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  • Physical Tour

  • Components

  • Design/Layout

  • Modes

  • Control Options

  • Image Parameters

  • Connectivity/Extras

  • Overall Impressions

  • Conclusion

  • Specs

  • Photo Gallery

  • Physical Tour
  • Components
  • Design/Layout
  • Modes
  • Control Options
  • Image Parameters
  • Connectivity/Extras
  • Overall Impressions
  • Conclusion
  • Specs
  • Photo Gallery

Physical Tour

 **Back**The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 has a funny look from the back. The camera’s shape is different than most SLR-like models with its tall and very boxy viewfinder and rounded barrel-like left edge. The LCD screen takes up most of the space on the back. The Sony logo graces the bottom of the 3-inch screen, and the monitor separates from the body and can flip up or down. Above the left side of the LCD is the tall viewfinder. To its right are the EVF/LCD and playback buttons. To the right of the LCD screen is a host of controls. At the top of this space is a sunglasses-shaped zoom control with "W" on the left and "T" on the right. Below is a circular Menu button that matches another Home button that is below the multi-selector. Indeed, the two buttons are separated by a large control that consists of a traditional multi-selector surrounded by a control wheel. The multi-selector has functions on each of its sides, and a central button to make actual selections. The control wheel around the edge isn’t ribbed like a mode dial, but it has long bumps on its edges to enhance grip. 

 **Left Side **The left side of the camera hardly looks like a camera. It is very boxy and very thick. The camera body is very wide and curved as if the lens barrel extends straight to the very back of the H9. The chrome-colored lens protrudes from the front and is labeled "15x Optical Zoom" on its side. Behind that label is more evidence of Sony’s branding strategy since the Cyber-shot logo appears here. Behind this is a vertical switch labeled "NightShot" to turn on and off the infrared technology. Above the logo and switch is a neck strap eyelet that looks similar to a flattened bull ring. On the back of the left side, the separate LCD monitor can be seen split from the rest of the body. Above it is the overhanging electronic viewfinder with the circular diopter adjustment in plain view on this side. At the very base of the left side is a tiny plastic panel with a rubber connector; it is unlabeled and barely noticeable, but it covers the USB jack. 

 **Right Side **The right side is where the hand grips the camera, and Sony built the H9 with a wide SLR-like grip. It has textured rubber material that wraps around it and a cradle near the top for a finger grip. At the top of the right side is a neck strap eyelet, and near the bottom is a rubber cover to the power adaptor jack. 

 **Top **The top has very distinct sections that don’t meld together as nicely as on other digital cameras. The left side of the top is the bumpiest with the large lens barrel and the tube-like viewfinder looming over it. On the right side of the top is the hand grip with all of its cluttered controls. The tip of the hand grip has a chrome shutter release button. Behind it are two smaller buttons: metering on the left and burst on the right. The mode dial resides at the back of this section. It is crammed with icons of exposure modes. Between the left and right sections is a space of camera body with only two features: the power button and the microphone. 

 **Bottom**The bottom of the Sony H9 has a chunky look with the pronounced hand grip and humongous lens. The battery and memory card compartment is located below the hand grip on the left. The tripod socket is located in the middle. There is a rubber pad at the bottom of the lens, and this cushions the lens if set down on a table or other flat surface. 

 

Components

 **Viewfinder **

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 has an electronic color viewfinder that has a 0.2-inch window surrounded by a hard plastic eyecup. There isn’t anything to cushion the face and the tilting LCD screen is a much more tempting feature, so the viewfinder may not get much use. It would be good when shooting in the sunny outdoors or in other harsh lighting when the LCD may be too hard to see. The viewfinder has 201,000 pixels, which is great resolution and gives smooth edges to subjects. The frame rate of the live preview isn’t as smooth; it looks a little choppy. For photographers that wear eyeglasses, they can customize the glass to fit their prescriptions. A plastic diopter dial sits on the left side of the viewfinder and is set a bit too far into the camera body. This makes it difficult to turn, but users won’t need to access this often unless their eyesight is really going downhill fast. The dial doesn’t click into place, but it has a fluid movement that goes from very blurry to very sharp instead. The range looked wide to me and my 20/20 eyes. The Sony H9 has an EVF/LCD button to the lower right of the viewfinder. This changes the view from the LCD monitor to the viewfinder and vice versa. The view is exactly the same and 100 percent accurate, which is better than dicey optical viewfinders on other models. **LCD Screen **

One of the most distinctive features on the Sony H9 is the 3-inch Clear Photo LCD screen that folds out from the body and also tilts. Users must pry open the bottom portion of the screen first, and it requires a lot of force. Next, the top of the LCD can be pulled out. From here, the LCD can be pulled straight out and then tilted up or down 180 degrees. This allows photographers to shoot from above or below the screen and still get a nice big preview. A remote control comes with the H9 too, so users could potentially attach the camera on a tall tripod, tilt the screen down so it’s in view, and go sit on the couch and snap photos. Although, I’m sure there are other useful applications for this. However, the screen does not tilt from side to side like Canon’s vari-angle LCD monitors. Despite the fact that the LCD tilts for a better view, the screen itself still has a wide viewing angle. Even if you don’t tilt it, you can still see what’s going on. Surprisingly, the LCD can be viewed from almost any angle: up and down and side to side. All around, the view looks great especially with the 230,000 pixels of resolution. The information on the display can be changed via the top of the LCD screen. Info can appear or disappear, and a histogram can be viewed as well. The 3-inch screen is one of the features that the cheaper Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H7 does not have. Instead, it has a 2.5-inch LCD with 115,000 pixels. Not only is it smaller and has less resolution, but it doesn’t fold out and tilt. The Sony H9’s LCD screen sounds perfect – and it almost is. Its only drawback was its attraction to grease. The screen seemed to soak up every finger print, which would then gleam in the lights and obstruct the view a bit. **Flash **

The built-in flash unit on the Cyber-shot H9 automatically pops up when needed. The flash mode can be determined by pushing the right side of the multi-selector. The preproduction model at the show didn’t have labels on its selector, but they are present in press photos and it is expected that the final product will be properly labeled. The following modes are available from this control: Off, Auto, On, and On with Slow Sync. An explanation appears when the modes are cycled through. For instance, the Slow Sync mode is described as "keep subjects and distant backgrounds bright." In the recording menu, there is also a red-eye reduction mode that can be turned on and off. I couldn’t tell how even the flash was in the convention center, but I could tell that it was powerful. It illuminated people 20 ft away. The specs are not available regarding its reach, but this flash looks good. There is a flash adjustment on a +/- 2 scale that can be changed in the recording menu, and the flash sync can be set to the front or rear curtain in the setup menu. Colors don’t wash out and details remain on subjects. The pop-up flash is located directly above the lens, which is the ideal placement. Overall, the H9’s flash looks good. The flash itself is impressive because of its power and ability to keep detail in images. **Zoom Lens**The 15x optical zoom lens is what qualifies the Sony H9 as a legitimate ultra-zoom digital camera. The Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens is solidly built from 13 elements in 8 groups including 4 aspheric elements and an ED lens to minimize distortion. It measures 5.2-78mm, equivalent to 31-465mm in 35mm format. To move through this wide range, users can push the sunglasses-shaped plastic zoom control at the upper right corner of the back. The left half zooms out and the right half zooms in. The control itself is cheap feeling, and a metal control or at least a smoother plastic would have been nice. It is a little finicky; by tapping a side very lightly, I could zoom in and out to 16 different stops. That was at its best though, and it didn’t take much to jump a few focal lengths and get only 10 stops in the range. When zooming in and out, a horizontal bar appeared at the upper left corner of the preview with a dot representing the currently selected focal length within the entire zoom range and an equivalent zoom power: for example, "1.8x." When the lens moved, it made a tiny electronic noise that reminded me of the steady sound of fishing line being pulled from the reel. The optical zoom is functional in the movie mode, but the convention center was too noisy to hear that electronic noise. If it’s there, it’s on the quiet side. If that isn’t enough zoom, there is some digital zoom available. There is 2x precision digital zoom, which degrades the image quality quickly. There is also Sony’s smart zoom that zooms on the image sensor and shrinks the image size to digitally zoom without deteriorating the quality. The specs also indicate that the camera can zoom up to 25x with a HD digital zoom feature, but that was not found on the preproduction model. Like the other ultra-zoom Cyber-shots, the H9 has Sony’s Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization system. It works while shooting video and pictures – and it works noticeably well. It can only be turned on and off in the movie mode, but it has two modes when shooting still images: continuous and shooting only. The latter option saves some battery power by only activating when recording instead of during the live preview too. Of note are a few accessories that come with the camera. A lens cap, strap, flower lens hood, and adapter ring are included in the package. The adapter ring allows wide and tele-converter lenses to be added. All in all, the 15x optical zoom lens works well with its long range and effective image stabilization system.** **

Design/Layout

 **Model Design / Appearance**Previous H-series digital cameras came in silver or black colors, but the new H9 and H7 come only in black. The two cameras look nearly identical, with the only noticeable difference being the larger folding LCD screen on the flagship H9. The SLR-like Sony H9 has a look reminiscent of the late Konica-Minolta digital cameras, most likely because Sony bought their technology when they went under. Konica-Minolta’s legacy can be seen in the rounded and large-barreled left side, in the distinctively chunky body shape, and in the pronounced hand grip. The Sony H9 looks a little better than its Konica-Minolta relatives ever did, but that’s not saying much. The H9 leaves the looks up to Sony’s T-series and goes straight for functionality instead. **Size / Portability**The Sony’s specs didn’t indicate the size of the Sony H9, but it wanders in the realm between SLRs and compacts. The ultra-zoom digital camera measures around 4.2 x 3.5 x 3.2 inches – judging from the outlines I drew of it compared to a 4 x 6-inch photo (so this is my best guess without a ruler). The H9 isn’t heavy, probably because of the plastic material of the camera body. There are strap eyelets on each side of the camera, but they aren’t positioned straight across. This is also a legacy from Konica-Minolta cameras – but this legacy should have died with the company. It doesn’t allow the neck strap to hang straight down. The SLR-shaped Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 isn’t enormous, but it will still require a camera bag. **Handling Ability**The Sony H9 has a sturdy plastic housing that is comfortable to grip. There is rubber material that wraps around the hand grip, and there is even a cradle in the material where the middle finger handles the camera. The left side of the H9 is curved and encourages a proper left hand grip around the base of the enormous lens. Handling the Sony H9 feels good since it isn’t too heavy and has comfortable features. **Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size **

All of the buttons are properly sized and placed, and in the end, it should all be labeled well. For now, the preproduction model lacks labels on the multi-selector. There is an interesting control wheel that is similar to the rotary dial on Canon DSLRs and some Nikon compact digital cameras. The H9’s control wheel works together with the Set button in the center of the multi-selector to adjust manual controls like ISO, aperture, shutter speed, and auto focus mode. In the playback mode, the wheel navigates through large numbers of image files. It isn’t as flawless as the wheels on other cameras though; the Sony H9 has a distinct delay that is exaggerated the faster it is turned. If you’ve ever had a slow internet connection and clicked the "back" button a few times, not gone anywhere for a few seconds, then all of a sudden caught up and ended six pages back from where you wanted – then you get the feel of this control in the playback mode. The processing delay is the disappointment here, but the control feels pretty good though. The control wheel isn’t implemented like similar controls on Canons and Nikons in that the Sony’s wheel doesn’t scroll through menu items. It only moves through manual controls on the LCD screen and pictures in the playback mode. My only complaints in this area are with the playback button that is set too far into the camera body and is uncomfortable to push, and the plastic zoom control that feels cheap and uncomfortable. **Menu**The menu system has been completely redone on the Sony H9. Some aspects are better and some are worse than predecessors’ menus. The text font is larger, more attractive, and more readable. However, there aren’t many live views and there are so many different menus that it’s nearly impossible to remember where everything is placed. The following is the recording menu, which is the most intuitive one on the camera.

The menu from this setup portal is as follows.

Here comes the confusing part. There is another setup menu. It is located in a whole series of menus found by pushing the Home button, which is a brand new concept for digital cameras. Pushing the Home button makes a menu appear with the following options: Shooting, View Images, Printing, Manage Memory, and Settings. The Settings portion of this menu has four sub-menus: Main Settings, Shooting Settings, Clock Settings, and Language Settings. Here are the options.   The Home menu’s shooting sub-menu is the same one that appears when the Menu button is pushed in a recording mode, and it’s a different way to get to the same spot. The View Images portion acts as a playback mode and allows users to view single images or screens of 6 or 25 pictures at a time. There is also an elaborate slide show menu from this sub-sub-sub-category (translation: nearly impossible to find). The menu will be displayed in the playback mode portion of this review, but the main point from all this wordy madness is that the menus in the H9 are a bit too much. There are menus within menus within menus, and even though the font is nice and readable, it doesn’t make it any easier to find certain settings. **Ease of Use **The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 makes a few attempts at ease of use but doesn’t quite hit it on the head. It is easy to handle physically, and the auto mode is easy to use as all auto modes are. The menu system is confusing though because some options are found in two different places – and there are menus buried within other menus. Sony tried a new concept on this model with the inclusion of a Home button which is similar to a Start menu on a computer with Windows. There is a link to almost all the menus from the Home button’s menu. This is a computer-like interface that has potential, but it doesn’t quite succeed in terms of ease of use on the H9. 

Modes

 **Auto Mode The auto mode is labeled on the mode dial in green, while all the other modes are labeled in black. This makes it easier to find the auto mode, and that is good because the mode dial is quite cluttered. The recording menu is accessible from the auto mode, but it is a little different from the menu that appears in the manual exposure modes. Some options like white balance are left out, but there is the addition of Sony’s new face detection auto focus mode. The functions on the multi-selector can be accessed: self-timer, flash, macro, and display options can be changed. The selector wasn’t labeled on the preproduction model I looked at, but the functions still worked and the labels will be added on the final product. Movie Mode**The Sony H9 comes with a standard movie mode. It doesn’t have any fancy widescreen videos, and even requires users to purchase a Memory Stick Duo Pro card to record video at the standard 30 fps frame rate. Otherwise, video can only be shot at 16.6 fps. Sony tailored the H9 towards families and consumers who shoot sporting events and other activities that require speed and lots of zoom. The 15x optical zoom is also functional in the movie mode even when the mono audio is recording. The H9’s competitor, the Olympus SP-550UZ, has an 18x optical zoom lens that is functional in its movie mode – but only when the audio is turned off. The tradeoff between sound and zoom is unfortunate, and one that Sony users won’t have to make. The Sony H9’s optical zoom is very fluid in the movie mode, even more than when shooting still images. The movie mode’s menu describes some of its features.

The smallest resolution records at 8.3 fps, so it is very choppy, but its advantage is that it emails quicker than the other sizes. The optical image stabilization system works well and is a necessity for any movies that use the telephoto side of the optical zoom. Monaural audio can be captured within close range, about 6 ft, and it even sounds good when played back in the camera. Voices were picked up clearly and distinct from the constant drone of background noise at the convention center where the H9 was reviewed. The Sony H9 can’t record HD or widescreen movies, but it does a great job of recording standard television-quality video. The optical zoom is functional, shakes are minimal with the stabilization system, and the audio sounds good. Video can be recorded up to the capacity of the memory card, which Sony says maxes out at 8 GB. **Drive / Burst Mode**The burst mode has its own button behind the shutter release atop the camera. This cycles through these settings: Single, Continuous, +/- 0.3, +/- 0.7, and +/- 1.0. The continuous burst mode snaps 2.2 fps at any resolution. Specs state the burst can last for a hundred shots. That sounds accurate; I snapped 66 pictures at full res to fill my memory card. Of note in this section is the self-timer, which can be set to delay for 2 or 10 seconds with a push of the bottom of the multi-selector. **Playback Mode **The playback mode is activated by a button to the right of the viewfinder on the back of the camera. The button is set too far into the body, so it isn’t very comfortable to push. Single images can be viewed or index screens can be viewed with 6 or 25 pictures per screen. The index screen can be viewed by pushing the "W" end of the zoom control or entering the View Images portion of the Home menu. Slide shows can also be viewed from here. The following is the playback menu that includes the extensive options from the slide show mode.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 supports HD (1080i) output so users can view high-definition slide shows on their HDTVs. While the camera is compatible with HD viewing, it doesn’t come with a cable. The optional VMC-HD1 component cable costs $40. Sony will also sell a camera dock with a connection to HDTVs. Slide shows can be played with background music. There are four preloaded soundtracks and users can upload MP3s through the Print sub-menu of the Home menu. That doesn’t make any sense, so perhaps that is a preproduction model quirk. Navigating through pictures with the control wheel was handy – but only if moving at the right speed. If you go too slow, you might as well just use the multi-selector. If you go too fast, there are delays and the pictures will keep scrolling long after you take your finger off the wheel. Perhaps this is another quirk with the preproduction model, but there was way too much processing time in the playback mode. When the wheel was moved and a picture appeared, it would look blurry at first and then sharpen up. Pictures can be magnified up to 5x, but the zoom into the picture isn’t very smooth. Videos can be played back but not edited on the H9. Overall, the playback mode has its pros and cons but comes in above average with its spectacular display interface with wide viewing angles, musical slide shows, and cool retouching features. These will be discussed in the picture effects portion of this first impressions review. **Custom Image Presets**The Sony H9 has a host of scene modes that are spread between the mode dial and the "SCN" menu. The "SCN" position on the mode dial has a menu with Twilight, Beach, Snow, and Fireworks scene modes – the typically less frequently used settings. The more common presets are located directly on the mode dial: Landscape, Twilight Portrait, Advanced Sports, Portrait, and High Sensitivity. The abundance of scene modes along with the manual, automatic, and movie modes makes the mode dial a flurry of icons. It is quite crowded, so it takes more than just a quick glance to find what you’re looking for. While the other scene modes are found on the older H5, the new Sony H9 includes a new advanced sports shooting mode. This preset combines a 2 fps burst with a tracking auto focus mode that predicts where the action is moving. This is good for sporting events like track and baseball where the athletes move in predictable patterns. The mode worked well in the convention center; I panned as attendees walked by the Sony booth and they remained in sharp focus in the pictures. The only downside to this mode is that the burst lasts only 4 shots at a time. 

Control Options

 **Manual Control Options       The Sony H9 has plenty of manual exposure modes and controls. Many are located in the menu system, but some can be changed directly on the LCD screen. Those include ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and focus mode. These can be changed by scrolling with the control wheel and making selections with the Set button. Focus***Auto Focus
While the Sony H5 had a 5-point auto focus system, the H9 upgrades to a 9-point system that works very well. There was hardly any shutter lag and subjects remained crisp whether static or in motion. The auto focus mode can be set using the control wheel and the set button, and is visible on the LCD screen in the manual exposure modes. Auto focus modes include Center, Spot, and Multi. Each mode displays green boxes where it is focused when the exposure is locked. The Spot auto focus mode can be manually moved around the frame. The macro mode can be found by pushing the left portion of the multi-selector. It can focus as close as 1 cm. In the recording menu, the auto focus system can be set to run only when the exposure is locked or continuously (called Monitor by Sony). In the setup menu, users can activate the auto focus assist lamp for aid in low light. New to Sony digital cameras is the face detection technology included on the Cyber-shot DSC-H9. This does not work in the manual exposure modes – only in the Auto and Portrait modes – because it recognizes faces and then meters and automatically adjusts the exposure from them. Faces were recognized quickly and boxes would appear much like Canon and Fujifilm’s face recognition technology. Sony’s face detection is equally as fast, but not quite as effective. Sony claims that their system can detect up to 8 faces in a frame, while Canon and Fujifilm can recognize 9 and 10 at a time, respectively. I tried to get the H9 to recognize multiple faces. It quickly recognized one or two faces in a crowd, but I could never get it to show more than that. This could be a quirk of being a preproduction model though. *Manual Focus
*The manual focus mode is grouped with the auto focus modes when scrolling around the LCD screen with the control wheel and the set button. Once selected, a horizontal bar appears with "1 cm" on the left and "∞" on the right. As users push the multi-selector right and left, they can watch a line move on the bar to show where the focus is on the range. The LCD screen’s resolution is good enough to ensure proper focus. 
*ISO**The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 has a wide range of ISO settings available with the control wheel and set button interface. Auto, 64, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, and 3200 settings are all available at full resolution. There is also a High Sensitivity scene mode located on the mode dial that combines high ISO settings with quick shutter speeds to reduce blur. **White Balance            The white balance options can be found in the recording menu with a small live preview behind the text. The white balance can be set to Auto, Cloudy, Daylight, Fluorescent 1, Fluorescent 2, Fluorescent 3, Incandescent, Flash, or One Push. The latter option is Sony’s manual white balance mode. It is set by scrolling to the far right and last option on the list called One Push Set. Once scrolled onto the option, the camera waits about a half-second and then takes a measurement – so users better be centered on something white by this point – and automatically scrolls back to the One Push option. This seems to work well, and it worked best at the Sony booth where lime green colored backdrops and poor lighting seemed to throw all other settings off a bit.   Exposure When the shutter speed and aperture cannot be changed in the manual modes, the exposure compensation appears for adjustment with the control wheel and set button. The typical +/- 2 scale is available in steps of a third with a live view. Grouped with the burst modes accessible by a button atop the Sony H9 is the exposure bracketing mode. The camera snaps three shots at either +/- 0.3, +/- 0.7, or +/- 1.0. Metering The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 has a metering button next to the burst button behind the shutter release. This yields Spot, Center, and Multi-pattern metering choices. Shutter Speed A faster shutter speed is available on the new Sony H9 – perhaps. The preproduction model maxed out at 1/2000th of a second, which is where the H5 stopped. Sony representatives assured me that the published specs are correct and that there will be a faster 1/4000th of a second shutter speed on the new model. The specs claim the automatic range will be ¼-1/4000, the program auto range will slow down to a second, and the aperture priority range will wander from 8-1/2000th of a second. The manual and shutter speed priority modes will have full access to the entire range of 30-1/4000th of a second. There is no bulb option. The shutter speeds are changed on the LCD screen with the control wheel and set button; this provides a nice live preview. Aperture **The Carl Zeiss 15x optical zoom lens on the Sony H9 has a nice wide aperture of f/2.7 when the lens is zoomed out. When in the manual or aperture priority modes, users can choose from these apertures: f/2.7, 3.2, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.6, 6.3, 7.1, and 8.0. When zooming in on subjects, these apertures are available: f/4.5, 6.3, 7.1, and 8.0. Considering the length of the ultra-zoom lens, the maximum f/4.5 aperture at the telephoto end really isn’t too bad. 

Image Parameters

 **Picture Quality****/ Size Options**The Sony Cyber-shot H9 comes with 8.1 effective megapixels on its 1/2.5-inch Super HAD CCD and borrows the Sony α DSLR-A100’s Bionz image processor. With these, the camera can snap JPEG images in the following sizes: 8MP, 3:2, 5MP, 3MP, VGA, and 16:9. Pictures can be trimmed to smaller sizes in the retouching portion of the playback menu. **Picture Effects Mode**The Sony H9 has a few retouching effects in the playback menu: some are useful and some aren’t as much. A soft edge filter allows users to scroll a cross around the LCD screen with the multi-selector to determine what they would like focused. Once selected, the camera softens the background; the softness can be adjusted in 5 levels. This is one of the more useful features. It would look great with portraits or even candid shots. Next is a cross filter that places starry crosses on lights and highlights in pictures; the stars come in 9 different sizes and make pictures look ridiculously fake. Remember those toothpaste commercials where the teeth would sparkle unrealistically with stars? It’s like that. There is a partial color filter that allows users to scroll around and select one color in a picture to be highlighted, while the rest of the frame is dulled down to black and white. This looks very similar to Canon’s color accent mode, although it only works while recording and Sony’s only works in playback. The H9 also has a fish-eye effect with 9 levels of distortion. If users do want to play with picture effects in the recording mode, there are a few color filters: Normal, Vivid, Natural, Sepia, and Black & White. These same modes can be found on other Cyber-shot digital cameras. In the recording menu, the sharpness and contrast can also be adjusted to + and – options, along with a DRO (Dynamic Range Optimizer) choice in the contrast sub-menu. That will be discussed in the Other Features section of this first impressions review. 

Connectivity/Extras

 **Connectivity***Software*

Sony’s web site states that the H9 will come with Picture Motion Browser Ver. 2.0 software for Windows but doesn’t specify anything else. *Jacks, ports, plugs*There are two jacks on the camera. The one on the right side is for the power adaptor and is covered by a square rubber flap. The jack on the left side is hidden very well. The port cover is a small panel of the plastic housing that is attached with a rubber connector. It is barely noticeable, but is found at the very base of the lens. This jack is wide and accepts the USB portion of the multi-use connector that comes with the Sony H9. On this same octopus-like cable is a connector for AV. From here, users can attach an optional HD cable that Sony sells for $40; this allows users to view photos on HDTVs. *Direct Print Options*Prints can be made from the Home menu, but print orders can only be made from the playback menu. Users can select one image or multiple images for immediate printing to PictBridge compatible printers via the included USB cable, or they can select pictures easily to make and save print orders for printing at a later date. *Battery*

The H9 runs from a relatively small lithium-ion battery. This makes the camera lighter than its predecessors, which required four AA batteries. The skinny NP-BG1 battery may ease the weight on the wrists, but it doesn’t provide much power either. A fully charged 3.6V, 960 mAh battery can get 250 shots per charge. It is stored below the hand grip in a very skinny slot. *Memory*The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 has 31MB of internal memory, which is enough to snap 10 pictures at full resolution. The camera also accepts Memory Stick Duo and Duo Pro cards up to 8GB, although it doesn’t support the Access Control security function that is marketed on some of the cards. This large capacity of memory makes the H9 a prime hybrid candidate with its huge 15x lens that is functional while recording video. Unlike some other ultra-zoom models that max out at 1GB or an hour of video recording, the Sony H9 is only limited to the capacity of the memory card. From the Home menu, users can create and manage folders on their memory cards, as well as format them and copy pictures from the internal memory and back. **Other features***NightShot* – There is a new and interesting NightShot feature on the Sony H9 that shoots with infrared to keep details in images even at night. There won’t be the scabby noise of using high ISO settings, but the pictures will be green. There is a switch on the left side of the camera that moves the H9 into NightShot mode. This mode can be used for photographing animals that might be scared off by the flash or auto focus assist beam – perhaps another use for the remote control too. The H9’s NightShot mode makes it a competitor with Fujifilm’s S3 Pro UVIR and IS-1 digital cameras that shoot with infrared and are geared towards law enforcement and forensics officers. The Fujifilm cameras have more flexibility with their technology though, whereas the NightShot feature is almost a footnote on the Sony H9. *Dynamic** Range** Optimization* – This feature is powered by the Sony Bionz image processor that came from the DSLR-A100. The feature is found in the contrast portion of the recording menu; it is designed to preserve data in bright highlights and dark shadows, adjusting the contrast from the RAW image rather than the compressed JPEG file like on most digital cameras. *Remote Control Function* – According to the Sony specs and representatives, a remote control comes with the camera that can control zoom, menu settings, shooting and playback modes, and recording. There is a remote control sensor on the front of the H9, but the remote wasn’t being demonstrated at the show. 

Overall Impressions

 **Value**The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 retails for $479, which puts it up there with its ultra-zoom competitors. The 12x Canon PowerShot S3 IS retailed for $499 when it was announced last year and can now be found online for about $350. The Fujifilm FinePix S6000*fd* with its long lens and face detection has the same story as the Canon: $499 retail and $350 street. The freshly released Olympus SP-550UZ has a longer 18x optical zoom lens and a $499 retail price, but doesn’t allow the zoom to work with audio in the movie mode and doesn’t have interesting features like infrared and dynamic range optimization. Thus, the Sony H9 is fairly priced with its full feature set.

 **Comparison to the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H7**The companion to the H9 is the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H7, which has the same resolution and 15x optical zoom lens but with a few tweaks in the specs. It still has face detection and HD viewing, although it isn’t compatible with the optional docking station. It does not have the folding LCD screen, and the display it does have measures 2.5 inches and has sub-par resolution at 115,000 pixels. It doesn’t have the infrared NightShot technology for shooting in low light either. For users who don’t mind the smaller view and won’t use the NightShot feature, the H7 would be a good choice. It costs $399, and still comes with all the manual and automatic modes and control settings. **Who It’s For***Point-and-Shooters* – While the Sony H9 does have an intuitive interface and great controls, it probably won’t be a first pick for these consumers. There are many more cameras that are much easier to use. *Budget Consumers* – The retail price of $479 will likely scare these consumers away, but the H7 provides a more affordable option with its $399 price. *Gadget Freaks* – With NightShot, face detection, image stabilization, and even a remote control, the Sony Cyber-shot H9 satisfies any craving for gadgets. *Manual Control Freaks* – These consumers will be pleased with the manual modes on the dial and the manual settings that have good selections and a good control wheel interface for changes. *Pros/ Serious Hobbyists* – The H9 is only a few steps below Sony’s DSLR, the A100, and even includes some of its technology. It could serve as a backup to A100 users.

Conclusion

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Conclusion**Everything about the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 is big. It has a big Carl Zeiss 15x optical zoom lens with optical image stabilization and a big 3-inch LCD screen that folds out and doesn’t skimp on resolution. It can accept big memory cards up to 8GB so it can record long movies and large numbers of photos. The dimensions of the camera are bigger than point-and-shoots but similar to other ultra-zoom models. The 8-megapixel Sony H9 is fully loaded with manual, priority, automatic, and scene modes so there’s a little something for everyone. The wide variety of features attracts all kinds of audiences. The advanced sports shooting mode and wide ISO range are great for families who shoot football games and sporting events in less than perfect light. The NightShot infrared shooting mode works well for birdwatchers and wildlife photographers who want to snap shots of their nocturnal friends. The functional optical zoom lens qualifies the H9 as a legitimate contender in the hybrid market. The preproduction model on the show floor did have some quirks. The control wheel and image processor didn’t sync well in the playback mode and the multi-selector was unlabeled. Still, all other evidence points to success for the gadget-laden Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9. It will go on sale in mid-May for $479. We look forward to giving the H9 a full review with more extensive testing on its imaging capabilities in the next few months. 

Specs

**Spec Sheet
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Meet the tester

Emily Raymond

Emily Raymond

Editor

Emily Raymond is a valued contributor to the Reviewed.com family of sites.

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