Sony Cyber-shot® DSC-S500 6-megapixel digital camera

General Features
Recording Images
Viewing, Editing and Printing Images
Supplied Software

General Features

Memory Stick Compatibility: This camera is compatible with the following recording media: Memory Stick Duo, MagicGate Memory Stick Duo, and Memory Stick PRO Duo. All compatible of Memory Stick Duos can be used to record still pictures and moving images with audio. This camera has been tested to support up to 4GB Memory Stick PRO DUO.

25 MB Internal Memory: This camera has 32 MB of internal memory. Even when there is no Memory Stick Duo inserted in the camera, you can record images using the internal memory. This memory is not removable.

Image Recording Format: The camera records still images in JPEG format. Moving images with audio (monaural) are recorded in MPEG1.

Imaging Device: For optimal image quality, the camera uses a 1/2.5" 6.0 Mega-Pixel (Effective) Super HAD color CCD imaging device with approximately 6.183 million gross pixels and 6.003 million effective pixels. More megapixels give you more detail and definition when you make big prints or crop in tight on your subject. The Sony advanced Super HADT (Hole Accumulated Diode) CCD design allows more light to pass to each pixel, increasing sensitivity and reducing noise.

LCD Screen: The DSC-S500 has a 2.4" color LCD screen with 110,000 pixels. The LCD screen allows you to view an image before taking a picture and replay images that have been stored in memory.

Lens: The lens has a 3x optical zoom and a focal length of 5.4mm to 16.2mm, which is equivalent to 32mm to 96mm in 35mm photography.

Digital Zoom: In this mode, the camera enlarges the image seen at 3x optical zoom. There are two choices as to how the digital zoom will work:

• Smart Zoom: When the zoom exceeds 3x, enlargement can be carried out using a "Smart" zoom, which intelligently uses the full CCD to let you zoom into the portion of interest by cropping the image size, thus avoiding the image degradation found in most digital zooms. The maximum zoom scale depends upon the image size. When the image is VGA size (640 x 480), the digital zoom is 4.3x, and coupled with the optical zoom gives you a total zoom of 13x. For images shot using 2 or 3 Megs, the total zoom will be 5.1x and 4.1 respectively. You cannot use smart zoom with images being shot in 6M (2816 x 2112) or 3:2 (2816 x 1872) sizes. Note: When using this zoom, the image on the camera screen may look rough; however, this phenomenon has no effect of the actual image.
• Precision Digital Zoom: With this zoom, all image sizes can be enlarged up to a maximum of 6x, but the image quality may be affected.

AF Mode: Is a center weighted Auto Focus

Macro Focus: For close-ups of small objects such as flowers and insects, this camera has macro focus capability. With the zoom set all the way to wide, the camera can focus on objects up to 2" from the lens. With the zoom set all the way to telephoto, the camera can focus on objects up to 13-7/8" from the lens.

Auto Power-Off: If you do not operate the camera for approximately 3 minutes, it will turn off automatically to conserve battery power.

Date and Time: Each time you take a picture, the camera records the date and time on the still image. The date and time do not appear on the LCD screen or in the viewfinder while you are shooting. Instead, the date and time appear when you replay the stored image. This feature can be turned off.

Battery Information: The DSC-S500 comes with two "AA" alkaline batteries. Under normal operating conditions the batteries have the following capacity:

Recording Images

Shooting Modes: The camera features the following shooting modes:

• Auto: The camera automatically adjusts the focus, exposure and white balance.
• Program Auto Shooting Mode (P): Allows you to shoot with automatic exposure (you can adjusts both shutter speed and aperture).
• Twilight: This mode is used for shooting a distant subject at night.
• Twilight Portrait: This mode is used for shooting people in the foreground at night.
• Soft Snap: This mode lets you shoot the color of a person's skin with a bright, warm color tone.
• Landscape: This mode is used for shooting landscapes at a distance.
• Beach: This mode is for shooting at seaside or the lakeside.
• Candle: This mode shoots the atmosphere of candlelit scenes.

Picture Effects: When desired, you can select one of the following picture effects:

• Sepia: The picture is sepia-toned like an old photograph.
• B & W: The image is recorded in monochrome.

Saturation Effect: Brightens or darkens the color level of the image you are shooting.

Sharpness Effect: Sharpens or softens the image you are shooting.

Still images: Images are recorded as JPEG files. You can record images in the normal mode (one shot at a time) or in the Burst mode (3 images at a time). The table shows the approximate number of still images and the length of time for movies that can be recorded on a Memory Stick PRO:

Burst Mode: Records three consecutive images in succession when you press the shutter button. The approximate interval is approximately 2 fps for 6M (fine) images and 1 fps for VGA (standard) images.

QVGA Movie Mode: Besides recording still images, you can also record moving images with sound. Moving images are recorded in the AVI format. The image size is 320 x 240, at 30 fps. You can also record movies in macro mode for excellent closeups. If you want to be in the movie, you can use the camera's self-timer feature.

Built-in microphone/speaker: The DSC-S500 digital camera has a built-in microphone and speaker for recording and listening to the movies that you record.

Flash Modes: The flash can be set to Auto, Forced Flash On, Flash Forced Off, Slow Synchro, or No Flash. In Auto mode, the flash automatically strobes when the surroundings are dark. When the flash is set to Forced On, it strobes with every shot. In Slow Synchro, the flash is used regardless of the amount of ambient light, but the shutter speed is slower under dark conditions, allowing you to clearly shoot a background that is out of the flash-lit area. Flash Forced Off turns off the flash.

Flash Range: The recommended distance using the flash is 19.75" to 8.23' with the zoom set to wide and 19.75" to 6.56' with the zoom set to telephoto.

Red-Eye Reduction: Using the flash, this setting causes the flash to pre-strobe before shooting to reduce the red-eye phenomenon. 

EV Compensation: This mode allows you to change the brightness of the image you are shooting depending on lighting conditions. Beside having an automatic setting, you can adjust the value from -2.0 EV to +2.0 EV, with 1/3 EV incremental steps.

ISO Speed: The ISO speed can be set to Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, or 1000. When shooting under dark conditions or shooting a fast-moving subject, you should use a high number setting. When recording high-quality images, use a low number setting.

Metering Modes: You can select Spot or Multi-pattern Metering. Spot metering lets you adjust the exposure to the subject, even when the subject is backlit or when there is strong contrast between the subject and the background. When multi-pattern metering is used, the image is divided into multiple regions and metering is performed in each region. The camera judges the subject position and background brightness, and determines a well-balanced exposure.

White Balance: When the white balance is set to auto, the white balance is set automatically in response to the condition of the subject, and the overall color balance is adjusted. When shooting under special lighting conditions, you can select the settings manually. In addition to Auto, the white balance can be set to Incandescent, Fluorescent, Daylight, and Cloudy.

Viewing, Editing and Printing Images

Viewing Images: Still and moving images can be played back on the camera's color LCD screen, or the images may be transferred to a computer, where they can be displayed or manipulated with the use of compatible software.

Index Mode: In addition to viewing images one-by-one in full screen, you can view multiple images at once in the index mode. This feature lets you to display nine images at a time, allowing you to easily find the image you want.

Slide Show: The Slide Show function lets you play back images one after the other. The interval between the pictures can be adjusted, allowing you to choose 3, 5, 10, and 30 seconds or 1 minute. You can select Folder play (all images in the selected folder) or All play (all images on the Memory Stick Duo). When repeat is selected, the images are replayed in a continuous loop.

Deleting/Protecting Images: You can delete a selected image, or you can delete all the unprotected images at once. In order to avoid accidentally deleting an image, it can be protected.

Playback Zoom: You can enlarge a recorded still image up to five times the size of the original image. To select the area to be enlarged, you can move the enlargement "frame" up/down/left/right with the arrow buttons, and adjust the zoom with the W/T button. You cannot enlarge movies or images recorded in multi-burst mode.

Rotate Images: After am image is captured, you can rotate the image by 90 degrees increments, either clockwise or counter-clockwise.

Resizing Images: After an image is captured (still images only), you can resize the picture and save it as a new file. Images can be resized to 6M, 3M, 2M and VGA. The original image is retained even after resizing. You cannot resize a picture to a 3:2-sized image, and if you resize a 3:2-sized image, black bands will appear at the top and bottom of the image.

Print Mark: You can place a print mark on still images recorded with this camera. This mark is convenient when you have images printed at a shop that conforms to the DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) standard.

Exif Print (Exif 2.21): The DSC-S500 conforms to "Exif Print", a worldwide standard. Vital camera settings (such as: exposure mode, white balance, exposure time) and scene data are recorded to the image file when it is captured. Printers compatible with "Exif Print" are able to use this information to produce high quality photographs, exactly the way they were intended at the time of capture. This intelligent communication process also allows the printer to correct for poor lighting or mistakes, resulting in photos that can be even better than the originals.

PictBridge Printing Capability: Using the supplied USB cable, you can connect this camera directly to a PictBridge compliant printer. PictBridge is a standard that allows you to connect a PictBridge compliant camera directly to a PictBridge compliant printer and make prints, regardless of brand.

PRINT Image Matching III: PRINT Image Matching III (P.I.M. III), a technology developed--and recently updated--by Seiko Epson Corporation, ensures that P.I.M. III-enabled digital cameras and printers work together perfectly to produce the best possible prints. After an image is captured, the camera automatically tags the picture with 14 optimal image settings and includes it as part of the Exif Print header in the JPEG file. A P.I.M. III-enabled photo printer reads and utilizes the information in order to make the most accurate print.

Supplied Software

Software: The DSC-S500 comes with Cyber-shot Viewer, which allows you to do the following:

• Import images shot with the camera and display them on your computer
• Organize images on the computer into a calendar by shooting date
• Retouch, print, and send still images as e-mail attachments

System Requirements: The supplied software can be used on a Windows PC and on a Macintosh. Your Windows computer must have these minimum system requirements:

• Operating System: Windows 2000 Professional, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows XP Home Edition, or Windows XP Professional Edition pre-installed
• CPU: Pentium III 500 MHz or faster, 128 MB of RAM or more (recommended: Pentium III 800 MHz or faster and 256 MB of RAM or more)
• Software: DirectX 9.0c or later
• Memory: 128 MB or more (256 MB is recommended)
• Hard Disk: 200 MB or more
• Sound: 16-bit stereo sound card with stereo speakers
• Display: 800 x 600 dots or more colors; High Color (16-bit color, 65,000 colors) or more

Macintosh:

• Operating System: OS 9.1, 9.2 or Mac OS X (v 10.0 or later)