Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T500 Digital Camera (Black)
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T500 Digital Camera incorporates a 5x zoom Carl Zeiss lens that utilizes Sony's acclaimed SteadyShot image stabilization, 10.1 megapixels of image resolution for astounding photo detail, and a enormous 3.5'' widescreen touch-panel LCD that fills the camera back - all in a sleek, ultra-compact camera body. The camera includes many of Sony's exclusive innovative technologies like Face Detection-2, Smile Shutter, in-camera retouching, and D-range optimization to expand the possibilities of digital photography, while making the camera extremely easy to use for photographers at any skill level.
The movie mode of the T-500 provides broadcast quality video clips, and allows users to replace their camcorder with this compact unit since the camera allows for zoom to be used while recording. Furthermore, the in-camera retouching tools and included software package provide for all of the finishing touches needed for optimal images and video clips that express your individuality through your pictures.
- Sleek, Ultra-slim Design
- The ultra-slim design of the DSC-T500 easily slips into your pocket, or handbag, while the styling is so clean and sharp that you won't want to keep it there, additionally, the sliding lens cover assure that the camera lens will always be clean and ready to shoot
- 10.1 Megapixel Super HAD CCD
- The advanced Super HAD (Hole Accumulated Diode) CCD is specially designed to allow more light to pass to each pixel, increasing sensitivity while reducing noise, so your images will look gorgeous - even when taken under low light conditions. Furthermore, the high resolution ensures that your photo prints will look sharp, even at printouts of 20x30" in size
- Carl Zeiss 5X Optical Zoom Lens
- The world renowned quality of the Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens ensures that your images will be sharply focused while the 4x zoom range ensures that you will be able to obtain intimate images without disturbing the scene. The optical zoom is also available while the camera is shooting video - making the T500 an excellent camcorder replacement. Moreover, the macro and magnifying glass modes are provided for super-sharp close-ups and miniature hobby photography
- Super SteadyShot Optical Image Stabilization
- Sony's exclusive Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization combined with a high sensitivity (ISO 3200) means that the DSC-T500 compensates for shaky hands, minimizes blur and allows flash-free shooting to preserve the mood, plus Sony Clear RAW Noise Reduction reduces the picture noise that can ruin low-light or high ISO shots. The SteadyShot system can also be combined with digital stabilization to provide a double anti-blur solution that ensures sharp images even with fast moving subjects
- 9-Point Auto Focus
- The DSC-T500 can measure auto-focus at 9 points over the image, giving you greater creative freedom to compose your image, and place your subjects off of the center of the image, yielding a more interesting composition
- Smart Zoom
- The Cyber-shot DSC-T500 intelligently "crops into" the central portion of interest in your photo without sacrificing full CCD resolution - avoiding the image degradation of digital zooms
- D-Range Optimization
- The exclusive Sony Bionz high-speed processing engine provides the T500 with D-range optimization that preserves image data in bright highlights and reveals more detail in shadows or backlit areas
- Face Detection
- Sony latest Face Detection technology recognizes up to 8 faces in a photo and automatically controls focus, exposure, color and flash (along with red-eye reduction) to bring out the best in everyone.
- VGA & HD Movie Mode
- The DSC-T500 can capture VGA (640 x 480) video clips, and HD movies at 720p high definition video in MPEG4 AVC/H.264 format to provide for high quality video without requiring huge amounts of storage space. During HD recording the camera even allows users to capture up to 3 still images without the need to stop the video recording.
- 3.5" Touch-screen LCD
- The huge 3.5" LCD displays photos in superb clarity and natural color, while the touch-panel interface of the LCD replaces small buttons with simple on-screen icons and a user-friendly interface that make camera operation faster and simpler
- HD Video Output (Optional)
- View your still photos from your DSC-T500 Camera with spectacular clarity and detail directly on a Sony Bravia HDTV or other compatible HDTV screens with an optional HD solution such as a Cyber-shot cradle/charger with component cable output, or component cable directly to your HDTV. Then watch as your photos come alive, accompanied by your choice of visual effects and any of four preset musical selections stored in memory or your favorite MP3 tunes downloaded from PC to your camera for use as background music
- In-camera Retouching Tools
- Add creative effects to photos after you shoot and retouch and enhance your pictures on the go with in-camera editing functions such as Trimming, Red-Eye Correction, Soft Focus, Unsharp Masking effects, and more. In addition, the camera lets you add artistic elements with the built-in Paint Pen, as well as more than 30 stamps and 15 types of picture frames. Plus the Multi-Resizing function lets you change the aspect ratio of an image right in the camera, so you can adjust images as necessary
- Stamina Battery Power
- The supplied NP-BD1 InfoLithium rechargeable battery lets you shoot up to 250 pictures on a full charge, recharges quickly and easily, and shows you about how much shooting capability remains
- Picture Motion Browser Software
- The supplied Picture Motion Browser Software makes it easier to upload, organize and search photos on your PC. The software also provides a convenient map view function to sort photos by location and display their origin on a world map by using an optional GPS unit
Go To
| Camera Type | Ultra-compact point-and-shoot digital camera with touch-screen |
| Image Quality | |
|---|---|
| Image Sensor | 1/2.3" 10.3MP Super HAD CCD |
| Effective Resolution | 10.1 million pixels |
| Color Depth | 24-Bit RGB output |
| Color Modes | Normal, Natural, Vivid, Sepia, Black & White |
| Image File Formats | JPEG |
| Recorded Resolution |
3648 x 2736 3648 x 2432 (3:2) 3648 x 2056 (16:9) 2592 x 1944 2048 x 1536 1920 x 1080 (16:9) 640 x 480 (VGA) |
| Video Recording |
MPEG Movie Mode with Stereo Audio HD Fine (1280x720 @ 30fps) HD Standard (1280x720 @ 30fps) VGA (640 x 480, Approx.30fps, Progressive) Clip Length limited only by available memory |
| Audio Recording | Yes |
| Optics | |
|---|---|
| Lens Type | Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens (12 Elements in 10 Groups with 3 Aspheric Elements and prism) |
| Optical Zoom | 5x (up to 25x Smart Zoom at VGA resolution) |
| Lens Focal Length | 5.8-29.0mm (33-165mm equivalent) |
| Digital Zoom | 2x |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 0.4" (1cm) |
| Maximum Aperture | f/3.5-4.4 |
| Optical Image Stabilization | Yes (Super SteadyShot Image Stabilization) |
| Accessory Lens/Filter Mount | No |
| Focus Control | |
|---|---|
| Focus Type | TTL AF with AF illuminator lamp |
| Focus Modes | 9 Area Multi-point AF, Center AF, Spot AF, Flexible Spot AF |
| Focus Range |
Normal: 19.7" (50cm) - infinity Macro: 3.2" (8cm) - infinity wide Magnifying Glass: 0.4" (1cm) - 7.9" (20cm) wide only |
| Exposure Control | |
|---|---|
| Sensitivity |
Auto ISO Selectable ISO (80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200) |
| Shutter Type | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| Shutter Speed | 1 - 1/1000 sec |
| Aperture Range | f/3.5-4.4 - f/10.0 |
| Exposure Metering | Multi-Pattern Measuring |
| Exposure Modes | Auto, Program Auto, Easy Shooting, Exposure Compensation (±2.0 EV in 1/3 EV increments), Exposure Bracketing |
| White Balance Modes | Automatic, Cloudy, Daylight, Fluorescent 1, Fluorescent 2, Fluorescent 3, Incandescent, Flash |
| Scene Modes | Auto Adjustment, Program Auto, Beach, Fireworks, High Sensitivity, High Speed Shutter, Landscape, Snow, Soft Snap, Twilight, Twilight Portrait |
| Flash | |
|---|---|
| Built-in Flash | Yes (Auto, Forced On, Forced Off, Slow Syncro, Red-Eye Reduction) |
| Effective Flash Range |
0.3' (0.1 m) - 12.1' (3.7 m) Up to 25.3' at ISO 3200 |
| External Flash Connection | No |
| External Flash Control | Not Applicable |
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Start-Up Time | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| Shutter Lag | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| Time Between Shots | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| Burst Capability | 1.4fps up to 100 shots (all resolutions) |
| Self Timer | 10 sec or 2 sec |
| Interval Recording | No |
| Date & Time Stamp | No |
| Memory & Power | |
|---|---|
| Built-in Memory | 4MB |
| Compatible Memory Cards |
Memory Stick DUO Memory Stick PRO DUO Memory Stick PRO DUO (High Speed) Memory Stick PRO HG DUO |
| Recording Capacity | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| Battery Type | NP-BD1 rechargeable Lithium-ion battery |
| Power Adapter | AC-LS5K portable AC adapter (optional) |
| Input/Output | |
|---|---|
| Computer Interface | USB 2.0 via multi-use connector |
| Direct Print Capable | Yes (PictBridge) |
| Remote Control | No |
| Video Output |
NTSC & PAL via multi-use connector HD Output (1080i) with optional accessory |
| Web-Cam Capable | No |
| System & Software Requirements |
Microsoft Windows 2000, Me, XP, Vista Macintosh OS X (10.1-10.4) |
| Display | |
|---|---|
| Viewfinder | No |
| LCD Display | 3.5" Clear Photo LCD plus (230,000 pixels) with touch-screen operation |
| Language Options | English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Swedish |
| Playback Options | Full frame, Thumbnail, Playback zoom (5x), Resize, Image Edit (Trimming, Red Eye Correction, Soft Focus, Partial Color, Fisheye Lens, Cross Filter, Retro, Radial Blur, Unsharp Masking, Smile, Paint (Pen, Erase, Stamp, Frame)), Slideshow, Slideshow with music, Video playback (with sound), Video Edit, Image erase/protect |
| Physical | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 2.3 x 3.8 x 0.9" (60 x 97 x 22mm) |
| Weight | 5.5 oz (155g) without battery |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 11 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
100%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Great picture quality (7)
- Strong construction (7)
- Easy to setup (6)
- Easy to use (6)
- Large clear LCD (6)
Cons
- Short battery life (3)
Best Uses
- Travel (7)
- Family photos (6)
- Fun (6)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Photo enthusiast (5), Casual photographer (3)
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 11 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-11
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy to Keep Clean
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T500 Digital Camera (Black):
JUST GOT THIS CAMERA AS A GIFT AND IM DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH THIS CAMERA... JUST WISH IT CAME IN DIFFERENT COLORS....IF YOU WANT A CAMERA JUST GET THIS ONE AND THE PRICE IS GOOD FOR THE PRODUCT....
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy to Keep Clean
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T500 Digital Camera (Black):
I love this camera! It is easy to work and the pictures come our great every time. I also use the HD movie a lot!
Pros
Cons
- Battery life
Best Uses
Comments about Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T500 Digital Camera (Black):
Great Travel Camera. We left the DSLR and Video Camera at home. Nice and Compact, very easy to use once you adjust the touch screen. I would highly recommend.
Pros
- High Quality
Cons
- Expensive
Best Uses
Comments about Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T500 Digital Camera (Black):
PROS-pocketable, lense cover works, looks and feels good
CON-switch for still/video moves too easily when taken in and out of trouser pockets; still miss real buttons vs touch screen; high cost
Pros
- Durable
- Good Value
- High Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- All manner of snapshots
- Unobtrusive video
Comments about Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T500 Digital Camera (Black):
This camera does it all! My wife and I had an early version of this camera for over 3 years and were very pleased with in. With this camera, the additional features warranted an upgrade. Particularly important was the quick shutter speed, so important when capturing grandkids whose attention is short.
The quality of the images are superb and the HD video is also very good, very unusual for a camera this size. This camera is only a little bigger than the previous camera, which we still have and use, but given the additional features, it's to be expected. Based on the previous camera and our evaluation of this camera's construction, we would guess that it is very durable, something also important in a camera always carried in a purse.
We purchased two of these, one for a Christmas gift and one for us. We originally purchased a different camera for the gift, but exchanged it before Christmas when we found out our son wanted to also capture video. The ads for many cameras are a bit deceptive as they have stickers on the boxes that state something like "HD image". In most cases, they are describing the photo image, not video, which is VGA. With this Sony, the image is true HD, although 720p, but still great quality.
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Easy Setup
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Travel
Comments about Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T500 Digital Camera (Black):
Small product with BIG features and performance at a great price TAG - Grab as early as you can...
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Short Battery Life
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T500 Digital Camera (Black):
This camera does it all. I think this is the best "hybrid" camera available right now. It's neither the best at P&S stills nor is it the best at HD Video, but for an all in one package, this camera is unsurpassed in my opinion. I displayed the recorded video through my PS3 in the memory stick slot on a 50" television HD 1080p and was really impressed. This is a solution that I can fully recommend to anyone wanting a great, pocketable camera that takes great stills as well as fantastic HD video in one small camera that you can take with you anywhere, and after all, isn't that what it's all about?
Only real downfall I can see for now is the battery life while taking videos. I can get only about 30 minutes of video shooting in 720p superfine mode (the best video setting). So, get a couple spare batteries. Also, for editing on a PC, I can highly recommend Corel's VideoStudioPRO X2.
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy To Use
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Poor Operation in Low Light
Best Uses
- Family Photos
Comments about Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T500 Digital Camera (Black):
Nice video
not so great performance in poor lighting
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy to Keep Clean
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Short Battery Life
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T500 Digital Camera (Black):
This is a great camera for taking and showing off photos. The HD feature is very nice in such a portable package.
Pros
- 720p HD Video
- Decent Low-Light Quality
- Good looks
- Large Touch Screen
- Very Compact Size
Cons
- Cradle Needed for Output
- No RAW
- Short Battery Life
Best Uses
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T500 Digital Camera (Black):
There are two things that I absolutely LOVE about this camera. One is the screen, the other is the HD video.
As for the screen, it is touch controlled but not like the screen of an iPhone. Instead of just touching your finger to the screen you have to apply a little pressure in order to "click" what you want. Think of it as more of a large "button". Once you get the hang of it, it's very easy to control. And the screen resolution is very good. I looked at the higher-res T700 before deciding on this camera, and I really don't find the difference in resolution to be very noticeable or relevant in everyday use.
The image quality is much better than I expected. Noise is well controlled up to around ISO 400. After that it gets a little rough. If you convert to B&W, then ISO 800 and 1600 can be plenty usable. In general 3200 is not.
The zoom range is pretty good for such a small camera. It would be nice if had more room on the wide end. I have seen the camera have some difficulty focusing when you've got it zoomed all the way in. Obviously the lens is a little slower at this extreme focal length, which is probably the culprit.
There's no RAW. :(
The image stabilization was also surprising to me in its effectiveness. It especially helps when hand-holding video shots. Panning shots become much more smooth and flowing.
As far as the video quality, as I said I'm very impressed. I have noticed some problems with "blooming" causing vertical streaks around very bright objects, but this is pretty common among small sensors of any kind. Otherwise, the resolution and detail are very good. There's a bit of color noise in lower light situations, but consider the size of the optics! For what it's able to do, it's quite remarkable.
It comes with the dock, but unfortunately you HAVE to use it in order to output video to a monitor or capture device. It does have HDMI which works great, but again you have to keep the dock with you in order to take advantage of it.
All in all, I think it's a great camera. It's well designed and gorgeous to look at when it's closed up. The battery does drain in a hurry, but that's a mighty big 3.5" screen it's powering. If you're going to be shooting video a lot, then DEFINITELY get a spare battery and keep it with you. But otherwise you're going to get a lot of features including HD video and a huge touch-screen in a very compact size. Amazing how much point-and-shoot cameras have improved over the years! Cheers!
Pros
- Amazing Video
- Easy Setup
- great lens
- Great Picture Quality
- Huge lcd
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Horrible LCD Resolution
- No view finder
- Sony MemoryStick not SD
Best Uses
- Art
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Photojournalism
- Travel
Comments about Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T500 Digital Camera (Black):
I'm a long time Canon Powershot loyalist, but I tried this camera due to its HD video capabilities. Also, I felt my last Canon camera (SD850IS) lacked in picture quality.
This camera blows the Canon out of the water. The lens quality is amazing. Closeups are out of this world. The HD Video works great, and still works decently in low-light conditions, although it really shines in outdoor activity. My only complaint against the Canon is that I preferred operating the Canon camera; it was easier to select ISO modes, macros, etc, but once you get used to the Sony's interface it isn't too bad. My only other complaint is that the large LCD has horrible resolution :( , but that doesn't affect the picture quality. I still gave it five stars because all of its setbacks are so trivial and overall the camera just ROCKS!!!
Displaying reviews 1-11
- Instruction Manual (PDF 6.7mb)
- Cyber-shot Handbook (PDF 3.2mb)
Batteries & Power
Always keep a spare battery handy so you won't get caught without power.
- Price: $32.95
- GBP 20.99
Bags & Straps
Carry, store, and protect all your equipment with a bag or a strap.
- Price: $9.95
- GBP 6.34
Screen Protectors
Protect your LCD screen from scratches and finger prints.
- Price: $7.49
- GBP 4.77
Filters & Adapters
Get the desired effect with a filter and the appropriate adapter.
- Price: $13.98
- GBP 8.90
What's in the Box
- NP-BD1 Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery
- BC-CSD Battery Charger
- A/V & USB Multi-connector Cable
- Wrist Strap
- Software CD-ROM (Picture Motion Browser 3.0, USB Driver)
- User Guide
- 1-Year Manufacturers Limited Warranty
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