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Sony S950

 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950 front
 
  • 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • 33-132mm (F3.3-5.2) lens
  • 167g - 93 x 56 x 24mm
  • Released February 2009
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
94
Imaging
33
Features
17
Overall
26

Sony S950 overview

Sony S950 is Sony's Small Sensor Compact camera first launched on February of 2009. It has got a 10 MegaPixel, CCD 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a maximum resolution of 4000 x 3000.

The S950 is scored #240 out of 261 in Small Sensor Compact cameras and all around #1231 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. Remember to try our Advanced camera filter to find camera ratings based on your personalized criteria.

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The following is a chart of various criteria used in the scoring system.

Sony S950 family

The Sony S950 comes with a history of related cameras. Underneath, you can discover all previous and more recent models alongside main specifications.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-S2000 front thumbnailSony S2000
S950 vs S2000
33-105mm
F3.1-5.6
10MP1/2.3"2010
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-S2100 front thumbnailSony S2100
S950 vs S2100
33-105mm
F3.1-5.6
12MP1/2.3"2010
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Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-S980 front thumbnailSony S980
S950 vs S980
33-132mm
F3.3-5.2
12MP1/2.3"2009
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-S950 front thumbnailSony S95033-132mm
F3.3-5.2
10MP1/2.3"2009
Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-S930 front thumbnailSony S930
S950 vs S930
38-108mm
F2.9-5.4
10MP1/2.3"2009

Sony S950 Pros and Cons

Below is a collection of positives and negatives of the Sony S950 based on factors that are often viewed as crucial in a camera.

built in lens has zoom (33-132mm 4.0 x zoom)
focusing manually
great min ISO (80)
has built in flash
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
can't record video
display is not selfie friendly
does not have external microphone support
does not have HDMI out
does not have headphone support
does not have Timelapse mode
fixed screen
lack of aperture priority mode
lack of phase detect autofocus
lack of RAW files
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
manual exposure not possible
max frames per second very slow (1.0 fps)
max zoom aperture not good (f5.2)
no external flash support
no shutter priority mode
screen has low resolution (230 k dots)
screen is small (2.7 inch)
sensor resolution low (10 megapixels)
slow max aperture (f3.3)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
wide angle not fantastic (33mm)
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Sony S950 Sensor details

The sensor measurement on the Sony S950 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the ability to resolve 4000 x 3000 pixels at aspect ratios of 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Sensor-shift). Sensor stabilization is more effective than digital stabilization since the latter may cause cropping.

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The CCD sensor boasts 10 megapixels and provides a native ISO range of 80 to 3200. Sadly, RAW photos are not supported so the user has less room to maneuver in post.

The graphic below displays the S950's sensor dimensions compared to other common sizes. The S950 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.8 and is highlighted in green.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950 sensor size Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

To get an idea of specific aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Sony S950 dimensions

Sony S950 weighs around 0.37 pounds (167 grams or 5.89 oz) and features outer size of 93mm x 56mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9"). The weight of normal Small Sensor Compact camera is 174 grams and the Sony S950 is on par compared with various rivals.

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The following is a pic of the Sony S950 alongside a soda to help you have a sense of its scale.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950 dimensions scale

The top view here will highlight the button design on the S950.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950 topview buttons dials

Sony S950 Lens specs

The S950 is equipped with a fixed lens and a focal range of 33-132mm making it a 4.0 x zoom which is not outstanding but it might be valuable in certain circumstances.

At the widest 33mm, it will have an aperture of f3.3 which will be quite slow and not good in low light situations and you may find it hard to capture good bokeh. You will also have to raise the ISO setting producing noisy files. At the tele end, 132mm comes to f5.2 which is quite slow and you will need to go with slow shutter speeds.

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Sony S950 Connectivity

The S950 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes

Cameras that include NFC and / or Bluetooth compatibility can be used wirelessly through smartphones. You can transfer pictures and oftentimes change settings without connecting straight to the camera.

Certain applications even provide a Liveview and click the shutter if you aren't near the camera. If the camera comes with a HDMI out, it can be hooked up to an external screen. Nearly all cameras will allow you to recharge the battery using the USB socket.

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Sony S950 Video specs

Sony S950 does not capture video. If you are shopping for a camera to take only images, this is not an issue.

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Sony S950 Weather Sealing

There is no weather sealing in the Sony S950 so you need to be cautious in rainy and dusty situations.

Sony S950 Display and Viewfinder

The Sony S950 has got a 2.7" fixed display boasting a resolution of 230k dots.

Sadly the display is not a touch screen.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950 screen and viewfinder Photography Glossary

The View Finder specifications regarding Sony S950 are the following:

  • ViewFinder None

Viewfinders are really handy during bright outdoor situations which can easily make the camera display washed out and hard to view.

Sony S950 Shutter specs

Sony S950 has the ability to shoot continuously at 1.0 fps. The maximum shutter speed is 1/1600 sec.

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Sony S950 Flash and Hot shoe specs

Sony S950 boasts only in-built flash lacking external flash ability.

Sony S950 Autofocusing specs

Sony S950 boasts just Contrast Based Autofocus and doesn't have Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection focusing is more quicker and exact compared with Contrast Based focusing.

The AF system has got 9 focus points to select from. Sony S950 comes with manual focusing when required during low light situations or you want to have more exact focusing control.

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Sony S950 Battery life

The general Small Sensor Compact camera battery life is 241. Fujifilm X30 has the highest possible (470) battery life within this range of cameras.

Here is a number of Small Sensor Compact cameras with the highest battery life:

Sony S950 for various kinds of photography

The following diagram provides a overview of the Sony S950 for various kinds of photography. To read more, go to the specific paragraph below.

Sony S950 Portrait photography factors

The Sony S950 receives a score of 26 which is dreadful, and means the camera is not acceptable to use for portrait photos. Taking portrait photos leans greatly towards sensor size, support for RAW photos plus the capability to utilize external lighting.

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you can focus manually
manual exposure not available
no external flash support
MP count low (10MP)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW format

Sony S950 Street photography information

Getting a reasonable points tally of 56, the Sony S950 is reasonably appropriate to buy for street photography. A good street photography camera provides a good balance of picture quality and portability.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
fixed screen
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format

Sony S950 Sports photography features

A dreadful sports photography rating of 24 indicates the Sony S950 is not acceptable for shooting sports. A camera really should have good tracking plus continuous shooting for sports photography.

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has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
low fps (1.0 fps)
lack of shutter priority mode
MP count low (10 megapixels)
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
has no phase detect AF

Sony S950 Travel photography info

Portability is pretty important in selecting a travel camera. Over-all, the Sony S950 gets a average 50 for a travelling camera which makes it reasonably acceptable for your travels.

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has built in flash
doesn't have Timelapse function
low MP (10MP)
display isn't selfie friendly
wide angle not great (33mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.3)

Sony S950 as a Landscape photography camera

For anyone looking to buy a digital camera for landscape photography, the most significant factor is going to be image quality. The Sony S950 and it's dreadful rating of 31 as a landscape camera is not acceptable among its competitors.

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has manual focus
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not the best (33mm)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.3)
tiny screen (2.7 inches)
no manual control
MP count low (10MP)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
no RAW support
no Timelapse recording

Vlogging with Sony S950

A vlogging camera really should offer a moving screen, mic input and ideally IBIS. Taking everything in to account, the Sony S950 is not acceptable for vlogging as it gets a dreadful rating of 9.

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no video recording

Sony S950 Alternatives

If you are trying to find alternatives to the S950, below is a collection of the top ranked cameras that fall in to the family of Small Sensor Compact.

The chart down below will give you a bird's eye view of the S950 compared to it's highest scoring rivals mentioned previously.

These are various other cameras you may look at as alternative options. To look at a complete comparison, just click on the "compare" link.

Photography Glossary

Specifications

General Information
Company
Sony
Model type
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S950
Category
Small Sensor Compact
Released
2009-02-17
Physical type
Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor measurements
6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area
28.1mm²
Sensor resolution
10MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution
4000 x 3000
RAW images
Highest native ISO
3200
Minimum native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
AF continuous
AF single
Tracking AF
Selective AF
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points
9
Lens
Lens mount type
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
33-132mm (4.0x)
Largest aperture
f/3.3-5.2
Macro focusing distance
10cm
Crop factor
5.8
Screen
Type of display
Fixed Type
Display diagonal
2.7 inch
Resolution of display
230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
None
DXO scores
DXO All around rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Slowest shutter speed
2s
Maximum shutter speed
1/1600s
Continuous shooting rate
1.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance
3.50 m
Flash modes
Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Highest video resolution
None
Video data format
Motion JPEG
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
167 gr (0.37 pounds)
Physical dimensions
93 x 56 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9")
Other
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Storage type
Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal
Card slots
One
Retail price
$130