Sony's 2010 pocket travel-zoom — 14.1MP CCD, Sony G 10x 25-250mm lens, Optical SteadyShot, 720p, SD and Memory Stick.
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55 was a compact travel-zoom announced in February 2010, part of an H-series that by then had split into large bridge bodies and pocketable 10x compacts like this one. It packed a Sony G-branded lens and HD video into a body barely larger than a W-series compact, competing with Panasonic's TZ line.
It combined a 14.1-megapixel 1/2.3-inch Super HAD CCD with a Sony G 10x zoom covering 25-250mm equivalent at f/3.5-5.5, stabilised by Optical SteadyShot. The 3-inch 230k-dot LCD handled framing; there was no viewfinder. ISO ran from 80 to 3200, manual mode allowed shutter speeds to 30 seconds, and Sweep Panorama was on board. Video reached 1280x720 at 30fps with optical zoom. It took SD/SDHC/SDXC as well as Memory Stick Duo, plus 45MB internal memory, with the NP-BG1 rated around 310 shots.
The H55 suits travellers and family users wanting one small camera to cover wide streetscapes through to distant detail. The 25mm wide end is genuinely useful and the stabiliser earns its keep at 250mm, though the dense CCD gets noisy past ISO 400 and bursts are limited to short four-frame runs.
Buying used, the dual card slots are a plus — standard SD cards work, so no legacy media hunting. Check the NP-BG1 battery; replacements are inexpensive. Run the lens through its full 10x range listening for motor strain, confirm the stabiliser works at the long end, and check the LCD and sensor for lines or blotches in sky shots.