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November 06, 2007
[ REVIEW—SONY SYBERSHOT DSC–H3 ]
![Sony DSCH3[2]](http://www.dpexpert.com.au/WindowsLiveWriter/REVIEWSONYSYBERSHOTDSCH3_D6AF/Sony%20DSCH3%5B2%5D_1.jpg)
Price: $600
Tries hard, but…
The low-down: This 8 megapixel camera has a 10x zoom (38–380mm film equivalent) Zeiss-branded lens in a compact body. Like the Panasonic TZ cameras it fits the long zoom into a body that is smaller than the usual pseudo-SLR superzooms. The Sony is well-made and attractive and has optical image stabilisation and face detection, just in case you don’t know what one looks like. It also claims dynamic range optimisation and we found that dynamic range is wide with good highlight and shadow detail. Full manual camera settings are provided for those who aspire to better than Auto operation. There is no optical viewfinder and the LCD image is below average, giving only an approximate idea of what the sensor is capturing.
Like: The picture quality from the camera is generally good. The multi-zone autofocus system must be turned off for satisfactory results. If it is left on an unacceptable number of photos will be out of focus. The camera is very responsive with little or no shutter lag. Image stabilisation is effective. The high definition format is excellent.
Dislike: The auto white balance is poor. Photos taken in open shade may have a colour cast anywhere from magenta to orange. The LCD screen is unsatisfactory as a viewfinder and for review of images. We found that pictures that looked dreadful on LCD review were acceptable on the PC monitor.
Verdict: This could be a camera to take on a holiday. The Panasonic TZs have the advantage of a 28mm focal length at the wide end of the zoom, which would sway us towards that camera, but the Sony is better in the image noise department, producing slightly cleaner images. The high definition image format, in which the pictures are recorded with 1920X1080 pixels, is excellent. This camera is part of the trend to merge still photography with television displays, which means we can expect the return of Uncle Arthur’s slide show any night now. Canon’s new PowerShot SX100IS will soon join the Sony and Panasonic in this compact superzoom category.
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Posted by terry at November 6, 2007 04:16 AM
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