Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H70 Overview

16.10 Megapixels	10.00x zoom	3.0 inch LCD

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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H70 Overview

Posted: 01/05/2011

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H70 digital camera is based around the combination of a 16.1 effective megapixel, 1/2.3"-type Sony SuperHAD CCD image sensor coupled to a Bionz-branded image processor, and a 10x optical zoom lens. The Sony H70's lens carries the same Sony G branding as the company's digital SLR lenses, an indication of its confidence in the lens' optical performance. Actual focal lengths vary from 4.25mm to to 42.5mm, equivalent to a range of 25 to 250mm in 4:3 aspect still image mode. This equates to everything from a generous wide angle to a very useful telephoto.When shooting 16:9 aspect images, the sensor crop raises the effective focal lengths to a range of 27 to 270mm, for 16:9 movies to 30 to 300mm, and for 4:3 movies the range is equivalent to 37 to 370mm.

The H70 has a two step aperture, which varies from F3.5 to F5.5 across the zoom range. At wide angle the alternate aperture is F8.0, and the lens also includes a built-in neutral density filter. To help combat blur from camera shake, the Sony DSC-H70's lens includes an optical stabilization mechanism which works in concert with a built-in gyro sensor to detect and .correct for camera motion. As with certain of Sony's other recent Cyber-shot cameras, the stabilization function works with up to 10x increased power in movie mode, taking advantage of the more forgiving lower resolution of the movies as compared to still images.

Like most compact cameras these days, the Sony Cyber-shot H70 sadly forgoes inclusion of an optical or electronic viewfinder. Instead, Sony has opted for a 3.0" Clear Photo LCD display with a resolution of 230,000 dots, roughly equating to a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels with separate red, green, and blue dots per pixel. A nine-point autofocus system includes face detection capability, and can recognize up to eight faces in a scene. The face detection function can be disabled if desired, and can also be programmed to give priority to either adult or child faces. The AF system can also operate in either center-weighted or spot AF modes, and includes an AF assist illuminator.

ISO sensitivity in the Sony DSC-H70 ranges from 80 to 3,200 equivalents, and exposures are calculated using multi-pattern, center-weighted or spot metering. 2.0EV of exposure compensation is available in 1/3EV increments. Nine white balance settings are available, including Auto, Manual, and seven presets. Shutter speeds vary from 1/1,600 to two seconds controlled automatically, or as long as 30 seconds controlled manually. Burst shooting is possible for up to three shots at full resolution, with a rate of one frame per second. A built-in four mode flash operates to a maximum range of 11.8 feet at wide angle, or 7.6 feet at telephoto, using the ISO Auto mode.

As well as still images, the Sony H70 can capture either high-definition 720p (1,280 x 720 pixel) or standard definition VGA (640 x 480 pixel) video at a frame rate of 29.97 frames per second. Movies are saved with MP4 compression, and include monaural audio. The Cyber-shot DSC-H70 also includes a sweep panorama function which can automatically capture multiple shots by simply sweeping the camera across the scene, and then stitch these in-camera into a single image with an increased field of view. A Self Portrait Timer mode allows the photographer to get in the picture before the shutter is automatically triggered, and a Smile Shutter function ensures everybody is smiling before the shutter fires.

The Sony H70 stores images on Secure Digital, SDHC or the latest SDXC types. The H70 is also compatible with Sony's own proprietary Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. Power comes from a Sony InfoLithium NP-BG1 rechargeable battery. Information on battery life and internal memory, if any, wasn't available at press time. Connectivity options include both USB data, as well as standard definition composite and high definition HDMI video outputs.

The product bundle includes Sony's Picture Motion Browser v5.3 and Picture Motion Browser Portable applications. Pricing for the Sony DSC-H70 is around $230, and the camera will be available in black, silver, blue, or red versions from March 2011.