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.