A little about the Cyber-Shot DSC-H50B I just got. Mini Review.

[sutherland]

Sorry for the delay in response! All photographs were shot in full manual mode, in terms of production, with the exception of shutter and aperture adjustment, just some level changes in Photoshop.

The BG-1 is a nice battery, but Sony just came out with the FG-1 which is tabbed as the "Successor", not sure if there is any truth to longer battery life or not. The San Disk Memory sticks have a slight edge in write speed (then again, most P&S handle poorly over 800, so write speed isn't as big of a factor, also no RAW, so speed may not be as necessary...but they are priced well!).

[sutherland]

I'm planning a two week trip in September to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier National Parks, so I am actually mulling over the decision to purchase extra batteries or opt for a inverter for charges while in the car.

I currently have two BG-1 batteries (one from my H50 and the other from my W80). I may just purchase two extra batteries (FG-1s) and an extra 2GB to compliment my two other memory sticks (Just for a little peace of mind).

As of right now, my H50 is my primary shooter, and it is certainly a fantastic camera. I am eager to read the "professional" reviews and see how they take to it. After a lengthy test drive, the G9 (Canon's "Bridge" camera) is not even close.

[jack54]

Ok... today I played with the close-up and low-light settings. I'm more than happy with this camera... not much it can't do.

Here is a close-up with my favorite watch. Pretty good detail. I was just using the available light in the kitchen steading the camera with my elbows, no tripod.


This is what I call macro!


This is shot in my bathroom on tripod using the program mode in TOTAL darkness.


This is fuzzy due to high ISO, but C'mon, it was shot in TOTAL darkness in my bathroom using the "night-shot" button on top left side of camera. Of course I had to use a tripod for this shot!

[jack54]

Not a whole lot of responses here? I'll keep posting as it should help some in their decision on what to get...
Sony People shots:
I was back east on vacation and went to the Amish farmlands of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country and got these shots. This link tells about the Amish culture:
http://www.800padutch.com/amish.shtml

[jack54]

Like I said above... not a lot of responses lately? This will be my last post unless I see some responses.

I went to a large air show yesterday and took a lot of photo's. These will tell you how good the H50 is on speed and zooming. I was impressed. I was next to a couple of guys that had the canon & nikon DSLR's with the Big/Long lenses and they were having trouble getting the shots they wanted. Not me!
BTW, what would be YOUR favorite shots of the 24 photo’s I took?
http://corvettec3.com/McChordAirExpo2.htm

It was tough, but I like at least half of what I have on the webpage... I guess I'd pick these two... The F16 Thunderbird is just firing up.



(I deliberately underexposed -3 to get the mountain to show up more.)

BTW, you WILL need an extra battery if you shoot much. I've found after several shootings, that the battery will last between 235-245 stored shots before it runs out. I left the camera on long periods of time during the Car show & Air show as not to miss shots, so I'm sure that affected the amount stored too. If you turn it off after each shot, you should get even more photo's.

[bayville126]

Very contrastie, unless my monitor is off color The shadows are way to black. The airshow pictures seem to be underexposed. My humble opinion.

[jack54]

Very contrastie, unless my monitor is off color The shadows are way to black. The airshow pictures seem to be underexposed. My humble opinion.

As I stated in my last post, I deliberately underexposed to bring out the sky and mountains more. No getting around that.

[jack54]

While back in Newark, DE (30 minutes from Philadelphia) I shot these cute little Yellow Finches. It was hard to get a shot of them upright as they eat upside down! I had to use the full zoom range as they were very spooky if I got too close.

[jack54]

OK... adding to the previous thread above, here is an interesting comparison shots. My friend back east in DE that I shot the yellow finches at has the superzoom Kodak Z712 IS digital camera. We shot from the same place on patio. He was sitting down, I'm standing up. He shot his yesterday, I shot mine when I was there two weeks ago from the same spot. Compare and tell me which camera seems to do the best job?

Kodak Z712 IS shot:


Sony DSC-H50 shot:


Kodak Z712 IS shot:


Sony DSC-H50 shot:

[Kajuah]

Jesus thats one hell of a camera, the only thing seperating those super digital cams from DSLRs now are the interchangeable lenses and sensor sizes, some of them with firmware upgrades can shoot in RAW and exposure bracket up to 5-7 images.

Just curious; how much of the 15x is optical zoom and how much is digital zoom? Those are wicked images

[jack54]

[QUOTE=Kajuah]Jesus thats one hell of a camera, the only thing seperating those super digital cams from DSLRs now are the interchangeable lenses and sensor sizes, some of them with firmware upgrades can shoot in RAW and exposure bracket up to 5-7 images.
Before I got the Sony H50, once again I toyed with getting a DSLR, but it just doesn't justify the bulk and price, compared to these superzooms. Try packing around 3 lenses that will reach the 31 - 465 mm range that the DSC-50 has! With the loads of exposure control and a 15x stabilized optical zoom, this model is thousands of dollars cheaper than the equivalent options on a dSLR with an image stabilized lens. NOPE, no DSLR for me.


Just curious; how much of the 15x is optical zoom and how much is digital zoom? Those are wicked images All of the 15x (465mm) is digital. Then in the photo's above with the yellowfinches, I cropped into it 25% (similar to digital zoom) and it was still sharp! So who needs RAW?

[polarbeardiggers]

you got quite the cool camera,i have the sonyh5,and the nikon d50, and i will never get rid of the h5,that sony can take way better macro shots than my nikon because i can't afford the quality lens to get near the quality the sony delivers,my sony will go to 432mm with my zoom conversion lens i have for the sony it can now go 732mm thats just awesome amount of zoom that my nikon 200mm lens can't get close too, congrats on your sony,i know where you're coming from.

[jack54]

I was downtown Seattle this weekend and got some good shots of two extremely different birds.

This was at the famed Seattle Pikes Place Market




This was at the Famed Seattle Waterfront

[jack54]

Here is 3 taken in Seattle the same day

[Kajuah]

we point and shoot guys need our own forum :d all my stuff on my flickr is done with an sx 100 from canon.

[jack54]

I had something unusual happen today. I was in the kictchen getting my coffee when ilooked out the window and I saw what thought was a cat way out in the corner of my back yard. I got my binoculars and saw it was a HAWK. I never seen a hawk around here before! Anyway, these 3 pixs were shot from my kitchen window. It show the incredible range of the H50 zoom.

The frist shot shows no hawk, but the wide angle of my yard so you can see just how much I zoomed in.


The second shot was zoomed to the max


the 3rd shot was the cropping to bring in the hawk and the power of having 9.1 megapixels.

[jack54]

Here is a shot I took today near Port Townsend, WA
No photoshop, just cropping and resizing

[almo]

Once again I toyed with getting a DSLR, but it just doesn't justify the bulk and price, compared to these superzooms. Try packing around 3 lenses that will reach the 31 - 465 mm range that the DSC-50 has! With the loads of exposure control and a 15x stabilized optical zoom, this model is thousands of dollars cheaper than the equivalent options on a dSLR with an image stabilized lens. NOPE, no DSLR for me.

If that is true for you that's great, but no one will ever tell me that one of these super zooms is beter than my DSLR. Not a chance. Image quality, choice of lenses, Pro lenses, off camera flash systems, speed, ect.. No all in one can beat a DSLR for these things. They might make a decent backup or beginer camera, but for anything more a DSLR is a must. There is a reason they cost more. You get what you pay for.

[jack54]

If that is true for you that's great, but no one will ever tell me that one of these super zooms is beter than my DSLR. Not a chance. Image quality, choice of lenses, Pro lenses, off camera flash systems, speed, ect.. No all in one can beat a DSLR for these things. They might make a decent backup or beginer camera, but for anything more a DSLR is a must. There is a reason they cost more. You get what you pay for.

I wouldn't say something you can't back up! Have you tried the Sony H50 yet? I bet you won't take your DSLR with the300mm lenses everywhere with you and I mean everywhere. I think not. Well, I take the Sony EVERYWHERE so I don't miss pixs.
I can probably match any photos you take with your big gun too. I do with my buddies DSLR all the time. In fact I have a DSLR and leave it home most of the time. I've been doing photography for over 40 years to boot. That's grandpa's camera in the pix below that he used 75 years ago! So it helps that I know "how" to use these cameras.

[almo]

There is pretty much nowhere I don't take my camera. As for my big gun, it's a Canon EF 100-400L IS. The lens on a super zoom can't even begin to touch that. That lens cost more than your entire camera, and there is a reason for that.

I have used quite a few all-in-one zooms. My first digital was an AIO. As for your H50, I am sure it's a great camera for what it is, but i was not singeling it out. I was speaking of superzoom in general.

When it comes down to it, your zoom can't match the qulity or diversity of a true SLR. I am not saying they are bad cameras. I have used many of them actually. But to say they can stack up against a DSLR is ludicrous.

[jack54]

There is pretty much nowhere I don't take my camera. As for my big gun, it's a Canon EF 100-400L IS. The lens on a super zoom can't even begin to touch that. That lens cost more than your entire camera, and there is a reason for that.

I have used quite a few all-in-one zooms. My first digital was an AIO. As for your H50, I am sure it's a great camera for what it is, but i was not singeling it out. I was speaking of superzoom in general.

When it comes down to it, your zoom can't match the qulity or diversity of a true SLR. I am not saying they are bad cameras. I have used many of them actually. But to say they can stack up against a DSLR is ludicrous.

I can guarantee you don't take that monster lens (BTW, nice lens!) everywhere with you like I do with my Sony! Nobody does. I mean do you take it to church with you, to the grocery store, to work every day etc as not to miss any shots? I don't think so. Too much to pack. That is where the camera type importance comes in. It's not like I don't have a dSLR too. How many times do you see something like an deer or eagle doing something special while your driving and you slam on the brakes grab your camera and the shot? By the time you get the dSLR and put on that big lense, the opportunity is gone. This is where the super zooms really shine... you don't miss the rare shots. The most expensive equipment in the world is not going to help you if you don't have it on hand for that rare shot.

I do take the dSLR when it is for important shots and I have the time and energy to take all the gear.

Yes, the dSLR makes it "easier" for the pro to get better shots... but I have some friends who are not pros and I can get better shots than them because I know how to use the camera. Happens all the time.

As for the quality of the shots... yes, I can match the majority your shots. It may take a bit more work to do but it is knowing how to manipulate/use the camera (it has the manual, A, S, P modes) and of course, knowing the all important composition/lighting. These principals have NOT change in the past 100 years. So just because you have an expensive equipment does not mean your going to get the better shots than someone who knows what their doing.

As for your equipment... you have darn nice stuff. I do like that lense. But I don't like the price. That Canon EF 100-400L IS cost over three times what my Sony H50 cost.

[jack54]

Here are four photo's I took at the local park this weekend.
Not bad for a non-dslr. :wink5:

[jack54]

What happened here???
This post use to A little about the Cyber-Shot DSC-H50B I just got. Mini Review
http://forum.digitalcamerareview.com...isplay.php?f=4
10 pages Posts: 226 Views: 35,280
There was a LOT of info on those pages!
Now it is only 2 pages???????

[LightBright]

That camera is simply amazing! I was thinking about getting a small lightweight camera to back up my a700. I never seen this camera in person but the pics you took of the actual camera looks more natural and is much blacker than I the pic on the box. Very neat!



“Once again I toyed with getting a DSLR, but it just doesn't justify the bulk and price, compared to these superzooms. Try packing around 3 lenses that will reach the 31 - 465 mm range that the DSC-50 has! With the loads of exposure control and a 15x stabilized optical zoom, this model is thousands of dollars cheaper than the equivalent options on a dSLR with an image stabilized lens. NOPE, no DSLR for me.”

However I have to disagree on this. If you like your DSC-H50B that’s fine but fact is fact it will not beat image "quality" of a decent dslr on many factors and those factors not only include price, zoom and size. I think the whole “which is better” thing is rather awkward since everyone has their own preferences/opinion but many seemingly state it as fact. I am sure you understand that the zoom numbers aren’t everything. When I buy lenses for my cameras I not only look at how far it can zoom relative to its size but I also look at the different characteristics of that particular lens. It isn’t always about how wide and how telephoto I can go on one lens, it goes far deeper than that, like the quality of the glass and other factors that affect how the image will look straight out of the camera without a bunch of manipulations. I much rather have a lens that took a photo that will allow me to make minor tiny corrections in PP. I find it much more real this way. Time is valuable; I want to be shooting more.
Wait o ya how about aperture, I didn’t just jump into a dslr just because its bulkiness and size, f1.4 baby with my 30mm sigma and outstanding noise control out of camera with the a700 body also the lens has a very unique take on pics that is unique to its own. That being said, we can all agree that aperture, shutter speed, iso, camera, body,fim/settings, all affect how the final image will look like, and lenses are no exception which also adds another variable of control over the photograph. I am no artist but I do believe photography is now considered a art because of its endless control ability’s due to the combinations of these and other elements that are within our disposal.
Besides, I think the bulkiness and large size of many dslrs are a win win for people like me who want something that feels a little more professional and that weight also helps with camera shake. I have long fingers and its very awkward to hold and use a small camera. Overall, the photographer trips the shutter, and the gear he or she needs or wants to use is a preference. Ill much rather have a lotus elise than a lamborghini any day. Sometimes I do get tierd of bringing all my gear, but I can also bring one lens,extra batteries, a cell phone and wallet and Im set to go most of the time with my DSLR.

I love those thunderbird pics!!! It looks to be a very very high quality camera with an amazing range. And it won’t cause to much attention when you’re shooting with it. I want one Again great shots! You've got talent

[jack54]

What happened here???
This post use to A little about the Cyber-Shot DSC-H50B I just got. Mini Review
http://forum.digitalcamerareview.com...isplay.php?f=4
10 pages Posts: 226 Views: 35,280
There was a LOT of info on those pages!
Now it is only 2 pages???????

My apology... I mistook this site for the post I made over here:
http://forum.digitalcamerareview.com...1089#post21089