Retail Rumble | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 VERSUS Canon PowerShot S5 IS
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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 vs. Canon PowerShot S5 IS
Digital cameras might have been here awhile but the competition seems to have just started to heat up especially in the face of the unprecedented number of new photography enthusiasts cropping up all over the world. This week’s retail rumble finds us with two digital camera giants battling it out in the megazoom camera division. Let’s meet our contenders.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9: In one corner stands the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 – weighing 14.4 oz – with a 15x optical and a 2x digital zoom capability, an 8.1 megapixel resolution, a super HAD CCD optical sensor, a patented image stabilizer technology and a host of other features guaranteed to deliver crisp and outstanding images.
Canon PowerShot S5 IS: In the opposite corner stands a veteran of the digital camera wars – the Canon PowerShot S5 IS. Weighing more than the Sony contender at15.9 oz, it boasts an 8 megapixel resolution, a CCD optical sensor, 4x digital zoom, and 12x optical zoom. Along with its formidable set of features, the Canon contender is a close match to the Sony fighter.
The moment of truth has come. Let’s all proceed to the ring to enjoy the action that we’ve all been waiting for!
Round One: Features
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC H9 opens the round with a burst of energy, swinging against Canon PowerShot S5 IS by using its relatively wide angle and a host of automatic as well as manual features. Sony Cyber-shot lets loose a powerful series of punches using its automatic, semi-manual and manual exposure options as well as its high-ISO scene modes like fireworks, twilight, landscape, portrait, flash modes (such as Forced, SloSync, Second curtain Sync and Red-eye reduction, etc). Some newer options in this camera like the Advanced Sports Shooting, Nightshot infrared mode and Face Detection technology also does the PowerShot considerable damage.
Of course, the large, flip-up, TFT active matrix LCD screen that measures 3 inches, the 2x digital and 15x optical zoom capability, the HDTV output, the infrared remote control supplied with the package, and the optical stabilization function as well as Sony’s Super Steady Shot feature are a whopping combination of punches against the Canon PowerShot S5 IS. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC H9, however, slipped at one point. It lacks a hotshoe option, small EVF and manual control over the face detection feature.
Canon PowerShot S5 IS: Like its Sony counterpart, the Canon PowerShot S5 IS also has a lot of tricks under its belt. It has a ton of features both automatic and manual. Its 12x optical zoom might not be at par with that of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC H9’s 15x optical zoom, but its 4x digital zoom coupled with its 8 megapixel resolution more than makes up for it. Although sporting a smaller LCD screen at 2.5 inches, this camera boasts of the signature flip and twist LCD display which proves invaluable when making tight shots.
Like the Sony Cyber-shot, this Canon PowerShot camera also boasts image stabilization technology as well a Face Detection feature. Unlike the Sony Digital Camera, the Canon PowerShot S5 IS has a hotshoe terminal for an additional external flash.
This Canon PowerShot’s hotshoe terminal as well as its swivel LCD screen might come in handy sometimes, but it was still not enough to resist Sony Cyber-shot’s Super Steady Shot feature, its 15x optical zoom, bigger LCD screen as well as its infrared remote control.
*** WINNER OF ROUND ONE: FEATURES – Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 – The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 has more advanced features. ***
Round Two: Image Quality
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9: This digital camera contender slows down slightly in the second round. Reviews of the DSC H9 show that this unit works best in outdoor settings especially during daytime. The center point focus, fast continuous shooting, automatic white balance, EVF and stabilization technology incorporated into this digital camera all work together so that pictures look very good, with bright and vibrant colors especially for sensitivity settings lower than ISO 200 and lower.
The DSC-H9 from Sony, however, starts to waver a bit. It has a tendency to display some edge discoloration on the sides of the photos, lens aberrations and vigneting, as well as purple fringing on high contrast edges. The pictures taken by a DSC-H9 between ISO 200 and ISO 400 have detail loss and artifacts issues although specifications indicate support for a max of ISO 3200.
Movie capture (VGA MPEG) of this digital camera, however, is at 30 fps and 1.3MB/sec. This enables longer recordings at a slightly less movie quality. The tiny microphone records a somewhat muted sound is another weakness of this camera when it comes to recording movies.
Canon PowerShot S5 IS: As with the Sony Cyber-shot contender, this Canon PowerShot also apparently has some problems regarding lens aberrations, vigneting and some processing artifacts. Going above ISO 400 for this camera means losing tonal range and detail. Moreover, increasing resolutions for this digital camera also increases asymmetrical distortions as well as aberration through cyan and magenta fringing in high-contrast as well as medium-contrast boundaries. Although white contrast is generally excellent, the colors of the images border on being oversaturated and the pictures look over-processed.
The PowerShot’s VGA motion JPEG movie capture running at 30 fps and 2MB per-second is said to be among the best when it comes to tradeoff between size and quality. It is said to work best for limited centralized motion scenes and shows a tendency to show compression artifacts and increased motion when used to record scenes with lots of motion.
Image quality wise, the Cyber-shot’s slight edge in resolution as well as image processing technology gives it an edge over the PowerShot when it comes to digital photo quality. However, the PowerShot is better when it comes to recording movies given its better video recording capability as well as the Cyber-shot’s lack of quality microphone for audio recording.
*** WINNER OF ROUND TWO: IMAGE QUALITY – Tie; the Sony Cyber-shot DSC H9 digital camera is better in digital photo quality but the Canon PowerShot S5 IS is better at video recording. ***
Round Three: Ease of Use
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9: The main advantage of the Sony Cyber-shot is its proprietary lithium ion battery which it uses instead of standard double-A batteries. Couple this with Sony’s easy-to-use interface (aside from the 4-way navigation buttons, Sony has incorporated a scroll wheel as well as a home and menu button) and you got yourself a user-friendly camera that’s easy to use and get used to. Shooting speed wise, you’ll find that this Sony digital camera performs well in all aspects, namely: typical shot-to-shot time (1.4 seconds), time-to-first shot (2.1 seconds), shutter lag when dim (1.3 seconds), and lastly its typical shutter lag (0.6 seconds).
This Sony Cyber-shot got low battle points for its plastic body. It slips again because of its less-than-ideal grip which could benefit from a more rubbery texture and a better contour. The home button is also a bit confusing for some users.
Canon PowerShot S5 IS: The Canon PowerShot, on the other hand, scores one over the Sony Cyber-shot through its comfortable grip as well as easy-to-use interface (particularly the dedicated button for capturing videos), the audio recording features and options like stereo recording and wind filter. It also has a manual option for its face detection feature, letting users select up to three faces at one time. As with its Cyber-shot contender, the Canon PowerShot also exhibits good shooting speeds; specifically, 1.6 seconds for typical shot-to-shot time, 1.3 seconds for time-to-first shot, 0.8 seconds for dim shutter lag, 0.5 seconds for typical shutter lag, and 1.6 seconds for typical continuous shooting speed.
The Sony Cyber-shot contender, however, found the Canon PowerShot’s weak point: the PowerShot’s redesigned lens cap which pops a bit too easily. The manual face detection feature can also be a bit too confusing for some.
Clearly, the Canon PowerShot has a slight lead when it comes to shooting speeds as well as audio options, but the Sony Cyber-shot has a very clear – and more important – advantage when it comes to its lithium ion battery as well as navigation controls.
*** WINNER OF ROUND THREE: EASE OF USE – Sony Cyber-shot DSC H9 – The Sony Cyber-shot DSC H9 digital camera is easier to use, overall, than the Canon PowerShot S5 IS due to its long-lasting battery and easier-to-use navigation controls. ***
WINNER OF THE RETAIL RUMBLE BY A MAJORITY DECISION …
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9!
| Overall Customer Rating | No Ratings |
| Value | No Ratings |
| Ease Of Use/Setup | No Ratings |
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I’ve read the other reviews and I agree that it takes some work and experience to understand the settings. Someone needs to produce a “Missing Manual” for this camera. Sony is no help with either information on product use or product knowledge. Their customer servivce was clearly trained on a Kodak box camera. But what is most important? Having someone else do your homework or getting great pictures?
I have used manual SLR’s; point and shoot digitial and film type; Kodak, Cannon, Minolta, Nikon, and Sony. This ca,era takes the best pictures I have ever taken. My skills have not improved with age, if anything the reverse is true. But shaky hands, poor eyesight, impatience all seem to be taken into consideration with this camera. Having worked as a photographer before the advent of the digital camera, I can tell you this is the best thing that ever happened to photography. And let’s face it. Aren’t most of you going to download your pictures and use photo software to improve them? You’ll get much farther with this wonderful camera.
For the price this is a wonderful value. Buy it, shoot it, and enjoy yourself!