I pre-ordered this camera from Sony and received it on April 13, 2006. I also purchased a SanDisk Ultra II 2GB memory stick pro duo. Sony listed it as compatible with the camera. Here is the problem: My new camera does not recognize the memory device. My old Sony camera recognizes the memory device so I know that the device is valid. I emailed Sony and they posted a upgrade link at their website. I tried the upgrade and it didn't work. All DSC-H2 with the a serial number between 3500001-3534250 have this potential problem. I've been on the phone with Sony for over 2.5 hours and they have not helped me. Now they say I need a Sony memory stick pro duo. This sounds like a monopoly and false advertising. Besides the above, the camera is difficult to hold, the lens adapter is very cumbersome, the viewfinder is oddly shaped and gets in the way, the buttons are difficult to use. I recommend holding out for the Canon IS3 and not buying DSC-H2 or DSC-H3. Sony obviously has not spent the time to fully review their product and work out all the glitches.

Sony has improved on the H1 with an excellent quality picture format and the lowest noise level in its class. Yes, it only takes Sony memory sticks but I bought mine at Best Buy cheaper than Sandisk. Disregard DMM from Washington's rating as this person has been on every review I have looked at before purchasing my H2, knocking Sony. If you know anything about photography, it's there is only so much any mfg. can do with a 12x optical zoom with an image stabilizer at this size. If your looking for the perfect package you need an SLR with multiple lens, which is twice the size and price. I would recommend the H2 highly. The next best is the Panasonic DMC-FZ7, larger lcd, but much higher noise.

The pictures are just astounding, I cannot believe the quality. It really looks like film. I've used it high-speed burst to catch my pets in action and tight d-o-f to get gorgeous shots of flowers. You can use it full out auto or full out manual and every step in between. The lowlight iso 400 is clear as a bell.
FYI poster #1, there's a firmware update to fix your problem so you can stop posting everywhere on the internet about it.

I've only owned this camera for a few days, but my first impression is WOW. I've owned 8 digital cameras over the past 10 years. By far this is the finest.
I originally bought the Cannon S2, but in less than 2 weeks it died on me. Before it died, I was very happy with the picture quality, but the Sony H2 is even better.
The Sony H2 also includes several extras that Cannon charges for, like the lens adapter, rechargeable batteries, and the battery charger.
The 12x zoom and the stabilization is what makes this camera great, but it is loaded with other features.
So far I only have three complaints. I found the manual to less than adequate, the menus not as straight forward as other cameras I've owned, and I really wanted to stay with SD cards. Only because I already owned so many.
Note: I am using a SanDisk Pro Duo Memory stick, and it works fine.
Several people complained about the flash on the H1. I've taken half dozen portraits using the flash, and they all look great.
I'm primarily a point and shoot guy, that likes everything automatic, and in the automatic mode things work great, but I occasionally need more options, and this camera has everything.
I don't know why Sony went from a 2.5" LCD on the H1 to a 2" LCD on this model, but the 2" is much better than the 1.8" on the Cannon.
I may add more in a couple months.

I've tested it for few days and the image is just amazing. For those who want low end DSLR quality and don't want to carry extra lens, the SONY H2 is defintely worth consider.
The Image Stablization is amazing. Very sharp and never had blurr shots even at 1/6 sec.
The color is very neutral and the AF is accurate and fast.
No shutter lag or anything like that.
You can zoom in to 432mm even in video mode.
I love Canon DSLRs but I got to give credit to SONY point and shoot over the Canon.
Zeiss lens is great.
The LCD is 2" ( smaller than its big brother H5 ) but it doesn't really affect the image quality.
6.0 meg pix is enough to print amazing photos up to letter size. Some say 13X19, but I would prefer higher resolution at 13 Meg Pix.

The ISO noise is acceptable upto 400. However, the IS is much more valuable than high ISO. I do gain 4 F stops as suggested with much better result than shooting at ISO 1600 or 3200.

I am very happy with my Cybershot camera. The image stability system works very well. The memory used by Sony is the only thing that keeps this from being a perfect camera. Like all Sony digital cameras this one uses the proprietary Memory Stick Duo. Only Sony products use this type of card. It is popular enough with just the Sony products that most readers support it. This camera uses the smaller Memory Stick Duo which is nicer on the camera side, but most of the card readers I looked at only read Memory Stick, not Memory Stick Duo, which means you need the extra Memory Stick Duo to Memory Stick adapter to get the pictures off of the camera card. This adapter is included with just about every Memory Stick Duo I found, but what a pain to have to keep that extra part around just to read the camera card! the transfer rates are slow also, I'm not sure if this is a problem with other memory, but copying pictures off of the Memory Stick Pro Duo (supposedly the faster version) takes forever. Recorded video clips can't be played from the memory directly, it's not fast enough, and you have to copy to the hard drive just to view them. I also didn't find out until recently that Memory Stick memory is about twice as expensive as other media. I bought a 2GB Memory Stick Pro Duo on Amazon for my camera, I got a good price at $80, and now if you look, you can get a 2GB SD camera card on here for $45.

I am disappointed that the best camera in the performance and price range that I was looking for is a Sony. If any other company made the same camera, it would use SD memory and it would have been perfect.

Check out the competition and think hard before you buy a Sony camera. I love this camera's features, but had I known all of this before I bought it, I would have been willing to pay more money for a competitor's camera, if it had the same features, just to get one that used SD memory instead of Memory Stick Duo.

I have had this camera for about a month now. I didn't intend to spend quite as much as i did for this one, but for the mega zoom and good image stabilization, this is the camera the salesman sold me on. I don't regret a penny of it. I love this camera.

I've been able to use it in several different situations:

-Indoor party,
took some great party pics; with the fabulous zoom i
was able to take pics of the whole room from my location
manning the guestbook. also the pictures process incredibly
quickly, you don't have to make people stand still for
forever while the camera takes the picture.

-cousin's baseball game in the evening,
used the 'sports mode'. great shots enhanced by the mega
zoom. the is the only bottleneck in the process is that you
have to wait for the picture to come up on the screen and
then go away before you can see to take the next picture.

-driving down the road (not the driver :P)
incredibly impressed that, riding 65mph, I could snap shots
of oncoming cars out the front windshield and the cars
looked like they were standing still. couldn't really take
pictures out the side windows, but still pretty impressed.

-outdoors in mid afternoon
comes with a hood thing that you can put on when it's sunny
outside to protect the lens, pretty cool. i even let my 9
yr old sister be photographer some and she took some pretty
fantastic shots.

this is my first digital camera and maybe i'm easily impressed but if you are the equivalent of a soccer mom in your picture taking needs and want a mega zoom that will take some excellent pictures, look no further.

haven't used the movie mode or any of the manual controls so can't comment on those. the menus were easy to figure out. my 14 yr old brother picked it up and was able to change the language on it in about 5 seconds.

since the camera comes with a usb cord, you can just attach the camera straight to your computer. if you have 2.0 usb port on your computer and a memory stick PRO duo card like i got, it doesn't even take that long to download your pictures. you don't need an adapter. as for the software i haven't used it yet; i just copy the images onto my computer just as if it were a jump drive.

I read reviews and did a research on internet before buying this camera. One thing I was worried was about the compatability of Memeroy Stick Pro Duo made by other manufactures (like San Disk, Lexar..) as Sony ones are very expensive. Trust me...I am using San Disk 1 GB MS Pro Duo and it works well.

Pros:
1. Great Picture quality
2. Zoom available during Video
3. Works as Still Camera and Video (if you are planning to use fine quality video which is VERY VERY GOOD plan for atleast 2 GB sticks)
4. Easy to use
5. Excellent price (I got it Dell.com for around 290..)
Cons:
1. Memory sticks are expensive compared to SD cards
2. Little bulky (with the features provided, I think it is right size)
3. I did not find any cons other than the above two :-)

Okay, I just got it yesterday *6.20.2006*, ordered on Friday, last week. And in three hours, I understood the functions, the ones, that I know how to work, with ease.

Cybershot DSC-P32, was my trainer, for the last two to three years. So, after some major testing, I am quite satisfied, with this 'upgrade', the Viewing Image software is a great plus to have. The viewing process is better, and more manageable.

But let's get back to the camera. As it was reported in some quarters, yes...there is a little slowdown, on the picture *inbetween shots* taking. But this is not a 'high'end professional camera, used by the pros *well, I don't know if they do --smiling face--, but if you master the smaller letdowns, this camera will serve your needs, outright, without question.

After burning up the internal and then getting extra memory *within the same day, prices are falling folks, on the memory* of a 512mb *a little secret, you can dump the interal storage to the Dual Pro card, if you want.*

The range zoom, the Steady Shot Stabilizer, and the other treasures, yet to be explored, by my hands. I am very pleased.

But I speak for myself. Everyone experiences' will be different. And one thing...ACE PHOTO & DIGITAL, you rock on the delivery.

And oh, it does NOT come, with a power plug adaptor, you have to get that from Sony, direct...grrrrrrrrr.

I have had this camera for a week and so far it has been fantastic. I haven't delved into all the special features yet, but I have taken great action shots of my kids, as well as portrait style photos. I got the 1gb SanDisk Memory Stick, which works perfectly and you can take 329 phots on the fine setting. Overall I'm very happy with this purchase.

Purpose of this review is to share my experiences with the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H2 with others who may be thinking of buying it. The camera was used four weeks before returning back to Sony.

I was looking to upgrade from my Canon G5 to something with a little more flexibility and features for a vacation I was going to take. Although tempted, I decided not to leap to a DSLR. Based upon research and initial reviews, prior to its release from Sony I ordered Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H2 and its full range of accessories (Telephoto, wide-angle, micro-lenses, etc). Initially I had few problems, but on the first full day of my European vacation the DSC-H2's Shutter Button disintegrated making the camera completely useless for the rest of vacation. I regret buying it and if you buy this camera so will you.



Pro

None: The Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H2 fell apart before I could find any.


Con:

So what were the problems I encountered when trying to use DSC-H2?

1). Batteries Problems: Two Sony Stamina NiMH batteries that came with the DSC-H2 were defective and would not take a charge. I had to buy my own batteries before I could even begin to use the camera. DSC-H2 seemed to drain batteries at a higher rate than what specifications stated it would. Length of battery charging cycle seem excessive.

2). Extremely flimsy construction. Several weeks after receiving the camera, on the first full day of my vacation after only three pictures, the DSC-H2's Shutter Button completely disintegrated. No Shutter Button and no pictures. When Sony refused to deal with this problem at all, I was forced to buy another digital camera in Europe to take my pictures. Being completely useless for taking pictures, the DSC-H2 and all of its accessories just took up space and remained in my luggage. See my comments about Sony Customer Support on trying to resolve this and other problems associated with this camera.

3). SanDisk 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo "Reinsert memory card" error . When looking at the camera I believed Sony statement that DSC-H2 was compatible with SanDisk 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo. I bought three of them for a vacation to Europe. They were completely worthless. It must be assumed Sony had tested the DSC-H2 and was aware of this defect before market and sold the camera to general public. See my comments about Sony Customer Support on trying to resolve this and other problems associated with this camera.

4). Super SteadyShot® stabilization did not work 20% of time. Some images so blurred you could not tell what they were.

5). Image Noise. Some at ISO 200. Noticeable at ISO 400. Noise levels at ISO 800 made most images unusable.

6). Zoom Pixalization. Use of zoom caused a significant degree of pixalization which was especially noticeable at 10x and up. I don't care how big your telephoto capability- if it is distorted or you can not use the image- what good is it.

7). Wide Angle Lense Chromatic aberration and distortion. When using Sony wide angle lense experienced purple fringe and peripheral distortion of images. Some is to be expected, but this was excessive.

8). Autofocus: In short time I had and used camera, some minor problems developed with autofocus (it would intermittently stopped working and I had to do it manually). With this starting to occur with the DSC-H2 brand new, there is no telling how extensive it would have become over time.

9) . DSC-H2 Ergonomics: Camera fatigue quickly becomes a problem. I found the camera awkward and difficult to hold. With the bulk and weight close to that of a DSLR, but with none of the advantages. The lens adapter is very cumbersome. The various control and function buttons are oddly placed and most are difficult to access and use.

10). Flash takes longer than normal to recharge. The result was missing a number of what would have been some great pictures.

11). Small LCD monitor 2.5 inches. It was very difficult to see in direct sunlight. Made image composition rather difficult.

12). Overall Image Quality: I can sum it up in two words- Extremely Disappointing! Based upon initial reviews I had a certain level of expectation. But when I compared several images of Swiss mountains that was taken at the same time and under same light conditions, my daughter's 4 megapixel camera produces equivalent and in some cases better images than 6 megapixel DSC-H2. When compared with my old 5 megapixel Canon G5, there can be no real comparison. DSC-H2 is not even in the same league.

13). Sony Customer Support- Based upon over 20 hours (5 of which were spent calling long distance from Switzerland) of dealing with these individuals during the process of trying to resolve this problem I found that when it comes to Sony and product support you are on your own. If you have a problem with their products- its your problem and not theirs. I found Sony Customer Support to be incompetent, lazy, purposely provide you with misinformation, out-right-lie to you, high degree of ignorance, empty promises and refusal of mid-level supervisors to do their job, supervisors who seemed to be on a power trip, frustration. Etc. etc. Instead of trying to help solve problem- they became a major part of the problem. They tried to wear you down and make you give up.


Conclusion

I had great hopes for the DSC-H2 when I bought it. But because of all of the above, The day when Hell freezes over will be the day I buy another Sony camera. Until then I will stick to Canon and plan to buy a PowerShot S3 IS.

Is the best item I bought. Te only thing that the sellers must inform is that the camera need only memory stick pro duo.

but why on earth did they make the screen smaller? I was the proud owner of a Sony DSC-H1, and made the mistake of selling it to buy a DSLR. Within a few days, I was back buying another Sony. It doesn't get any better. Best camera there is for macro (there are sites that show the difference between Canon and Sony--Sony is a lot better!). You have the zoom, you have everything. I had taken 7000 pictures with my other Sony, and it is just the best....but I can't for the life of me figure out why they made the screen smaller on this one.....

Having owned an Olympus C-720 UZ I moved up to this camera the Sony DSC-H2 and is the best thing I ever did for value for money.
. Everthing about it is amazing.
I do not know what Distant Shores did with his Sony other than drop it or kick it around a car park like a football I have had no problems. On full zoom steady shot is amazing and its manual functions are the same.
I am not going to carry on as anyone who has one will know, except for poor old DISTANT SHORES who maybe would be better of with a BOX BROWNIE and start from there. Looks like some people can not seem to help rubbishing a Super Great Product as the Sony DSC-H2.
Keep up the good work Sony.

First off, check the reviews of this camera as compared to the competition (as of July 27, 2006). You can find these at:
www.steves-digicams.com
www.dpreview.com

This camera lives up to all of the expectations set by these reviews (as well as others) and the reviews on Amazon. I could do a write up, but the reviews posted on the sites above go into far greater detail than I could ever do and show comparison photo's to boot. What I can do is give you my reaction to this camera now that I have it in my hands...

PROS:
1 - Super easy to use, out of the box experience. Pop in some AA batteries and you'll be shooting photos in just a few seconds.

2 - Speaking of batteries they are the AA batteries you already have in your house. I have kids so I am already using rechargeable batteries.

3 - Image quality is great!

4 - Supplied software is fantastic for storing photos - I love it already.

5 - Fits very nicely in your hands.

6 - Very intuitive controls. You can jump from full auto to full manual with ease.

7 - Very quick shutter lag.

8 - Nice burst mode.

9 - Functional image stabilization

10 - 12x optical zoom is superb; 24x digital zoom actually works with no image degradation.

CONS:
1 - Low light focusing is too soft. You will need to manually adjust for this in very low light situations (like taking a photo of cereal boxes inside of a kitchen closet with no light on).

2 - Higher ISO settings are too noisy (anything above 200). The built in flash will correct for this in many situations, but not all of them. They could have used better algorithms.

3 - LCD could have been larger, but it is not worth paying extra for (for example the H5).

OTHER:
1 - There have been some reviews here that have lamented the "special" USB connection on the cable. To be accurate the cable supplied by Sony has a standard USB interface for the PC end and a standard micro-USB for the camera end. The micro-USB interface is the exact same one used by my Blackberry phone, my SanDisk MP3 player and my Cannon PowerShot camera. There is nothing special about it.

Please read more at the review sites listed above. They is a ton of info there on this camera and the competitors as well.

The Sony Caber-Shot DSC-H2 digital camera offers a lot. To start with this camera has a 12x optical zoom which beings in far away subjects close. In addition with 6.0 megapixel resolution it takes great shots suitable for only 4x6 prints, but also enlargements. Also the camera is fully automatic, fully manual, or just about anything in between. The various picture taking modes such as landscape and portrait are accessed through the easy to use dial on the top. This camera has a host of other features that I have yet to even have the chance to use. On the downside the LCD is smaller than on some other cameras I have seen, but the other features seem to make up for that. If you want a camera with a good zoom and loads of features than this is the camera for you.

I have very recently bought this camera, and agree with some reviewers in that the manual could be a bit better in some aspects. I still haven't quit got the hang of all the options this camera has, but have been able to take some excellent shots in various difficult conditions, such as low light, strong light, strong backlight and quite a few tricky macro shots.

I particularly believe the macro in this camera is one of its many strong points. I have managed to capture, in full detail, the minuscule flower of the oregano bush. For all who don't know rhis, the flower is only about 4 mm in diameter.

I differ from other reviewers who think the controls on the camera are ill placed. I can manipulate all the camera's controls with one hand while I compose a scene. Of course, with all the options we are talking about quite a few of them, but all are within reach. I am also using a SanDisk Memory Stick Pro Duo, and have had no problem with it at all.

For all of you who need a camera that can handle most shots automatically with great results, but still need to go to semi-automatic or even fully manual for some shots, you should seriously consider this great product Sony has delivered.

I've had my Sony H2 for a few days now, and I have to say that so far I'm really disappointed. My previous camera was a little Kodak CX7330 with only 3.1mp and I've taken some awesome photographs with that little gem. So, when I got the chance to upgrade I was very excited to get my hands on Sony's H2.

The photos I take tend to be either portraits of people and animals taken indoors, or of items found outside, with some scenery and zoo animals thrown in for good measure. My Kodak had done a wonderful job on the inanimate objects and other outdoor shots, but the awful shutter lag, lack of resolution and difficulty with indoor lighting conditions limited what I could do with it indoors - especially since my cats see no need to hold still for the shutter lag. I was hoping the Sony would provide more professional indoor shots as well as much improved resolution for the outdoor photos, but I was barking up the wrong tree.

I'm aware that I'm no expert photographer, but I'm not a total novice either. Even so, the photos I've taken indoors have had the white balance completely off, even after customizing it. Skin tones come out orangeish and something about the photos makes my photo editing program unable to compensate without giving everything a blue cast. The program has no problem with adjusting the Kodak photos correctly, so I'm not sure what is going on with that, unless it's that my Kodak photos are in TIFF while my Sony's are in JPEG. In addition to the tone issues, at lower light levels the pictures become noticeably grainy, even as smaller prints using an adjusted ISO setting - and I have had trouble with some very pronounced streaks and patterns showing up on the photos in addition. (Such as yellow lines down the center of my son's face - not exactly something that can be overlooked.) Also, I like my photos to be very crisp and the autofocus on this camera, as was noted in a professional review I'd read, is not as sharp as could be. Especially in lower light situations, the camera strains to find the correct focus and often misses the mark.

Based on what I've read in other reviews, I suspect the problem is that the use I'd planned to put this camera to just isn't what it does best. Apparently, this camera performs well outdoors in bright sunlight, but unfortunately that's not where I need my camera to function best. I think I'll hold onto it a few more days, study what I'm doing and try to improve my technique more, but in all likelihood it will probably eventually be returned to the dealer. In the meantime, I'm going to pick up a Kodak P880 and see how it does on those lower light shots.

I had planned to buy this camera before a month long trip .I got it a few days before i started on the trip. 10 days later I while using the camera in the flash mode I got an E:91:01 error and I could not use the flash. I checked up the user manual and it suggested "Initialising" the camera. I tried and the error was gone. But whenever i tried using the flash it popped up again. I contacted sony support and they said that it is a defect and the camera needs service. Since i was out of US the warranty would not be valid. I wrote to Amazon and they kindly agreed to give me a replacement and allowed me to ship back the camera after i return home. I however was not able to use the camera during my trip.

Apparently, if you do a google search you will find E:91:01 error all over the place with many Sony digital camera models. I think Sony engineering needs to fix this for good and Sony QA definitely needs to do a better job at not selling defective pieces and messing up others vacations.

You really are not going to take clearer pictures with any other camera. This camera does everything you want and more. I recommend you buy this camera most importantly over the Kodak because it has image stabilization. In general, most of pictures come out awesome, and the 12x zoom makes it seem as if the subject (birds/animals) were right in front of you when you took the picture. Plus, the pictures are stored on the memory card in a split second so there is no lag time when taking pictures. Yes, there are more expensive cameras, but the pictures are not going to be any clearer than what this camera is producing. Of course, if you do buy a more expensive camera, then that's your choice to throw your money down the drain. Image quality I guarentee will be the same as this camera.

At 1st was very dificult, but now i love it, its fun !
nice pics.
some are dark, you have to change the settings.

This is my 3rd digital camera . This past May I purchased an Olympus EVOLT 500 DSLR for $799 . I was not impressed with the quality of the pictures . So I bought the Sony H2 . I can't believe the image quality . Perfect outdoor pictures under any conditions . The image stablization works very well. I am able to take pictures with full zoom (which is the equivilent of 430mm on a 35 mm camera ) without using a tripod . Even in the evening the pictures do not blur . The shutter speeds are fast enough for sports photography . The 2.8 f/stop allows for fast shutter speeds . The lenses that came with my DSLR did not have that wide of a lens opening . I would have had to buy a much more expensive lens to get 2.8 f/stop.
The macro setting works exremely well on the Sony H2 capable of taking pictures as close as 1 inch away . In order to get this close with my DSLR I would have to buy a macro lens costing $200-300 .
I constantly print out 8x10 prints from this camera and they turn out crisp and sharp with highly accurate and rich colors .
The only area were my DSLR preformed better was at high ISO settings . The H2 had more noise in the pictures at high ISO . This can easily be fixed by inexspensive noise reduction software .

The auto setting works great but dont be afraid to experiment with the manual settings . The metering in the manual setting will let you know if your picture is under or over exposed , so you can correct the shutter speed or aperture as needed.

Dont fall for the hype of entry level DSLRs like I did . I spent $799 on an entry level DSLR . The Sony H2 was only $350 and has more features and higher quality pictures .

I did a lot of research before deciding on a mega-zoom camera (at least 10X optical zoom). All the reviews favored the Sony DSC-H2 (or H5), the Panasonic Lumix FZ7, or the Canon PowerShot S2 (or S3). I read many photography forums and found that the Sony owners were on average the happiest with their purchase of the DSC-H2. The Canon has better video/audio recording with many owners complaining of "fog" in their photos. The Panasonic is slightly smaller and gives a better photo quality that is only discernable to real professionals, but takes a specialized battery pack. You will find pluses and minuses for any camera, but in my opinion the Sony has them beat with its picture quality, ergonomics, easy menu and button layout, and dependability.

After buying the DSC-H2, I am completely happy with my choice. I can put it on automatic mode and get great pictures, or I can play around with the manual controls and have fun with it. I am an amateur, but the pictures I'm taking are amazing.

Keep in mind that this is a big bulky camera (larger than my camcorder). The bulk is worth having that 12X zoom lens though - I get outstanding pictures that my Canon PowerShot A530 with a 4X lens cannot match. That big lens lets in lots of light and my photos look great.

The DSC-H5 gives you 7+ megapixels but in reality most people will never utilize the 6 megapixels that the H2 provides. The H5 has a slightly bigger LCD, but I've read that battery life suffers slightly when powering that large screen. In my opinion, it made sense to buy the H2, a big Memory Stick, a case, and a tripod for less money than the H5 alone.

DSC Series camera all have a CCD imager defect that will leave screen blank after you use the camera for 2 or 3 years. (Do a google search. You will find out what happened.) Sony knew this problem years ago. But refuse to fix it. They will wait until the camera fail and then charge you $300 to fix it. That's what happens to my DSC-F717. Ever wondering why Dell, HP etc all recall Sony battery for laptop, but Sony did not recall their own laptop battery? Sony will never fix their own problem. We the customer have to pay for their mistake.

This camera is exactly what I wanted! I'm a big guy (6'6"), so using a slim camera seems to get lost in my hand. This camera is easy to grip and is amazing at photgraphing items close up. Don't be swayed by the fact that this camera is only 6 megapixels. I have used cameras that are over 7 megapixels and they miss a lot of the close-up detail that this camera captures. Very happy! I love shopping on Amazon!

This Sony digital lives up to its promise. For the price the DSC-H2 delivers a lot of features and quality. The image stabilizer works wonders when using a long focal length or slow shutter speed. And I find the "shutter" sound gives me confidence that the photo has been taken. The view finder shows the same screen as seen on the camera's window which I really like. When I use the view finder, all peripheral stuff is eliminated.

Pro: Lighter weight is attractive, aas is rapid shutter response, and rapid zoom control, with good definition at x12.
Con: Bought this camera on understanding that it would provide RAW files (Sony specs. seemed to changed several times). Lost batteries because battery cover lock was underdesigned. Setting viewfinder brightness has been irregular. Major fault is poor ergonomic design: this is not a shape to hold and operate with one hand because it only "fits" a small woman's hand. A normal sized right hand holding the camera tends to operate unwittingly controls adjacent to the textured thumb position. Jog wheel control is fuzzy. There are many menu options available that may make this unnecessary complex for many people. Memory stick memory doesn't fit any other make, a disadvantage for owners of several cameras.
Limited quality of picture quality wasn't as good as some of my RAW 3 MP pictures, but this is a premature judgement.

I was very satisfied with this camera. The picture quality is amazing and covers all details very precisely. The only drawback is the big size compared to the smaller digital cameras but then this is in a different league. Buy another highpowered lens, tripod and you will feel like a professional eventhough all the work will be done by the camera. It's a no hassle camera and the most user friendly.

I bought this camera shortly before Thanksgiving after dropping my HP digital camera and broke it. I chose this Sony camera for the 12x optical zoom and I thought it would take nice photos of my 9 month old son. I ended up returning the camera back to the store I purchased since the flash took long to charge. Every photo of my son had him looking like a dear in headlights (since the red pre-flash light caught him off guard) and/or he was already crawling away and I missed the "kodak moment" since the camera wasn't ready. I literally took hundreds of photos to get one of him smiling, when with my old camera I could get one good photo quickly. The camera would be great for still photos or when a flash is not needed. I'm not the best with all the manual overrides the camera offered, so I guess for a "point and click" kind of person, this wasn't the best camera for me.

Pros: Easy to use, sharp lens, uses AA batteries, low red eye in regular flash mode, video has sound.

Cons: You can't have both the view finder and the rear screen on at the same time; you have to choose one or the other. 2 mega-pixels is the lowest you can shoot at. Camera's advanced features take time to learn because user manual is not very well written or clear.

Did some serious leg work before buying this camera and chose Amazon for low price, quick shipping and good return policies- we have had it for 5 days now and here are a few thoughts. We also got the Sony DuoPro 2gig card.

The only notable downside so far: It eats batteries pretty fast, so have spares and be prepared to quick change. It comes with a charger so it's pretty easy to do (This could be my wife going crazy playing with the flash...and the fact that it is averaging 20 degrees outside...)

It takes pretty good photos out of the box on automatic settings- we have not played too much with manual settings yet and have not yet seriously applied ourselves to producing that cover shot. Having said that, the macro is nice and close-ups are really sharp! Still working on snow shots since the exposure setting is kind of tricky and the automatic does not quite do the trick.. we'll keep trying this one.

It's light, but not pocket sized- for us low shutter lag and good quality images were more important. We have had far too many rear bicycle wheel shots with our older cameras. So far it is proving quite satisfactory, even with the flash- we'll try some fast action shots and add on too this review.

As others have noted, the buttons on the right of the camera tend to get pushed inadvertantly unless care is taken- however it is possible!

Focus speed is quick and reviewing photos and deleting the bad ones is nice and easy. Controls and menu access are a piece of cake.

LCD screen is working great with plenty of info that will more than meet your informational desires.

I'll post more details as we play more, but so far it works great and has been easy to use. Thanks for reading.

This is a very good camera for that price if you dont want to spend more to get an entry level slr as it got all the features.

I don't know a lot about cameras, so I haven't that much to say about the virtues of the Sony as compared to any other camera, but the Sony is serving me very well. A reason I chose it was because of the stability feature, because my hands aren't steady, and that works just perfectly. The pictures the Sony produces are really nice and clear and handsome when transferred to and viewed on a computer.

We bought this camera as our first child was about to be born to make sure we didn't miss anything. The camera is easy to use (I figured it out after the baby was born!) takes beautiful close ups, great movies, and switches easily to black and white or seinna. It even has a setting called natural which depict colors more acurately, which is especially nice for day light shots. Camera is heavy and a little difficult to hold on to, but all around worth it.

Bought this camera for christmas and am truly happy with my decision. Takes amazing pics and allows you tweak around with all the settings. I had done quite some extensive research before purchasing this cam & it is one of the best ones you can get in the 12x zoom category. Also, H-5 gives you 1 extra MP and 3" LCD screen but they also charge a whooping $100 extra. This cam does fine & the screen is actually not small (compare Canon S2 IS).

The sandisk 1Gb pro duo card works fine with my cam. No issues.

My only complaint is that they should have provided a protective film on the LCD to protect it from scratches.

I like this camera / Read alot of reviews before buying/ I believe I made a great choice! Lots of Features............... Good Stuff

I finally got the zoom quality I wanted actually was able to capture 41 of 41 bull riders with clear shots from the second level of the arena

This camera is a fabulous buy for the money. You can't go wrong with the 12x optical zoom, the Zeiss lens, the Steady Shot, and the mountains of other features. Photo quality is excellent, camera functions perfectly every time, and it is easy to use. I don't find it heavy or awkward unless I have an extra lens on it. My favorite is the Sony telephoto which takes some AMAZING photos from a significant distance.

Works as advertised. It certainly deserves the raves it received in previous reviews.

I use the video feature almost more than I take pictures.
The video is clear and the zoom works just a well as when used to take pictures.
The Image Stabilization has helped me out as well.
A lot less blury shots and alot more clear and detailed photos.
The settings are very customizable but can be overwelming to a new digital camera user.
I'm still trying to figure out all the features.
(thus the 4 and not 5 out of 5 stars)
But then again, if you want something with practicly endless possiblities, it's going to be atleast a little complicated.
It's well worth the learning curve.

I'm not a big Sony digital camera fan but this version of the Cybershot has made me a very happy customer.

I love this camera. Really clear pics, and easy to use. My only problem is that I haven't read into it enough yet. When I put a 2 gig card in the camera, the performance seemed to slow dramatically. Again, I think it's just a setting issue. It seems that the image stabilization is probably the culprit. Sometimes, it's 3 seconds after you push the shutter button until it actually takes the picture. I think the problem can be easily fixed.

I've had this camera for several months. Although I'm still learning all it's features, the Sony is far more complicated then I expected it to be. The instruction booklet is confusing, especially when I'm investigating the meaning of an unknown icon that appears in the view screen. Also, the camera body is much bulkier then I anticipated.
All those issues aside, it is a good camera that is fun to use, and the 12x zoom is terrific.

Very good under a wide range of conditions. Macro to 12x zoom capablity is excellent. Moderate price.

Purchased the camera on sale at Christmas and have taken several hundred photos under a range of conditions. Previously used a 3MP Olympus 10x zoom camera.

Very good camera for the price. Allows for tweaking exposures and/or full manual control once you figure out the controls and menu system. Was surprised at how close you can get in the macro mode and still use the flash. Flash seems to function well under an extreme range of conditions and distances (for a small internal flash).

Control layout, including "jog wheel" below shutter button is good. 4-way selector on back of camera (which includes macro and flash functions) a bit awkward to do by feel. The "bracket" button on top is nice (tend to do +- exposure brackets) but have accidently put it in the multi-burst postion. Shutter lag isn't very noticable.

Could benefit from a brighter/sharper/larger LCD screen, but OK for the price.

I'm no expert, in fact a novice. I don't take a lot of pictures but I have used digital cameras for about 9 years. This is the most complicated camera I have owned to date. I've had the camera about two weeks. I'm leaving in a few days for Europe and wanted the camera before I left. Here are some of my observations.

The manual though not detailed was more than adequate to get me through most of my questions. I was able to find what I needed and answer my questions.

I love the 12x optical zoom. I played with the camera testing subjects at all distances. At about a mile away I got a pretty good picture of a landing passenger jet. I took very sharp pictures of an apartment that was at least 3 hundred yards away. The images that were not crisp and clear (I can't always hold the camera steady) were more due to the 20-30 mile an hour wind and my lack of experience. I found the built in stabilization quite good and I tended to get a good picture most of the time.

I am no expert, but I found the image quality well within my requirements. I was shooting using the 6 megapixel resolution.

Pictures of my cats were crisp and clear and motion seemed to be no problem. The automatic feature was good enough for what I needed. I did experiment with the manual features and found I could push the camera to limits I would generally not need, but were quite useful for anything I would ever do. Action shots were captured well. I haven't tried any night shots yet outside, but reasonably I'm not likely to use it often outside.

I tried the feature that took multiple shots rapidly. It worked very well. I haven't tried taking movies but then if I wanted to do that I would have purchased a camcorder.

I have had no problem with the size of the camera or the location of the buttons. I'm a 6ft 1" guy with big hands but I had no problems. The viewfinder not only worked well the focus wheel meant I didn't have to wear my glasses to frame a shot. The LCD was a bit small, I would have prefered 2.5 or 3 inch but for the money and features I was not disappointed.

I opted to purchase the Sony 2 GB Memory Stick Pro Duo. This memory stick has a slightly higher record speed and this gives me the ability to take pictures a little faster. I don't find the setup time between pictures a problem. If I wanted faster speeds I'd pay a lot more for an SLR. I realize there are cheaper memory sticks available but I opted for the Sony one to avoid any possible compatability issues. I had heard horror stories about being able to take pictures but having either poor quality or not being able to retrieve the pictures from the memory stick.

Overall I love the camera. The optical zoom is great. For the features the price is good. The manual though not as good as I might like it was more than adequate to help me through the tough moments of learning the features. I would buy the camera again.

I love this camera, there are a lot of options, which took a little studying on my part to understand, but after I did, I'm getting professional style photos. It's an excellent choice for beginners. Easy to use, and great photos.

I have NEVER left an online review, but I'm just so thrilled w/ this camera!

Since November '06 I've been purchasing and evaluating cameras to suit my needs...I've tried Pentax, Fuji, Kodak and the most recent and comparable to the H2, the Canon Powershot S3 IS. I was never satisfied. I take alot of action shots, so no blurry pics are acceptable. While the S3 was only OK in some shots, the H2 is EXCEPTIONAL!! The zoom is great and quality is A-1...I previously had a Cybershot DPC-10...while I loved the still pics and quality of the photos, it really lacked the capacity to take action shots and the zoom was much smaller.

This camera is the BEST in my opinion...just wish I gave it a try earlier...I think I'll be a Sony fan for a very long time.

One more thing, I really like that Sony doesn't skimp on the rechargeable batteries and charger included - you do need to purchase additional memory, as the internal memory is small.

I found this at a local big box retailer for $319.99...it's worth EVERY PENNY!!!

This is an excellent camera in the advanced category. The price on amazon is unbeatable and i say this after a month of research. The camera is very easy to use, takes great pictures and has the sony tag to it. Its been great, even for a novice like myself.

I only had use the camera 3 or 4 times but is everything I was looking for in a digital camera. I'm very impress with all the fixtures (more than I expected) and the 12X optical zoom. I will need to read the instructions book a few times to take advantage of all the good things this camera have. I will recommend this camera to anyone but not if you are the kind of person that only want to shot in automatic.

This is a fantastic camera. The pictures are so Crisp, Colorful & Sharp! The zoom is wonderful!! You can get some of the best close-ups with this camera, whether it's during the day or at night. Prior to getting this camera I had the Kodak z612. The Kodak is a good camera ... but I was so unhappy with the special battery it needed, that I took it back to the store for the Sony DSC-H2. The Sony has lot's of extra's & without the need for special batteries, you can pick them up ANYWHERE batteries are sold, plus it doesnt drain the batteries too quickly (I've taken over 200 pictures & the battery is still 1/2 full)! I am downloading on Amazon some pictures that I took with my Sony while at the Zoo & Disneyland. They say a picture is worth 1000 words ... hopefully they will show you how wonderful this camera works!

The camera is excellent. There are many features that more expensive cameras have and the ease of use is great. I recommended the camera to two other people. I think of the people that I spoke to just bought one.

I had an older version of the Sony Cybershot that I dragged all over the world. It was a great camera and took great pictures until I dropped it one too many times. I bought this as a replacement, its smaller, easier to use, takes great pictures, has the internal memory in case you forget the memory stick, and now there are 2 gig memory sticks that allow you to shoot forever (almost). The batteries seem to hold a charge really well even when taking multiple flash pictures and using the LCD display. I had intended to upgrade to a wide angle lens, but the reviews on the wide angle seem to state that there is a shadow on the bottom of them when using the flash. Instead I opted to buy a panorama merge program that syncronizes multiple photos into one long 360 degree panorama. If the wide angle didn't have that glitch, I'd have given the camera a 5.

I've had the camera for two weeks now and have used it daily. I've taken a couple of thousand pictures with no problems. I'm a Realtor and I'm busy, so it gets a heavy workout.

Good camera and good price. Easy to use, and great photos. Normal alkaline batteries are used up rather quickly by the camera, but 2500 NiMH batteries last much longer. Still, the ability to use alkaline batteries is very useful if the metal hydrides expire during a photo session or if a good opportunity pops up and the camera has been on the shelf for a while. When researching this purchase, I could not seriously consider cameras with a proprietary rechargeable battery. Most photo opportunities will not wait six to eight hours while batteries charge. My only complaint concerning the camera is that my right thumb accidently hits the menu buttons near the thumb rest area on the back of the camera. These buttons are in a bad spot for my big thumb, but I'm trying to train myself to be more careful. Generally, this larger camera body is easier for me to hold. Overall, this is a much better digital camera than my previous one.

I bought a Sony ICD-MX20 Digital Voice Recorder a week ago. I was surprised that Sony does not provide downloads of the associated software named "Digital Voice Editor". Sony Customer Service staff told me that if you lost the CD that came with the box, you had to buy a new one. Only patches of the software are available to download.

The Customer Service personnel told me that it was corporate policy despite the fact that the software is bound to the digital device.

This immoral policy violating the norm of digital appliance industries and should not be encouraged. Sony is demoting its brand name by offering poor post-sales services. Think twice before making your buying decision.

I've used digital cameras for over four years. I am partial to Sony products because they have worked so well for me. I love the fact that they use rechargeable AA batteries, so even if you run out of juice you can always buy batteries. The 12x zoom with the steady shot feature get great shots. Nature shots and wildlife pictures, even at full zoom, are not blurry, of course, a tripod is recommended for good quality pictures. Anyway, as always, do your research on cameras, but I think the DSC-H2 is a good camera to have before going D-SLR.

We recently bought a Sony H2 after using a Nikon Coolpix 2000 for several years. I'd been interested in photography for quite some time, but the Nikon has no manual controls at all. That was all solved when we bought this camera. My wife still uses the automatic mode on the H2 (and her pics come out fine) but I do everything in Manual mode. And this is what you can do (*slurp*) in Manual mode:

(1) Adjust aperture from f/2.8 (at the wide end of the zoom) to f/8. Not a superlong range (most DSLRs go to f/16 and beyond) but it works.

(2) Adjust shutter speed from 30 seconds to 1/1000 second, which is good enough to do just about anything. One thing that's missing from this camera is a Bulb mode (where the shutter remains open for as long as you hold down the button) but I haven't yet found a situation where I couldn't get by with one of the longer built-in shutter speeds.

(3) Both aperture and shutter speed are set using a jog dial on the front of the camera --- no hunting through menus!

(4) As you change the aperture and shutter speed, the camera provides an Exposure value (0EV is what it thinks is correctly exposed, +1EV is overexposed by one stop, etc).

(5) The strength of the flash (which is stupendously powerful for a built-in flash unit) can be manually adjusted in a menu (just make sure the flash is switched on, or the option won't appear).

(6) White balance can be set to one of several presets, including a Custom setting (you aim the camera at a white card or surface and push a button to tell it what white looks like).

(7) ISO can be set from 80 to 1000 (in manual mode). The high ISOs are kind of noisy, but the medium speed (80--400) work pretty well.

(8) Focus can be set in four different ways. There are three different autofocus modes and a manual mode. Usually, manual focus on a camera that uses LCDs is a waste of time. Sony solved this by providing `peaking' --- once you switch it on, the edges in the image that are in sharp focus are painted blue. I was skeptical at first, but now (having taken 2000+ shots with the camera) I'm happy to say that it works surprisingly well.

(9) The LCDs (there are two --- one on the back and one in the electronic viewfinder) can display a realtime histogram. Once you learn how to read it (google it), this can be a real help in deciding whether or not you're exposing the image correctly.

(10) The camera comes with builtin Image Stabilization, which corrects for handshake (especially when using the long end of the zoom).

(11) The 12x zoom (36mm --- 432mm EFL) is amazing.

(12) Though I don't use either much, the H2 also has exposure bracketing and burst (high speed) modes. The burst mode is not particularly fast, though (about 1fps if I remember correctly).

(13) The supplied adapter that screws onto the end of the camera has a 58mm thread and so you can buy 58mm stuff to put on it. I currently have a bunch of filters (all Cokin and Hoya): UV, circular polarizing, ND8 (which can be used to take amazing shots of waterfalls), 81B (a warming filter), and a graduated grey. I also tested a third-party wide-angle/macro lens (which reduced the 36mm EFL to 18mm) but decided not to buy it. So don't be fooled into thinking you can only buy accessories from Sony --- lots of manufacturers make 58mm stuff.

So that's how I use this camera --- in full manual mode all the time, and the pictures it takes are unbelievable. We recently spent two weeks in Australia, and when we got back we showed off the best pictures to my inlaws. Suffice it to say that my sister-in-law is now using one of those shots as the screensaver on her PC. And my wife tells me that when she zooms in on pictures we've taken with this camera, her eyes widen and she mutters "wow! wow! wow!".

So that's the good --- what's the bad? Ummmm, not much. There should be a bulb mode. A manual focusing ring would be nice as well, but the manual focusing on the camera still (thanks to the peaking) works nicely. And one odd thing --- when I was photographing a wedding a few weeks ago I switched all the sounds off (the shutter noise and the menu "ploink" sound) and the camera misbehaved (when turned on, it would say "please turn the camera off and on again"). But with all the sounds turned on, it works fine.

If you're looking for a good camera that will enable you to fiddle with all the manual settings but don't want to spend ~$1000 on an SLR, look no further. This is a really good camera. If you google for reviews on the net, you'll find several where it trumps its main rival (the Canon S3 IS). The best pictures I've taken with the H2 are jaw-droppingly good. And, in the end, that's what really matters.

I bought this after our DSC-P10 was lost/stolen. I just got the H2 today. It seems to take beautiful pictures but I can't figure out why Sony eliminated the time/date stamp? Also, the camera doesn't let you enter the setup menu with the lens cap on. I think one would want the lens cap on to prevent inadvertently touching the lens.

I love this camera. It takes great pictures and the long zoom is so nice. The battery life isn't long... but with rechargable batteries it isn't that big of a deal. Just be sure to get several sets of batteries. This is a great camera for a great price. I recommend it for anyone starting off with a digital camera. It is not complicated to work either.

This camera is very easy to use, take a greats pictures and have much functions.

Excellent product.Go for this digital camera without any hesitation.It's worth it for that price.

The camera is actually a company camera, not a personal one. The pictures that are taken have come out great.

Buy this camera today...you won't be disappointed. Amazon has the best prices on it, by far!

We've owned this camera for 4 months now and continue to be amazed! This is my first product review ever, and it's long overdue. I wanted a camera to take beautiful shots of our baby boy; one that didn't take 45 seconds between shots because we all know those shots never come around again. We own a Sony Cyber Shot (4.1 Megapixel) and were happy with the quality, but it took FOREVER between shots.

The H2 is the best. I was just looking at my last batch of pictures and continue to be amazed! They look like professional shots, and I'm DEFINITELY not a professional. Friends always ask where I had our pictures taken...I proudly state that I took them and proceed to promote the camera.

So, if you want:
Gorgeous pictures with amazing clarity
Easy user interface and menus
Amazing 12x optical zoom that comes out perfectly clear and works wonders when taking pictures with kids
The lens coer is great for taking shots in the sun

The only "cons" we've noticed are:
It is big, but so are professional ones
I wish you the "play" or review feature wasn't a separate button

....and this is by FAR our favorite. So far we've owned an olympus, two canon's, a kodak easyshare and a lumix. We have two kids and a very active lifestyle, and we always had issues with shutter lag. By the time the processor on our digital cameras had taken the picture, the "action" was over. We have missed so many great pictures because of a slow camera.

This camera is different. It is lightning fast. Consumer reports lists the shutter lag as .3 seconds, and I truly believe it is faster. The next-picture delay is only one second. It is fast enough to capture that perfect smile, the home-run hit, and the elusive baby's first steps. Pictures look crisp, and we haven't seen any blurry shots. There is a neat "red light" that accompanies the flash when in dark settings, and this eliminates problems with red eye. The function dial is easy to understand, and there is a handy "playback" button that instantly shows you your shots.

The rechargeable batteries that come with the camera seem to hold their charge fairly well. The only downsides that I've seen with this camera are that it is relatively large, and the software that accompanies the camera isn't the greatest. The software has very few functions, and does little more than allow you to view/organize your photos. The software has very few editing options. These are small complaints, however. The camera is truly worth every penny. I am amazed at how quickly it takes crystal clear pictures, and the ease of use.

The camera takes fabulous features, interface is easy to use, great flash range. Takes a while for the flash to recharge, but otherwise a very solid camera. But there is one major feature that is just ridiculously hard - adding the date/time stamp to the picture. Cameras have done this for so long, I just took it for granted. There is no way using only the camera to print the date on the picture. However, it is saved in the file, but you have to find some utility to add it to the actual image. Sony's help desk suggested I add them as a text box individually using MS Paint. I did find a way to do it after I downloaded an update to their included software, but just seemed way too difficult for a basic feature.

Buen material de construcción, buen punto focal. Desafortunadamente no me convence la calidad de los colores que maneja. No permite colocarle lentes adicionales.
Bastante sencilla de manejar para una cámara de su precio,

Amazing camera. Lot lesser than comparable Canon S3 model. Love it with all the various shutter settings available which are great for indoor shots.

I bought this camera based on its excellent reviews, both online and on Consumer's Reports. I wanted a camera to take photos of my dogs and of my yard and the long zoom and short shutter lag were major selling points.

Unfortunately I am basically unable to take photos with this camera. I try shooting in full auto mode and when I press the button part way, the camera will focus like it is supposed to, but when I try to press the button all the way to actually take the photo, over 50% of the time the camera will not actually take a photo, it just makes a noise and gives me some sort of message. Sometimes the camera will humor me and take a photo after 5+ seconds of holding the button down (just great for action shots...)

On the times I get lucky and it actually takes a photo, probably about half of them are out of focus, despite having tried to focus the shot. If I get even luckier and the camera will actually take a photo and I try to take a second photo of the same thing right afterwards, it will not take the second photo at all. I press and hold the button but nothing will happen. Sometimes when I shake the camera or swing it like I'm going to throw it across the yard, then go back and try to refocus the camera it will take a photo, but again, only one of a single view, can't get two photos in a row of anything.

Outside any light colors come out terribly overexposed, even using the sunshield provided. This is not as much a problem indoors. The focus seems to be a little better when you are using the zoom.

I will say that when the camera actually works, it does take pretty amazing photos, I just wish I had taken more than probably 50 usable (even for web posting) photos out of over 500 attempts (photos the camera actually took- not counting they probably 1000 times the camera wouldn't take the photo at all). I found the manual completely unhelpful and pretty much all I can find online are sites singing the praises of the camrea, no real information on how to troubleshoot it.

I've had the camera about 2 months and am seriously thinking of selling it on ebay and going back to my 7+ year old Olympus.

I bought a Sony Cybershot in 2003. 3x optical zoom. 4.1 megapixels. Took thousands of excellent shots with it. But 3x wasn't enough, so I recently bought another Cybershot, this one with 6 megapixels and 12x zoom and the image stabilization thing. Wow. Is this ever fun to use. It's bigger than I prefer, but who cares about that? It's still pretty small, and takes excellent pictures in all kinds of terrible circumstances. In previous trips to Europe, I'd pretty much given up on the taking of pictures from train windows. But with the super fast shutter setting, that's no longer a wasted effort. Plus, the close up macro, which never worked well in my old Sony, works beautifully in this H2 machine. Couldn't be happier.

Some years ago, I bought my first digital camera, a really nice, but simple, Samsung Digimax 320, with 3.2 mp and 3 x digital zoom.

In this years I became in a big fan of the photograph, so I tought I need a better camera, for that reason I choose the Sony Cybershot DSC-H 6 mp with 12 x optical zoom, and let me tell you that I really happy with the performance of this really cool gadget, is all that I wanted

The quality of the pictures, the desing, and all the functions are awesome, I really love this camera

Purchased as a birthday gift and was well received. Pictures are super and great. Good value for the price.

Some people will hesitate, for some reason, when mentioning the purchase of a Sony camera. I did much research which included Consumer Reports. Everyone has their preferences. I never owned a Sony camera before which made my decision a bit more difficult.

This is an excellant product. The 12x zoom is incredible. With the ability to use manual settings and presets, you have one fine piece of equipment. As we zoomed along the roads of Ireland in a bus, it was exciting to take pictures from the bus at 40mph, through the window, that were quality pictures. Holding the camera when using the flash takes some getting used to, especially if you have large hands.

I won't rant and rave for a thousand words. This is definitely a GREAT camera. The professional photographer who was on our Ireland tour was impressed.

Got everything what I was looking for in this camera...
Taking excellent pics, even at 12X zoom...
Taken 100 of pics so far, all are so beautiful, with bright colors and none of then is blurred...flash is excellent..
It bit bulky than other P&S cameras, but thats accepted when you want 12X zoom !!

I love my Sony Cybershot. It's perfect for the busy mom who wants to get great shots of the kids and family. The camera is easy to use and really light to carry.

The only thing I wish it would have come with is a handy camera bag.

If you want a solid camera that takes quality pictures without having to spend $700 or more.

I bought this camera for my wedding business, so quality was very important. It surpassed my expectations! Crisp and Clean photos and very easy to use. Love it!

I have a digital SLR, but wanted something that was more portable. This camera is perfect. The features that sold me on it were 1) the shutter delay is less than other digital point and shoots 2) the 12x zoom is one of the best out there 3) the image stabilization feature makes taking pictures in lower light without flash easier.

For a month, I've had the Sony DSC-H9, which should've been the better updated model for this 1.5 year-old camera. However, I must say this one still kicks H7/9's behind big time in terms of image quality (IQ). What use is a camera anyway if it can't take good photos? Well, the H9 takes nice photos and has more "nice-to-have" features, but the H2 still takes better quality pictures. I returned the H9 after having unsatisfactory results and got this instead. I sure am glad I did.

There has been much controversy around the H9's IQ and excessive noise reduction. (See forums like those in dpreview.com.) The H2, on the other hand, has already built its reputation. One key note I noticed (based on reviews and experience) is that both cameras have the same sensor size (1/2.5"). And since H9 has more megapixels than the H2, the ratio of sensor/pixel is lower in the H9 than in the H2. Bottom line: lower IQ. It seems to be that 6MP is the optimal value for that class of sensor.

But the H2 does not go without having cons. It's slower in focusing subjects at the tele end and in taking burst shots (1.5/sec vs ~2.2/sec in the H9). It often takes a long time focusing on low contrast/dark areas especially at 432mm.

The 3" tilting LCD is also one of the things I miss from the H9. But the 2" LCD of the H2 is good enough for my practical purposes. I use the EVF most of the time anyway. For me, the features of the H2 are sufficient: ISO 1000 is good enough (since I mostly use below ISO 200 and rarely 400 for such a camera as this), 1/1000 is fast enough to capture quick movements, and 12x zoom reaches far enough. If I demanded anything more than those features, I should've gotten an SLR.

I am no professional, but like most of us, I can appreciate good quality photos when I see one. Maybe I'm the typical gadget freak wanting to take the most of my gadgets. I needed a camera that takes good pictures and has lots of settings to tinker with; but not so much that I would have missed the moment. Sony H9 would've filled that spot, but failed.

Setting photographer skill aside, I can definitely notice the difference between the H9 and H2 outputs. At $200 cheaper, you can't get any better bargain than the H2.

A co-worker had a Kodak Easyshare Z740. I was blown away by the picture quality. I decided right then that I wanted a camera that had a bigger zoom, better night shooting capability, and image stabilization. Kodak fit that bill, but after getting burned with other brands of digital cameras, I was weary of getting anything else but a Sony. I did some researching and found the H2. Now my co-worker envys MY camera.

I've had this camera for a couple of months now. I've had several smaller Sony DSC cameras along with several other brand digital cameras which I'm embarrassed to say included Vivitar. I'm rough on them and I take a LOT of photos. They ride along in my saddle bags on motorcycle trips, go to work with me. Well come to think of it, wherever I'm at, so is my camera. So far Sony has been the only camera to take the abuse I give it. I have a DSC-P52 that was completely submerged in water for a week (long sad story) and it no longer worked so I gave it up for dead. Several months later I was fiddling with it while on the phone and turned it on. Amazingly it came to life and still took photos. It resets the date and everything every time you turn it on but it takes photos just like it always has. I bought a DSC-P32 and liked it even more. After thousands of photos, it got to where it had a hard time reading even the Sony memory sticks. What I'm getting at is that Sony makes one tough and durable product. I'm just a tad more careful with this camera, but it still takes more abuse than the typical camera.

Here are my pros and cons for the average amature photo taker like me:

Pros:
It's a Sony - Once you realize that memory sticks aren't the end of the world, you'll wonder why everyone doesn't own a Sony.

Image stabilization - My hands shake something awful. If I ever become a surgeon, take my advice, go to another hospital. It's that bad. When taking photos with this camera, I no longer have to worry about bracing my arms against something to keep my hands still. Although I still have to use a tripod to take night shots with long exposure times, I'm still able to get much better photos than my cameras without this feature. You can turn this feature off, although I don't see why you'd want to.

Adjustable settings - Although the average Joe only needs to use the automatic point and shoot setting to take great photos, this camera gives enough adjustable settings that even photographers who are way more advanced will be pleased. I've taught myself quite a bit about shutter speeds and aperature settings just experimenting with this camera. I like the way you get a brief description of what each main setting does every time you turn the dial. The on-screen histogram feature comes in handy at times too.

Photo Quality - I'm sure there's better out there somewhere, but so far I've not seen better photo quality on a digital camera that wasn't a SLR.

12X Optical zoom - Most of the digital cameras I had before only had 3X optical zoom. I would always just zoom in by cropping during the editing phase. I never knew what I was missing. I will know from now on. I'll never go back to less than 12 again.

Video mode - I've not used the video mode much on this camera because I use my Sony camcorder for that. I did, however, use the video mode a great deal on my other Sony digital cameras and I loved them. From what I can tell, this camera's video capabilities are even better.

Battery life - I use AA rechargables and already have taken more than two hundred pics. So far I've changed the batteries one time.

Focus - There are 4 focus modes: manual, multi point AF, center AF, and the surprisingly handy flexible spot focus.

Cons (There is only one and the reason I give the camera 4 stars instead of 5)

Buttons - Although I realize that with more features it's harder to fit so many buttons on a camera, Sony has made the buttons on this camera more streamlined and flush than on my older DSC cameras. It's like the buttons were designed for kid sized fingers. I'm having a hard time with hitting buttons that I don't want to and not being able to hit the ones I do.

I can't imagine anyone not being satisfied with this camera unless you are just looking for a pocket sized camera.

Tan solo con una semana de haberla recibido,me parece una excelente opción por el precio, muy completa. las fotografias tomadas en movimiento quedan muy bien.

I was excited to find a camera with 12x zoom in the $250 price range. Most digital caameras come with 3x, 4x or maybe 5x in this price range. The camera also comes with many preset picture options that make it easy to take a picture in specific circumstances. I like the rechargeable AA batteries and the VIEWFINDER! Taking outdoor pics using a screen just does not work in bright sunlight, so the viewfinder option makes it possible to get a clear picture of your subject in bright light light conditions. My biggest disappointment was that even with a 12x zoom lens, it still doesn't magnify distant objects much.

I studied reviews & specs many months before selecting this camera. No one camera offered exactly what I thought I wanted. I finally selected this one for (1) the 12X Zeiss lens, (2) how the camera felt in my hand, my main camparison being how good my old Canon SLR fit my hand,(3) made in Japan, not China,(4) the reviews were mostly all very postive.
I have only two negatives so far--the screen display switch & menu button are on the wrong side of the right thumb holding pad. I hit them by mistake sometimes if I don't pay attention in placing my thumb correctly. The other is the often heard "short battery life". I'll just be sure I have extras always with me. So far I have very positive feelings about this purchase. All who have seen my pictures think they are very good, as good or close to a good SLR.
Thanks Amazon for coming thru with a few more of these "old models" which I prefer over the H5, H7, & H9s.

I've had quite a few digital cameras over the years. I've had some that worked so-so and some that were just awful. After I spent a boatload of money on a camera that appeared to be good (high megapixels, high zoom, easy operation) but turned out to be quite a disappointment in terms of picture quality, I decided to do a bit of research to find a camera that would work for me. I came across this particular camera, did some research, and bought it and I'm thrilled with the results.

Most people who are looking for a camera tend to go for a point and shoot. It appears to be easy, no messing around with the options, however the quality is not as good as it could be. Upon doing some research, I've found that SLRs get better overall reviews than point and shoot cameras. One of the big differences between SLRs and point and shoots is that SLRs have a ton more options. I'm not a camera expert by any means so I was bit overwhelmed at first when I saw the camera options at first. However, after playing with the camera for a few days, I have found which options work best for certain situations. I encourage you to do the same so that you can understand what each and every option is used for.

Let's talk about the size of the camera for a second. Point and shoot cameras are getting smaller and smaller and thinner and thinner which appeals to a lot of people. No doubt is it easier to carry around a smaller camera than a larger one. The DSC-H2 is not huge persay but it is rather large in comparison to most other cameras. Women with small purses will find it hard to carry around. I personally use a medium-sized tote when I travel so this isn't a problem for me. In terms of how it feels in your hand, it fits absolutely perfect in my hand (and I have average sized women hands).

Now let's talk about the picture quality. I took quite a few pictures over the first few days I had this camera and I was amazed with the quality. I found that when I took pictures outdoors, the colors were bright and sharp. Indoors, I've found that pictures come out better with bright light although poor light works well depending on what you're trying to achieve with your pictures. I took a few pictures of my extremely active 7 month old niece and there was absolutely no blur. I'm able to zoom in pretty close without losing the quality of the pictures. (Be sure to check out the pictures I have posted above.)

Probably the best thing about the camera is the time between pictures. I can take picture upon picture in a row with little waiting time (which is perfect for those times when you don't want to miss anything). With point and shoot cameras, you have to wait quite a few seconds for the camera to process the picture before you can take another one.

This camera uses a memory stick and I suggest buying one if you plan on taking a lot of pictures of if you plan on using this camera while on vacation. You also get a USB cable with the camera so that you can upload the pictures onto your computer. Another great bonus is the lens cap. I tend to get fingerprints and dust all over the lens so when the camera is not in use, I put the lens cap on so as to not ruin the lens. I've had this camera for almost a year and I've only had to replace the batteries twice. I suggest getting high quality camera batteries so that you don't have to replace the batteries often (even recharged batteries don't last that long).

If you're not a beginner but don't want to shell out a ton of money for high-tech SLRs, consider the DSC-H2. The quality of the pictures will win you over.

This is an excellent camera! Excellent cameras take excellent pictures!! Having just returned from an Ireland vacation, I am truly pleased with the resulting photos. (And I'm still learning how to use it.)

I have owned this camera for 5 months now. I bought it for my trip to Ireland in May and have waited to use it some before posting a review. The camera takes absolutely amazing shots (up to 20X30 if you want to get them that large). The stabilizer is excellent and has provided the ability to snap those moving moments without the blur (great for those tour bus shots).

I had two problems while overseas. 1) I had not paid attention to the strength of the rechargeable batteries I'd bought (14 of them!) and they were dying on me faster than I could blink it seemed (okay, so they would last about an hour, maybe two if I stretched it). It was not until I returned to the States that I realized I had bought 2000mAh batteries instead of the 2500mAh that are CRUCIAL to this camera working for a long time. The Sony 2500mAh batteries last FOREVER so make sure you get that strength at least. 2) The flash for the dark areas that you set to automatic. In some cases the flash wouldn't fire even though it pops up like it is going to causing you to retake the shot (if you can anyway). I'm not sure if that is because of odd lighting or what, but it is the only problem I've had with the actual functions of the camera.

Another thing to keep in mind: This camera is fairly large compared to many others (about the size of your palm on all sides) but it is because of the 12x OPTICAL zoom which I desire in my shots (best quality). I took several shots that are perfect poster pics and maintain their sharp detail at that larger size. If you are not as concerned with the clarity of your shot (larger sizes, zooming in, etc) then I would get a more compact size just for greater ease of traveling with it, however, this camera did not cause me one problem with carrying it around for over a week on my trip and it fit fine into my mini-backpack. I LOVE this camera and do not intend on changing it out anytime soon.

i liked this cam ever since i bought this. dont buy this if u are a slim cam freak. the zoom is pretty awesome and 6MP is decent as u dont need more than 6MP until u might want to print out some big posters. i bought extra lenses with this cam like the wide angel lens and telescopic lens which were not really useful. Over all, this cam is ***** as its good in every aspect.

I have had this camera for a few years and its been a pretty good camera for the most part. Takes great pics outside, decent ones inside, not too great of ones in low light situations (bars, etc - but I do probably have a higher standard than most people). Have shot some great portraits of my son, and family members as well as skylines and nature scenes. I like the fact it uses AA batteries so you can replace em at ease when needed. The flash is about average for recharging between pics. The onscreen navigation did take a while to figure out when I first got it (every model will) but was pretty reasonable and now I can get to whatever screen I need to in seconds.

This camera also takes pretty decent movies as well. In fact, I've gotten more and more used to the movie feature for many different things - including taking movies of my band. This eats up a lot of space at the highest quality setting. I wish I could post an example movie here, but you can get an idea of video & audio quality by checking out the movies on this band site (I set up the camera and let it play, keep in mind I had to compress so this isn't original quality but will give a basic idea) http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=217271318

So while there are many so so things and good things about this camera, a major disappointment has been the limitation on memory stick size. I was going to give it 4 stars, but I'm taking one off because THE 8 GB STICK WILL NOT READ PROPERLY ON THIS CAMERA. As such if you own this camera then all the good stuff is irrelevant if you want to shoot longer movies because Sony is not choosing to issue the firmware upgrade neccesary to enable the 8gb card to work in the H2.

I guess they want you to upgrade to the H9. That's too bad. Apparently once you buy their product they don't care about retaining you anymore and would rather put the money into developing newer lines (that many people have said aren't as good due to too many megapixels). Please write Sony customer service and ask them to issue the firmware so they know us older customers do care and are not merely interested in buying the latest model.

This is a great camera. The picture quality can be fantastic. The image stabilization works well. The one push white balance feature is very nice to capture great color when using the flash. Battery life is good considering it only has two AA's. The jog dial works well. The flash has great range but isn't too quick. If you are looking to take a few quick pictures in low light just turn it off and play with the exposure. I wouldn't recommend using it in automatic mode, as the pictures tend to come out a little warm or pink. Bottom line if you get to know this camera you shouldn't be disappointed with it.

This is my third digital camera and I bought it after reading several excellent reviews. But when I bought it, I didn't know much about aperture, shutter speed, manual white balance and other manual stuff and my first impression was not that great. It took me a while to read the stuff about various manual settings and now I get excellent pictures out of it.

I would not recommend this camera for someone who just wants a good point-and-shoot camera and does not have time to play around with its settings. It does take good pictures on automatic settings too but its bulky volume and weight does not make it a good choice for such purpose.

But I would strongly recommend this for someone who wants to take great pictures and knows or intends to learn about manual stuff. It takes excellent pictures if you play around with its controls. Picture are great if taken in manual white balance and with proper shutter speed and aperture settings. I have posted few pictures in the gallery and you can see how manual white balance itself makes a great difference (see two picture taken of a plant vase in a dark room with all settings same except the white balance control).

In short, it is a great camera for someone who is not a professional photographer but wants to take great pictures by playing around with its manual controls.

I'm still enthusiastic about this camera. I'm getting serious about my photography and am upgrading to a digital SLR, but I would still be using my Sony or another in this series if only it had RAW capability. I use this camera during the course of my outdoor job, taking photos of everything from closeup macros of plants, to zoom shots of wildlife. I use the lens hood with a UV and polarizing filter combo, set my color on vivid. I end up with detailed macros and intensely colored landscapes and skies (see my images for this product).

The menus are easy to navigate and offer some manual controls including shutter and aperture settings. The optical viewfinder mirrors the view through the lens and is clear and sharp enough to compose a photo, or to make sure you got the optimum shot. Many cameras are doing away with their optical viewfinders, much to the detriment of outdoor photographers. It is nearly impossible to compose a decent photo in bright sunlight using an LCD alone.

The image stabilization on the 12X zoom works very well, especially in outdoor lighting conditions. The camera is somewhat bulky with the lens hood and filters, which I always use for the effect on the skies, (as well as to keep dust out of the zoom), but it is quite lightweight. I do wish it had a push-on lens cap for use over the 58mm filters. The one it comes with doesn't work with filters.

My only complaint is I wish Sony would offer this series with RAW capability. At 6 megapixels, the image degradation caused by jpeg compression starts to become evident with images over 11x14 or so, making it unsuited for stock photography.

Even with a digital SLR, I will continue to use this camera at work for it's ease of producing beautiful outdoor shots.

The best inexpensive camera with all the necessary features to record all happy memories..crystal clear pictures!

There have been a few reviews about the hardware quality of Sony products. I suggest you thoroughly research the various issues mentioned. I was generally pleased with this camera until the shutter button broke...it just fell off. This happend 3 days after the warrenty expired. Due to the high cost of repair, I will just buy a new non-Sony camera.

The Sony H2 has both an eyepiece and a screen for image focusing. I have not seen any other dish on this, but those of us in the "Baby Boom" generation have now reached the reading glasses stage. I can not even see the focus screen w/o reading glasses. The eyepiece is excellent, and shows all the icons and symbols, just like the screen. Apparently, focusing with a screen has become the new thing, but wait until you are over 40.

The camera is a wonder, with more stuff than I can use.

My advice is: always try out the camera before you buy. Many good cameras do not even have an eyepiece these days. Switching two pairs of glasses will greatly minimize your paparazzi shooting speed.

I have had this camera for over a year. I absolutely love it! One thing I must say is if you buy this camera, buy Energizer E2 batteries for it. Before I used these batteries, the flash recovery time was very slow and it ate batteries like mad. The E2 batteries are a little more expensive, but they literally last 5 times as long as regular batteries and are well worth it for the flash recovery time. This camera takes awesome pictures and surprisingly, the video is very good too. Yes it takes proprietary memory cards, but like many of you said before you can find it as cheap as SD cards if you watch for sales. To be honest, I like this camera so much I really don't see myself buying anything other than Sony when this one dies. It is a little big and bulky, but if you want a camera that takes great pictures, buy this one. If you want a little toy, but a small one and you'll get "toy like" pictures. If you can handle the bulk, this one's great. That being said, it is not huge, and it does help keep you steady. My wife and I take a ton of pictures in many different settings - low light, moving, sports, etc. It will take great shots no matter what. Again, did I mention the E2 batteries. If use crappy batteries and they die or are going dead, the pictures will not come out good - duh. Well worth the money. Don't think twice, buy it. You won't be disappointed. I bought it over a year ago and the price is still the same as what I paid for it over a year ago. Sony must still be selling for $299.00 even a year later. Awesome camera period.

I've owned this camers for more than a year, and I've never regretted the purchase. The Zeiss lens offers real quality and when combined with image stabilization helps ensure clean, crisp images. The automatic setting works great, but for those of us inclined to tweak the range of options is impressive. The maximum optical zoom has proven satisfactory for wildlife photography (mainly birds).

One selling point for me was the fact it's powered by standard (AA) batteries, meaning that in a pinch you don't have to track down a proprietary (expensive) replacement. And battery life is great!

I've never had any trouble saving photos to my non-Sony Memory Stick.

I've had this camera for several months now. It takes great shots, has a powerful zoom, strong flash, and excellent stability. I like its features *alot*.

That said...it's big. And heavy. And maybe not what most people wanna lug around on a family vacation. Then again, perhaps I'm spoiled, as our other camera is a tiny sub-compact.

IIWY, I'd just carefully consider: Do I care if the camera is bigger than I might be used to? (It's about the weight of 2 full Coke cans, and about the volume of three cans, FWIW.)

NOTE: This review is written by an ametuer --- I am by no means an expert photographer. I take pictures of my kids, family, & dogs -- and this camera may be a little much for my needs. But once I got familiar with it's features, some features of which I will never use, I try to carry it around with me to experiment and am very pleased with it's results. I agree with a previous post ... the camera is larger and makes carrying it around a bit inconvenient at times. And since my pictures are mostly of family, I was very disappointed to find that the date is not imprinted on the pictures, nor is there a choice in the menu. I contacted sony, and was told that if I want a date on my pictures, I have to add it one by one via the software. I typically have 100-200 pictures printed at a time so that response made my head hurt. I did find freeware software that will do this for you in batch - PicJet Studio: [...]. Anyhoo, the pictures are bright & crisp. The movies are nice --- I recommend recording with the "Fine" feature. Overall, I love the camera.

This camera takes pictures with quality you would expect, i have owned it for 4 months now and except for few blurry pictures on very few occasions, it never disappointed me.Havent played with all the features yet...captures moving subject very well so no blurred pics with any sports event.

Only thing i don't like is it is a bit bulky and makes me look like a journalist or something...if it is not a problem with u guys then this is a perfect camera.

I've had my Sony DSC-H2 for two years now, and thought I would share my thoughts with anyone considering buying it.

The camera takes high quality pictures, has many nice settings, and is rather easy to adjust to. It fits nicely in your hand, and mine did not break once yet. I'm somewhat young, one of seven siblings, the second oldest. Even with young children running around and using it, it's still in very nice condition.

As long as you are not shooting in low light, you will be fine. The camera has A LOT of noise, even on ISO 200, at times so much that a 5x7 print would be unusable. 90% of pictures taken inside without a flash will have noise, even on the right settings. But that's not really a problem for me, because most of my pictures are taken outside.

Overall, the good things about the camera overcome the noise issues. I'd definitely recommend the camera to anyone who is interested in it!

I bought this camera just over a year ago and was initially very impressed with its photos quality and ease of use. HOWEVER, recently I noticed the shutter button had fallen off rendering my $400 camera essentially useless. I went online and searched "Sony DSC H2 shutter button problem" and found hundreds of consumers who have reported similar problems with this model. Some even had two or three warranty fixes for this same issue. I then called Sony customer support and inquired if there had been a recall. They advised me that they are not aware of any such problems with their product. Since the camera is beyond its 1 year limited warranty the cost of repairing this cheap plastic button was quoted at an outrageous $141.00. I explained to the customer support representative that there are numerous online postings from people who have the same shutter button problem with their Sony DSC H2. He assured me that there really was nothing Sony could do except have me spend nearly half the value of the camera for a non warranty repair job. Knowing that this seems to be a recurrent problem with this model, I am going to hold out and hope that Sony will have a recall for this defective part. In the mean time I would advise people to STAY AWAY FROM ANY SONY CAMERA that uses the cheap plastic shutter buttons that might last a few hundred photo shots... if your lucky.

This was my first digital camera with manual control and features. This camera is excellent with its images and colors, but the shooter device failed twice in one year and I had to pay the transportation and lose many time. I recommend other sony cameras and other brands, right now I use this camera with the fault (Auto Focus fault: is very difficult take pictures but I don't have options) because is imposible to sell in this conditions and I need 100 dollars to repair it again. Is a bad product

This camera is amazing!!! I've had it for about 4 years now and have had nothing but good luck with it. I use it in various situations with excellent results no matter the situation. The zoom is incredible, it brings far away objects in close and captures them with precision quality. My only regret is that I didn't order the DSC-H7 that came out shortly after this model did. It is 8.1 mega-pixel and has a 15x zoom and was only $50 more at the time.

The camera is excellent, but the shutter button broke after one week of use (at the beginning of a long trip in China...!) and could not hold the focus or use the macro function. It seems that this is a defect of the series. Be aware of it! (I hope that in the meantime they have fixed the problem though)

I've had this camera for over a year now. I use it primarily to photograph my two children and document important times in their lives. I can't tell you how many times I've been complemented on the quality of the photos (I especially love the "sports" feature that captures quick-action shots like kids running around). My sister in law bought an expensive digital SLR and can't even figure it out because it has so many buttons and gadgets. This is a perfect camera for someone who wants a little more than a point and shoot but doesn't want to get an advanced degree to use it. The zoom is wonderful--great for capturing those mom moments.

Be sure to read all posts for this product. Flimsy construction, costly repairs. Essentially this is a disposable camera.

Excellent camera. Lots of great features and helpful tech support. Only problem is getting it repaired. I scratched the lens & Sony wants $181.00 to repair it-at the minimum. There are no dealers near me, which means packing it, shipping it and insuring it. I only paid $300.00 for the camera, so I didn't think it was worth the repair charges. I ended up buying a sub-compact camera, but will miss this one.

I love the quality of photos that this thing lets you snap out. Range of focus can get a little annoying if you're a chronic macro mode user (as I am), but it's still beautiful.

I'd give it 5 stars except for one little detail: that darn shutter button. I went into this purchase knowing full well that at some point, that little button would come off. 8000 photos in... yep there it went, right in my hand.

You can still take photos by jury rigging it with a paperclip, but it's a little hair-raising to worry about potentially warping the auto-focus (Which is what I hear is going to be the next part to die), but it's doable.

The replacement part will cost $26 and if you want it priority shipped, for some reason it's another $20. >.< The box for the button is, no joke, a foot tall (the button's half the size of a dime, mind you. Did it NEED that much protection??).

So yeah, wonderful camera. Beautiful image quality, giving many lower-end DSLRs a run for their money. Bad button design.

Hace más de un año que compré la DSC-H2 y aun me parece que la compra fue buena. Esta cámara permite a los amateur practicar con distintos tipos de fotografías en diferentes ambientes, lo cual la hace muy versátil. Por supuesto no es un modelo para llevarla en el bolsillo ya que es un poco voluminosa y eso pudiera incomodar a la hora de tener que llevarla consigo. Una parte buena es que usa pilas AA normales o recargables lo que permite estar que el usuario no se quede sin baterías ya que se consiguen en cualquier parte. En cuanto a la calidad de las fotos son muy buenas y uno puede elegir la calidad de las mismas. Cuando uso distintos tipos de exposiciones, resulta una experiencia muy buena debido a los resultados que se pueden obtener. Si la memoria lo permite, se pueden grabar varios minutos de video, pero pero en este caso la calidad de las películas no es muy buena y es por ello que considero que no es perfecta, sin embargo cuando necesito videos, la uso aunque se que me debo cuidar de ciertas tomas en las que la cámara no responde como uno quisiera, de todas formas la recomiendo ampliamente si el interesado quiere buenas fotos y algo de video. Si compra una cámara de este tipo, y no es un usuario experimentado, le recomiendo buscar en cualquier librería especializada, libros de fotografías y verá que muchas cosas y trucos que se indican en esos libros, los podrá ejecutar sin ningún problema.

I've owned this camera for 2 years and I've taken well over 7,000 pictures with it. It was my very first digital camera and my introduction to "real" photography - I don't think I could be any happier with it!

Why only 4 stars? Because I'm a tough grader and I'm not the ideal customer for this camera. A dSLR would have suited me better but that was out of my price range at the time. The Sony DSC-H2 did everything I wanted when I first got it but it is not designed to be upgraded and diversified with good quality lenses as your skills and creativity grow.

There are so many good things about this camera that I'm going to start off with the bad.

Cons
- fairly poor scaleability, this camera is great for someone who wants a point and shoot with a HUGE zoom range but it is poorly suited for someone who plans on moving to an SLR. It doesn't have a hot shoe so you can't add a flash. The lens adapter is a standard size so you can add screw on type lenses but they all reduce image quality.
- size, it's a big camera for a point and shoot, a camera bag is a must. But it's too small for my hands (but the dSLR Rebel series are small in my hands)
- ergonomics, the buttons are small and I have to use my finger nail to push them. Some functions are poorly thought out (manual zoom is almost impossible to use)
- what's this about a shutter button problem? I havne't had it but I've read about it... thought I should at least mention it.
- poor low light performance, ISO noise at 800 and slow max aperture of F/3.5
- slow flash cycle time
- lens adapter and lens hood create flash shadow (both must be removed for close up flash shooting)

Now for the pros
- price, awesome camera for the money (paid $350)
- image quality, outstanding with sufficient light
- adjustability, it has all the settings found on a dSLR (ISO, aperture value, time value, full manual, presets. +/- exposure
- video (poor quality but you can record hours and hours on a big memory card
- ease of use, this was my first camera and I was shooting from the moment I got it
- accepts regular AA in a pinch
- 12x optical zoom with image stabilization, you'd could spend well over $600 to get a stabilized zoom lens (excluding camera) and you still wouldn't have the range of this little unit!!
- plug and play, USB connectivity, JPG right off the camera, can print striaght from camera with the right printer

Conclusion - this camera is awesome for the right person. This person could be a soccer mom type who wants a no fuss camera that can capture goals from across the field. A grandparent who wants a capable camera that anyone can use for close up portraits or wide open vistas. A student who wants a capable camera to record their life but doesn't intend to develop artistic photographic skills.

Who this camera isn't for:
If you're a creative type who finds yourself holding the camera at your feet or above your head then I recommend finding a model with an articulating LCD. If you're getting into photography and you want a camera that will grow with you then get a dSLR. If you want a camera to stick in your pocket go buy a compact point and shoot. For everyone else, consider this camera.

As for me? I had it, I loved it, but I've grown up. Now I'm sinking over 5x this camera's price into a Canon 40D and lenses.

Buyer beware. I thought this was such a great camera for a short time. It took great pics at first. Then the thing started not focusing and not taking the picture when I depressed the shutter button. Because of frustration in never getting a picture or if so it was blurry, I just stopped using it. Today, after having decided it was not right to have wasted this money, I read tons of reviews online of people with the same problem. This is obviously a defect, but as I just called Sony about it, they are saying "no, no problems, defects, or recalls. That will $234.00 to repair." Seriously folks, find a different camera or you WILL more than likely have the same issue!!!!!! Read all of the reviews you can find!!!!

An otherwise nice piece of equipment is ruined by it's Achilles heel...the shutter button switch. I suspect that everyone with an H series camera has a problem, many may not even know it. I have had it twice. The first time the camera would only take pictures intermittently, but it did take pictures. Sony fixed the bad shutter release assembly. My research indicated that one of the less obvious signs of a problem is that the auto focus does not work when the button is pushed 1/2 way. That is the issue I have now. When I push the button fully it will focus and take a shoot, but I can't set the shot up the way you are supposed to. Sony will fix it for about $180.00. I said no thanks. Of course consider this: many have had the shutter button simply disintegrate. I guess I am one of the lucky ones?