Sum and Substance:

Thumbs Up:

Lightweight and compact design, excellent value for money, quality of photos is really good.

Thumbs Down:

Shooting performance is slow

The Whiz Kid Speaks:

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55 is 4.1 inches wide, 1.1 inches deep, 2.2 inches high and weighs 6 oz. The camera has a 14.1 megapixel resolution. The light sensitivity options include ISO 200, ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 400, ISO 3200, ISO 800, ISO auto, ISO 1600. The camera has 2x digital zoom. Shooting programs include Pet, Gourmet, Snow, Beach, Landscape, Fireworks, Sports mode, Soft snap , , Twilight mode, Twilight portrait, High sensitivity.

Maximum shutter speed is 2 seconds, exposure metering modes include Center-weighted, Multi-segment and Spot. Exposure Modes include Manual, Automatic, and Program.

Exposure Compensation is ±2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps, For White Balance there is Custom, Automatic, and Presets. White Balance Presets include Fluorescent light (warm white), Flash , Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent light (daylight), Incandescent, Fluorescent light (cool white). Video Format is MPEG-4, images are stored in JPEG format. Video Capture options are MPEG-4 – 640 x 480 and MPEG-4 – 1280 x 720. Storage/Memory – Supported Flash Memory includes SD Memory Card, Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick Duo. The camera has 45 MB internal memory. Image Storage – JPEG 4320 x 2432 , JPEG 4320 x 3240, JPEG 3648 x 2736, JPEG 1920 x 1080, JPEG 2592 x 1944, JPEG 640 x 480. Built-in flash – Auto mode, Flash Modes, Fill-in mode, Flash OFF mode, Slow synchro, Red-eye reduction. Effective Flash Range is 10 inches – 27 feet. The camera has Zoom lens – 4.25 mm – 42.5 mm – F/3.5-5.5, Focal Length is 4.25 mm – 42.5 mm, Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera – 25 – 250 mm, Focus Adjustment is Automatic, Min Focus Range is 2 inches, Macro Focus Range is 5cm, Lens Aperture is F/3.5-5.5. The camera has 10x optical zoom, Additional Features include DPOF support, Face detection, Direct print, Built-in speaker, Histogram display, Cropping an image, Sharpness control, PRINT Image Matching, PictBridge support , YouTube capture mode, Digital image rotation, USB 2.0 compatibility, 720p HD movie recording, Dynamic Range Optimizer, Digital noise reduction, Dual image stabilization, Sweep Panorama technology, In-camera red-eye removal, Blink Detection technology, Motion Detection Technology, Self Portrait Auto Shutter, Camera orientation detection, Intelligent Scene Recognition (iSCN), Smile Detection Auto Shutter, Automatic display brightness adjustment

The camera has 3 inches TFT LCD screen with 230,000 pixels. Connectors include USB, Composite video/audio output, Component video output. Expansion Slot(s) include – SD Memory Card and Memory Stick PRO Duo. The camera comes bundled with carrying strap, carrying case, USB and A/V cables. The camera runs on Sony NP-BG1, 960 mAh battery. The manufacturer gives a one year warranty.

Razzle Dazzle:

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55 has the traditional camera looks, it is clad in simple silver (or black) box along with cylindrical grip on the right where your park your fingers. The body is lightweight and compact which is really good considering the camera wide angle lens and long zoom. It seems the battery pack and lens are the major contributers to the weight of this camera. Sony uses its G lens here which was previously reserved for only its dSLR, step up HD camcorders and some cyber shots. The design is nice but it is nothing spectacular.

Inside Dope:

We initially thought the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55 was a step down model of the more expensive HX5v. Both have the same lens, body and display but other than that, there no other similarities. Sony has dropped the H55′s recommended retail price by $100 and you can get on for even less than that on the streets. The camera does have a few shortcomings but they are forgivable for this price point. The biggest issue here is the shooting performance which is a bit slow, slower than even the HX5V. But if you are OK with the slow speed, this is a good mega-zoom camera.

We got hang of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55′s controls really fast. On the top, you have shooting mode dial, zoom ring, shutter release and power button. The latter is flush with the body and hence you will have to look at it while pressing. We would recommend you to be a bit careful with this, or else you might cover the flash bulb with your fingers.

On the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55′s back, you have a three inch screen which has good brightness level but as usual, it struggles in bright sunlight. The controls are located on the screen’s right. You have Playback button, directional pad with select function button in the center, delete and menu button. Apart from the navigating menus, you can use the directional pad buttosn for turning the device’s time activated shutter release and smile options, change the flash settings, LCD brightness and also the information on it. The icons are all printed on the pad and hence it is a bit difficult to see in low light conditions. Unlike the HX5V there is no dedicated button for movie recording to you will have to change the shooting modes.

Menu button of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55 is used to access the settings except for the shooting modes which are handled by a dial. When you press the Menu button, you will have settings which are shooting mode specific. They turn up on the left side. The camera also warns you about certain settings. For instance, when we set the camera to spot meter light, we got a warning that Face Detection would be deactivated. This is an uncommon feature of this camera and will newbies will find it quite handy.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55, just like all 2010 Sony Cybershots have slots for both SD/SDHC cards and Memory Stick Pro Duo cards. Both these cards are to be put in a single slot and it is located close to the battery compartment. You cannot charge the battery inside the camera. Also remember that camera’s battery compartment door doesn’t close securely; it is a bit loose. So be wary of this if you are keeping the device in a loose bag. Next to the battery door, you have AV/USB cable port. You can also buy a component cable separately.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55 has optical image stabilization and along with that, you have the Active option which suppresses the shake if you are moving while clicking. Like if you want to shoot your kid who is playing soccer. We tested this feature and found it to be quite useful.

Lower end megazoom cameras are meant for people who rely on auto mode only. But the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55 has nice automatic and manual shooting modes. The Program Auto mode lets you adjust white balance, ISO, autofocus points, exposure values, light metering and you can also control the Dynamic Range Optimization for the shadow detail. If you want to use the Intelligent Auto scene recognition mode, we will tell you that it is quite reliable and you don’t have to make any adjustments but you can still play around with the face detection and exposure. Easy mode locks all these options and all you get to choose is the size of the image – small or large.

Nitty Gritty:

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55 takes excellent photos but the speed is a bit slow.

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