Canon PowerShot ELPH 500 HS 12.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Full HD Video and Ultra Wide Angle Lens (Silver)

Please note that for a point and shoot, this camera deserves a 5-star review. But in fairness to certain small details, and Amazon's inability to allow users to give partial stars (e.g. 4.75 stars), I will have to settle for 4-stars.

Cosmetic PROS: Unlike some of the SD and Elph cameras in the past, this one feels solid. Canon even improved, to some extent, the flimsy-feeling battery door. It is a HUGE improvement over the previous flimsy plastic doors on earlier models. The large 3"x1" screen is sharp and beautiful and gives an accurate depiction of what your camera will capture. Switching between full program mode and full automatic is a simple slide button on the top of the camera allowing an advanced user and a novice to both have their options easily. This also prevents any accidental mode changes that can happen with setting-wheels or external buttons.

Cosmetic CONS: The lens cover seems a touch too loose, at least on my specific camera. It rattles... Read more

I love this camera! I wanted a higher end point and shoot camera that could keep up with my kids and do well in low light. I read a lot of reviews and settled on this one. I thought about the ELPH 300hs but decided I was too used to using the touch screen on my Sony Cybershot to go back to buttons. I love the touch screen! The menus are well laid out and it is easy to find things. I was a little worried it would take me awhile to figure out the Canon menus since I have been a Sony user for so long, but I am not having any trouble at all! I am having fun trying out all of the programs/effects on the camera. The Kids and Pets setting is just what I was looking for. My kids don't sit still for me to take pictures and now I can just snap pictures of them on the go without the picture being too blurry. After reading reviews I was worried about battery life. I decided to buy and extra battery since we had a big wedding we were going to and I didn't want my camera to die before the day was... Read more

The provided pictures I uploaded to Amazon show you how great this camera is. These shots where within the first 10 minutes of running the camera and shot in full auto mode. Color is great and clarity is super. I felt all Nikons in the price range had color issues and the Sonys looked dark and muddy. It was between this and the SX230 but for me it came down to this:
1: 500HS has a 2.0 f stop which means it will preform better in low light than the SX230 (f/3.1)
2: 500HS has better macro at 3cm vs 5cm for those extreme close ups
3. 500HS shoots 3.4fps vs 0.8 in the SX230
4. SX230 has a GPS which I could careless about. What is the point of this? We have survived for years without it. Why all of a sudden is this important?
5. SX230 has great zoom but clarity and light is lost the farther you zoom so its not really a benefit to me.

The SX230 is a great camera but the above mentioned which directly affects picture quality pushed me to the 500HS... Read more