Canon 12.1MP PowerShot ELPH 500 HS Review by DCI

On February 7 2011, Canon announced four new PowerShot Digital cameras - the PowerShot SX230 HS, ELPH 500 HS (aka IXUS 310 HS), ELPH 300 HS (aka IXUS 220 HS) and ELPH 100 HS (aka IXUS 115 HS) models.  The Canon SX230 HS offer a 12.1 Megapixels back-illuminated CMOS sensor, wide-angle 14x optical zoom lens, full HD (1080p) movie recording with stereo sound, 7.5 cm (3.0-inch) LCD screen, along with a Canon-first GPS function. The PowerShot ELPH 300 HS is the world's thinnest 24mm wide angle, 5x Optical zoom model with 12.1 Megapixels High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor along with a 2.7-inch LCD screen. All four new cameras come equipped with Canon's HS SYSTEM for exceptional shooting in low-light, Full 1080p HD video, new Movie Digest Mode and 32 Smart AUTO scenes.

Available in silver, brown and pink, the Canon PowerShot ELPH 500 HS features a 3.2-inch wide, intuitive, touch-panel LCD screen. The PowerShot ELPH 500 HS also has a bright f/2.0 lens, enabling users to take photos without a flash, resulting in a more natural look while providing greater depth of field. The camera also possesses a 12.1 Megapixels High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor along with a 4.4x Optical Zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer and an ultra-wide angle 24mm equivalent lens. The PowerShot ELPH 500 HS is currently selling at around $299. Here is the summary of first look review by DigitalCameraInfo:

"The Sony TX9 and Canon 500 HS are very similar cameras: both are top of their respective model lines, feature full HD video, touchscreen control, and perform well in low light. Both cameras split the difference between easy automatic mode and creative extras. The real difference between the two cameras is size; the Canon body is thicker while the Sony uses a non-telescoping lens in order to maintain its extremely slim profile. The Sony lens creates a little more chromatic aberration, but it's just as sharp and it has almost no distortion. The TX9 performs better overall due to its back-illuminated sensor, which gathers light more efficiently per pixel. That performance gives the Sony the edge here. It has better color accuracy, slightly better low light performance (except at ISO 3200), a slimmer profile, and a similar touchscreen design. The Canon has a few more neat features and a shade more optical zoom, but the Sony is the better option for the money in terms of picture quality.

The Canon 500 HS is a well-designed touchscreen camera that crams a lot of fun, creative features into an attractive, compact camera. It's nice and small, but still feels substantial in the hand with its metal construction and angular design. It has a nice bright lens (maximum aperture f/2.0-5.9) and a ton of creative modes and picture effects. It was outperformed in our noise tests by the Samsung TL225 and Sony TX9, but at ISO 3200 the Canon 500 HS retained detail better. In resolution testing, the 500 HS had the sharpest lens of any of the cameras in our comparison group, though it suffers from pretty heavy chromatic aberration-mostly seen as blue and green highlights around areas of contrast. The 500 HS handles well for a camera of its size. Our main point of contention is its touchscreen, which is frequently more trouble than it's worth. If you don't mind the camera's quirks-and enjoy what touchscreens provide for usability-then the 500 HS is certainly a worthy contender for your money."