Sony Alpha 500

The Alpha 500 is a 2009 Sony DSLR built around an APS-C sensor and the Alpha DT lens mount. The body measures 137 x 104 x 84 mm and weighs 630 g, with a 3-inch LCD for framing and playback.

It suits photographers who like composing through an optical viewfinder and want a simple stills-only tool. There is no video mode, and both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are absent, so there is no wireless transfer and no wireless remote control. Sensitivity spans ISO 200 to 12800.

A 12.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor pairs with the Bionz processor. Heavy cropping is less rewarding at this resolution, so it pays to frame carefully in camera.

Sensitivity runs from ISO 200 to 12800. That base setting, along with the 1/4000 s maximum shutter speed, can make wide apertures awkward in bright conditions. The upper end is a fallback when light runs out.

Shooting runs at up to five frames per second. Nine autofocus points ask you to compose with the array in mind, and focus-and-recompose is a useful habit. The optical pentamirror viewfinder gives a direct view of the scene.

In-body stabilisation is the most notable feature, working with every lens you mount on the DT system. It reduces camera shake at slower shutter speeds, making handheld work in dim interiors more practical, though it cannot freeze a moving subject. The overall specification earns a modest Optics score of 50, in the lower range of our database for Optics.

The Alpha 500 does not record video in any mode, and it offers no built-in timelapse function either. Every file it produces is a still photograph. Any project that needs motion clips or an automatically shot interval sequence has to be handled by other equipment.

For a purely stills workflow the omission costs nothing day to day. The camera's design points the same way: an optical pentamirror viewfinder, live view and a flip screen all serve framing photographs. There are no video settings to learn or adjust.

If motion recording matters to your work, this body covers none of it. Video is simply absent, and that will not change with settings or menus. Plan on separate equipment for any clips you need.

The 3-inch LCD has 230,000 dots, which is fine for framing and menus but coarse for judging critical focus on playback. The flip screen pairs with live view, letting you compose at waist level or overhead.

There is no touchscreen, and neither Wi-Fi nor Bluetooth is present. With no wireless connection, images move on memory cards, and no phone app can act as a wireless remote.

A built-in flash covers fill light without any extra gear. When you need more power, the camera also accepts an external flash.

The body has no weather sealing, so keep it sheltered from rain and dust. That absence, along with the missing touchscreen and Bluetooth and the modest screen resolution, holds the features score to a limited 36.

One slot takes SD or SDHC cards, or Memory Stick Pro Duo and Pro-HG Duo media. You pick a format and stick with it, since there is no second slot for overflow or copies.

The NP-FM500H battery carries a 520-shot rating, though that figure is not a promise for every shoot. Real counts will differ with how much live view and flash you use, so a charged spare is sensible for long events.

The limited Storage & Battery score of 27 reflects the single card slot, the 520-shot rating and the missing USB charging. Because the battery cannot charge over USB, you cannot top it up from a laptop or power bank on location, so spares need charging ahead of time.