Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H7 - just acquired & some questions

After using a Canon G-12 for a few years and finding I needed to buy an accessory tele lens to achieve the shots I wanted, I went and picked up this Sony DSC-H7 (cheap) to see if it may be easier to use then the Canon.

So, I have been looking around the internet for info, etc. and I guess I'll just pose the question and ask in this thread.........

What are your thoughts on how they perform? This cameras shortcomings and/or it's good points?

As for myself, I am only into digital in terms of using the smaller, lightweight cameras that do have the controls of the larger camera bodies and I don't have to deal with an assortment of lenses. Most of my photography is an extension of my other hobbies and interests. I went out and received a journalism degree at 66 yrs old and finally learned how to do photography because of the classes. So along with my vintage film camera stuff I just need that one digital camera to carry along and use as needed.

Thanks for the help

I haven't personally used it, I was shooting with a Canon 40D in 2007, looks to be an 11 year old fixed lens consumer camera, 2007 era. It had some cool features for back then. Steady Shot,

Usable 1600 ISO, nice for consumer grade camera f/2.7 to 4.5 aperture. F/2.7 for low light and give some bokeh, F/4.5 a little more depth of field for small groups. 5.2mm to 72mm zoom wide angle l to portrait, ok the wide angle is nice but with a maximum of f/4.5 I will be concerned you won't get super sharp landscapes with great depth of field, but at 8.1 megapixels you may not notice. 8.1 mega pixel should make nice prints. Pop up flash could be handy for some fill flash. Experiment with some DIY light modifiers may make this better.

Saw this enthusiastic Tiger Direct Video from 2007. Link They mentioned someone using this for shooting weddings professionally. I wouldn't professionally, personally, it could still get some real nice images, good for friends and family a low cost hobby camera, it could be a lot of fun and it didn't break the bank.

The camera is not state of the art by today's 2018 camera standards, there has been 11 years of improvements, but we were not shooting with junk in 2007 and you are not dropping $2000 on this camera either. Being 11 years old, I hope it holds up for you. This does have a lot going for it even for 2007, ģoing to be better than a cell phone and better than a most point and shoots, enjoy and happy shooting.

I hope you didn't pay much for that camera Stephen. It has a CCD sensor, and the more recent CMOS sensors are almost a quantum leap better IME.

Viewfinders, LCD displays, battery life, image stabilisation and storage speeds have improved immensely too, and 8 megapixels is a fairly paltry resolution these days.

It's now possible to get fairly small bridge cameras with a ridiculously long zoom range. A few years back I bought a Nikon P100 that covers the (35mm film) equivalent of 26 to 600mm! That's optical zoom, not digital.

The used P100 was cheap enough a few years ago. You can probably pick one up for half what I paid for it now. There are similar Canon and Sony models around.

So, yes, the DSC-H7 is still useable. All I'm saying is that far better cameras won't break the bank either.

Thank you for the info. Yes, the camera will sit in my workshop documenting my antique radio restoration. Taken with me when I go to help operate a 120 year old steam train and will be carried with my 6 German made 120 film cameras when I take those out.

What caught my attention with the Sony is the Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens.