Review: Canon Powershot ELPH 500 HS

 If you would have asked me about point and shoot cameras a year ago, I would have told you they are dead. With the increase of good quality cell phone cameras, why would anyone want a point and shoot?
Well recently I discovered why. I was in need of a camera with a real optical zoom, and better quality then my cell phone camera could provide, but still small enough to not be a nuisance. I wanted the total package. something with a respectable pixel count, shoots HD video, and was inexpensive.  I found it in the Canon PowerShot ELPH 500 HS .
The day after I bought this little (about the size of a pack of cigarettes) point and shoot, I went on a Google+ photo walk at the Old L.A. Zoo, and Travel Town in Griffith Park. I brought my new point and shoot along with my Canon EOS Rebel T2i . I had an old Canon 35-70mm EF lens on the T2i. The Power shot is a 12.1 megapixel camera with a 1/2.3-inch CMOS senosr. (the T2i has an 18 megapixel APS-C sensor). Although the T2i images are better in a side by side comparison, the 500HS performs very well for the drastically cheaper price. The touch screen on the back is a good size, and works well, although the touch focus can be a little off. (Often selecting an area just to the side of where I actually touch).
The auto settings work very well, and the images look really nice. The largest image setting in the camera is 4:3 and I personally find that to be an ugly aspect ratio, but I guess the logical argument to that would be to crop the image later (as I did with all the images in the post except the one on the right, and the bottom photo). The battery life is exceptional. (I charged the camera when I purchased it, and a week ( and 150 photos, and a few dozen video clips) later, it still is reading a full charge. In a standard Canon flaw, the SD card slot is in the same spot as the batter, and both are inaccessible when the camera is mounted on a tripod. This, however, has little relevance on a point and shoot that under most circumstances won't be used on a tripod. (at least not enough that you would need to change the card and/or battery while it was still on the tripod). The camera has an ISO range of 100 to 3200, and although there is noticeable noise in the higher ISO's, it is still better then I would have expected from such a low cost camera. The image stabilization on the video is ok, and it kicks in on low light stills.

The smaller sensor size (although many may disagree) is a good thing on a point and shoot as it tends to give you a wide depth of field (see my blog on the subject of depth of field). I feel when you need a point and shoot, (quick photo opportunities, vacations, etc) a wide depth of field is a good thing. This is clearly demonstrated in the bottom photo. So if you are looking for a pocket camera that can still shoot good images, and HD video, I would suggest the 500HS. It's quality is better then I would expect from a camera in this price range.

*Check back for low light and video comparisons with the 500HS.

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