The Sony manufacturer is associated with the ordinary buyer with technologically advanced, relatively reliable, but expensive products. Having spent a substantial amount of money on a product of this brand, you can be sure of the quality of the goods. But there are deviations from the rules. And this does not apply to lower quality, but lower prices. Especially such exceptions concern a difficult segment of photographic equipment. Of course, the company focuses on premium devices, focusing on professionals. On the other hand, the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H100 has a reverse example. In this case, the Japanese manufacturer offers a decent camera for beginners in photography. This is a cheap model, which, however, has incorporated many advanced features.
Model Overview
The device occupies a confident position in the class of budget cameras, although a number of characteristics knock it out of the total mass of the same type of entry-level models. For example, the performance of the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H100 Black in combination with a massive lens looks very solid. But the essence remains the same - it is a modest ultrasound with good basic functionality and thoughtful technical stuffing. The advantages that once again distinguish the device from a number of competitors include the control configuration and a decent lens.
But to the standards, even in the budget segment, this model should not be attributed. Weaknesses of the camera are expressed in the average quality of the resulting images and the unsatisfactory performance of some options. Anyway, the version of Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H100 is quite suitable for amateur experiments and operation as the first device in the hands of a beginner.
Specifications
The declared technical and operational indicators are more than attractive. And this is understandable, as competitors strive to increase the possibilities of budget lines. Another thing is that not everyone succeeds in jumping above their heads , and the weakness of the main components like the matrix makes itself felt, despite the rich set of settings. In the case of the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H100, the characteristics of which are presented below, the situation is not so deplorable, but you should not have high hopes for official parameters:
- Dimensions - 12.3 x 8.3 x 8 cm.
- Mass - 415 g.
- Resolution - 16.1 megapixels.
- The sensitivity range is from 80 to 1600 ISO.
- Autofocus type - contrast.
- The viewfinder is missing.
- The display size is 3 inches.
- The resolution of the matrix is 460,000 pixels.
- Burst shooting - 1 frame per second.
- The memory card is 1 SD.
- The minimum shooting distance is 1 cm.
- The movie format is 1280 x 720 with autofocus connection.
Lens data
The characteristics of the lens for the ultrasound are important in many ways. Actually, the capabilities of optics determine the quality of the resulting images. In this case, the lens has a magnification of 21x, and the working focus distance is in the range of 25-525 mm in increments of 35 mm. This is not a record at all, but for amateur shooting in different formats these capabilities are more than enough. Specially for landscapes, the developers of the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H100 have a wide angle, and a long focus makes it easier to shoot distant objects. At the same time, the lens of this model is not without the completely understandable limitations inherent in budget devices. In particular, we are talking about low aperture - that is, you should prepare for insufficient lighting in poor conditions. It can also upset image degradation at a large focal length. When shooting at wide angles, the quality is quite tolerable, but at long distances, sharpness deterioration is observed.
Functionality
The set of options and settings is really wide, but this is not surprising. It often happens that a significant part of the functionality becomes useless due to the modest capabilities of the hardware. Sony's model boasts automatic SCN operation. Activating this format will provide the user with 11 shooting conditions, each of which provides special autofocus and exposure settings. For greater convenience, you can use the programmed operating format, in which the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H100 independently sets the aperture and shutter speed, although the rest of the settings are controlled by the operator. Those who are accustomed to manually control the diaphragm, this camera will disappoint with the complete absence of such an opportunity. Only its complete closing or opening can be adjusted, and there are no intermediate adjustment options. There are no restrictions on the optical part, which equally works across the entire spectrum of permissible values. The situation is different with exposure - it can be set with detailed gradation.
Ergonomics Opinions
As already noted, the camera does not indulge in compactness, which can be considered both a plus and a disadvantage. In general, the appearance and design of the design resemble classic SLRs - this is hinted at by a powerful grip, a large lens and a jumping flash. Most importantly, users associate the look of the model with functionality and reliability not by visual stylistic effects, but by real qualities, confirmed, among other things, by a good build of the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H100.
Feedback on tactile sensations is not so positive. In this case, the stylization did not go into quality because of the material. The company used cheap plastic with rare inclusions of rubberized elements, which, by and large, provide the convenience of using the device. The owners also note the advantages of a large pen, with which you can shoot with one hand. As for the placement of the buttons, their configuration is not satisfactory. Once again, the large case of the model, which did not hamper the engineers in the implementation of the layout, affects. All controls are placed in full accordance with the requirements of the genre - as required by a modern photographer.
Photo quality
The characteristics of the resulting images are determined by a fairly modest CDD matrix with a resolution of 16.1 megapixels. Even against the background of budget devices, these are rather mediocre indicators, which determined the corresponding quality of the photo. Many owners note that as the ISO sensitivity increases, the quality of photographs decreases. But this happens with all models of this class. As experience shows, a level of 400 units is optimal for the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H100. Photos taken in excess of this value can be compared in quality with pictures taken through mobile phones. Under ideal conditions and with optimal settings, the camera does not produce noise. This is how the noise reduction function manifests itself, but you should not rejoice at it either. The same option deprives pictures of detail, and in the worst manifestations, it completely blurs objects.
Video quality
The shooting capabilities of cameras of this class should not be taken seriously. With only a few exceptions, developers are able to achieve a good result from the minimum hardware capabilities. But this did not happen in the case of the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H100. Reviews of professionals note that the presence of autofocus, a 30-frame frequency and the 1280 x 720 format look promising, but the quality of the resulting video material loses noticeably to even less famous counterparts. In particular, there is a decrease in sharpness and darkening of the "picture", although the possibility of stabilization corrects a little negative impressions.
Conclusion
According to its characteristics, the device seems to be a very worthy solution for the needs of a discerning amateur photography. The massive body and solid controls seem to hint at the high class, which belongs to the digital camera Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H100 with its stylization of a classic "SLR". However, the practice of use will find in the device a quite ordinary “soap box” with characteristic drawbacks. The biggest disappointment may be the matrix, which in this performance is less and less used even in budget series. However, due to cost reduction for high-quality optics, this model received a very modest price tag.