Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20/B 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Zoom and Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization: Customer Reviews & Product Details

I owned a Sony Cybershot 3.2 megapixel camera for 6 years and loved it. It took great pictures--far better than the newer higher megapixel cameras my friends owned. Unfortunately I recently "clanked" the camera on a rock and damaged the lens beyond repair. I was excited to purchase a new camera and settled on the Cybershot H2O because of all the positive reviews and my own experience with the older model. I hoped the few negative reviews that appeared here were a result of a rare factory defect.

I have used the camera for 3 weeks now and I am disappointed. I take mostly scenery pictures of the beautiful North Carolina mountains. The default color and light intensity settings greatly overexpose the pictures and tend to wash them out. Fall colors here are outstanding but one wouldn't believe it based upon the pictures. To compensate I have to underexpose the pictures by 0.7 - 1.0EV and increase the color intensity. This can be done in several of the camera settings but it is a pain. The pictures are not sharp. The normally sharp horizon of the mountains appears blurred in the pictures--as if the camera has 20/60 vision. No mode on the camera solves this problem.

The camera has a 10X optical zoom. However, the pictures are not sharp. The camera appears to be "confused" as how to focus the image.

The "Easy" setting is useless for scenery shots because it has no manual override. Therefore, the pictures are over exposed and under saturated in color.

The flash button does not turn on the flash. One has to manually force the flash on from an on-screen menu. This is difficult to see on a bright day when the subject is backlight. The default flash intensity is too high for indoor photos of human subjects. They get washed out. I have to manually reduce the flash intensity from the default setting.

The least movement by ones subject creates a blurred image in not very low light conditions such as shade. This was extremely disappoinging when taking pictures of my grandson who was playing in the raked leaves. To capture him I would probably have had to switch the camera to the "Manual" setting. Rather cumbersome. You can't retake an action photo. He won't play in the leaves again this year. I tossed the photos out once viewing them.

The camera takes high-definition video. But this is only useful if one keeps the video in the camera without transferring it to a computer. The video needs to be played from the camera to a HD TV. The video can't be played on the computer using Windows Media Player. One needs to download a free compatible program, "VLC Media Player".

The camera will not record the date on the pictures. I liked looking at my pictures taken with my old Cybershot knowing the date they were taken. A real advantage when viewing a slide show or screensaver.

Of course, this camera as all of the new cameras are memory hogs--4.5Mb/picture. The increased number of megapixels is not worth it.

The camera has a large LCD screen for viewing pictures. This is a nice feature that all new cameras have. It has no viewfinder. So one has to use the LCD screen for framing pictures and viewing the many camera settings. I don't have 20/20 near vision and this is a problem. I don't like wearing reading glasses to take pictures. Not many new cameras have viewfinders.

I would not recommend this camera. Find an under $100 camera that will take better pictures.

This is such an amazing camera. I had heard that it might not do well in humidity but took it to Costa Rica and it performed amazingly. The picture quality is outstanding. Haven't had any problems with it at all and have had it for 6 months and have taken over 2500 pictures in all conditions, low light, indoors, out, and even taken pictures of poisen dart frogs in the dark with just a flash light and got National Geographic type pics! Highly recommend it!

I have 2 kids in sports and was tired of all the bad shots from my Canon pocket camera's 3x zoom. The 10x zoom of this camera is amazing and I must say the pictures it takes are incredible. I had another Sony mega zoom a few years back and always was in awe of how great of pictures the Sony cameras take. I took it to their games this weekend and the pictures came out great! I highly recommend this camera for this use since it's fairly compact and has great zoom!! Love it!

I love this camera!! I also did my homework & read so many different reviews for many different cameras. The Sony H20 is amazing. There are so many feature in one sturdy, compact, powerful camera! I love the smiley face feature! I have 4 small kids and just waiting for a smile can make time go way slow... With the press of the smiley face feature, once someone shows those cute teeth, the camera snaps the picture automatically! I just love that. The price for this camera you just cannot beat esp if you buy it on Amazon.com (free ship, no tax!Sales tax in CA, brutal) There are so many features on this camera but if you just want to leave it on the auto mode, the camera responds beautifully.The LCD screen is nice and large. Overall, I am so glad i did my research and made this purchase. Sony has an outstanding product.

A friend has this camera, so when I had the money, I bought one for myself. It has great zoom, response time and overall just a great camera.