Canon PowerShot ELPH 500 HS 12.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Full HD Video and Ultra Wide Angle Lens (Silver)

by Canon

• Canon's HS SYSTEM with a 12.1 MP CMOS and DIGIC 4 Image Processor improves shooting in low-light situations without the need for a flash
• Full 1080p HD Video for exceptional quality with stereo sound, plus a dedicated movie button for easy access
• A large 3.2-inch touch panel LCD offers easy and intuitive operation
• A bright f/2.0, 24mm ultra Wide-Angle lens, great for shooting portrait photography in low light conditions or
• Get high-speed shooting in a point-and-shoot camera: High-speed Burst Mode captures 8.2fps

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 1 x 4 x 2.2 inches ; 6.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B004J3VAYO
• Item model number: ELPH 500 HS - SL
• Batteries 1 Nonstandard Battery batteries required.
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (125 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,081 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 6, 2011

Product Description

Color: Silver

From the Manufacturer

Experience the Power.

Canon's HS SYSTEM with a 12.1 Megapixel CMOS and DIGIC 4 Image Processor improves shooting in low-light situations without the need for a flash and lowers noise levels at higher ISO settings.

The Canon HS SYSTEM takes the frustration out of low light shooting. The system delivers clear, blur-free shots with all the ambiance intact, and frees you from the sometimes unwanted effects of using the flash. Beautiful low light shots are possible at both low and high ISO speeds, and the dynamic range is expanded to retain maximum detail in highlight and shadow areas.

The system is the result of two technologies brought together in a compact PowerShot. The first is the 12.1 Megapixel CMOS Sensor, which positions the light-receiving surface for optimal light reception. More light means clearer, blur-free images with plenty of detail and nuance, even in dark areas. Working together with the CMOS sensor to deliver the HS SYSTEM is Canon's advanced DIGIC 4 Image Processor, which actively reduces noise and delivers high speed image processing.

Memorable Moments in Spectacular Full HD.

Full 1080p HD Video for exceptional quality with stereo sound, plus a dedicated movie button for easy access. Zoom optically while shooting video and keep footage stabilized with Dynamic IS.

Experiencing the brilliance of Full 1080p HD video in a Canon PowerShot ELPH digital camera has never been easier. With the convenient dedicated movie button, you'll be able to instantly record everyday moments in amazing life-like realism at a push of a button. You can also operate the optical zoom while shooting video so you can get in close–but don't worry about shaky footage because Dynamic IS will help keep your videos steady!

Get the Shot You Want with Just a Touch.

A large 3.2-inch touch panel LCD offers easy and intuitive operation.

Experience the advancement of touch screen technology with the PowerShot ELPH 500 HS digital camera. Simply touch the screen to choose and track an AF point, change camera settings, record and play videos and much, much more! Let Canon bring the art of photography to your fingertips and have fun viewing the every day moments on a big, bright screen in amazing detail.

A Big Lens for Big Ambitions.

A bright f/2.0 lens, 24mm ultra Wide-Angle lens, great for shooting portrait photography in low light conditions or using a shallow depth-of-field for great images with beautiful soft backgrounds.

The PowerShot ELPH 500 HS digital camera sports an f/2.0 aperture, perfect for creating enticing portraits, by drawing attention to the face and blurring the background with its impressively shallow depth-of-field. The large aperture also does more. It lets you capture more nuances in low light shooting by using more of the available light. The 24mm ultra Wide-Angle lens puts more into every frame so you can easily photograph landscapes, tall buildings and large groups of people.

A PowerShot that Keeps Up with the Action.

Get high-speed shooting in a point-and-shoot camera: High-speed Burst Mode captures 8.2fps and Super Slow Motion Movie records video at high speeds to allow slow motion playback.

Sometimes, the action just won't stop for you. The PowerShot ELPH 500 HS digital camera is equipped with High-Speed Burst Mode that can capture 8.2 frames per second, letting you catch every single detail in pure Canon brilliance.

You can also add a fun slow motion effect to you videos with Super Slow Motion Movie. Super Slow Motion Movie will record your clips at a high speed so that when you watch your videos, they'll be playing in slow motion.

Clarity and Stability at Your Fingertips.

4.4x Optical Zoom Lens and Optical Image Stabilizer.

A 4.4x Optical Zoom lens enables you to capture subjects that are close and far away. The added bonus of an Optical Image Stabilizer ensures that every moment you photograph will come out amazingly clear and focused.

Advanced Smart AUTO for Stills and Videos that Shine.

Smart AUTO intelligently selects the proper settings for the camera based on 32 predefined shooting situations.

The PowerShot ELPH 500 HS digital camera takes the quality of your still images and videos to a whole new level - automatically. The camera's advanced Smart AUTO system detects a wealth of information about the scene you're shooting, then automatically selects the optimal settings for you. Now with an expanded range of 32 shooting scenarios, the camera handles a wide variety of situations, freeing you up to concentrate on composing your shot and capturing the moment you're looking for. From portraits to landscapes to action scenes, the PowerShot ELPH 500 HS digital camera has you covered whether you're shooting stills or videos.

Canon PowerShot ELPH 500 Functions

Canon PowerShot ELPH Series Feature Comparison

Smart AUTO The camera automatically selects the best shooting settings for optimal quality based on subjects and environmental factors to provide point-and-shoot simplicity. P Program Access advanced exposure compensation features while shooting mostly automatically. Av Aperture-priority You define the aperture to either isolate your subject or have clarity throughout the entire picture, and the camera will choose the corresponding shutter speed. Tv Shutter-priority You select the shutter speed to stop or blur action, and the camera finds the appropriate aperture. With slow exposure times, Canon's noise reduction system activates to ensure low image noise. Movie Digest Mode Records a video clip before capturing a still image and then combines one day's worth of clips into a video. Portrait The camera sets a large aperture, focusing the subject and artistically blurring the background to make your subject pop. Kids & Pets Reduced focusing time freezes fast-moving subjects, so you won't miss those special shots. Smart Shutter The camera automatically takes the photo when people smile, wink, or get into frame. High-speed Burst The camera shoots continuously at a high speed of approx. 8.2fps while you hold down the shutter. Best Image Selection The camera takes five photos in succession, and then chooses the best one out of the bunch. Handheld Night Scene Suppresses image blur even without the help of a tripod. Low Light For high quality image capture in an amazing range of dimly-lit situations. Fisheye Effect Add a classic photo distortion without a fisheye lens. Miniature Effect for Movies & Stills Emphasizes perspective for a miniature effect by blurring upper and bottom portions of videos and stills. Toy Camera Effect Simulates photos taken with "toy" or pinhole cameras, darkening the image at the edges to create a vignette effect. Creative Light Effect Transform background bright spots to stars, hearts, music motes and more. Monochrome Choose from three single-tone effects: Black-and-White, Sepia, or Blue. Super Vivid Super Vivid intensifies existing hues, saturating the scene with bright colors. Poster Effect Poster Effect combines several similar shades into one color, turning subtle gradations into eye-catching, scene-popping contrasts. Color Accent Choose to retain a single color in your image while other colors turn monochrome. Color Swap Select a color and replace it with a color you specify for special effects. Beach Get clear shots of people at a sunny beach without darkened faces. Foliage Capture brilliant shots of autumn foliage, greenery and blossoms. Snow Shoot clear snow scenes without darkened subjects or an unnatural bluish tint. Fireworks Grab brilliant images of skyrocketing fireworks.

Camera ELPH 500 HS ELPH 300 HS ELPH 100 HS Resolution 12.1 12.1 12.1 Optical Zoom 4.4X 5X 4X LCD Size 3.2" 2.7" 3.0" Image Processor DIGIC 4 DIGIC 4 DIGIC 4 Focal Length 24-105 24-120 28-112 Image Stabilization Optical IS Optical IS Optical IS HD Video 1080p 1080p 1080p Smart AUTO Scences 32 32 32 Number of Scene Modes 26 25 26 About the Camera Use the touch panel LCD for easy, fun operation.  Ultra wide angle lens gets more in your shot Take this camera everywhere!  Full HD, cool scence modes and Smart AUTO make shooting a breeze! Value in price but not in features.  The HS SYSTEM, full HD Video in a small, compact frame, five colors Feature Call Out Touch Panel, F2 lens, HS SYSTEM, HD Video, Movie Digest, Smart AUTO Slim and Sexy! Ultra compact, and  ultra wide angle, HD Video, HS SYSTEM, Movie Digest Value price, HD Video, HS SYSTEM, Movie Digest, Smart AUTO

Movie

Shoot:
-Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 24 fps for up to 14 min. and 34 sec. or 4GB per clip.
-HD (1280 x 720p) at 30 fps for up to 20 min. 43 sec. or 4GB per clip.
-VGA (640 x 480) at 30 fps for up to 43 min. and 43 sec. or 4GB per clip.
-QVGA (320 x 240 at 30 fps) for up to 1 hour 58 min. and 19 sec. or 4GB per clip.
-iFrame Movie format (1280 x 720) at 30 fps for up to 13 min. and 35 sec. or 4GB per clip.

Super Slow Motion Movie

Record your clips in high speed (approx. 240fps), and then watch your videos in slow motion.

Actual results may vary from examples shown above.
Final image may vary depending on picture composition. Shoot it Your Way.
Aperture- and Shutter-priority modes for extra control of your images.

For photography enthusiasts, the ability to control aperture and shutter speed is key. The Aperture- and Shutter-priority modes on the Canon PowerShot ELPH 500 HS digital camera make it easy for anyone to take extra control over the look and feel of images captured.

In Aperture-priority mode, you set the aperture and the camera automatically selects an appropriate shutter speed. This lets you create sharp subjects with beautifully blurred backgrounds, and landscapes with foreground, middle ground and background all in focus.

Shutter-priority mode lets you choose a shutter speed while the camera automatic ally selects the aperture. Higher shutter speeds are great for catching stop-action shots of moving subjects, while lower shutter

Easily Turn Your Memories into Videos.

Movie Digest Mode records a short video clip right before shooting a still image and then combines one day's worth of clips into one video.

Putting together a video containing highlights from family vacations, important occasions and other special events is now easier than you might imagine. Using the Movie Digest Mode, you can have the camera automatically record a short video clip (up to approximately 4 seconds) every time you shoot a still image. The camera will then combine an entire day's worth of clips into a single video. No editing required – Movie Digest Mode does all the work, so you can sit back and enjoy your video!

Add some Fun to Your Photos!

New scene modes, Toy Camera Effect and Monochrome, add an artistic look to your photos.

Add some vintage nostalgia with Toy Camera Effect. Toy Camera Effect recreates this look by darkening the edges to make them appear as if they were photographed through a pinhole lens and adding contrast.
Monochrome lets you sway away from the usual black & white combination. Now you can choose from three single-toned effects: Black & White, Sepia or Blue to really give your photos the effect you're looking for.

Product Description

With the Canon 5128B001 PowerShot ELPH 500 HS Silver 12MP Digital Camera with 4.4x Zoom and 3.2 In. LCD Display you will experience an even more intuitive touch panel technology. Do almost everything right on the LCD, like choosing an AF point, set exposure settings and record videos, all with the touch of one finger. The PowerShot ELPH 500 HS brings the art of photography at your command. It is packed with great Canon essentials like an f/2.0 lens, the HS SYSTEM, 1080p Full HD video and 24mm Wide-Angle Lens so every moment is captured in pure Canon brilliance.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

193 of 204 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent advanced Point and Shoot! April 26, 2011

By BenRias

Color Name:Silver

Please note that for a point and shoot, this camera deserves a 5-star review. But in fairness to certain small details, and Amazon's inability to allow users to give partial stars (e.g. 4.75 stars), I will have to settle for 4-stars.

Cosmetic PROS: Unlike some of the SD and Elph cameras in the past, this one feels solid. Canon even improved, to some extent, the flimsy-feeling battery door. It is a HUGE improvement over the previous flimsy plastic doors on earlier models. The large 3"x1" screen is sharp and beautiful and gives an accurate depiction of what your camera will capture. Switching between full program mode and full automatic is a simple slide button on the top of the camera allowing an advanced user and a novice to both have their options easily. This also prevents any accidental mode changes that can happen with setting-wheels or external buttons.

Cosmetic CONS: The lens cover seems a touch too loose, at least on my specific camera. It rattles and moves slightly when handling the camera after the power is off and the cover is closed. Not a deal breaker by any stretch of the imagination, but you might notice this rattle too. The card slot, at least on my specific camera, is strangely snug. When I slide the card into place, there is some friction that made me question whether I was forcing it into the slot in the wrong direction. I pushed the card in until it clicked into place, but then it did not rebound like normal (like when clicking the top of a retracting ball-point pen.) Again, it may just be my specific camera. (Edit: I forgot to mention that while the battery door is now more durable, the A/V door feels very flimsy. It doesn't swing out like a door.... Rather, like the cap on a tupperware drinking bottle lid, the door detaches from the camera but remains linked to it via a moderately flexible piece of plastic. And because the door snaps firmly in place when closed, you really need fingernails to get any sort of leverage to open it. For what its worth, if I had to choose only one, I still much prefer the more durable battery door than a durable A/V door.)(Edit: Also, while I love the huge screen, please note that if you wear polarized sunglasses, you may have issues shooting on a sunny day with the screen appearing to disappear. This is more of a problem of the polarized lenses than the camera, but its worth noting.)

Touch screen: Personally, I prefer standard buttons. However, this touch screen is fine. It is big enough that my fingers are able to select menu items easily. For those of you coming from touch screen cell phones, you may find this screen less sensitive than your phone, thus requiring you to apply more finger pressure than you are used to. This isn't a flaw in my mind, but I can see where others may think the screen is being non-responsive. The lanyard comes with a tightening slide. And this slide also has a fine point on it to help you make selections on the touch screen if you are having problems--similar to the stylus of the old palm pilots. Hard to use if your hand is in the lanyard, but hey, its a start!

Features: My main reasons for purchasing this camera was to get aperture priority, shutter priority, and a macro setting as options. Unlike the Canon's S95 with an external ring control, the aperture settings on the 500HS are buried in the touch screen menus. That is fine for my uses and will be fairly intuitive to previous Canon users. The f2.0 aperture setting DELIVERS! For those wanting shallow depth of fields on their point and shoot...wow! I loved this! I haven't had any problems (yet) with the camera focusing on the wrong subject even in macro setting. And because this comes with Focus Lock, you will probably be able to work around that problem if it ever arises. Strangely, but not a deal breaker, the camera doesn't seem to have a BULB setting for shutter speed and maxes out at 15". I don't use that setting and speeds enough to warrant complaint, and maybe there are slower shutter speeds and I just missed them, but I figured I would share that tidbit with others who may be needing those speeds. It is just odd considering my old-old Canon SD630 had bulb setting and I think 2 minutes (but its been so long, I may be mistaken.)(edit: Just realized that this camera doesn't have exposure bracketing (where it takes three automatic shots with different exposures.) It still has exposure adjustment allowing you to +/- exposure stops, but I am a little surprised to not find this previously included feature. There is something called Best Image where the camera takes 5 continuous shots but automatically keeps only the best shot, but this seems to be geared toward facial expressions/blinks/etc. and not exposures. The lack of bracketing is only a minor drawback for me--heck, its taken me a couple of weeks to realize its not present--but its worth mentioning.)

Video: Because I didn't buy this for video, I cannot well judge its abilities. I will only say that the few test videos I took were sharp, with decent sound. However, the volume of the voice of the person holding the camera will be noticeably less. Whether thats a good thing or bad is up to you. Note too that the video is recorded in stereo sound. But I can't gauge its quality. (edit: Having tested the video out more, the sound from the person recording the video (i.e. behind the camera) is actually much better than I originally thought. Apparently, I had the volume turned down too low. But once I adjusted the setting, the sound was rather clear and crisp. I was very impressed.)

Review pics: Everything on this camera is on the touch screen EXCEPT for the review button. The lone, solitary button on the rear of the camera is dedicated to allowing you review your shots in one touch. After hitting the review button, you can either slide your finger across the screen, tap an arrow on the side of the screen, or even BUMP the side of the camera with your finger to see the next shot! There is also a motion detector or internal accelerometer of some sort that allows you to quickly scan through your review pics by tilting the camera slightly on its side. Those last two features are very reminiscent of smartphone technology and makes the camera feel that much more advanced than others. (edit: After more use, I *really* need to emphasize that I like the bump feature! It makes reviewing a bunch of pics really very easy!)

Compared to S95, the 500HS is in the lead in my opinion. The S95 was supposed to be the intermediate step between point and shoot cameras and DSLRs, giving some advanced features without the expense of the DSLRs. The 500 HS is $100-$150 cheaper, more compact, and has a ton of settings and features--yes, it does have miniature model shooting mode and 1080p HD video. I think this camera is the new intermediate step to the DSLR. To give you more perspective, my other option to fit my needs would be either a DSLR Rebel or D50 or D60...$500 at absolute minimum for the body, plus another $299 for a macro lens. In other words, $800 minimum to get me the features I needed. Compare that to the 500 HS at $299! BARGAIN!

Now, I haven't had time, yet, to see if the image stabilization and low light settings are better than in cameras past--especially since I normally have "IS" turned off. So if those features are important to you, maybe visit a camera store and see the camera in person. But since the release of this camera was supposed to be March (if I am not mistaken) and since the earthquake hit Japan in March, you may have a heck of a time finding this camera in stock anywhere. I know there are a few pink colored models for sale. And I completely lucked out with finding this silver model, but keep trying! It seems that a few more stores that I frequented started getting these cameras trickling in over the past 10 days. But they seemed to be getting only 2 or 3 cameras at a time.

Good luck! Read more ›

65 of 66 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE my new camera! August 1, 2011

By Jill

Color Name:Silver|Amazon Verified Purchase

I love this camera! I wanted a higher end point and shoot camera that could keep up with my kids and do well in low light. I read a lot of reviews and settled on this one. I thought about the ELPH 300hs but decided I was too used to using the touch screen on my Sony Cybershot to go back to buttons. I love the touch screen! The menus are well laid out and it is easy to find things. I was a little worried it would take me awhile to figure out the Canon menus since I have been a Sony user for so long, but I am not having any trouble at all! I am having fun trying out all of the programs/effects on the camera. The Kids and Pets setting is just what I was looking for. My kids don't sit still for me to take pictures and now I can just snap pictures of them on the go without the picture being too blurry. After reading reviews I was worried about battery life. I decided to buy and extra battery since we had a big wedding we were going to and I didn't want my camera to die before the day was done. Turns out I wouldn't have needed the extra battery. I still have the first battery in after taking 150 pictures and a few short videos. Another thing I love is that there isn't much delay between pressing the button and the actual capturing of the picture (this was a big frustration with my previous camera). The only thing I noticed is that with moving subjects and in low light you really have to make sure to give the camera time to focus by holding the button halfway down for a second or two before snapping the picture. I had great luck with this camera in low light. I snapped some really awesome pictures on the dance floor at the wedding. I was even able to shoot a little video on the dance floor.... When I tried that with my old camera it turned out almost black, but with this camera I got a great video of my 3 year old dancing. I have only had this camera for a week, but I haven't found any area where this camera has let me down yet. I am excited to keep experimenting with some of the programs and effects I haven't gotten to use yet. Bottom line....Great camera!

UPDATE: I lost my ELPH 500 HS while we were on vacation (a long sad story). I needed a new camera fast so I went to Best Buy and they only had the ELPH 300 HS and nothing else was really close to the quality I wanted at the price I wanted so I bought it. The 300 has pretty much the same functions as the 500 and still takes great pictures. But I would take my 500 back any day! The touch screen makes it so much simpler to navigate through the menus and change settings quickly. I don't think the microphone is as good on the 300 because a couple of my videos are hard to hear. It seems a little slower to focus and snap a picture, but maybe it is all in my head. One problem I noticed is that my photo editing software (I use Picasa) would automatically pick up the red eye on photos with my 500 but on the 300 I have to manually select the area to change it. The 300 looks cooler than the 500 and is a little smaller, but I loved the large screen on the 500 and you don't get that with the 300 since they had to make room for all the buttons. Bottom line in my opinion: Spend the extra $70 and go for the 500 - it is worth it. Read more ›

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Pictures...Easy to use touch screen June 10, 2011

By PKA

Color Name:Silver|Amazon Verified Purchase

The provided pictures I uploaded to Amazon show you how great this camera is. These shots where within the first 10 minutes of running the camera and shot in full auto mode. Color is great and clarity is super. I felt all Nikons in the price range had color issues and the Sonys looked dark and muddy. It was between this and the SX230 but for me it came down to this:
1: 500HS has a 2.0 f stop which means it will preform better in low light than the SX230 (f/3.1)
2: 500HS has better macro at 3cm vs 5cm for those extreme close ups
3. 500HS shoots 3.4fps vs 0.8 in the SX230
4. SX230 has a GPS which I could careless about. What is the point of this? We have survived for years without it. Why all of a sudden is this important?
5. SX230 has great zoom but clarity and light is lost the farther you zoom so its not really a benefit to me.

The SX230 is a great camera but the above mentioned which directly affects picture quality pushed me to the 500HS. Good luck in your search but I am very pleased with this camera. The touch screen is very nice and I actually had no problem switching over from standard dials. Though it may slow you down in between shots I find the menus well thought out and very easy to navigate.

I haven't gotten into manual controls yet but can only imagine it will get better. This review is meant for the standard point and shoot crowd. The pictures in "auto" speak for themselves.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Quantum leap in technology June 12, 2011

By olsenart

Color Name:Silver|Amazon Verified Purchase

At last! Canon have finally cracked it...a point-and-shoot that has everything...24mm super-wide angle lens, HD movie, 16:9 format, fabulous large touchscreen, Aperture or Shutter Priority as well as fully automatic, and custom settings, plus a FAST 2.0 lens for great available light shots in dark surroundings. A myriad of features that put my Canon 450D in the shade, quite frankly. I've been waiting for all these features in a pocket camera, and Canon have done it, and managed to organize the display so it is so easy to get to where you want and pick out whatever parameters you are looking for. Do I love this camera? Yes, I love it and cannot find fault with it in any way. A great camera to own that will leave all your other cameras in their cases. You only need this one.

I would only recommend they think about putting a collapsible, removable metal shade (based on 2-1/4 camera viewfinder technology) on the back of the camera, because even with the display at full luminosity, in bright sunlight, it's difficult to compose a shot since it doesn't have viewfinder.

Paul Olsen
[...]
[...]