Color (9.23)
Under the hood of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H1, there is a 1/2.4-inch Super HAD CCD engine that works with the Real Imaging Processor. Different processors produce varying degrees of accuracy when it comes to colors. We’ve tested many cameras and the ones with cheaper processors tend to exaggerate and distort colors. Previous Sony cameras we have tested performed reasonably in this area. The Cyber-shot W7 received a 7.53 color score, while the W1 received a 7.51. The processor is not the only factor at work though. How the processor is wired to the CCD also has some effect on the overall tonality, among other variables. To test the effectiveness of the Sony H1 at depicting accurate colors, we took several exposures of the industry standard GretagMacbeth color chart, then uploaded the files into software that analyzes and compares the camera’s color to the original color. Below is a modified chart from the Imatest Imaging Software. The outer square is the color produced by the H1. The inner square is the color-corrected version that would show up on a computer. The inner rectangle is the ideal color from the original color chart.

This next chart, also output by Imatest, shows the difference between the H1’s produced tones and the ideal colors in a more quantitative manner. The squares on the chart represent the ideal colors while the circles represent colors produced by the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H1. The farther apart these two shapes are, the less accurate that particular tone is.

Sony must have made some changes to its processor because it performed far better than the W1 and the W7. The Cyber-shot H1 received an overall color score of 9.23. The H1’s colors are rich and highly accurate for cameras within this camera segment, only over-saturating colors by 7 percent. This is nothing to be alarmed about, as most digital cameras over-saturate slightly to get some color out of red, pink, and green tones to hide blemishes in skin and add vibrancy to landscapes. Images produced by the Sony H1 had a 6.54 color error score in this test. The results of the color test are encouraging and should provide “enthusiasts” with the rich, accurate tones they are looking for.

Still Life Scene
Below is an image file of our still life scene, complete with Rosie the Riveter and silk flowers. This of course, was captured with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H1.

Click on the image above to view a full-resolution picture, but beware of the large linked file.

Resolution / Sharpness (4.19)
The H1’s Super HAD CCD has 5.2 megapixels with 5.1 of them effective for imaging, according to Sony. We test this because the quality of construction has a lot of baring on the camera’s resolution and sharpness. There are “hot pixels” and other imperfections that affect the resolution of images. We test the digital cameras by taking several exposures of the ISO 12233 resolution chart and uploading them into Imatest Imaging Software for analyzing. The software tells us exactly how many pixels are used to form each picture. We report the scores as both a detected or actual pixel count as well as a percentage, in an attempt to standardize results. If a camera comes within 70 percent of the advertised pixel count, we consider that “good.” Within 80 percent, it’s “very good” and within 90 percent, it is “excellent” and extremely rare.

Click on the above chart to view full res image 

Previous Sony digital cameras that we’ve tested have recorded around 83 percent. The Cyber-shot H1 scored at that exact 83 percent with 4.19 effective megapixels. The exposures were taken with an aperture of f/4.5 and with the lens at 13.5 mm. Some over-sharpening occurs within the camera, but overall the H1 receives a “very good” resolution score and produces images with sharp definition.

Noise – Auto ISO (6.8)
Most true photo enthusiasts will probably want to toy with the ISO setting themselves, but just to be thorough, we tested the noise levels when the ISO was chosen automatically by the H1. This Sony performed fairly well, with an overall score of 6.8. This is lower than the Sony W7’s score of 8.88, but higher than the W1’s 5.13 score. The H1 definitely scored higher than the comparable SLR-shaped Panasonic FZ5, which had a 2.39 automatic ISO score.

Noise – Manual ISO (5.78)
The Sony Cyber-shot H1 offers 64, 100, 200, and 400 ISO ratings to manually adjust. This is not a very broad range for the enthusiast crowd, but the camera’s performance will have much more of an impact than its options. We tested the noise levels at each of those settings and determined an overall score (for comparison sake) in a regression analysis. The Sony H1 received a score of 5.78, which is lower than the Sony W-series digital cameras, but higher than the FZ5’s and scores garnered by other 12x zoom cameras. You can check out the noise level at each rating on the chart below. The vertical axis displays the noise level, while the horizontal axis shows the ISO rating.

As you can see in the chart above, the H1 handles noise pretty effectively, maintaining a similar output at 64, 100, and 200 ISO settings. There is a significant jump in perceivable noise when the camera is switched to ISO 400, but still much less noise than is apparent in the Canon S2 or Panasonic FZ5.

Low Light Performance (5.5) 
If the batteries are running low on your Sony H1, don’t bother trying to shoot in low light. When the camera gets tired, the shutter speeds get faster and faster and the exposure compensation gives up and everything goes a little haywire. However, if you’ve got a fresh set of batteries – and maybe a few spares – you can get some decent pictures with this Cyber-shot. We tested the H1’s competence by taking exposures at really low light: 60, 30, 15 and 5 lux. 60 lux is about the amount of light you’ll get while shooting indoors just after sunset. 30 lux is equivalent to one 40-watt light bulb. 15 and 5 lux are ridiculously dark, but we thought we’d test them anyway just to stretch the limits of the H1. These images are recorded at the camera’s highest ISO rating without the flash and with the white balance customized.

Low Light Tests
60 Lux	30 Lux
15 Lux	5 Lux

Click on any of the above images to view additional analysis

In terms of brightness, the Sony H1 produced very similar images at each low light rating. The image is considerably darker at 15 lux and even more so at 5 lux, but the images certainly are not in total darkness. This is due in part to the shutter speed reaching a slow 30 seconds. The colors are distinguishable, but there is a lot of noise present (this is quite common though).

Speed Timing
Start-up to First shot (7.77)
The H1 was fairly quick to the draw, when taking its 12x telescopic zoom into account. The camera requires 2.23 seconds to turn on and capture its first image. This is quite fast for an “ultra zoom” model and slightly ahead of Canon’s equivalent, the S2, which takes 2.28 seconds to power up.

Shot to Shot Time (9.25)
In terms of successive shots, the H1 was again one of the faster 12x zoom camera we have tested, although not quite as quick as the Canon S2 in shot to shot speed.  The H1 recorded consecutive shots within .745 seconds of each other. This is using the camera’s burst mode, which continued at this rate for five straight images.

Shutter to Shot Time (8.24)
The Cyber-shot H1 has minimal shutter lag at just .38 seconds. By contrast, the Canon S2 needs .5 seconds following the depression of the shutter to capture an image and the Panasonic FZ5 needs a bit longer at .65 seconds.

Intro	Page 2 of 13		Physical Tour
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H1 Digital Camera Review Navigation
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