Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 Digital Camera Review

by Alex Burack
Published on January 01, 2004

Navigation
Intro	Testing / Performance
Physical Tour	Components
Design / Layout	Modes
Control Options	Image Parameters
Connectivity / Extras	Overall Impressions
Conclusion	Specs / Ratings

 

 A green camera icon accesses the auto mode, which completely shuts off the recording menu. The only option available through the Menu button  is the setup menu. All of the functions on the multi-selector are available, though: macro, flash mode, exposure compensation, and self-timer. Users can turn on the burst mode too, but the focus button is useless in this mode. Overall, the automatic mode worked well in optimal lighting, but not in every situation. For shooting through window screens and snapping pictures in low light, other modes on the camera worked far better.

 

Movie Mode

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 has a decent movie mode that takes full advantage of the 12x optical zoom lens on front. Users can zoom in and out while recording video; motor noise is virtually nonexistent, but the audio will pick up handling. Like other Sony models, the movie mode’s default setting records 640 x 480 pixels at a choppy 16.6 frames per second. There is a full 30 fps frame rate available, but users must buy the optional Sony Memory Stick Pro Duo card for it to work. A smaller 160 x 112 size is available for easier emailing; it records only 8 frames per second and looks similar to foreign movies from the 1970s, where the audio dubbing is just a little off. This isn’t the fault of the H5; it’s due to the size of the video clip.

 

The H5’s movie mode has a lot going for it. The 12x zoom is functional and the audio is decent. There are more options available than on most cameras: users can choose the white balance, color mode (black and white, sepia, and normal available only), metering, and auto focus mode. One of the H5’s best features is the Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization system. It works continuously in the movie mode, but can be turned on and off with the designated button atop the camera. The system works very well with normal hand-shake and is definitely a necessity when using the 12x zoom. The image stabilization system will clean out the batteries faster than otherwise, but the smoother movies will make it worth the charging time

 

It’s disappointing that the H5 requires a Pro card to record the MPEG VX video size, but the Sony’s movie mode has a worse problem. The focusing system just can’t seem to keep pace with the 12x optical zoom lens. When the lens zooms in on a subject, it takes another second or two for the focus to catch up and make the image crisp. The best auto focus mode to use is the multi-point setting; it performs much better than the center option, which breathes in and out constantly when it can’t find a single point to focus on. The flexible spot auto focus option has the same problem. While manual focus is available, it requires subjects to remain within a set distance from the camera while recording. Thus, the multi-point option is best.

 

A button near the shutter release activates burst mode, prompting the camera to snap 5 shots at a rate of 1.1 frames per second in the finest resolution. This is incredibly slow, even when compared with point-and-shoot cameras. Most cheap models can now snap at least 2 fps and some can even get 3 fps. The shutter doesn’t flip any faster when the image size shrinks either, though the burst goes for longer. At the top image size and the standard compression setting, the HC5 can take 8 shots at the 1.1 fps rate. A 100-shot burst mode  takes pictures at a faster 1.4 fps rate, but the shots are all in VGA resolution.

 

The H5, like other compact Cyber-shot cameras, also has a multi-burst mode. This mode records 16 VGA images at intervals of 1/7.5, 1/15, or 1/30^th of a second and displays them as a single image with sixteen tiles. Of note in this section is the self-timer, which can be activated to take a picture after 2 or 10 seconds of a flashing orange LED.

 

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5’s burst mode is quite disappointing. It is even a step down from the H1’s shabby burst mode. It snapped an image every 0.7 seconds for five shots. Enthusiasts will be happy taking portraits with the H5, but will curse Sony when it comes to shooting a sporting event or any type of action.

 

Reviewing images on the H5 is a delight with the huge 3-inch LCD screen. There are lots of ways to look at pictures and even a few editing functions; users can also can create print orders and play slide shows. The H5 doesn’t have any frilly playback features like background music in the slide show or uber-fast scrolling with the multi-selector. It does have the basics, though – all available at one touch of the designated playback button above the LCD.

 

Options in the playback menu allow users to view individual pictures with info and histograms, display them alone, protect, resize, and rotate them. They can also zoom in on pictures up to 5x, which isn’t as much magnification as is offered on some other models but does the trick nonetheless. There is also a hidden cropping function, which requires users to zoom in on a picture and then press the Menu button for Trimming and Return options. This option should be used with caution, because it can make pictures “look digital” very quickly.

 

Movies can be fast-forwarded and rewound, played and paused. The Divide function in the playback menu can even be slice them into two files. This is handy, as it allows users to delete extraneous footage before loading it onto the computer, where the included software sure can’t split movies. When watching movies, users can play the audio back within the camera and adjust it by pushing up and down on the multi-selector.

 

Images can appear in index frames of nine images. A scroll bar shows approximately what page the user is on compared to the folder on the memory card. When in the index mode, users can press the Delete button to select  large numbers of images to delete. Pictures can be deleted individually or all at once, too.

 

Another way to view pictures is by activating the slide show mode in the playback menu. Users can display images for 3 seconds to a minute and can play the slide show in a loop or just once. The slide show can be limited to a single folder on the memory or can play all of the pictures. Pictures don’t automatically rotate, though, so users have to manually rotate them all before playing a fancy slide show.

 

For users who want more of the zooming capability than the manual control, there are seven scene modes available. Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Portrait, Landscape, Beach, High-speed Shutter, and High Sensitivity modes can all be found on the mode dial. Many cameras have a single “scene position” on the dial from which users can then enter a menu to access the custom image presets. The H5’s method is much more convenient.

 

The Sony H1, which had the same setup, had a Candle mode in place of the High Sensitivity mode. The new mode captures subjects well, keeping blur to a minimum while retaining natural light. However, the recorded images are filled with noise and are unsuitable for producing large prints. The other modes work just as they should and take great pictures in their respective shooting situations.