Until the release of Sony's first digital SLR (Alpha A100) this past summer, the 7.2-Megapixel Cybershot DSC-H5 was Sony's most advanced digital camera. For a non-SLR, the Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 is capable of producing impressive well-balanced images. According to Sony, the camera's "advanced Super HAD (Hole Accumulated Diode) CCD design allows more light to pass to each pixel, increasing sensitivity and reducing noise." This allows ISO sensitivity as high as 1000 with relatively little noise.

The Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 was build for the demanding everyday photographer not quite ready make the transition (or pay $500+) to dSLR cameras. As such the Cybershot oozes with simplicity, style, and user-friendly features. Most digital camera owners will be very pleased with the DSC-H5's Carl Zeiss 12x optical zoom and 2x dgital zoom lens. With Sony's Smart Zoom feature it is possible to further magnify your subject to 16x (5MP), 18x (3MP), and even 57x (VGA), though image quality will of course be effected. Image distortion, however, is kept at a minimum by automatic cropping of the central part of the scene.
Another very likeable feature on the Cybershot DSC-H5 is the Super SteadyShot® Optical Image Stabilization system. Throughout the camera are optical sensors that detect camera movement and rely such information to a stabilization lens. The result is less distortion due to natural camera shake, even when shooting long distance.

The camera's LCD is quite large at 3-inches, making it very easy to compose shots and review photos. The LCD display is designed according to Sony's Clear Photo LCD Plus, which reduces reflection and glare off the LCD surface. Even under bright, sunny conditions, the display should be easy to view at nearly any angle.

Users can take more control over their photos by setting Color Mode (Standard, Vivid, Natural, Sepia, or Monochrome), adjusting brightness (including EV compensation), and selecting the size and quality of the images. You can also adjust shutter speed for different exposure effects. Through the camera's menu you can access a user-friendly function guide with texts and icons explaining the camera's features and how to adjust them for particular situations.

Key Features

• 7.2-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 15 x 20-inch prints
• 3.0-inch LCD display; 12x Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization
• High Sensitivity Mode (ISO 1000) lets you shoot without flash in low-light conditions
• Capture VGA (640 x 480) audio-video clips at up to 30 frames per second
• Stores images on Memory Stick Duo or Memory Stick Duo PRO media only

Specifications