This camera takes great pictures at an extremely high resolution and has a better than average zoom. The only downsides are the lack of battery life when taking indoor photos or video (low light, flashes, red-eye, etc all drag the battery pretty quickly).
For this reason I recommend the spare battery (with external charger in combo pack on Amazon) to have handy for when that shoot runs more than a few hours. The extras aren't anything for which to to pay more than $10 extra.

Hello all,

I'm pleased to be an early reviewer of the Sony HandyCam DSC-HX9V. I have owned 3 HandyCam Camcorders, but this is my first still camera from them. I currently have a Kodak M1033, and a little Samsung that my children use. The Kodak is a tough act to follow, because that is one of the best small cameras I've ever used. Sony is up to the task on this one.

Since I hate reading through long reviews to get to the synopsis, I'll give the synopsis first. Decide if you like it first, then read.

Pros:
* GPS - not necessary, but icing on the cake.
* Sony G lens - their good lenses, clear and fast
* Comfy contoured thumb grip - curved, textured, and with a ridge on the outside
* Comfy textured rubber front grip - same thing on the entire front right side
* Easy to figure out controls - everything is pretty much where it is on every camera
* On-board user's guide - nice feature. Shares the button with... Read more

The best camera I ever had,even Nikon d40 that I have doesn't have the features that Sony does.I recommend this camera as one of the best Sony products for the price.