The Sony DSC H-300 is not really convincing as beginners Bridge. But first the positives. The camera comes in a comparatively large housing whereby it is very good in the hand and is easy to operate even with larger hands. No annoying fumbling with miniaturized control elements. The display is really good for this price range. The camera's own software and its settings are rather simple, only the successful control of bracketing and thus also for HDR photography are positively highlighted. The two main weak points of the camera are the 20.1 Megapixel Super HAD CCD sensor, the significant noise is also weaker daylight conditions and the zoom lens delivers lackluster images in extreme telephoto and wide angle has a disturbing pincushion distortion. In Portrait and telephoto range between 70 and 500 mm (KB), the distortion is not visible and the imaging performance of the lens very convincing then takes in higher focal lengths on the one hand, the contrast significantly and continuously and also the optical anti-shake comes here to its limits. The color reproduction is well balanced and of course with a slight tendency to pastel shades. All this may not play a major role in postcard-sized prints, on the monitor, it disturbs but visible. The compared with the predecessor model DSC H-100 larger zoom range and increasing the number of pixels from 16 to 20 MP is paid with a significant deterioration in image quality. Why a quality brand like Sony jeopardized their reputation with such, only the marketing and not the quality owed developments, remains incomprehensible. In this price range can be now among the competing brands Bridge cameras as find about the Rollei Powerflex 210HD, with significantly higher optical performance. Restrict the entry Bridge cameras the subject spectrum by a slow autofocus is common that Sony DSC H-300 forms here but a special category in which they annoyed by occasional focussing errors or failure of the autofocus the buyer.