Physical Tour

From the front, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 and H2 look almost identical. They have the same chunky grip on the left side of the body and a large zoom lens that protrudes from the right side. The biggest difference between the two is the little logo in the middle that states how many megapixels are included in each model. The handgrip is covered in a rubbery material that has little divots on the front for enhanced gripping action. At the top of the grip is a black jog dial with the polished silver shutter release button above it.

The right side of the camera consists of the huge lens barrel and the pop-up flash just above it. The Carl Zeiss 12x zoom lens sits within a wide barrel that is threaded to accept conversion lenses. Above the shiny rim of the barrel is the Sony logo, which sits right on the front lip of the pop-up flash. Directly to the left of the flash is a large AF illuminator LED; to its left is a small built-in microphone.

Back
**

**As with many digital cameras, most of the controls are located on the back of the camera. The Sony H5 has a large 3-inch LCD screen that dominates the left side; the H2 has a 2.5-inch screen and a little more breathing room with the controls. Above the LCD is an electronic viewfinder with a plastic eyepiece. The controls are crammed to the right of the LCD. At the top right is the zoom toggle that switches from the ‘W’ wide end of the 12x lens to the ‘T’ telephoto end on the right. Below the toggle are a set of six bumps meant to add texture for the right thumb to grip and support the camera. 

There are two oval-shaped buttons to the right of the thumb grip; the top changes the screen display info and the bottom recalls the menu system. Below this is a multi-selector that has a central selection button and a donut around it. The ring does not have arrows on it, but opts for icons of the double features instead. When the selector isn’t navigating through menus, it can control other features. Pushing the top cycles through the flash modes, the right calls up the macro mode, the bottom activates the self-timer, and the left lets users control the exposure compensation.

**Left Side
**The left side of the H5 and H2 Sony Cyber-shot ultra zoom cameras looks rather chunky. This is the side with the large 12x zoom lens, so it is the widest part of the camera. The Cyber-shot logo is front and center, of course. Above it is a reminder that the cameras have 12x zoom and above that tag is a wide eyelet that should keep the neck strap from sliding around. At the rear of the cameras are port doors. The doors open to the combined A/V / USB jacks and the separate DC in jacks. The door to this has a tab at the back so it is easier to open.

**Right Side
**The right side of the H5 and H2 is quite boring. Users can see the rubberized material on the right-hand grip. The neck strap eyelet is also located toward the top – although it isn’t straight across from the left eyelet. This setup is similar to the now defunct Konica Minolta chunky digital cameras; their eyelets are not in line with each other. At the bottom, the battery compartment door is visible but cannot be opened from this side. 

**Top
**The view from the top lends users a peek at the U-shaped Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 and H2. The left side of the top consists of a large viewfinder segment; the viewfinder is in the back of the camera and the pop-up flash sits at the front. The right side also protrudes where the handgrip is. At the tip of this is the shutter release button with the large mode dial directly behind it. To the left of the mode dial are two circular buttons. The power button is closest to the dial and the image stabilization button sits almost in the center of the top, next to the viewfinder barrel. Toward the back of the top are two more buttons; these are slightly tilted to the back. The Finder/LCD button sits just right of the viewfinder and the playback mode button is just right of the LCD button. 

**Bottom
**The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 and H2 cameras have wide bases. This helps users stabilize the camera. The left side has a battery compartment door for the two AA batteries and the center has a standard quarter-inch tripod mount.

Components

**

Viewfinder
**The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 and H2 have electronic viewfinders that sit in large barrels on the left edge of the camera. A Finder/LCD button is located just right of the viewfinder; it switches the display from the LCD monitor to the viewfinder. The viewfinder display is garnered through the lens and broadcast to the 0.3-inch window inside the eyecup. The eyecup is plastic and not incredibly comfortable, but does its job in shading the viewfinder for better viewing in bright light. The viewfinder’s 115K pixel resolution looked good and the information on the LCD is identical to that on the viewfinder.

**

LCD Screen
**The ultra zoom digital cameras are now acquiring ultra large LCD screens. The Sony H5 has a 3-inch monitor and the H2’s is 2 inches. The H5’s monitor has 230,000 pixels and provides nice, clear images. The H2’s 2-inch screen has 85,000 pixels and is much less sexy. Sony uses its Clear Photo LCD Plus technology to provide wide viewing angles and great resolution. The Sony Cyber-shot H1 had a 2.5-inch screen, but it only had 115,000 pixels of resolution, so it’s nice to see the resolution doubled on the Sony H5. The LCD has a backlight function that can be activated in the setup menu; this enhances the contrast dramatically and is great for bright, sunny days. Beware of the glare on sunny days though; the LCD displays a red streaky glare in bright lighe. Don’t fret too much; this doesn’t record in pictures.

**

Flash
**The Sony ultra zooms both have a pop-up flash with a Sony logo on front. There is no button to pop up the flash; users must instead select a flash mode with the top portion of the multi-selector. Once the shutter release button is pushed halfway, the flash pops up.

The previous H1 had a few flash controls for red-eye reduction, but doesn’t come close to what is offered by the new H-series digital cameras. Not only can the red-eye reduction be activated in the setup menu, but the flash sync can be set to light at the front or rear curtains of the shutter. The flash level can be adjusted in the recording menu with its +/- 2 range. Normally, the flash reaches from 0.98 - 29.53 ft (according to preliminary specs and using the ultra sensitive ISO 1000). When the multi-selector is pushed on the top, the settings cycle through auto, on and off. Overall, the flash looked quite impressive and didn’t blow out subjects.

**Zoom Lens
**One of the major criticisms of the first H1 was that it had a generic zoom lens instead of the branded Carl Zeiss lens that most other Cyber-shots have. The H1 had a focal length of 36-432 mm (equivalent), as do the new lenses. The lenses on the H5 and H2, however, are Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar branded. The 12x zoom lenses have many of the same specs as the old lens though. It offers maximum apertures of f/2.8 in wide and f/3.7 in telephoto. The lens sits in a large lens barrel that is threaded at the end for conversion lenses. Users can screw these on and inform the camera of their presence via the setup menu.

The lens, constructed of 11 elements in 9 groups with dispersion and aspherical components, extends in a single segment and reaches from 6-72 mm. It is controlled with the zoom toggle in the top right corner of the back. When users tap lightly on the toggle, there are

about 24 stops in the 12x zoom range; this is quite good and shows that the control is sensitive and smooth. This is a big improvement over the H1, which had a choppy control that had much less flexibility with focal lengths.

The Sony H5 and H2 have Super SteadyShot image stabilization systems. They are activated with the designated button atop the camera. The button is a far reach for the fingers, so placement isn’t the greatest – but it’s nice that the image stabilization is available. There are two image stabilization modes – Shooting and Continuous – in the setup menu. The Continuous takes a little more battery power than the Shooting option. The image stabilization worked pretty well, but didn’t eliminate all the bumps and jumps of even regular handling.

Design / Layout

**Model Design / Appearance **

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 and H2 have nearly identical bodies that are also quite similar to the earlier H1. The cameras are SLR-shaped and have large chunky right-hand grips. ‘Chunk’ is the one-word description for the H5 and H2. There is a chunk of viewfinder, a chunk of right-hand grip, and a chunk of lens. The rest of the camera seems skinny compared to those protrusions.

The new Sony Cyber-shots look like the old Konica Minolta cameras. Those models were always chunky and had unevenly placed eyelet straps, just like the H5 and H2. The Sony ultra zooms are not sexy, nor are they ugly; they go for function more than form. The digital cameras have plastic bodies with metal lenses; this combination makes them very lightweight, which is nice for portability but takes away from the professional feel of a substantial camera.

**Size / Portability **

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 has 4.24 x 3.2 x 3.59-inch measurements and the H2 is similarly sized but is a half inch to an inch shorter. As stated in the previous section, these cameras are chunky so much of these lengths include serious protrusions from one component or another.

The cameras may have the shape of an SLR but they do not have the weight of one. When loaded with the battery and card, the cameras weigh 15.45 oz or nearly a pound. This is definitely heftier than compact models, but much smaller and much more portable than SLRs and even other ultra zooms. There is a neck strap included with the H5 and H2, which makes them very portable indeed. The eyelets to the neck strap are not symmetrical, but their placement is more bothersome to the eye than to the neck.

**Handling Ability **

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 and H2 are constructed from plastic, which is lightweight. This is great on the neck and makes them more portable than most digital cameras their size. However, the lightness gives it a cheap feel. SLRs and ultra zooms should have a bit more beef to them; they need to feel substantial, especially so users can steady them for good shots. The H5 and H2 bypass this with lightweight construction and an optical image stabilization mode included. The lightness doesn’t necessarily mean the cameras are cheap, though. The actual hand-to-camera feel is pretty decent. The body is not slippery, especially the rubbery substance on the right-hand grip. A neck strap is included so users can achieve better, simpler overall handling.

**

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size **

The control buttons look a little cramped next to the vast LCD screen on the Sony H5, but really aren’t too tight at all. The buttons on both cameras are properly spaced and labeled. However, some of the positioning is a little strange. For instance, the image stabilization button is on the top in the center, making it a stretch for the right fingers to press.

A mode dial sits behind the shutter release button on the top; it is very large and has simple icons on it, but it is a little stiff. Perhaps the camera needs some break-in time like a good pair of leather shoes. If that’s the case, the mode dial and the multi-selector have some breaking in to do. The multi-selector is also a little tough to push. These things aren’t earthshakingly difficult, but could be obnoxious for consumers who will have a lot of bonding time with their H5 and H2.

**Menu **

Using the typical Sony setup, the H5 and H2 have similar menus. A gray bar with white icons appears across the bottom of the screen. When an icon is selected, its options appear above it. Users scroll left and right through the icons and up and down for the options. The selected option is enclosed in a yellow box with a check mark next to it. Better still is the fact that the text enlarges when selected. The menus are easy to understand. The following is the recording menu in the manual mode, where the most options are available.  

The Setup menu can be accessed at the bottom of the recording and playback menus. It is broken up into five folder tabs. Each folder tab has an icon on it. The Camera 1 and Camera 2 tabs are at the top, the Memory Stick tab is in the center, and two setup menus appear at the bottom. Usually when users are accessing the setup menu, they’re not in a hurry. However, it is inconvenient to format the memory card from the setup mode. 

The playback mode also has the gray bar menu setup. In its menu, users can file photos into folders, protect them from deletion, create DPOF print orders, print, play slide shows, resize and rotate photos, divide movie clips, and enter the setup menu. Overall, the menus are intuitive and serve their purpose.

**Ease of Use **

Overall, these two Sony digital cameras are easy to use and require little prior knowledge of photography or technology. Some of the buttons need greasing up, but handling is otherwise easy. Menus are intuitive as well. Sony really tried to make the H5 and H2 easy to use. They included an in-camera image size guide that displays how large prints can be made (while still looking good) and how many images can be fit onto a card. When the mode dial is rotated, a text guide appears explaining each mode and what it should be used for. These, coupled with the camera’s live views, make shooting with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 and H2 simple.

Modes

**Auto Mode **

The automatic mode, which is a true limiting auto mode, limits the number of available options and transforms this ultra zoom into a point-and-shoot camera. The best part for beginners is that this is a point-and-shoot with a 12x zoom lens.

**Movie Mode
**The movie mode on these cameras records 640 x 480 pixels at Fine or Normal frame rates. The Normal frame rate is 16.6 frames per second, which is much slower than all other manufacturers’ "normal" rates of 30 fps. The camera can record 30 fps as its Fine frame rate, but only if users also purchase a MemoryStick Pro Duo card. The 16.6 fps video is okay for everyday video, but if you’re shooting video at a wedding you’ll definitely want the smoother 30 fps rate. There is also a 160 x 112-pixel size optimized for emailing. This shoots only 8 fps.

The Sony’s MPEG VX movie mode allows users to change the white balance and metering modes, which is nice. Users can also take advantage of the long 12x zoom lens. There is a tiny bit of motor noise, but the H5 and H2 are fairly quiet digital cameras. The telephoto movies will benefit from the Super SteadyShot image stabilization included on these Cyber-shots. It doesn’t eliminate all hand-shake, but certainly eradicates most of it.

**Drive / Burst Mode **

The Sony specs for these models aren’t entirely complete, but a burst mode claims to shoot 7 consecutive frames. How fast? That is the golden question. There was no burst mode in the menus or on the buttons of the cameras. Keep in mind that these are early prototypes, though. The Sony representatives say there will be a burst mode, but no one knew how fast it could go. After trying a burst sans burst mode and having the camera take over a second between shots, I’m not so sure. The burst mode was one of the Sony H1’s major faults as well. It could only take a frame every 0.7 seconds, which is pretty weak for an ultra zoom model. Many cameras reach 3 fps now. The Sony H5 and H2 do have self-timers that take pictures after 2 or 10 seconds of blinking and beeping.

**Playback Mode
**The playback mode was very intuitive and wasn’t anything fancy—no Pictmotion mode or in-camera drawing feature, featured on other manufacturers’ cameras this year. The menu is straightforward and allows users to perform simple editing functions like resizing and rotating still images and dividing video clips. Pictures can be viewed and deleted individually or as index frames. Movies can be played back with audio and in VCR-style. Clips can be fast-forwarded, rewound, and played frame by frame – in addition to the regular speed playback.

**Custom Image Presets **

All of the camera’s scene modes are located on the mode dial. This isn’t a difficult feat because there are only six of them. The Sony H5 and H2 have Night Scene, Night Portrait, Beach, Sport, Landscape and Portrait modes. This is similar to the list on the H1, but the older camera had a Candle mode as well. When users rotate the mode dial, a mode guide appears that explains what each mode should be used for. This is great for beginners, although perhaps not entirely necessary for the serious hobbyist audience that Sony is aiming for.

Control Options

**Manual Control Options
**The models at the Photo Marketing Association trade show did not have access to the manual exposure controls because of their early prototype status. The manual mode is there and the numbers appear on the LCD screen with the arrows pointing the way to change them, but they could not be changed. This will of course be changed by April and May when the cameras hit the market. Some other manual controls were available, such as the ISO and white balance, and some of them even had handy live views.

**Focus **
*Auto Focus
*The camera can focus from about 3/4 of an inch in the macro mode and 18 inches in normal shooting mode. The close macro is great for online auction shots. The auto focus mode can be selected as Single, Continuous and Monitor. Single and Continuous are included on many models, but the Monitor is a fairly new feature on Sony models. This Monitor mode focuses despite camera movement, while the Continuous mode focuses with subject movement in mind. The auto focus frames can be selected to the default multi-point AF and the center AF. The contrast detection auto focus system does okay in low light, as it has an AF assist lamp. Overall, the auto focus worked well. It was a bit slow in the movie mode, even with the continuous auto focus mode turned on.

*Manual Focus *

The specs claim that there is a manual focus mode, but it was not included on the prototype models. Sony representatives said the Expanded Focus option was specifically made for the manual focus, which will be included on the production models.

**Exposure
**The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 and H2 have standard +/- 2 EV exposure compensation ranges with 1/3 steps. Manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Speed Priority, and Program modes are available (or will be, in the full production models) along with the automatic and six scene exposure modes.

**Metering **

In the prototype models, there were three metering options but no live views. The three metering options include multi-pattern, center-weighted average and spot. These can be found within the recording menu.

**White Balance
**The Sony H5 and H2 have the same white balance modes: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent, Flash and Manual. The automatic mode works okay, but cast a blue hue in the shade. To its credit, the cameras have live views, making it easy for beginners to select the right modes.

The manual mode is called One Push on these models. At the top of the white balance menu is the One Push Set option. Users need only to scroll over this option for it to activate. There is no tiny window to frame white subjects, so users need to fill the whole frame with white.

**ISO **

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 and H2 are heavily marketed for their new ISO ratings. Many manufacturers are including higher ISOs so consumers can take more naturally lit photographs in low light. The H5 and H2 use Sony Clear RAW noise reduction technology to keep pictures looking good in higher ISO sensitivities. The camera includes an automatic setting, as well as 80, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1000 settings. These high ISOs are welcome after the Sony H1, which had a far smaller 64-400 range. The H5 and H2’s high ISOs combine with the image stabilization mode to reduce blur; this seems to be a strategy of many manufacturers in 2006.

**Shutter Speed
**The Sony H5 and H2 shutter speeds were not functional on the prototype models. Of course, those will be available when the cameras come out. Until then, the shutter speed range remains a mystery. The model at the show was stuck on a 1/30th of a second speed, but there will be many more stops to come. Note that the ultra zoom H-series cameras both include image stabilization, which allows photographers to speed up the shutter in lower light and still get blur-free shots.

**Aperture **

The lens on the prototype model indicates a nice f/2.8 aperture opening on the Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens. On the telephoto end of the long 12x zoom lens, the aperture shrinks to f/3.7 – which is really not that bad at all considering its length. The minimum apertures are unknown at this time though because of the early stage of development the cameras are in.

Image Parameters

**Picture Quality / Size Options **

Usually there’s not much to write about in this section, but the H5 and H2 have an interesting and unique feature regarding the image size. There is a print guide that appears when users scroll through the image size options. The print guide displays the number of pictures that can be taken on the memory card with a particular image size and also how large an image of the chosen resolution can be. For example, the H5’s 7M option reads, "Up to A3/11 x 17" print." The image sizes can be accessed with the button on the bottom right corner of the back. On the 7.2 megapixel H5, the options include 3072 x 2304, 3072 x 2048 (3:2), 2592 x 1944, 2048 x 1536, 1632 x 1224, and 640 x 480. The last four options are on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H2, as well as a 3:2-formatted 2592 x 1728-pixel image size. The prototype cameras also include a 16:9 image size, but the specs were not available. Each image size is available in Fine and Standard compression.

**Picture Effects Mode **

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 and H2 include several picture effects for those consumers who like trendy colors without accessing editing software. Natural, Vivid, Sepia and Black & White are available. This is a little more selection than the H1, which had only black and white and sepia options. There are live views with these options. There are also live views with the Contrast and Sharpness picture effects that have +, - and Normal options.

Connectivity

**Connectivity **
*Software
*The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 and H2 will come with PicturePackage software, though Sony did not specify which version.

*Jacks, Ports, Plugs *

There are two jacks located beneath the port door on the left side of the camera. The USB and AV-out jacks are combined like they are in many compact digital cameras. In the setup menu, users can select the USB mode to be PictBridge, PTP, Mass Storage or Auto. There is also a DC in jack for an optional power adaptor.

*Direct Print Options
*

The Sony H5 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H2 are PictBridge compatible. There is no specific Print button on the camera body and users will have to familiarize themselves with the menu system to print pictures, but it really isn’t hard. DPOF print orders can be created within minutes.

*Battery
*The Sony Cyber-shot H5 and H2 models use two AA batteries to power them. They come packaged with alkaline batteries, but work better with NiMH AA rechargeable batteries. With the rechargeable batteries, the Sony H5 can take 340 shots and the H2 can take 400 shots. This is much better *

than the Sony Cyber-shot H1, which sucked the life out of batteries quite quickly in our tests.
*
*Memory *

The H5 and H2 both have 32 MB of internal memory, which is the same amount that the H1 had. This certainly won’t be enough, so users should plan on purchasing more memory. The cameras accept Sony MemoryStick Duo and Duo Pro cards up to 4 GB. The camera has a buried Format option that cleans the card off, but the prototype models took forever to do so – and for only 32 MB! Hopefully that is just a prototype bug.

Overall Impressions

**Value **

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 is priced at $499, which is a decent value with its 7.2 megapixels, 3-inch LCD screen, 12x zoom lens, image stabilization system, manual functionality and high ISO ratings. For a hundred dollars less, the Sony H2 has 6 megapixels, a 2-inch LCD screen, and the same 12x zoom and exposure modes. This H2 has some upgraded features from the H1, such as the Carl Zeiss branded lens and the print guide function and such. However, the H2 also takes a step down from the 5-megapixel H1’s 2.5-inch, 115k LCD screen. The Cyber-shot H2 and H1 models have the same $399 retail price, but the older H1 can be found in stores for much less. Overall, the H5 and H2 are fairly priced. They aren’t budget models, but have a full list of features to offer for their cost.

**Comparison to the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H1 **

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H1 was announced in 2005 as the flagship of its very own H-series line, of which it was a lone representative. The original H-series model has 5.1 megapixels and a 12x zoom lens with the same focal lengths but different brand. The lens was generic and received much criticism for it; the new cameras have Carl Zeiss glass. The old lens wasn’t very smooth, so the new Carl Zeiss lenses move like melted butter.

Like its new siblings, the Sony H1 has the Super SteadyShot image stabilization system. The cameras all have the same movie modes and the same manual offerings, although actual exposure control specs are not yet available for the new cameras. The H1 has a Candle scene mode in addition to the six scene modes included on the H5 and H2. All of the Sony H-series cameras have 32 MB of internal memory and accept MemoryStick Duo and Duo Pro cards. The Sony H1 has a 2.5-inch LCD screen with 115,000 pixels. The Cyber-shot DSC-H1 has a short list of picture effects and an even shorter ISO range of 64-600. The H1 has the same body measurements as the H5 and weighs about as much. The Sony Cyber-shot H-series line uses AA batteries, but the H1 is far more inefficient than its predecessors. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H1 was introduced at $499, but sells for $399 now.

**Who It’s For **
Point-and-Shooters – While the Sony H5 and H2 are quite easy to use, they are a little chunky for someone who will only use the automatic functions. The Sony H5 and H2 were built with manual functions in mind (although it was hard to tell on the prototypes), so they are probably not the best choice for point-and-shooters.

*Budget Consumers – *The cameras are reasonably priced, but Sony isn’t the best manufacturer for consumers on a budget. Once the camera is bought, the rechargeable batteries must be bought. Once those are purchased, the charger will be needed. Users will also want to purchase the Duo Pro memory card to make the 30 fps movie mode work. When all those purchases are tallied up, other models’ price tags look enticing.

Gadget Freaks – The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 and H2 have few features of interest to this demographic. The 12x zoom lens and image stabilization system is fun to play with, but wouldn’t keep gadget freaks busy for too long.

*Manual Control Freaks – *Supposedly, these cameras have what it takes. The models at the show had all the manual modes on the dial and the arrows pointing the way to scroll the multi-selector and change the exposure settings, but it just didn’t happen. Still, Sony claims that the manual control freaks will be satisfied come April and May.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists – Sony markets its H-series toward serious hobbyists and includes several enticing features: 12x zoom lens, image stabilization, manual control and now high ISO settings. This may be enough to draw a crowd, as the H1 was quite popular.

Conclusion

**Conclusion **

The new Sony Cyber-shot H-series cameras are worthy successors to the ultra zoom H1. The original camera was a great concept but didn’t have the star power. The H5 just might have it. The new Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 has 7.2 megapixels, a huge LCD screen with great 230,000-pixel resolution and an optically image stabilized Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 12x zoom lens. The construction is lightweight and portable and still fairly sturdy. It has manual functionality and a few scene modes to boot. The new cameras have a wide ISO range from 80-1000, making low light photography possible without the use of the flash. The Sony H5 will retail for $499 when it becomes available in May.

The Sony H2 isn’t quite as inspiring as the H5, perhaps because it is simply overshadowed by it. The H2 has a slightly smaller frame because of its slightly smaller 2-inch LCD screen. The 6 megapixel digital camera has the same 12x zoom lens and same modes and features, but the relatively small LCD has very poor 85,000-pixel resolution. The H2 will be available in April for $399.

Keep in mind that these models are being reviewed at the Photo Marketing Association trade show in February, months ahead of the release date. As such, the specifications may change – and hopefully some of them do change. The reviewed models were prototypes that were mostly functional, but certainly not production models. So keep all eyes on DigitalCameraInfo.com for the full review in the coming months.