This was an expensive camera and I expected quality due not only to the price but also the Sony name. However, the camera has been a pain! It has broke twice, with the lenscover not opening or only opening partway. Also the buttons are SMALL, so if you have large fingers, pass on these models. I liked the zoom and the quality was usuallty pretty good, although defintely more blurry photos than my Canon PwerShot. The size was a bonus as it was so easy to take anywhere.We sent it to be repaired at Sony, but the same problem happened just a few weeks later and they wouldn't cover it as the warranty had expired by a day!

Cherylroni

Zimmerman, MN

this camera is great. I bring it everywhere I go, I don't even take it out of my purse, just leave it in there just in case I see something picture-worthy. I went to Hawaii a while back and loved having this camera. Every sunset was caught in a picture. It also has an awesome video playback feature. The thunderbirds did a show over wakiki while we were there and I got it all on video. This is a great product overall. I actually dropped it...the battery door is slightly edged open now but it still works perfectly. Every now and then I get a blurry picture but Overall it's an awesome camera. Convient.

one285princess

Belmont, CA

I've owned one of these for quite a few years now, and while it could certainly be better, it's been quite the little champ over time. The resolution is decent and the optical zoom is good enough for most needs. The internal memory has a decent amount of room, plus the additional SD slot makes expanding to a ton of storage very cheap and easy to do. The mode dial makes switching modes fairly painless, and each mode is fairly self-explanatory as to the presets each presumes (the right exposure and flash settings for taking pictures in snow, for example). The exposure/ISO settings themselves are fairly straightforward, and I do like that the camera's menu allows for manually setting all of the different options for better control over the results. Even nicer, each mode remembers the last setting, so you can manually tweak each mode separately. The only downside is that the quality is quite poor in low light, but that's typical of cameras like these. Overall, though, a great camera!

RibbitFroggie

Brighton, CO

The Sony Cybershot S500 is a decent little camera. Moderately priced, it has a wide variety of features, a relatively large viewing screen and takes great pictures for its size and price. The entire SONY cybershot family has a reputation for good quality at an affordable price and this camera is entirely in agreement with that reputation. I have taken many pictures that friends have sworn could be Post-Card quality, and this camera has survived a lot of beatings. A great travel/adventure camera because it has yet to break. Some of the flaws include the poor zoom quality and difficulty to work the flash, although this may be due to the rough treatment. Also the fact that it is AA battery powered is obnoxious. The short battery life is a huge inconvenience to this otherwise great little camera. I plan on moving up to a better camera, but will keep the old Sony Cybershot due to its versatility, durability and size. 

morami01

Whitesboro, NY

The thing I love about Sony is that their cameras are quality, they produce beautiful pictures that are both amazing and sharp. Whether you're wanting to just take family vacation photos, or use it in a professional setting, this camera will meet the needs of any beginner that's trying to get away from those throw away Kodak cameras. It's very easy to control, having easy to understand symbols for different settings. It's also very good for people who have used cameras before, allowing you to do it all manually and choose the ranges that you desire. I have taken so many pictures with this camera and they have always been the best, compared to the ones I've taken with my Kodak and Canon. And it's worth the price, especially since you can take as many photos as you want as long as your memory card supports it. a 2GB should be enough for anyone wanting to use it in a two week frame. The option to preview all your photos is a great thin too. Don't like a photo? Delete it!

jmlares

The Colony, TX

I got this camera after my daughter was born because I wanted something small and easy to use, something that I could carry in the diaper bag and snap a quick picture with.  After almost 3 years, it's still going strong!  I'm not too tech savvy and I found this camera very easy to use.  It is small enough to fit in my jacket pocket and it takes pretty good pictures.  The battery life is longer than other cameras that I've had too.  I got a second memory card for vacations but one holds over 300 pictures, and that's with the largest size pictures.  It's super easy for me to download the pictures so with this camera, I've found that I'm downloading on a more regular basis.  My husband has a digital camera that is such a pain to download that pictures stay on the camera for ages and are really outdated by the time we end up printing them out.  Totally not the case with my camera.  It has also held up to quite a bit of less than gentle handling - being dropped, smashed in my purse, and now handled by my daughter.   The only complaint I have is with the video feature, the video really isn't high quality at all but it can still be used to capture that spur of the moment baby dance that my daughter makes up when I don't have access to our flip video. 

sweetpea555

Oregonia, OH

         I bought a SONY CYBERSHOT Digital Camera for my 11 year old Son. My original reason for buying it was I figured he could snap away as many photos as his heart desired without sending me to the poorhouse with film and developing costs. After I saw the first set of photos he took on his class trip to the Zoo, I thought I had a photographic prodigee on my hands. The truth of the matter is that almost every shot taken with that camera comes out technically correct, and looks like some professional photographs I've seen. I tried it myself and was amazed at the results. The days of taking multiple photos just to get 1 good one are over.  We recently went to Niagra Falls, Ontario and got some breathtaking shots with huge rainbow formations as simply as it is to say "cheese".  This was one of the best purchases I ever made. The only problem is getting the camera away from my Son so I can use it!!  I guess I'll have to breakdown and buy myself one too.

wimpy

Endicott, NY