Last update 10 April’09 – Review by ComputerActive
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T500 announced on August 28, 2008 is an optical image stabilized 10.1 megapixel point-and-shoot digital camera that features a 5x optical zoom, 3.5 inch wide touch screen LCD, HD movie capture, face detection, and high ISO of 3200.
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Review Index – (updated 10 April’09)
ComputerActive
“Despite its good points the main problem with the Cybershot T500 is its price, it’s pretty expensive considering the problems with the photos it produced. Despite using it for some time, we never felt at home with the touch-sensitive display. That said, the 720p video mode is definitely a bonus and the T500 is one of the more stylish compact cameras available.”
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PhotographyBlog
“Image quality is perfectly adequate if not quite awe-inspiring, with inevitably the best results achievable when there is plenty of light around. But if what your camera looks like matters to you as much – or probably more – than how its images look, then the Sony T500 represents a fair compromise between output and form factor.”
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CNET UK
“On most cameras, movie modes are secondary features, an extra. The opposite is true for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T500. The photo quality takes an obvious backseat to the video quality, which is fine to a point since Sony’s very upfront about this camera’s movie abilities.”
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CNET
“The photo quality takes an obvious backseat to the video quality, which is fine to a point since Sony’s very upfront about this camera’s movie abilities. However, with its comparatively high cost you really have to decide what’s more important for your needs.”
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DPInterface
“All-in-all, the Sony Cyber-shot T500 takes a step forward with more bells-and-whistles (aka fancy features) and 720p recording compared to its predecessors but also a few steps back in other areas like battery life and usability. Image quality was just decent with some issues.”
Pocket-lint
“Imaging is something of a mixed bag, with noise a real problem unless you take back control from the camera. That said, feed it light and you’ll get the results you want without too many problems. Focusing is a pleasure and easy to touch focus on the fly. Indoors you need to take care to capture the image you want.”
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TrustedReviews
“Superior performance and some useful features. The HD video mode with stereo sound is superb, and the touch screen interface is one of the best on the market. Image quality is good under most normal situations, although it does suffer badly from high-ISO image noise, and its hefty price tag will limit its appeal in these straitened times. “
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Digital Camera Review
“The bottom line on the T500 is that it’s a solid camera, with quick performance and a high fun factor. Its size is hard to beat, and its movies look great and even sound alright to boot. Even considering its high price point, the T500 delivers an awful lot – probably more that’s useful, on balance, than the T700.”
PCMag
“All the shots I took between ISO 100 and 400 were sharp and clear. At ISO 400, though, subjects wearing dark colors (like navy blue) showed a little bit of noise in the form of tinges of red, green, and blue—but I could see it only when I was really searching. “
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]Sample Photos
[ISO Samples at PhotographyBlog]
[Sample Photos at DPInterface]
[Sample Photos at Pocket-lint]
[ISO Performance Photos at TrustedReviews]
[Sample Image Quality at Digital Camera Review]
Specifications
Press Release
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 28, 2008 – Sony is adding high-definition movie recording to its digital camera line with the introduction of the Cyber-shot® DSC-T500 model. This 10-megapixel camera features wide and full-screen 720p movie recording at 30 frames per second in fine, standard and VGA recording modes. This resolution is three times higher than standard-definition movies. The movie function is based on the MPEG4 AVC/H.264 codec for video compression and stereo audio. Benefits of the format include high-quality video as well as small file sizes that are easy to download, upload and share.
“Our research revealed that people like to shoot video with their point-and-shoot cameras, but were very dissatisfied with the video quality and the resulting large files,” said Phil Lubell, director of digital camera marketing at Sony Electronics. “Our new T500 fulfills this customer need for a digital camera that delivers high-quality movies in a small form factor.”
Movie capture on this model is further enhanced to include zoom while in recording mode and high-sensitivity shooting for natural- or low-light environments. The camera can continuously record a video clip up to 10 minutes in length. It can hold hours of clips by expanding the camera’s capacity with a Memory Stick® media card (media sold separately), which now has capacities up to 16 GB. It also features a dual photo and video capture mode. Simply press the photo button while in movie mode and capture up to three photos with no recording interruption.
Powerful Features for Exceptional Images
The T500 camera integrates a wide (16:9), 3.5-inch (measured diagonally), transflective, touch panel LCD screen for easy navigation, framing and viewing in strong light conditions. It has a Carl Zeiss® 5x optical zoom lens with a wide field of view (33 – 165 mm, 35 mm equivalency). It incorporates Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization and high sensitivity settings up to ISO3200 helps combat blur and facilitate flash-free shooting for natural-exposed photos. The model also incorporates face detection technology, an intelligent function that automatically detects up to eight faces in the camera frame and adjusts focus, exposure and flash.
High Definition Living
The T500 camera connects to a compatible HD television via an HDMI™ cable (sold separately). Photos and videos can be enjoyed as slide shows in high definition for a cinematic experience. Subjects can take center stage as slideshows move through sophisticated pans, fades and wipes. Slide shows are given a boost with background music, including use of up to four pre-recorded music tracks of up to five minutes in length. You can even add your own tunes, using the bundled software.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I agree with the review.Great to see the Hi Def functionality. This future proofs the Camera