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"Best Camera I've ever had" on by Kevin Trinh
Pros: High ISO, very good optical zoom, great image quality, fast performance, zooming when shoting video, video quality is good.
Cons: Battery life should be improved, joy stick control is quite sticky to use.
Summary: I had H2 2 days ago, and I'm very impress for the quality of the camera. Zooming when video record is now available (which H1 can not). Super steady shot works great. With 2mx and 20x zoom which include optical and digital zoom, the image shows no blur at all. The images with ISO 400 are sufficient for me with just a little bit noise. The shutter speed works great in low light situation. However, the battery life is quite short; may be because I used the zoom and manual focus all the time. I have heard that SanDisk memory stick duo doesn't work with H2 but it works fine with mine.
P/S: I had one trouble with H2, one time it asks me to turn off the camera then turn on again. But it has happened just one time since I bought it; after I turn it off and on, it works fine.Updated
I highly recommend upgrade your H2 to 2nd version of the firmware, because it will fix the restart problem. As I said before, I had trouble with the restart camera one time but later it's still happened several times(after I posted my subject). Then I upgrade the firmware to 2nd version, after that the problem is disappeared. I think the problem is not only because of the adapter ring but also the 1st firmware (it's seem doesn't reconize the ring, and that why it ask you to restart your H2). Trust me, I upgraded it about more than 3 weeks ago and the camera wasn't ask to restart till then. -
"Great buy, I love this Camera" on by SlimSilver03
Pros: light weight, Great Zoom, High ISO, Comfortable, and Sexy
Cons: Some noise past the 500 ISO mark.
Summary: This is a wonderful camera. The memory card i got is a 1g memory stick pro duo(High Speed). the Sandisk version works on mine as well. dont know what that guy was talking about. the zoom is great for all the basball and football games i go to. The ISO Goes up to 1000. It is comfortable to hold, and the focus works wonderful. dispite the .5 inch decrease on the display from the H1. Who really cares about screen size anymore anyway. It is still a big screen size. The camera is a good successor to the H1. It is also sleeker and sexier in my opinion.
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"Waste of Megapixels and Your Money" on by Distant_Shores
Pros: None: The Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H2 fell apart before I could find any
Cons: See Opinion for long list
Summary: Purpose of this review is to share my experiences with the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H2 with others who may be thinking of buying it. The camera was used four weeks before returning back to Sony.
I was looking to upgrade from my Canon G5 to something with a little more flexibility and features for a vacation I was going to take. Although tempted, I decided not to leap to a DSLR. Based upon research and initial reviews, prior to its release from Sony I ordered Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H2 and its full range of accessories (Telephoto, wide-angle, micro-lenses, etc). Initially I had few problems, but on the first full day of my European vacation the DSC-H2's Shutter Button disintegrated making the camera completely useless for the rest of vacation. I regret buying it and if you buy this camera so will you.
Pro
None: The Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H2 fell apart before I could find any.
Con:
So what were the problems I encountered when trying to use DSC-H2?
1). Batteries Problems: Two Sony Stamina NiMH batteries that came with the DSC-H2 were defective and would not take a charge. I had to buy my own batteries before I could even begin to use the camera. DSC-H2 seemed to drain batteries at a higher rate than what specifications stated it would. Length of battery charging cycle seem excessive.
2). Extremely flimsy construction. Several weeks after receiving the camera, on the first full day of my vacation after only three pictures, the DSC-H2's Shutter Button completely disintegrated. No Shutter Button and no pictures. When Sony refused to deal with this problem at all, I was forced to buy another digital camera in Europe to take my pictures. Being completely useless for taking pictures, the DSC-H2 and all of its accessories just took up space and remained in my luggage. See my comments about Sony Customer Support on trying to resolve this and other problems associated with this camera.
3). SanDisk 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo "Reinsert memory card" error . When looking at the camera I believed Sony statement that DSC-H2 was compatible with SanDisk 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo. I bought three of them for a vacation to Europe. They were completely worthless. It must be assumed Sony had tested the DSC-H2 and was aware of this defect before market and sold the camera to general public. See my comments about Sony Customer Support on trying to resolve this and other problems associated with this camera.
4). Super SteadyShot® stabilization did not work 20% of time. Some images so blurred you could not tell what they were.
5). Image Noise. Some at ISO 200. Noticeable at ISO 400. Noise levels at ISO 800 made most images unusable.
6). Zoom Pixalization. Use of zoom caused a significant degree of pixalization which was especially noticeable at 10x and up. I don’t care how big your telephoto capability- if it is distorted or you can not use the image- what good is it.
7). Wide Angle Lense Chromatic aberration and distortion. When using Sony wide angle lense experienced purple fringe and peripheral distortion of images. Some is to be expected, but this was excessive.
8). Autofocus: In short time I had and used camera, some minor problems developed with autofocus (it would intermittently stopped working and I had to do it manually). With this starting to occur with the DSC-H2 brand new, there is no telling how extensive it would have become over time.
9) . DSC-H2 Ergonomics: Camera fatigue quickly becomes a problem. I found the camera awkward and difficult to hold. With the bulk and weight close to that of a DSLR, but with none of the advantages. The lens adapter is very cumbersome. The various control and function buttons are oddly placed and most are difficult to access and use.
10). Flash takes longer than normal to recharge. The result was missing a number of what would have been some great pictures.
11). Small LCD monitor 2.5 inches. It was very difficult to see in direct sunlight. Made image composition rather difficult.
12). The primary reason you buy a camera is for the images it will take. DSC-H2's Overall Image Quality? I can sum it up in two words- Extremely Disappointing! Based upon initial reviews I had a certain level of expectation. But when I compared several images of Swiss mountains that was taken at the same time and under same light conditions, my daughter’s 4 megapixel camera produces equivalent and in some cases better images than 6 megapixel DSC-H2. When compared with my old 5 megapixel Canon G5, there can be no real comparison. DSC-H2 is not even in the same league.
13). When you buy a camera you purchase not only the hardware, but the support behind it. Sony Customer Support- Based upon over 20 hours (5 of which were spent calling long distance from Switzerland) of dealing with these individuals during the process of trying to resolve this problem I found that when it comes to Sony and product support you are on your own. If you have a problem with their products- its your problem and not theirs. I found Sony Customer Support to be incompetent, lazy, purposely provide you with misinformation, out-right-lie to you, high degree of ignorance, empty promises and refusal of mid-level supervisors to do their job, supervisors who seemed to be on a power trip, frustration. Etc. etc. Instead of trying to help solve problem- they became a major part of the problem. They tried to wear you down and make you give up.
Conclusion
I had great hopes for the DSC-H2 when I bought it. But because of all of the above, The day when Hell freezes over will be the day I buy another Sony camera. Until then I will stick to Canon and plan to buy a PowerShot S3 IS. -
"great camera" on by xxErikaxx
Pros: image stabalizer, good zoom, crisp picture
Cons: none that I can find as of yet
Summary: I bought this camera yesterday after reading many positive reviews. I didn't know what a great camera was until I compared it to a Cannon which was the same price. The image stabalizer is WONDERFUL for all you shaky hands out there, the picture is nice and crisp and the zoom is decent. For the price this camera cannot be beat. No it does not have a hot shoe mount which I really wanted but can't afford right now in the higher end $700 cameras but if you have lights that sync up with the flash, as I do, it shouldn't be a problem. I really wanted the hot shoe mount but, you only get that feature if you are ready to get serious and shell out big bucks. I can't wait to start using this camera more. I can't say enough good things about it. After I did a lot of comparing to other cameras in the same price range I'm very pleased with my purchase. You can't go wrong but don't take my word for it, compare for yourself.
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"Fabulous Camera,best one Ive had so far and I have had more than enough!" on by roadsplay
Pros: It's ease of use;plenty of manual settings for the aspiring photog;produces excellent pix,even to 400...and then some;feels great,and all ajustments are easy access and use.
Cons: some noise at 800 and alot at 1000...but it also depends on the shot; would be nice with a hotshoe but the flash throw is excellent!
Summary: Ive owned several Sony cams,and other brands when I started digital photogaphy some 12 years ago.I owned one of the first "cyber-shots" and Ive always had good luck with Sony in general.My girlfriend gave me it for Christmas but it wasnt this cam.However the vender on Ebay did a "bait and switch" with her,so she got her credit card reimbursed and I used the cash to buy it locally.When the original cam wasnt available,I got the Sony...and Ive been loving it since day 1.I never had ANY of the headaches those "Cons" buyers experienced! Everthing from adjustment buttons to the lens are almost perfect! Yes,theres noise at 1000 iso and some at 800 but at 6-MPs the photo is so large that its amost useless.Ive gotten great results after editing the noisy ones.I recommend this camera for the novice and hobbiest/pro alike!
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