Excellent SLR-like 6 megapixel camera for beginners or experienced photographers
Written: Jun 27 '06
Product Rating:
Ease of Use:
Durability:
Battery Life:
Photo Quality:
Shutter Lag
Pros: AA battery size, 12x optical zoom (with image stabilization), ease of use.
Cons: Slow burst mode, pricey memory media (Memory Stick Duo)
The Bottom Line: Great camera for beginners to experts -- if it doesn't need to fit in your pocket. 12x zoom, image stabilization, and reasonable price are huge pluses.
v908's Full Review: Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H2 Digital Camera
After owning and/or using a slew of mostly very good to excellent "point and shoot" compact and sub-compact digital cameras, I was yearning for more creative control (e.g., shutter speed and aperture control) -- I was missing my old 35mm film SLR...
So, after spending way too much time researching and bugging my local electronics shops, I narrowed my search down to an excellent, but relatively inexpensive digital SLR (DSLR), the Pentax *ist DL, and the Sony DSC-H2. I decided to pass on the H5 simply because I don't need the extra resolution (it's really getting to the point where it's overkill for the vast majority of photographers) or expense. Frankly, I also thought the LCD on the H5 was too large (yes) and might cause more battery drain than the H2 (I cannot verify that, however).
Anyway, after side-by-side comparisons with the Pentax (which I really liked), and a bit of soul searching, I decided on the Sony DSC-H2 -- and couldn't be happier with the choice. In the end, the H2 had the main features I wanted (aperture & shutter priority, full program mode, etc.), was a bit smaller and lighter, and the 12x zoom would save me a lot of money compared with getting the equivalent lens(es) on the Pentax. For amateur photographers, the DSLR just didn't offer much more capability, while the SLR-like H2 gave me everything I wanted, plus image stabilization (that really works), movie mode, and more.
Rather than give a blow-by-blow list of the specifications (you can look them up from a variety of sources), I'll focus on those items I found particularly noteworthy...
As I stated earlier, the 6 megapixel resolution of the H2 has proven more than sufficient for my needs (4x6 and 5x7 photos, images for computer screen, occasional 8x10, etc.). In fact, unless I know I'm shooting for 8x10 quality prints, I turn the resolution down to save space (both on the memory card, and on my computer). In addition to standard 3:2 ratio images, the Sony also shoots in 4:3, which I find very handy when shooting images I know are going straight to print -- no futzing around with resizing, cropping, etc.
Despite some complaints I'd read about size and weight, I found the camera to be a great compromise between size, weight, and features. With that beautiful Carl Zeiss lens surrounded by a very SLR-like body (very natural grip) and well thought out controls, the body is very good overall. It's a bit smaller and lighter than most DSLRs too. Given the features and performance, I have no issue with the size or weight whatsoever.
I found the 2" LCD to be more than adequate. I'm used to much smaller on other cameras. It's bright and crisp and displays all the information clearly. The EVF (electronic view finder) works great and has a diopter adjustment to adjust for individual eyes. It also seems to represent the view very accurately. What you see through the EVF is what you get. It duplicates all the information on the LCD screen as well, so you don't need to switch back-and-forth as on some cameras.
I found the full-auto mode works very well. While I might like to play with other adjustments, my wife knows she can just pick this camera up, turn the knob to auto, and shoot away with no worries. The camera generally does a very good job determining what settings will work best.
However, having aperture priority and shutter priority modes is where this camera shines. The controls work very well, settings are easy to change (you adjust using a "click wheel" with your index finger) and the display adjusts to give you an idea of what affect you are having on the image (e.g., as you reduce the aperture, the display dims). It's great being able to control settings to adjust depth-of-field, lighting, etc. Very nice.
I haven't played with full-auto mode that much, but it does pretty much what you would expect. Set whatever shutter and aperture (and other settings) you'd like, and shoot away. Very much like a fully programmable DSLR.
The camera's mode dial also allows you to select "scene" modes (e.g., beach, landscape, portrait, etc.), which is handy -- especially for beginners who might not have the knowledge necessary to shoot those scenes appropriately.
The flash pops up when needed and fills well (especially compared to compact and sub-compact cameras). It's not terribly quick to recharge, but not as bad as I've heard either -- perhaps because I tend to keep the batteries relatively fresh. Figure a few seconds between shots.
I found shutter lag to be very reasonable. Again, it's not as quick as a true SLR, but compared to other digital cameras I've used, it's very quick. Some people confuse shutter lag with the delay sometimes experienced when focusing in low light, or waiting for the flash to recharge, but those are separate things. I thought true shutter lag on this camera was good.
ISO settings (aside from auto) range from 80 to 1000, though the higher the setting, the more grainy your picture may turn out. I would stick to 400 or below. However, that is not a problem with this camera in particular, that's the case with the vast majority of digital cameras. the 800 and 1000 ISO settings are more a marketing gimmick than truly useful feature (though for action shots, they can be handy).
USB connectivity to your computer (my only experience with this camera is on a Windows XP computer) is very simple and straightforward. Connect the camera, turn it on, and use the Windows-supplied Camera and Scanner wizard (or whatever it's called) to download pictures. It's quick and convenient, and even allows you to delete pictures off the camera after you've safely transfered them. It's very nice not to have to use card readers or use funky cables to connect. And, you don't need to download any software to get your pictures. You do get some software from Sony, but don't need to use it if you already have favorite tools. Very nice.
Another feature you get with the H2 that DSLRs don't have is "movie mode." This works very well to capture simple video for display on computers. It won't replace your digital video camera or anything, but is a fun and functional feature nonetheless. You can shoot at 8, 16, or 30 fps with audio, stored in MPEG format. A nice "upgrade" to this camera (over other Cybershot models) is that you can use the zoom while shooting video. Very handy.
I really like that the camera uses AA-sized batteries. While you normally want to use the NiMH rechargeable batteries, you can use standard AA batteries in a pinch -- very handy as well.
One very noteworthy feature is the 12x zoom with image stabilization. The 12x optical zoom is very smooth and quick, giving a great image. There's an additional 2x digital zoom should you wish (I usually leave it off), in-camera zoom/cropping, and "smart zoom," which technically gets you to 52x. Really eye-popping zoom.
Just as impressive as the 12x optical zoom is the "Super SteadyShot" image stabilization. It really works. I have repeatedly shocked myself by getting a clear pictures of something that was jumping around in the EVF when I was shooting. Even with all my caffeine jitters, I can zoom all the way to 12x and get steady shots. Amazing, really. True pros will likely keep the stabilization turned off and use a tripod (which works very well too), but for point and shoot situations, the Super SteadyShot feature works very well.
Oh, speaking of shooting on a tripod, the self timer has a 2-second delay option, in addition to the standard 10-second delay, which is handy for reducing camera shake without waiting the full 10 seconds. Another handy feature.
If I have to complain about a couple things it would be these... Burst mode isn't as quick as DSLRs (perhaps 1.5 fps), but is adequate. I'd love to see something quicker, but this is sufficient. Also, the Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick PRO Duo memory is pricey compared to other formats. On the other hand, my 1GB stick has proven to have more than enough capacity for my weekend jaunts.
All the other features work as expected. The Carl Zeiss 12x optical zoom (36-432 mm equivalent focal length) works very well and produces crisp images, the multi-point 3 area auto-focus is generally quick and accurate (a little slow in dim light), white balance is normally very good, but you have 5 presets to override if needed, shutter speed (up to 1/1000) is good enough for most situations, and metering capabilities (multi-segment, center weighted, and spot) work well.
Bottom line, this camera has all the features that any beginner might need or want, as well as enough bells and whistles to keep experts happy. The downsides (somewhat expensive memory media and sluggish burst mode) are more than offset by other features and price. With the money I saved (versus buying the DSLR), I bought extra batteries, memory, and the wide-angle conversion lens (VCL-DH0758) -- which works very well, though it's a bit bulky. In short, I'm very happy with the camera and simply enjoying taking pictures!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 359 This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
6-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 14 x 19-inch prints 12x image-stabilized optical zoom; 2.0-inch LCD display High Sensitivity ...More at Amazon Marketplace
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.