usual zoom toggle control, yet there's also a lens ring that can perform the very same zoom function.

An additional switch to the side of the lens barrel switches the lens ring's control between either zoom or manual focus control. This means that, depending on how you prefer to set the camera up, both zoom (on the zoom toggle) and manual focus (on the lens ring) are quickly accessible at all times.

The lens itself is a powered zoom, so even when using the manual zoom ring there is some slight 'stepping' between focal lengths.