Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H3 — 2008 bridge superzoom, 8.1MP CCD, 10x zoom to 380mm equiv
The Cyber-shot DSC-H3 arrived in 2008 as an affordable bridge-style superzoom in Sony's H-series, built around a DSLR-shaped body and a long lens for buyers wanting reach and manual-style handling without an interchangeable-lens system.
It uses an 8.1-megapixel 1/2.5-inch Super HAD CCD sensor behind a 10x optical zoom lens covering roughly 38-380mm equivalent at f/3.5-4.4. Framing relies on a 2.5-inch TFT LCD with 115,000 dots, and images save to Memory Stick Duo or Memory Stick Pro Duo cards, backed by about 31MB of internal memory.
The H3's 10x reach and chunky, grip-friendly body distinguished it from Sony's pocket compacts, appealing to buyers wanting telephoto flexibility for travel and family shooting on a budget, though its CCD sensor and small screen fall well short of the resolution and speed of later bridge cameras.
Used H3 bodies are inexpensive superzoom options, so checks should include lens extension and zoom motor noise, functioning image stabilization, and battery condition, since the NP-BG1 pack is the same as used across several Sony compacts of the era and is worth testing under load before purchase.