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Canon PowerShot S500 5MP Digital Elph with 3x Optical Zoom
By: Canon Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 111
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 On: 2008-06-23
This was my first digital camera that I received back in 2004 - and only now do I see it failing on me (there are lines that look like scratches that are probably produced on the image due to worn out card reading mechanism). I also own a Canon EOS Rebel 35mm camera and will say Canon is the brand to go with.
I would buy the s500 for any really young person today trying to learn digital photography...and not paying much for it. Yes, it doesnt look as fancy as the new ones, but my photos have been amazing quality in the highest resolution modes using manual mode. [...]
The only thing that has been upgraded over the years with all the cameras has been the size of the LCD screen - which Ive gotten used to. Yes its about half as small as a standard cellphone screen nowadays.
The boxy size of it fits in all jeans pockets and small purses.
It does video too and is one of the old-fashioned digital cameras compared to today.
I was a 35mm experienced photographer when I began using it for candid shots and was not disappointed due to the ability to control a lot of the functions.
Also it uses the old style compact flash cards as memory, which are bigger, as are the rectangle batteries, but its very compact made as a whole. Best quality are the photos!
 On: 2008-04-12
I got this camera about 4 years ago, and I just lost it/got it stolen so in a way, this is a tribute to it..
So, it goes to say that this camera definitely lasted me a long time. I loved the digital zoom [which I used constantly since it came in great use during concerts, shows and for small things I want to capture out in the distance] and the image size of my pictures [and resolution] when I uploaded my pictures on my computer. It always made me look normal- some of my friends cameras just made people look weirdly colored or not as clear, but mine always shone through. Even when all the new, slimmer, touch-screen cameras came out, I thought of getting a new one but I always loved my camera and I used it a lot. Yes, it was bulky and yet it never prompted people to say, "WOW, let me see your camera!", but I loved it. The only thing that did annoy me a little was the time that it took to start up and stuff- I missed some good moments because of it. And its video recording format is really limited [I think it had a time limit and you cant zoom while filming? I think.] But overall, I loved it and I miss it. Go Canon!!
 On: 2008-01-02
This Camera was my primary camera until I bought the DSC-S700. This Camera Takes great Outdoor pics but so far as indoor pics there is much to be desired. I gives this a 1 star since that any camera that you pay for should take ALL pics Good regardless if it is indoors or out.
On: 2007-09-20
I received this camera as a gift three years ago and it has served me well. It is easy to use and takes high quality pictures. It tends not to want to take the picture unless the image is in focus, which I love. And I have never experienced an E18 error. I also love the video feature and have captured some great moments on it (works better with a larger memory card).
My complaint is that it does take a long time to power on which can be annoying when youre trying to quickly snap a picture of something that is happening right at that moment.
As time has gone on, the power on has taken longer than it did in the beginning, and it takes a REALLY long time (10 seconds-ish) to switch back from play mode to snap mode. And sometimes it will just shut itself down when I go from play to snap mode, even with a full battery.
I am assuming that these faults have come with the aging of the camera and that my beloved first digital camera is slowly dying. It really has served me well for these 3 years but now it is starting to malfunction, and repairs are not cheap! (I dropped it while at the circus recently and the panoramic,b&w and video functions stopped working and I was told it would cost a minimum of $134 to fix it.)
On: 2007-02-20
The size of the camera allows you to even carry in jeans pant pocket, which is impossible in A-series. Image stabilization is very good, pic quality is good even when traveling in car. The flash is pretty powerful. This is the best cannon camera for all those people who want to keep the camera in pockets and not in bag or hand.
On: 2007-01-16
A birthday gift for my daughter. Lots of great digital pictures were the result! Great quality pictures, the only minor problem was a loose on/off knob. It still works but requires more attention than it should. But still takes super quality pics....
On: 2006-10-13
Im surprised to see that a lot of people only give 1* to this camera! Ive had it for 2 years now and i just love it! Thanks to it, I discovered I had a real passion for photography... Its very easy to use and my pictures are great! When I show them, people usually tell me " you must have an expensive camera"... and i just show them my little Canon S500 and they are surprised with the result!
Im just loving it!
On: 2006-09-20
Over 90% of pictures I took by this Canon are blurry. No way can you fix it. I really got fed up with it. Waist your money. Waist your time. More important, waist your precious moments!
On: 2006-08-14
I have known Canon to be a very high quality company. However, I was deeply shocked and disappointed to find that this camera fails to meet the expectations I had about this camera. A few years ago I bought the Fujiffilm 3800. I loved this camera but after a few ski trips I found it rather bulky. I then bought the Canon S500 becaus of its small size and after many good reviews about the S400. For most of the pictures I take on a ski trip this camera is fine. However, if you are taking pictures other than outdoors in the daytime, this camera is worse than a disposable camera. First, there is no red-eye reduction. It simply does not work when I set it to take flash with red-eye reduction. Second, pictures taken at dusk or dawn come out blurry. I would speculate that the shutter speed is way too slow and you would need a tripod. Third, night picture?....Forget about it. I tried to get a beatiful picture of the Chicago skyline but the picture was underexposed. So, I tried the manual mode and played with the exposure settings and I could not get a setting that would produce non-blurry pictures. Looks like Ill be back in the market for a Fujifilm. After all the reviews Ive read, Im waiting for the other shoe to drop (E18, LCD, etc.). Not to mention the terrible service that I have been reading about.
On: 2006-08-13
I have known Canon to be a very high quality company. However, I was deeply shocked and disappointed to find that this camera fails to meet the expectations I had about this camera. A few years ago I bought the Fujiffilm 3800. I loved this camera but after a few ski trips I found it rather bulky. I then bought the Canon S500 becaus of its small size and after many good reviews about the S400. For most of the pictures I take on a ski trip this camera is fine. However, if you are taking pictures other than outdoors in the daytime, this camera is worse than a disposable camera. First, there is no red-eye reduction. It simply does not work when I set it to take flash with red-eye reduction. Second, pictures taken at dusk or dawn come out blurry. I would speculate that the shutter speed is way too slow and you would need a tripod. Third, night picture?....Forget about it. I tried to get a beatiful picture of the Chicago skyline but the picture was underexposed. So, I tried the manual mode and played with the exposure settings and I could not get a setting that would produce non-blurry pictures. Looks like Ill be back in the market for a Fujifilm. After all the reviews Ive read, Im waiting for the other shoe to drop (E18, LCD, etc.). Not to mention the terrible service that I have been reading about.
On: 2006-07-09
After just over a year, my lens jammed and the display read "e18". So I was pretty upset to discover that this is an extremely common defect - and a defect that Canon refuses to admit. Try Googling Canon S500 e18", and youll see what I meant.
Dont buy it unless you want a very expensive paperweight.
On: 2006-04-10
This was my first digital camera that I have ever bought, and I am completely satisfied with it. Talk abt the resolution or the cameras feature. All of it is packed into one small sleek camera. I recommend this digital camera to everybody. And I would say if I would decided later in future to get another one. I would alwayz go for Canon. They are the best in making Digital Cameras.
On: 2006-02-17
1 year old... 3 e18 errors 2 battery erros shipped back for service 4 times! search the net for e18 before you buy!
On: 2006-02-16
1 year old... 3 e18 errors 2 battery erros shipped back for service 4 times! search the net for e18 before you buy!
On: 2006-02-04
I needed to replace a lost S4oo we had for about a year. Looked at the SD series and thought them too small for comfort. There is such a thing as too thin to handle comfortably. The S500 is, like the S400, just right in size. Big area on back for thumb so you an even one-hand hold it. Try that with any SD. Pictures are excellent for a hand-held. Not Nikon N70 film SLR good, but plenty good enough for any snapshot purpose. Bought one of last new S500s available at NewEgg abd very, very happy with it.
On: 2005-12-21
I purchased the canon powershot s500 digital elph last March. I kept getting blurry pictures so I called Canon technical support. They went through the whole procedure to make sure my camera was all set up. Well I followed their directions but everything was the way it should have been. So they said I should send it in because there was obviously a problem with it. Then I sent it in and had to pay for the shipping there. They sent it back and said they had switched out some optical thing. Well I just finally went to get my pictures developed and they all have the same problem. They never fixed the problem. Mind you this was the approximately 9 months of my sons life before the age of 2. I called tech support and ended up having to wait more than 24 hours for a call back from a supervisor. She said they would send me pre paid envelope to check out the camera. Well I was greatful and had to tell her that during babysitting in late August a little boy had dropped my camera so there was damage to the outside part of the camera, but it did not effect the quality of the pictures because they were the same as prior to the day it was dropped. She said that they would probably not cover it due to the fact that it might have been caused by the dropped camera. I told I have proof of when it happened and that the pictures prior to that date are coming in blurry just like it was before I sent it in the first time. I started to cry that my sons 9 months are all ruined and she was practically laughing when I got off the phone. The camera is worse than a disposable camera. Dont waste your time or money on this piece of junk. I recommend Olympus. My Olympus prior to this was only 3 megapixels and was better quality than this piece of junk. I am planning on contacting the Better Business Bureau regarding this matter. Please dont waste your time on this, like I have to! I hope this helps people make better choices! Good luck! I wish someone could have forecasted this for me!
On: 2005-12-20
I purchased the canon powershot s500 digital elph last March. I kept getting blurry pictures so I called Canon technical support. They went through the whole procedure to make sure my camera was all set up. Well I followed their directions but everything was the way it should have been. So they said I should send it in because there was obviously a problem with it. Then I sent it in and had to pay for the shipping there. They sent it back and said they had switched out some optical thing. Well I just finally went to get my pictures developed and they all have the same problem. They never fixed the problem. Mind you this was the approximately 9 months of my sons life before the age of 2. I called tech support and ended up having to wait more than 24 hours for a call back from a supervisor. She said they would send me pre paid envelope to check out the camera. Well I was greatful and had to tell her that during babysitting in late August a little boy had dropped my camera so there was damage to the outside part of the camera, but it did not effect the quality of the pictures because they were the same as prior to the day it was dropped. She said that they would probably not cover it due to the fact that it might have been caused by the dropped camera. I told I have proof of when it happened and that the pictures prior to that date are coming in blurry just like it was before I sent it in the first time. I started to cry that my sons 9 months are all ruined and she was practically laughing when I got off the phone. The camera is worse than a disposable camera. Dont waste your time or money on this piece of junk. I recommend Olympus. My Olympus prior to this was only 3 megapixels and was better quality than this piece of junk. I am planning on contacting the Better Business Bureau regarding this matter. Please dont waste your time on this, like I have to! I hope this helps people make better choices! Good luck! I wish someone could have forecasted this for me!
On: 2005-12-05
After owning three other Canon cameras I am through with Canon. All my other cameras were fine. This cameras LCD broke within the first month of normal use. Never dropped! All of my other Digital cameras held up for years. Ive had two powershot s50s 1 lost and 1 stolen. Never had a problem and those were both dropped numbers of times.
This is a product defect/design flaw and Canon will not cover it under warranty. $150.00 to get it repaired and It will happen again, or you may start getting the E18 errors. This is a expensive paperweight!
Poor design. Very dissapointed. I will never buy another Canon product again.
On: 2005-11-05
Dont buy this camera!!! Prone to "Memory Error" & E18 errors after warranty is up. Cost min $150 plus shipping to fix.
This camera was great until 23 months went by then I started mysteriously losing pictures due to file format errors. I switched memory cards and it happened again. Then the "memory error" displayed after a month or so of losing pictures. Now it doesnt work at all. I called canon to see what type of service could be provided and if they would fix what appears to be a factory defect since so many people have reported this problem. Minimum cost is $150 or I could upgrade to a refurb S500 for $199 w/6 month warranty. They have to be kidding, $250 get me a new one. For what appears to be common problem I was expecting more from canon. Guess I wont be buying another canon.
Google this "Canon "Memory Error" E18" and see for yourself that Canon cameras have problems.
On: 2005-11-04
Dont buy this camera!!! Prone to "Memory Error" & E18 errors after warranty is up. Cost min $150 plus shipping to fix.
This camera was great until 23 months went by then I started mysteriously losing pictures due to file format errors. I switched memory cards and it happened again. Then the "memory error" displayed after a month or so of losing pictures. Now it doesnt work at all. I called canon to see what type of service could be provided and if they would fix what appears to be a factory defect since so many people have reported this problem. Minimum cost is $150 or I could upgrade to a refurb S500 for $199 w/6 month warranty. They have to be kidding, $250 get me a new one. For what appears to be common problem I was expecting more from canon. Guess I wont be buying another canon.
Google this "Canon "Memory Error" E18" and see for yourself that Canon cameras have problems.
On: 2005-10-31
If only I had known about this error before getting the camera! I received this error while on vacation several weeks ago and it rendered the camera useless. Do a search of the internet on this issue prior to purchasing. This issue has come up on several of Canons point and shoot models and their is currently a class action lawsuit being investigated by a California based law firm.
On: 2005-10-30
If only I had known about this error before getting the camera! I received this error while on vacation several weeks ago and it rendered the camera useless. Do a search of the internet on this issue prior to purchasing. This issue has come up on several of Canons point and shoot models and their is currently a class action lawsuit being investigated by a California based law firm.
On: 2005-10-25
While the camera worked it took great pictures.
8 Days after I purchased it, however, the LCD screen no longer functioned at all - it just showed strange colors, but no images (in both the shooting and viewing modes). I can not link the problem to any event (I did not drop it, etc., I handled it carefully). I brought the camera back to the retailer who said I must have placed too much pressure on the screen and so its my fault. I am about to send it in for warranty repair, but from what other reviewers suggest, Canon will NOT repair it for free. I had a Pentax Optio for over 3 years and I never had this problem. I do NOT recommend this camera.
On: 2005-10-05
Once again... the memory card error is showing up, although I have not dropped the camera or done anything that would cause damage. This is the second time this happened. the first time I had it repaired with Cannon and this time I am just fed up! NO MORE CANNONS FOR ME... Its ridiculous that the same thing keeps happening for me and so many others yet they want to charge us $150.00 each time just to repair it.
On: 2005-10-04
Once again... the memory card error is showing up, although I have not dropped the camera or done anything that would cause damage. This is the second time this happened. the first time I had it repaired with Cannon and this time I am just fed up! NO MORE CANNONS FOR ME... Its ridiculous that the same thing keeps happening for me and so many others yet they want to charge us $150.00 each time just to repair it.
On: 2005-09-21
Stay away from Canon, many people are having the same problem with the s400 memory card error and canon wont recall it. Instead they are charging people lots of money to fix it. Look for yourself if you like. Attached is my correspondence:
To whom it may concern,
I have the Canon Powershot S400 and I have been getting the Memory Card Error since it was less than a year old. I was under the impression that it was the card itself but after I purchased a new card I kept getting the error.
Upon research I have found many other people that have had the same problem and Canon is not backing up their product, this is obviously a defect and should be taken care of at no expense to the consumer.
I spent over $500.00 on this camera and I expect it to work. I would like this camera repaired or replaced at no expense to me, if you choose not to support this I will be happy to rally all of the people I can and file a class action suit against Canon for faulty products.
I have enclosed just a few of the many unhappy people so please do not insult my intelligence and tell me this is the first youve heard of it.
I will await your prompt response.
Keith Williams
Phoenix, AZ.
Dear Mr. Keith Williams,
Thank you for contacting us regarding your PowerShot S400.
I regret that your S400 needs service despite the fact that it is relatively new. Unfortunately, no matter how well made or how well treated a product may be, there is always a chance that it will need service. That is why we offer multiple support options for products in-warranty or out-of-warranty. In the case of an out-of-warranty S400 we offer the Flat Rate Repair and PowerShot Upgrade Programs, both of which were developed from customer feedback. There is a charge for both of these programs - I am sorry for any dissatisfaction this causes.
I can understand why you would have misgivings, but I must caution you against relying on information that may not be credible. The fact is that the S400 is a successful and robust design as witnessed not only by its excellent sales but also by the service data we have collected since it was introduced two and one half years ago. Another fact is that Canon has an excellent reputation for a reason. We use our service data and we constantly review our products and processes to identify opportunities for improvement. If we find a problem we will act proactively and appropriately. Examples of this are two different programs related to service notices we published on our website in the past few months. In both programs we are servicing the related models at no cost no matter the warranty status. Further, we are refunding customers who paid for related service in the past. This is how we have always conducted our business and it is how we intend to continue to do so.
I hope that my responsiveness demonstrates our commitment to your satisfaction. I also hope that the information I provide reassures you.
If I can offer any further help, you are welcome to call my toll free telephone number, 866-865-7815, extension 2569.
Sincerely,
Brian Stout
Canon Customer Relations
On: 2005-09-17
I took this camera to central europe last month and it was good while it worked. I dropped it from 3 feet and the mode switch stopped working. I couldnt preview / edit or delete pictures any more- I sent it to canon and they wanted to charge me $125 to repair it. I know it was my fault for dropping it but - shouldnt a camera be dropped once or twice without an important switch becoming useless?
On: 2005-09-16
I took this camera to central europe last month and it was good while it worked. I dropped it from 3 feet and the mode switch stopped working. I couldnt preview / edit or delete pictures any more- I sent it to canon and they wanted to charge me $125 to repair it. I know it was my fault for dropping it but - shouldnt a camera be dropped once or twice without an important switch becoming useless?
On: 2005-09-07
The SD500 has all of the design problems that the SD300 and SD400 have. The most important problem with these cameras is that the LCD is very fragile.
The problem is so bad that Canons warranty no longer covers the LCD.
I bought a SD400 for use on a 2 month trip to Japan. I needed something lighter and easier to carry than the various digital single lens reflex cameras that I normally use.
Two days and 123 pictures later I found that the LCD screen was not working. The camera had been exposed to normal every day handling.
Best Buy and Canon said that there is no warranty for broken or damaged LCD screens. The bottom line; "Sorry boy, you are SOL."
I have used Canon cameras for over 50 years but this experience has, at long last, cured my addiction to Canon.
This camera is a Power Shot SD 400 Digital ELPH, Serial # 0723361903.
If any one is interested, I can get you a deal on an attractive paper weight.
[...]
On: 2005-09-06
The SD500 has all of the design problems that the SD300 and SD400 have. The most important problem with these cameras is that the LCD is very fragile.
The problem is so bad that Canons warranty no longer covers the LCD.
I bought a SD400 for use on a 2 month trip to Japan. I needed something lighter and easier to carry than the various digital single lens reflex cameras that I normally use.
Two days and 123 pictures later I found that the LCD screen was not working. The camera had been exposed to normal every day handling.
Best Buy and Canon said that there is no warranty for broken or damaged LCD screens. The bottom line; "Sorry boy, you are SOL."
I have used Canon cameras for over 50 years but this experience has, at long last, cured my addiction to Canon.
This camera is a Power Shot SD 400 Digital ELPH, Serial # 0723361903.
If any one is interested, I can get you a deal on an attractive paper weight.
[...]
On: 2005-08-17
This is my second day owning this camera and it is replacing my S50 which I have been using for the past three years. The reason why I bought it was mainly because of the compact size compared to my bulky s50 and also the video mode produced better quality videos than the s50. So far I love this camera!
I have been comparing shots with the s50 and s500 and one thing that I did notice is that the LCD is of a better quality on the s50 and that would mean the images would look much better when viewing from the LCD monitor. I was able to view images that I took with the s500 on the s50 and the images from the s500 looked much sharper , clearer and superior. So I will be keeping the s500 for a long while. I also noticed a few unhappy customers that experienced error problems or LCD cracks. For those, I would recommend that you purchase the camera from a store that will issue a refund like COSTCO , this is my first choice in purchasing digital cameras because you can return it at any time whether its 1 month or 1 year from now, as long as you have the receipt. And they will issue a full refund, plus I got it $100 cheaper at costco off of the retail price.
Also in response to another reviewers concerns about speeding up the shutter speed. All you have to do is change the image capture mode to the "action" mode.
And please read all of the manual! I m pretty sure the error screen is appearing because the format of the av/out is not matching up correctly. You have to pick the right format befor you connect it to your tv.
On: 2005-08-14
I had the same experience as some of the other reviewers. Essentially, I loved my Canon PowerShot until about 18 months after I got it when it started getting memory card errors. I called Canon and they were very unresponsive. At first, I thought I was the only one with this problem until I read the other reviews. Bottom line, I would never buy another Canon product again as they have poor quality control and even poorer customer service. I am going to buy a Sony instead.
On: 2005-08-08
I bought my Canon S500 in April 2004 and have not even bothered to look over the reviews since my purchase as a result of my seeming satisfaction with this item. Well, I just returned from London where, of course, I experienced the E18 problem with associated lens retraction issues. Since I carry my camera in my pocket, I assumed that somehow I had inadvertently powered up the camera. It is only now that I realize that this is a consistent problem with the camera occurring almost 18 months to the date noted in prior reviews. Thanfully, I have an extended warranty but would be seriously upset if I had to come up with additional money to repair what is obviously an inherent manufacturers technical issue. The seeming lack of concern on the part of Canon to address this issue easily earns this item 1 star review.
On: 2005-08-07
I bought my Canon S500 in April 2004 and have not even bothered to look over the reviews since my purchase as a result of my seeming satisfaction with this item. Well, I just returned from London where, of course, I experienced the E18 problem with associated lens retraction issues. Since I carry my camera in my pocket, I assumed that somehow I had inadvertently powered up the camera. It is only now that I realize that this is a consistent problem with the camera occurring almost 18 months to the date noted in prior reviews. Thanfully, I have an extended warranty but would be seriously upset if I had to come up with additional money to repair what is obviously an inherent manufacturers technical issue. The seeming lack of concern on the part of Canon to address this issue easily earns this item 1 star review.
On: 2005-08-07
The Canon S400, S410 and S500 have all had serious reliability problems. Read the reviews on this website and you will see that many customers have had a mysterious memory error and/or the lens jamming (E18 error). These problems have shown up at about 18 months on all of these models. Since Canon hasnt fixed the problem in over 3 years since it first started showing up, I wouldnt want to bet that the new SD400 camera wont also turn into a paperweight after 18 months.
Oh - I forgot to mention that Canon will fix the cameras for $150. Nothing like turning a defective camera into a profit center.
On: 2005-08-04
I bought this camera to replace a larger Kodak I had. I was looking for something smaller that could fit in my purse but wanted great quality pictures. I do a lot of scrapbooking, so I needed the zoom quality options.
I take this camera everywhere to capture opportune pictures so it has taken a beating and still works great. (I did accidentally drop it in a creek once and it stopped working. I contacted Canon and they fixed the camera for $75. As mentioned in a couple of other reviews I have read, they are very water sensitive.)
I have been very happy with the quality of the pictures. I have an HP Photosmart 100 and can print the pictures right off the card. Have also designed web-sites and have been able to use the pictures on them.
On: 2005-08-03
I bought this camera to replace a larger Kodak I had. I was looking for something smaller that could fit in my purse but wanted great quality pictures. I do a lot of scrapbooking, so I needed the zoom quality options.
I take this camera everywhere to capture opportune pictures so it has taken a beating and still works great. (I did accidentally drop it in a creek once and it stopped working. I contacted Canon and they fixed the camera for $75. As mentioned in a couple of other reviews I have read, they are very water sensitive.)
I have been very happy with the quality of the pictures. I have an HP Photosmart 100 and can print the pictures right off the card. Have also designed web-sites and have been able to use the pictures on them.
On: 2005-07-24
I had this error after 14 months with this camera. I actually think this is a very good camera, it takes very good pictures and its very friendly. I had an E18 error in my camera about a month ago. I sent it back to Canon Service, they gave me the option to replace it for a couple hundred dollars, but after looking at the reviews of the camera today, I just realized Im not the only one with the same Error, I dont want to pay again in 14 months. Ill probably look for a different brand.
Rolas
On: 2005-07-12
i bought this camera after i lost my old canon s230 (3.2MP). i was going to buy the same camera but then decided to upgrade to a 5MP.
i am already familiar with this series of cameras so i wasnt expecting much of a difference, but i was in for a shock.
on my old s230 the flash wasnt very powerful and the digital zoom was never worth using since the pics would come out blurry. also it was an annoying delay when taking action shots.
the new s500 fixed all these pet peeves and i am amazed at the quality of pics. the flash range is great and you can use the digital zoom and still get great pictures. also there is a new mode that takes pics superfast so you wont miss that special moment.
definitely a great upgrade from older S-series.
On: 2005-07-12
This is the first digital camera I have ever purchased (I bought it for myself as an early graduation present), and I read tons of reviews before settling on this camera. This is the ideal camera for people who like to carry around a camera all the time because of its compact size, and it takes EXCELLENT pictures!
Pros: compact size but big enough to easily hold onto it, works well indoors and outdoors, flash is great, almost no delay when you press the button and when it takes the picture (a problem I noticed with other cameras), pictures come out with very high resolution even when they are cropped and enlarged, the screen on the camera moves very quickly and smoothly, you can adjust many of the modes with the buttons on the camera rather than going to the menu option (very convenient for changing the flash option quickly), the software makes it VERY easy to upload your pictures onto your computer, the battery charger is very easy and convenient to use, and the case for this camera fits like a glove if you decide to purchase it.
Cons: no battery life indicator (I solved this problem by purchasing an extra battery to carry around with me), screen is kinda small.
As you can see, the pros greatly outweigh the cons. I would highly recommend this camera to anyone. My dad is a fanatic about taking pictures (not sure what kind of Canon he has, but I think it is a Canon Digital Rebel), and the pictures I take with my camera are comparable in quality with his. I have had my camera for almost 3 months now, and I have never had any problems with it! It took perfect pictures for my prom and graduation, and all my friends were begging for copies of my pictures because they were so great. If you are debating over getting a lower megapixel (like the 4 megapixel version of this Canon), Im sure it would also work as well as this one (especially if you are going to buy normal 4x6 prints for most of your photos), but I have never had any experience with that particular camera. Canon seems to make high quality cameras, and this particular model would be the perfect camera for anyone.
On: 2005-07-11
This is the first digital camera I have ever purchased (I bought it for myself as an early graduation present), and I read tons of reviews before settling on this camera. This is the ideal camera for people who like to carry around a camera all the time because of its compact size, and it takes EXCELLENT pictures!
Pros: compact size but big enough to easily hold onto it, works well indoors and outdoors, flash is great, almost no delay when you press the button and when it takes the picture (a problem I noticed with other cameras), pictures come out with very high resolution even when they are cropped and enlarged, the screen on the camera moves very quickly and smoothly, you can adjust many of the modes with the buttons on the camera rather than going to the menu option (very convenient for changing the flash option quickly), the software makes it VERY easy to upload your pictures onto your computer, the battery charger is very easy and convenient to use, and the case for this camera fits like a glove if you decide to purchase it.
Cons: no battery life indicator (I solved this problem by purchasing an extra battery to carry around with me), screen is kinda small.
As you can see, the pros greatly outweigh the cons. I would highly recommend this camera to anyone. My dad is a fanatic about taking pictures (not sure what kind of Canon he has, but I think it is a Canon Digital Rebel), and the pictures I take with my camera are comparable in quality with his. I have had my camera for almost 3 months now, and I have never had any problems with it! It took perfect pictures for my prom and graduation, and all my friends were begging for copies of my pictures because they were so great. If you are debating over getting a lower megapixel (like the 4 megapixel version of this Canon), Im sure it would also work as well as this one (especially if you are going to buy normal 4x6 prints for most of your photos), but I have never had any experience with that particular camera. Canon seems to make high quality cameras, and this particular model would be the perfect camera for anyone.
On: 2005-07-10
Our Canon PowerShot digital camera lens froze and with the E18 error. We rarely used the camera and kept it in perfect condition (locked up and well protected). But one day the lens would not retract, and the display only showed the error code "E18" in the lower left corner. I took out the battery and replaced the flash card with a new one, tried everything else I read about.... There is no reason why my camera should have stopped working, unless it was manufactured to do so...
My friends told me that their PowerShot camera did the same thing, so instead of sending it back and getting another that would soon give another E18 error, we decided to purchase a Sony Camera that works.
Canon should take responsibility for this!
On: 2005-07-08
When i first got this camera about 5 months ago, i loved it
i even liked the little videos. AFTER 5 MONTHS I KEEP GETTING BLURRY PHOTOS. NEXT TIME ILL BUY A FUJI CAMERA.
CATHERINE FABRIZIO
On: 2005-07-05
Ive only had the camera for a few days, but so far its great. Its easy to use, takes beautiful pictures, and it looks good.
On: 2005-07-01
I have owned the Canon S500 for 7+ months now and taken over 1000 pictures. I must say that this is a highly capable camera in its class. Its neither too tiny to handle nor big enough so as not to fit in a small pocket. It has more control than a simple point & shoot camera and gives consistently high results.
The LCD though small is higher in resolution and it makes it look better than the bigger but grainier LCDs on certain Sony models.
Surely, small cameras like these are never comparable to professional ones but i would find it impractical to carry a big SLR everywhere! Pictures taken carefully (i.e. proper conditions and settings), are really capable of standing high among the results of much better cameras.
Even though there are newer, sleeker cameras with better video capabilities, I reiterate that when it comes to still picture quality, the S500 is one of the most capable in its size and resolution category.
Finally, you must always remember that a camera with (x+1) mega pixels does not necessarily offer superior quality than one with x mega pixels resolution.
On: 2005-06-14
This digital camera isnt really mine though. My dad bought this camera last summer and this camera is pretty cool because it was voted on TIME Magazine that this camera was one of 2004s hottest and best technology. The picture quality is good and you can zoom in as far as you want to. You can also take videos but you may need a bigger Memory card if you want to take videos and pictures together.
On: 2005-06-13
This digital camera isnt really mine though. My dad bought this camera last summer and this camera is pretty cool because it was voted on TIME Magazine that this camera was one of 2004s hottest and best technology. The picture quality is good and you can zoom in as far as you want to. You can also take videos but you may need a bigger Memory card if you want to take videos and pictures together.
On: 2005-06-11
[...]
MOST (the normal user) will not be disappointed! This is a cool small camera. If you want more power (7 megapixel) and a larger camera go to the Canon G6. This fits great in your pocket. The pictures are clear. Relatively easy to use. A good place to start - unless you are wanting to shell out the big bucks. I only wish it came with larger capacity memory card. But they are getting cheaper everyday. 1GB seems to be getting cheaper everyday.
[...]
On: 2005-06-10
[...]
MOST (the normal user) will not be disappointed! This is a cool small camera. If you want more power (7 megapixel) and a larger camera go to the Canon G6. This fits great in your pocket. The pictures are clear. Relatively easy to use. A good place to start - unless you are wanting to shell out the big bucks. I only wish it came with larger capacity memory card. But they are getting cheaper everyday. 1GB seems to be getting cheaper everyday.
[...]
 On: 2005-06-08
I bought the Canon S500 just before a trip of a lifetime earlier this year. This camera was brilliant while travelling around Australia Asia and the Middle east. The scenic photos I took came out beautifully the colours were vibrant, I couldnt complain. Ironically I make it back home with camera but thats when it all goes wrong.
The camera was knocked off a side table onto a carpet floor; the lcd screen still came up but that was about it, no photos were taken, none of the buttons to change the settings worked,you couldnt play back images or anything. Sending it off to Canon didnt help either. Although Camera was still within the warranty, it would cost a minimum of $150 (no matter what is wrong with these cameras it seems 150 bucks is the standard fee) to fix as the knock to the camera wasnt covered in the warranty. It just didnt seem worth it to pay that much to fix a camera when I could get a new one for a similar price.
Prior to owning the S500 Id owned the S300. This camera lasted about 3 years (I upgraded to the S500 for the better megapixels and new functions) and it was not as delicate as the S500, it went all over the world and wasnt always in a camera case and operated perfectly, its ownly fault was it was superceded by newer models. I know cameras are delicate machines but I expected the S500 to hold up a bit better than this. I hope the SD500 has had some of these kinks ironed out
On: 2005-06-05
This is a fantastic camera. Its true you can get yours free...
[...] GOOD LUCK
On: 2005-06-03
This is an outstanding camera if you want a 5MP that you can easily take with you wherever you go. It fits into your pocket, and takes unbelievably beautiful pictures. Ive also read some reviews from people who say the online FREE sites are a scam and they dont work. Well, maybe some are, but Let me tell you, the one below DOES WORK. I got mine that way, and you can to. These naysayers dont entirely know what theyre talking about. Just click on the below link, complete one of the offers, and refer a few friends to do the same....its easy. the companys are all reputable - I recommend the Video Professor offer, which wont cost you a dime if you return everything within the 10 day trial period. The Blockbuster offer is also great. Just follow the link below and you WILL get your camera FOR FREE!!!
(...)
On: 2005-06-02
This is an outstanding camera if you want a 5MP that you can easily take with you wherever you go. It fits into your pocket, and takes unbelievably beautiful pictures. Ive also read some reviews from people who say the online FREE sites are a scam and they dont work. Well, maybe some are, but Let me tell you, the one below DOES WORK. I got mine that way, and you can to. These naysayers dont entirely know what theyre talking about. Just click on the below link, complete one of the offers, and refer a few friends to do the same....its easy. the companys are all reputable - I recommend the Video Professor offer, which wont cost you a dime if you return everything within the 10 day trial period. The Blockbuster offer is also great. Just follow the link below and you WILL get your camera FOR FREE!!!
(...)
On: 2005-05-04
Ive seen some great photo ops in my travels, problem is, I never had a digital (or 35mm camera) on me when I needed to capture them. I dont want to travel by air with expensive equipment that the morons at the airport toss around while they trash your carryon, I also dont like the "stupid American tourist, pls pickpocket me" look that an SLR around the neck labels you.
Enter the S500, compact flash compatibility with the Canon dSlRs should you ever upgrade, ultraportable for shirtpocket storage, quick startup for those once in a lifetime photo ops, and the accessories are as light and easy to carry as the camera. The only thing missing is a 10x zoom, but with 5mp, you have plenty of pixels available to crop and still get a great "enlarged" shot of the one subject you wanted in the picture.
Menus are intuitive if you cut your teeth on canon digital cameras previous to this one, and use other canon digitals besides this one.
Cons - old tech in digital camera age. if you are just starting out, look at the other memory media which allow even smaller ultracompacts. Doubt there will be a Canon S700 with compact flash card storage, but if you lug Canon dSLRs around at other times, or plan to upgrade to Canon dSlRs in the future, the memory media standarization with the S500 is a godsend to protect your memory card investment. and the current price of the S500 is a bahgain!
by: Anonymous On: 2005-04-27
The get-a-Canon Powershot-for-free "offers" you see spewed everywhere on Amazon dont work! All you will get is a gigantic flood of junk email, telemarketing calls, and junk faxes.
Get the real scoop from the San Francisco Chronicle. Search sfgate.com for "David Lazarus free ipod not really" and you will see what these jokers are really up to.
On: 2005-04-25
I bought this camera specifically for my honeymoon trip to Paris. I have never used a Canon before but I decided to give it a go because of the great reviews. The first concern when buying a camera is the picture quality. You ask yourself if this camera will take a good picture every time you point and shoot. Well it does not! It takes about 4 good pictures out of 10. I took 250 pictures on my trip; bought the 512MB memory card, only 60 of them were print worthy. All other came out blurry or with dust particle in the air because of the strong flash. Needless to say that my wife was extremely mad at me for the horrible pictures. It maybe true that you could fiddle around a lot with the menu options that might improve your images, but on the other hand the option menu seems to be in Hebrew, impossible to understand. Im a very well educated person, engineer, extremely computer and technologically savvy, but this menu is just impossible. If somebody tells you its a cinch, its probably because they spent well over a year trying to figure it out or have owned Canon cameras all their life. This is not a Point-&-Click Camera. I just was so extremely disappointed in Canon, so many good reviews that mean nothing. Hopefully this review will shed some light to perspective buyers. What camera should I buy then? You ask. I just dont know. Sonys are truly point and shoot cameras and their menus are much more easy to use. They use words like Menu, Video, and Resolution. Canon uses symbols and letters, very confusing. I would look at Cnet reviews and PC World reviews to see which Sony is on top. But overall this camera is on the bottom of my list. I write this review not to damage the image of Canon or to hurt Amazon sales but to inform buyers into making a right choice from personal experience. I never buy anything without ever reading the reviews, they provide a world of insight that the manufacturer cant mention.
On: 2005-04-22
I purchased this camera as an upgrade to a 2mp Digital Elph. It was nice that the 2 batterys that I had worked, and I also now have an additional charger. Picture quality is great...a little red eye here and there, but I think that is more from my picture taking. Included software is good, but id recommend Picasa 2...free download from Google, for Windows users. Its as close to iPhoto that I can find for XP. Pictures developed via Walmart look spectacular. 512 mb card helps. The 128 card that I had before would only hold 50 pictures from this camera...
On: 2005-04-21
I purchased this camera as an upgrade to a 2mp Digital Elph. It was nice that the 2 batterys that I had worked, and I also now have an additional charger. Picture quality is great...a little red eye here and there, but I think that is more from my picture taking. Included software is good, but id recommend Picasa 2...free download from Google, for Windows users. Its as close to iPhoto that I can find for XP. Pictures developed via Walmart look spectacular. 512 mb card helps. The 128 card that I had before would only hold 50 pictures from this camera...
On: 2005-04-10
This is my 4th digital camera, yet is the most disappointing one to date. Im a big fun of Olympus products, but several things led to the purchase of this one:
1. My wife just had a baby and needs an ultra-compact to carry around
2. $50 rebate from Canon with a Pixma printer purchase which I recently made
3. This cameras large CCD (1.8)
4. This camera uses inexpensive but durable CF card vs. XD card of Olympus
Cons
Uncontrollable noisy level even at ISO 50 when shooting indoor
Heavy purple fringe aberration in most indoor shots
Small LCD (1.5")
Noisy AF operation
No battery life indicator
No scene mode
AF difficulty under low light even w/ AF laminator (AF Lock helps a little but annoying to use)
Pros
Well-constructed metal body, eye-pleasing good looks
Good color balance and saturation
Adequate flash power
Good video performance at highest setting
Good battery life
Bottom Line
If you use your camera more than 50% for indoor shooting, stay away from Canon Elph line
On: 2005-04-09
This is my 4th digital camera, yet is the most disappointing one to date. Im a big fun of Olympus products, but several things led to the purchase of this one:
1. My wife just had a baby and needs an ultra-compact to carry around
2. $50 rebate from Canon with a Pixma printer purchase which I recently made
3. This cameras large CCD (1.8)
4. This camera uses inexpensive but durable CF card vs. XD card of Olympus
Cons
Uncontrollable noisy level even at ISO 50 when shooting indoor
Heavy purple fringe aberration in most indoor shots
Small LCD (1.5")
Noisy AF operation
No battery life indicator
No scene mode
AF difficulty under low light even w/ AF laminator (AF Lock helps a little but annoying to use)
Pros
Well-constructed metal body, eye-pleasing good looks
Good color balance and saturation
Adequate flash power
Good video performance at highest setting
Good battery life
Bottom Line
If you use your camera more than 50% for indoor shooting, stay away from Canon Elph line
On: 2005-04-02
I did a bake-off vs a Pentax Optio & was quite surprised how much better this cameras photos usually were.
All were in our living room. The Optio had more trouble getting a good focus in less-than-bright indoor light. There was much less detail in its results when the focus WAS right (even after tweaking the "JPEG details" settings).
Especially I found less noise in the darker areas of the Canons photos. Due to a bigger light sensor, which makes the camera a bit bulkier? Could be the reason, and a point to consider when you want a real ultra-compact / ultra light small camera.
There WERE a couple of shots where the Pentax colors looked a bit more natural. Maybe variations in brightness? Anyway, the differences were modest and neither was displeasing.
My wife was (very!) disappointed when she first got this camera (a birthday gift) because shed focused on her friends smaller ligher Optio. But when she kept getting compliments on her shots, while her friend had frequent disappointments, she changed her mind.
On: 2005-03-20
Especially considering the price, this camera is a fantastic buy. Ive used several different digital cameras, and this is definitely the best(Olympus C-765, Pentax Optio S4, several Olympus Camedias). That being said, I have a few complaints:
Flash - Indoor scenes often have too little light to take a picture without a flash, but regardless of how little light there is inside, a flash will always make the pictures look incredibly washed out at ranges closer than about eight feet or so. More than ten feet will result in a blurred, low quality image that really doesnt benefit at all from the flash. So, for low lighting, get a tripod-- and get a decent tripod, too, the cheap ones are really unstable.
Batteries - Third party batteries cost me something like $5, and they work for maybe three recharges-- so do NOT buy one of these. The OEM batteries are exorbitant, though.
Lens size - A tiny lens means a tiny camera, but it also means a camera that cant take pictures that require a lot of light-- you either use a flash(losing color quality), or take a very blurred picture. For some reason, as well, low-lighting conditions often result in bizarre white balance. Indoor pictures always seem too orange, however I set it...
Additional praise:
Focus - Generally works out to be perfect or near-perfect.
Movie Mode - I dont expect it to be like a professional video camera, but for what it is, it works quite well. The microphones easily twice as good as iPod mics Ive used..
Size - Its so small! And the design is incredibly well thought-out. Everythings in the right place, and easy to use.
Quality - Picture quality is fairly consistent if you have the right ISO settings-- I usually use medium or high quality on S or M2-- low quality small pictures are only worth it if you want to just show them to friends and take a zillion, theyre not really suitable for printing.
While I think I might rather have an EOS Rebel ideally, Id rather go with something thats 1/3 the price and half the size. Good work, Canon! =P
On: 2005-03-18
I love this camera. I really didnt know what kinda of camera would be good for me being that my husband & I ride quads and we needed something compact but that would also take crisp shots. This is the best camera Ive ever used. I was a bit hesitant about the size because most cameras that take good quality pictures dont come that small, but this is definitely worth every penny. And Amazon has it for the lowest price anywhere online.
On: 2005-03-17
I love this camera. I really didnt know what kinda of camera would be good for me being that my husband & I ride quads and we needed something compact but that would also take crisp shots. This is the best camera Ive ever used. I was a bit hesitant about the size because most cameras that take good quality pictures dont come that small, but this is definitely worth every penny. And Amazon has it for the lowest price anywhere online.
On: 2005-03-11
I bought the camera and love it... for 2 weeks. I fall off on the table while taking out the memory card... the fall was less than 1 feet and it broke. I know that the cameras need to be handle with care and I am sure I was very unlucky... whatever... but is the first time I see a camera broke that easily. Now I guess I will have to fight to get it covered by the warranty. In any event, I found the camera too fragile.
On: 2005-03-07
I am new to the digital camera market. 4 weeks to be exact. I previously owned a cannon 35mm film camera. I am pleasantly surprised at the color and sharpness of the photos. I went with the advice of other reviewers and only use Cannon Photo paper. I also bought one of their printers. IP 4000. The combo is a winning one. The basic features are simply to use just reading a few directions.
On: 2005-03-02
This is the best camera. I have two small kids this camera fits in my purse but takes really clear pictures.
On: 2005-02-28
Takes great photos. Works great all the time. I cant think of a thing wrong with it. I am very happy with it.
On: 2005-02-27
Takes great photos. Works great all the time. I cant think of a thing wrong with it. I am very happy with it.
On: 2005-02-27
I cant say enough about how great this little camera is! I bought it in anticipation of a 10 day trip to Europe and it outperformed even my high expectations. Ive had some experience with photography, a few classes, and some nice cameras (all Canons) in the past but this is my first digital.
As I wanted to make sure I had enough coverage for the trip (hence the 5mp purchase), I added a 512 MB card and spare battery to my order. Just over 200 pictures later (at full resolution), I have the photo record of a lifetime! The images are clear and crisp and the color is excellent. Even on cloudy days the camera captured great shots. And even though I took the manual along, the camera is so intuitive I never had to use it. I played with the various settings throughout but if all you want is easy high quality images youd never have to bother. I love that you can preview the pictures on screen and delete them if youre not satisfied. The battery is long lasting - one would take me through the day and charge up overnight (the extra was a little overkill but appreciated in situations where I couldnt immediately charge).
Since returning from the trip, Ive transferred the images to my laptop, uploaded the images to Ofoto to share with family and friends, written slide presentations to cd, and had pictures printed in 4x6, 5x7, and 8x10. All have amazing quality and have received great reviews from whoever has seen them. In fact, 7 framed pictures are in my office and many think theyve been professionally taken and purchased! The quality of the camera and prints, coupled with the ease of use of the camera and software is outstanding.
Recently, I purchased an iBook and Canon PIXMA ip3000 printer. The Canon connected to the iBook without installing the Canon software package and interfaces seamlessly with iPhoto. Although I havent had a chance to print from the laptop yet I did connect my Digital Elph directly to the printer. On the sample paper that was included, I printed 3 images directly from the Elph. All are great, straight from the camera with no color alterations or cropping. I cant wait to see how they print with a little tweaking on the laptop!
Well done Canon! This is a combination I anticipate having for a long time.
On: 2005-02-26
I cant say enough about how great this little camera is! I bought it in anticipation of a 10 day trip to Europe and it outperformed even my high expectations. Ive had some experience with photography, a few classes, and some nice cameras (all Canons) in the past but this is my first digital.
As I wanted to make sure I had enough coverage for the trip (hence the 5mp purchase), I added a 512 MB card and spare battery to my order. Just over 200 pictures later (at full resolution), I have the photo record of a lifetime! The images are clear and crisp and the color is excellent. Even on cloudy days the camera captured great shots. And even though I took the manual along, the camera is so intuitive I never had to use it. I played with the various settings throughout but if all you want is easy high quality images youd never have to bother. I love that you can preview the pictures on screen and delete them if youre not satisfied. The battery is long lasting - one would take me through the day and charge up overnight (the extra was a little overkill but appreciated in situations where I couldnt immediately charge).
Since returning from the trip, Ive transferred the images to my laptop, uploaded the images to Ofoto to share with family and friends, written slide presentations to cd, and had pictures printed in 4x6, 5x7, and 8x10. All have amazing quality and have received great reviews from whoever has seen them. In fact, 7 framed pictures are in my office and many think theyve been professionally taken and purchased! The quality of the camera and prints, coupled with the ease of use of the camera and software is outstanding.
Recently, I purchased an iBook and Canon PIXMA ip3000 printer. The Canon connected to the iBook without installing the Canon software package and interfaces seamlessly with iPhoto. Although I havent had a chance to print from the laptop yet I did connect my Digital Elph directly to the printer. On the sample paper that was included, I printed 3 images directly from the Elph. All are great, straight from the camera with no color alterations or cropping. I cant wait to see how they print with a little tweaking on the laptop!
Well done Canon! This is a combination I anticipate having for a long time.
On: 2005-02-23
I cant say enough good things about this camera. Great pics, tons of options and its small to boot. Ever since I got this camera, Im amazed of the picture quality. The only negative is that it lacks a preview button to view the last picture taken. Otherwise, the camera takes great pics indoor and out. I often do not even need a flash in a normally lit room.
On: 2005-02-16
Within the first month of owning this camera, complete with the Canon case designed for it, I had to send the camera in for service. I carried my camera in a computer backpack that was well paded, assuming the combination would adequately protect the camera. The 3rd time I used the camera I found the LCD to be cracked and non-functional.
I had a similar experience with warranty service that another write up mentioned; problems are always the fault of users and standard $150 charge for repair. I spoke with warranty service and customer repair concerning the matter with a fairly callous response.
Nice features and functions but very fragile piece of equipment in my mind.
On: 2005-01-20
A few months after I bought this camera, the compact flash door broke from normal use. I sent it in to get serviced and Canon has some very crazy policies about warranty work. They say that the CF door is ALWAYS the users fault and costs $150.00 to fix. They also refuse to do any repairs unless you get EVERYTHING that they find wrong fixed. There was some kind of scuff on the lens housing and they wouldnt fix the CF door unless I got that fixed as well (which they of course classified as "Impact Damage" and youre back to paying the minimum service fee of $150.00).
Dont buy Canon products unless you keep them in a sealed container and never use them, because if they break, youre out of luck.
On: 2005-01-19
LIKES
1) Nice compact size. Easy to carry.
2) Great pictures for about 90% of the shots.
3) Great features. Video mode. Manual mode. Sounds and Wallpaper (Themes).
4) Uses Compact Flash which is the cheapest type of memory.
5) Runs on same battery as the S100 (my old camera) so I have spare.
6) Browse/Zoom feature is great when reviewing photos (improved a lot since S100)
7) Decent price (paid about 320$) for 5MP camera back in Dec 04.
DISLIKES
1) Pictures come out a little on the reddish/yellowish side indoors for 10% of the shots, so I use the Manual Tungsten mode and it comes out nice.
2) Video shooting on highest mode is choppy and skips w/ audio playback. I recommend using the middle quality and dont move the scene too much while recording.
3) Video is suppose to shoot only 30 seconds, but I found that using my 1GB fast CF, it can do it longer by separating into chunks then you can stitch together later on your PC.
4) LCD is a little smaller than usual (but its good in a way so it saves batteries)
5) Only comes with 32MB CF. I wish the digital camera industry can just do away without memory cards in the package. Buyers end up buying a bigger faster memory card anyways, so why not save us a few bucks?
On: 2005-01-19
A few months after I bought this camera, the compact flash door broke from normal use. I sent it in to get serviced and Canon has some very crazy policies about warranty work. They say that the CF door is ALWAYS the users fault and costs $150.00 to fix. They also refuse to do any repairs unless you get EVERYTHING that they find wrong fixed. There was some kind of scuff on the lens housing and they wouldnt fix the CF door unless I got that fixed as well (which they of course classified as "Impact Damage" and youre back to paying the minimum service fee of $150.00).
Dont buy Canon products unless you keep them in a sealed container and never use them, because if they break, youre out of luck.
On: 2005-01-18
LIKES
1) Nice compact size. Easy to carry.
2) Great pictures for about 90% of the shots.
3) Great features. Video mode. Manual mode. Sounds and Wallpaper (Themes).
4) Uses Compact Flash which is the cheapest type of memory.
5) Runs on same battery as the S100 (my old camera) so I have spare.
6) Browse/Zoom feature is great when reviewing photos (improved a lot since S100)
7) Decent price (paid about 320$) for 5MP camera back in Dec 04.
DISLIKES
1) Pictures come out a little on the reddish/yellowish side indoors for 10% of the shots, so I use the Manual Tungsten mode and it comes out nice.
2) Video shooting on highest mode is choppy and skips w/ audio playback. I recommend using the middle quality and dont move the scene too much while recording.
3) Video is suppose to shoot only 30 seconds, but I found that using my 1GB fast CF, it can do it longer by separating into chunks then you can stitch together later on your PC.
4) LCD is a little smaller than usual (but its good in a way so it saves batteries)
5) Only comes with 32MB CF. I wish the digital camera industry can just do away without memory cards in the package. Buyers end up buying a bigger faster memory card anyways, so why not save us a few bucks?
On: 2005-01-13
I bought this camera for my wife a year or so ago and generally have been pleased with the features and construction. The big problem with the camera is the long delay between when you press the shutter button and when it takes the picture. The camera is useless if you want to take pictures of dogs or kids, neither of which stay put long enough to take a decent shot.
On: 2005-01-13
I purchased this camera a few months ago and so far have been very pleased with it. Ergonomics and interface are excellent. The camera isnt the smallest on the market, but it is very small for all of the features the camear has. My only criticism, which I think holds true for all of this class of digital camera, is shutter-lag. Capturing moving objects like dogs or children can be difficult.
Overall, I highly recommend the camera.
On: 2005-01-12
I bought this camera for my wife a year or so ago and generally have been pleased with the features and construction. The big problem with the camera is the long delay between when you press the shutter button and when it takes the picture. The camera is useless if you want to take pictures of dogs or kids, neither of which stay put long enough to take a decent shot.
On: 2005-01-12
I originally purchased the Canon s500 because I wanted a small, portable camera that would take decent pictures. Thats exactly what I got.
Theres no doubt about it that there are cameras out there who take better quality picture than this one. Originally I got this camera thinking that it was more important that I get the shot than that the shot be completely flawless. I must say, when I first got the camera and took some test shots with it I was pleasantly surprised with just how nice the pictures turned out. I rarely shoot in the full 5 mega-pixel mode, as for me its over-kill. Yet the camera still produces very nice pictures. Add to the great photo quality the cameras small size and youve got a great package.
Build quality on the camera is very nice. The metal casing feels substantial and sturdy in your hands. Unfortunately, Ive dropped the camera a few times, yet it still works flawlessly. The camera uses a proprietary, rechargeable battery, so you cant pop in typical alkalines if need be. This may be a drawback for some; however the battery is nice and compact, and seems to work just fine for me.
The only drawback to this camera, at least that Ive encountered, is the flash. It does a nice job of illuminating subjects up to ~10 feet away. Being a small camera, much beyond that and the flash isnt bright enough and pictures come out somewhat dark. Overall I believe this is a great camera. Its small size, great picture quality, and good usability make this camera a winner.
Bottom Line: If youre looking for a compact camera with great picture quality you cant go wrong with the S500.
On: 2005-01-11
I originally purchased the Canon s500 because I wanted a small, portable camera that would take decent pictures. Thats exactly what I got.
Theres no doubt about it that there are cameras out there who take better quality picture than this one. Originally I got this camera thinking that it was more important that I get the shot than that the shot be completely flawless. I must say, when I first got the camera and took some test shots with it I was pleasantly surprised with just how nice the pictures turned out. I rarely shoot in the full 5 mega-pixel mode, as for me its over-kill. Yet the camera still produces very nice pictures. Add to the great photo quality the cameras small size and youve got a great package.
Build quality on the camera is very nice. The metal casing feels substantial and sturdy in your hands. Unfortunately, Ive dropped the camera a few times, yet it still works flawlessly. The camera uses a proprietary, rechargeable battery, so you cant pop in typical alkalines if need be. This may be a drawback for some; however the battery is nice and compact, and seems to work just fine for me.
The only drawback to this camera, at least that Ive encountered, is the flash. It does a nice job of illuminating subjects up to ~10 feet away. Being a small camera, much beyond that and the flash isnt bright enough and pictures come out somewhat dark. Overall I believe this is a great camera. Its small size, great picture quality, and good usability make this camera a winner.
Bottom Line: If youre looking for a compact camera with great picture quality you cant go wrong with the S500.
On: 2005-01-05
I love Canon products. I love the zoombrowser software. I LOVED my S200 digital elph. So I upgraded..
I bought 2 S500s, and had 3 friends buy one with me, (including my girlfriend). I am embarrased to say, the pics arent very good. I am a photographer, and have tried every manual feature on this camera to try and improve the pictures. They rarily turn out sharp, and it is very hard NOT to wash the pics out with the flash (even with the pre-flash feature). The 5MP doesnt seem to matter. BTW, turn off the zone focus and go center weighted, the zone focus will drive you nuts picking the wrong subjects. I called canon, and they think Im wrong, but Im not. I have defended it to my unhappy friends- but not anymore. E-bay here I come... Anyone know of a good, compact digital camera?
On: 2005-01-04
I love Canon products. I love the zoombrowser software. I LOVED my S200 digital elph. So I upgraded..
I bought 2 S500s, and had 3 friends buy one with me, (including my girlfriend). I am embarrased to say, the pics arent very good. I am a photographer, and have tried every manual feature on this camera to try and improve the pictures. They rarily turn out sharp, and it is very hard NOT to wash the pics out with the flash (even with the pre-flash feature). The 5MP doesnt seem to matter. BTW, turn off the zone focus and go center weighted, the zone focus will drive you nuts picking the wrong subjects. I called canon, and they think Im wrong, but Im not. I have defended it to my unhappy friends- but not anymore. E-bay here I come... Anyone know of a good, compact digital camera?
On: 2005-01-01
AWESOME FIRST DIGITAL CAMERA.IVE HAD IT FOR 2 DAYS.MORE FUN THAN A BARREL OF MONKEYS.ive had it for a couple months now & cant find just a canon camera bag i like.most universal bags dont fit quit right.
On: 2004-12-31
AWESOME FIRST DIGITAL CAMERA.IVE HAD IT FOR 2 DAYS.MORE FUN THAN A BARREL OF MONKEYS.ive had it for a couple months now & cant find just a canon camera bag i like.most universal bags dont fit quit right.
On: 2004-12-29
I bought this camera few days back and results look amazing. The only thing I would agree that its pretty techy.
Youll need to read the manual before doing some operations.
On: 2004-12-22
to hear the few reviewers saying the S500 takes "blurry" pics is pretty funny in my opinion. Yes, Ive only owned this camera for a few weeks and I havent experienced an E18 error or any other negative things which were written in these reviews. But, I do have a response to all those who say their pics turn out blurry...KEEP THE CAMERA STILL when taking pictures! Camera shake is THE leading cause of blurry pics. So next time you get "blurry" pics, try using a tripod or some other type of support (wall, table, etc) and then form your opinon on how sharp the pics turn out.
I guess you could say Im a hobbyist of a photographer and all my gear is Canon, with the exception of a FujiFilm 4900Z "prosumer" digicam. The S500s picture quality is comparable to, or even better than that of the 4900Z at half the size. Ive had many pics developed from my lab and the color and sharpness are simply amazing for a "point & shoot" compact camera. The thing you have to realize is that this is a "consumer" camera and not professional by any means. So, if youre looking for THE best picture quality, look at the professional line of cameras in the $0,000s and stear clear of this one. Other than that, if you want a very good consumer (probably the best in its class) camera, pick this puppy up and you will not be disappointed.
On: 2004-12-21
to hear the few reviewers saying the S500 takes "blurry" pics is pretty funny in my opinion. Yes, Ive only owned this camera for a few weeks and I havent experienced an E18 error or any other negative things which were written in these reviews. But, I do have a response to all those who say their pics turn out blurry...KEEP THE CAMERA STILL when taking pictures! Camera shake is THE leading cause of blurry pics. So next time you get "blurry" pics, try using a tripod or some other type of support (wall, table, etc) and then form your opinon on how sharp the pics turn out.
I guess you could say Im a hobbyist of a photographer and all my gear is Canon, with the exception of a FujiFilm 4900Z "prosumer" digicam. The S500s picture quality is comparable to, or even better than that of the 4900Z at half the size. Ive had many pics developed from my lab and the color and sharpness are simply amazing for a "point & shoot" compact camera. The thing you have to realize is that this is a "consumer" camera and not professional by any means. So, if youre looking for THE best picture quality, look at the professional line of cameras in the $0,000s and stear clear of this one. Other than that, if you want a very good consumer (probably the best in its class) camera, pick this puppy up and you will not be disappointed.
On: 2004-12-11
Just upgraded from Canon S100 to Canon S500. Very happy with it. Same steel case and small size... perfect for mobile use. The main reasons I upgraded to the S500 are the 5MP imaging and the ability to capture videos. The newer options for continous shooting mode and video clips are handy. The audio on the video clip came out surprising well and the subject was 50 feet away too. Added a 1 GB CF card for plenty of storage space (video and photos). Picture quality is very good on photos. The *very bright* flash can wash out images in a close up while in darker areas (not in sun light), so I usually turn off the flash and the photos come out fine.
New camera software (ZoomBrowser) works better than the older version that came with the S100 ... I make my edits in PhotoShop. Slick package.
Five stars for value in a small, durable package. Glad I upgraded.
On: 2004-12-10
After having some of the most wonderful pictures and moments with my Power Shot S200 I decided it was time to upgrade. On a recent trip I took both the 200
and the 500 just in case, in 9 out of 10 pictures the 200 took a far better picture. The 500s flash is so bright that it absolutely bleaches out the picture, the zoom is out of focus and as a result I turned it off and have been using the 200 ever since. In this particular case bigger is definently not better.
On: 2004-12-10
Just upgraded from Canon S100 to Canon S500. Very happy with it. Same steel case and small size... perfect for mobile use. The main reasons I upgraded to the S500 are the 5MP imaging and the ability to capture videos. The newer options for continous shooting mode and video clips are handy. The audio on the video clip came out surprising well and the subject was 50 feet away too. Added a 1 GB CF card for plenty of storage space (video and photos). Picture quality is very good on photos. The *very bright* flash can wash out images in a close up while in darker areas (not in sun light), so I usually turn off the flash and the photos come out fine.
New camera software (ZoomBrowser) works better than the older version that came with the S100 ... I make my edits in PhotoShop. Slick package.
Five stars for value in a small, durable package. Glad I upgraded.
On: 2004-12-08
This camera has proven to be quite an excellent companion. The pictures have decent quality and the battery life is excellent. Its survived a few drops on concrete with some serious nicks and scrapes, but the camera continues to function like a champ. The quick start up and small size make it easily fit in a pocket which will make you more likely to have the camera close by for those canon moments that can come at any time. The pictures print in excellent quality (use an HP photojet with a Mac). The software with that comes with the camera is sufficient with the stitching software proving to be quite capable. I use other programs such as elements and iphoto for all other photo work which is usually superior to any photo software that comes with any camera. The durability and battery life have me sold on this camera. The picture quality is fine for my needs although I would like to be able to adjust the flash intensity for close up shots (currently try to filter the light with my finger over the flash which somewhat works). This camera replaces an older 3MP Sony camera with much satisfaction.
On: 2004-12-07
I bought the camera to upgrade from a Canon A40 (3 Mega pixels) to this S500, and tested identical shots with both cameras. Sadly the older camera took much better pictures. The color on the Elph seemed faded. Tried their VIVID color option, and it over compensates for the color problem.
Sadly, Im returning the camera. Wish I knew what other micro digital camera to get instead. Maybe a Dimage X50?
On: 2004-12-06
I bought the camera to upgrade from a Canon A40 (3 Mega pixels) to this S500, and tested identical shots with both cameras. Sadly the older camera took much better pictures. The color on the Elph seemed faded. Tried their VIVID color option, and it over compensates for the color problem.
Sadly, Im returning the camera. Wish I knew what other micro digital camera to get instead. Maybe a Dimage X50?
On: 2004-12-05
Ive just upgraded from a Canon A50, after toting it around for the past 4 years and putting it through loads of abuse. Ive recommended Canon digital cameras to everyone I know and Ive yet to hear a complaint. This camera was EVEN SMALLER than expected...easily HALF the size of my A50! They are not joking when they say it is the size of a deck of cards. Especially since my reason for upgrading was to have a small, yet powerful digital that I can carry along in a waist pack when I run the Honolulu Marathon next week.
My limited tests can be seen in the customer image library above, but I am sufficiently impressed to write my review immediately. I did make sure to buy a new camera rather than a refurbished model because I did have two problems with my old Canon, which required the 1-year warranty (you only get 90 days with refurbished). Since the repairs on that old camera, Ive not had a problem in the last 3.5 years...despite dropping it a few too many times. The S500 has the same solid construction and aluminum casing, which should also protect it from mild abuse from its owner (Id also recommend getting a nice little neoprene case for it...they may not always be pretty, but theyre amazing protection!).
Ive not had enough experience yet with it to speak about its battery life, but from past experience, Canons have better than average battery life, which I extend even further by limiting the use of the LCD screen. This models battery isnt much larger than a compact flash card, so Im interested to see if its as reliable as their other rechargable batteries. They did one major improvement in the battery charger that is worth noting...it doesnt have a cord. Much like the Apple Powerbook power cord, it has the prongs that fold out for charging and fold in for storage. Such a nice, tidy design for something that is normally cumbersome.
I have my degree in photography from Art Center in Pasadena, CA, so I feel qualified to give two solid thumbs up to this camera. Its not professional grade, of course, and any camera with a built-in flash can often give you red-eye or harsh shadows, but its perfect for snapshots, vacation photos, ebay shots and having fun without carrying around a ton of equipment. It seems that most digitals do their job best when you just use the flash as fill, rather than your only light source...or better yet, turn the flash off and let the ambient light do its job. I know this one has quite a few manual override functions for shutter speeds and such, but I havent had time to explore them very much yet.
My last suggestion would be to get a very large compact flash card in addition to the one that the camera comes with. I purchased a 1GB Ultra 2 from Sandisk (I found one for about $80), and its very fast and will hold well over 100 uncompressed images. That will keep you from fiddling around with multiple cards when youre out and about. I felt a bit frivilous when I first ordered it, but now I am very happy I did.
On: 2004-12-04
Ive just upgraded from a Canon A50, after toting it around for the past 4 years and putting it through loads of abuse. Ive recommended Canon digital cameras to everyone I know and Ive yet to hear a complaint. This camera was EVEN SMALLER than expected...easily HALF the size of my A50! They are not joking when they say it is the size of a deck of cards. Especially since my reason for upgrading was to have a small, yet powerful digital that I can carry along in a waist pack when I run the Honolulu Marathon next week.
My limited tests can be seen in the customer image library above, but I am sufficiently impressed to write my review immediately. I did make sure to buy a new camera rather than a refurbished model because I did have two problems with my old Canon, which required the 1-year warranty (you only get 90 days with refurbished). Since the repairs on that old camera, Ive not had a problem in the last 3.5 years...despite dropping it a few too many times. The S500 has the same solid construction and aluminum casing, which should also protect it from mild abuse from its owner (Id also recommend getting a nice little neoprene case for it...they may not always be pretty, but theyre amazing protection!).
Ive not had enough experience yet with it to speak about its battery life, but from past experience, Canons have better than average battery life, which I extend even further by limiting the use of the LCD screen. This models battery isnt much larger than a compact flash card, so Im interested to see if its as reliable as their other rechargable batteries. They did one major improvement in the battery charger that is worth noting...it doesnt have a cord. Much like the Apple Powerbook power cord, it has the prongs that fold out for charging and fold in for storage. Such a nice, tidy design for something that is normally cumbersome.
I have my degree in photography from Art Center in Pasadena, CA, so I feel qualified to give two solid thumbs up to this camera. Its not professional grade, of course, and any camera with a built-in flash can often give you red-eye or harsh shadows, but its perfect for snapshots, vacation photos, ebay shots and having fun without carrying around a ton of equipment. It seems that most digitals do their job best when you just use the flash as fill, rather than your only light source...or better yet, turn the flash off and let the ambient light do its job. I know this one has quite a few manual override functions for shutter speeds and such, but I havent had time to explore them very much yet.
My last suggestion would be to get a very large compact flash card in addition to the one that the camera comes with. I purchased a 1GB Ultra 2 from Sandisk (I found one for about $80), and its very fast and will hold well over 100 uncompressed images. That will keep you from fiddling around with multiple cards when youre out and about. I felt a bit frivilous when I first ordered it, but now I am very happy I did.
On: 2004-12-01
I just bought one of the S500 it a sweet toy. I was recently looking to buy a digital camera. I have a Petax SLR which my bro has been using for his photography classes. My bro also had a digital camera but it is a couple years old and batteries have been kinda short lived (canon S45?). I borrowed it for a while and enjoyed it but it was still too big and heavy. I really enjoyed my real camera, but I realized my slr is not something that I can bring to a party in my pocket. I really wanted something small without compromising the image quality. So I did my home work. I looked at sony, pentax, casio, nikon,and of course canon. I had my heart settled on a T1 or the new yet to be realeased T3. 5 megapixls and a huge screen and tiny as hell. But the memory sticks sony uses in particular the duo is small in capacity and pricy. I was still not entirely dishearted. When I had some free time I went to a Sony Style store. He told me due to the small lense size that the color saturation is not the best. He tried selling me a different sony but they did not catch my eye. Then I started workin backwards. what is the biggest memory card type? Compactflash. Best bang for buck? CompactFlash. Same type of card my bro has too. So then I favored canon and nikon. I immediately zoomed in on the s500. Small fairly light. Kinda on the heavy side for its size, but not bad at all. Recharable Li-Ion. Short movies, 5mp, 3x optical zoom but you knew that. It had my bros camera beat. I bought 2 1gb lexar cards incase one died on me, a spare battery, leather case and compactflash card reader to go with this new toy. I love it. I just went on vacation and I did not need to change the battery until the last night. It was great at parties right into my pocket. I snuck it into a dashboard concert and got some great picks too. Did not even need to be that close. For its size it compromises some of the more advanced features that the s-(doubledigit) line has but I havent found anything I am missing so far. I highly recomend getting a Compact flash card reader. They plug and play with almost any OS mac or PC, and you can avoid all the messy camera software. I have not tried canons latest but with the reader I have no need or desire too. The other benefit is with the reader your memory card doubles for file transfers. Anyway great buy.
On: 2004-11-30
I just bought one of the S500 it a sweet toy. I was recently looking to buy a digital camera. I have a Petax SLR which my bro has been using for his photography classes. My bro also had a digital camera but it is a couple years old and batteries have been kinda short lived (canon S45?). I borrowed it for a while and enjoyed it but it was still too big and heavy. I really enjoyed my real camera, but I realized my slr is not something that I can bring to a party in my pocket. I really wanted something small without compromising the image quality. So I did my home work. I looked at sony, pentax, casio, nikon,and of course canon. I had my heart settled on a T1 or the new yet to be realeased T3. 5 megapixls and a huge screen and tiny as hell. But the memory sticks sony uses in particular the duo is small in capacity and pricy. I was still not entirely dishearted. When I had some free time I went to a Sony Style store. He told me due to the small lense size that the color saturation is not the best. He tried selling me a different sony but they did not catch my eye. Then I started workin backwards. what is the biggest memory card type? Compactflash. Best bang for buck? CompactFlash. Same type of card my bro has too. So then I favored canon and nikon. I immediately zoomed in on the s500. Small fairly light. Kinda on the heavy side for its size, but not bad at all. Recharable Li-Ion. Short movies, 5mp, 3x optical zoom but you knew that. It had my bros camera beat. I bought 2 1gb lexar cards incase one died on me, a spare battery, leather case and compactflash card reader to go with this new toy. I love it. I just went on vacation and I did not need to change the battery until the last night. It was great at parties right into my pocket. I snuck it into a dashboard concert and got some great picks too. Did not even need to be that close. For its size it compromises some of the more advanced features that the s-(doubledigit) line has but I havent found anything I am missing so far. I highly recomend getting a Compact flash card reader. They plug and play with almost any OS mac or PC, and you can avoid all the messy camera software. I have not tried canons latest but with the reader I have no need or desire too. The other benefit is with the reader your memory card doubles for file transfers. Anyway great buy.
On: 2004-11-30
I havent received an E18 error with an S500, but I did with my prior powershot, and that experience was enough to convince me not to purchase a Canon again until theyve fixed this problem - or at least taken responsibility for it. I was able (after months of writing letters and sweet-talking customer service agents) to get it repaired under the warranty, but its not a process Id recommend to anyone. Id had my camera for 6 months and been thrilled with it, and then out of nowhere the E18 message popped up. I simply have no faith in Canon digital cameras anymore (although I just bought an i960 printer and its fantastic), and would caution anyone considering purchasing one to consider how important your investment is to you. The probability of getting an E18 seems awfully high, and Canons utter unwillingness to deal with this problem despite years of complaints is too disconcerting to merit the risk.
On: 2004-11-29
The top end of the S digital Elph series camera is now the s500. It is a great, reliable camera with excellent performance, especially compared with my old 230.
Pro: Light, easy to use, has advanced feeatures if you are advanced, and reliable, decent battery life, and well recognized camera.
Con: They still never have figured out the problems with the movie/manual settings/movie being so close together. Also the Shoot/play toggle is frequently found in the wrong position. Not smart enough to take nightime pictures and still see any lights. Still sluggish on startup.
And the software? I never installed mine, and pitched the disc. I believe in iPhoto. However, I found ... uh ... movies stay on the camera unless you have the software. That would be nice. But they only let you download the update version. *Shrug* Guess its my fault. Now how do I fix it?
On: 2004-11-23
Did a bit of online research after reading another review regarding condensation problems. Please note that
condensation seems to be a problem with any make, model and type of camera. This however doesnt seam to be as widespread as mentioned, and/or confined to one make.
Below a link to someone that experienced the same problem with a Sony.
http://www.digital-camera-reviews.info/html/digital-camera-reviews-2.cfm?Make=Sony&Model=DSC%20S%2075
Keep you camera in plastic bag when in hot and humid conditions, store it with silica and keep it out of water (obviously).
On: 2004-11-22
Did a bit of online research after reading another review regarding condensation problems. Please note that
condensation seems to be a problem with any make, model and type of camera. This however doesnt seam to be as widespread as mentioned, and/or confined to one make.
Below a link to someone that experienced the same problem with a Sony.
http://www.digital-camera-reviews.info/html/digital-camera-reviews-2.cfm?Make=Sony&Model=DSC%20S%2075
Keep you camera in plastic bag when in hot and humid conditions, store it with silica and keep it out of water (obviously).
On: 2004-11-22
The Canon S500 5MP camera is everything you can hope: small, easy to use, reliable, great pictures, and cool. You can truly put it in your pocket and take it anywhere. As with most digital cameras, it could be faster in taking the picture from the time the shutter button is pressed, but the S500 is better than most. The battery life and battery life indicator could both be improved.
On: 2004-11-21
some of these reviews are terrible. for someone to complain about "it always takes blurry pics or needs lots of color correction" is beyond belief OR you have a bad camera - hey, built by humans, so theres got to be some that are just bad.
i just took plenty of santa pics today at the mall... while we were waiting for my kids to come up, guess what, i experimented and must have taken 20 shots to see what was going to work... hey, yes there were some blurry ones due to ME moving the camera, but when i held it still the pics were crytal clear - and you can check this with the easy to use ZOOM IN feature while reviewing the pics.
i started 6-7 years ago with digital cameras with a olympus 1.3 megapixel. then a canon g3 and a $1000 nikon d100. today, we had this a500 in the car when we stopped by the mall - our pics are great. so if you have bad results its either YOU or you have faulty equipment - exchange it and get over it.
about the Windows XP software - geez - who would use that crap anyway? or any bundled software for that matter? Adobe Photosop Album 2.0 is the bomb and its affordable - get this and youll thank me, but dont complain about the giveaway software and pan the camera.
have never heard about the e18 error, so cant talk about that.
this camera is small, incredibly easy to use and takes great pics as well. its also available at CostCo.
On: 2004-11-16
The Canon engineers have truly outdone themselves. I work for a high end photo retoucher, and my boss could not believe the S500s amazing image quality.
Sleek yet solid, the Canon S500 is the perfect little gadget to wow everyone. I never cease to be amazed on how they fit a 3x optical zoom lens and a great, fast image processor into such a small package. In fact, because the S500 is about the same size as an Ipod, it can fit into your shirt pocket or those neat Ipod clip cases.
I highly recommend this wondrous camera to anyone who demands quality without compromising style.
On: 2004-11-01
While I really like the camera itself, having no problems (yet), the bundled software for Windows is simply spoken a catastrophe. Installation as Administrator works fine, the software runs as long as I am admin but not when logged in as user. It took a whole while until I finally managed to get it installed in a way that at least I can use the software as normal XP power user. Now, after running the latest update it does not work anymore except as Administrator and it seems I have to go back and reinstall it from scratch from CD because the update does not install unless the previous version is installed (although the update does deinstall the software as first step...)
The installer is also not compatible with XP System Restore functionality. I tried to revert back to the point before the update but then the software wants the CD to install something again. This obviously should not happen if it was compatible to a XP restore.
The software service is incompetent, only advice: "turn off firewall and pop-up blocker" and despite of that "deinstall and reinstall". I dont need support service for that and automated service would be enough...
I like the camera and I like the software if it runs but the installation and the service is horrible.
On: 2004-10-31
While I really like the camera itself, having no problems (yet), the bundled software for Windows is simply spoken a catastrophe. Installation as Administrator works fine, the software runs as long as I am admin but not when logged in as user. It took a whole while until I finally managed to get it installed in a way that at least I can use the software as normal XP power user. Now, after running the latest update it does not work anymore except as Administrator and it seems I have to go back and reinstall it from scratch from CD because the update does not install unless the previous version is installed (although the update does deinstall the software as first step...)
The installer is also not compatible with XP System Restore functionality. I tried to revert back to the point before the update but then the software wants the CD to install something again. This obviously should not happen if it was compatible to a XP restore.
The software service is incompetent, only advice: "turn off firewall and pop-up blocker" and despite of that "deinstall and reinstall". I dont need support service for that and automated service would be enough...
I like the camera and I like the software if it runs but the installation and the service is horrible.
On: 2004-10-30
Ive had my S500 for about six months, and have used it extensively indoors, outdoors, and underwater.
PROS
Size. With any number of slim cases available, the S500 can be worn on your belt very comfortably. Its not too heavy, and its small enough that it doesnt get in the way much more than a cell phone, doesnt look like a fanny pack, etc. If youre considering this camera, size is probably your number one concern, making this a great choice.
CONS
Pictures sometimes come out bright when using the flash. The brightness isnt bad enough that your pictures wont turn out good, but it is slightly brighter than you might expect (I.e., if youre using another Canon or other digital brand already). It also looks brighter on the LCD than it does when you view the pictures on a PC.
MISC.
- At max size and resolution, pictures may be over 3MB in size. I use a (few) SanDisk 512MB CompactFlash cards (SDCFB-512-A10), which hold around 200 pictures a piece.
- Battery life is decent, but youll probably want a spare if youre going to be on the move all day. The Canon Digital Elph Camera Accessory Kit includes a battery, mid-size carrying case (great for travel) and a slim belt case. At ~$60, you cant beat it.
- For underwater photography (also good for rain, skiing, etc.), the underwater housing (WP-DC800) works great. Ive taken several hundred underwater shots at a variety of depths (snorkeling and diving), and they come out very clear, with good light levels.
Overall, if you want a high-quality, compact digital, I dont know that you can do much better.
On: 2004-10-29
Ive had my S500 for about six months, and have used it extensively indoors, outdoors, and underwater.
PROS
Size. With any number of slim cases available, the S500 can be worn on your belt very comfortably. Its not too heavy, and its small enough that it doesnt get in the way much more than a cell phone, doesnt look like a fanny pack, etc. If youre considering this camera, size is probably your number one concern, making this a great choice.
CONS
Pictures sometimes come out bright when using the flash. The brightness isnt bad enough that your pictures wont turn out good, but it is slightly brighter than you might expect (I.e., if youre using another Canon or other digital brand already). It also looks brighter on the LCD than it does when you view the pictures on a PC.
MISC.
- At max size and resolution, pictures may be over 3MB in size. I use a (few) SanDisk 512MB CompactFlash cards (SDCFB-512-A10), which hold around 200 pictures a piece.
- Battery life is decent, but youll probably want a spare if youre going to be on the move all day. The Canon Digital Elph Camera Accessory Kit includes a battery, mid-size carrying case (great for travel) and a slim belt case. At ~$60, you cant beat it.
- For underwater photography (also good for rain, skiing, etc.), the underwater housing (WP-DC800) works great. Ive taken several hundred underwater shots at a variety of depths (snorkeling and diving), and they come out very clear, with good light levels.
Overall, if you want a high-quality, compact digital, I dont know that you can do much better.
On: 2004-10-19
I have bought this camera this year. It exceeded my expectations - picture quality is great. So is the size, because I can just put it into my pocket and take it everywhere. I have no problems with it at all. The only issue is the battery life - it is little short and I need to recharge more often than I would wish. I wish I could use the standard AA batteries instead.
On: 2004-10-18
I have bought this camera this year. It exceeded my expectations - picture quality is great. So is the size, because I can just put it into my pocket and take it everywhere. I have no problems with it at all. The only issue is the battery life - it is little short and I need to recharge more often than I would wish. I wish I could use the standard AA batteries instead.
On: 2004-09-30
This is my second Canon digital elph camera. Both were great cameras. Recently upgraded to the S500. About 6 months later I get the dreaded E18 error. I searched the Internet and found numerous people having problems. When I determined the problem to be the lens not fully extending I decided to give it a tug. It clicked and the camera came on, ready to take pictures. Turning it off and on produced the E18 again. While turning it on I gave it a nice little bump on the side (where the USB connector is) and the lens popped out on its own. No problems since.
Its a nice compact and light camera and takes great photos and videos. Only complaint (other than E18) is the limit of 30-second videos on 640x480 mode. Ive got a 512MB compact flash card, I should be able to take as much footage as I have memory in one take.
On: 2004-09-28
The Good:
Great pictures. Nice size. Average battery life. Loved the panorama mode. This was the best camera I owned until "E18" appeared on its LCD screen.
The Bad:
The E18 Error. I treated this camera with great care. I knew of the E18 problem from other reviews. I avoided everything that might trigger it. It happened anyway. At first sporadically, now E18 happens evertime I turn the camera on. Within 4 months of purchase, my S500 has become un-usable. Many people encounter the E18 problem with Canon cameras (not just the Canon S500).
Comments:
Ive owned five digital cameras since 1996. All continue to work with the exception of the Canon S500. I have shipped software that works with digital cameras. I know very well how reliable digital cameras are supposed to be. It would be ridiculous for me to claim that every Canon S500 will eventually get this problem. But, based on some very easy-to-find-via-google user experiences, that something is amiss in Canons engineering process and that Canon has spotty quality control. I will not recommend any Canon camera until Canon acknowledges and addresses this problem.
On: 2004-08-23
I still couldnt believe that a brand new S500 only has a 30 mins of life span. I just received my brand new S500 this weekend. After taking 35 photos in 30 mins of its first use, it stopped functioning, shut itself down, with lense sticking out,lense cover wide-open. On the left lower corner of the LCD screen it showed E18. I contacted Canon CSR, he told me that its called E18 error, meaning the lense wont retract, so it shut itself down to protect from further damage,and it has to go back to service center to repair. I post my experience on dpreview.com forum, and in one day there was a response from another s500 owner, saying that his first s500 suffered from E18 error after 2 months of use, then he bought another for his trip, then after 7 months it died from the same problem. After intensive search in the internet, I notice that I was not alone. E18 error results from the unreasonable mechanical design of the camera, the lack of lubrication of the metal motor and plastic lense track. After some use, the plastic wears out and the lense fails to retract. What I couldnt believe was | | |
