Sony DSC-H2 Review

(All screens can be displayed on the LCD or EVF)

Here is the Auto mode screen display. Minimal information is displayed and only a few parameters such as image size or recording mode can be changed. Upper left is the battery level that's constantly displayed. The image size is "6M"egapixels, the image folder is 101, there's space for 200 shots, a graphical icon of the Memory Stick and in the center are the Auto Focus area target marks.

This is a "P"rogram AE screen. Top left shows the battery level (partially depleted). You can see icons for ISO speed set to 80, the realtime histogram, along the bottom are icons for "S"ingle "A"uto "F"ocus, Shutter and Aperture values.

The Program AE mode also allows the user to "shift" the shutter speed and aperture settings. By rotating the command dial you can select other combinations of shutter speed and aperture values.

When you half-press the shutter release the AF marks will turn green indicating the area of focus, it will also show the selected shutter speed and aperture.

Here's the screen when using Shutter speed priority mode. It allows you to select the desired shutter speed and the camera automatically selects the proper aperture. A slower shutter speed will allow you to show motion, where a faster one will freeze the action.

In Aperture priority, you select the desired aperture and the camera selects the proper shutter speed. A large aperture (small f/stop number) will create a shallow depth of field, where a smaller aperture (larger f/stop number) will create a larger depth of field.

Here's the screen when using Manual mode, it allows users to select both the shutter speed and aperture value, and displays exposure compensation to inform you if you are about to take a under or over-exposed picture (in this case, 1EV overexposed). The live image is displayed with the degree of under or over exposure that would result from current settings.

When you rotate the mode dial a "virtual mode dial" is displayed. Select from: AUTO, Program AE, Shutter-speed priority AE, Aperture priority AE, Manual, Scene Modes (Night, Night Portrait, Candle, Beach, Sports, Landscape, Portrait) Movie and Playback. A description of the selected mode is displayed if the setup menu Function Guide is set on.

The image resolution menu is called-up by depressing the resolution/delete button. Available settings are 7M, 3:2, 5M, 3M, 1M, VGA (E-mail) and 16:9 (HDTV aspect ratio). The display suggests maximum print size and number of images that can be stored in the remaining available capacity of the Memory Stick.

Record mode options:

Color mode - Normal, Vivid, Natural, Sepia, Black & White

Metering - Multi-pattern (default), Center-weighted or Spot

White Balance - Auto, Sunny, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent, Flash or One-Push custom

ISO - Auto or fixed at 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1000

Picture Quality - Fine or Standard

BRK - AE Bracketing step value +/- 0.3, 0.7 or 1.0 EV (option appears only when mode is AE Bracketing)

MULTI BURST - 1/7.5, 1/15 or 1/30 (option appears only when mode is Multi Burst)

Flash Level - +/- 1 EV in 1/3 EV steps

Saturation - Normal, + or -

Contrast - Normal, + or -

Sharpness - Normal, + or -

The recording screen in the VX Fine Movie mode. VX Fine mode is VGA resolution 640 x 480 full screen @ 30fps with audio and the length is limited only by the space available on the memory card.

The Movie quality menu is called-up by depressing the resolution/delete button. Options include VX Fine, VX Standard (640x480 16 fps) or Video E-mail (160x120, 8.3 fps). The menu estimates the remaining recording time on the installed memory Stick.

Movie mode options:

Color mode - Normal, Sepia, Black & White

Metering - Multi-pattern (default), Center-weighted averaging or Spot

White Balance - Auto, Sunny, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent, or One-Push custom