Sony Cyber SHOT DSC H7B

usability, price, performance, durability, portability

75% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Good resolution, great color, excellent exposure, accurate focus Bright, punchy results that produce pleasing prints without the need for post-processing DR-optimization works, though the effect is pretty subtle Generally very responsive, focus very...

New user interface not conducive to quick operation, convoluted and often confusing Rear control wheel huge step backwards from the H5's 'turn and click' dial on the grip Images quite soft and not that clean Excessive noise reduction robs images of...

The last generation of big zoom Cyber-shots (the H2 and H5) offered purchasers an interesting choice; two almost identical cameras with a $100 price difference that bought you a bigger, higher resolution screen and an extra million pixels. That the H2...

The H9 camera takes fast-action shooting a step further. It sports a 3-inch, flip-up LCD screen so that you can shoot comfortably from nearly any position. You can hold the camera low to the ground for eye- level shots of kids, without having to...

31-465mm ; 2.5" screen ; High ISO 3200 (performance not the best) ; Video (640x480 @ 30fps) ; Variety of Effective Shooting Modes ; HD output / 16:9 picture aspect ratio

Menu system ; Lack of external buttons ; EVF small and bad in sunlight ; Adjustment of settings tedious on manual ; LCD bad in sunlight, not very bright ; Memory Stick (high prices comparatively)

The H7 achieves what I believe its designers set out to achieve, that is namely, create a point and shoot camera with a massive zoom.  The H7 is not a camera to get if you plan on delving into photography or plan on adjusting settings with any ease....

The 15x optical zoom lens is designed so that its glass elements "float." These elements help to compensate for movement caused by shaking hands, ensuring blur-free pictures. Video is much smoother, too. The 15x lens comes with a hood to shade it...

Conclusion**

Relatively wide angle for a megazoom ; Tons of manual and automatic features ; Fast continuous shooting

Small EVF ; Lens aberrations and vignetting ; Image noise and some processing artifacts ; Lacks hotshoe and raw file support

If you shoot primarily outdoors in daytime -- especially sports, children, and animals -- and don't find the interface quite as crazy-making as we do, the H7 is a good choice. The AU$100 difference in street prices between the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H7...

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H7 has a relatively wide angle for a megazoom; tons of manual and automatic features; fast continuous shooting.

Small EVF; lens aberrations and vignetting; image noise and some processing artifacts; lacks hotshoe and raw file support.

If you shoot primarily outdoors in daytime--especially sports, children, and animals--the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H7 is a good choice. The more expensive DSC-H9 has a larger, flip-out LCD, infrared shooting, and has a few interface differences, but is...