Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H1 Digital Camera (5.1MP, 2592x1944, 12x, 32MB Internal Memory)

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H1

Cyber-shot DSC-H1 Digital Camera (5.1MP, 2592x1944, 12x, 32MB Internal Memory) Review, by Paul Jasper August 29, 2005

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• Reviewed by: sisbill

  Strengths: nice camera while it worked

  Weaknesses: unreliable; too expensive to fix

  Overall: 3 years old; power will not stay on. new batteries, card format, factory re-set did not help; camera has not been dropped; worked well last week but now dead; repairs estimated at $250. I'll go back to Olympus which has not failed in the last 7 years.

• Reviewed by: Iflyfish47

  Strengths: This camera has lots of settings, the 48 times zoom is assume, and the macro delivers clear crisp shots.

  Weaknesses: None

  Overall: I saw this camera at around 320.00 and at that price you can't beat extras that come with this unit. The camera comes with a charger w/ batteries, lens hood, lens cap and lens adapter. I was considering the Canon S2 IS but after comparing both display screens, the Sony had a much clearer display, while Canon's was washed out and grainy. I took pictures of my daughter's graduation, we were in the second to last row of the stadium and I was able to get a picture of her getting her diploma handed to her, it was absolutlely amazing! How about a steady shot that really works, I took some pictures on full zoom, you could actually see the display shaking, but once the picture was taken it was clear and crisp with absolutely no streaking! The digital zoom is outstanding, it was just what I was looking for, and in an affordable price range, I highly recommend this camera to anyone you won't be disappointed. There are also tons of manual settings, although I haven't played with them that much, I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

• Reviewed by: bigmike7

  Strengths: Just about everything - and the pictures are greatMade in Japan (something that you cannot find in any review) with very good build quality

  Weaknesses: Slow recovery for flash shots - but not all that bad

  Overall: Got this camera after reading many reviews and comments from both professional reviewers and users - and chose it over the Canon, Panasonic and Fuji counterparts- Glad that I did - because am very happy with the performance and outcome of the resulting pictures- We took three cameras on our latest cruise - two Fujis and the Sony - and the Sony outperformed the other two 10 to 1!! Have found that using 2500 mAh rechargables - gives about 350 to 400 shots per set - a very respectable number- Have encouraged others to get the Sony- I would buy another

• Reviewed by: rob1963man

  Strengths: Professional look, Quality of Photographs, Ease of Use.

  Weaknesses: View Screen exposability

  Overall: Sony has a great product with this camera. Puts out professional looking photographs. Convenient dial on top which displays all the photo settings and convenient placement of any and every button you might need.Some of the weaknesses of this camera might actually be considered its strength. You have to work for the best possible quality photo. Adjust the lighting, brightness, etc.. This definitely is not a camera to capture random and unimprovised moments, but if you take your time in setting up the picture it will give you professional output particularly if you're an intermediate level photographer. The camera is so nice, that at actually inspires you to take better photographs and brings out the creative artist in you.I like the look of the camera. It looks like an old Pentax or Nikon, but it IS smaller than I thought it would be.Some of the true negatives (for me).. is that they should've designed it to have the view screen a little more protected. There is virtually no way to hold this camera without leaving finger prints on the darn screen. Also, the view finder is not a true viewfinder. it is merely an extension of the view screen outside. it is very small when you look through it and it is very difficult to gauge what kind of a picture you're going to get. For me this isn't a problem since I actually like to look at the screen outside... but for those with high hopes for this feature, you will be disappointed.If you're a creative person, go get this cam. You can't live without it! The night-photography comes out BEAUTIFUL.

• Reviewed by: tlenzenh

  Strengths: Solid case, good LCD screen, uses standard size batteries, well positioned menu and other buttoms, nice design, great zoom and image stabilizer, good lens cap, fast startup, great to hold

  Weaknesses: needs the more expensive memory sticks, uses lots of battery , size (too bulky for a pocket)

  Overall: Don't have the camera very long yet but it is just great.The main thing I don't like is the size. Compared to my previous Sony DSC-P10 I can;t just slide this camera into my pocket. But hey - now I got the nice 12x zoom which kicks some butt. The image stabilizer works really well, I managed to get almost all pictures will full zoom still sharp.I like the way the camera lies in the hand - it is very nice to hold and even when just holding with your right hand - the menu and other buttons are always conveniently located and you can reach them easily.Another great feature I find is the solid case. I take my camera to most of my outdoor adventures (like mountain biking, hiking, kayaking, abseiling, etc.), so a solid design comes in handy.Even the lens cap is of good solid make. The SW that comes with the camera is crap though, better use your own picture editing SW.The battery life is not outstanding, especially when you use the LCD screen all the time. But the good thing is that you can use standard batteries (AA), so when you run out of your own rechargable ones you can at least get batteries from any shop (whereas this is not the case for any pocket size point and shoot camera).I figured the battery life can be extended A LOT by using the little viewfinder instead of the LCD screen wherever possible.All in all - I still like the small pcket cameras, but this camera is worth the hassle of carrying a larger case around with you. Surely something like 6-7 Megapixel in addition to the 12x zoom would be nice, but unless you blow up your pics really big then the 5MP are well enough. The zoom is great that you get really good quality pics.