Sony H200 Comparison Review

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H200 is a fixed lens compact camera that was announced in January 2013 and is equipped with a 1/2.3-inch sensor. It offers a resolution of 15.2 megapixel.

Is the Sony H200 a good camera? The H200 has a Camera Elo of 916. This rating puts the H200 below average of all superzoom compact cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (small sensor cameras), the H200 also ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 2.5-star performance rating. – Well, the Sony H200 is more than 11 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2013.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size of the Sony H200 vis-à-vis a credit card. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are presented. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Sony H200 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Sony H200	123 mm	83 mm	87 mm	530 g	240	n	Jan 2013	249	ebay.com
2.		Canon G1 X Mark II	116 mm	74 mm	66 mm	553 g	240	n	Feb 2014	799	ebay.com
3.		Canon SX60	128 mm	93 mm	114 mm	650 g	340	n	Sep 2014	549	ebay.com
4.		Canon SX400	104 mm	69 mm	80 mm	313 g	190	n	Jul 2014	249	ebay.com
5.		Canon SX510	104 mm	70 mm	80 mm	349 g	250	n	Aug 2013	249	ebay.com
6.		Canon SX520	120 mm	82 mm	92 mm	441 g	210	n	Jul 2014	399	ebay.com
7.		Canon SX600	104 mm	61 mm	26 mm	188 g	290	n	Jan 2014	249	ebay.com
8.		Nikon B500	114 mm	78 mm	95 mm	541 g	600	n	Jan 2016	299	ebay.com
9.		Nikon L840	113 mm	78 mm	96 mm	538 g	590	n	Feb 2015	299	ebay.com
10.		Sony H300	128 mm	89 mm	92 mm	590 g	350	n	Feb 2014	219	ebay.com
11.		Sony H400	130 mm	95 mm	122 mm	628 g	300	n	Feb 2014	319	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Sony H200 was launched in the US market at a price of $249. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Check H200 offers at
ebay.com

Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tent to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Sony H200 features a 1/2.3-inch sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 5.6. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Sony H200 among the smaller-sensor digicams that favor affordability and compact design.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of alternative cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Sony H200	1/2.3	15.2	5184	2930	720/30p	19.9	11.2	529	44
2.		Canon G1 X Mark II	1.5-inch	13.0	4160	3120	1080/30p	21.5	10.8	581	58
3.		Canon SX60	1/2.3	14.2	4608	3072	1080/60p	19.2	10.8	127	39
4.		Canon SX400	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	720/30p	20.1	11.5	672	46
5.		Canon SX510	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/24p	20.0	11.3	586	45
6.		Canon SX520	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	20.1	11.5	672	46
7.		Canon SX600	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	20.0	11.4	620	45
8.		Nikon B500	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60i	20.3	11.7	810	48
9.		Nikon L840	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60i	20.2	11.6	721	47
10.		Sony H300	1/2.3	19.9	5152	3864	720/30p	20.1	11.4	630	45
11.		Sony H400	1/2.3	19.9	5152	3864	720/30p	20.1	11.4	630	45
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The H200 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the H200 can use is 720/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The tables below summarize some of the other core capabilities of the Sony H200 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Sony H200	none	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/1500s	0.8/s	Y	Y
2.		Canon G1 X Mark II	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	5.2/s	Y	Y
3.		Canon SX60	922	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	n	1/2000s	6.4/s	Y	Y
4.		Canon SX400	none	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/1600s	0.8/s	Y	Y
5.		Canon SX510	none	n	3.0 / 461	fixed	n	1/1600s	3.8/s	Y	Y
6.		Canon SX520	none	n	3.0 / 461	fixed	n	1/2000s	1.6/s	Y	Y
7.		Canon SX600	none	n	3.0 / 461	fixed	n	1/2000s	3.9/s	Y	Y
8.		Nikon B500	none	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/4000s	7.4/s	Y	Y
9.		Nikon L840	none	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/4000s	7.4/s	Y	Y
10.		Sony H300	none	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/1500s	0.8/s	Y	Y
11.		Sony H400	210	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/2000s	0.7/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One convenient feature of the H200 is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H200 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Sony H200	-	mono / mono	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Canon G1 X Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Canon SX60	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Canon SX400	-	stereo / mono	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Canon SX510	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
6.		Canon SX520	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Canon SX600	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
8.		Nikon B500	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
9.		Nikon L840	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Sony H300	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
11.		Sony H400	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-

The H200 has a zoom lens built in (4-104mm f/3.1-5.9), which, in full frame equivalent terms, provides a focal length range from 24 to 633mm. The camera is, hence, ready to shoot, while remaining more compact in size than an interchangeable lens camera with an optic that offers similar focal length and aperture specifications.

Further information on the features and operation of the H200 can be found in the free online Sony H200 Manual or on the Sony support site.

Expert reviews

While the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the H200 handle or perform in practice. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Sony H200	..	..	..	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Jan 2013	249	ebay.com
2.		Canon G1 X Mark II	3/5	+	..	77/100	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2014	799	ebay.com
3.		Canon SX60	3/5	+ +	..	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Sep 2014	549	ebay.com
4.		Canon SX400	..	+	..	..	..	..	Jul 2014	249	ebay.com
5.		Canon SX510	..	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Aug 2013	249	ebay.com
6.		Canon SX520	..	+	..	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Jul 2014	399	ebay.com
7.		Canon SX600	..	+	..	..	4/5	4/5	Jan 2014	249	ebay.com
8.		Nikon B500	..	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Jan 2016	299	ebay.com
9.		Nikon L840	..	+ +	..	..	3.5/5	4/5	Feb 2015	299	ebay.com
10.		Sony H300	..	+	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2014	219	ebay.com
11.		Sony H400	..	o	..	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2014	319	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Check H200 offers at
ebay.com

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

~

Did you notice an error on this page? If so, please get in touch, so that we can correct the information.

You are here:  Home  »  CAM-parator  »  Sony H200 Review