Speed and sharpness tests proved the SD500 a top performer. Add in the enjoyable My Color feature that will most certainly please all types of users, this camera is fun.
In design, the Canon PowerShot SD500 is comfortable to hold and control. One note however is that the tightly positioned buttons on the back are easy to press accidentally during one-handed shooting. This camera boasts a large 2 inch LCD with an optical viewfinder located directly above that keeps a smooth, bright and clear image when panning.
Outside from the 7.1 megapixel ranking, the Canon PowerShot SD500 has most of the standard features of its division, including an f/2.8 to f/4.9, 7.7- to 23.1-mm (37- to 111-mm, 35mm equivalent), 3X optical zoom lens.
All the standard modes are available via the mode dial as well as through the menu system, including Playback, Auto, Manual (which lets you adjust white balance, ISO, EV compensation, and color effects), Macro, and Movie. The Movie mode lets you capture VGA video clips at 30 frames per second. Other modes available only via the menu system include Stitch Assist (for panoramas) and nine preset scene modes.
The Canon PowerShot SD500 has a very intuitive user control system. It also offers a very interesting shooting mode called My Colors. You can make blues, greens, or reds more vibrant, or lighten or darken skin tones.
The Color Accent and Color Swap options create some surreal effects. Color Accent lets you isolate the color of one object, while the color information for the rest of the photograph is dumped. The result might be a bright red rose in the middle of a black-and-white wedding shot.
In Color Swap mode, you select a certain color in a picture on the LCD, and then choose the color you want to switch it with. For instance, you could isolate the rich purple from a flower and swap it with the dusky rose color of the dress ion the person holding the flower. You have to make your color choices before you shoot, so be certain you're not going to miss the shot.
Pictures are stored in SD memory cards with the CanonPowerShot SD500. There is also a direct connection to Canon CP Printers and select BJ Printers. This basically means that you do not have to have a computer to print pictures with these printers.
The Canon PowerShot SD500 uses proprietary lithium batteries. The promoted battery life is about 160 shots with the LCD on and about 550 shots with the LCD off. You can always buy extras at you local camera store to take along with you if a long battery life is important to you or needed for the situation.
Another feature seldom seen in other cameras is an optional DC coupler found in a flap on the battery/media door. This permits you to operate the camera off AC power by means of an optional adapter while you charge the battery in the external charger that's included.
On the whole, the Canon PowerShot SD500 is a great camera. One shortcoming is that it has some problems finding the intended focusing point in Macro mode. Also, when the flash fired in the macro shots, most of the picture was very overexposed - except for some areas near the bottom of the image, where a dark shadow appeared because of the extended lens blocking the flash.
The other thing I don't like is the mode dial design: Only the center (Manual) mode's label appears level when selected. The labels for Playback, Auto, Macro, and Movie are slanted when you turn the dial.
In general, the Canon PowerShot SD500 is a smart choice for an ultracompact camera. It looks impressive and provides excellent image quality. With the addition of some out of the ordinary features, you have a smart little camera that is sure to be a top seller.
Boasting a brand name in cameras, the 4- megapixel Canon PowerShot A520 is a nice little camera from all points of view. The new generation to descend from the PowerShot A85, the Canon A520 is smaller and lighter than its predecessor with a longer zoom lens and the addition of a few more scene modes.
Those both experienced and new to photography will be pleased with what the Canon PowerShot A520 has to offer. What's even tougher to beat than this camera's features is its great value-for-money appeal making it a camera to consider if in the market for a camera purchase.
The only true design change with the Canon PowerShot A520 is in its size. It is essentially a compacted version of the A85 as a result of this model operating on two double-A batteries whereas the A85 operated on four.
Other than the size, the only other noticeable design differences are that the AF assist lamp on the front has moved to the opposite side of the viewfinder and you may notice the microphone has shifted but only a small bit.
The LCD is still 1.8 inches (diagonal), but the lens has undergone some changes: It is now an f/2.6 to f/5.5, 5.8- to 23.2-mm (35- to 140-mm, 35-mm equivalent), 4X optical zoom lens.
The optical system of the Canon PowerShot A520 has obviously been carefully thought out to enable one to take great photos. The digital camera comes with a 4.2 megapixel resolution and a 4x optical zoom. It also features an impressive ISO range of 50 to 400, along with a shutter speed range of 15 - 1/2000 sec.
The Canon PowerShot A520 preserves the exceptional level of manual control of previous A-series models, including Program, Shutter priority, Aperture priority, and Manual modes, available via the top-mounted mode dial. The dial also offers five universal shooting modes (Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Slow Shutter, and Fast Shutter), as well as Stitch Assist and Movie mode.
A comfortable ease of use with many options is still found in the unchanged menu system. The only improvement to be found here is perhaps to illustrate the scene modes with some on-screen help and sample images along the same lines as what you would find on the Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z55 for example.
Battery life using the two included alkaline double-A batteries is quite good in the Canon PowerShot A520, and the camera is rated for up to 300 shots according to the CIPA standard (using NiMH double-A batteries).
Pictures are stored in SD memory cards with the Canon A520. It is considered standard in digital cameras today to be equipped with at least a 512 MB memory card and may are supporting a 1GB card. With the USB 2.0 interface, transferring pictures from the camera to the PC is simple.
There have been confirmed reports that the Canon PowerShot A520 is generally quite slow. The controls are not responsive enough - frequently one had to press a button more than once to perform the desired operation.
Hopefully, this review of the Canon PowerShot A520 has been of help to you. If you're looking for a decent digital camera to start your photography adventures, the Canon A520 might be tough to beat. Of course, do your own research first before shelling out your cash.
Both Dan Feilman & Dan Feildman are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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