Customer Reviews

Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 7.2MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilization Zoom

5 star:		(80)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This is a fantastic camera. It is easy to use, and the pics are beautiful. I researched several different cameras and just sort of happened upon this one. Am I glad that I "risked" it! Since this is a new camera, there weren't many reviews. I highly recommend checking out dcresource.com['s] review; it was what ultimately swayed me.
I compared pics from the H5 to Canon's EOS REBEL XT DSLR with Lens kit, and honestly couldn't see much difference. Yes, the Rebel has less noise at higher ISO settings, but since I am mainly a hobbyist, I'd say it won't be a problem.
The Sony software isn't the world's best by any means, but the camera takes such great pics, you really don't need anything other than a photo organizer. I am truly amazed at the camera's abilities. The price is way way better than DSLRs, and for the prosumer, the H5 has just about everything you would need.

The only Cons I've come up with are:
-No RAW capabilities for the serious prosumer (I could care less, but I think my husband was a little disappointed.)
-The memory is pretty expensive, but you can catch really good deals.

So far, those are the only cons I can dredge up.

Overall, the H5 makes me feel like a much better photographer than I actually am. I am probably as close to a beginner as you can get (My last digital camera was bought in 1999). I posted some pics above, so check them out, if you want to see some examples of what the camera is capable of.

I have now had this camera for over two weeks and have already taken almost 700 pics! It has something for everyone. The color is true to life and there are no flaws in its pictures besides the occasional purple fringing in bright shots and some noise at ISO's above 400. The flash is extremely powerful and actually enhances color, not bleaching out shots or causing red eye like other cameras. You can go all of the way out to 12x zoom, and because of the image stabilization, you can still take shots without any blur. I did find that the autofocus light is intimidating to people and causes them to look away, so you should turn that off and put up with slightly slower focus speeds. Th camera fits very well in my hand, with a great rubber grip and a handy adjustment wheel below the shutter button.
When I was shopping for this camera, I had a tough time choosing between this camera and the Canon S3 IS. They are direct competitors, and I found that the only way to decide between them was to see them and actually use them at the store. Either one is a fantastic piece of hardware and the only real things that should influence your purchase are how you like the camera's feel and what kind of lcd you like. The canon has an lcd that can be positioned at any angle, which is nice, but the sony has a huge, beautiful 3 incher that is pretty much the most impressive one that I have seen on a camera. You'll get a lot of oohs and ahhs with the Sony. I ended up getting the sony because I liked the way it fitted in my hand better than the Canon. I also like to have a cooler looking camera. For additional research besides amazon reviews, I used dpreview.com and of course, cnet.com. I hope this review helped people figure out which camera they should buy.

A word about the reviewer:
I am an amateur photographer who was interested in "stepping up" from a simple point and shoot. In particular, I wanted a camera with greater than a 3X optical zoom (better for nature photography) and an above average level of resolution. My husband is a serious hobbyist - he was interested in having a backup camera, or one that could easily be taken hiking without having to bring along the LARGE dSLR and the lenses. When American Photo picked this camera as its Editor's Choice in the Superzoom EVF category we decided to check it out. I am so very glad we did. This review will focus on comments not covered by other reviewers.

CONS:
1. Short battery life
This camera comes with a set of 2 rechargable batteries. However, it will suck through them quickly; approximately 100-200 pictures. I HIGHLY suggest that you purchase an extra set of batteries and keep them charged and with you. I always have the backup set in my pocket when we head out with the camera.
2. Shutter lag
I find it difficult to take high quality action shots (e.g., kid's soccer games)with this camera due to the shutter lag. It is better than other point and shoot digitals, but not the caliber of the Nikon D100. But then again, this camera cost ~$1000 less. If you are taking landscapes, still life or portraits this is not a problem. Interestingly, has not been a problem with wildlife photorgraphy either. Go figure.

Pros:
There are too many pros to cover them all, so here is a sampling
1. 12X optical zoom
If you, like me, are moving up from the 3x optical zooms, you will NEVER go back once you try this camera. Clear, crisp photos, with the equivalent of a 432 mm focal length will change your photography world.
2. Steady Shot image stabilizer
If you want to use that 12X optical zoom without your images being blurry you will need a tripod or a camera with a superb image stablizer. The H5's image stablizer delivers very consistent, sharp images. I have attached a few images - none were taken with a tripod. Please check out the photo of a squirrel shot with full zoom and no tripod- he is crisp and sharp.
3. Relatively small size
No, you can't stick this camera in your pocket. However, it easily straps across a shoulder and only weighs a few ounces. I can hike or bike with it and not notice it. Try doing that with a bulky SLR!
4. Easy to handle
I find this camera to be very ergodynamic - it just feels right in your hand. All controls are well placed and with the "virtual dial" that appears in the view finder or monitor means you don't have to take your eye of the subject when you change settings. Futher, the settings are very intuitive and easy to learn. With this camera, I have learned how to adjust shutter speeds and apertures to improve my photographs.
5. Superb, crisp photos
This camera takes excellent photos in its point and shoot (automatic) mode, but also has several specialized modes (macro, landscape, portrait, sport, etc) to fine tune your photo quality. In addition, it is so easy to take charge of the camera in regards to shutter speed, apeture, etc, you can "dial-in" the photos even more. It's easy.

Summary: for a beginner looking to advance or the serious hobbyist, this camera is a wonder. For significantly less than the cost of a digital SLR, you can have a camera which will do ~80% of its functions. In short, this camera has helped me to become a better photographer.

There are several things I don't like about this camera, and I'll get to them in a bit. But first things first: This is the big-zoom prosumer camera to buy. Check out the photo comparisons between the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H5 and the Canon PowerShot Pro Series S3 on the net at steves-digicams. Among other things, at every ISO setting above 100, noise is noticeably worse in the Canon S3 than the Sony H-5. If image quality is your top priority, look no further than this camera. The comparison photos at steves-digicams and other sites should convince you.

I've had my Sony H-5 for three weeks. I've taken about six hundred pictures with it. And except for the strange effect of TV lights (at a televised dog show) on my Auto WB, everything about my photos--the saturation, hues, brightness, contrast, and sharpness--has been excellent. I don't even bother "cleaning them up" with Photoshop levels. They're ready for printing, slide-shows on my TV, desktops, and screen-saving just as they are, unprocessed. Even at ISO 400, noise is virtually unnoticeable when I view them on my 19-inch LCD computer monitor.

More good news... With the Sony rechargeable batteries that came with the H-5, I took over 400 throw-away pictures (I didn't count these in the 600 I mentioned before; I was trying to run-down the batteries to see how long they'd last, so I just sat and snapped pix of nothing while I watched TV). I took at least one-third of them with one flash setting or another. I finally got so fed-up with how long it was taking to wear-down the batteries that I did everything I could to speed-up the process--continuous AF, brighten the LCD screen and EVF, all photos with flash. I kept snapping pix. Then I turned-on the camera's perpetual "slide-show" and put the camera down. Forty-five minutes later the batteries finally gave out. And then for thirty bucks at Costco I bought a 15-minute rapid-charger with three pairs of batteries and a car-adapter. I don't worry about battery life.

The LCD screen on the H-5 is actually useful for framing. My old Konica Minolta DiMage Z1 had a 1.8-inch screen that I never used for picture-taking because it was so small. Now, I don't have to take all my pix with the EVF. A good thing, as I'll note later on.

The image-stabilizer has been all I could've wished for. I can consistently take crystal-clear hand-held shots at 1/40 sec. I've even taken several beauties at much lower speeds--all the way down to 1/15. This is quite a boon for someone like me who shoots on P, A, S, or M (98% P) and prefers not to use the flash for indoor photography.

I was impressed by the Sony H-5's ability to focus rather quickly in low light. (My DiMage Z1 never focussed at all in low light.) Even the H-5's manual focus, while awkward to use, was nevertheless 100% accurate.

The excellent low-light AF, the image-stabilizer, and the large LCD screen make shooting flashless indoors a pleasure and not a gamble.

Now the bad news...

Unless the lens hood is attached, the lens cap attaches to the camera body. It's a good-news/bad-news thing. The lens cap doesn't pop-off by accident--a good thing. But it causes two annoyances. First, the camera won't fully start up in capture modes with the lens cap on. Turning the camera on first is like not turning it on at all, for capture purposes, because even with the camera "on" nothing happens--no lens barrel extension, no menu--until you remove the lens cap. Second, unless you have the lens hood attached, you can't reattach the lens cap while the camera is still "on." You have to walk around with the lens exposed or turn the camera off. In a hurry, it's quicker to remove a lens cap and take a picture than it is to remove a lens cap, turn on the camera, wait a couple of seconds for start-up to be completed, and then take your picture. Tip: When you aren't taking up-close photos in macro mode, put the lens hood on and keep it on. You can attach the lens cap directly to the end of the lens hood while the camera is "on" and the lens barrel extended. This is the only way I know how to walk around with the Sony H-5 "on" and keep the lens protected.

The EVF has serious parallax (or parallax-like) error. I took a vertical photo of a lamp post in Portland's Chinatown. It looked something like a big red metallic saguaro cactus. In the EVF, I had the entire lamp post in the frame. When I got home, the top half of the lights were cut off. Tip: When you frame with this camera's EVF, give yourself more room on the margins than you'd want in your print.

The camera doesn't come with a Memory Stick Pro Duo reader that can be plugged directly into a USB port. Instead, to download pix you have to connect the camera to your computer via the provided cable, with your camera turned on--using battery power that should be saved for picture-taking.

Every prosumer camera should have a dedicated ISO button. This one doesn't. Regardless of which camera you buy, you want to take every picture on the lowest ISO setting practicable. You'll learn, with practice, the lowest shutter-speed you or AE can set which still lets you take a hand-held, jitter-free photo. (My "safe" minimum is about 1/40.) Without a dedicated ISO button, if you're at ISO 80 and you want to raise it to 100 or 200 to get a faster shutter-speed you have to go into the menu, raise the ISO setting to 100 or 200, leave the menu, push the shutter button half-way down to check the shutter-speed, and if necessary, go back into the menu and raise it to 200 or 400, etc. (Switching from P to "Auto" won't raise the shutter-speed much, if at all, so I don't waste my time with that maneuver.)

You can't review photos in capture modes. You have to exit your capture mode by pushing the "play" button. A minor inconvenience.

Bottom Line: Despite its "cons," superior image quality makes the Sony DSC-H5 the big-zoom camera of choice.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 is the largest, most expensive digital camera in its class, but it has more resolution than its competition (7.2 MP versus 6 MP for most of the others) and is ergonomically quite easy to use. The June, 2006 issue of Popular Photography has a brief, but glowing, review of this camera, praising its higher ISO limit (up to 1000 and with lower noise too apparently) and its image-stabilization feature, among the first found in a Sony digital camera. There's also an option to use the camera in macrophotography mode, focusing as close as three-quarters of an inch. Not surprisingly, the color resolution is quite good, thanks to its zoom Zeiss Vario-Tessar 36-432mm (35mm equivalent) lens.

Users may find it a bit too big, and yet the controls are ergonomically easy to handle. There's also a built-in Function Guide which will explain all of the camera's features, yet another nice feature for anyone unfamiliar with cameras or photography. If there is a serious complaint to be made of this camera aside from its large size, then it is the fact that the MemoryStick Duo/PRO card can be a bit expensive to purchase. Others familiar with both RAW and TIFF digital imaging formats may not appreciate too that this camera only offers the .JPEG format. Without a doubt, Sony and Zeiss have collaborated superbly on making a splendid digital camera with more MP resolution than its competition.

Last week I purchased Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 7.2MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilization Zoom and I feel very happy about it. Before buying the camera I read lot of reviews. In most of the reviews Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 7.2MP Digital Camera was compared with Canon PowerShot S3 IS. To get the feel of Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 and Canon PowerShot S3 IS, I drove 90 miles to the nearest Circuitcity. I made up my mind after holding both the cameras in my hand. Believe me Canon PowerShot S3 IS is no match to Sony Cybershot DSC-H5. Canon PowerShot S3 IS appears like a cheap digital camera. After receiving my Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 I tried it both indoors and in natural light. I am very impressed with the performance of Sony Cybershot DSC-H5. The best thing about the camera is the Image Stabilization and the 3 inch screen. To prevent the screen from getting any scratches I have covered it with saran wrap film. I wish Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 camera had provision for external flash. With provision for external flash, this camera would be like a professional camera. All the same I love my Sony Cybershot DSC-H5. Please click on "customer images" to checkout the pictures I took at Butchart Gardens using Sony Cybershot DSC-H5.

Could not be more pleased and excited to own this digital camera.

For the features and quality of the DSC H-5 you could not make a better investment or get anything better for your money.

Although the DSC H-5 is not a compact digital camera that can be put in your pocket, I do not find the camera to be bulky at all and find it quite easy to handle

Taking pictures with this camera takes digital photography for non professionals to a higher level. Macro images are unbelievable with this camera.

The 3" display is just awesome. Protect your investment, would recommend a "High" quality screen protector. Found one online for $20 that has a lifetime guarantee and does not peel or lift on the edges.

I did however purchase a better quality adapter ring to replace the plastic one that came with the camera since I use additional lenses and filters.

Incredible camera, you will not be disappointed.

The features combined make this camera stand out above the rest, truly offering the ease-of-use consumers expect with many of the advanced features experienced photographers demand.

The camera comes with items often sold separately by other manufacturers - lens adapter, lens hood, lens cap, camera strap, two 2500mAh rechargeable batteries, and charger. The camera uses standard AA-size batteries instead of proprietary batteries (cost more and available only from manufacturer). The manuals consist of a "Read This First" brochure and a 120-page printed owners guide. Finally, the box includes software on CD, an A/V cable for connecting to a television, and a high-speed USB 2.0 cable.

Sony did not include a memory card, opting instead for more memory (30MB usable) in the camera. But, like other cameras, plan on purchasing a memory card to hold more images. The camera accepts Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Pro Duo, and Memory Stick Pro Duo High Speed media. The high speed cards offer no speed advantage with this camera. These cards include an adapter making them compatible with virtually any card reader.

The camera is mid-sized - larger than a pocket point & shoot, smaller than a DSLR. It seems fairly well built. The plastic body is neither unusually sturdy nor overly fragile. The doors over the battery and connector compartments also seem sturdy. The buttons are reasonably well placed for such a compact camera. Some are small and recessed into the body to prevent accidental operation, but my medium-sized fingers had no trouble operating them. All in all, there is nothing outstanding, nor anything particularly worrisome, about this camera's construction.

The large, backlit, rear display is impressive. Images are sharp, while menus are easy to read. It can be difficult to see on a sunny day without shade, but the electronic viewfinder (EVF) works well in these conditions and includes everything shown on the larger display. A button switches between the EVF and rear display.

The zoom range of this camera (36-432mm) is equally impressive, with images surprisingly sharp throughout the entire zoom range. The two-stage electronic zoom mechanism is brisk, requiring some practice to get precise control. Since even the slightest movement can blur an image at the largest telephoto setting of a super-zoom camera, an optical image stabilizer is important to correct for small movements of the camera (caused by breathing, shaky hands, or whatever). The results are sharper images with the benefit of hand-holding this camera in situations where other cameras without image stabilization might produce blurred images. The IS system in this camera is among the best I've seen in this price range.

There are no surprises with picture quality. Images are sharp. Colors are accurate. Focus and exposure metering are spot on - even more so with spot metering and selectable metering zones. Lens aberrations (barrel distortion and edge blurriness) are virtually undetectable in "real-world" photos. Some image noise can be seen above ISO-400. For outstanding larger prints, I suggest staying below ISO-200 (pros will want to stay below ISO-100, just like the old days with film).

Purple fringing can be seen in some images (around street lights, for example), but nearly all cameras in this class have this problem. It is caused by the small image sensor (CCD) used in these cameras, with manufacturers trying to wrestle every drop of resolution out of the sensors. Regardless, this camera no more prone to purple fringing then other 7+ megapixel cameras in this class. In fact, the images often contain no more purple fringing than images taken with lower resolution cameras, such as the Canon S3 IS. In the end, purple fringing is really not that important - appears only in limited circumstances, often not that objectionable when present, and can be removed entirely by most image editing software.

With an ISO-100 guide number of roughly 29 (wide) - 22 (tele) feet, this camera has one of the strongest built-in flash units on the market in this camera category. Modes include off, auto, forced, slow sync, auto daylight sync, front and rear curtain sync, red-eye reduction, and manual compensation of +/- 2.0 EV in 1/3 EV steps. Recycling times appear roughly in the 8-10 second range, but the flash rarely requires full power or recycling times. The flash is powerful enough to work well with softening attachments, such as screens or socks.

The Sony 0.7x wide angle and 1.7x telephoto conversion lenses are fun to use. These screw onto the lens adapter (included) and increase zoom coverage from about 25mm to about 734mm. The high-quality optics keep images reasonably sharp throughout the entire zoom range. Lenses are also available from other manufacturers, offering even wide angle coverage (for example). The adapter also accepts standard 58mm filters, including polarizer, third-party close-up, and creative filters.

Like most digital cameras (and perhaps worse than some), the H5 goes through batteries like there is no tomorrow. So, if you plan to use that large display a lot (or the flash, or both), make sure to have plenty of spare batteries on hand. With a full day of shooting, expect to go through a set or two of rechargeable batteries. If spare batteries are limited, take steps to reduce battery drain - such as using the EVF for taking pictures, with the LCD used only for reviewing images afterwards.

I shopped carefully before buying this camera, narrowing the list down to just a few - this camera, the Canon S3 IS (6 megapixels or 1.2 million pixels less - among lowest in this camera category, poor construction including plastic tripod mount), the Fuji FinePix S9000 (larger, no image stabilization, sluggish), the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30 (larger, proprietary batteries, image noise), and the Samsung Digimax Pro 815 (no image stabilization, proprietary batteries). Even with the issues noted, any of these would still be a fine choice. But the combined features of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 ultimately make it the best choice in this camera category (compact super-zooms).

I originally bought the canon S3 and after a week with it returned it back to Circuit City. I already owned the canon S2 and saw NO real image quality difference so I decided to eat the 15% Circuit City restocking fee by returning it. I then picked up the Sony H5 and instantly fell in love. The image stabilization worked incredibly accurate and the huge LCD screen is awesome. When I got home I charged the batteries and started snapping away and "damn" can this camera really deliver some real sharp pictures. WOW... I can honestly say that for a long time now, I know I made a very wise purchase. I am so happy with my new camera.

I've been playing around with a little Kodak camera for the past three years until finally dropping it one too many times meant it's eventual demise. So I shopped around for a new digital camera, one that would take the kind of pictures that I wanted for all of the situations that I find myself in.

I take a lot of pictures of parties with very low lighting, and I don't really care for flashed out pictures. So I was looking for a camera that would be able to capture the mood of what was going on without a flash. So far with the test pictures that I've taken with this over the past week, I'm very pleased with the outcome. I can get it to see exactly what I'm seeing with very little light. It's even possible to brighten the image without a flash. I'm able to tweak everything I need to and it feels just like my old manual SLR... only in the digital form, I'm able to see exactly what my tweaking has done quickly.

So far the camera has been sturdy, it's taken a nice little drop down a concrete staircase... I don't plan on letting that happen again... but it survived. I don't recommend testing this out yourself either. I might've been lucky. It's also a lot smaller and lighter than I expected.

The movie mode wasn't needed for me to be happy with this camera... I don't expect a camera to pull off camcorder quality, but this one does just that in this area to. It takes just as good or better video with the same features as my old digital camcorder that I bought for $500 a year ago.

All of the extra accessories that came with the camera are a nice addition. The battery charger was a real surpise, and has come in handy. I drain the batteries provided every day, so I charge them up at night. And of course the shoulder strap and lens cap are things no camera should be without, and Sony provides this for you.

The zoom is great too. I was able to stand in my backyard and zoom in on my neighbors goats five acres away with perfect quality. Which I guess is great if I feel like goat watching or something, I don't know.

I'm putting up some of my test pictures so you can see what this camera can do with very low light.

I'm happy with this camera, and I see no reason why anyone else wouldn't be.