The Sony DSC H50 is an advanced, super zoom digital camera. It has 9 megapixels and a 15x optical zoom lens. It also has a range of manual exposure controls.
Why Buy the Sony DSC H50?
The DSC H50 is most likely to appeal to someone who sees photography as a hobby rather than someone who is looking for a more straightforward point and shoot camera. It has one of the longest zoom lenses currently available and has some useful ease of use features. It also has some extra features when compared to more standard super zoom digital cameras.
With very fast shutter lag times and the long zoom lens you should find the DSC H50 ideal for sports and wildlife photography.
Image Quality Sony DSC H50 test shots
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
The DSC H50 gets off to a solid start. Whether or not you like the colours a camera produces is a matter of personal taste as much as anything, but I like the mix of colours here. The picture was taken on a sunny spring day, so that does help, but even so I like the way the colours stay true even where the sun is beating down on the boats.
I have no complaints about the sharpness of the photo either. The size of the lens helps and you should be able to produce photos with greater definition than with a typical pocket compact.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
As with the first shot the colours are strong. In terms of sharpness the photo is roughly average for this type of camera. As with many cameras there is a softening of the image towards the edges. The corners of the photo are a bit darker too.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
With the zoom fully utilized the DSC H50 is able to produce a photo that is sharp, but as with the second test shot the photo does become softer as you reach out towards the edges. There is also some purple fringing in the shot
Outdoor 4 (Building)
This test is mainly about picture sharpness. With the DSC H50, the bricks in the centre of the shot are certainly sharp enough, but again there is a small amount of sharpness lost as you move towards the edges of the shot. Overall I rate this camera as 8 out of 10 for sharpness. A small amount of purple fringing is also evident in this photo.
Outdoor Portrait
My outdoor portrait shot works well. This Sony digital camera manages to retain a more even colour throughout the photos than many cameras I test. This suggests it is able to cope well with the side lighting.
Indoor Portrait with Flash
This is another test shot I am pleased with. Once again the camera produces punchy colours without being overpowering. The DSC H50 also handles the power of the pop up flash unit.
Indoor Portrait without Flash
Perhaps this photo could be brighter, especially when you consider the lighting conditions were good. I think you are likely to require flash in most indoor situations to bring out the best in this camera.
Colours
As with other Sony digital cameras the colours produced by the DSC H50 are a touch stronger than you find with other brands such as Nikon and Canon. Whether you like the colours or not is likely to be a matter of your own personal viewpoint.
Macro
I would say the DSC H50 macro shot is above average when it comes to sharpness and clarity. The problem with my test is that purple fringing rears its head again. This should not be a problem with outdoor nature shots, but it is likely to be an issue if you are planning to take close up shots of any shiny objects.
ISO 400 and ISO 1600
At ISO 400 picture quality holds up quite well. Once again purple fringing is visible in the shot. At ISO 1600 picture quality has clearly diminished.
Overall
Overall I am pleased with the results I have produced. The DSC H50 is capable of producing bright, colourful photos. Although focusing may not quite be the very best, you should still be able to make pleasingly sharp prints.
Shutter Lag
This is one of the fastest super zoom cameras around. I was able to take a single shot in 0.17 seconds and five in 7.4 seconds. With the flash on a single photo took 0.43 seconds and five photos 12.43 seconds. These are all impressive times.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Style: In terms of design this Sony digital camera is based on SLR cameras.
Dimensions: 116 x 81.4 X 86mm
Weight: 415g
Batteries: A lithium ion battery is used to provide power. A battery (NP-BG1) and a charger are supplied as standard. Sony estimates you should be able to take around 300 shots before the battery will need recharging.
Memory cards: Sony have built 15mb of memory into the DSC H50. This is only enough for around 4 photos. It is also compatible with SD and SDHC cards.
Click here to save money on Memory Stick.
Ease of use rating: Any camera with this number of features will take a bit of getting used to. Sony have made the DSC H50 as easy to use as possible. I really like the selection wheel on the back of the camera and the extra buttons that help to put controls at your fingertips, the menus are also well presented.
Points I like:
Ease of use - shutter lag times - overall picture quality
Where it could improve :
Purple fringing
Alternatives
A couple of alternatives with similar features are: Panasonic DMC FZ18 and Canon Powershot S5 IS.
Verdict:
I appreciate the effort Sony have put in to try and make an advanced camera easier to use. The shutter lag times are also impressive. Picture quality may not be quite top drawer, but for me it is close enough for the Sony DSC H50 to get a thumbs up from me.
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
| Sony DSC H50 Summary |
| Description: | 9 megapixels and a 15x optical zoom lens |
| Ease of Use: | 8 |
| Features: | 9 |
| Colour: | 8 |
| Macro: | 8 |
| Indoors: | 8 |
| Value for Money: | 8 |
| Style: | 8 |
| Movie Mode: | 9 |
| Image Quality: | 8 |
| Build Quality: | 8 |
| Total: | 82 |
| Verdict: | Overall I was impressed by this camera. Picture quality is good and although the camera has a number of advanced features Sony have been able to make the camera as easy to use as possible. When it comes to shutter lag this is one of the fastest cameras around. |
| Review Date: | May 2008 |
| Click for: | Specification Sample Images Features |
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