7.1-megapixel effective recording * DIGIC II processor for true-to-life color reproduction * 2" color LCD viewscreen * 3X optical/4X digital/12X total zoom * 35mm equivalent focal length: 37-111mm *
1 Dissapointed in audio recording quality, but otherwise nice.
I am/was a huge fan of the Canon powershot cameras, I started out with the 2 megapixel S110 then upgraded to a Canon S230.
1. First, the SD500 takes great photographs, that is not my complaint.
2. I purchased this camera for its video capabilities because it can record 30 frame per second video at 640x480 resolution (regular television standard).
I had fell in love with the S110 and S230 despite the limited amount of time you could do 640x480 clips for the amount of time supported by the card you are using until it fills up versus only 30 seconds with the S230.
The audio recording quality of the S230 is actually pretty good, in fact good enough that I was able to use the camera to record concerts (mainly organ/classical music concerts for friends who were playing etc, which is really neat from such a small camera.
>>>>
However the audio recording quality of the SD500 is nothing like the S230, in fact it sounds like someone took the camera and threw it in a well somewhere near what you are trying to record. It is muddy and just nothing in comparison to the S230.
That is my 2 cents.
Otherwise it is a great camera, but if you are doing it for audio recording I'd recommend finding another camera, I have went back to using my S230 even though it only records 30 seconds at a time, and is only 3 megapixels.
2 LCD display is big but fragile
Think twice before buying the Canon SD 500 camera. The LCD displays are large but extremely fragile. Mine was cracked on the second day. It was NOT dropped or abused.
I also have a Canon S110 and have taken just over 5,000 photos with it since Christmas 2001 without any problems. Apparently, in an attempt to make the new models light and the displays large, Canon sacrificed durability.
In some cases Canon will "waive" the LCD repair cost. In others they demand $165 for the repair.
3 Which of the SDxxx Series is right for you?
Let me begin by saying that Canon makes exceptional digital cameras; the best in the market right now. This is because they have always used high quality components since they began manufacturing digital cameras. This one is no exception.
Now that I've sold you on a Canon, which one should you choose?
First off, let's see if you really need an SDxxx camera, or would be better suited with a cheaper non ultraportable camera.
The SDxxx Series offers several key advantages over less portable models:
-Beautiful, sleek design and metallic body will wow anyone who sees it.
-Gorgeous 2 inch LCD screens
-The excellent Dig!c 2 processor (other Canons only have dig!c 1)
-Much better movie mode than previous Canons
-Small light, easy pocketability
On the other hand, there are some significant drawbacks due to the components Canon had to use to get the camera so small:
-Few manual controls.
-Pictures are not as sharp as those of similar non ultraportable cameras.
-The flash is very close to the lens (lots of redeye problems)
-More purple fringing issues than other Canons
-Proprietary batteries that are expensive to replace
-The LCD is very fragile. Read the SD200 and SD300 reviews to see lots of unhappy people whose LCDs broke. Canon's warranty does NOT cover this either. My suggestion? Buy using a credit card that offers a warranty in addition to the manufacturer's. If your lcd breaks, many CC companies will replace the camera no questions asked!
If you don't need the ultra portability and flashy looks of the SD cameras, a slightly larger camera with more features might be right for you. I would highly suggest Canon's A510 or A520 if you don't need an SD model.
If you still want an SD model, which one should you choose? The SD200 with 3.2mp, the SD300 with 4mp, the SD400 with 5mp, or the SD500 at a whopping 7.1mp?
Your first instinct may be that more megapixels is better. Today, however megapixel ratings are similar to Ghz ratings in the computer world: They used to mean a lot, but they don't mean as much anymore. More megapixels do NOT mean a better image. They mean a larger printable image. Unless you have to have huge prints, you simply do not more megapixels. In fact, the 3.2mp of the SD200 is enough for anyone who doesn't plan on printing pictures larger than a standard 8.5x11 sheet of paper.
That having been said, there are some differences between each SDxxx model. In order to get the larger 7.1mp sensor in the SD500, Canon had to make the camera larger. Thus, it is around a quarter inch thicker and 30% heavier than the other 3 models. The larger size did enable Canon to pack more features into it, however:
Features unique to the SD500:
-1/4 inch thicker
-30% heavier
-50% longer flash range
-14% more battery life
The SD400 and SD500 also share these benefits over the SD200/SD300:
-New "Night Display" feature which brightens the LCD in low light
-My Colors feature lets you highlight or swap colors right on the camera
-USB 2.0 High Speed support
The following are shared by all the SDxxx Cameras:
Pros:
-Beautiful, eye catching design
-Great image quality, though not as good as non ultraportable models
-New Dig!c 2 image processor
-Excellent Movie Mode
-3x optical zoom is adequate for most people
-Excellent, intuitive manual controls
-Huge 2.0 inch lcd that looks great under various lighting conditions
-Uses widely available and cheap SD cards
Cons (most of these are minor quirks):
-Some purple fringing problems
-Proprietary batteries are expensive to replace and inconvenient at times
-Lots of issues with fragile LCDs
-No RAW support
-Few manual controls
If you do choose this product, the first thing you should buy is a larger SD memory card. The camera comes with a 16mb card (32 in the SD500), which is pretty much useless.
You should also immediately purchase a case and some screen protectors to protect the LCD.
4 Simply The BEST
Pros:
-7.1 megapixels
-3x zoom
-fast
-good flash
-small and compact
-long battery life
-sleek design
-easy to use
-easy mount
-great manual features
Cons:
-red eye could be better
-all metal cameras tend to get scratched easy
If you thinking about buying the Powershot SD500. Do it! Do it! is all I have to say. You will be pleased you did and so will others when every picture you take with the SD500 is a masterpiece. DO IT!
5 Perfect.
This camera's great. We were in the market for an ultracompact camera with awesome picture quality -- this is certainly top of the line at a reasonable price!
Even though it's 7 megapixels I have no complaints about speed whatsoever. It powers up and takes picture at a pretty good speed. I like taking pictures on the absolute highest quality setting... we also purchased a large memory card (1GB) which holds about 331 pictures on the highest possible setting. Beautiful.
I haven't messed with any of the manual functions yet. For me, this camera is perfectly advanced to be the ultimate point-and-shoot camera. Yet a glance at the features reveals a lot of very impressive available control. This camera is as simple as you want it to be (if you're looking for a point-and-shoot), or as complicated as you want it to be (if you like manual controls).
As far as size goes, it's very good. I've had it in the pocket of my cargo shorts several times during outdoor functions. It did seem heavy when we took it out of the box, it's so small it weighs more than it looks.
It also feels great to be an "early adopter" of such a fine product.
6 Canon SD 500 delivers everything you want in a small package
I picked up this 7MP digital Elph to replace my Powershot S50. This camera is truly pocket sized and can easily fit into my front or back pockets whether I'm wearing Jeans or Khakis, which was the main feature I was looking for. I have a complete SLR rig now, so I wanted a camera like this to carry everywhere when that thing is too big to lug around.
The SD500 is faster than my powershot by quite a bit. I use a Sandisk Ultra II 1GB memory card with it, and the shot to shot time is less than 5 seconds to aim, focus, shoot and review each image. You can shoot faster if you want, or shoot continuous images, but the basic speed is more than enough for me. Power on is also almost instantaneous.
Image quality is very nice, but because the flash is so close to the lens, you'll find anyone you photograph who has light eyes may end up with redeye, more so even than other cameras
I've used.
Battery life is excellent (I'm getting over 100 shots right now, but this camera is only a few weeks old so I'm sure that will deteriorate).
You can take movies on this camera, but I found that I had a hard time loading movies over 3 minutes long with the standard Windows "Scanner and Camera Wizard". Luckily The Canon included software picks them right up.
The plastic door covering the USB port is a little awkward; I would have liked this to have been made of something similar to the rubber used on the earlier powershot series cameras.
Overall Pros:
Good images
Very fast
Very small
Easy to use
Economical for a 7MP camera
Longer movie modes than earlier cams
Overall Cons:
Lots of red eye in photos
No easy to find flash button (it's accessed through a menu on the back of the camera).
Most shooting modes are accessed by a menu instead of a dial.
Recommendation: I love it and the pros far outweigh my nitpicky cons. Buy it as your point and shooter.
7 The Best!
I had a Canon S400 for a couple of years and loved it. But then I saw this. I liked the redesigned style, the enhanced video, and the high MPs.
So, I bought it, and took it to Paris.
I love this camera. The video is amazing for it's size. And the navigation is very good. I saw a big improvement in things that used to bother me with the S400, like red eye.
My favorite feature allows you to take pictures with black and white and pick one color, like blue, or red, or whatever. This made for some great artistic shots in France.
Thank you Canon! This camera is my new best pal.
8 Exquisite Little Gem!!
I own a 20D which I absolutely love and was looking for a good digital point and shoot to replace my current S400. My two major candidates were the SD500 and the S70.
If you follow the photography boards at all you realize that this is a fairly common dilemma - the SD500 vs the S70. The S70 offers excellent manual controls while the SD500 is significantly smaller with very limited manual controls other than exposure compensation.
I just LOVE the look and feel of the SD500 though if anything it could be argued that it is TOO small. If you feel it is and you are looking for a carry everywhere camera it is well worth the effort to get used to the small size because the camera takes wonderful pictures.
The SD500 is simply beautiful. I didn't think I'd like the "curve" from the pictures, but it does not detract, and in fact actually contributes to the elegance of this form factor. I can live without all the manual controls since I own the 20D and since this camera is primarily for my wife and for me when I don't want to lug the SLR around.
The sensor size of the SD500 is the same as that of the S70 (in fact it is the same Sony 7.1 MP sensor) - 1/1.8". This is an ideal size for a point and shoot IMO. The 1/2.5" sensor used in the smaller Canon series cameras represents a poor image quality trade off. Stick with the larger sensor which give less noise, chromatic aberration, and better image quality.
I purchased the leather Elph case which protects the camera well and only adds insubstantially to the bulk. Some have complained that prior iterations of this camera scratch easily. I've owned them and found that if you keep the camera in a case and exercise modest caution that the camera will remain pristine.
Several have pointed out that since this camera is so small it will always be with you whereas the S70 would be less likely to be carried along because of its increased size. I couldn't agree more! The camera is SUBSTANTIALLY smaller than its bigger brother the S70 and in fact is discernibly smaller than my previous S400 which I gave to my daughter. The form and size factors are what finally won me over.
The additional 3 MP over my previous S400 was an additional factor in deciding to switch. That extra 3MP gives me plenty of extra MPs for cropping with impunity. This camera is a significant improvement over the previous S400 in image quality, resolution, mega pixels, color rendition, color saturation, and purple fringing.
The good news about the extra 3MPs is that they are added WITHOUT adding extra noise. I don't know exactly how Canon accomplished this but this is somewhat akin to getting something for nothing! No significant trade-off was involved. The DIGIC II processor is fantastic in producing great photographs.
One criticism of the camera. Low light focusing is less than ideal. You need to work with the camera to understand its limitations indoors.
I am a huge fan of the Canon cameras and I would advise anyone looking for a camera, whether a point and shoot or a DSLR to carefully consider the Canon line since, in my opinion, Canon currently represents the state of the art.
9 takes nice pictures... in the daylight
i don't want to give this camera a bad review. it has many many great features. but i mainly need a camera for low-light situations where a flash cannot be used. this is not it.
where there's good light or you can use a flash, this camera is fine. and it is so tiny! it's very portable. and it's fast. the lag time is hardly noticeable compared to older digital cameras. the video feature is awesome.
i would recommend this camera if you're looking for a point & shoot with lots of automated features. i picked this camera because of it's high resolution and tiny size. but unfortunately i need it to have a few more manual options than this model offers (particularly shutter speed & aperature). so i'm trading it in for the much bulkier G6. hopefully that will do the trick!
10 Great images, compact size. Wonderful camera!
I am so happy to be able to say that I have FINALLY found a camera small enough to fit in a pocket that is worth carrying around. I had a Canon S500 previously and hated it. The shutter lag time was so long that I never even came close to the picture I was attempting to get. (Sorry to the person who purchased it from me on e-Bay!) This camera is vastly improved, although I still do notice somewhat of a shutter delay. I had hoped not to, based on other reviews I had read, but it is still there. Image quality is so good, though, that I am attempting to look past this "flaw". I have a Digital Rebel, and it has spoiled me in terms of shutter speed, but the Rebel is like the Titanic in terms of portability. A big pain to deal with at times, to be honest. The pictures are incredible, but sometimes I just don't want to lug a big camera and lenses around. Here is the answer. There is no match to the size of this camera and the quality of the images you can produce. Buy a big SD card and you are good to go. You will be very happy with your purchase.
11 good things do come in small packages ...
I bought my first camera the S100 in 2001 which was great at the time. Although the battery life was not that great and 2 megapixels was inadequate. I switched to the S400 2 years later which improved on the battery life and jumped to 4 megapixels. But with all of that I still was irritated by the time the camera took to power up and down and the write speed was too slow.
I just got my SD500(IXUS700 in europe) and they have improved the power up and down time considerably and greatly enhanced the write speed (I use a Sandisk Secure Digital SD EXTREME III 1 GB card). The pictures are even better than the S400 - sharper & crisper. The 2" screen is another great feature that helps as in the past it was hard to tell if the picture was effected due to camera shake or not. With the SD500's 2" screen I easily can.
I have used the automatic, manual, SCN and movie modes and tested under different light conditions. Although the SCN feature has yet to impress me, the pictures I took under different light conditions were all great. Now there is one feature that I would like on these cameras and that is the RAW image capture feature. Knowing Canon and their ability to consistently improve on these cameras and still providing new and useful features I have no doubt in 2 years time this feature will also be avaiable!!
12 Kudos to Canon - They did it again
Having been a S400 (4 MP version of this camera) fan for two years, I was immediately struck by the improvements that Canon made on the SD500: bigger screen, better menu, better controls, MUCH faster, and slimmer. It goes without saying that the images are awesome - Canon got that right years ago and continues to make improvements - but I was pleasantly surprised to find that they made all the right changes to make me love this camera even more than the S400. I am very pleased so far!
13 Hiss, Boo, Blah and Wow
Excellent camera with a really annoying flaw.
I was forwarned by the forums at dpreview.com that movie audios have an annoying hiss. Sure enough, my unit does too. If you are putting value in the movie feature, be sure to audition the camera before buying.
Update: 9 April 2005 - This camera is taking some really excellent outdoor photos. No problem there at all. However, in hindsight, I'd rather have the SD400. I'm a traveler and thus prefer the noticably smaller and lighter SD400. If you intend to keep a camera in your pocket all the time, consider the SD400.
14 Unbelievable
The picture quality is astounding for how tiny it is. Everything about it is amazing. The only thing I'm worried about is losing it or sliding out of my pocket because its so small. I had an much older Digital ELPH with 2.1 Megapixels and this thing blows it out of the water. I don't see how they could improve on it.
I definitely reccomend buying a big memory card. I got a 1GB (for $85) and you can take long movies and 500+ 7.1MP pics on it.
15 Great camera
I've had it for 2 weeks now, and it far exceeds my expectations. This is one wicked little camera. The picture and movie quality is superior to anything I've seen in an affordable camera. The only knock is that it's shockingly small. If you've got big hands, it's like playing with a kids camera. Takes some getting used to, but well worth it. Best camera on the market.
16 WOW!!
I recently purchased this little guy and can't believe what an amazing job canon did. I won't waste time going over everything thats already in the product description, I'll just say that this is the camera that I've been waiting for. This thing does it all, and well. It seems that the new digic II really lives up to the acclaim, I wasn't sure what it would do in this little package, it's lightning fast and produces stunning pictures. Now of course this is still a pocket camera so if youre expecting slr results you will be disapointed. It's loaded with fun stuff to play with and get a little more creative with, I don't know how often I'll need to make blue things red, but when I do.... I use this whenever I don't want to carry around my big beautiful 20d, which is most of the time, and now I can still capture most of what I want with a crisp 7 megapixels. I had a real problem with the other elphs, and similar small cameras slowness but this thing is amazingly fast. The other big improvements include the smooth movie modes, they look great and if you have a fast and big sd card you can record a pretty long movie (apprx. 8min on 1gb). It's aloso thin and comfortable in your hand, while I loved the looks of the older elphs with the sharp boxiness, this one is much more comfortable and well laid out.
The real improvements to me are:
Fast,Fast,Fast, on as well as taking pictures
big new lcd screen
7 megapixels, amazing for the size of this camera
much improved movie modes
comfortable, it's really nice in your hand
all sorts of fun things
I've always loved canons elph lineup and this is by far and away it's best yet, it easily beats everything else out there, at least for now. So if you're looking for an amazingly good camera in an amazingly amall package this camera will not disapoint.
17 Specs state No to RAW
I'm just about to settle in on this camera as my choice and appreciate the previous reviews. However, the specs say that it does not support RAW. Everything else ... except redeye ... looks pretty cool.
18 The one stop compact camera shop!
Canon never fails to impress and this camera is no exception. The image quality is as good if not better than many cameras even above its class. The color rendition and white balance appear flawless. The shutter speed (processor speed) is quick allowing you to be back on the photo within approx. 2 seconds. It also has a very fast auto focus. The review claims it will do a 60 second video. With a 1gb SD card I was able to do a 10 minute video. It seems to take as much video as you have room on your SD card. A large SD card is a must for any 5 mega pixel plus camera and this is no exception at 7.1 megapixels. SanDisk sells the 1GB version for $99.00.
I recently bought the Sanyo Xacti at sharper image hoping for a duel solution video/stills at a proposed 5 megapixel stills and mpeg-2 video DVD quality video. I took it back immediately as the pictures and video were sub par, and grainy to say the least. The SD500 shot much better video (and that is just an extra benefit not its true intended use) and it shoots amazing stills. I printed up an 8x10 on standard paper and it had great color, was sharp and crisp with no pixel artifacts to be found.
The 7.1 size allows you to crop and manipulate photos without sacraficing quality for the reduction. It will also shoot in RAW picture format for lossless image quality without compression.
Even the software ZoomBrowser that comes with it is some of the best basic browser organizer software I've seen. It supports PictBridge technology so my next purchase may well be the dye sub printer cp220 or 230 for the total package.
It feels great in your hand with metal construction it feels and is a very solid quality made product. I love the size as I know I can truly take it anywhere and always have it on the ready. The great video feature was an added bonus for me and I'm sure I will use it quite a bit. Another bonus is it shoots it and writes it to AVI so there is no capture needed on the other end. Drag and drop it into your desktop, open your favorite edditing program and your off to the races. I may buy a few more SD cards and forgo the camcorder purchase, as this is everything I need in a small space, for an overall great value considering the competition. Look no further, you will be happy with this camera.
19 Canon SD500 vs Sony DSCP200
I am probably one of the first people that can now say that they have owned the new Sony DSC P-200 and the new Canon SD-500. In another review, I noted why I was not pleased with the picture quality of the Sony (lots of blurry pictures and unnatural color). I went out and got the Canon today. WOW! Big difference! I've taken about hundred shot with the Canon, in varying lighting situations, all in auto mode, and not one blurry picture!!! The quality, detail and clarity is much better than the Sony in my opinion. I did not conduct a rigorous test, but just took some identical shots in identical lighting with both cameras, and the Canon won hands down. Sharper pictures. More detail. More natural color.
The Canon is very small, definitely pocket sized, but still easy to hold firmly. It powers up quickly, so you won't miss that quick shot. I can't comment on most of the manual features of the camera because I've been shooting in auto mode, but based on my experience so far, manual adjustment, while available, won't be needed for most of the shots I will be taking. Once I have the time, I plan to explore all the high end features of the camera, but for now, I can't comment intelligently or fairly.
The only knock I have is that the flash is underpowered. This is a common problem with all ultra compacts, but I think I will probably go out and buy an external flash at some point. A few of my indoor shots could have benefited from a stronger flash, but even those shots were not all that bad.
Perhaps I have a defective Sony camera, but I have seen some other reviews where people had problems with blurry pictures, and it seems to be a known problem with the camera. After playing around with the Canon, I don't even want to take the chance of returning the Sony and getting a replacement. Its getting returned right away.
