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| Click photo for more images of the DSC-H50. |
Sony has introduced a 9.1-megapixel camera as the new flagship model of the Cyber-shot H line. The Cyber-shot DSC-H50 offers an f/2.7-4.5, 31-465mm (35mm camera equivalent) 15x Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar zoom lens; optical image stabilization; a 230,000-dot, 3-inch tilting LCD with a scratch-resistant coating; and an electronic viewfinder (EVF). The camera's lens incorporates a super-low-dispersion element to minimize chromatic aberration. The H50 supports Sony's Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo media, which offer fast transfers and capacities up to 16GB.
The H50 provides manual, priority, and automatic exposure modes, with a shutter-speed range of 1/4000 to 30 seconds and a top light-sensitivity setting of ISO 3200. Its Advanced Sports mode automatically combines high shutter speeds with predictive continuous autofocus for capturing fast action. Other focus options include manual focus, selectable spot focus, and a semi-manual mode that lets the photographer select the approximate distance to the subject then uses autofocus to finish the job. The camera's automatic exposure bracketing feature has been enhanced to adjust white balance and color for each bracketed shot, and noise reduction is now user-selectable so that the photographer can choose a low, high, or standard level of reduction for high-ISO shots. The H50 also gets an improved version of Sony's Dynamic Range Optimizer for opening up dark shadow areas, with a Plus mode for retaining more detail in bright highlights and dark shadows, especially in high-contrast images such as backlit shots.
Other notable features include an infrared NightShot mode for shooting in the dark, an infrared wireless remote control, adjustable flash output, and numerous color modes and effects. There's an Intelligent Scene Recognition mode that automatically adjusts the camera settings and takes a second shot when you release the shutter if it thinks you should have used a different shooting mode than you did. The H50's Smile Shutter mode, which automatically takes a shot when someone smiles, can now be set for child or adult priority.
In movie mode, the H50 records smooth VGA video with sound, and it can create photo slide shows with music and customized transitions. For high-speed photography, the camera provides a 1.6fps continuous shooting mode for capturing up to 100 shots in a series at full resolution.
The H50 will be available in May 2008 for about $400. It is compatible with telephoto and wide lens converters, as well as 74mm filters and Sony's VMC-HD1 high-definition component cable for 1080i photo output to an HDTV.
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