Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H1 July 18th, 2005 | by David Elrich

Conclusion

I really liked using the DSC-H1 and enjoyed the resulting images.  The optical image stabilization did a nice job eliminating the blur from slower shutter speeds and extremely zoomed telephoto images, where any bit of handshake rears its ugly head in your prints.  Having the ability to zoom such a long focal length is a real plus.  Just try it out in the store; you'll immediately see why we were so pleased and why it's a great travel companion.  Battery life is very good, as is the response time.  When using Memory Stick Pro cards, you can record decent movies that are close to VHS levels, but it's certainly no Mini DV camcorder.  It's a nice feature, especially if something unusual takes place that begs for a video instead of a still.  The LCD screen is big, but the quality really is a drop-off compared to the screens found on Sony's T series of cameras.  In case the screen wipes out in bright sunshine or a really dim scene, the EVF is there to save you.  However, Sony gets a half point deduction for including the insulting Picture Package software and continuing to use Memory Stick media against the on-rushing Secure Digital (SD) tide (I guess it wouldn't be Sony if they weren't so stubborn).  Perhaps the new leadership of Howard Stringer will clear out some of these very anti-consumer attitudes.  That off my chest, the DSC-H1 is a worthy competitor in the mega zoom ranks. 

Pros

• Attractive, natural-looking photos
• Fast response, little shutter lag
• Wealth of manual features and tweaks
• Little red-eye effect
• Winning AF Assist

Cons

• Bad, bad software bundle
• No flash memory supplied
• Weak LCD screen quality
• No TIFF or RAW modes