Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H300/B (Digital Still Camera)

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H300/B (Digital Still Camera), Advanced yet user-friendly features make it easy to obtain professional-looking results from day one with the Cyber-shot H300 camera. Snap incredible close-ups thanks to the 35x optical zoom perfect for sports, wildlife and travel photos. The 20.1MP sensor delivers beautifully-detailed photos that make for gorgeous enlargements, while in-camera stabilization offers crisp quality and blur-free HD video1. Plus, stay powered on the go with the convenience of available-anywhere AA batteries. With a 20.1MP Super HAD CCD image sensor, capture high-resolution images with superb contrast and clarity down to the finest detail. More pixels means you can enlarge, zoom in and crop your photos without losing detail. Featuring 26x optical zoom, you can get close to distant subjects without moving an inch. It's perfect for travel photography, candid shots of your kids, sporting events and more. Sometimes, snapping a photo just doesn't do it justice. The Cyber-shot H200 lets you shoot gorgeous HD 720p videos so you can relive the moment in glorious high definition (records in 29-minute segments). In 720p MP4 movie mode, you can record 1280 x 720 HD movies at 30 fps for high-quality clips perfect for viewing and editing on your Mac or PC, or uploading to sites like Facebook and YouTube (internet-connected computer required). AA battery power provides the ultimate in on-the-go convenience. Since AA batteries are sold in countless stores around the world-including gift shops at theme parks and natural wonders-you can rest assured you won't miss a special moment due to a dead battery. 

* Sony 32GB Secure Digital Memory Card 

* Carrying Case 

*Focus Universal Memory Card Reader 

* Mini Charger for AA Batteries w/ Charger 

* Focus Optics Lens Cleaning Kit 

* Focus Memory Card Wallet 

* Focus LCD Screen Protectors 

* Focus Cleaning Cloth 

*Focus Deluxe table Tripod

The Sony H300 is based around a Super HAD-branded, 20.1-megapixel, 1/2.3-inch type CCD image sensor. Compared to the more commonplace CMOS chips, CCD sensors save a little on cost, but they're typically much slower.

That's borne out by the H300's very modest full-resolution burst capture rate of just 0.8 frames per second, although the depth of 100 frames means that, at least, you shouldn't often be troubled by an even slower rate due to the buffer filling. Sensitivity ranges to as high as ISO 3,200 equivalent.

In front of the imager is a Sony-branded, 35x zoom optic with a generous 25mm-equivalent wide angle and a powerful 875mm-equivalent telephoto. Maximum aperture varies from f/3.0 at wide angle to f/5.9 at telephoto.

As you'd expect, Sony has included Optical SteadyShot image stabilization in the H300, and it features a new Intelligent Active mode that's said to stabilize movies even better than the Active mode of past models. (And we were already pretty impressed by the latter, which turned in usable results even when shooting while walking.)

The H300's contrast-detection autofocus system offers up multi-point, center, and spot AF modes, and includes both tracking and face tracking functions. There's also an AF illuminator to help get sharp shots of nearby subjects in low light.

Although it has an SLR-like design, the Sony H300 lacks any form of viewfinder, providing only an LCD monitor. It's based around a 3.0-inch Clear Photo LCD panel with ~460,000 dot resolution or ~480 x 320 pixels, with each pixel comprised of separate red, green, and blue dots.

Like its pricier, viewfinder-equipped and longer zoom sibling, the H400, Sony's H300 long-zoom lacks any external flash connectivity, but it does include a built-in popup flash. With auto ISO sensitivity, this has a working range of around 29 feet at wide angle or 15 feet at telephoto.

Although the focus here is clearly on affordability, the Sony H300 still offers up both Program and Manual shooting modes. (Sadly, it forgoes Aperture-priority and Shutter-priority modes, even though there's plenty of room on the sparsely-populated Mode dial for both.) Most H300 owners will probably rely on the single-shot Intelligent Auto mode, and there are also both Panorama and Scene modes. The latter include High Sensitivity, Night Scene, Night Portrait, Landscape, Soft Snap, Soft Skin, Beach, Snow, Fireworks, Gourmet, and Pet Mode.

Exposures are determined with Multi-pattern, Center-weighted, or Spot metering, and +/-2.0EV of exposure compensation is provided in 1/3EV steps. Sony's Dynamic Range Optimizer function is also included, to help hold onto highlight and shadow detail in difficult lighting conditions.

The Sony H300 supports not just still imaging, but also video capture. Although you can't shoot Full HD video, likely due to the use of a slow CCD imager, the H300 can capture HD (1,280 x 720 pixel; 720p) video at a 30 frames-per-second rate. Videos recorded by the H300 include monaural audio.

The Sony H300 offers two wired connectivity choices: USB 2.0 High Speed data, or composite standard-definition video output using the same port. Images and movies are stored on Secure Digital cards, as well as on Sony's own proprietary Memory Stick Duo cards. Power comes courtesy of four AA batteries which are rated at 350 shots per charge (Sony didn't say what type, likely Ni-MH).

Available from February 2014, the Sony H300 ships only in a black-bodied version for about US$220.