Features
Handling
Performance
Verdict
Specification
The Sony Cyber-shot H200 is an entry level bridge camera with DSLR styling from Sony featuring a 26x optical zoom lens, 20.1 megapixel Super HAD CCD sensor, HD 720p video recording, 3inch screen, manual controls, and takes 4x AA batteries.
Sony Cyber-shot H200 Features
The H200 features an ultra wide-angle 26x optical zoom lens, equivalent to 22.3mm - 580mm. The camera features optical image stabilisation, which is also is active when using the 720p video mode, coming into its own when using optical zoom while recording video.
Manual mode lets you set the aperture, shutter and ISO speed manually. Intelligent Auto and intelligent Auto + will automatically select the best mode for the scene, including automatically detecting scenes with high contrast, and will use the Backlight / HDR mode if needed. Panoramic sweep mode will create panoramic photos as you pan the camera from side to the other.
Key Features
- 20.1 megapixel CCD sensor
- 26x optical zoom lens, 22.3mm - 580mm equivalent
- Optical image stabilisation
- 3inch screen, 460k dots
- Manual mode
- 720p, 30fps video
- ISO80 - ISO3200
- Sweep panorama mode
- Intelligent Auto, Beauty Effect, Advanced Flash
- Backlight HDR mode in Auto mode
Sony Cyber-shot H200 Handling
Handling - There is a large textured handgrip, with a textured area for your thumb on the back making it easy to hold the camera. Despite the plastic construction the camera feels well built with a metal tripod socket underneath. The top features the manual pop up flash, which is opened with a button on the side. Underneath is a large flap for 4 AA batteries as well as SD or Sony Memory Stick.
Menus options are easy to navigate with a set of common photo options appearing when you press the menu button with an overlay shown on screen, letting you continue to see what you are photographing. Scroll to the bottom of this and you can enter the full setup menus. The 3inch screen is clear with a 460k dot resolution.
Battery life - Battery life is rated at 350 shots according to Sony / CIPA test results using 4 x AA Alkaline batteries, providing a decent amount of battery life, as well as the convenience of being able to easily replace the batteries.
Speed - We took a number of shots to test the camera's responsiveness, from switch on to first photo, shot to shot, focusing speed etc. We take a number of shots and then use the average to ensure accurate and consistent tests, making it easy to compare with other cameras.
| Sony Cyber-shot H200 | |
| Shutter Response | 0.15s |
| Wide - Focus / Shutter Response | 0.6s |
| Full zoom - Focus / Shutter Response | 0.75s |
| Switch on Time to Taking a Photo | 3.1s |
| Shot to Shot without Flash | 1.9s |
| Shot to Shot with Flash | 2.4s |
| Continuous Shooting - JPEG (shots before slow down) |
1.2s |
| Continuous Shooting - Flash | N/A |
Focus speeds were slower than we would have hoped for, and the shutter response was also quite slow. When using the camera, the menus and buttons on the camera can feel slow to respond at times.
Sony Cyber-shot H200 Performance
Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.
Sony Cyber-shot H200 Sample Photos
Sony Cyber-shot H200 Lens test images
Purple fringing is generally low, except at the telephoto end where it is more noticeable, and chromatic aberration is also visible. Vignetting is visible on wide-angle shots with some barrel distortion at the wide end, as well as some pincushion distortion at the telephoto end of the lens, although for the most part this isn't too worrying. The camera can struggle with over-exposed skies, and use of exposure compensation can help here, or alternatively in the intelligent auto mode the camera will automatically switch to a backlight / HDR mode if it feels it is necessary.
Sony Cyber-shot H200 ISO test images
Sony Cyber-shot H200 White-balance test images
Panoramic | 1/640 sec | f/9.7 | 4.0 mm | ISO 200
Panorama mode - The camera features a panoramic sweep mode where you simply press the shutter release button and pan the camera from one side to the other, and stitching is good, however detail is quite low, but should be fine for sharing on the web.
Sony Cyber-shot H200 Digital filters
Video - The camera records video at 720p, and optical zoom can be used while recording. Optical image stabilisation is extremely effective when using the full optical zoom, as this handheld video demonstrates.
Value For Money
The Sony Cyber-shot H200 is available for around £149 - £169 which makes it reasonable value for money, but it is up against an increasingly competitive and price conscious market, with alternative budget ultra zoom cameras below:
Panasonic Lumix LZ20, 21x lens, 25-525mm equivalent, £99
GE X600, 26x lens, 26-676mm equivalent, EVF, £118
Kodak PixPro AZ251, 25x lens, 24-600mm equivalent, £119
Fujifilm FinePix S4800, 30x lens, 24-720mm equivalent, £139
Nikon Coolpix L320, 26x lens, 22.5-585mm equivalent, £148
Panasonic Lumix LZ30, 35x lens, 25mm - 875mm equivalent, £158
Pentax X-5, 26x lens, 22.3-580mm equivalent, EVF, Tilting screen, £165
You'll also need to buy a memory card and a case or bag to keep your camera safe and protected - have a look at our complete guide to camera bags.
Sony Cyber-shot H200 Verdict
Seemingly any advantage of using a 20 megapixel CCD sensor has been obliterated by the amount of noise shown in all images. In fact, it's difficult to see any additional detail in images from this camera than a good 16 megapixel camera, and in fact, a 12 megapixel mirrorless camera can shoot a similarly detailed shot, but with much less noise. While these cameras are not directly comparable as such, featuring different zoom and price points, it's to show that the megapixel race when used in compact cameras with small sensors sometimes gives us little real gain in image quality, instead simply delivering larger, noisier files.
With many other models available for less, or with additional zoom or features, it's difficult to recommend the Sony Cyber-shot H200, however it does look quite good, as well as having good colour reproduction. If you would like a wider than normal lens, are patient, shoot in bright conditions (sticking to lower ISO settings), and are familiar with setting exposure compensation, then you might like the H200, but in all honesty you'd be better off looking at one of the other cameras listed above.