Sony Cyber-shot H5 and H2 First Impressions Review

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. 

AF Mode	Monitor, Single, Continuous
Digital Zoom	Smart, Precision, Off
Function Guide	On, Off
Red-eye Reduction	On, Off
AF Illuminator	On, Off
Auto Review	On, Off
Expanded Focus	On, Off
Flash Sync	Front, Rear
SteadyShot	Shooting, Continuous
Conversion Lens	Off, Wide, Tele, Close-up
Format	OK, Cancel
Create Rec. Folder	OK, Cancel
Change Rec. Folder	OK, Cancel
Copy	OK, Cancel
LCD Backlight	Bright, Normal
Beep	On, Off, Shutter
Language	English, Italian, French, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
Initialize	OK, Cancel
File Number	Series, Reset
USB Connect	Auto, Mass Storage, PTP, PictBridge
Video Out	NTSC, PAL
Clock Set	OK, Cancel

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.