We have always been a fan of Canon's camera design, and the PowerShot ELPH 500 HS, except for its name, has a beautiful and stylish design. We really like our pinkish metallic 500 HS, not only for its look, but also for its image capture capabilities.

 

The camera is very responsive, it focuses and takes pictures quickly. Settings are performed via the touch screen LCD which is a mixed blessing. Because settings are touch-based, the screen area is larger which is nice for composing and reviewing pictures. However, changing settings with touch, while not bad, seems not completely natural - perhaps because the menu is still based on the existing design for conventional buttons and controls. This is the only weak point we find, but it doesn't bother us too much.

 

Image quality is very good for a compact. The combination, at the wide end of the lens, of a 24mm focal length with a fast 2.0 aperture and effective optical image stabilization makes this camera an excellent indoor performer without flash. Of course, the 24mm wide focal length is very nice for taking cityscape pictures.

 

There are other camera features that we also like: 1:1 square image mode, special effect modes (miniature, toy camera, etc.) and excellent Full HD video.

 

This camera is not inexpensive, but well worth the price if you appreciate its beautiful design and build.

 

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