Sony has introduced its 9.1-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-H50, equipped with a powerful Carl Zeiss 15x optical zoom lens (31-465mm) and Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization to capture action at a distance.

One of the main lens elements is manufactured from low-dispersion glass, helping it produce better correspondence between an object and its image. The lens also yields sharper, high-contrast images and reduces color fringing, even when shooting in telephoto ranges.

An improved "advanced sports" shooting mode employs higher shutter speeds of up to 1/4,000 of a second. A long-distance flash can illuminate subjects more than 55 feet away (when using ISO 3200, wide-angle lens). The unit features newer manual controls, including an exposure bracketing mode that has settings for white balance and color modes.

The DSC-H50 features a 3-inch tilting LCD screen with a scratch-resistant, UV hard-coat finish. Other helpful features include a new D-Range Optimizer, NightShot technology, five color modes, in-camera editing and image management features, and HD component output for viewing photos on HDTV. Noise reduction is now a user-selectable option, with high, low and standard settings, for greater control over the final look of images.

The H50 model will sell with a full line of accessory options at about $400.