Cyber-shot DSC-WX500

Released 2015

An eighteen-megapixel pocket travel camera with a thirty-times ZEISS zoom, manual exposure and a screen that flips up for self-portraits.

Type: Compact
Sensor: 1/2.3-type
Megapixels: 18.2
Lens: 24–720 mm equivalent
Video: 1920 × 1080 at 60 fps
Body weight: 209 g

What reviewers say

Both reviews praised the portable thirty-times zoom, fast autofocus, tilting screen and battery life, while criticising the limited grip. Photography Blog found detailed images and good high-ISO performance for a small sensor. ePHOTOzine was more cautious, reporting visible noise even at low ISO and softer telephoto detail, with resized images preferable above ISO 800.

From ephotozine.com, ephotozine.com, ephotozine.com and photographyblog.com

Specifications

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Image and sensor

Camera type: Compact
Sensor format: 1/2.3-type
Sensor type: Exmor R CMOS
Effective resolution: 18.2 MP
Largest image: 4896 × 3672
RAW recording: No
Standard ISO range: 80–3200
Sensor detail: 1/2.3-type back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS; approximately 18.2 million effective and 21.1 million total photosites. Optical format is not physical dimensions
Image formats: JPEG with Fine or Standard compression; maximum 4896 × 3672 in 4:3, 4896 × 3264 in 3:2, 4896 × 2752 in 16:9 or 3664 × 3664 in 1:1. Sweep Panorama standard, wide or 360-degree up to 11520 × 1080
ISO detail: Single-exposure settings ISO 80–3200, Auto ISO 80–3200. Multi Frame NR extends to ISO 6400/12800 through processed overlaid burst exposures
Image processor: BIONZ X

Lens and shooting

Built-in lens: 24–720 mm equivalent
Maximum aperture: f/3.5–6.4
Optical zoom: 30×
Stabilisation: Optical lens stabilisation
Lens detail: ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* thirty-times optical zoom, eleven elements in ten groups including five aspherical elements; five-blade iris, actual 4.1–123 mm. Equivalent 24–720 mm in 4:3, 25–750 mm in 3:2, 26.5–795 mm in 16:9 or 27.5–825 mm in 1:1. Movie 16:9 Standard 26.5–795 mm, Active 28–1180 mm, Intelligent Active 31–1210 mm; 4:3 Standard 32.5–975 mm, Active 34.5–1450 mm, Intelligent Active 38–1480 mm
Autofocus: Contrast-detection AF-S; AF-C only in Advanced Sports and movie modes. Nine-point Wide, centre, Flexible Spot S/M/L and Expand Flexible Spot, with Lock-on AF; approximately 5 cm minimum focus wide or 250 cm telephoto
Shutter: Intelligent Auto 4–1/2000 second; Program Auto 1–1/2000 second; aperture priority 8–1/2000 second; shutter priority and manual 30–1/2000 second
Burst detail: Maximum approximately 10 fps at full resolution for ten frames; this is a brief buffered burst rather than sustained continuous shooting. Some modes prevent burst shooting, and flash reduces its speed
Stabilisation detail: Optical SteadyShot for photographs. Intelligent Active movie mode combines optical and electronic compensation, including rotation correction; Sony’s five-axis launch claim applies to movies and includes electronic correction
Flash: Built-in manually raised pop-up flash, Auto, forced, slow-sync, rear-sync or off; ISO Auto range approximately 0.3–5.4 m wide or 2.5–3 m telephoto
Exposure controls: Intelligent Auto, Superior Auto, Program Auto, aperture priority, shutter priority, manual, Memory Recall 1/2/3, scenes, panorama and automatic/scene movie modes. ±3 EV in 1/3 EV steps; wide-angle F3.5–F8 in aperture priority or manual. Thirteen still-image Picture Effects

Video

Highest video resolution: 1920 × 1080 at 60 fps
Video detail: Maximum 1920 × 1080 progressive at 60p NTSC or 50p PAL. XAVC S up to 50 Mbps; AVCHD up to 28 Mbps and MP4 up to 28 Mbps. Japan also lists 1080p30/p24 XAVC S, interlaced AVCHD and 720p30 MP4; regional frame rates differ and PAL/NTSC can be switched. XAVC S requires a Class 10 or faster SDXC card. Approximately 29-minute clip limit; MP4 28M reaches its 4 GB limit in approximately 20 minutes. Optical zoom works during recording; 4K output is still photographs only
Audio: Built-in stereo microphone and mono speaker; XAVC S LPCM two-channel, AVCHD Dolby Digital two-channel or MP4 AAC-LC two-channel audio

Screen and viewfinder

Viewfinder: None
Screen size: 3″
Screen dots: 921,600
Touchscreen: No
Tilting screen: Yes
Display detail: 3.0-type Xtra Fine TFT LCD with 921600 dots, manual five-step brightness; tilts upward approximately 180 degrees for self-portraits. No touchscreen or viewfinder

Connections and design

Wi-Fi: Yes
Battery life (maker's claim): 400 photographs
Body weight: 209 g
Release detail: Released in 2015. Sony’s 7 May Hong Kong announcement scheduled mid-June launch after a pre-order period; the prospective date does not establish the actual first on-sale day or month
Recording media: SD, SDHC and SDXC with UHS-I support, microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC with adapters, Memory Stick Duo/PRO Duo/PRO-HG Duo and Memory Stick Micro with an adapter
Ports: Multi/micro-USB terminal with USB 2.0 Hi-Speed; micro-HDMI output
Wireless connections: Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g/n at 2.4 GHz and NFC Forum Type 3 Tag for one-touch pairing; smartphone transfer/remote control, TV viewing and computer transfer with compatible software. PlayMemories Camera Apps support and Eye-Fi; no GPS
Battery life detail: Supplied NP-BX1; approximately 400 photographs or 200 minutes under CIPA conditions, approximately 75 minutes actual movie use or 110 minutes continuous movie use, distinct from per-clip limits
Charging: In-camera USB charging and external USB power with supplied AC adapter and battery fitted
Dimensions: 101.6 × 58.1 × 35.5 mm (width × height × depth), CIPA compliant
Weight detail: Approximately 209 g body-only; approximately 236 g including NP-BX1 and Memory Stick Duo
Colours: Black, white or red; regional choices differ
In the box: NP-BX1, AC-UB10C/UB10D, micro-USB cable, wrist strap and instructions; regional contents differ

Pros and cons

Pros

24–720 mm equivalent optical zoom
Tilting screen, Wi-Fi and NFC
Manual exposure and 400-shot CIPA battery claim

Cons

No RAW recording or viewfinder
No touchscreen
Fast shooting limited to ten frames

Closest rivals

Model	Type	Sensor	Megapixels	Lens	Video	Body weight	Released
SonyCyber-shot DSC-HX90V	Compact	1/2.3-type	18.2	24–720 mm equivalent	1920 × 1080 at 60 fps	218 g	Jun 2015
SonyCyber-shot DSC-HX60V	Compact	1/2.3-type	20.4	24–720 mm equivalent	1920 × 1080 at 60 fps	246 g	Mar 2014
SonyCyber-shot DSC-HX80	Compact	1/2.3-type	18.2	24–720 mm equivalent	1920 × 1080 at 60 fps	–	Apr 2016

Sources

Photo: Sony Japan official black product photograph; native source 626 × 470 pixels.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX500, rear Fn button close-up: Sony Japan exact-model physical hardware crop; adjacent composition and reflection floor excluded, native hardware RGB retained

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