Sony Cyber Shot Digital DSC H-5
Review - Sony may be the best prosumer digital camera producer
Jan 12, 2007
Review:
Sony 7.2 effective Megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-H5 digital camera
Cost – under $400
Release date – 2006
Right out of the box you get:
- 7.2 effective Megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-H5 digital camera, as you’d expect.
- Two NiMH rechargeable AA batteries – beware!
- Battery charger --an nice inclusion, probably there because the batteries do not last long.
- Lens cap w/retaining strap – typical and useful
- Lens hood - nice feature
- Conversion lens adapter - allows addition of other lenses – good for serious enthusiasts.
- USB cable – most cameras make you buy these separately
- A/V cable
- CD-ROM with Sony Cyber-shot Viewer
- Wrist strap
- "Read This FIrst" guide + 120 page camera manual
Some years ago, after tons of research, I bought my first serious digital camera and abandoned film ever after, one week later. The camera I chose was the Sony 707.. I loved that camera and shot more than 10K photos with it before the sensors and display croaked, as Sony's are known to do without warning.
With trepidation, I did more research, trying to avoid another Sony, because I think a camera that costs $700+ should last longer than three years. My film cameras lasted forever. I abandoned them, they didn’t dump me.
But other manufacturers just haven’t gotten the resolution, color, lens and performance Sony has, so I bought the H5 after owning a Kodak for two days, and returning the Kodak. Kodak’s refresh time is awful. Every time I tried to shoot my dog napping in the sun, he woke up and wandered off before the shutter responded.
But I digress. The Sony H5 is worthwhile - it has lots of good points and some drawbacks.
Good points:
- Enough resolution to print BIG or small and be tickled with the results.
- User friendly, mostly.
- Focus is accurate – with two modes, and requires no technical knowledge from you.
- One of the best lenses around. All glass, made by Zeiss - humongous.
- Excellent flexibility, settings and programs.
- Good performer in almost all light and allows aperture priority and manual operation.
- Acceptable to excellent recycle time, no annoying noises.
- It's big enough to feel like a camera for us traditionalists who want heft. But it isn’t heavy.
- Picture stabilization – a must.
- The included accessories are varied and valuable.
- Very little reading of manuals unless you want to, but you will want to read up on the robust features.
- Awesome display - large and clear, even in sunlight.
- 12X zoom – no other lenses required, but it is capable of accepting them with adapter, included.
- Video – clips are big and clear.
- The body styling looks professional and feels comfortable in your hand.
Bottom line is this camera takes incredible pictures…about the best there is in its class.
The not so good:
- Metal body was replaced in this H-5 incarnation with light plastic. Bad feel.
- Huge battery issue. I had to go buy top-of-the-line recharge-ables and a strong charger to get more than a few shots from a set. Seems better now.
- Sony needs a lot of help developing their technical and customer support - they will abandon you the day you make the purchase.
- Controls configured on the back are too close together. When you’re busy shooting you’ll get annoyed when you constantly trigger a button you didn’t plan on triggering. You have to think about those controls every time you shoot. Bad design. Probably the biggest complaint I have – almost a deal breaker, but that image quality….ahhhhhh.
- I worry that the doors to inner compartments are going to suffer fatigue and die early.
I try not to be technically fixated when I buy and use electronics like digital cameras. I want to enjoy the esthetics. I expect a product to do what it’s supposed to do without my needing a degree in electronics to make it work. I’m an artist, not a digi-guru. I take mug shots for various publications I write for. Put me in the serious-amateur photography class. I know what I like in a camera. I can tell good images from bad.
The Sony DSC H5 Cyber-Shot makes about as good of images as any consumer digital can. It’s reasonably priced, coming in under $400- sometimes well under that. It has a little onboard memory, but buy portable memory, like a gig-stick - and you’ll be fine. (take extra batteries with you every time!)
If you want a camera that looks professional and not more like jewelry than equipment, and you want easy, highest-quality photo files - this will do it for you.
