ProductCritic: Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 Reviews

Popular Photography (90)

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 has exceptional ergonomics, its shutter button, zoom toggle, and mode dial all well placed. You don’t even have to take your eye off the subject to adjust the mode dial, because a “virtual dial” appears in the EVF or on the monitor to show you your setting as you turn it.

DPExpert (85)

The Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 is a versatile camera providing all the controls found on a single lens reflex but without the benefit of a true optical viewfinder.

Cameras.co.uk (83)

There is a lot to like about the Sony DSC H5. It takes a very good photo, offers a good selection of controls, a long zoom and image stabilisation. Considering the features it has it is still easy enough to use and it also has a fast shutter response.

DC Views (81)

The Sony H5 has the possibility to focus manual, but it isn’t as easy and precise as with a d-SLR, so it hasn’t got a real practical function, maybe at low light.

Imaging Resource (80)

Overall, given the low price and good performance, the Sony H5 is a bargain in a 7.2-megapixel 12X zoom, and a clear Dave’s Pick.

Steve's Digicams (80)

If you’re looking for a light-weight, stylish, moderately-priced digicam that is versatile enough to handle most family events while getting you close to sports action or wildlife, the SONY Cyber-shot H5 should be high on your list. You should also consider the Canon PowerShot S3 IS. It’s difficult to choose between these two high-quality digicams.

Digital Photography Review (80)

By far the most difficult part of this review was identifying real, meaningful differences between the output of this camera and the H2, reviewed last week, and attempting to discover if it is worth the extra $100 or so.

Megapixel.net (80)

Positives: Very good image quality, Excellent colour rendition, 3-inch LCD high resolution monitor, Stabilized 12X optical zoom, Negatives: A bit of shadow noise at low ISO settings, Consumes batteries faster than the H2 if the LCD monitor is used a lot, Very little space to hold the camera without touching controls.

PC World (78)

My best photos were portraits and architectural shots taken with a long zoom, but I fared less well with moving subjects because of the small viewfinder and the shutter lag.

Digital Photography Interface (76)

Overall image quality was good and impressed me much and I’d be more than happy to recommend this camera to anyone who wants a big zoom camera with manual controls. Despite that, the Sony H5 does not have the ultimate control or super speed which may put off sports photographers or speed fanatics (like me). Oh yes, one more thing – is the H5 a better deal than the H2? It definitely is.

Digital Camera Resource Page (74)

Even with a few flaws, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 is still one of the best ultra zoom cameras on the market. It offers a high resolution sensor (with low noise levels through ISO 400), a 12X zoom lens, optical image stabilization, and an enormous 3-inch LCD display. Downsides are few, and they include above average purple fringing and a so-so continuous shooting mode.

CNET (72)

Sony’s Cyber Shot DSC-H5 sits at the top of the company’s current crop of megazoom cameras. Plus, the wide maximum aperture of f/2.8, along with the image stabilization, helps in low light. Unfortunately, this camera’s higher ISOs yields so much noise that picky low-light shooters will want to look elsewhere.

Digital Camera Info (71)

The Sony H5 is not without flaws though. The large LCD screen and excellent stabilization system are great, but they suck the AA batteries dry too quickly. A few other drawbacks include the included archaic software that is extremely limited in its capabilities and the burst mode that is more typical of a compact camera from five years ago.

Good Gear Guide (70)

A solid advanced ultra-zoom from Sony that takes high quality pictures and offers a variety of advanced functions that should please.

Neocamera.com (70)

Do not be alarmed by the long list of pros and cons here, the Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 is a good camera. Since several technical review sites have seen this camera, it has been scrutinized quite a bit. The H5 does improve significantly on its predecessor, the H1and even does a few things better than the Sony Cybershot DSC-H2.