Sony DSC-H9

Reviewed May 2007

Introduction

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 is another in the growing number of bridge cameras currently on the market. Equipped with a 15X optically stabilized zoom lens, an 8.1 megapixel resolution and a hinged 3-inch LCD monitor, and supplied with a host of small accessories, the DSC-H9 is one of the most comprehensive kits.

The H9 is equipped with a large, 3-inch (7.4 cm) LCD monitor. The monitor is composed of 230,400 pixels, and offers an excellent and crisp image.

The monitor is hinged on the back, making it possible to move it 180°, 90° up or 90° down. A latch holds it in place on the back of the camera.

The button on left serves to select one of the three metering modes it cycles through: Multi metering, Centre-weighted metering, or Spot metering.

The button on the right, , controls the drive mode, cycling through Single shot, Continuous Shooting (up to 100 frames at a frame rate of 2 frames per second approximately), Exposure Bracketing over three frames with a bracketing step of 1/3 EV, 2/3 EV, or 1 EV, before returning to the Single shot mode.

Two more controls are positioned on top of the camera: the power switch, which has a small LED on its right that glows green when the camera is on, and the Mode Dial. The Mode dial has 12 positions, each a capture mode:

	Auto is the DSC-H9's point and shoot mode, putting the camera is charge of all photographic settings.
	Program allows the camera to choose the aperture and the shutter speed, but the user can select alternate combinations of aperture and shutter speed — emphasizing either depth of field or speed; in addition to providing access to all the other settings available on the camera.
	Shutter Priority makes it possible to select a shutter speed from a range that covers from 1/4000 second to 30 seconds, while the camera handles the aperture.
	Aperture Priority provides a choice of apertures from f2.7 to f8 at the wide angle end, and f4.5 to f8 at the telephoto end, while the camera matches it to a shutter speed.
	Manual allows selecting both the shutter speed and the aperture along with all other parameters. The camera displays the exposure compensation scale to indicate over- or underexposure.
	Movie Mode makes it possible to capture clips with sound at any one of three frame sizes: 640 (Fine) records at a frame size of 640 x 480 pixels at 30 frames per second, using a low compression. This option is only available when a Memory Stick Duo Pro is used. 640 (Standard) records a 640 x 480-pixel image at 25 frames per second, with a stronger compression. 320 records a small frame size, 320 x 240 pixels, at 25 frames per second, using a standard compression. During movie recordings, the full zoom remains useable, as does the auto focus, and the white balance is adjusted as required. The length of the movie is only limited by the space available on the Memory Stick.
	Twilight allows a maximum exposure time of 2 seconds while cutting off the flash and uses a sensitivity to 80 to 100 ISO. Noise reduction is automatically applied post-capture. Beach limits the use of the flash to Forced On, or Forced Off and the slowest shutter speed is 1/8 second. Sensitivity is automatically adjusted from a range that covers from 80 to 800 ISO, and the camera automatically boosts blue saturation slightly. Snow is intended to capture a moving subject by optimizing the shutter speed. The minimum shutter speed is 1/8 second and sensitivity is adjusted over a range of 80 to 800 ISO. Fireworks has a shutter speed range of 2 seconds and the flash is Forced Off. Sensitivity is automatically adjusted over a range of 80 to 100 ISO.
	Landscape has a shutter speed range of 1/8 to 1/4000 second and the flash can be set to Forced On or Forced Off. Sensitivity is automatically adjusted over a range of 80 to 800 ISO.
	Twilight Portrait opens the flash automatically using the Slow Sync mode to capture a subject standing in front of night scenery. The sensitivity can range from 80 to 200 ISO and the shutter speed can be as long as 2 seconds.
	Advanced Sports Shooting is intended to capture sports action by optimizing the shutter speed. The minimum shutter speed is 1/60 second and sensitivity is adjusted over a range of 80 to 800 ISO.
	Portrait also has a shutter speed range of 1/30 to 1/4000 second, and sensitivity is automatically adjusted from 80 to 800 ISO. Set to this mode, the camera softens sharpness slightly and accentuates skin tones.
	High Sensitivity makes it possible to capture images in dark places without the use of the flash, by allowing the camera to adjust sensitivity from 80 to 3200 ISO.

The next controls are on the ridge that connects the top and the back of the camera. The first, nearest the viewfinder, is the Finder/LCD button, which toggles back and forth between the LCD monitor and the electronic viewfinder of the H9. The EVF measures 0.2 in. (0.5 cm) diagonally, and is composed of 200,000 pixels, giving a small but sharp image. A dioptre corrector, positioned on the left side of the exit pupil, is included making it possible to adjust the image to one's eyesight.

To the right of the Finder/LCD button is the Playback button that can be used, if pressed for more than one second, to start the camera directly in playback mode, without having the lens extend. The camera can also be switched to capture mode by pressing the shutter release lightly.

The next button is a rocker switch that controls the zoom. The switch is positioned to fall under the thumb when holding the camera, and is relatively easy to use, moving the zoom from wide angle to telephoto in approximately 2 seconds. In Playback mode, the zoom control can be used to zoom into part of an image (up to 5X) when pressed on the T side. When pressed on the W side, the camera first displays a view with 9 thumbnails. When pressed a second time 20 thumbnails are displayed as part of a window that contains all of the photos in the current folder.

Moving down the narrow strip of space left for controls by the monitor, the next control is the MENU button. The Menu button calls up one menu for the shooting modes, and another for the playback mode. For more information about the menus of the DSC-H9, see the Characteristics section of the review.

Next comes the Control button which has a small button in the centre and a Wheel dial around it. The Control is effectively a 4-direction control, used to navigate the menus of the camera, review images, and control 4 functions:

The up direction controls the Flash mode: Auto, Forced On, Slow Synch, or Forced Off.

In the playback mode, the DISP button functions much the same way as in the capture mode, first displaying an image with some of the image's parameters, then increasing the screen's brightness when pressed once, then adding the image's histogram when pressed twice. A third press removes all superimposed image information, while the next press dims the image, returning to the default setting.

The Wheel dial around the 4-direction control operates in conjunction with the button at the centre. The button has two states: OK or SET, switching back and forth each time it is pressed. A number of the camera settings that appear on the monitor or EVF can be modified, and when SET is selected the setting to be adjusted can be selected by moving the wheel dial from side to side which highlights it in yellow. The settings that can be modified are at the bottom of the display:

• Focus: Multi AF (wide area AF), Centre AF, Flexible Spot AF (can be moved anywhere in the frame), and Manual focus with a distance scale displayed on the monitor.
• Exposure Compensation: adjustable over a range of ± 2 EV in 1/3 EV increments.
• Shutter Speed when the camera is set to S or M modes
• Aperture when the camera is set to A or M modes
• Combinations of shutter speeds and apertures that would result in correct exposure when the camera is set to P mode.
• Sensitivity: allowing the ISO setting for the camera to be selected starting with Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 or 3200 ISO.

And. with the H9 set to the playback mode, the Wheel dial can be used to move from one image to the next, either forwards or backwards.

The last control on the back of the H9 is simply labeled HOME. The Home button calls up what Sony refers to as the Home Screen which provides access to functions irrespective of the camera's mode. With the camera set to a capture mode, the first option displayed is Shooting, which when selected simply leads to the current shooting mode, even if the camera was in Playback mode.

The next category is View Images and it appears first when the camera is set to the Playback mode when the Home button is pressed. The View Images category offers options to see a Single Image at a time, view photos in an Index Display, the same view that is presented with the wide side of the zoom button is pressed, or see a Slide Show.

The following category is Printing, Other and it offers an access to select photos to be printed, or download music to the camera to be used with a slide show, or format the music to eliminate the music files already present on the camera.

Next comes Manage Memory, and it provides access to the memory tool that serves to format the internal memory or a Memory Stick Duo.

The last category is entitled Settings and it is the access to the Setup options for the camera. Worth noting, its second section, Shooting Settings, can also be accessed as the last option of the Shooting menu, which is displayed with the MENU button when the camera is set to a capture mode.

The final external control of the DSC-H9 is the NightShot switch, located on the left side of the camera, near the monitor. The NightShot mode made its debut in 2001 on the DSC-F707. The mode allows the camera to capture images in Infrared, with the assistance of an infrared emitter that is positioned between the grip and the lens, behind an elongated oval window (see image below). Using the NightShot feature automatically switches the camera to the Auto shooting mode, irrespective of the Mode Dial's position, and the distance at which photos can be captured is limited. (See the Image Quality section for more information).

The DSC-H9 is equipped with an automatically released pop-up flash, which, when the sensitivity is set to Auto, can cover up to 9.8 m (32 ft) when the zoom is at the wide angle end, and 6 m (19 ft) at the telephoto end.

If needed, the flash can be manually opened simply by lifting it.

While the DSC-H9's ergonomics are generally well conceived, it does suffer from one important weakness. The space allocated to the controls on the right side of the monitor is insufficient and makes the use of the wheel dial and the 4-direction control difficult. Similarly, the small button at the centre of the 4-direction control is too small and difficult to press, as are the directional controls to which functions are assigned.

The LCD screen is sharp, but just like the lower resolution EVF, it is prone to streaking when there is a lot of light — such as the light coming from a window when the camera is indoors. Moreover, the power requirements seem high, and the small battery of the H9 only offers a limited autonomy.