Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H3 vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S500

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Cyber-shot DSC-H3 compared with Cyber-shot DSC-S500

	SonyCyber-shot DSC-H3	SonyCyber-shot DSC-S500
Overview
Released
Released	2007	2006
Image and sensor
Camera type
Camera type	Compact	Compact
Sensor format
Sensor format	Other	Other
Sensor type
Sensor type	Super HAD CCD	Super HAD CCD
Effective resolution
Effective resolution	8.1 MP	6 MP
Largest image
Largest image	3264 × 2448	2816 × 2112
RAW recording
RAW recording	No	No
Standard ISO range
Standard ISO range	100–3200	80–400
Sensor detail
Sensor detail	1/2.5-type colour Super HAD CCD, approximately 8.286 million total and 8.083 million effective photosites, rounded to 8.1 MP; optical format does not establish physical sensor dimensions	Optical 1/2.5-type Super HAD CCD; optical format is not a physical dimension. Exact instruction manual gives approximately 6,003,000 effective / 6,183,000 total pixels; Singapore archive different effective count is not used
Image formats
Image formats	Exif 2.21 JPEG still images; DCF and DPOF supported, no RAW recording. Sharpness, contrast and colour modes can be adjusted	JPEG/Exif 2.21, Fine or Standard quality; maximum 2816×2112, with 3:2 2816×1872, 3M, 2M and VGA settings. No RAW recording
Image processor
Image processor	BIONZ processor, Dynamic Range Optimizer and face detection; Clear RAW NR describes processing before JPEG encoding, not RAW recording	–
Lens and shooting
Built-in lens
Built-in lens	38–380 mm equivalent	32–96 mm equivalent
Maximum aperture
Maximum aperture	f/3.5–4.4	f/2.8–4.8
Optical zoom
Optical zoom	10×	3×
Stabilisation
Stabilisation	Optical lens stabilisation	None
Lens detail
Lens detail	Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 10× optical zoom; physical 6.3–63 mm, 38–380 mm equivalent, f/3.5 wide to f/4.4 telephoto. Ten elements in nine groups, including four aspherical and one ED element; supplied adapter supports 58 mm filters and conversion lenses	Sony 3× zoom, physical 5.4–16.2 mm F2.8–4.8. Macro approximately 5 cm wide / 35 cm telephoto; normal focus approximately 50 cm in maker archive. Singapore Carl Zeiss branding conflicts with actual Sony lens nameplate and UK table
Autofocus
Autofocus	Nine-point multi-area, centre and spot AF, face detection and focus presets; no continuous manual focus. Normal minimum 50 cm wide/90 cm telephoto, macro approximately 2 cm wide/90 cm telephoto. Advanced Sports mode includes predictive autofocus	Single autofocus; no manually adjustable focus or distance presets. UK archive lists no AF illuminator and exact manual labels the front lamp only as self-timer lamp; Singapore affirmative entry conflicts
Shutter
Shutter	Japanese exact table: Auto 1/4–1/2000 second, Program 1–1/2000, Manual 30–1/2000; operating conditions affect available speeds	Maker archive gives Auto 1/8–1/2000 second; Singapore table additionally gives Program auto 1–1/2000 second
Burst detail
Burst detail	Maker UK specifies approximately 0.5-second intervals and up to 100 continuous frames. No reciprocal conversion to a headline frame rate; settings and media affect results	Exact handbook: maximum three frames at all supported sizes/qualities, flash off, approximately 2-second recording interval. Singapore maker table separately qualifies approximately 2 seconds at 6M Fine / 1 second at VGA Standard; UK unqualified 1-second entry not used as a sustained full-resolution rate
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	Optical Super SteadyShot with Continuous or Shooting operation	–
Flash
Flash	Built-in pop-up flash, approximately 0.2–7 m wide or 0.9–5.6 m telephoto at ISO Auto; longer high-ISO claims have different conditions. No accessory hotshoe	Exact instruction manual Auto ISO range approximately 0.5–2.5 m wide / 0.5–2.0 m telephoto; red-eye reduction pre-flash available
Exposure controls
Exposure controls	Auto, Program Auto, Manual and nine scene modes; no aperture-priority or shutter-priority mode. ±2 EV compensation in 1/3 EV steps and exposure bracketing. DPReview reports Sony confirmed that two selectable aperture settings engage/disengage an ND filter rather than changing depth of field	Auto, Program auto and six scene modes: Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Soft Snap, Landscape, Beach and Candle. No manual or aperture/shutter-priority exposure. ±2 EV in 1/3 EV steps; multi-pattern or spot metering. ISO Auto, 80, 100, 200 and 400
Video
Highest video resolution
Highest video resolution	640 × 480 at 30 fps	320 × 240 at 30 fps
Video detail
Video detail	MPEG-1 monaural movies: VGA 640×480 at approximately 30 fps Fine requiring Memory Stick PRO Duo, 17 fps Standard or 320×240 at approximately 8 fps. Exact manual limits continuous clips to approximately 10 minutes. DPReview confirms optical zoom cannot change while filming; HD output is for still photographs, not HD movie recording	AVI Motion JPEG, 320×240 at 30 fps with recorded sound. No movie-sound playback through the camera buzzer; sound plays on TV or computer. UK archive 640×480 template entry conflicts with exact handbook
Audio
Audio	Built-in monaural microphone and speaker; monaural movie sound and analogue audio output	–
Screen and viewfinder
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Screen size
Screen size	2.5″	2.4″
Screen dots
Screen dots	115,200	110,000
Touchscreen
Touchscreen	No	No
Tilting screen
Tilting screen	No	No
Display detail
Display detail	Fixed 2.5-type TFT LCD, 115200 dots in exact manual; UK and Japanese tables round to 115000. No optical or electronic viewfinder	Fixed 2.4-inch TFT, maker states 110,000 dots in exact instruction manual and UK archive; dots are not captured image pixels. No touchscreen or tilting
Viewfinder detail
Viewfinder detail	–	No separate viewfinder; composition uses rear LCD
Connections and design
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	No	No
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	330 photographs	60 photographs
Body weight
Body weight	264 g	146 g (better)
Release detail
Release detail	Announced 21 August 2007 in the US, with September shipping planned; Japanese maker notice scheduled 14 September. Contemporary November full review establishes the 2007 retail generation, but earliest actual sale month remains unconfirmed, so year precision retained	Imaging Resource exact-model specification database records Date Available August 4 2006. Year 2006 retained conservatively because the precise first-sale day is not independently corroborated. Contemporary Sony US reporting planned August shipment; Sony China announced its regional model November 22 2006. No predecessor inferred from the maker calling it a new S-series member after S600.
Recording media
Recording media	Approximately 31 MB internal memory; Memory Stick Duo, PRO Duo and PRO-HG Duo supported. PRO-HG operates at PRO Duo speed; PRO Duo required for VGA Fine movies	Approximately 25 MB internal memory; Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick PRO Duo, including MagicGate variants. No card supplied
Ports
Ports	Multi connector carries Hi-Speed USB 2.0, analogue video and monaural audio. Optional component cable gives HD still-photo output; no HDMI terminal. Imaging Resource corrected its original review to state H-series cameras are not compatible with the CSS-HD1 dock	Separate USB mini-B (Full-Speed USB 2.0) and A/V OUT mini-jack; NTSC/PAL composite video and audio. Exact manual Full-Speed specification overrides Singapore Hi-Speed heading
Wireless connections
Wireless connections	UK maker specification explicitly lists no Bluetooth	–
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	NP-BG1 lithium-ion battery, 3.6 V, 3.4 Wh/960 mAh. Approximately 330 photographs/165 minutes with LCD on under maker CIPA conditions; playback claim 7400 images/370 minutes is a separate test	Two supplied LR6 alkaline AA cells: approximately 60 shots / 30 minutes CIPA. Optional NH-AA-DB NiMH pair: approximately 350 shots / 170 minutes, not supplied. Alkaline values vary by brand, settings and conditions; supplied cells described as trial-use batteries
Charging
Charging	External BC-CSG/BC-CSGB/BC-CSGC charger, regional fittings vary. Approximately 330 minutes full charge or 270 minutes practical charge from depleted battery at 25°C; optional AC-LS5K adapter does not recharge the battery in the camera	Supplied alkaline batteries cannot be recharged. Optional compatible NiMH cells require an external charger; no charger supplied. Optional AC-LS5K mains adaptor separate
Dimensions
Dimensions	Approximately 106 × 68.5 × 47.5 mm width × height × depth excluding protrusions	92.4×62.3×31.2 mm width×height×depth in UK archive; exact instruction manual rounds to 92×62×31 mm excluding protrusions
Weight detail
Weight detail	Approximately 264 g body only. Manual 380 g includes NP-BG1 battery, strap, adapter ring, lens hood, lens cap and other accessories; Japanese table also includes Memory Stick Duo	146 g body only in UK archive; approximately 198 g including two batteries and wrist strap, etc. in exact instruction manual. Plastic body in Singapore maker table
In the box
In the box	NP-BG1 battery, external charger, multi-connector USB/AV cable, shoulder strap, lens cap, cap strap, lens hood and adapter ring; regional power fittings vary	Two AA alkaline batteries, dedicated USB cable, A/V cable, wrist strap, software/handbook CD and instruction manual; rechargeable cells, charger and Memory Stick Duo excluded