Sony Cybershot DSC-S950 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom with Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization (Silver)

by Sony

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 6.2 x 2.2 inches ; 1.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B001O9ARCC
• Item model number: DSC-S950
• Batteries: 1 Lithium ion batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,080 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 8, 2009

Product Description

Color: Silver

From the Manufacturer

Take this fashionable camera with you wherever you go. The Cyber-shot DSC-S950 brings you a variety of intelligent features in a compact, easy-to-use design. Face Detection technology automatically detects up to eight faces and optimizes focus and exposure settings while a 4x optical zoom lens and 10.1-megapixel resolution deliver crisp, clear images.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950 Highlights

10.1-megapixel Super HAD CCD Image Sensor
A powerful 10.1-megapixel, 1/2.3-inch Super HAD CCD image sensor helps you capture gorgeous images with superb contrast and clarity down to the finest detail. With 10.1 megapixels, you can create stunning, photo-quality prints up to A3 size, or crop your images and still come away with high resolution shots.

4x Optical Zoom Lens
4x optical zoom lens captures sharp images, even from a distance, and enables close-up shooting up to just under 2 inches (5cm) from the subject.

2.7-inch LCD display (230k pixels)
A large 2.7-inch (230K pixels) LCD display features sharp, natural color that makes it easy to compose shots, read menus, and view photos.

Face Detection technology
Face Detection technology detects up to eight individual faces and adjusts focus and exposure to deliver crisp, properly lit images of family and friends.

SteadyShot image stabilization in action

SteadyShot digital image stabilization
SteadyShot digital image stabilization compensates for camera shake and helps prevent blur by capturing two photos at high shutter speeds and combining them into a single crisp, clear image.

High Sensitivity Mode (ISO 3200)
High ISO allows for faster shutter speed, so you can take photos indoors or in low light without the need for a flash. In addition to High Sensitivity Mode (ISO), you can select up to eight ISO settings (Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200) when shooting in Program Auto Mode to adjust sensitivity to your shooting conditions.

Scene Selection modes
Choose from seven convenient Scene Selection modes to quickly adjust for specific shooting conditions, including High Sensitivity, Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, Soft Snap, Snow, and Beach.

Easy Shooting Mode
With Easy Shooting Mode, even beginners can take great photos. In Easy Shooting Mode, easy-to-understand basic instructions are displayed on the LCD screen and the camera switches to all automatic settings so you can just take the picture without worrying about settings.

Histogram display
Histogram display gives you more control over your images with the ability to optimize exposure adjustments for better detail in both light and dark areas of a photo.

Function Guide
This beginner-friendly optional function helps navigate through the various functions and settings displaying the description of chosen functions or settings on the LCD screen.

Lithium-ion battery
Included lithium-ion battery provides added convenience with longer lasting power than alkaline batteries.

In-Camera Retouching Tools
Retouch and enhance your photos on the go with in-camera Trimming and Red-Eye Correction functions.

Multi-purpose Resize function The Multi-purpose Resize function lets you change the aspect ratio of an image right in the camera, so you can adjust images as necessary, whether you want to display them on a compatible HDTV, e-mail them or upload them to a blog (PC with internet connection required).

Direct Playback Button
Direct Playback Button provides one-touch ability to review images while shooting, or quickly start up Playback Mode from power-off status.

Picture Motion Browser ver. 4.0
Sony PMB (Picture Motion Browser ) software2 provides a simple, easy-to-use way to transfer video and still images to your PC, as well as sort, edit, and output to data disc and the Web (PC with internet connection required). Finding your images with PMB is easy with Calendar view and Face Search. Face Search allows you to filter by faces (one or many) and also a specific person’s face. Share images and videos on popular sharing sites with Media Services function.

What's in the Box

• Rechargeable Battery NP-BK1
• Battery Charger BC-CSK / BC-CSKA
• Wrist Strap
• Picture Motion Browser
• Dedicated A/V Cable
• Dedicated USB Cable

Product Description

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950 brings you a variety of intelligent features in a compact, easy-to-use design. Face Detection technology automatically detects up to eight faces and optimizes focus and exposure settings, while a 4x optical zoom lens and 10.1 megapixel resolution deliver crisp, clear images.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Flash bulb was defective, but otherwise great, March 23, 2009

By 

Corey Scott (Rocklin, California, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sony Cybershot DSC-S950 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom with Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization (Black) (Electronics)

My rating doesn't reflect the fact that the flash bulb in mine was doa, because that could just as easily happen to any camera... It's just a little annoying that their QC department didn't catch it. Anyways, Amazon is sending me a new one, and letting me use this one until the new one gets here.

The quality is great overall. Using ISO100 mode with a quick shutter speed produces an awesome quality outdoor scenery shot. For indoors, I found that using the automatic shutter settings worked best, and indeed worked well. I took a photo of a $5 bill (fitting the whole bill in the frame), and was able to clearly read the little "united states of america" written in the border around Lincoln's portrait. In fact, I could even see the ink bleed on each of the little letters. For outdoor shots, the 4x zoom doesn't seem to cost the photos any quality, and could even show some details better than i could see them with my own eyes, and I have perfect vision.

With that said, there are a couple points which i don't like about the camera. First, the quality of photos drops dramatically when you use an ISO setting much higher than 100. Don't even bother with the ISO3200, it looks substantially worse than a cell phone camera. I also don't like that it's one of sony's only cameras that doesn't have a Carl-Zeiss lens. I was so used to Sony cameras using one, that I was surprised to find out that mine doesn't. The Sony lens that it uses seems to work very well though, it may not even be noticeably different. I also don't like that you have to remove the battery to charge it. You can buy an additional charger that plugs directly into the camera, but why wouldn't they just give you one in the first place? If i wanted to pay another $20 for that, then i would've just paid an extra $20 towards a more expensive camera to begin with.

Overall I really like this camera, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a very cheap, but decent quality camera. I am using mine with an 8GB Sandisk Memory Stock Pro Duo, which holds 1900 photos at full resolution, or 5.5 hours of video.

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Update: Amazon was out of this camera, so they refunded my money, and I got a Sony DSC-W290 instead, which I am much happier with overall. It's double the price though, so I guess you get what you pay for. I don't think the S950 is the level of quality where you could expect to be happy with the camera for years to come; it's more of an introductory camera that you'd probably plan on replacing a year later. I would change my rating to 3 stars if amazon let me.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing First Sony Cybershot, May 6, 2009

By 

High Standards (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony Cybershot DSC-S950 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom with Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization (Black) (Electronics)

I unfortunately agree with the other reviews. My friends had this brand so I purchased this camera as a preorder. It suffers from the following problems:
1) Excessive noise in low light (grainy pics)
2) No video zoom
3) Slow response time. It does not take pics quickly and recover well.
4) Poor focus.
5) In playback, it takes a second for each and every pic to focus from initial graininess.

I wish I could still return this item but alas, 30 days have passed and I threw out the box!

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing Sony Product, April 3, 2009

By 

Aman Datta "Aman Datta" (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony Cybershot DSC-S950 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom with Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization (Silver) (Electronics)

I am one of those typical Sony loyalist but I am very disappointed by this camera. The noise on most photos was terrible especially in lower light. Close up photos in bright sunshine was fine but I could not get a decent photo (with Flash). Surprisingly, I had an issue with the Flash too since its coverage was very less and did not light up the subject(s) well or even uniformly.

It's a great price but poor quality. I am returning this product for another camera.

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