Canon PowerShot SX500 IS Review | 108 Data compared

The Canon PowerShot SX500 IS stands out for cramming an ultrawide-angle 30x optical zoom lens (24-720mm equivalent) into an remarkably compact and lightweight body, measuring just 4 inches deep and weighing 12 ounces with the battery. Designed for budget-conscious users looking for significant zoom power, the camera surprisingly includes semimanual and manual controls, which are rarely found in lower-end megazooms. Its design accommodates large, easy-to-press buttons and a responsive navigational scroll wheel, making it a portable and user-friendly choice for outdoor daytime photography. Additionally, it features highly reliable optical image stabilization and delivers decent 720p video quality that performs adequately for occasional web sharing. However, to keep the price around $250, Canon equipped the camera with an outdated 16-megapixel CCD sensor and an old Digic 4 image processor, heavily limiting its performance. Because of this hardware, the camera suffers from sluggish autofocus and shooting speeds, making it a poor choice for action shots, moving children, or pets. Image quality also deteriorates significantly in dim lighting, with visible noise and color artifacts emerging even at ISO 400, and low-light videos exhibit...

The Canon PowerShot SX500 IS is praised by Trusted Reviews for packing a powerful 30x optical zoom into a compact, highly portable body. It offers responsive performance with minimal shutter lag, producing vibrant colors and usable images up to ISO 1600, according to the analysis. However, the review cites significant drawbacks, including a lack of Full HD video recording and a tendency for images to be over-exposed in automatic modes. Additionally, heavy in-camera noise reduction at higher ISO settings results in a noticeable loss of fine image detail.

The Canon PowerShot SX500 IS is a highly compact, "cute" super-zoom camera that stands out for squeezing an impressive 30x optical zoom range (24-720mm equivalent) into a lightweight, pocket-sized body. It features a 16-megapixel CCD sensor paired with an older Digic 4 processor, a fixed 3-inch LCD screen, and full PASM manual exposure modes alongside beginner-friendly Smart Auto settings. Its standout strengths include a powerful Intelligent Image Stabilisation system that prevents camera shake even at full zoom, a quiet lens motor that allows zooming during 720p HD video recording, and a useful Framing Assist button to quickly re-acquire lost subjects. Pros and Cons Pros Superb Zoom-to-Size Ratio: Packs a massive 30x range into the world's smallest body of its kind. Excellent Stabilisation: Delivers over 5 stops of stabilization, allowing clear handheld shots at 720mm. Design & Handling: Features a comfortable SLR-style grip, intuitive controls, and a dedicated Discrete mode to quickly silence the camera. Cons Slow Continuous Burst: Captures action at a "lamentable" maximum speed of just 0.8 frames per second. Sensor Limitations: The CCD sensor causes blue vertical streaks...

The Canon PowerShot SX500 IS is a budget-friendly, compact ultra-zoom featuring a versatile 30x optical lens, impressive macro capabilities, and full manual controls. The review praises its lightweight design and good image quality at lower ISO settings, making it a capable, user-friendly choice for beginners. However, the camera suffers from slow performance, including sluggish shot-to-shot times unsuitable for action, and high noise levels at elevated ISO settings. Additionally, the extreme macro mode often causes lighting issues, as the lens casts shadows on subjects at close range.

The Digital Photography School review describes the Canon PowerShot SX500 IS as a highly portable, budget-friendly "go anywhere, shoot anything" snapshot camera designed for casual users looking for extensive reach. Equipped with a 16.0-megapixel CCD sensor and a massive 30x optical zoom lens (24-720mm equivalent), its primary strengths lie in its small, ergonomically friendly build that fits easily into a single hand, and its straightforward, beginner-friendly physical layout. It features minimal external controls alongside a unique "framing assist" button on the lens barrel that temporarily pulls the zoom back to a wide-angle view, helping users quickly relocate lost subjects. Furthermore, the reviewer notes that the camera handles optical distortion relatively well, producing only a small amount of barrel distortion at the wide end and minimal pincushion distortion at the telephoto end. However, the camera exhibits clear technical limitations that will likely disappoint advanced photographers. Performance is a notable drawback, as its slow startup time and lagging operational intervals—averaging about two seconds between shots—make it poorly suited for action photography. Image quality suffers significantly in low-light environments; while photos remain decent...

The Canon PowerShot SX500 IS is a budget-friendly, compact superzoom camera praised for squeezing a massive 30x optical zoom (24-720mm equivalent lens) and highly effective optical image stabilisation into an exceptionally small, well-built body. It provides a full set of manual controls, impressive close-up macro performance at wide angles, and a responsive autofocus system that functions reliably even in dim lighting conditions. Priced reasonably for casual users, the camera delivers bright, well-balanced color reproduction and exposure, making the final images suitable for web use or small prints when scaled down. However, the camera suffers from significant lens and image processing limitations that deter more serious photographers. The lens has noticeable issues with chromatic aberration, which creates prominent purple and green fringes along high-contrast subject edges. Additionally, the 16-megapixel CCD sensor introduces visible luminance noise and "fuzzy" edges even at its lowest ISO 100-200 settings, with image quality degrading into soft, painterly, and noisy artifacts at higher ISO settings. Composition is further hindered by the 3-inch rear LCD screen, which suffers from poor viewing angles that cause image detail to "blow...

The Canon PowerShot SX500 IS is a portable, budget-friendly superzoom camera characterized by a swift startup, responsive autofocus with tracking capabilities, and reliable, vibrant image quality. Its intuitive menu system and usable ISO performance up to 1600 make it a capable, user-friendly option for its class. What Digital Camera Conversely, the compact design limits the camera to 720p video rather than full 1080p, and it lacks an electronic viewfinder. Additionally, the screen is highly reflective, reducing outdoor visibility, while the metering can overexpose high-contrast scenes, requiring post-processing adjustments.

The Reviewed.com review introduces the Canon PowerShot SX500 IS as a compact, well-rounded, and sturdy entry-level superzoom camera priced at an affordable $300. The reviewer notes that its headline features are highly compelling for novices and casual hobbyists, particularly highlighting its substantial 16-megapixel sensor, massive 30x optical zoom (24-720mm equivalent focal range), and highly impressive focus tracking. Additionally, the camera stands out for its intuitive Canon-standard menus and a variety of built-in software scene modes like the Miniature, fish-eye, and toy camera modes, which add a fun dynamic since they can be applied to both stills and video recording.

The LiveatPC.com review highlights the Canon PowerShot SX500 IS as a compact, lightweight camera featuring an impressive 30x optical zoom (24-720mm) that allows for detailed, one-handed operation. While praised for its portability and ability to capture vibrant, punchy colors, the camera is not a true DSLR, lacking professional-grade color accuracy. LiveatPC.com Key cons identified include poor performance in low-light conditions, which results in grainy photos indoors. Despite these limitations, it is positioned as a versatile bridge camera for casual photographers needing high zoom in a small form factor.