Digital Cameras, cyber-shot, gadgets, sony, sony cyber-shot h7, sony cyber-shot h9

Sony's Big-Zoomin' H9 Cyber-shot Does 15x Optical

When it comes to close ups, Sony's new H9 will practically throw you into the action thanks to its 15x optical zoom. It's Sony's only cam (from this year's line show) to sport NightShot tech, which lets you shoot when the sun goes down. The 8MP snapper will also have a less expensive brother, the H7. Both ship in April for $480 and $400.

Press Release [Sony]

12:42 PM on Tue Feb 27 2007
By Louis Ramirez
2,916 views
9 comments

Comments

Ma8thew at 01:41 PM on 02/27/07
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Wouldn't it be better just to get an SLR for about $20 more?
TadPrime at 01:46 PM on 02/27/07
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Oooohhh.... shiny....

It sounds pretty good, but it seems to be missing a couple things I consider necessities. I don't see a flash mount and why would you give a camera 15x optical zoom and no macrophotography capabilities?
Craig at 02:00 PM on 02/27/07
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These actually have some decent specs but I question the quality you're going to get at 15x once you factor in camera shake (even with the optical image stabilization) and glass quality at this price.

As for why you wouldn't spend $20 more to get an SLR, a lot of people want decent quality in a portable package without having to hassle with extra lenses and acessories. Besides, $500 is going to get you a body and, at best, a fixed focal length lens.
mela_luvs_gizmodo at 02:07 PM on 02/27/07
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Wouldn't it be better just to get an SLR for about $20 more?

Ultrazooms are a great all-in-one package. You get the extended zoom and these cameras usually offer more control over your photos than a lower-end p&s. Perfect for people who like taking pictures as a hobby but don't want to spend even more money on extra lenses.
CBMTTek at 02:45 PM on 02/27/07
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I CAN GET A DSLR FOR $500!

Sign me up.

Oh, wait. What are the specs on the SLR? Bet they're are not really that good.
mela_luvs_gizmodo at 03:00 PM on 02/27/07
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One more thing, ultrazooms can take video, and pretty good ones at that. My camera can do 60 frames per second and will record in stereo, I've found this to be an extremely nice feature.
lordargent at 06:42 PM on 02/27/07
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15x optical zoom

Without actual specs, this number (15x) is nearly useless. 15x is a comparison between the shortest and longest focal length of the lens. But it gives you no real idea what the capabilities of the lens are.

long_focal_length / short_focal_length = zoomlevel

15x could be any of the following (theoretical) lens combos.

a 1-15mm lens
a 5-75mm lens
a 10-150mm lens
a 15-225mm lens
a 20-300mm lens
a 25-375mm lens

You get the idea.

I hate press releases that don't give the vital statistics. Especially since they need those statistics to calculate the zoom level in the first place.
gizmofo at 06:57 PM on 02/27/07
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I hate Sony anymore. That company is heading downhill and picking up speed.
SinistarX at 12:08 PM on 02/28/07
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I have the DSC-H2 and have enjoyed using it, but the one thing that kills me about that camera is the level of PF present in shots. If they managed to kill the PF with these new H series cameras, I'll be happy to hand the H2 to a relative and upgrade.

For those curious, camera shake at 12X has never been an issue for me on the H2, so I can't imagine it will be significantly worse on the H9.