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Compared to the most obvious competitors - the Canon S3 IS and Panasonic DMC-FZ7 - the Sony H5 scores highly in handling, features, overall image quality and ease of use, and only really falls short in a couple of areas..."

Focusing performance was very good on the H5. Typically it took between 0.2 and 0.4 seconds to lock focus, and longer at the telephoto end of the lens. While it won't win any awards for speed, the DSC-H5 focused reliably every time in low light.

Even with a few flaws, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 is still one of the best ultra zoom cameras on the market. It offers a high resolution sensor (with low noise levels through ISO 400), a 12X zoom lens, optical image stabilization, and an enormous 3-inch LCD display. Downsides are few, and they include above average purple fringing and a so-so continuous shooting mode."

With so many features packed in a light camera body, the Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 has tremendous consumer appeal. Its 7 megapixels sensor, stabilized 12X optical zoom, 3" LCD and highly saturated colors are designed to impress people looking for a more-is-better type of camera. The H5 has enough resolution for common print sizes and even midsize ones (10"x13") under ideal conditions..."

The Sony H5 provides more manual exposure control than many other long zoom digital cameras, yet is easy to use in full-auto mode, and its seven pre-programmed scene modes help with tricky subjects. The design and layout of the H5 is very user-friendly, and the camera boasts accurate EVF and LCD displays."

On most points the Powershot S3 leaves the Sony H5 behind, but the latter has a very appealing LCD and resolution and image quality (besides the CA) are better. The colors of the H5 are somewhat more natural and the visible noise is less at higher ISO's. Both cameras can make breathtaking macros and very nice movies. The cameras are each others equals and won't disappoint its usersegment: all-round (travel) photography."

The Canon PowerShot S3 IS, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7, and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 are closely matched in terms of image quality and performance. Their lenses have identical focal length ranges and very similar apertures. Their dimensions are close, and they are equally portable. For their target market, snapshooters who want some extra capabilities, all of the cameras are acceptable. However, there are clearly areas where each excels. While a clear winner is tough to distinguish, the cameras do differ substantially, with each offering advantages in certain types of situations."

At the wide end of the zoom, the Carl Zeiss optics of the H5 are effectively free of distortion, and only photos of subjects a short distance away from the lens show any trace of barrel distortion, while at the telephoto end of the zoom, the image is consistently distortion-free.

Interestingly, when it comes to chromatic aberration - purple fringing - the H5, with its 7.2-megapixel CCD, seems to be less sensitive than the H2 and its 6-megapixel CCD. Although it should be pointed out that the phenomenon is light with the H2."

he Sony H5 is not without flaws though. All of its goodness comes at a price – and the $499 retail isn’t the worst of it. The large LCD screen and excellent stabilization system are great, but they suck the AA batteries dry too quickly. If users want to actually employ the functional manual mode and all of the camera’s settings and features, they’ll need bags full of batteries just to get through a day of shooting."

In my view, the H5 doesn't quite live up to its compelling design. Namely, I found some significant shutter lag as well as some fringing which keeps this shooter from getting a higher rating..."