Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V

The ; is overflowing with shooting features, and has excellent photo and video quality and solid shooting performance.

The HX9V might actually be too much camera for some users and there are a couple of minor design issues.

Feature junkies in search of a compact megazoom should get the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V.

Brilliant LCD screen. Excellent build quality. Very good low-light image quality. Manual exposure control. Beautifully coloured images. Very good video quality.

Video recording takes a few seconds to initialise. Can blow highlights when using auto modes. In-camera battery charging is a bit of a pain. No RAW capture.

With a stack of great features that work as advertised, including a 16x optical zoom lens, the HX9V makes an ideal travel companion for those who enjoy life on the road.