Sony · Cyber-shot

Cyber-shot DSC-H2

Released April 2006

A 6-megapixel bridge camera with a stabilised 12× optical zoom, manual exposure and two AA batteries.

Type: Bridge
Sensor: Other
Megapixels: 6
Lens: 36–432 mm equivalent
Video: 640 × 480 at 30 fps
Body weight: 389 g

What reviewers say

DPReview and Photography Blog praised the comfortable handling, accessible exposure controls, stabilised long zoom and low-ISO photographs. Both criticised the small rear screen and viewfinder and found high-ISO image quality weaker. DPReview noted focus hunting at long focal lengths and clipped highlights; Photography Blog found its heavily used battery life shorter than the maker's test figure.

From dpreview.com, photographyblog.com, photographyblog.com, photographyblog.com and photographyblog.com

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Specifications

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Image and sensor

Camera type: Bridge
Sensor format: Other
Sensor type: Super HAD CCD
Effective resolution: 6 MP
Largest image: 2816 × 2112
RAW recording: No
Standard ISO range: 80–1000
Sensor detail: 1/2.5-type Super HAD CCD; approximately 6.183 million total and 6.003 million effective photosites. Optical format does not establish physical sensor dimensions
Image formats: JPEG Fine or Standard, Exif 2.21, DCF and DPOF; no RAW recording
Image processor: Real Imaging Processor; Clear RAW NR is noise reduction, not a RAW recording mode

Lens and shooting

Built-in lens: 36–432 mm equivalent
Maximum aperture: f/2.8–3.7
Optical zoom: 12×
Stabilisation: Optical lens stabilisation
Lens detail: Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 12× optical zoom, physical 6–72 mm, 36–432 mm equivalent, f/2.8 wide to f/3.7 telephoto. Supplied lens adapter supports optional conversion lenses; digital and Smart Zoom are crops
Autofocus: Single, Monitor or Continuous AF, multi-point, centre and movable spot areas, with AF illuminator and manual distance adjustment. Normal minimum approximately 50 cm wide or 90 cm telephoto; macro approximately 2 cm wide or 90 cm telephoto
Shutter: Auto 1/4–1/2000 second; Program Auto 1–1/2000 second; shutter-priority and Manual 30–1/1000 second. Fastest settings depend on aperture and mode
Burst detail: Maker manual gives approximately 0.8-second intervals and seven full-resolution Fine JPEG photographs per burst, or twelve Standard JPEGs. Separate Multi Burst puts sixteen small frames inside one image, not sixteen full-resolution photographs
Stabilisation detail: Optical Super SteadyShot with Shooting or Continuous operation; continuous correction uses more battery
Flash: Built-in pop-up flash; approximately 0.3–9 m wide or 0.9–6.8 m telephoto at Auto ISO. Greater high-sensitivity range claims are conditional on ISO 1000
Exposure controls: Auto, Program, aperture-priority, shutter-priority and Manual, seven scene modes, multi-pattern/centre-weighted/spot metering and ±2 EV in 1/3 EV steps; jog dial adjusts exposure

Video

Highest video resolution: 640 × 480 at 30 fps
Video detail: MPEG-1 monaural video up to 640 × 480 at approximately 30 fps in Fine mode, requiring Memory Stick PRO Duo. VGA Standard and 160 × 112 modes also available. Optical zoom can change during recording (DPReview exact-model test)
Audio: Built-in electret condenser microphone, monaural movie sound, speaker and monaural analogue A/V output

Screen and viewfinder

Viewfinder: Electronic
Screen size: 2″
Screen dots: 84,960
Touchscreen: No
Tilting screen: No
Display detail: Fixed 2.0-type TFT LCD with 84960 dots; maker launch table rounds this to 85000. Separate 0.2-type electronic viewfinder has approximately 200000 dots equivalent

Connections and design

Battery life (maker's claim): 400 photographs
Body weight: 389 g
Release detail: Sony's 25 February 2006 US announcement planned April shipping. Sony's overseas archive records a temporary DSC-H2 sales halt on 20 April 2006, establishing April retail availability; Hong Kong's launch planned end-May availability. No exact worldwide first-sale day established
Recording media: 30 MB usable internal memory under maker manual and Hong Kong specifications, plus Memory Stick Duo/PRO Duo. US launch described 32 MB; manual capacity retained. PRO Duo required for VGA Fine movies
Ports: Mini-B Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and monaural analogue A/V output; PictBridge direct printing
Battery life detail: Two supplied NH-AA-DB nickel-metal hydride AA cells; approximately 400 photographs/200 minutes with LCD or finder under CIPA still-test conditions. Alkaline cells are supported but maker test gives only approximately 60 photographs. Separate 250-minute movie figure uses 160-size continuous recording, not VGA Fine
Charging: External BC-CS2A/CS2B Ni-MH charger; approximately six hours for fully depleted supplied cells at 25°C. LR6 alkaline and ZR6 Oxy Nickel primary AA cells or optional AC-LS5K adapter also supported
Dimensions: Approximately 113.2 × 83 × 94 mm width × height × depth excluding protrusions
Weight detail: Approximately 389 g net body weight in Sony Hong Kong specifications. Manual's 537 g includes two batteries, shoulder strap, adapter ring, lens hood, lens cap and other accessories
Colours: Silver
In the box: Camera, two rechargeable AA Ni-MH batteries, charger, power cord, battery case, USB and A/V cables, shoulder strap, lens cap, lens hood and adapter ring, instructions and software; regional fittings vary

Pros and cons

Pros

Optical lens stabilisation
Aperture-priority, shutter-priority and manual exposure
Rechargeable AA batteries and charger supplied

Cons

JPEG still images only
Small fixed rear display
VGA maximum video resolution

Closest rivals

Model	Type	Sensor	Megapixels	Lens	Video	Body weight	Released
SonyCyber-shot DSC-H5	Bridge	Other	7.2	36–432 mm equivalent	640 × 480 at 30 fps	406 g	May 2006
SonyCyber-shot DSC-H1	Bridge	Other	5.1	36–432 mm equivalent	640 × 480 at 30 fps	438 g	Jun 2005
SonyCyber-shot DSC-H7	Bridge	Other	8.1	31–465 mm equivalent	640 × 480 at 30 fps	375 g	2007

Sources

Photo: Sony Deutschland (manufacturer-supplied photograph explicitly credited by digitalkamera.de; complete supplied canvas retained)

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