Sony Cybershot S500 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Reviews

• Great buy!

  
  By A3BBLF9E8VRN1N on 2006-08-27
  This camera is a great little buy. I did a TON of research into digital cameras....for over a year or so and finally decided upon this one. I bought it at Best Buy when it was first released and the price could not be beat. I literally bought it the day my new nephew was born and it only took about 15 minutes learn to use. The pictures turned out great and the modes are super easy to use. Only a couple turned on blurry, but I believe that was more the photographer than the camera. There is a power saver option that comes on to reserve the battery power. I do however suggest buying rechargable batteries. This camera is super great for the price compared to Canon and Nikon. The software is super easy to use as well. I suggest this camera for first time digital camera users such as myself. Excellent camera and excellent price!
  
  

• Perfect Camera!

  
  By A3RQZAI3Z7O11M on 2006-09-27
  I just received my Sony S500, and I love it! It's small, light, yet not so small that it's hard to manage. The LCD screen is huge! Bigger than any I've seen on a camera of this size! The pictures are crystal clear, and the camera itself is super easy to use and understand. The one, and ONLY thing, I don't like is that you cannot hear the audio on the camera when playing back videos (you have to plug it into a computer or tv to hear audio). It's not really a big deal and it makes it a fun surprise when you do plug it in:) The price is great and I am so glad I found this little steal!
  
  

• gr8 camera......buy rechargeable baterries

  
  By on 2006-08-16
  i got this camera 4 like graduation from elementary school its a nice all around camera the screen size is really cool(2.4 in), u can take really big pictures which is cool w/ the 6.0 megapixel CCD...its pretty easy 2 use i cud use it welll withtin the day i got it theres like lots of modes 4 different setting ive only used twilight mode and candlelight mode so far....4 some reason theses modes come out blurrry a lot of the time but the reg setting is fine...u can adjust the flash on2 4 different setting which is coool and theres a sepcial button u can presss 4 getting better detail on closer up objects hte only prob w/ it is....that it says u can run it on AA batteries but these thing really dont work the camera dies in 2 hours then, if u use rechargable batteries it last 2-5 days but the battery meter always stays full till the very end wen it just dies suddenly 4 some reason, ubut i love this camera really easy 2 use big screen verry cheap 4 wat it is not 2 fat or big easy 2 get pix on hte comp i recomend it especially 4 preteens and teenagers hu juist want 2 camera 2 take pix of themselves and there friends like me
  
  

• Bargain Price with Decent Quality

  
  By A18LZFWQ5C58Q7 on 2006-11-17
  I was disappointed that this little gadget did not come with an ac adaptor, for it devours two double AA's in no time (about 160 pictures). Remember to turn the camera off after you've uploaded your pics to the computer.
  
  The disappointment was mitigated when I realized this handy little camera shoots video. It seems to me that you are only limited to how much video you can shoot by how much memory you have available.
  You must indulge on the 2 Gig Memory Stick.
  
  This handy gadget has proved it's worth as it has enabled me capture some wonderful memories.
  
  

• Excellent Camera

  
  By A3KHM9604BWSIX on 2006-11-07
  I brought this camera after waiting for long time which suffice my needs. It is a great one to have better than what i used to have ( Nikon Cool pix). Picture Quality is great and it is so comfortable to carry all the time with me because of it's size. Only thing which i am concerned is the Battery Life. It eats up battery a lot, but with the rechargeable batteries it is the best one to have
  
  
• Great Camera
  By A20O55Z6IX27YA on 2006-11-28
  Pros:
  Take good pictures
  Compact size
  Easy to Use
  Good that it uses AA batteries (depending on your preference)
  2GB memory card bought seperately, holds lots of pictures and they're relatively cheap compare to a year ago.
  
  Cons: Drains batteries quickly, should buy Nickle-Metal Hydride Battery if you plan to take more than just a few shots.
  Unlike some other cameras I've had experience with, this does not do well with close up pictures and the flash is unusually bright.
  Takes a bit longer to snap pictures than some other digital cameras.
  
  Overall, I am very satisfied with the product, I just couldn't give it a 5 star rating as I have experience with several other cameras that were a bit better for just a bit more money.
  
  
• So Far So Good
  By A2UR76R6XZCLBG on 2006-11-05
  I received this camera for my b-day. I am a scrapbooker and I like to take my camera with me when we go different places. Our big Cannon (10x optical zoom) is great, but too bulky for day-to-day use. I wanted something easy to slip in my purse, easy to carry when visiting family during the holidays, and basically something simple to grab when one of my "kids" does something cute! So far, this seems to fit the bill to a "T"! I just love the 6 mega pixil and can't wait to get my first set of photos back.
  
  
• Good buy...good camera
  By A66TK4UKEO2NR on 2006-12-01
  My camera just got shipped in today and ever since i've been snapping pics. the pictures are crystalline. there is no software required for windows xp since its a plug n play device. very easy to use. tiny...therefore can fit a pocket on a pair of jeans. too bad the camera doesn't come with the memory stick. no big deal though, since the price for a 1GB memory stick is relatively cheap compared to a few years back. very easy to transfer images and videos onto a PC. This camera is relatively cheap because most cameras coming out nowadays are about 7-10 megapixels. It's a bargain and i look forward to buying future SONY cameras :)
  
  
• Too many blurry pictures
  By A299IGRBXYEH68 on 2006-12-07
  I've had quite a few digital cameras and I am the least satisfied with this one. A majority of the shots I take come out blurry...pretty much if there is ANY movement, it's going to be blurry. Not very effective when you're taking pictures of small children! It does, however, do the best job I've ever seen with video. I wouldn't buy it again, though...I'd pay a little more and get another Canon Powershot.
  
  
• i've had a lot of cameras, this one is the worst
  By A3HT8Z717DVTNZ on 2007-01-12
  i was swayed to buy this because of the price - and also knowing that the higher end sonys use a leica (or is it Z?)lens... well this one ain't all that. Half of the pictures are very out of focus, exposure is almost always off except in "perfect" situations, and it is very slow. I just used it for 2 months while traveling and I definately wouldn't recommend it; in fact i wish i could get a refund -- but it's not broken, just bad quality.
  
  
• Great Camera - terrible sound on the video
  By A28A9OSIYKEVLT on 2006-12-16
  the camera itself is great, it takes amazing photographs and the LCD screen is big and bright (something my last camera was lacking). The rechargable batteries last a lifetime which is amazing for a digital camera. The only complaint I have is the video in the camera. Our last camera had the video feature and we have used it to make numerous home movies of our kids. So it was rather disappointing when we went to use the video feature on this camera and played back our clips on the computer with majorly distorted sound. We rely on the video clips to send movies to grandparents overseas.....I guess it is time to buy a camcorder. It is just disappointing, cause our little 3.2 MP camera was awesome for video and this 6 MP camera sucks at it.
  
  
• Not for parents
  By A3FEAKJL9GWC2 on 2007-01-12
  I rarely review items and a even more rarely give bad reviews.
  This camera is pretty good and might be better than I can tell since I'm not much of an expert.
  
  BUT, for the reason we got it: to take pictures our baby. It stinks. It takes a few seconds from when you push the button to when the picture is taken.
  
  Just enough time for her to move and to no longer have a usable shot.
  
  I'm a lifelong Sony fan, but It's time for start looking outside the family.
  
  
• nope
  By A57ZPBY5942LC on 2007-01-13
  I have used Sony camcorder for sometime and loved it, so i was biased to buy Sony. I liked this camera mostly because of the price and brand. It takes good pictures outdoor in normal mode. The battery life is good and Sony recommends using rechargeable batteries, works ok. I also bought a 1GB card, got a nice deal on it. With a 1GB card, in excess of 300 photos can be taken.
  Good macro shots.
  Ease of use/ no setting required.
  
  
  After about a month of usage, am not really happy with this.
  
  1. It doesn't have a timestamp feature, meaning when saving pictures to computer it doesn't imprint the date/time. You can may find some tools to get after u download.
  2. In the night mode/Slow flash mode the picture is ALWAYS blurred. The object being photograph has to be dead still, any slight movement and the photo will be blurred. I had similar features on other brands/Sony camera and use to like it a lot.
  3. I couldn't turn the flash off for taking pictures thru glass or of reflective objects( i didn't read the manual, this may be available).
  4. Not the best if you want to 'picture' moving objects, kids or sports.
  5. Is very basic camera, not many/any features at all.
  
  
  It works but I don't like it. I wouldn't recommend it unless this is your very first digital camera and you just need a cheap/brand camera.
  
  
  
• A low quality Digital-Camera, Sony's Shame!!
  By A1PIQRQQHPZOZG on 2007-02-01
  I owned a Sony DSC S-40 Digital Camera, which I bought at the begining of 2006, around $150. I am very satisfied with it: 1). easy use; 2). very sharp and clear picture; 3). good movie function and 4). long battery life with a pair of easy available AA battery.
  
  Because of my previous happy experience with DSC S40, I decided to upgrade my didgital camera with another higher end Sony Cyber-shot. Before I made decision, I read the reviews in Amazon, and it seems that DSC S500 got very good reviews, though some complaints. Last week, when CompUSA put it on promotion, I rushed to grab one. However, it turned out to be a very dissappointed experience this time. 1). the picture taken with this camera
  is blurred and dark, much lower quality than even the picture I taken with my old S40; 2). different from DSC S40, it is really a battery eater; 3). and also more difficult to use.
  
  In the end, I decided to return it, and bought a higher DSC W50 (see my seperated review. I have an excellent comments on this one.)
  
  
• Not for the adventurous ones
  By A3GSBNZE9JLA86 on 2007-07-26
  This camera has issues. I am comparing it to my previous Kodak point and shoot Easyshare 3.2 MP digital that was replaced. That camera didn't have the fancy claims to 6 MP or video, but it was always reliable. The batteries in the Kodak never stop performing when you most needed your camera. I dropped it numerous times and it survived without a flaw. It was really simple to use and transfer photos to any computer. And it took great photos without blurring the subject.
  
  The Sony DSC-S500 I was given as a gift to upgrade my photography has been nothing short of aggravating. Fully charged Energizer NiMH batteries only last an hour or two. If you use it skiing or anywhere its colder than 50 degrees F, prepare for total uselessness. This camera HATES cold weather! The video is extremely grainy and it takes a very considererable effort to initialize the video function to begin with.
  
  Get a tripod too because this camera can't handle even the steadiest hand. Just pressing the button with cause your shots to be blurry unless you balance it on something solid. The back display is small and hard to see. Shooting at night becomes a guessing game of point it that way and shoot.
  
  For a Sony product, this is not the camera to buy unless you plan to shoot in ideal conditions and have a tripod. If I didn't get this as a gift, I would have sold it or returned it already. I already had Sony evaluate its condition for defects and it came back negative. This only means Sony found its low quality to be satisfactory for this model.
  
  I am just one opinion. Good luck in your search.
  
  
• Not bad, but not great...
  By A3MOACN9UXQ7R9 on 2007-01-15
  I had great hopes for this camera. Great price and pretty good reviews, but I ended up returning it. I have an older (bigger, bulkier) Sony digital camera (DSC-S85, 4.0 Megapixels), and I assumed this camera would incorporate the great quality pictures, but not all the features as the older model. In the end I did not like the quality of the pictures or video. I took the same shots with my old camera and the S500 and the quality was just not there. I read the less-than-helpful user guide many times to make sure I was not missing something, but to no avail. The older camera does have the Carl Zeiss lens and this one does not, so that may be part of the issue.
  
  I use the video capability on my old camera quite a bit. (We live in a different part of the country than the rest of my family and it's great for sharing little video clips of the kids.) The sound quality on this camera is totally unacceptable (lots of static), as another review here on Amazon.com pointed out.
  
  After buying a memory card and the rechargable batteries, you might be better off moving up to the next price point in cameras. I have not made a decion on what I'll buy, but I like the quality of the images and video my mother-in-law's Cannon PowerShot produces...
  
  
• Poor quality and even worse support
  By A1VX6J2934IY7U on 2007-02-02
  Skip this camera and focus on a different manufacturer. We bought this camera as a Christmas present, and less than 4 weeks after it was opened, the camera was broken (the lense was stuck). We were informed by Sony that since they didn't have any parts for the camera, we had to either take a refund, or a refurbished model. Even though we bought a new camera, we now have to accept a refurb since you can't even buy this camera for the same price anymore.
  
  
• Very disappointing camera.
  By AKTESZIKH994L on 2007-02-13
  I bought this camera thinking it would exceed the performance of my sony DSC-P10. The only one taht can do this is the DSC-V3. All pictures taken with the DSC-S500 are blurry/low quality even at 6MP. The DSC-P10 is a much better camera even though it is much older than the S500 and even though they both have a Sony lens, not a Carl Zeiss. Don't buy the S series. Since the P series and the V series are no longer available, go for the W series; the W30 is cheap and very good.
  
  
• Sony Cybershot should be shot
  By A1I645F3OFWORD on 2007-03-22
  Around Christmas, I did my homework, read all the reviews, got the best bang for my buck, the Cybershot. Wrong. I work a very physical job, so I thought it was me shaking the camera, that was why the pictures were fuzzy. Also the colors were not quite right at times. Then my wife took it on vacation, her pictures were also fuzzy. The pictures look ok as thumbnails till you view them full size. My old camera was an el cheapo, ate batteries faster than I could put them in, but the pictures were crisp, clear, colors sharp. The good point is the Sony is easy to operate, even without the instruction manual if you've owned digital cameras before. You wonder how someone like Sony can screw up something like a digital camera that make all the time.
  
  
• Sony Cybershop
  By A19WENTZPRY5E7 on 2007-01-10
  Item does not have a long life battery. Batteries need to be purchased ona regular basis. Also does not have a charger.
  
  
• I was disappointed.
  By A2R9XF7HXB5CVV on 2007-03-25
  I bought this camera as my old Sony Cybershot was broken. It's good to take pictures and make short video record.
  But the features I was disappointed are 1. the date is not shown on the picture; 2. there is no sound while you replay your video clip; 3. my memory card reader can't read the memory stick.
  
  
• Save yourself the frustration, stick with Canon
  By AJ2UU8DTE80QH on 2007-05-11
  My wife and I each got new point and shoot camaras in the last 6-8 months.
  No comparison - her Canon Elph (I think SD600) has yet to take a bad picture... my Sony on the other hand will only take a halfway decent picture in FULL daylight but is still blurry and absolutely forget taking an indoor picture. I'm now carrying the Sony fishing with me, and actually HOPING to drop it in the water so I can justify the second Canon Elph I just ordered...
  Hope this little comparison helps someone else avoid the Sony letdown.
  
  
• Good camera for the price(s)...
  By A3A4K8SGWO31V6 on 2007-05-16
  This little guy packs a punch with it's nice pictures - don't be fooled by the bit of grainy-ness when taking the picture, because when you upload them onto your computer pictures vividly come to life.
  
  One thing that has been bothering me about the other Amazon reviews on this camera - what the hell do you expect when you have shakey pictures from a shakey hand? I've been taking a ton of pictures, and only one came out with the blured effect - only because I moved the camera the same time I took the picture. Surprise, surprise! Who'd have thought that if I moved around while taking a picture it would turn out blury?
  
  The photos come out great for what it can do - just make sure you aren't moving around too much (I know I move a little when I take a picture, but not enough to blur them and not enough for everyone reviewing here to say that every single picture is blury (use both hands and steady the camera, people)).
  
  
• Good for an ameture
  By A1NUUR4TICKCRN on 2007-08-19
  I loved the camera when i got it in the mail and everything was great. The camera is very easy to use but dosent have anything fancy that you can play with. Also after a while the lid where you open it to put your batteries a piece from the lid broke off, so now even if the betteries are charged i have to sometimes hold the lid myself because it dosent close all the way and the battery dosent reach the camwera the whole way. My friend has the same camera and a piece of her lid broke off too. Soits a good camera only for a while.
  
  
• Hate it!!
  By A23WJ0PL65S5YP on 2007-04-24
  I bought this item 7 months ago.It came with good condition but I hate the camera. Pictures aren't clear.The pictures taken with this camera are low quality and blurry. I wish I returned it. Don't waste your money with this camera.
  -Huri
  
  
• One star is generous....awful!
  By A1D5ERYRMGEAB7 on 2007-09-22
  This camera was purchased for my mother for Christmas last year, it's been about 10 months and we've had nothing but trouble from the start.
  
  Most pictures come out blurry no matter how still the photographer was! After a couple of days or so we started having trouble with uploading the pictures and then deleting them off the camera. Then we started recieving a 'file error' message and pictures started disappearing when they hadn't been deleted. Also alot of pictures would upload but then would not be available to access, happened repeatedly and on different computers. My mom isn't one to complain she liked the big screen, easy to use, and small size of the camera.
  
  The final straw was when we uploaded pictures of an important event and they looked double exposed from pictures we took afterwards. The pictures also would not upload in the order they were taken, they became jumbled in the upload. Awful camera, we should have gone with my first choice, cannon. I have a cannon and LOVE IT! Don't buy this camera!
  
  
• Great Camera
  By A2TK2DOOM74PRY on 2007-01-03
  This camera is perfect for taking photos and videos
  of our precious little boy. No problems, just eats up batteries fast.
  
  
• Great camera for the money
  By A175LUEVOIEVVR on 2007-01-04
  When it comes to bang for your buck, Sony cameras in my experience have always been a great option. The Cybershot S500 6MP is easy to carry, easy to use, and has some great added features like thumbnail preview in the display. The flash could be better, though, as it doesn't really do anything for you beyond about 10 feet. As a result, if you're taking pictures in low light (like in a gothic cathedral), you have to use the longer exposure feature for which you pretty much need a tripod or your shots come out blurry. But overall it seems to be a great camera for most snapshot type photos.
  
  
• easy to use
  By A1HWSKAPAGNYZW on 2007-01-11
  I bought this for my daughter because it's easy to use. So far she's been happy with it, but it is a sony product, meaning that it might go out at any time.
  
  
• WOW! What a great camera! Highly Recommended.
  By A1EGUS2TYJJKL8 on 2007-01-12
  I bought this camera as a Christmas present for my wife. She absolutely loves taking pictures, but doesn't want to deal with all the technical aspects that some digital cameras entail.
  
  The camera is easy to use.
  
  It takes AWESOME pictures.
  
  The video/audio "movie" mode on the camera works very well and is pretty good quality.
  
  I also bought a 1 GB card to go with it... she took full resolution pictures all throughout the holidays and we just downloaded the photos/video yesterday and there was still room left on the card.
  
  

• Corel Photo Album 7 Deluxe
• Adobe Photoshop CS4
• PhotoPlus X2 Digital Studio
• Adobe Photoshop CS4 Upgrade
• Adobe Photoshop Elements 7

• Sony LCS-CSD General Carrying Case for Compatible Cybershot Digital Cameras
• Sony 1 GB Memory Stick PRO Duo Media (MSXM1GST) (Retail Package)
• Sony 256MB MEMORY STICK PRO-DUO NEW ( MSXM-256S ) (Retail Package)
• SanDisk SDMSPD-512-A10 512 MB MemoryStick Pro Duo (Retail Package)
• SanDisk 1 GB Memory Stick Pro Duo (SDMSPD-1024-A11)