Sony DSC-S650 Review

The 7.2 megapixel Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S650 is very similar to its higher priced sibling, the S700. The main difference between the two models is the size of the LCD display -- the S650 display is smaller at 2.0" with 115,000 pixels. For an extra $30, the Sony S700 increases the LCD size to 2.4", but at a slightly reduced resolution of 112,000 pixels.

As with the S700, the S650 features a 3x optical zoom lens with Sony branding, an optical viewfinder, and a maximum sensitivity of ISO 1,000 equivalent. Auto and Programmed Auto exposure modes are offered, as well as seven scene modes (Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, Beach, Snow, High Sensitivity, Soft Snap).

Other Sony S650 features include 2x "Precision" (interpolating) digital zoom, up to 14x "Smart zoom" (which simply crops to achieve the zoom effect, resulting in lower resolution images), two metering modes (multi-pattern or spot), +/- 2.0EV exposure compensation and a 2 or 10 second self-timer. The DSC-S650 captures movies in MPEG1 format with audio at resolutions up to 320x240 pixels, at a rate of 30 frames per second.

Like other recent Sony models, the S650 uses Memory Stick Duo memory cards and comes with 24MB of internal memory available for image storage. Sony DSC-S650 interfaces include USB 2.0 (high-speed) and A/V (NTSC or PAL). Power is provided to the Sony S650 via two AA batteries.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S650 will reach market February 2007, priced at US$150.