Product Description

Though not considered a compact digital-camera model, the focal length of this camera offers amazing versatility. Shoot dramatic close-ups and sharp fast-action shots with the 8.1 megapixel Cyber-shot(R) DSC-H7 digital camera. The Carl Zeiss 15X (35mm film equivalent to 31 - 465 mm) optical zoom and Advanced Sports Mode with high shutter speed are perfect for crisp long shots and excellent detail when shooting at sporting events. Super SteadyShot(R) image stabilization and high-sensitivity (ISO 3200) mode reduce blur when shooting without a flash and Face Detection technology brings out the best in faces. You can also manually control the exposure and focus of the DSC-H7, making it ideal for more artistic shots. And with HD (high definition) output, photos can look even more spectacular when you share them with friends and family on HDTV screens. For more creative freedom, a simple wheel-dial control lets you quickly change camera settings in manual modes (shutter speed priority, aperture priority, manual exposure) and also control ISO sensitivity, focus area, and exposure value. In play mode, the wheel dial provides a quick way to view your next or previous shot. ISO - Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 Shutter Speed - 1/4-1/4000 sec. (Auto), 1-1/4000 sec. (Program Auto), 8 - 1/2000 (Aperture Priority), 30 - 1/4000 (Manual/Shutter Priority) Electronic-flash 1080i HD mode In-Camera Editing Dimensions - 4.31 W x 3.31 H x 3.38 D

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2650 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: Sony
• Model: DSCH7/B
• Released on: 2007-05-11
• Dimensions: 1.00" h x 2.50" w x 4.00" l, 1.00 pounds
• Display size: 2.5

Features

• 8.1-megapixel Super HAD CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 16 x 22-inch prints
• Carl Zeiss 15x optical zoom lens; 2.5-inch LCD display
• High Sensitivity Mode (ISO 3200) allows for shooting even in low-light conditions
• MPEG Movie VX Fine mode captures VGA (640 x 480) audio/video clips at high frame rate
• 76x Smart Zoom feature gives you an amazing ultra-close crop

Manufacturer Description
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H7 camera combines 8.1-megapixel resolution and a powerful Carl Zeiss 15x optical zoom lens with new features for long-distance and fast-action shooting -- including Advanced Sports mode with high shutter speed (1/4000 seconds), powerful flash, Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization and High Sensitivity mode (ISO 3200) to reduce blur even in low light. There’s more: an electronic color viewfinder, manual exposure and focus, remote control with supplied controller, Face Detection to bring out the best in faces -- even an HD output for sharing memories with family and friends in spectacular high-definition clarity on compatible HDTV screens.

Cyber-shot DSC-H7 Highlights

High-power Carl Zeiss 15x optical zoom A superb lens for bringing long-distance subjects up close, the pro-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens design of the DSC-H7 provides 15x optical zoom design -- with 25x HD digital zoom to enlarge the center portion of the picture so you see even more detail.

8.1-megapixel Super HAD CCD More megapixels give you more detail and definition for editing, cropping, and making large digital prints. Sony’s advanced Super HAD (Hole Accumulated Diode) CCD design allows more light to pass to each pixel, increasing sensitivity and reducing noise.

Advanced Sports mode To capture fast-moving subjects in split-second detail, the DSC-H7 provides a Sports shooting mode that combines high shutter speed (1/4000 seconds) with intelligent continuous AF that responds more quickly to rapid motion -- a great way to catch the perfect moment in sports, children’s games, pet tricks and more.

Long-distance flash A powerful flash provides extra illumination to light up subjects farther from your camera, with precise light control and the ability to adjust flash for both front and rear sync when shooting at low-speed sync setting.

Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization Other image stabilization systems crop in to compensate for "camera shake" -- but with the Super SteadyShot system, optical sensors detect camera movement and send correcting signals to a stabilization lens that allows even ultra-long-distance digital photos to capture more detail with less camera shake distortion.

High Sensitivity mode With Super SteadyShot image stabilization to minimize blur, High Sensitivity mode (ISO 3200) lets the DSC-H7 shoot effectively in low light without flash to preserve the mood -- and Sony’s original Clear RAW NR (Noise Reduction) image processing technology helps suppress the color noise that can accompany high-sensitivity shooting.

Face detection By automatically controlling focus, exposure, color and flash, this new Sony feature helps reveal faces in shadow, makes skin tones look more natural and minimizes harsh facial glare -- to help bring out every expression on every face in every shot, so you’ll capture the personalities and emotions that make memories come alive.

HD output Thanks to Sony, your photo album can go high-def -- with direct HD output to compatible HDTV screens, so you can view DSC-H7 still photos in spectacular high definition clarity and detail. Your life never looked so exciting!
_{Note: HD output requires an optional Sony HD connector cable; HDTV sold separately}

HD slide show with music It’s the high-definition viewing experience that makes photos come alive on compatible HDTV screens, accompanied by your choice of visual effects and any of four preset musical selections stored in memory or your favorite MP3 tunes downloaded from PC to your camera for use as background music.

9-Point Auto Focus Because an off-center subject can make your shot more interesting, the DSC-H7 can measure auto-focus precision at 9 points on your screen -- giving you greater creative freedom to compose your image.

D-Range Optimization Powered by the exclusive Sony Bionz high-speed processing engine, D-Range Optimization preserves image data in bright highlights and reveals more detail in shadows or backlit areas -- for great results even in difficult lighting conditions.

In-camera retouching The DSC-H7 lets you add creative effects to photos after you shoot -- including soft edge filter to soften backgrounds, cross filter to place starry "dazzles" at highlight points, partial color filter to mute surrounding colors, even fish-eye filter to create interesting fish-eye lens effects.

In-Camera Red-Eye Reduction Irritating "glowing eyes" can ruin even the most creative photos -- so the DSC-H7 gives you in-camera correction at the touch of a button to reduce lingering red-eye effect that other systems might miss.

2.5-inch LCD screen, simple controls The DSC-H7 provides a large, bright LCD screen that makes it easy to compose shots, check results and read menus even in bright sunlight -- plus simple camera menus, a new GUI Home button, and Function Guide display that makes it easier to learn camera setup operations.

Electronic color viewfinder In addition to its 2.5-inch LCD screen, the DSC-H7 has a built-in electronic color viewfinder that lets you shoot in traditional camera style and save battery power by turning your LCD screen off.

Remote control function In both shooting and play mode, you can use a supplied remote control unit to control basic camera functions -- including zoom, menu settings, etc. -- so you can put yourself in the picture when shooting with a tripod or sit back and enjoy the show when you share images on your home TV screen.

Wheel dial for manual exposure modes For more creative freedom, a simple wheel-dial control lets you quickly change camera settings in manual modes (shutter speed priority, aperture priority, manual exposure) and also control ISO sensitivity, focus area, and exposure value. In play mode, the wheel dial provides a quick way to view your next or previous shot.

31 MB internal memory The DSC-H7 allows you to capture shots in-camera for later transfer to PC or Memory Stick Duo media -- so even if you forget your flash memory card, you can always get the shot.

Memory Stick Duo Media The DSC-H7 has a built-in slot for optional Memory Stick Duo media or higher-capacity Memory Stick Pro Duo media -- the ultra-compact media for shooting, storing and sharing your photo images.

76x Smart Zoom feature Sony’s Smart Zoom feature gives you an amazing ultra-close crop on the central portion of interest in your photo while avoiding the image degradation of other digital zooms.

MPEG Movie VX Fine Mode The DSC-H7 can capture VGA (640 x 480) audio/video clips at high frame rate (up to 30 frames per second) -- with optical zoom in movie mode to let you zoom in or pull back while taking action shots.

Stamina battery power The DSC-H7 provides up to 250 shots with a fully-charged NP-BG1 Lithium-ion battery -- enough shooting capacity to cover a long weekend or a whole vacation.

Customer Reviews

Good product
I bought two of these cameras. First one works great, nice pictures, clear, no problems so far. The second one i just received in the mail and i must tell you... THE BOX WAS OPEN (stickers were torn off, etc. ) when i received it. Can't find a phone number for Amazon.com anywhere to speak to someone about why the box was open. Very disapointed in Amazon about not providing the phone number. They jerk you around back and forth with FAQ but there is no phone number and my issue is not covered in FAQ. I hope there are no problems with this camera because I wouldn't know where to even start without a phone number and we all know how sending e-mails about a problem goes. Good Luck

Not as good as H1 or H2 - but still decent
I have owned the H1 and H2 and they are superior in quality compared to this camera. I use the H7 for work and bought it as a replacement for the H2 when the H2's shutter button stopped working. I have the H1 as my personal camera and it is by far the best in quality. My main concerns with the H7 are that it activates the flash when it doesn't seem to be necessary, the optics don't seem to be as good as the two previous models and the camera just feels "cheaper" by comparison. When I took pictures with the other cameras, I got some amazing shots. Like my dog's whiskers in perfect focus from across the room. If you can get a hold of an H1 somewhere, jump on it.

Good shots in good lighting
I bought this camera last summer when I was really wanting to upgrade to a DSLR and settled for an upgrade point and shoot. I was really excited with the zoom, which is an awesome feature, and all of the other in camera options. My biggest problem with this camera is the poor image quality in low lighting. The picture will seem to be okay on the LCD but once it's on the computer it's grainy and most of the time slightly blurred. As long as I'm outside, the shots turn out pretty good. Still not as clear and bright as I'd prefer, but not as bad as inside shooting.

Also another annoyance is when you are in low lighting situations and you zoom in close, the camera won't allow you to take a picture. I was recently at a concert taking photos from about 25 feet back and it kept just focusing and not snapping any shots (which would've been great at the moment I wanted to capture them!) instead I got the sides of heads or eyes half closed. Frustrating!

A great feature with this camera is the options for sepia & black and white. Especially because you can change this setting while filming also. At the concert I attended the lighting was this awful red and I was able to switch to black and white and have a really good video.

In all, if you take pictures outside in great lighting situations- you'll love the options this camera has to offer! If you're looking to take pictures indoors, at sporting or other events- I would definitely skip it because you'll find yourself frustrated like I still am.