Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H1 review

Verdict:

Review Date: 24 Oct 2005

Price when reviewed: inc VAT

Reviewed By: David McKinnon

Our Rating 4 stars out of 5

Review
Specs

The large barrel that protrudes from the front of Sony's Cyber-shot DCS-H1 camera houses a bright, image-stabilised 12x zoom lens.

This gives it a zoom range equivalent to between 36mm and 432mm in a 35mm camera, which is more than enough to take you right into the middle of the action. An image-stabilising mechanism in the H1 enables you to shoot at full zoom without a tripod, although it's not as effective as similar systems fitted to Canon's S2 IS and Panasonic's FZ5 cameras.

Build quality is high, and the H1 feels like a far more expensive camera. It's heavy, but the chunky grip and well-placed shutter button make the H1 comfortable to use, although the zoom rocker is a little small. Most of the back is occupied by the 2" screen, but you may find the comfortable LCD viewfinder more natural to use for framing your shots. This camera has more buttons than most, but it's easy to use thanks to an effective and easily navigable menu system. The H1 comes with two rechargeable AA batteries. These will last for about 320 shots between charges if you use the LCD viewfinder, or 290 using the screen.

At 5-megapixels, the sensor fitted in the H1 is typical of an ultra-zoom digital camera. It records photos at a maximum resolution of 2,592x1,944, providing enough detail for 6x8" prints. The H1 takes warm, rich and precise photos, with little purple fringing. Colours are accurate, although we found that reds were a little over-saturated and the overall level of sharpening was a bit harsh. Thankfully saturation, contrast and sharpening can be tailored on the camera.

The H1 is a fine camera and it won't disappoint. Unfortunately, this is a crowded field, and we found both Canon's S2 IS and Panasonic's FZ5 to be slightly better.

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