Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H50

Latest - Review by CNET (added 03 September’08)

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H50 features:

• 9.1 megapixel
• 15x optical zoom
• 3 inch LCD
• Optical image stabilization
• Dynamic range optimization
• ISO 80 - 3200

Overall Rating:  Loading ...   |   Trend:

Reviewers Conclusions & Verdicts - (updated 03 September’08)

StevesDigicams
“The performance from the camera is very good and the new Advanced Sports shooting mode with a shutter speed of up to 1/4000 of a second, guarantees that the camera is fast enough for almost any situation.”
   Overall, Review was Favorable:

DigitalCameraReview has reviewed the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H50 and they write -
“Good color and image quality, good shutter response, and more features than you can shake a stick at combine with typical ISO noise performance to produce a camera that a full auto user can take up with confidence.”
   Overall, Review was Favorable:

CNET.co.uk has reviewed the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H50 and they write -
“Proprietary formats and connections are never a good start, but even with this handicap, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H50 won us over. There’s a wealth of features in the sturdy body, all of which can be tweaked. Images look great and even the gimmicky additions like nightshot kept us entertained.”
Rating:

TrustedReviews has reviewed the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H50 and they write -
“On paper the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H50 looks promising. It’s got good resolution, a long lens and a really nice LCD. The viewfinder is better than most and the high ISO and fast shutter are eye grabbing. Its feature list is impressive too with pretty much every headline making technology included.”
Rating:

ConsumersElectronicsNet has reviewed the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H50 and they write -
“The image quality from this camera is terrific, that’s the main thing I’d like to point out, but I’d still love to see a choice of shooting RAW mode. I loved the giant sized LCD finder that pivots out from the back of the camera, and even with its quirks, I liked the electronic view finder too.”
   Overall, Review was Favorable:

ImagingResource has reviewed the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H50 and they write -
“But there was one flaw that makes using the camera in the field very difficult, particularly since there’s no way around it for setting essential camera options like EV compensation. That’s the Wheel Dial. I found it impossible to navigate to options, select them, and change their values without accidentally leaving the menu altogether.”
   Overall, Review was UnFavorable:

PhotographyBlog has reviewed the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H50 and they write -
“As we noted earlier, the H50’s image quality is better than expected, and if its images don’t quite sing like those from a DSLR with a subject dedicated lens attached, they’re nevertheless reassuringly sharp and colorful even at the default settings, with the ability to adjust these parameters either way to suit personal taste.”
Rating:

PCWorld has reviewed the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H50 and they write -
“Overall, I did like the DSC-H50, especially the 15X lens and the tilting LCD. Eliminate the glitches (or ignore them), and you have a fierce little camera for a reasonable price (about $350 at the time of writing).”
Rating:

Actual Owner Feedback

“This camera is awesome!! i am so thrilled with it so far and i still have lots to learn.The Auto button gave me great prof/quality like pictures…and the family responded the same way to the pics i sent.”
Portion of user comment on Amazon.com

“I got this camera shortly after it became available and have been fairly happy with it. I don’t know of any other camera that has the combination of features this one has, especially at this price. The large, tiltable screen and the nightshot feature makes this camera extremely versatile.”
Portion of user comment on Amazon.com

“I bought this camera from a local camera shop (for more than I could have purchased it at Amazon…darn!), and it is wonderful. I purchased it after lugging my beloved Nikon SLR around Paris, Barcelona and London this past year.”
Portion of user comment on Amazon.com

“PROS: I’ve taken lots of pictures in all modes, including night… The smile shutter feature is just fun, creative and amazing, my children love it. It also has a remote control, you can even create smiles with it’s on-camera editing options.”
Portion of user comment on Amazon.com

Sample Photos

[Sample Photos by StevesDigicams]
[Sample Photos at TrustedReviews]
[Sample Photos at ImagingResource]
[Sample Photos at PhotographyBlog]

Specifications

[Official Sony Specifications]

Press Excerpt

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 25, 2008 – Sony today announced the latest addition to its high-zoom camera line, the 9.1-megapixel Cyber-shot® DSC-H50 digital camera. It is the ideal choice for people looking for high zoom, high-resolution and speed.

This new model utilizes a powerful Carl Zeiss® 15x optical zoom lens with Super SteadyShot® optical image stabilization to capture action at a distance. One of the main lens elements is manufactured from super low-dispersion glass, which helps it produce more exact point-to-point correspondence between an object and its image. The lens yields sharp, high-contrast images and reduces color fringing, even when shooting in telephoto ranges.

The camera also features a large, 3-inch tilting LCD screen so you can shoot comfortably from nearly any position, at low and high angles. Its scratch-resistant, UV hard-coat finish adds a premium look and feel that mirrors the performance of the model.

Improved Advanced Sports Shooting Mode Its improved “advanced sports” shooting mode now employs a system to apply higher shutter speeds, up to 1/4000 of a second, more frequently than on previous models. This mode combines high shutter speeds with predictive continuous auto-focusing so you can quickly focus and capture fast-moving subjects with minimal shutter lag basically the time it takes for the camera to focus and shoot.

Sophisticated Operation The camera’s versatile, long-distance flash is powerful enough to illuminate subjects more than 55 feet away (when using ISO 3200, wide angle).

Noise reduction is now a user-selectable option, with high, low and standard settings, for greater control over the final look of images. For example, a high setting used for portraits or night scenes can help produce smoothly textured images with reduced noise.

The unit features extensive manual controls, including an exposure bracketing mode that newly includes settings for white balance and color modes. This function records three images, each with a different white balance or color mode applied, to help capture the ambience of the original scene.

Smart Technology to Capture Better Photos Automatically The camera also incorporates intelligent features that help you take better pictures more easily. They include improved smile shutter and face detection technologies with child or adult priority recognition, as well as, intelligent scene recognition with standard and advanced modes to analyze shooting conditions and select the optimal setting automatically.

Other helpful features include a new D-Range Optimizer (DRO) plus mode that applies a high image correction algorithm to retrieve more picture detail in bright highlights and dark shadows; NightShot® technology to help capture photos in virtually no light as well as infrared remote access; five color modes including “real” for less in-camera processing and more faithful color reproduction; in-camera editing features; advanced in-camera image management functions; improved slide show functions with longer music files; and HD component output for viewing photos on a compatible HDTV set.

Pricing and Availability The H50 model will soon sit at the top of the Cyber-shot high zoom line. It will ship in May for about $400 with a full line of accessory options. All can be purchased online at www.sonystyle.com, at Sony Style® retail stores, at military base exchanges and at authorized dealers nationwide.