A fifteen times zoom lens is the big attraction of the Sony DSC H9. This is one of the longest zoom lenses available on a digital camera, unless you buy an SLR. The DSC H9 is an eight megapixel digital camera. It also comes with image stabilisation and manual exposure features.
When you consider the length of the lens and also the features available this camera is likely to appeal to someone who sees photography as a hobby. With the length of the lens it is especially suited to someone who is interested in wildlife or sports photography.
Image Quality Sony DSC H9 test shots
Just because a camera has a very long lens and lots of megapixels doesn't mean that it will take good photographs. In fact delivering this length of lens is a tough engineering job. Looking at my test shots Sony have done well with the DSC H9.
My first test shot is with the lens partially zoomed in. Here the camera is able to handle most of my check points. The brickwork on the building in the centre of the photo is in sharp focus. This sharpness is retained for the most part as you move away towards the edges. Sun glare is controlled with only a very small amount of detail lost. Overall the colours are good.
The second test with the lens zoomed right out is the weakest shot of my three scenic tests when it comes to focusing. This is fairly typical, but I would like to have seen a bit more sharpness as the scene pans away down the river.
The third test shot shows the power of the zoom. Aside from a minor amount of purple fringing I like this shot. Detail is good and I like the way the camera has lit the picture. Sharpness levels are good considering the amount of zoom used.
My specific test for colours underlines the fact that no single colour dominates. It also shows that although there is plenty of depth colour wise the colours produced by the DSC H9 are not overpowering.
I like the look of the outdoor portrait shot. This is a pleasingly bright photo. The colours are just about right once more.
The flash unit has plenty of power when compared to other, more standard digital cameras and this should help to illuminate many lowlight photos. Looking at my indoor portrait test I am surprised by the amount of noise showing in the photo. This is especially noticeable in the hair and detracts from an otherwise decent effort. Both this shot and my extreme lowlight test using some beer bottles do show that despite the strong flash the DSC H9 produces strong colours. The colours are certainly stronger than I am used to seeing in this test.
The macro shot is sharp enough, but a degree of purple fringing is visible and there is also a slight blue colour caste. This is a reaction to the lighting used, so this problem should not arise if you are taking outdoor nature shots for example.
At higher ISO levels picture quality falls away. At the maximum setting of ISO 3200 picture quality is very poor and I cannot image anyone wanting to show around photos taken on this setting. Even lower down the scales there is a clear drop off in quality at around ISO 400.
Shutter Lag
I was able to take a single shot in 0.15 seconds and five photos in 5.58 seconds. With flash the times increase to 0.35 seconds and 15.14 seconds. These are all very fast times.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Style: The DSC H9 looks like a small SLR camera. It is available in black and silver and looks like it has a good, solid build.
Dimensions: 109.5 x 83.4 x 85.7mm
Weight: 407g
Batteries: A rechargeable lithium ion battery (NP-BG1) is supplied together with a charger. Sony estimates you should be able to take around 280 shots in between charges.
Memory cards: 31mb of memory have been built into the camera. This is enough for around 16 photos. A memory card is not supplied as standard. The DSC H9 is compatible with Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick Duo Pro cards.
Click here to save money on Memory Stick.
Ease of use rating: Very Good - Obviously this camera is not as easy to get to grips with a simple point and shoot camera. Even so when taking the range of features it has into account it is one of the more straightforward models. The selection wheel on the back of the camera is an excellent idea and makes it quick and easy to change settings such as shutter speed and ISO.
Points I like:
Length of zoom - low shutter lag - ease of use - colours - lighting
Where it could improve:
Some purple fringing - noise in my lowlight test
Verdict:
If you are looking for a digital camera with an extreme zoom lens then there is not that much choice around. I haven't found any major flaws in the Sony DSC H9. So if it's extra zoom you need then this is one to go for.
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
| Sony DSC H9 Summary |
| Description: | 8 megapixels and a 15x optical zoom lens |
| Ease of Use: | 9 |
| Features: | 9 |
| Colour: | 9 |
| Macro: | 7 |
| Indoors: | 7 |
| Value for Money: | 8 |
| Style: | 8 |
| Movie Mode: | 8 |
| Image Quality: | 8 |
| Build Quality: | 8 |
| Total: | 81 |
| Verdict: | The Sony DSC H9 has a fifteen times optical zoom lens. This is one of the largest zooms you will find on a consumer digital camera. I found the picture quality to be good and I was impressed at the way Sony managed to handle all the features to ensure that the DSC H9 remained easy enough to use. Shutter lag times are minimal. |
| Review Date: | June 2007 |
| Click for: | Specification Sample Images Features |
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