Picture Quality / Size Options (8.0)
At the top of the recording menu is a list of image sizes: 8M, 3:2, 5M, 3M, VGA, and 16:9. The JPEG images are recorded at fine compression only; there is no option to record standard or basic compressed files like on most other digital cameras. That’s probably just fine though because increasing compression decreases the quality. This way, users are guaranteed high quality pictures. A help box appears that specifies how large each resolution can be printed. The top 8-megapixel image size can print up to 11 x 17 inches.
Picture Effects Mode (7.5)
There are plenty of picture effects available on the Sony H7, although they are scattered throughout the recording and playback modes. Before shooting, the color mode can be changed to black-and-white, natural, sepia, and vivid. There is a live view when scrolling through these, and they aren’t accessible in the auto or scene modes. Also in the recording menu are options to adjust the contrast and sharpness to +, Normal, or -. The contrast menu also has a DRO (dynamic range optimizer) option that automatically adjusts the exposure to get the absolute widest range of highlights and shadows and everything in between. In the playback mode, there are several effects that can be applied through the “retouch” option: soft focus, partial color, fisheye lens, cross filter, and red eye correction. These don’t produce professional results all the time but are better than the majority of in-camera effects offered on other digital cameras. Users can manually select where the subject is and then adjust the picture around it. For example, users can choose the point of focus in the soft focus mode and then everything around that point is blurred.
