Help with digital camera purchase.? Sony DSC-H1?

Question

I'm looking to upgrade my digital camera. One of the main reasons I'm looking for a new camera is my current one is super slow between shots. What is the technical spec that refers to this? And what is considered fast? I'm not a super photo buff, but we do take quite a lot of photos while travelling. We often blow up our photos to hang on walls (16"x20") so I need to make sure it has good quality. I'm currently looking at a Sony DSC-H1, but I'm not sure if this is a good camera? Or should I bite the bullet and go with a SLR (are they ok for someone who's used to point & shoot)? Specific thoughts on the Sony would be appreciated, if it's crap then other suggestions would be welcomed.

Thanks.

Answer 1

I have had my H1 for over a month and am very pleased with results. Pics are very clear in automatic mode, and there are full manual optional controls for special situations.

The time between shots (cycle time) is rated at 1.2 sec. without flash. Recharging the flash takes another second or 2. Autofocus time is also quick, except in low light and extreme telephoto.

I chose this type of camera over d-SLR's because of convenience and lower costs. The 36-432 mm zoom lens is built in, so you don't need to carry around a bag of expensive lenses. The camera itself is smaller than d-SLR's, so the whole package is better for travel.

d-SLR's will get you even faster performance, better quality at high ISO, and more ergonomic manual controls. But the incremental benefits weren't enough for me to justify 3 to 5 times the cost (by the time you get equivalent image stabilized lenses), and the hassle over carrying around all the accessories.

The H1 has a 5 mp sensor, which is a little low for printing crisp 16x20's. Expanded that large, the pixel density is only 129 ppi. Most printers need 200 to 300 ppi to do a good job.

Other alternatives (under $500) for the H1 are:

Sony's new H5 (7mp) and a 3in lcd screen at 235k res.

Canon S2 IS (5mp) or S3 IS (6mp), but with smaller lcd screens

Panasonic FZ30 (8mp), larger sensor, better manual controls, 2 in lcd, bigger viewfinder, bigger camera

Take a look at

http://www.aakatz.com/h1whitepaper/homepage.htm

for a comprehensive description of what you can do with these cameras. It is written for the H1, but most of it applies to this whole class of cameras.

Answer 2

I bought the DSC-H1 last fall and have been very pleased with it. It's easy to use and has a lot of settings and features. I'm pretty much an amateur when it comes to photography, so I was looking for something that was easy to use, but a quality product. I'm not sure what the name of the technical term you're looking for ("response", maybe?) but, my Sony reacts well and quickly. There is a feature which allows you to take three consecutive shots rapidly. (Don't know if that's what you're looking for or not.)

If you're blowing up pictures to poster size, keep in mind that the more pixels the camera has - the better. I don't know if the DSC-H1 has what you need in that department or not. The more I use my Sony and the more I learn about it, the more I like it. (Don't forget to check out the Sony website for the specific technical info that you're looking for.)

By the way, the only other camera that I carefully compared when I bought the Sony was Canon.

Good luck.