Digital Camera Fiend - A Camera Review

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC H5 is “the rarest of beasts,” says dpreview. “[It’s] a compact camera with handling and control close to a DSLR.” It’s recommended to both beginners and experienced photographers.

Why? It’s fun and easy to use and even left in it’s fully automated “idiot-proof” mode, it will consistently product quality photos. And there’s enough manual control to keep an experienced photographer interested.
The H5 was released in July 2006 and updates Sony’s very popular H2 model. The two cameras are nearly identical but the H5 costs about $100 more because of some of the fancy extras like an increased LCD screen (3 inches!) and seven megapixel resolution (compared to the H2’s six megapixel resolution).

The Good Stuff The Cybershot H5 has a 12x zoom which produces excellent 36-432mm shots, an accurate and fast focus (in bright light), excellent resolution and detail, a powerful flash, and a large, bright, contrasty screen that can even be seen in bright light.

Not so Good The camera has a bit of trouble focusing at the long end of the zoom especially in low light. The viewfinder is quite small (no doubt to make room for that 3-inch LCD screen), and it could maybe do with a bit of a higher top shutter speed.

But overall this camera comes highly recommended by many reviewers.

Update Sony just announced that it will be introducing a few new Cybershot H-models  in the coming months: the Cybershot H7 and the Cybershot H9. These big boys top the H5 with 15x stabilized zoom, eight megapixel resoltuion, and a few other goodies.