Canon PowerShot SX500 IS Digital Camera - Black (16.0 MP, 30x Optical Zoom) 3.0 inch LCD

Product Information

Unfortunately, in the SX500 IS Canon used a 16-megapixel CCD sensor and an old Digic 4 image processor instead of one of its better HS CMOS sensors and a newer, more powerful Digic 5 processor.

In addition to capturing images in the native 4:3 aspect, the SX500 can also be set to shoot in 3:2, 16:9 and 1:1 although as this requires the camera to effectively take a crop from the sensor maximum resolution does take a knock as these settings. If you want to zoom out a little just to miss out a bit of overhanging building or crop a person out, you can hold this button and zoom as normal. Those who want to take more direct control over the camera will find the full range of PASM modes to hand as well.For those who are addicted to the photo filters from a favorite smartphone app, Canon includes several of its high-quality Creative Filters: Fish-eye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Monochrome, Super Vivid, and Poster Effect.

This is designed to help keep images sharp at extended focal lengths and slower shutter speeds, where natural camera shake might otherwise show up as blurred images. Its operation is overall easy to pick up, but even seasoned Canon users will want to examine the full manual included on the software disc bundled with the camera.In terms of focal range this pushes the SX500 beyond the traditional 16-20x reach common to many travel compacts and well into superzoom territory. Elsewhere, the SX500 generally feels quite responsive, with little in the way of shutter lag noticeable. Going above that you'll start to see more color noise, artifacts, and loss of detail, which just results in subjects that appear soft and desaturated.

Speaking of things that use up your battery, the camera's flash does not pop up on its own, you have to lift it.For outdoor photos and video of stationary or slow-moving subjects -- close or distant -- it should satisfy. Despite possessing such diminutive dimensions, the compact still features full manual control and a host of other features that look to assert it as a serious shooter.