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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 Digital Camera - Black (7.2MP, 12x Opt, 32MB Internal Memory, Memory Stick Pro/ Memory Stick Pro Duo)

78

Good
  • Pros
  • Large 3-inch LCD
  • 12X zoom and image stabilization
  • Cons
  • Distortion in images

User Reviews for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 Digital Camera - Black (7.2MP, 12x Opt, 32MB Internal Memory, Memory Stick Pro/ Memory Stick Pro Duo)

  • Reviewed by: Whizbang2k

    Duration of ownership: 6 Months

    Strengths: HUGE photos, 7.1 megapixels, great zoom, very user friendly, large LCD screen (great for a sunny day). Photos come out looking fantastic, lens is superior, very light weight. ALLOWS FOR VIDEO --> works fantastic. Allows for other lenses and filter to be attached.

    Weaknesses: JPEG format, auto focus works poorly in conjunction with zoom and microshot (flower)... good thing this camera allows for manual focus, poor battery life.

    Overall Evaluation: Overall, I am very happy with this camera. I have taken over 5000 shots with this camera and have been pleased with the outcome. I had thought at one point in time that I was going to go for an SLR-D, but found that this camera meets, and excedes my camera needs. I must admit though, that I am not too happy with the JPEG format. It certainly would be nice if Sony would think about a lossless format option... that way there is very little chance for photo distortion.

  • Reviewed by: charles15214a

    Duration of ownership: 2 Months

    Strengths: I found this camera was very easy to use right from the beginning, easy for any novice to start with. also the "User Guide" was real easy to understand..

    Weaknesses: The batteries don`t seem to last very long, you might want to pick up a second set....

    Overall Evaluation: I was very pleased with all this camera had to offer, ease of use, dual veiw finders, and it comes with a cyber shot viewing software, also very easy to use..

  • Reviewed by: CameraNut2

    Duration of ownership:

    Strengths: Image Stabilization, Zoom capability, ease of use, size, picture quality, speed

    Weaknesses: controls a bit too close together, some very, very slight purple fringing with lighter telephoto shots

    Overall Evaluation: This is one great camera. I've taken over a thousand shots so far and I would give the H5 a 98 out of a possible 100. It is actually difficult coming up with anything negative to say about this camera. I was given this camera as a gift and also own a Canon Powershot Pro. The quality of the pics I get from the H5 are absolutely outstanding and I would rate them superior to the Powershot every time. Don't get me wrong, the Powershot is an excellent camera but the H5 is without a doubt better.

  • Reviewed by: icboone

    Duration of ownership:

    Strengths: 12x zoom, works well in low light (might need to manual set), great presets for point and shoot, the anti-shake feature is a must have, takes great sport pictures, and the colors are awsome.

    Weaknesses: Size (Has to be with the 12x opt). The is a must get camera.

    Overall Evaluation: I had a olympus 500uz for about 1 year and it is a good camera. The major problems were: it never worked in low light (Blured pics) because of very bad ISO speeds, not a point and shot camera (My wife never touched it), it never saved presets and the flash was useless. It had 10x opt zoom with 24 presets with only ISO from 100-400. It broke and I went looking for another model. The DSLR I want is over $4,000 and that would just be the start. Last year, when I was searching for the best camera I was always giving up something. For example, might of had great zoom, but ISO speed sucked. Not with this camera! I decided to go with the sony DSC-H5 and for $315 (10% customer coupon) from best buy and I am blown away. At first I was looking between the Canon S3, Sony DSC-H2 ($125 less than DSC-H5 before the sale). The S3 and DSC-H5 were $500 and they dropped both to $357 (DSC-H2 $379). The sony is a great camera and check out some of the shots I took in my backyard. If you need and can budget for this camera, GO BUY IT NOW!!! Also, my wife has fallen in love with this point and shoot camera (I still can play with it manually) and with a 2G card you get 1:35min. of video (Good quality). Leave the camcorder at home.

  • Reviewed by: walterjlee

    Duration of ownership:

    Strengths: Easy to get started taking photos. Easy to use camera functions. Easy to see LCD screen. Printing from the camera is a snap. Great pictures!

    Weaknesses: Unable to use camera functions while it is sending photos for printing. Need to purchase a memory stick for practicality.

    Overall Evaluation: I really do love this camera! It's the first digital camera I've owned. The first time I took it out, I got some great action pictures of a soccer game. I love the zoom and trimming features. I bought this camera to take photos for scrapbooking and it works really well. I was a little intimidated by digital cameras, but this one is so easy to use I feel I really got my money's worth!

  • Reviewed by: Slava Lovkiy

    Duration of ownership:

    Strengths: 1. huge 12x Zoom 2. large 3" LCD 3. 7.2 Megapixles 4. nice price for all above

    Weaknesses: 1. Takes time to get used to control elements 2. Noticeable noise at higher ISO when shooting w/o flash 3. Lacks of hot shoe

    Overall Evaluation: It is been a while prior I decided to buy this camera few weeks ago. I was looking for an average pre-SLR digital camera on a budget under $500. As more I read about Sony H2/H5 on the Internet more I liked to buy this camera. Sony DSC-H5 met all criteria I?d set up to my future camera: - not expensive; - good resolution to keep more details; - high zoom to shoot farther;- image stabilization and high ISO for capture dark scenes.This is my second camera after Olympus Stylus/Mju 400 which I used for about 2 years, shooting average quality pictures and mostly using it as a starter camera. With Sony DSC-H5 as a pre-SLR camera I want to level up my experience with digital photography and at the same time save money before trying professional, high-end SLR cameras. After making a first dozen of pictures with this camera I found my self that I really like it. Images were perfect during daylight shooting outdoor. And what I like most of all, finally I was able to get sharp enough pictures in darkened indoor, which was hassle to do with Olympus Styles 400 camera. I really mad of 12x zoom, which in combination with image stabilization allow me to shoot sights from far distance, especially when you cannot reach the object due to natural obstacles on it way(in my case it was Statue of Liberty in Hudson River, New York).That fact, that you need only 2 AA batteries to run Sony DCS-H5, makes camera one of most light weighted SLR-style cameras. This will really save your more space in your camera bag and make it easy to carry. Sure, this camera won?t slip into your pocked, but it will not make your pant after a while on your sightseeing tour. At the same time, I found this camera comfortable in my hands, not cheep plastic toy, but a solid camera with a good balance.For those who don?t want or don?t have enough money to buy SLR camera, I would definitely recommend to buy Sony H5, as it?s really a good purchase in terms of price/quality, worth every penny.

  • Reviewed by: runnar

    Duration of ownership:

    Strengths: Manual settings,Image stabilization,Carl Ziess lens and Battery life

    Weaknesses: The body of the camera is huge

    Overall Evaluation: i think this camera fits with everything and can be used for several purpose.the lens enables you to get a great fun.also the manual settings cannot be compared with other digital cameras..

What You Should Know about the Cyber-shot DSC-H5 Digital Camera - Black (7.2MP, 12x Opt, 32MB Internal Memory, Memory Stick Pro/ Memory Stick Pro Duo)

Larger-Than-Average Optical Zoom Range

The optical zoom range on this camera is sufficiently broad to give you considerable creative control. Your options extend from individual portraits to group shots to wide-angle landscapes. Most point-and-shoots offer a focal length range that’s roughly equivalent to 35mm to 105mm on a 35mm film camera. At the wide end (the 35mm, in this case), they shoot a bit wider than what you see with your eye. At the telephoto end (the 105mm, in this case), they can zoom in a good deal closer than you’d be able to with the naked eye.

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