Sony Cyber-shot H5 and H2 First Impressions Review

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.