Sony HX30V uk release?

[viper8804]

Hi everyone,

I am new to this forum. Basically I have been looking to get a decent camera for a while and had my eye on the HX20V however i stumbled across the HX30V which will be released in the U.S early may and is already out in Japan I believe.

Does anybody know if this camera will be released in the UK and if so any dates?

Thanks in advance.

Demos

[blaireau_photo]

Hello viper8804 - Welcome to the Sony Forums

There are only some very sketchy details of this onlne and the only rumours I have seen state that it will be launched sometime in May 2012 - of course this may be way out.

I would suggest keeping an eye on the official Sony photograpy site for the latest updates about this camera as at some point, if the camera is due to be released in the UK there will be a dedicated page for it with an expected shipping date - this is also subject to change - as you can imagine!

Thanks,

Simon

[viper8804]

Many thanks for the reply Blaireau_photo.

Hopefully it does come out in may as im going holiday to Crete early June and would get some lovely pictures of Elafonisi Beach and Balos lagoon with this camera.

I am in two minds as to whether I would need wifi functionality on a camera but it does sound tempting to potentially upload  pictures to the web and to my laptop directly without the need of a usb cable setup.

I suppose if not I will get the HX20v as I believe they are the exact same cmera but without wifi. Do you know if this info is correct?

Thanks again.

Demos

[blaireau_photo]

Hello again

Looking at the pre-release info and news coverage of the cameras in question, it would appear that there will not be WiFi functionality on the HX20v (there is also a painstaking breakdown of all the technical features on the official Sony website here). However, this is the only major difference between the two models.

However, there is another possibility here called the Eye-Fi memory card. It is a regular SD memory card which has built-in WiFi functionality and it can be configured to automatically backup photos from the card to a PC and various online photo-sharing sites. There are also apps for smartphones and tablets which allow photos to be transferred easily.

I am a fan of WiFi in cameras purely because of its presence in my iPhone and the way that all snaps end up in 'the cloud' so I can see why this feature alone is having an influence on your final choice.

Thanks,

Simon

[thsnielsen]

Hi

So from what I have read, indeed just the wifi is the difference, and you only find the hx30v on amazon.com, not on co.uk nor fr nor de - they all try to sell you the hx20v that runs eye-fi.

And if you try to order at amazon.com and your ship addresse is in EUR, they will refuse to process the order.

Needless to say I have order many times from Amazon.com, so my account works just fine.

Quite (!!) disapointing. Goodbye sony.

Here what I get from Amazon:

Important Message

        There is a slight problem with your order. (See below.)

We're sorry.  This item can't be shipped to your selected destination.  You may either change the shipping address or delete the item from your order.

[viper8804]

Many thanks for both of your replies,

That eye-fi was news to me so thanks for giving me the heads up, this now opens up a range of cameras for me as wifi was a feature i was hoping to get.

Although from trawling many camera forums I have found a lot of negative press re the HX20v and HX30v as it uses the same size sensor as the hx9v and many people say the increase in megapixels does not do justice for such a small sensor. I also didn't notice that they do not support RAW which is not a major downer for me as I am in no way a proffesional however it would of been nice to have that option from such an expensive camera.

As size is not really a problem for me I am drawn to the Panasonic lumix FZ150 as although it is only 12mp many people say the picture quality and video quality which can record at 250fps 50p is better than the hx20v and is slightly cheaper. It also has RAW mode which I see as a benefit as I learn more about photography.

Could anybody advise if this is a wise choice for somebody having approx 400 pounds to spend on a fixed lens camera or are there any other good all rounders for similar price.

thanks again

[blaireau_photo]

Hello again

As you mention a budget of around £400 - you may also wish to consider the possibility of going for one of the entry level Digital SLR cameras. If you already have your heart set on a fixed lens camera then fair enough

The reason for this would simply depend upon your future plans. A Canon, Sony or Nikon** DSLR purchase will enable you to have a range of additional lenses at your disposal and if you decide to upgrade to a better body in the future, you will be able to use the same lenses in the majority of cases. It really all depends upon how far you want to take your hobby but at least the DSLR route will give you options (and RAW files as well!).

I appreciate that I have given you the classic political response of answering a question with another question but at the same time it may give you something to think about.

Thanks,

Simon

**EDIT: There are obviously a range of other DSLR manufacturers out there too!

Message was edited by: blaireau_photo

Message was edited by: blaireau_photo

[jabruzzi6]

does anyone have any updates on whether the hx30 will be released in the UK soon?

i seem to get the feeling it wont be rleased in the UK for some reason as we are in july now... disappointing. it feels like a waste of money paying a high price for the hx20 when there's a newer model out there..

[Mick2011]

HI jabruzzi6, welcome to the Sony Forums

The HX30 isn't a newer version or updated model: both were released at the same time earlier this year. As noted upthread, the only difference between the two is the HX30's built-in wifi capability, compred to the optional wifi of the HX20.

Given the simultaneous launch, it does seem unlikely that the HX30 will become available in the UK. Manufacturers do occasionally release region-specific models and Sony are no exception... that's not to say it won't happen, just an educated guess

Mick