Sony DSC-H9 Performance

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Sony DSC-H9 Performance

Timing and Performance

Good to average speed for a consumer camera.

Mode switching
Startup/Shutdown
Power on to first shot	2.4 seconds	Time it takes for LCD to turn on and lens to deploy.
Shutdown	2.2 seconds	How long it takes to retract lens.
Buffer clearing time	2 seconds (buffer clearing after LF JPEG)	Worst case buffer clearing time. -- This is the delay after a set of shots before you can remove the card. Some cameras won't retract their lenses and shut down until the buffer is cleared.
Play to Record, first shot	0.8 second	Time until first shot is captured.
Record to play	1.1 seconds	Time to display a large/fine file immediately after capture.
Display recorded image	1.4 seconds	Time to display a large/fine file already on the memory card.
Shutter response (Lag Time)
Full Autofocus Wide	0.49 second	Time from fully pressing shutter button to image capture, zoom lens at wide angle position.
Full Autofocus Tele	0.99 second	Time from fully pressing shutter button to image capture, zoom lens at telephoto position.
Prefocused	0.009 second	Time to capture, after half-pressing and holding shutter button.
Continuous AF	0.48 second	This mode usually shows no speed increase with our static subject; we have no way to measure performance with moving subjects.
Cycle time (shot to shot)
Single Shot mode Large Fine JPEG	1.74 seconds	Time per shot, averaged over 20 shots.
Single Shot mode 640x480 JPEG	1.49 seconds	Time per shot, averaged over 20 shots.
Early shutter penalty?	Yes	Some cameras refuse to snap another shot if you release and press the shutter too quickly in Single Shot mode, making "No" the preferred answer.
Continuous mode Large Fine JPEG	0.50 second (1.98 frames per second); 13 frames total; 1.5 seconds to clear	Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first.
Continuous mode 640x480 JPEG	0.50 second (1.98 frames per second); > 20 frames; 0.5 second to clear	Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first.
Flash recycling	12.5 seconds	Flash at maximum output.
Download speed
Windows Computer, USB 2.0	6,688 KBytes/sec	Typical Values: Less than 600=USB 1.1; 600-769=USB 2.0 Low; Above 770=USB 2.0 High

The Sony DSC-H9's performance is generally above average. Startup and shutdown speeds are above average for a long zoom. Full AF shutter response at wide angle is well above average for a long zoom, at 0.49s, but drops to just above average at telephoto, at 0.99s. Prefocus shutter lag of 0.009s is excellent, making it great for photos of the kids if you remember to prefocus. Shot-to-shot cycle times and continuous-mode speeds are about average for a long zoom. The flash takes a long 12.5 seconds to recharge after a full-power shot, but packs quite a punch. Connected to a computer or printer with USB 2.0, download speeds are very fast. Bottom line, the DSC-H9 is responsive enough to handle most family photo opportunities

Battery and Storage Capacity

Battery
Slightly above average battery life for a Lithium-Ion design.

Operating Mode	Number of Shots
Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery, (3" LCD)	280
Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery, (EVF)	310

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 uses a custom rechargeable Li-Ion battery for power, and ships with a charger. Although battery life is above average among Li-Ion designs, it's below average for the class of camera. You can save a bit of power by using the EVF instead of the large LCD to frame your shots, but we still recommend you pick up a spare battery and keep it freshly charged and on-hand for extended outings.

The table above shows the number of shots the camera is capable of (on either a fresh set of disposable batteries or a fully-charged rechargeable battery as appropriate), based on CIPA battery-life and/or manufacturer standard test conditions.

(Interested readers can find an English translation of the CIPA DC-002 standards document here. (180K PDF document))

Storage
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 accepts Memory Stick Duo or Memory Stick Pro Duo cards, and includes about 31MB of internal memory.

Image Capacity with 31MB Internal Memory		Fine
3,264 x 2,448	Images	9
3,264 x 2,448	File Size	3.3 MB
2,592 x 1,944	Images	11
2,592 x 1,944	File Size	2.6 MB
2,048 x 1,536	Images	19
2,048 x 1,536	File Size	1.6 MB
640 x 480	Images	183
640 x 480	File Size	169 KB

We strongly recommend buying a large capacity Memory Stick Pro Duo card at least a 1GB card, preferably a 2GB one, to give yourself extra space for extended outings. (Check the shopping link above, cards are really cheap these days, so no reason to skimp.)