Sony Cyber-shot® DSC-H50 9.1-megapixel digital camera with 15X optical zoom

Recording Features
Viewing, Editing And Printing Images
Battery Information
Supplied Software

Recording Features

Tilt-Up LCD Screen: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H50 digital camera has a 3.0" Clear Photo LCD Plus display with 230,400 pixels (resolution 960 x 240). The LCD screen allows you to view an image before taking a picture and replay images that have been stored in memory. For best viewing, the LCD screen tilts-up and adjusts. You can also adjust the brightness of the LCD monitor, and increase the amount of backlight in the monitor when using the camera outdoors.

Viewfinder: The Sony DSC-H50 digital camera also features 0.2" color viewfinder with 200,000 pixels. The viewfinder can be used instead of the LCD screen to save battery power or when it's too bright outside to use the LCD monitor.

15 MB Internal Memory: This camera has 15 MB of internal memory. Even when there is no Memory Stick inserted in the camera, you can record images using the internal memory. This memory is not removable.

Memory Stick Compatibility: This camera is compatible with the following recording media: Memory Stick PRO Duo and Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo. All compatible Memory Stick Pro Duos can be used to record still pictures and moving images with audio. You can copy still images recorded to the camera's 15MB internal memory to an inserted Memory Stick Duo card.

Image Recording Format: The camera records still images in JPEG format. Moving images with audio (monaural) are recorded in MPEG1.When recording digital still images, the DSC-H50 allows you to choose from seven image sizes. When recording moving images, you can choose from three different image sizes and frame rates. The options include:

DRO Plus: Powered by the exclusive Sony Bionz high-speed processing engine, Dynamic Range Optimization (DRO) preserves image data in bright highlights and reveals more detail in shadows or backlit areas, for great results even in difficult lighting conditions. By using DRO, the DSC-H50 analyzes the shooting scenes and automatically corrects the brightness and contrast to improve the image quality. The DRO Plus mode enhances optimization, analyzing each region of an image and performing additional image processing.

Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens: The Vario-Tessar lens is specially produced for very compact cameras. This specialized design allows quick auto-focus, appealing zoom range while still maintaining a compact design. The lens has a 15x optical zoom and a focal length of 5.2mm to 78mm, equivalent to 31mm to 465mm in 35mm photography. It has a maximum aperture range of F2.7(W) to F4.5(T). The ED lens used is manufactured from super low-dispersion glass, which drastically reduces chromatic aberration. This yields sharp, high contrast images and decreases color fringing, especially on the edges of images shot with the telephoto setting.

Smart Digital Zoom: The camera has a Precision Digital Zoom of 2x. Combined with the 10x optical zoom, the maximum total zoom is 20x. The camera's Smart zoom technology intelligently uses the full CCD to let you zoom into the portion of interest by cropping the image size, thus avoiding the image degradation found in most digital zooms. The maximum zoom scale depends upon the image size:

Double Anti-Blur Solution: With Super SteadyShot Optical Stabilization and high sensitivity (ISO 3200), the DSC-H50 compensates for shaky hands, minimizes blur, brightens images, and allows flash-free shooting to preserve the mood. Super SteadyShot Optical Image Stabilization compensates for shaky hands and minimizes blur with a built-in gyro sensor that detects camera movement and sends correcting signals to a stabilization lens, so there's no need to crop in on your shot to reduce blur.

Night Shot: The Night Shot function lets you shoot subjects in dark places without using the flash such as camp scenes at night or nocturnal plants and animals. Note that images recorded using the Night Shot function will become greenish.

Recording Modes: You can select whether the camera captures one image or multiple images at a time. The Recording Modes include:

• Normal: shoots only one frame when the shutter button is pressed
• Burst: shoots up to 100 images in succession when you press and hold down the shutter button; recording interval is as fast as 0.6 seconds (varies depending upon the image size setting)
• Exposure Bracket: records a series of three images with the exposure values automatically shifted. One photo is taken under exposed, one is taken over exposed, and the third is taken at the set exposure; you can select a bracket shift of +/-0.3EV, +/-0.7EV, or +/-1.0EV.
• White Balance Bracket: records a series of tree images with the white balance shifted in the following order - current color tone, toward blue, and toward red
• Color Mode Bracket: records a series of three images with color mode shifted in the following order - Standard, Real, and Vivid
• Self-Timer: you can set the Self-Timer mode to a 10-second or 2-second delay so you can be in the picture

Focus Modes: You can choose from the following auto and manual focus modes:

• Multi-Point AF: focuses on 9 points throughout the frame, useful when your subject is not centered
• Center AF: focuses on the center of the frame, useful for shooting stationary subjects
• Flexible Spot AF: focuses on the area of the frame you specify, allows for small subject or narrow focus area
• Semi Manual: automatically and quickly focuses on the area around the set distance
• Manual Focus: focuses on the subject using a previously set distance to the subject

Expanded Focus: Using the Expanded Focus function, the image on the LCD screen is expanded double to focus on easily.

AE/AF Lock: If you have difficulty focusing on an off-center subject, you can set and lock the focus and exposure on the subject by pressing the shutter button halfway with the subject in the AF rangefinder, then recompose the shot and press the shutter button fully to take the picture.

AF Illuminator: The AF (auto focus) Illuminator briefly provides fill light to focus more easily on a subject in dark surroundings. The AF Illuminator is most useful within approximately 10.5' of the subject.

Macro Focus: For close-ups of small objects such as flowers and insects, this camera has macro focus capability. With the zoom set all the way to wide, the camera can focus on objects as close as 13/32" from the lens. With the zoom set all the way to telephoto, the camera can focus on objects as close as 3.9375" from the lens.

Face Detection: When activated, the Face Detection function detects the faces of up to eight subjects and adjusts the focus, strobe, exposure, white balance, and pre-strobe for red-eye reduction. Face Detection helps make skin tones look more natural and eliminates harsh facial glare. The DSC-H50 features three different modes of Face Detection.

• Auto: selects the face the camera is to automatically focus on
• Child Priority: detects and shoots with priority on child's face
• Adult Priority: detects and shoots with priority on adult's face

Smile Shutter Mode: The DSC-H50 helps you capture more smiles by shooting automatically when your subject laughs, smiles, even grins. You select the person to watch and the expression to catch, the Face Detection system and intelligent Smile Shutter algorithm do the rest. You can choose from the following Smile Detection Shutter Mode settings.

• Subject Detection:
  • Auto: detect and shoots smiling faces automatically
  • Child Priority: detects and shoots with priority on child's face
  • Adult Priority: detects and shoot with priority on adult's face
• Smile Sensitivity Detection:
  • Low: detects a big smile
  • Medium: detects a normal smile
  • High: detects even a slight smile

Scene Recognition: The digital camera automatically detects shooting conditions, such as backlight or a night scene, and then takes the shot. You can select from the following Scene Recognition modes.

• iSCN: camera detects conditions such as backlight or a night scene and takes the shot using the optimal settings
• iSCN+: camera shoots one image without using the scene recognition functions and another image using the scene recognition function.

Shooting Modes: The camera features the following shooting modes:

• Auto: camera automatically adjusts the focus, exposure and white balance
• Easy Shooting Mode: allows you to shoot still images using the minimum necessary functions with easy-to-see indicators
• Program Auto: exposure adjusted automatically, manual adjustment of white balance, color mode, and flash level available
• Shutter Speed Priority: allows you to shoot after adjusting the shutter speed manually while aperture is set automatically
• Aperture Priority: allows you to shoot after adjusting the aperture manually while the shutter speed is set automatically
• Manual: allows you to manually adjust the shutter speed and aperture value of the camera
• Scene Selection Modes: choose from the following Scene Selection modes:
  • High Sensitivity: shoot without flash in low light, reducing blur
  • Portrait: shoots with backgrounds blurred away and the subject is sharpened
  • Smile Shutter: camera detects a smile and shutter is release automatically
  • Soft Snap: capture subject with a softened background
  • Advanced Sports Shooting: suitable for shooting scenes with fast movements such as sports
  • Twilight Portrait: shooting people with a dark background
  • Twilight: used for shooting a distant subject at night
  • Landscape: focuses only on a distant subject, such as a landscape
  • Beach: for shooting at seaside or the lakeside
  • Snow: use with a white background
  • Fireworks: record fireworks against a night sky
• Movie Mode: allows you to record movies with audio

Exposure Compensation: Besides auto exposure, you can adjust the exposure from +2.0EV to -2.0EV in 1/3 stop increments.

Flash Modes: The flash can be set to Auto, Forced Flash, Slow Synchro, or Off. In Auto mode, the flash automatically strobes when the surroundings are dark. When the flash is set to Forced Flash, it strobes with every shot. In Slow Synchro, the flash is used regardless of the amount of ambient light, but the shutter speed is slower under dark conditions, allowing you to clearly shoot a background that is out of the flash-lit area. In addition, this camera has a "red-eye reduction" setting, which causes the flash to pre-strobe before shooting to reduce the red-eye phenomenon. The red-eye feature also has an automatic setting, engaging when the camera detects a face in the frame.

Flash Range: The recommended distance using camera's the flash is 7.875" to 29.8125' with the zoom set to wide and 3.9375' to 18.625"' with the zoom set to telephoto. The Flash Level can also be increased or decreased from -2.0EV to +2.0EV in 1/3EV increments.

High Sensitivity Mode: For better shots in low light, or when you can't use flash, you can set the camera to the high sensitivity mode of ISO 3200. The ISO speed can be also be set to Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, or 1600. When shooting under dark conditions or shooting a fast-moving subject, you should use a high number setting. When recording high-quality images, use a low number setting.

Metering Modes: You can select Spot, Center-weighted, or Multi-pattern Metering. Spot metering lets you adjust the exposure to the subject, even when the subject is a backlit or when there is strong contrast between the subject and the background. Center-weighted metering measures the center of the image and determines the exposure based on the brightness of the subject. When multi-pattern metering is used, the image is divided into multiple regions and metering is performed in each region. The camera judges the subject position and background brightness, and determines a well-balanced exposure.

White Balance: When the white balance is set to auto, the white balance is set automatically in response to the condition of the subject, and the overall color balance is adjusted. When shooting under special lighting conditions, you can select the settings manually. When using flash, you can select the flash white balance mode. In addition to Auto and Flash, the white balance can be set to Incandescent, Fluorescent 1 (white fluorescent), Fluorescent 2 (natural white fluorescent), Fluorescent 3 (day white fluorescent), Daylight, Cloudy, One Push (adjust white balance depending on the light source) or One Push Set ( memorizes the basic white color which will be used).

Color Mode: When desired, you can select one of the following color modes.

• Normal: normal color tones
• Vivid: bright and deep color
• Real: sets the image similar to real color
• Sepia: sepia-toned like an old photograph
• B & W: in black and white

Color Filter: Five color filter effects (including Red, Green, Blue, Warm, and Cool) provide the same effects via in-camera image processing that are typically achieved with colored lens filters. Each effect provides increased creative control when shooting.

Picture Adjustment: You can adjust the camera's sharpness, contrast and color saturation to improve the picture quality of your images.

Nose Reduction: To allow greater control over NR, three NR Level Settings are available (High, Low and Standard) allowing you to select the optimal setting depending on the scene and individual tastes.

Grid Lines: The cameras on-screen grid lines make it easy to set a subjects horizontal and vertical position.

Histogram: A histogram is a graph showing the brightness of an image. The graph display indicates a bright image when skewed to the right side, and a dark image when skewed to the left side.

Date and Time: Each time you take a picture, the camera records the date and time. The date and time are not superimposed on the picture, instead saved in a data file along with the image.

Function Guide: An on-screen function guide text/icon display makes it easy to learn the camera functions that give you greater creative freedom to adjust photo settings. The function guide can be turned on or off as desired.

Lens Hood/Adapter Ring: When shooting in bright lighting condition, such as outdoors, use the supplied lens hood to reduce the image quality deterioration caused by unnecessary light. The camera also comes supplied with an adapter ring which allows you to connect optional conversion lens (sold separately) to the digital camera's lens for enhanced wide-angle shots or zoomed-in shots.

Remote Control: The DSC-H50 comes supplied with an IR wireless remote control which you can use to easily operate the camera for recording and playback.

Viewing, Editing And Printing Images

Viewing Images: Still and moving images can be played back on the camera's color LCD screen, or the images may be transferred to a computer, where they can be displayed or manipulated with the use of compatible software. In addition, the images can be played back on a television (NTSC or PAL), if the television has an RCA composite video input. You can select a 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratio for the camera's video output to match the aspect ratio of your television.

High Definition Playback: You can view an image recorded on the camera by connecting the camera to an HD (High Definition) TV with the optional HD Component Output Adapter Cable (sold separately).

Auto Orientation: When the camera is rotate to shoot a portrait (vertical) image, the camera records it position change and displays the image in the portrait position.

Auto Review: This feature displays the recorded image on the screen for approximately two seconds immediately after shooting a still image.

Index Mode: In addition to viewing images one-by-one in full screen, you can view multiple images at once in the index mode. This feature lets you to display up to six images, allowing you to easily find the image you want.

Slide Show: The Slide Show function lets you play back images one after the other. You can select from the following slide show effects (Simple, Nostalgic, Stylish, Active, Face1:Basic, Face2:Nostalgic, or Face3:Stylish). Each effect has a preset music soundtrack, or you can choose from the 8 selections. The interval between the pictures can be adjusted, allowing you to choose 1, 3, 5, and 10 seconds or automatic to suit the selected effect. You can select Folder play (all images in the selected folder), All play (all images on the Memory Stick Duo) Date (all images from selected date), or Favorites (select Favorite images 1-6). You can then filter images you want played; you can select from All People, Children, Infants or Smiles. When repeat is selected, the images are replayed in a continuous loop.

Date View: Displays a calendar display of your images so you can easily select the date and images you want to view

Playback Zoom: You can enlarge a recorded still image up to eight times the size of the original image. Once the image is zoomed, you can pan left to right and up or down through the image.

Rotating Images: Recorded images can be rotated 360-degrees in 90-degree increments on the camera's LCD screen.

Wide Zoom Display: During playback, you view still images recorded at a 4:3 and 3:2 aspect ratio as 16:9 wide on the camera's LCD screen. In this case the top and bottom of the image will be slightly cropped.

Retouching Still Images: You can add effects or make corrections to a recorded images and then record it as a new file while the original image is retained. You can use the following feature to edit your recorded images.

• Trimming: playback zoom is performed on the image and part of the image is cropped
• Red Eye Correction: corrects the red-eye phenomenon caused by flash
• Unsharp Masking: sharpens the image within a chosen frame
• Soft Focus: blurs the periphery around a chosen point to emphasize the subject
• Partial Color: surrounds a chosen point in monochrome to signalize a subject
• Fisheye Lens: applies fisheye effect around a chosen point
• Cross Filter: adds starburst effects to light sources
• Radial Blur: decides the center point for expressing movement in the still image
• Retro: softens the image by blurring the focus and lowering the surround light so that is appears as if it was taken by and camera
• Happy Faces: puts a smile on a person's face, when the camera detects a face that can be retouched

Multi-Purpose Resize: You can change the aspect ratio and size of the shooting images, then record them as the new files. You can convert images to 16:9 aspect ratio for high definition viewing and to the VGA size for blog or-email attachments.

Deleting/Protecting Images: You can delete a selected image, or you can delete all the unprotected images at once. In order to avoid accidentally deleting of an image, it can be protected.

Music Transfer: You can change the music files that are preset at the factory with your own music, using the Music Transfer program in the supplied CD-ROM.

Print Mark: You can place a print mark on still images recorded with this camera. This mark is convenient when you have images printed at a shop that conforms to the DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) standard.

Exif Print (Exif 2.21): The DSC-H50 conforms to "Exif Print," a worldwide standard. Vital camera settings (such as: exposure mode, white balance, exposure time) and scene data are recorded to the image file when it is captured. Printers compatible with "Exif Print" are able to use this information to produce high quality photographs, exactly the way they were intended at the time of capture. This intelligent communication process also allows the printer to correct for poor lighting or mistakes, resulting in photos that can be even better than the originals.

PictBridge Printing Capability: Using the supplied USB cable, you can connect this camera directly to a PictBridge compliant printer. PictBridge is a new standard that allows you to connect a PictBridge compliant camera directly to a PictBridge compliant printer and make prints, regardless of brand.

Battery Information

Battery Information: The DSC-H50 comes with the NP-BG1 lithium-ion rechargeable battery and BC-CSGB battery charger. This battery takes approximately 330 minutes to fully charge. It can reach a "normal charge" in approximately 270 minutes.  Under normal operating conditions the battery has the following capacity:

Auto Power-Off: If you do not operate the camera for approximately 3 minutes, it will turn off automatically to conserve battery power.

Supplied Software

Software: The DSC-H50 comes with a CD-ROM containing the following:

• Picture Motion Browser (Ver.3.0.02): compatible with Windows operating systems only
  • View images saved on your computer
  • View photos organized by date
  • Edit images
  • Display the shooting locations of still images on maps online (Internet connection required)
  • Create a new data disc (CD burner drive or DVD burner drive required)
  • Print or save still images with the date
• Music Transfer: compatible with Windows and Macintosh operating systems
  • Change the music files on the camera and replace them with your own selections; upload MP3s from your computer or music from CDs
• Cyber-shot Handbook: a detailed instruction booklet (PDF)
• Product Registration: register your camera online
• Step-Up Guide: explains how to use the camera with optional accessories

System Requirements: You can copy images from the DSC-H50 to a Windows PC or a Macintosh computer. The supplied Picture Motion Browser software can only be used on a Windows PC; it cannot be used on a Macintosh. The supplied Music Transfer software can be used on both a Windows PC and a Macintosh. The minimum requirements are:

• PC:
  • OS: Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional (SP4), XP (SP2), or Vista (64-bit and Starter editions not supported)
  • CPU: Pentium III 500 MHz or faster (Pentium III 800 MHz of faster recommended)
  • Memory: 256 MB or more (512 MB or more is recommended)
  • Hard Disk: 400 MB or more (required for installation)
  • Display: 1024 x 768 dots or more colors
  • Interface: USB jack
• Macintosh:
  • OS: OS 9.1, 9.2, Mac OS X v10.1 to v10.5 (OS X v10.3 or v10.5 for Music Transfer)
  • CPU: iMac, eMac, PowerBook, Power Mac G3/G4/G5, Mac mini
  • Memory: 64 MB or more (128 MB or more is recommended)
  • Hard Disk: 250 MB or more (required for installation)
  • Interface: USB jack