Likes

- Size/Weight - Canon Optics - Intelligent design and button placement - Ease of use - Overall speed between shots, start-up times and shutter to shot

Dislikes

- Small viewfinder - Cluttered LCD (with the display on) - Automatic adjustment “delay” - No manual Aperture option

Conclusion
The Canon PowerShot S500 is a great camera for a decent price. With the Canon optics on board, as well as a 5 megapixel CCD imager, it’s hard to go too wrong in this price point. The solid design, as well as the intelligent feature and option buttons, makes for an enjoyable shooting session. The print / share features are a plus, as with compatible printers photos can be exported with the touch of a button. The tiny viewfinder and the lack of expansive manual control limit this camera in certain ways. As with any digital camera, there was the expected shutter delay, but not so slow as to cause concern. In fact, the shutter to shot time was really quite fast. There are other models on the market with much slower shutter reaction times. Novice users who want a camera to grow into won’t be disappointed, but there is only so much tweaking you can do on the Canon PowerShot S500 before an upgrade is in order.

Within this price point, the Canon PowerShot S500 is a leader, followed by other digital cameras with many great options, but not rolled into one package. The size and portability, as well as manual control options and overall image quality, help keep this camera from falling behind the pack. As with any camera, users are encouraged to get to an electronics store and try one on for size. Handling and ease of use are often dictated by the users’ preference, so be sure to try before you buy.