Sony - Cyber-shot DSC-H7 Digital Camera Review

First, when I got the camera I really didn't like the shape of it. It sounds vain, but it really isn't. I guess I just feel that camera shapes have been basically the same for so long for a reason. I like the SLR look, even if it's digital. I guess sony feels they need it to look "modern" for people to take it seriously. It also hangs really poorly on your neck. The lens is so heavy that it points directly downward, twisting the strap all funky. The heavy lens barrel also makes me worry about dropping the camera (which I'll admit, I do often). What do you think is going to hit first?

Another problem I had was with the macro capabilities. The macro only works when the lens is at wide angle. This causes such distortion in the photo to the point of an almost fisheye effect. Fisheye is nice if you want fisheye. If not, it's a pain in the butt. It also gives the look of immensity to such small objects. As many who work in wide angle know, objects in the foreground and background have greater apparent difference in scale than they would have. Thought I like this effect usually in art, it did not work for many of my shots. Other than the distortion, the photos were crisp and clear and highly detailed. It also gets very close to the items, so close you almost touch it with the lens.

I also don't like the Sony "elitist" system when it comes to memory sticks. You have to get the sony kind. I have an external drive that takes compactflash cards, but my sony sticks don't fit! I later got a sony laptop that you could plug the sticks right into, which was very handy. I wish this camera took another form of memory cards.

Some of the great things about this camera are:
*It had high Megapixels for the time and the price!
*Auto and manual options and all combinations in between. You have to keep some kind of control!
*auto and manual white balance - this you can't get on a film camera -- no more filters!
*Battery life. I once saw a chart that showed the battery life of some other digital cameras. Paltry in comparison! I do recommend getting an extra one, though.
*A very easy to use camera, especially for a novice.

Okay, one more complaint, more for ALL digital camera manufacturers, not just Sony. Why the 16 MB cards or sticks? You know this is not enough! I don't think I have even used the 16 MB stick mine came with ever! What a waste of money. I would rather have nothing come with it and make the camera a little cheaper. Or have a larger size stick and have the camera be more expensive!