Sony Cyber Shot DSC-T50 (black)

Manufacturer: Sony Part number: DSCT50B

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CNET Editor rating:
3.5 stars Very good
Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 27 reviews

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Product series; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: The Sony Cyber Shot DSC-T50 keeps the better features of the DSC-T30, but adds a touch screen interface we could've lived without.

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CNET editors' review

Sony Cyber Shot DSC-T50 (black)

price range: $216.99 - $609.33

Reviewed by: Philip Ryan
Reviewed on: 09/29/2006

The good: Optical image stabilization; solid image quality; 58MB internal memory.

The bad: Slow f/3.5 maximum aperture; too reliant on touch screen.

The bottom line: The Sony Cyber Shot DSC-T50 keeps the better features of the DSC-T30, but adds a touch screen interface we could've lived without.

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Lately, it seems as if Sony is putting out a new T-series camera every other week. The newest addition to this hip line of snapshooters is the Cyber Shot DSC-T50. Like the T30, it features a 7.2-megapixel CCD sensor; optical image stabilization; a 3X optical, 38mm-to-114mm (35mm equivalent), f/3.5-to-f/4.3 zoom lens; and sensitivity of as high as ISO 1,000. However, the instead of the T30's 2.5-inch LCD screen, the DSC-T50 includes a 3-inch touch-screen LCD. This touch screen is the only major difference between the two models, and since Sony priced them the same, it looks like you'll get to choose whether you want a touch screen or not.

Pricing the T30 and T50 identically is probably the best thing Sony could've done. As we've seen with the touch screens on Sony's camcorders, not everyone likes the interface. In general, we find it somewhat clunky and, especially on screens smaller than 3 inches, cramped. The worst part is that touch screens often aren't as responsive as hard buttons tend to be. We often ended up pressing the virtual touch-screen buttons multiple times before they worked. Sony includes a stylus, which helps a lot, but it doesn't tuck into the camera body. Instead, you're supposed to attach it to the camera's strap, and I doubt many people will actually do that. Outside of the stylus, our best advice is to keep your fingernails long enough to use them when navigating the camera's menus. The screen is more responsive to fingernails than to softer fingertips.

The menus themselves could also use some refinement. For instance, the first screen you come to includes seven choices--shooting mode, flash mode, focus mode, resolution, exposure compensation, timer on/off, and macro/magnifying glass on/off--as well as a menu button. That menu button leads you to a second level of menus, which lets you adjust other settings, such as ISO, white balance, color mode, metering mode, JPEG quality, and others, and also has a button to lead you to the Setup menu, where you can adjust even more settings. This means you have to toggle past the main menu page every time you want to change the ISO, and you have to navigate past two pages just to format a memory card or turn the red-eye reduction preflash burst on or off.

As much as I've been harping on the touch screen, my issues with it may not matter as much to you if you don't change your camera's settings. If you're the type to set your camera up once, leave everything on auto, and just press the shutter release, then the sleek, sparse design offered by the touch screen--there are a grand total of two buttons and a zoom rocker on the camera back--will probably be very appealing to you. However, given the amount of empty space, it would've made much more sense for Sony to include a few buttons next to the LCD to simplify the menu system. For instance, just including dedicated buttons for direct access to the three levels of menus would have made the camera much more usable.

The rest of the camera's features and functions are essentially the same as the T30's. In other words, we like it. You won't find manual exposure controls, but those are rare in a pocket camera like this, anyway. If Sony had added aperture- and shutter-priority modes instead of a touch screen, they would have set themselves apart from the pack in a more meaningful way. Our only real gripe would be that the 3X optical zoom lens only opens as wide as an equivalent of 38mm. With so many pocket cameras offering 28mm lenses, and given that Sony hasn't widened the zoom range since the T-series was instituted, it's definitely time for a change, and that change should also include a faster lens. At its widest angle of view, the aperture is f/3.5, while an f/2.8 lens would be better suited to low-light shooting, such as at museums, nightclubs, and indoor parties.

Speaking of low light, the DSC-T50 managed to keep noise down to usable levels, even at its top sensitivity setting of ISO 1,000. At ISO 80 and ISO 100, noise was practically nonexistent. At ISO 200, it began to creep in, but without taking away much detail. At ISO 400, it's slightly more noticeable and eats up some finer details; for example, the hash marks on the tape measure in our test scene were blurry but still distinguishable from one another when viewed at 100 percent. At ISO 800, those same hash marks blurred together and noise was very visible; and we saw only a minor increase when we boosted it to ISO 1,000. While not as desirable as images shot at lower ISOs, even at this camera's top ISO settings, the images should be suitable for 4x6-inch prints as well as monitor viewing at less than full size.

In other aspects, the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-T50's images were similarly pleasing. We witnessed images with well-saturated, accurate-looking colors and plenty of image detail at lower ISOs. The automatic white balance turned in warm results with our lab's tungsten hot lights, but the tungsten preset stepped in to save the day with much more neutral results. In actual daylight, the auto white balance served up nice, neutral colors.

Performance was fast. The time from pressing the power button to capturing its first image took 1.5 seconds, and the shot-to-shot time between subsequent images was also 1.5 seconds without flash, jumping slightly to 2.1 seconds with the flash turned on. The shutter lag measured 0.5 second in our high-contrast test, and 1.5 seconds in low-contrast conditions. Continuous shooting clocked in with 1.3fps when capturing VGA-size JPEGs, and 1.4fps when capturing 7.2-megapixel JPEGs.

If you like its touch-screen interface, then Sony's Cyber Shot DSC-T50 is a great choice in a pocket camera. If you'd rather stick with time-tested, old-fashion controls, then Sony's DSC-T30 offers everything this camera does and is just as great a choice. We suggest you go to a store and try this camera alongside the T30, if possible, before buying, though both can produce beautiful images, especially in decent lighting conditions.

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User reviews

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Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 27 reviews
My rating: 0 stars

Showing opinion 1 to 10 out of 27

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9 stars

I Can Be Like James Bond Too!

by imjustkimmie on December 4, 2006

Pros: Sleek stylish yet petite camera, flash can brighten up the whole room, 3.0" touch screen, and super steadyshot

Cons: Price, no external lens, and doesn't free stand on it's sides

Summary: I was shocked to see that the T50 was in "Casino Royale"... Interesting. Haha.

Well anyway, this camera was eye catching to many people around me. Friends are going , "Wow!

...

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Summary: I was shocked to see that the T50 was in "Casino Royale"... Interesting. Haha.

Well anyway, this camera was eye catching to many people around me. Friends are going , "Wow! It has a touch screen?!" Yes kids... it does. I was already envying over the first touch screen CyberShot, the Sony-N1... and then the Sony-N2, which happen to released the same time as the T50 (September 06). I had to choose which was good for me. Even though the Sony-N2 had 10.1 mega pixels... I thought to myself, "Do I really want make posters?!" I just needed a camera that takes pictures, load it up on the computer, and your own way to Flickr... So I knew this camera was awesome. Especially getting celebrity's autographs was easy as pie. One snap of their picture and then make them write on the screen and you'll have Paris Hilton asking if it comes in pink. Nope... but it's already sexy in black.

Bottom line...

I'm kinda upset that my camera can't free stand on it's on by it's sides only by it's bottom (so no portrait shots while using a table)... but that's what tripods and friends are for they can take a picture for you. Or... you can take your picture by yourself...

Love the slide show... I love the music that was already in it also, it seems calm and soothing. But then I can managed to put my own tunes in there which is more peppy and up to date for people my age to enjoy such a marvelous piece of pixels.

I really love this camera and it's definitely an "eye-catcher"... it has everyone looking at it and you looking at it as well... especially when you take a picture. Haha.

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6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

An awesome and sleek camera

by chris1219 on October 21, 2006

Pros: Great appearance, slim, large screen, superb image quality, fun and convenient touch screen, great lens cover.

Cons: Touch panel leaves fingerprints easily.

Summary: The Sony DSC-T50 is the best digital camera I've bought in years. It looks very cool and slim, and the black one is especially good-looking. The gorgeous 3.0" ...

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Summary: The Sony DSC-T50 is the best digital camera I've bought in years. It looks very cool and slim, and the black one is especially good-looking. The gorgeous 3.0" screen makes viewing photos a joy, and the high quality Carl Zeiss lens produces crystal clear images with rich colors. And once you get used to the touch screen, it becomes surprisingly convenient, especially when highlighting photos to delete and choosing to view a photo. The only problem is that fingerprints are inevitable. Another highlight is the ingenious lens cover, which fits perfectly and turns the camera on and off.

Overall this is an exceptional camera, and goes highly recommended.

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5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

Very Versitle

by usmc_guy on October 27, 2006

Pros: Large Touchscreen

Cons: Great Pics in low light conditions, but unless you got a steady hand, be ready for blur

Summary: Overall this is a damn good camera. I bought it because I was looking for something that would be easy to carry around and still take good pics. Sony achieved ...

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Summary: Overall this is a damn good camera. I bought it because I was looking for something that would be easy to carry around and still take good pics. Sony achieved just that with this cam. It has MANY bells and whistles. The price is a little high, but what can you expect from Sony. I suggest, that if you buy this camera, opt in for the 4GB stick. Each picture averages about 3-4MB each if you are using the 7.2MP. And why wouldnt you use max Resolution. I dont see the point of spending 500 on a cam, if you are going to use anything less than 7.2MP. To sum it up, Great cam, worth every penny I Spend. BTW, I bought an extra battery just in case, but the one that comes with it has a pretty good life . I think the infoLithium screen estimated about 300 mins of use, which was more than enough for my 1 week vacation I took.

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5 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 stars

Sony Styles It Up

by ha-evolution on November 10, 2006

Pros: Touch Screen LCD, Anti-shake, Flash

Cons: Could be a bit thinner?

Summary: I really like this camera alot. I had the DSC-T1 and this blows it away. The touch screen actually is an improvement over all the little hard to decipher buttons ...

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Summary: I really like this camera alot. I had the DSC-T1 and this blows it away. The touch screen actually is an improvement over all the little hard to decipher buttons on the DSC-T30. Picture quality is great and the image stabilization helps alot in low light shots. I was also surprised at how strong the flash was for a compact camera. I'm dumping my DSC-V3 as it's not necessary anymore!

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4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Sleek and easy to use

by lnguye5 on November 21, 2006

Pros: 3inch LCD touch screen, functions, quality

Cons: Finger prints on screen.

Summary: First thing you will notice on this digi. cam is the huge 3in LCD screen. The shell looks really nice in black and built with high quality material. One thing ...

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Summary: First thing you will notice on this digi. cam is the huge 3in LCD screen. The shell looks really nice in black and built with high quality material. One thing I don't like is the finger prints on the screen when you turn it off, kind of annoying.
You can't get an easier cam to operate than this one, everything is clearly layed out and the touch screen is very responsive. I love all the functions on this camera especially when you can download music files to listen while watching the slideshow, also, the paint function is fun to do.
Picture quality is hands down one of the best out there, 7.2mp is more than you will ever need for a point and shoot camera, you can print huge posters with it if you desired. One other thing, I would recomment buying a 2gig MS Duo Pro or bigger because it will eats up your memmory fast. Battery life is very good, it shows you the number of minutes you have left on your battery life, which is more pratical than those vertical bars or that shape of the battery.
Bottom line, this is a very stylist and sleek looking camera, one you should feel free to share with your friends when you are out and about in the clubs or bars. It's very easy to use both the camera and the operating software, battery life is good and picture quality is really good, one of the best. I'm very satisfied with my purchase, worth every pennies.
Updated
Having own this camera for more than a month now, I have to let you all know that the Red Eye Reduction feature on this camera DOESN"T WORK! It is very annoying and you don't expect this to happen when you pay $400 for the camera. I have written a complaint to Sony and i'm waiting for their respond. Besides the problem with most of my subjects in the picture having devilish eyes, everything else is still awesome. Please let me know if you have the same problem.
Updated
Having own this camera for more than a month now, I have to let you all know that the Red Eye Reduction feature on this camera DOESN"T WORK! It is very annoying and you don't expect this to happen when you pay $400 for the camera. I have written a complaint to Sony and i'm waiting for their response. Besides the problem with most of my subjects in the picture having devilish eyes, everything else is still awesome. Please let me know if you have the same problem.

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2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 stars

oh wow ... this blew me away !!!

by Suggalipz on November 9, 2006

Pros: memory, image stablization, quality of pictures, touch screen

Cons: umm...... oh wait ... the only way to edit pics on the camera is through paint ... but thats expected

Summary: AWESOME !!!! .... touch screen isnt a disadvantage at all in fact it's easy to navigate and find what you need by the second time you use the camera this camera ...

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Summary: AWESOME !!!! .... touch screen isnt a disadvantage at all in fact it's easy to navigate and find what you need by the second time you use the camera this camera is excelent ... and exactly what you would need in a point and shot camera .. if you can afford it

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2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

Awesome Touch Screen & Steady Shot Mode

by MiniCooperSupercharge on November 5, 2006

Pros: Lovely Screen! Only $365 at warehouse123.com

Cons: Video mode! Auto white balance!

Summary: When the camera is set to full automatic point and shoot, the lag time is pretty much unnoticeable. This is a portable product which we use weekly to take pictures ...

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Summary: When the camera is set to full automatic point and shoot, the lag time is pretty much unnoticeable. This is a portable product which we use weekly to take pictures of my daughter so we do not miss any memorable moment. highly recommended for
any parent.

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2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Great Camera!!!!

by sexyrada on October 28, 2006

Pros: Everything!!!! Perfect Image Quality, Great Toch Screen Operation and Stylish

Cons: Fingerprints, Expensive

Summary: This camera is awesome, The image quality is great. The battery perfomance is the best. The paint function is great. Is very stylish and compact. The only problem is some ...

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Summary: This camera is awesome, The image quality is great. The battery perfomance is the best. The paint function is great. Is very stylish and compact. The only problem is some fingerprints, but with the LCD on you dont see them. It have a lot of great feautures. I think Im the only one in Puerto Rico who have this camera. The best camera of the year!!!!

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2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
8 stars

very cool camera

by bambamrck on January 1, 2007

Pros: touch screen is alot easier to use the the review leads you to believe

Cons: Id love to see a compact camera with better zoom and oh yea peace on earth lol.

Summary: Great camera, good picture quality, very compact, touch screen is easy to use, very straight forward and cool looking

Summary: Great camera, good picture quality, very compact, touch screen is easy to use, very straight forward and cool looking

1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
5 stars

Terrible Flash Pics, Excellent Daytime Pics

by gary1580 on September 11, 2008

Pros: Touch Screen, compact size, slick design, excellent daytime photos

Cons: Terrible flash photos, red eye feature does not reduce red eye whatsoever, white spots on majority of flash photos

Summary: I've had this camera for 2 years now and I absolutely love the touch screen interface. That was the main reason why I chose this camera. It takes excellent ...

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Summary: I've had this camera for 2 years now and I absolutely love the touch screen interface. That was the main reason why I chose this camera. It takes excellent pictures outdoors. All my friends compliment the quality. However, when you take pictures at night with flash, almost every single picture has red eye even when the red eye reduction feature is on. Additionally, many pictures have white spots on them when the flash is on. I'm very disappointed that it isn't a good all around camera but I'm happy with the quality it takes outdoors.

I do not recommend this camera unless you intend on taking all of your pictures outdoors.

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Showing opinion 1 to 10 out of 27

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Specifications

Manufacturer: Sony
Part number: DSCT50B
Description: Take your best shot with the super-slim Cyber-shot DSC-T50. Powerful, yet small enough to carry in your pocket, this ultra-compact 7.2 megapixel camera is doubly effective at reducing blur. Share your photos as slide shows set to music with family and friends on the huge 3.0" Clear Photo LCD Plus screen. Featuring Super SteadyShot Optical Image Stabilization and high ISO sensitivity, the DSC-T50 captures beautiful shots without a flash where a flash is not permitted or might disrupt the mood. The DSC-T50 also comes equipped with a precision Carl Zeiss 3X Optical/2X Digital zoom lens and 56 MB internal memory for capturing images without a flash memory card.

General
Product Type Digital camera
Color Black
Weight 4.6 oz
Width 3.7 in
Depth 0.9 in
Height 2.2 in
Body Material Metal
Main Features
Resolution 7.2 megapixels
Image stabilizer feature Optical stabilization helps prevent blurry pictures, especially for handheld cameras at slow shutter speeds or when using high optical zoom. This camera utilizes built-in Super SteadyShot stabilization to assist in taking sharper pictures.
Sensor resolution 7.2 megapixels
Optical Sensor Type Super HAD CCD
Effective Sensor Resolution 7,201,000 pixels
Total Pixels 7,410,000 pixels
Optical Sensor Size 1/2.5 in
Light Sensitivity ISO 200, ISO 1000, ISO 800, ISO auto, ISO 400, ISO 80, ISO 100
Digital Zoom 2 x
Shooting Modes Frame movie mode
Shooting Programs High sensitivity, Twilight portrait, Twilight mode, Soft snap, Landscape, Beach, Hi-speed shutter, Snow, Fireworks
Special effects Vivid, Black & White, Sepia, Neutral
Max Shutter Speed 1/1000 sec
Min Shutter Speed 1 sec
Exposure Metering Center-weighted, Multi-pattern, Spot
Exposure Modes Automatic, Program
Exposure Compensation ?2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps
Auto Exposure Bracketing 3 steps
White Balance Automatic, Presets
White Balance Presets Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, Flash, Daylight
Digital video format MPEG VX
Still Image Format JPEG
Continuous Shooting Speed 1.1 frames per second=1.3 frames per second
Color support Color
Image Stabilizer Optical (Super Steady Shot)
TV Tuner None
Video Capture MPEG - 160 x 112, MPEG - 640 x 480
Memory / Storage
Flash Memory 56 MB Flash - Integrated (soldered memory - 56 MB )
Floppy Drive None
Image Storage 1632 x 1224, 2048 x 1536, Fine JPEG 3072 x 2304, Standard 2592 x 1944
Flash memory 56 MB - Integrated
Memory soldered size 56 MB
Supported Flash Memory Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo
Lens System
Type Zoom lens - 6.33 mm - 19 mm - F/3.5-4.3
Focal Length 6.33 mm - 19 mm
Lens Construction 9 group(s) / 11 element(s)
Lens Manufacturer Carl Zeiss
Additional Features
Self Timer Yes
Self Timer Delay 10 sec, 2 sec
Additional Features Cropping an image, USB 2.0 compatibility, Display brightness control, DPOF support, Audio recording, PictBridge support, RGB primary color filter, Digital noise reduction, Built-in speaker, Resizing an image, Direct print, Contrast control, Sharpness control, Touch-screen control, Digital image rotation, Auto power save
Camera Flash
Effective Flash Range 4 in - 19.7 ft
Type Built-in flash
Flash Modes Flash OFF mode, Fill-in mode, Slow synchro, Auto mode, Red-eye reduction
Red Eye Reduction Yes
Effective flash range 4 in - 19.7 ft
Features AF illuminator, Flash +/- compensation
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Type None
Display
Type LCD display - TFT active matrix - 3 in - Color
Mounting Built-in
Resolution 230,000 pixels
Digital Player (Recorder)
Type None

Microphone
Type Microphone - Built-in
Technology Electret condenser
Mode Mono
Connections
Connector Type 1 x Composite video/audio output, 1 x USB, 1 x DC power input
Expansion Slot(s) 1 x Memory Stick PRO Duo
Lens Systems
Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
Type Zoom lens
Focal length 6.33 mm - 19 mm
Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera 38 - 114 mm
Focus adjustment Automatic, Manual
Auto Focus Points (Zones) 5
Min Focus Range 19.7 in
Macro Focus Range 1-50cm
Lens Aperture F/3.5-4.3
Optical Zoom 3 x
Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
Lens construction 9 : 11
Features Aspherical lens
Miscellaneous
Cables Included USB cable, A/V cable
Included Accessories Stylus, Wrist strap
Min Operating Temperature 32 ?F
Max Operating Temperature 104 ?F
Power
Power Device Battery charger - External
System Requirements for PC Connection
Operating system MS Windows ME, MS Windows XP, MS Windows 2000, Apple Mac OS X 10.1 or later
Peripherals USB port, CD-ROM drive
Battery
Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery - 1220 mAh ( Included )
Software
Type Sony Picture Motion Browser, Drivers & Utilities, Sony Picture Package

Sony Cyber Shot DSC-T50 (black)

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