Sony Cybershot S650 7.2MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Reviews

• Sony Cybershot S650 - great buy

  
  By A2F525GG9JTK1V on 2007-04-26
  I bought this camera to take with me to Disney World. I have a digital SLR but didn't want to use it on this trip as it is a little heavy for carrying all day - just wanted a small camera which would go in my pocket. I am certainly not disappointed with my purchase - I took over 400 photos and have only deleted 20 of them. The majority of the pictures were sharp with excellent color. I used the optical zoom quite a lot - and this worked really well. I disabled the digital zoom. All the pictures were taken at the highest quality so I could edit later if necessary. I took a lot of night shots of firework displays - some of the pics weren't so great - but others were very good. I would certainly recommend this to anyone wanting a convenient, easy to use camera. The menu is easy to navigate and I found the batteries lasted a long time. It's nice to be able to buy regular AA batteries to use as an emergency. I spent a lot of time in the evenings scrolling through all my pictures, so the batteries were really put to the test! I do like a viewfinder and this camera does not have one - but it really wasn't a problem and even the shots I took when I couldn't really compose the image worked well.
  
  

• Good Price but No Features & Mediocre Lens

  
  By A3EEBE82C3HYRD on 2007-06-23
  [ Revised July 14th. I would now rate this camera at 2 stars given other cameras have had price drops, making them relatively much better. ]
  
  This is the 5th digital camera I've owned and the one I've found to be the most "lacking." If you are simply looking for a point/shoot with no additional features and okay pictures (why a 7 MP then?), this will work. However, I was looking for something that was a little more than point/shoot (ie, some basic control features which seem to be the baseline of Canon cameras). I would rather take pictures with my previous Canon A85 (4 MP but better quality images).
  
  Pros:
  - 7.2 MP (although I think this is kind of silly... the number of pixels may be high but a 4 MP camera with higher quality would produce better pictures/prints)
  - mostly easy to navigate around the menus (just not much to navigate)
  - small/compact
  - cheap (price), although now the same price as cameras with significantly more features
  
  Cons:
  - no viewfinder, which is a pain when it is sunny
  - pictures are mediocre
  - colors aren't as vibrant as I hoped they'd be
  - many of the pictures are grainy, even in full sunlight
  - battery/memory card door opens very easily (too easily... opens up accidentally a lot)
  - lens distortion is pretty bad and makes panoramas a bust
  - only advantage over other introductory digital cameras is the size
  
  I hesitate to recommend this camera to anyone, however, if you are simply looking for a digital camera with ONLY point and shoot options AND that is compact, this will probably work out. Sony is looking for that niche with this camera. If you want a few more options besides point/shoot, look elsewhere.
  
  The quality isn't that of Canon -- the only advantage of this camera over a Canon A550 is that it is smaller. This camera and the Canon are, as of the review revision, the same price plus/minus a couple bucks. Advantages of the Canon include
  - creative flexibility (ie, opportunities to become a better photographer and take better pictures via mild manipulation of camera settings)
  - 4x optical zoom relative to the 3x of the Sony
  - includes a view finder (no longer standard on point and shoot cameras)
  - superior software, including "Photostitch" (phenomenal for making panoramas)
  - allows for easy point/shoot on top of the features listed above (ie, ease of use for a point/shoot is comparable with the Sony)
  
  Having owned 3 Canon A-series cameras, I would not hesitate to recommend them. They range from the price of this camera up to a few hundred for additional features/resolution... if I was buying one now I would probably just go with the A550 since 7MP and 4x optical zoom is more than enough for a point/shoot. If you have money to blow on additional features beyond what the A550 offers than I don't know why you are even considering this camera :) Other camera brands may also be good, although I am not very familiar with their offerings... I looked around briefly for some comparable cameras and I only found one non-Canon that I would consider if I was again in the market for a point/shoot: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS70S.
  
  

• Buyer Beware

  
  By A2NUSN0QI9HPOA on 2007-05-14
  Let the buyer beware, this product does not come with a memory chip. When you are reviewing all cameras you tend to forget which one comes with a memory chip and which does not. It does however let you take up to six pictures with no chip at all which is kind of nice. So before buying do some price shopping there is another Sony out there with a chip I think. But this is my second Sony and I bought it because it can take alot of abuse. My kids have dropped it, kicked it, you name it, but it still works well. This one I purchased for my job.
  
  

• Great camera except a few details...

  
  By A3H9YYFNUA0BHQ on 2007-05-23
  I bought this camera a few days ago. We had a Sony Cybershot for 3 years before this one and loved it. The S650 is a great camera, especially for the price. Takes amazing pictures and I love how it has 7mp, my old one was only 3.2mp.
  
  One downfall for the camera is that is will not imprint the date on the pictures (which is important to me, may not be to others), unless you upload them to your computer and use the Sony program and manually add the date on each picture.
  
  2nd complaint: it takes great movies with sound, but the sound can not be played back on the camera, only when it is connected to a TV or after you upload them. I like to hear the sound because I am not always around a TV to plug it into. I have little kids and I love to take videos with it and they like to watch them afterwards, but now we can't hear them.
  
  3rd complaint: when in low light situations, my old cybershot shined an orange light so you can see the subject or area you are trying to take the pic of, this one does not. You just have to shoot blindly and hope you aimed at the subject.
  
  I just don't understand why an upgraded camera would have downgraded features.
  
  All in all, I love this camera with a few minor complaints, I recommend this camera for the quality of the shots.
  
  

• Under $130 and it also takes movies...Best value so far

  
  By A66OQ16APB9DR on 2007-07-04
  Short background; I was USAF combat photographer during Viet Nam. (see www.601st.com) Got out in one piece thank G*d, went back to school and did weddings, special events, product photos, and have kept a camera close ever since. While I have studio level cameras, my old Oly digitals were all broken. My wife just last week agreed to try a digital over her film camera.
  
  I did a brief review of what was available, and started by limiting my budget to $200 or less. Since getting this "economy digital camera", I've put it through its paces, and while I was suitably impressed, I was blown over to realize that it also takes movies, automatically converting them to avi files for immediate viewing on our computers. (nice feature, although lo-res, but totally worth having in a pinch.) You'll note that previewing your shots is done through the digital, color display. You don't have an optical "view-finder", as you'd have on other cameras. The upside is that the display is true to the finished shot.
  
  And with all due respect to the few reviewers that had a problem with this camera's quality, I'd have to say, on the face of it, that either the camera lens had petroleum jelly smeared over it, the sensor was damaged in shipping or the purchaser/user needs some re-training in basic photography and reading a user's manual. As for battery issues, there are none that I can see. (I have numerous rechargable systems, but many times will use AA alkalines in pro-gear, as recharable systems can fail. You should always keep a couple Alkalines in reserve!) Being able to use AA's means you can "go anywhere in the developed World" and power it up. If you expect to leave this camera on for many hours, continually scan and view your photos, and then wonder why the batteries are spent.......then buy some new-technology rechargables.
  
  Bottom line, I couldn't find a more basic, yet suitably outfitted with options camera. I'll probably buy one this week for myself as an emergency spare. And by the way, I briefly considered the new generation "flat cameras." But, the build quality and lens quality of this model made this an easy choice. Overall; best value I could find for under $150. By the way, I also purchased a 1 gigabyte memory card. Don't expect to use the internal "minimal memory", as it just isn't big enough. Shoot all your photos in the highest resolution mode. You'll get approximately 300+ shots, 3 megabyte jpg file for each photo, on that 1 gig card. If you're smart, you'll save off your memory card whenever possible. Don't shoot your whole vacation.....and G*d forbid, lose the card or accidently damage it! That goes for ANY digital memory.
  
  
• Blurry and blown-out pictures!
  By A1DHRENPY7XVBE on 2007-03-10
  I was so dissapointed with this camera! I purchased a Sony Cybershot 3 years ago and, it had been such a great camera, I automatically thought this newer model would be great. Almost every picture I took was either blurry or the light areas of the picture were blown out! As an experienced Cybershot user, I tried all settings to fix the problem, but no luck. Terrible for capturing a child's first steps, as the description says. Would not recommend.
  
  
• great deal
  By A4RVVUOA8QFNO on 2007-03-22
  i was looking for a cheap camera and i found a great camera for a nice price... it has a lots of features that i dont know how to use yet, cuz u need to read the manual very carefully but when u know the function of every button i think is very useful camera.... great for traveling, it has been my savior in my european tour...
  one bad thing, doesnt come with rechargables batteries
  
  
• sony cybershot 7.2 megpixels GREAT!!
  By A26EQAWSTMEYLB on 2007-03-31
  This camera was a great investment. the photos turn out wonderfully. better than a regular film camera and I have kept an eye out on simular cameras...price wise we got a fantastic deal on this camera and it was well worth the price. the only problem I have found with it is that the batteries wear out soooo fast but I think all digital cameras have that problem. this is a great camera.
  
  
• Choose a different Camera!!!
  By A3UAUE3NO806Z2 on 2007-06-09
  After having to replace my cannon because of being damage due to being dropped, I had wanted to get the same, but it was no longer available, so after researching and looking at reviews, I decided on the Sony cyber shot. I was immediately dissapointed. It uses regular batteries, it comes with no charger, it doesnt take standard memory cards, it is very UN-user friendly. I took it to my sons school concert to take pictures and they all came out blurry, it is very difficult to use and the quality of pictures is poor. I ended up reselling the product and went with a Casio Exilim which I am very happy with and its very easy to use with great quality pictures. Dont waste your money on the Sony,Sony has great electronics but I wouldnt say that for their cameras.
  
  
• Excellect Decent Product
  By A3GYR4EHOAVCZQ on 2007-04-16
  I Bought this product almost a month ago, its sleek, its reliable and has all good features a good Digital Camera should.
  
  Worth the money for a Sony Camera, this camera has the usualy Seen High Quality for a SONY product.
  
  
• great camera for beginers
  By A14WY8OB3G5OGH on 2007-03-08
  considering the price this camera works great, I use it for taking family pics and is wonderful. What I dont like is the lack of zoom
  
  Great product anyway
  
  
  
  
• Great Value
  By A2NI499Z9I3UIS on 2007-05-18
  I love this camera. Easy to use. Double A batteries is so convienient. You will need to buy a memory stick. But all in all a great camera at a great price.
  
  
• Sony Cybershot S650
  By A3GAWGAX3HZKON on 2007-06-08
  This camera is top notch!
  I had one of the original Cybershots so I decided on getting a newer version.
  The pictures are amazing at 7 MP, simply amazing. Be warned though if you want to take pictures at this quality you should really get a memory stick as the internal memory will only hold 6 pictures. You can go through the settings and bring the quality down to hold more. I think you can get well over 100 pictures on VGA mode (about a normal camera phone quality)
  
  The actuall use of the camera is very easy, just like any of the Cybershots. There are a lot of different modes for different lighting situations along with landscapes, portraits ect. I have not messed with those yet but it seems to be some good add on's.
  
  The size of this camera is fantastic, fits in the palm of your hand, light as a feather.
  
  The display is beautiful also.
  
  All in all I am extremely happy with this purchase, highly reccomended.
  
  
• Great camera!!
  By AB6NZUHMT0MIG on 2007-05-23
  This camera was bought as a gift for my mother in law. She loves it! It is super-easy to use and takes beautiful pictures.
  
  
• Better Than Expected
  By A1LNZLPR9VMMNJ on 2007-06-01
  Not wanting to take my more expensive and large digital camera with me on vacation, I decided that it was time to invest in one of the new "inexpensive" digital cameras. The Sony takes surprisingly good photos and does have a lot of operator setting possible but left in automatic produced some really good imagines. For the price, you really can't beat this camera.
  
  
• Not a sony fan
  By A194KO5U0Y50LV on 2007-06-09
  Pictures were printed fuzzy on every setting I tried. They looked pretty good on the monitor but when I got my prints back from kodak gallery I wasn't a happy camper.I thought since it was a 7.2 MP that it would be better than my Canon 3.2 but I was wrong. Also the rinky dink memory card is a PIA. You might want to think twice when it comes to a Sony cybershot. I am going to buy a Canon again.
  
  
• Not the best!!
  By AL8DEROLZTA8Z on 2007-05-09
  Reviewing pictures is an extensive project, however the clarity of the pictures is excellent. Fairly nice product for the price.
  
  
• Surprised by the good reviews! Don't get this camera!
  By A3J5M34AKMCDSL on 2007-07-22
  I was given this camera as a gift a couple months ago - and I'm currently trying to decide how to tactfully tell my parents & in-laws that I'll be buying a new digital camera soon.
  
  I have taken pictures in all types of lighting, with all but one of the pre-set functions, and I have been disappointed over and over again. Luckily, I'm handy with Photoshop and can fix the color relatively well... the sharpness of the photos though - that's another issue.
  
  Problems: Color quality is not very good (especially shadows... they look green or red tinged!). Also, for a 7 MP camera, the images are NOT as sharp and crisp as one would expect. My old 4 MP camera has much better quality photos! And it has no viewfinder for sunny days when you can see the screen!
  
  Word to the wise, skip this camera and buy something else.
  
  
• Not compatible with Macintosh
  By A29IGKPIWDRKIN on 2007-08-13
  I bought this camera, plus accessories and a memory chip. I went out and took about 400 pictures. When it was time to put them into my computer I discovered it is not compatible with Macintosh. Of course I should have made sure that it was, but I find it absolutely unbelievable that a Sony product cannot be used with all operating systems.
  
  
• Love the camera!
  By A2PX0X9X48ULA6 on 2007-06-08
  My DH and I have a Cybershot which is 3.2 MP and we love that camera, but I bought this one on a whim and I love it just as much. It easily fits into my purse and is lightweight. You must purchase a memory stick to take more photos, but who wouldn't?
  
  I really recommend this camera as a great starter piece or to have as a backup on vacation.
  
  
• Great all around camera.
  By A1IUD9I0C2SPNW on 2007-07-25
  I'm no camera expert but the Sony Cybershot S650 met and exceeded my expectations. It has great, easy to use features and wonderful computer photo editing program. It was worth every penny.
  
  
• Mediocre at best.
  By ACPZ242CXC285 on 2007-08-12
  After reading all the reviews and hearing from friends with Sony cameras, I was really hoping for the best with this camera. Unfortunately, I've been very disappointed.
  
  PROS: *IF* you are taking pictures of still objects in a lot of light, then camera will probably do just fine. For example, it took some awesome pictures at a car show I went to last month. I also had good luck at the zoo. But that's about the only thing it's good for.
  
  CONS:
  
  Most importantly, even with still objects, the focus is often very soft/grainy. Before you say it, yes, I've adjusted every setting I can, and I've thoroughly read the manual. The pictures are just plain fuzzy.
  
  It's next to impossible to quickly grab focus on moving objects. (My 1-year-old niece is a perfect example.) Yes, the camera is compact, which makes it great for taking anywhere and capturing those spontaneous moments. But the time it takes to grab focus makes it difficult to capture those moments.
  
  The flash badly washes out skin tones, regardless of ambient light settings. I've been able to tweak the manual exposure setting with the flash manually turned off to get some decent photos. But again, I wanted a point-and-shoot camera, not one that requires a lot of constant tweaking.
  
  Forget the low light/ISO 1000 setting. The pictures have a tremendous amount of noise.
  
  Even with still objects in decent light, I often get a blurring/halo effect. What makes this worse is that they may look fine on the camera screen, but once I view them on my computer, I notice the blur.
  
  The lack of a viewfinder is a real pain. The screen is almost completely washed out in bright daylight.
  
  Bottom line, my experience is that I have to take MANY pictures to get a couple that MIGHT be decent. Perhaps I was expecting too much for the price, but my advice is to pony up a few more bucks and get a Cannon.
  
  
• Great little camera for a good price
  By A3AWB87WLX8OGJ on 2007-06-18
  I bought this camera for my wife about a month ago, and she absolutely loves it. The 7.2 megapixels take great pictures, and she loves the built in settings on the picture button that allow for different picture settings. I would highly recommend it for anyone who isn't a professional photog.
  
  
• Cybershot loaded with features and easy to use
  By A2Y1XGJ6K7LTHV on 2007-07-24
  We use several Sony digital cameras, but for an economical pocket camera, the Sony Cybershot S650 7.2MP has excellent picture quality and it is very easy to use. We use it under rough conditions carrying it with us backpacking in the woods or on boating/canoeing trips. We use it for closeup photography of lichens and other biological subjects, as well as wide shots, all under a variety of lighting conditions. Results are more than just satisfactory, they are excellent especially considering the price.
  
  
• Great camera..
  By A2PEWURJXNSTFV on 2007-05-28
  I love the camera !!! The pictures are nice and sharp!!!! Highly recommend!!! Thanks
  
  
• WONDERFUL DEVICE
  By A9X9CEOE96JTH on 2007-06-08
  This camera is wonderful. I absolutely love it. It is easy to use and manouver, small, compact. The only disadvantage is that there is no audio in playback, you have to hook it up to an out put device in order to hear. and another thing, it does not have an MP3 player! Bummer! would have loved that. Otherwise, I love it.
  
  
• I love this camera
  By A285553ONN0748 on 2007-06-16
  My sons recently bought this camera for me as a gift. I Love It!! It is easy to use and the pictures come out great. Wonderful product for the price.
  
  
• Great little camera
  By A5P60H1YBPXBE on 2007-06-16
  I bought this camera elsewhere for $99.00 and was a little leery of buying it without seeing it first. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to use and how fast the camera sets up to take another shot. I like that you can change the light levels easily without going through many menus. One downside is I own two digital cameras that take SD memory cards, this one uses memory sticks...I did find a reasonable 2 GB stick for $23.00. So far I am very pleased with this camera and the quality photos it takes. It is replacing my Kodak digital camera CX7530, while it still takes good shots I am having trouble with it turning on and working correctly...
  
  
• Great little camera
  By A15PNPJ2QEVP60 on 2007-06-27
  We bought this camera and have been more than happy with it's performance. We are not professional photographers, we just needed something easy, cheap, and reliable. This camera is all those things! The battery issue we heard about does not seem to be a problem, the pictures come out crisp, and it could not be easier to learn how to use. We are very pleased with this product.
  
  
• My fault for not reading!
  By A2VEORY77JC4H7 on 2007-07-13
  Great camera except.....it ONLY has an LCD screen to view the pictures so if it's really sunny out, you can't see very well. It's also not rechargeable, so if you're looking to get rid the whole battery nonsense, this is NOT the camera for you! Having said all that, you can't beat the SONY quality :) It takes great pictures and is a good buy for the price. My fault for not reading the features too in depth.
  
  

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

• Sony 1 GB Memory Stick PRO Duo Media (MSXM1GST) (Retail Package)
• Sony LCS-CSD General Carrying Case for Compatible Cybershot Digital Cameras
• SanDisk 1 GB Memory Stick Pro Duo (SDMSPD-1024-A11)
• Sony LCS-CST General Purpose Soft Carrying Case for Slim Cybershot Digital Cameras
• Sony 2 GB Memory Stick PRO Duo (MSX-M2GS) (Retail Package)