What Photo Gear

And up next for today is Sony’s new ultra-zoom camera, the DSC-H50. This 9.1 megapixel shooter features a 15x zoom lens with ED glass, full manual controls and a 3″ tilting LCD.

• 9.1 effective megapixels
• 15x zoom (31mm - 465mm equivalent)
• Adjustable Noise Reduction (Low, High, Standard)
• Up to ISO 3200
• Super SteadyShot Optical Image Stabilization
• Optical zoom usable during movie mode
• Available in May for about $400

On paper not a bad super zoom from Sony here - there are other ultra-zoom camera’s with wider lenses - Fuji’s S8000 series with its 27mm - 486mm lens comes to mind as well as Panasonic’s FZ-18 with a 28mm - 504mmm equivalent lens. Although the Sony H5- does of course win out in the longer end of the zoom, but most photographers (me included) would prefer a wider zoom to a longer reach.

But this Sony is capable of using accessory lenses to further widen or extend its field of view. You can use the Sony VCL-DH0774 wide-angle accessory lens (as pictured above) to give you a new wide angle equivalence of just over 23mm or the Sony VCL-DH1774 telephoto accessory lens attachment to give you a paparazzi worthy 790mm telephoto equivalence!

Full press release and a pic of the tilting LCD after the jump.

New Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H50 Digital Camera Ideal for Fast-Action Shooting

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ — Sony today announced the latest
addition to its high-zoom camera line, the 9.1-megapixel Cyber-shot(R)
DSC-H50 digital camera. It is the ideal choice for people looking for high
zoom, high-resolution and speed.

This new model utilizes a powerful Carl Zeiss(R) 15x optical zoom lens
with Super SteadyShot(R) optical image stabilization to capture action at a
distance. One of the main lens elements is manufactured from super low-
dispersion glass, which helps it produce more exact point-to-point
correspondence between an object and its image. The lens yields sharp,
high- contrast images and reduces color fringing, even when shooting in
telephoto ranges.

The camera also features a large, 3-inch tilting LCD screen so you can
shoot comfortably from nearly any position, at low and high angles. Its
scratch-resistant, UV hard-coat finish adds a premium look and feel that
mirrors the performance of the model.

Improved Advanced Sports Shooting Mode

Its improved “advanced sports” shooting mode now employs a system to
apply higher shutter speeds, up to 1/4000 of a second, more frequently than
on previous models. This mode combines high shutter speeds with predictive
continuous auto-focusing so you can quickly focus and capture fast-moving
subjects with minimal shutter lag — basically the time it takes for the
camera to focus and shoot.

Sophisticated Operation

The camera’s versatile, long-distance flash is powerful enough to
illuminate subjects more than 55 feet away (when using ISO 3200, wide
angle).

Noise reduction is now a user-selectable option, with high, low and
standard settings, for greater control over the final look of images. For
example, a high setting used for portraits or night scenes can help produce
smoothly textured images with reduced noise.

The unit features extensive manual controls, including an exposure
bracketing mode that newly includes settings for white balance and color
modes. This function records three images, each with a different white
balance or color mode applied, to help capture the ambience of the original
scene.

Smart Technology to Capture Better Photos Automatically

The camera also incorporates intelligent features that help you take
better pictures more easily. They include improved smile shutter and face
detection technologies with child or adult priority recognition, as well
as, intelligent scene recognition with standard and advanced modes to
analyze shooting conditions and select the optimal setting automatically.

Other helpful features include a new D-Range Optimizer (DRO) plus mode
that applies a high image correction algorithm to retrieve more picture
detail in bright highlights and dark shadows; NightShot(R) technology to
help capture photos in virtually no light as well as infrared remote
access; five color modes including “real” for less in-camera processing and
more faithful color reproduction; in-camera editing features; advanced
in-camera image management functions; improved slide show functions with
longer music files; and HD component output for viewing photos on a
compatible HDTV set.

Pricing and Availability

The H50 model will soon sit at the top of the Cyber-shot high zoom
line. It will ship in May for about $400 with a full line of accessory
options. All can be purchased online at http://www.sonystyle.com, at Sony Style(R)
retail stores, at military base exchanges and at authorized dealers
nationwide.