If your idea of the perfect digital camera starts with an ultra-thin camera body, you probably won't give Sony's DSC-H5 a second glance. The DSC-H5 has the look and feel of a traditional 35mm film camera, and it's definitely too large to fit in a pocket. But if you ignore this model because of its looks and size, you'll be missing out on some top-notch features for a sub-$500 digital camera.

This unit's 12X optical zoom lens is impossible to ignore as the lens dominates the front of the camera body. Sony has included image stabilization technology with the DSC-H5, which is a necessity when the zoom lens is fully extended. The DSC-H5's overall image quality is very good, regardless of the external lighting conditions. You'll even be able to shoot close-ups from 0.74 inch away with this impressive lens.

While the lens dominates the front of the camera body, the DSC-H5's 3.0-inch LCD screen is impossible to ignore on the back of the camera body. For the most part, the LCD is bright and sharp, although it's a little difficult to see in bright external light.

The DSC-H5's body, which is available in silver or black, is large, but it has a comfortable right-hand grip. There is an electronic viewfinder (EVF) with this digital camera, which some people will find as an annoyance, as it can be tough to see in extreme lighting conditions. If possible, try the DSC-H5's EVF before you buy this model.

Our tests showed that the DSC-H5's response times are pretty good for a digital camera with a long zoom lens. You can shoot your first photo about 3 seconds after pressing the power button. Shutter lag is less than one-half second. Shot-to-shot delays, however, were far too long at times when using the flash over long distances (approaching 15 seconds in some cases). When not using the flash, though, shot-to-shot delays are about 2 seconds or less, depending on the conditions.

You can run the DSC-H5 from disposable or rechargeable AA batteries, which is handy.

Finally, the DSC-H5 gives you 7.2 megapixels of resolution, which is plenty for sharp prints of 13x16 inches. However, this model's 32MB of internal memory isn't going to hold more than a handful of photos at the top resolution, meaning you'll need to purchase a memory card.


Pros: Good collection of features, 12X optical zoom lens, high-end resolution, large and bright LCD, good value
Cons: Shot-to-shot delay when using flash is too long, LCD and EVF can be difficult to see in extreme lighting conditions, camera body is large

Warranty
1 year, limited