Sony DSC-H1

Reviewed June 2005

Characteristics

The DSC-H1 captures images with a 1/2.5 inch, 5.25 million pixel CCD of which 5.1 million are effective to produce a maximum image size of 2592 x 1944 pixels. The CCD's sensitivity begins at 64 ISO and it can also be set to 100, 200 or 400 ISO while the camera is set to the P, A, S or M modes. In addition, an Auto ISO setting is available, used exclusively in all other shooting modes, allowing the camera to adjust the sensitivity freely between 64 and 320 ISO.

The H1 is equipped with a 12X optical zoom stabilized with a system called Super SteadyShot, a term currently used on Sony video cameras. Optical stabilization for a digital camera is not new for Sony however, and was available as far back as 1999 with the Mavica FD91 and its 14X zoom.

With the H1, the 12X zoom covers a focal range of 6 to 72 mm, equivalent to a 36 to 432 mm. The lens is composed of 11 elements arranged in 9 groups, and makes use of ED (Extra low Dispersion) glass and one aspherical element to minimize curvilinear distortion. Apertures start at f2.8 at the wide angle end — f3.7 at the maximum telephoto — and close down to f8.

The lens barrel provides a thread to mount an adapter that is included with the camera, and on which a lens hood, also included, can be attached. Optional lens converters that can be mounted on the adapter are also available: a wide angle converter (VCLDH0758) and one for telephoto (VCLDH1758) or a close-up lens (VCLM3358).

The H1 is also equipped with a digital zoom that can function in either one of two ways:

• As a Smart Zoom, which is only available if an image size less than 5 megapixel, or less than 3:2 (see further) is selected, since the Smart Zoom needs to use the full 5-megapixel frame size to create the zoom effect by cropping it to a field of view similar to what would be captured if a focal length greater than the camera's optical zoom at its maximum telephoto setting was used.
• or as a Precision Zoom which is the standard digital zoom, cropping the centre of the image and interpolating it to the currently selected image size, in turn causing a loss of image sharpness and quality.

The shutter speed range of the DSC-H1 covers from 1/2000 second to 30 seconds, although the fastest shutter speed manually selectable in the S and M modes is 1/1000 second along with other restrictions imposed by some modes (see the Ergonomics section for more information about the shooting modes). Noise reduction is automatically applied to all images captured with a shutter speed of 1/6 second or longer at ISO values of less than 400, and 1/25 second at 400 ISO.

The DSC-H1 can capture images at any of 5 image sizes:

• 5M: 2592 x 1944 pixels.
• 3:2: 2592 x 1728 pixels, a format intended for making 4 x 6 and 5 x 7 inch prints.
• 3M: 2048 x 1536 pixels.
• 1M: 1280 x 960 pixels.
• VGA (E-mail): 640 x 480 pixels.

And any of the image sizes can be saved at either of two JPEG compression levels: Fine, the least compressed format which therefore offers the highest image quality, or Standard, a stronger compression which trades off some of the image quality to store a greater number of images within a given memory space. Neither an uncompressed nor a RAW format are offered.

Aside from the image size, which is selected directly using the button, the image quality, along with a number of other photographic settings are selected in the Shooting menu. The number of settings presented in the menu is linked to the mode in use and, for example, the menu presented when the camera is set to the Auto shooting mode is limited to a single option: an access to the Setup sub-menu. As is often the case, the widest choice of options is presented when the H1 is set to P, A, S or M modes:

• Metering mode provides a choice of three metering patterns: Multi-pattern, the default; Centre-weighted; and Spot.
• White Balance allows setting the white balance for ambient light, using a white surface which serves to establish the camera's white point, or with presets: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent or Flash.

• ISO sets the CCD sensitivity: Auto, 64, 100, 200 or 400 ISO.
• Image Quality: Fine or Standard (JPEG).
• Bracket Step decides the Auto Bracketing step: ± 1/3 EV, ±0.7 EV, ± 1.0 EV.
• Interval: sets the frame interval for the Multi-Burst mode (1/7.5, 1/15 or 1/30 second).
• Flash Level serves to adjust the output of the flash: Stronger (+), Normal or Weaker (-).

• PFX (Picture Effect) provides options to capture images in Black and White, or Sepia tone.
• Saturation varies the colour saturation in the images: More (+), Normal, or Less (-).
• Contrast controls the image contrast: More (+), Normal, or Less (-).
• Sharpness adjusts the image sharpness: More (+), Normal, or Less (-).
• Setup is the access to the Setup menu and is accessible in all modes (see the Interface and Software section of the review for an overview of the contents of this menu).

Set to the Movie mode the menu is shorter, only providing options for Metering, White Balance and Picture Effect.

Set to the Playback mode, the menu retains a similar appearance, but contains options that are concerned with the captured images:

• Folders: to select a folder and all the photos it contains for playback, or all folders.

• Protect: to tag images so they cannot be accidentally erased.
• DPOF: to select images to be printed using DPOF (Digital Print Order Format). Images can be selected for printing individually, or by folder.
• Print: serves to make prints when the camera is directly connected to a PictBridge compliant printer via USB. The print size can be selected, index prints can be made, and the date/time can be superimposed directly on the prints if desired.

• Slide: to play back images in sequence with a selectable interval (3, 5, 10, 30 seconds or 1 minute). One or all folders can be selected for playback, and the slide show can be set to loop.
• Resize: serves to create a new, smaller version of an image. Images can be resized to a smaller or a greater size, but when resized to a larger size the quality is lower.
• Rotate: allows rotating an image 90° to the right or left.

• Divide: serves to cut a movie into 2 parts.
• Setup: accesses the Setup menu (see the Interface and Software section of the review).

In addition, while the camera is in Playback mode and an image is magnified on the screen, a trimmed version can be saved, much the same as it can with the Resize option.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H1 has a 32MB internal memory and is retailed without any memory card. Nevertheless, the H1 is equipped with a Memory Stick slot, compatible with Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO or Memory Stick Duo and Duo PRO when these are used with an adapter. The Memory Stick slot is located underneath the camera, behind a small door that is itself part of the battery compartment door, but which can be opened independently, preventing the batteries from sliding out.

The chart below provides approximate image capacities for both the 32MB internal memory, and for an optional 256 MB Memory Stick:

The DSC-H1 is powered by 2 AA-size batteries, and the Canadian version of the H1 tested here was retailed with 2 Sony brand rechargeable Ni-MH batteries (HR6) and a charger (BC-CS2A) which requires approximately 6 hours to recharge fully depleted batteries.

Furthermore, the H1 can be powered from household current using the optional AC adapter (AC-LS5K).

The DSC-H1 is fitted with 2 external connections, both protected by a solid silver plastic cover tethered to the camera on the left side.

The top yellow connection, is the A/V out (Audio/Video) of the camera, the signal for which is determined in the Setup menu as either NTSC or PAL.

While at the bottom is the USB port (Hi-Speed), which is USB 2.0 compliant.

As with the type of signal the H1 produces for video, the USB protocol can be selected in the Setup menu:

• Normal: to appear as a removable disk when connected to a computer,
• PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol): to allow the automatic transfer of images from the camera when connected to a computer running the bundled software.
• PictBridge: to print directly to a similarly compliant printer.

All necessary cables are included with the camera.