Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 (Black)

• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 50 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 8 stars

  DSC-H9/B a Keeper!

  by Homer Scarborough on May 4, 2007

  Pros: ease of use,

  Cons: DVF and lens hood

  Summary: I preordered this camera directly from Sony because I wanted the 15x telephoto lens and the night shot capabilities. Having 2 teenaged grandsons into sports, I have needed the extra ...

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  Summary: I preordered this camera directly from Sony because I wanted the 15x telephoto lens and the night shot capabilities. Having 2 teenaged grandsons into sports, I have needed the extra telephoto over the 3x on my old Sony DSC-P9. I also wanted a better camera for general photos, but didn't want to tackle the learning curve (or the price) of a SLR.
  
  Everything was in the box, although I did have a problem finding the tiny hole in the lens cover so that I could attach it to the string provided. I had also already bought a large memory stick duo so that was ready to go. The camera gave great photos right out of the box! The presets even provide a "sensitive" setting where flash is seldom needed even in doors. I have yet to explore all of the settings as I only got it at the beginning of this week.
  
  CON 1: I don't know why camera makers, Sony in particular, have decided that optical view finders are no longer needed. I used the one on my prior Sony digital camera 100% of the time. It enables me to see even in bright sunlight and to hold the camera more steady when taking a shot. I was hoping that the EVF would be a good compromise. However, since my eyes are no longer perfect, the image through the view finder looks blurry unless I put on my reading glasses. This never happened with the optical view finder. I consider the lack of an optical view finder a minus on this and any other camera offering by any company. In mitigation, the large 3" LCD screen does enable me to see what I am going to shoot most of the time, but I do miss the optical view finder. I put a screen protector on the screen right out of the box, but the colors and view are still excellent.
  
  CON 2: When you install the lens hood and view and shoot, a portion of the view is obscrued by the hood. Since this has been a complaint in earlier cameras in the H series, it is unforgiven that Sony did not correct this flaw.
  
  I can write more later, but since most of the entries here were from those that had never seen or used the camera, I wanted to get my observations in early. I do not regret getting the camera and would recommend it, keeping in mind that "Digital View Finder" and "Optical" view finder are not one and the same, and the usefulness of the lens hood is questionable, although it does look neat when installed. These complaints are all that keep me from giving it a "10."

  Updated
  I have found that the "cons" that I reported were not as bad as I thought. The DVF does have an adjustment on the left side for focus, and it did a good job of getting rid of the "blurry" view. This was "mentioned" briefly in the guide, but easy to miss.
  
  I also rechecked the lens hood and see that if you adjust the telephoto lens to at least 1.4x it allows full view.
  
  If I had bought in a store rather than directly from Sony, these things might have been pointed out to me if I were lucky enough to get a knowledgable salesperson as was done by the guy at Best Buy for me while I was looking for a case to hold the H9 (I bought a Lowepro REZO TLZ 10 which is padded and holds the camera with room for an extra battery).
  
  If I could I would now check my overall opinion to a solid 10.

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  23 out of 26 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Best Ultrazoom on the Market!!!!

  by dentalrep on March 21, 2007

  Pros: 15x zoom, high speed shutter, great imaging processor, LCD with tilt, night shot, face recognition, smaller in size than the H5

  Cons: No longer uses AA batteries but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

  Summary: I have been looking for a camera to replace my H5 and this is the camera. Sony has made some dramatic improvements over last years model and the H9 is ...

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  Summary: I have been looking for a camera to replace my H5 and this is the camera. Sony has made some dramatic improvements over last years model and the H9 is poised to be the camera to beat for 2007.
  
  The increases in light sensitivity and speed in the processor will make this camera stand out. I am also glad that it also has night shot, but it is crippled with no manual controls with it. 9 point AF is a nice addition and the supplied remote is going to be useful.
  
  I have the T100 and I really like the in camera red eye reduction. This feature is just another feather in the cap for the H9.
  
  If you are in the market for an ultrazoom camera you need to give the H9 a serious look.

  Updated
  Now that I have enough time to really test it out I am still very happy with this camera. I would however drop the "10" to a "9". This is based on the fact that when I use the Sports Mode it will often select a slower shutter speed resulting with a blurry picture. The H5 did not have this issue and I am hoping for a firmware in the future to correct this issue.
  
  I also miss the ability to use "AA" batteries. I have to plan a little better on trips and make sure to bring an extra battery and a charger.
  
  The speed of the camera is great and I am very happy with the picture quality. I have used the nightshot function to take a picture of my daughter sleeping and it worked surprisingly well.
  
  This camera is also easier to carry and seems to be quite a bit lighter than the H5. With the H5 I often did not bring it with me because I did not want to carry it. I do not have that problem with the H9.
  
  I tested out the video function at my daughter's 5th grade graduation in a low light situation. I was very pleased with the quality being that I never really thought about using the video function.

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  18 out of 22 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H9/The Big Game Is Even Bigger In HD/NightShot

  by BillNYC on March 8, 2007

  Pros: High Definition/Carl Zeiss 15x optical zoom / 8-megapixel

  Cons: Not on this one!

  Summary: CALL THE SHOTS AND ZOOM AHEAD WITH SONY’S NEW CYBER-SHOT DIGITAL DSC-H9 CAMERA...
  
  "I have been wating almost a year to the date for this one...." - Billy Amato (
  
  ...

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  Summary: CALL THE SHOTS AND ZOOM AHEAD WITH SONY’S NEW CYBER-SHOT DIGITAL DSC-H9 CAMERA...
  
  "I have been wating almost a year to the date for this one...." - Billy Amato (NYC)
  
  Responding to the growing demand for super zoom digital cameras, Sony is introducing its new 8-megapixel DSC-H9 model. Designed to appeal to families with budding athletes in their broods, the cameras debut Sony’s new advanced sports shooting mode.
  
  This mode combines high shutter speed shooting and intelligent continuous auto-focusing. The cameras can quickly focus on fast-moving subjects by predicting where those subjects will be in the frame. This predictive technology also helps to reduce shutter lag, the time it takes for the camera to focus and shoot.
  
  The feature powerful Carl Zeiss 15x optical zoom lenses for up-close shots of big plays on the field. You won’t miss the look of victory in your champion’s face with Sony’s new face detection technology. It can identify up to eight faces in the camera’s LCD frame, and automatically adjust white balance and flash as well as focus and exposure for correctly exposed, sharp photos.
  
  The Big Game Is Even Bigger In High Definition...
  
  Half the fun is playing the game and the other half is re-living the experience by viewing and sharing your photos. Why huddle around the PC to look at pictures when you can impress family and friends with the visual impact of the game in the utmost clarity, color and detail on an HDTV set.
  
  The feature high-definition outputs. Simply connect them to your HDTV with the Sony VMC-MHC1 high-definition component cable, sold separately, and turn photo viewing into an entertainment experience.
  
  Shoot At The Speed of Life...
  
  Even if you’re not at full speed during the soccer match on Saturday morning, the H9 model will be. Can shoot up to 1/4000 of a second, a critical speed for capturing fast-moving sports and freezing the action.
  
  Both cameras are powered by the Bionz processing engine, first used in Sony’s Alpha digital SLR camera system. This new circuitry speeds up response times and delivers the fast image processing speeds needed to produce color-rich, detailed pictures for true high-definition photo viewing.
  
  Capturing fast action does not have to result in blurry photos. The H9 camera incorporate Super Steady Shot optical image stabilization to minimize blur caused by camera shake, an important feature when shooting at slow shutter speeds at full zoom. Their high sensitivity, up to ISO3200, also helps to fight blur resulting from fast-moving subjects.
  
  The H9 camera takes fast-action shooting a step further. It sports a 3-inch, flip-up LCD screen so that you can shoot comfortably from nearly any position. You can hold the camera low to the ground for eye-level shots of kids, without having to contort yourself or crawl on the ground, or hold it high for shots of the crowd.
  
  Capture The Mood...
  
  The H9 camera is the only Cyber-shot model in this year’s line to feature NightShot technology. This feature allows you to take photographs in environments with virtually no light so you won’t miss the action, even at a late night game.
  
  Both cameras’ high sensitivity (up to ISO 3200) will also help preserve the mood of your pictures by capturing well-exposed, natural-looking photos, even in challenging low-light conditions. You can shoot at higher shutter speeds to take in the maximum amount of light without using the flash. Picture noise, common to pictures shot at high ISO levels, is minimized by Sony's Clear RAW noise reduction technology.
  
  The Winning Finish...
  
  The H-series cameras incorporate selectable in-camera editing functions so you can spend more time on the field and less time behind a computer. Equipped with Sony’s Dynamic Range Optimizer, originally developed for the Alpha digital SLR system, the new cameras can analyze captured image data and instantly determine the best exposure and tonality of each picture before JPEG compression.
  
  Other helpful in-camera functions include red-eye correction and photo retouching effects with filters. You can create fun and artistic photos with up to four filter selections, such as the partial color filter that can highlight your star athlete in color while the background of the photo is in black-and-white.
  
  The DSC-H9 camera will ship in April for about $480 and $400, respectively. The VMC-HD1 high-definition component cable will also be available in April for about $40. Additional accessories will include wide and telephoto conversion lenses, filters, batteries, travel chargers, sports packs and cases. All can be purchased online at sonystyle.com, at Sony Style retail stores (www.sonystyle.com/retail), and at authorized dealers nationwide. Pre-orders now! on Sony.com - Billy Amato (NYC)

  Updated
  The Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H9/B is now shipping, a buddy just got his FedEx today. April 26, 2007.

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  16 out of 29 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  Not perfect... BUT

  by fredster1966 on May 25, 2007

  Pros: Great image quality, great zoom, responsive focus

  Cons: 74 MM Thread size

  Summary: I consider myself on the bridge between a basic compact camera, and a full featured D-SLR. This camera does not disappoint, and it fits my needs fine. I have heard ...

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  Summary: I consider myself on the bridge between a basic compact camera, and a full featured D-SLR. This camera does not disappoint, and it fits my needs fine. I have heard criticism regarding the image sensor... not being large enough. Well, if somebody is going to be that technical, they really should be looking into a larger D-SLR. For under 500 dollars, this is a great performer. The macro function delivers crisp and wonderful images. I used the full 15x zoom at a sporting event with a high shutter speed, and the results were tack sharp. The nightshot function is cool, but is quite limited in range. Probably best suited for taking images of your precious little ones sleeping, so they will not be disturbed.
  
  My one complaint is the non-conformed 74mm thread size that Sony has chosen. It forces you to purchase their accessories. One example - the circular polarizing filter. It sells for $109.99 from Sony, where you could buy a 58mm thread size one for about 25 bucks.

  Updated
  I have now captured about 100 images with this camera, and it is a definite keeper. Not one to fit your pocket - but it has all the manual control you'd need, a nice, large LCD.. Battery life is as good as can be expected, but it would not hurt to have an extra on hand - especially on vacations. If you are considering this camera, I highly recommend it.

  Updated
  Sony gives a flower hood with this camera that is supposed to be used to cut glare in bright conditions. The issue is that is you are panned all the way out, the edges of the hood are visible in corners of the image. I cannot believe that Sony let that slip by. If you zoom a little, you are fine. This has caused by overall number to slip to an 8 out of a possible 10. Still, overall - the pros by far outweigh the cons.

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  7 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  A lot of camera for the $$$

  by racevw14 on April 30, 2007

  Pros: 3" tilt screen

  Cons: Plastic case

  Summary: I was walking thru Best Buy today & saw the H9 on the shelf & picked up the only one they had (besides the display)
  
  Went home & charged the
  
  ...

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  Summary: I was walking thru Best Buy today & saw the H9 on the shelf & picked up the only one they had (besides the display)
  
  Went home & charged the batt & started playing!
  It's easy to jump right in to using the camera without using the manual (but I will read it tonight)
  
  the 3" tilt screen is great, big screen makes it easy to see & the tilt is nice, you don't have to lay on the ground to take a low shot.
  
  I wasn't thrilled with the plastic case, sure it makes it light but it's also fragile,I would have prefered an aluminum case.
  As a result I spent an extra $99 for a 4 year insurance policy, if anything happens to it other than being immersed in water I'll get a free one, in the places I take pics I'm betting the insurance policy will get used!!
  
  While most of the pics I take will be in auto mode I do like that I can go full manual.
  
  I've only had it a day but it's a big jump from the DSC-S75 it's replacing.
  
  I can't wait to get using it & since I start a month vacation in 2 days I got it just in time!
  
  My only disapointment so far is the Memory stick, Best buy doesn't carry the high speed Pro Duo & Sony Style has them on backorder so I'll be using a standard 2G card for now

  Updated
  Well I've had some time to play with it & I can say it is a nice camera, it's so easy to use I just ordered it's little brother (DSC-H7) for my mom for Mothers day.
  
  I really like the single button to go from burst mode ot single shot.
  I do a lot of picture taking at race tracks & burst is a must but some times like walking in the pits you just want a single shot, it's nice you don't have to dig around the menu to change it.
  
  While burst is fairly fast on the internal memory & with a standard 1G memory stick I just ordered the High speed memory stick so it should be even faster.
  
  If you just want to point & shoot or get fancy with your pics & don't need the replaceable lenses of a SLR then the H9 is a camera you need to consider!

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  6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  Very Good Camera

  by Kevin Trinh on May 9, 2007

  Pros: Shutter Speed, Iso, Zoom, LCD, Remote

  Cons: Battery, Lens hood, Adaptor Ring, Flash, Wheel, Sensor.

  Summary: I owned the H2 a year ago and I love it but I want to change to another "girl friend" so I choose H9. I received the H9 4 days ...

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  Summary: I owned the H2 a year ago and I love it but I want to change to another "girl friend" so I choose H9. I received the H9 4 days ago and tried to work with it. Now I have time to write my opinion about this H9. In this post I will compare H9 with my old H2.
  
  Good:
  Great to Sony when they upgraded the faster Zoom for H9 to 15x better than 12x of H2, the SS (Steady Shot) works very well. I bought the Sony telelens convert for my H2; it's great, however it's very hard to aim to the object. With 15x the SS can handle as good as 12x of H2, but I will not buy the Telelens for my H9 (I'm afraid SS cannot handle for more than 20x).
  
  Yeah shutter speed is higher, good point.
  Iso is also higher but the only thing I like is at Iso 400 H9 showed less noise than H2 then Iso 800 and more are useless, too much noise.
  
  Face detection: good new interested thing but only detect with the Portrait mode and with the whole face.
  
  Start up time is much faster than H2: with H2 it takes nearly 2 seconds but with H9, 1 second for sure.
  
  Continuous shot is much much faster than H2: with 8mpx resolution, I take the continuous shot and there are 3 pictures in 2 second (that what I calculated).
  
  Big LCD: yeah I love it, much much better than my old friend H2, but still have problem. It's difficult to use EVF with a thick LCD.
  Night shot: yeah I love it even the pictures are very noise.
  
  HD 1080: I don't really care.
  
  9 points focus: good, easier to aim the objects.
  
  DRO: I haven't test yet, may be the next post.
  
  In camera retouching: not important for me.
  
  Big improve from H2, the remote control, but hey why can't I control the camera when I stay behind it.
  
  Lens cap: easy to remove, not my user but by the lens itself. My old H2 without the adaptor ring, when I place the lens cap to protect the lens and then turn on the camera; it will ask me to remove the cap. But with H9, the lens will automatic remove the cap when you turn on the camera.
  
  Bad:
  The menu is stupid (for me): not ease to use like the old H2 even it looks nicer. Without directly delete button, it will take 2 more steps to delete the images but luckily we can select multi images to delete.
  
  Sony said: 280 shots for battery but not really, it's just 180 shots (without flash), so I bought 2 more batteries. H2 AA battery is better, more than 200 shots. Also AA battery is cheaper, much cheaper.
  
  Adaptor ring is .....huge: then shot with flash will have the shadow, I have to remove it to use flash which with H2 is not necessary.
  
  Still 1/2.5 CCD sensor, why not 1/1.8??? Why Sony, the V3 with 7.2mpx 2 years ago got it why not with 8mpx H9?
  
  The wheel (not the dial): I'm not sure if someone feels it but how do you change the setting (Iso, Shutter Speed, Focus...) when you use EVF with the wheel right next to your cheek. With H2, it is easy with the forefinger.
  
  The flower lens hood: huge and cover half of your view. Sony what have you done with the hood??? without the lens hood, direct sun light will make your picture silly, but with it you must zoom about 3x than normal to avoid the blocking view. Night shot also doesn't work with lens hood and adaptor ring.
  
  1 thing I's just wonder: how can we use the filter and convert lense with this camera when the internal lens can sometimes stretch very long when we use zoom? It's because the place to install the filter/lens is very near the lens when it use 1x zoom.
  
  Conclusion:
  So, normaly I attach the adaptor ring to prevent the damage to the lens when carrying and store the lens hood. Remove the hood&ring when take night shot or shot with flash. Buy 2 more batteries for the camera, also the quick charger. Try to get use to work with the wheel and EVF(I hope to). Using remote control in front or 90* from camera, iso 400 is enough; not more. Emailing to Sony to ask for lens hood solution, I hope you who's got H9 will do so and wait for answer. I hope Sony will change the lens hood and have the exchange program or I will through it away.
  
  Yes, I voted it 9; it because I see that all the improvements are worthy, lens, Iso, Speed, LCD, remote.... and other bad things are not so important. It's worth my money for a very good camera, now I'm just wait for the compare between H9 and other brand camera. Canon also announces S5IS but still with 12x zoom.

  Updated
  I have test the DRO contrast, it works good. With low level of contrast, the image showed quite bright even object's color is black. With high level, image is darker and we cannot see the detail of black object. With DRO the image quite bright but the black objact's detail is showed very good contrast (I took image indoor and at night with flash). Compare with H2, i'm a little bit confuse; H9's image is just a little better than H2 in contrast; I don't know if it could make more difference in another condition.
  
  The image quality is good, i'm not professional in checking image quality but compare with H2 it's nearly the same. However, H9's image showed brighter than H2. H2's images are darker and turn to warm color (red or pink), H9 also turn to warm color but less than H2.
  
  I read the opinion of Homer Scarborough about Lens hood then I checked it and yes, with 1.5x zoom you can shot without afraid of blocking view by lens hood.
  
  Today I came to a camera shop to ask for a filter and I had a very disappointed answer. In market there is only Sony provide the filter with 74mm diameter for H9 and it only will available at middle of June. So disappointed, I had bought for my old H2 a 3nd brand filter (58mm B&W) but now cannot with H9. Sony accessories are always more expensive than 3nd brand about 40-60$.

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  5 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  Everything I had hoped for.

  by IngrahamS on May 19, 2007

  Pros: Excellent zoom, wider than average. Large tilting LCD. Good control layout. Image quality.

  Cons: Program control knob moves too easily.

  Summary: I preordered directly from Sony and received mine on May 4th, a full week before the anticipated delivery date. I've taken about 700 images with it so far. The ...

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  Summary: I preordered directly from Sony and received mine on May 4th, a full week before the anticipated delivery date. I've taken about 700 images with it so far. The long zoom is excellent. Nice wide end with minimal distortions, and acceptably sharp long end...certainly sharp enough for scenics and people. Birds (small birds like warblers, one reason I bought the camera) challenge the H9s capabilities. The continuous shooting mode and image stabilization make even warblers possible though. The best shots (good light, cooperative bird) just about equal my digiscoped shots for resolution and feather detail, and certainly equal on color and exposure.
  
  For the most part I like the layout of button controls and menus. Most program over-rides are logically placed and accessible when you need them. The HOME menu idea is interesting, but really just duplicates the regular menus in functionality.
  
  The pivoting, very large, very bright LCD is a joy.
  
  Macro mode produces stunning results.
  
  Battery life is acceptable.
  
  Overall, I'd recommend this camera to anyone wanting a wider than normal zoom, but, at the same time, one with enough range for distant shots as well, all in a relatively compact camera. The image quality, typical of my experience of Sony cameras, won't disappoint you.

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  4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  Extra features made this a worthwhile upgrade

  by Arnold Victor on July 2, 2007

  Pros: Large, tilting screen which enables overhead & low shooting; Image Stabilized 15X zoom with just enough extra at both the wide & tele ends; right size & weight makes it easy to hold;

  Cons: Relatively short battery life; takes a while to get used to the wheel dial to change camera settings; needs a deeper eyecup

  Summary: Convenient metering & bracketing buttons; reasonably fast, responsive & accurate; shutter speed up to 1/4000; powerful flash; photos need very little post processing. After some 2500 shots I remain ...

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  Summary: Convenient metering & bracketing buttons; reasonably fast, responsive & accurate; shutter speed up to 1/4000; powerful flash; photos need very little post processing. After some 2500 shots I remain very satisfied with this purchase and the results.

  Updated
  After another 2 1/2 months of use, and thousands more pictures taken under all kinds of conditions, I'm even more impressed with what the camera can do, and with the results. The image quality is good and I still find that very little post-processing is needed. There's not much more the average user like myself would require in a long zoom camera than what the Sony H9 offers. And no extra lenses to carry & change, no dust to worry about on the sensor.

  Updated
  Regarding low light pictures: in very low light (indoors or outdoors) expect some noise and loss of detail [ISO 400 & above]. But that would be true of just about every non-dSLR bridge camera in this class. Using the flash (remember to adjust white balance) and/or tripod gives quite decent results.

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  3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  Very pleased with the H9

  by RUNFAR on September 1, 2007

  Pros: Easy to use! Better pictures! Amazing zoom!

  Cons: had to actually read the manual.

  Summary: I needed an upgrade from the DSC-P72.
  Not quite ready for an SLR. The Sony H9/B is easy to use and although there are more options to learn about
  ...

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  Summary: I needed an upgrade from the DSC-P72.
  Not quite ready for an SLR. The Sony H9/B is easy to use and although there are more options to learn about compared to your standard "point and shoot", its been alot of fun to use.
  Im very pleased with this purchase and the price was woth it.

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  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Best Camera I've ever bought!

  by mjsinclr on July 14, 2007

  Pros: Ease of use, quality of pictures, easy to pack size

  Cons: wish the battery lasted longer between charges, have to buy add'l memory from Sony only

  Summary: I bought this camera two days before I left for my first ever cruise - to Alaska. I took over 600 photos in a week and I have very little ...

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  Summary: I bought this camera two days before I left for my first ever cruise - to Alaska. I took over 600 photos in a week and I have very little experience taking pictures. When I got home there were only three that were not perfect and in each case it was me, not the camera.
  
  I took closeups of people, plants and animals, used the 15x telefoto and also used the portrait, landscape and sports settings. Fantastic - best camera I've ever seen and point and shoot is all I had to do!! I love it!

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  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

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