Color (7.89)
We analyze the color of every digital camera using Imatest Imaging Software and a GretagMacbeth color chart. This software helps us determine the color error of each digital camera. The chart below depicts the colors produced by the Canon PowerShot S500. The outer squares of each color tile on the chart is the color produced by the camera. The inner square is a version slightly corrected for error by Imatest. The smallest vertical rectangle is the ideal color, or what the camera should be producing.

The graph below is a graphical representation of the color accuracy of the Canon PowerShot S500. The circles represent the colors produced by Imatest, and the squares represent the ideal colors on the GretagMacbeth chart. The distance between each circle and square represents the error of the camera. The greater the distance, the greater the error.

The Canon PowerShot S500 produced pretty comparable color scores, but it has a tendency to saturate its images more than most digital cameras, with a mean saturation score of 116.1 percent. Although most digital cameras tend to over-saturate for bolder images, the Canon PowerShot S500 goes slightly overboard. However, it makes up for this error by producing accurate color tones, as indicated in the graph above. The most accurate color tones produced by the Canon PowerShot S500 are #5 (blue flower), #16 (yellow), #10 (purple), and #11 (yellow green). The areas in which it falls short are #9 and #15 (moderate red and red - which I must explain is pretty standard for most digital cameras since over-saturation here produces nicer skin tones), and #18 (cyan). With all of this in mind, most digital camera consumers will be pleased with the image quality on the Canon PowerShot S500.

Still Life Scene
Below is our standard still life scene which we photograph with every digital camera:

Clicking on the above image will open a full resolution version in a new window (CAUTION: The linked image is very large).

Resolution / Sharpness (3.0)

Noise - Auto ISO (3.77)
As a point-and-shoot camera, it is essential that the Canon S500 function well in full automatic mode. One of the more important automatic functions for all cameras is their ability to read the available light and aptly select the sensitivity settings. The ISO set by the camera will impact the exposure and image quality of each frame. In general, the more ISO boost the camera has to provide, the more noise will be in the image. Therefore, the Canon S500 received a fairly low score on automatic ISO because of the amount of noise present in the automatically adjusted images. This grain or noise ultimately distorts the image and erodes the quality. By comparison, the Sony P100, also a 5 megapixel point-and-shoot camera, registered about half the noise when set on automatic ISO and retails for about $100 less than the S500.

Noise - Manual ISO (3.14)
Many point-and-shoot cameras are often without variable ISO settings; however, for the more advanced cameras with multiple ISO ratings, we test noise at each ISO setting. This test is conducted with Imatest and is intended to illustrate the amount of noise present at the various ISO speeds. The results are then put into a regression analysis to give us a total noise score. The chart below depicts the performance of the camera at each ISO setting, with the X-axis representing the ISO values, and the vertical Y-axis marking the noise level present.

From the graph above, it is apparent that the Canon S500 is plagued with noise even at its lowest setting. While it is understood that noise is exponentially related to ISO rating, even at its highest quality, ISO 50, the S500 performed the way many rival cameras are capable of performing at ISO 200. This means that the lowest noise setting on this camera will produce images that many cameras can do in a fourth of the available light. Generally, higher ISO speeds are used when more light is needed to properly expose the image. Unfortunately, in order to gain illumination, the user has to sacrifice by accepting noise or grain (in film cameras) to get a proper exposure. Therefore, even though the S500 offers variable ISO speeds up to 400, the noise throughout the images will be more distorting than the noise in images from the Canon Digital Rebel taken at ISO 1600.

Speed / Timing
In most compact digital cameras, it is pretty common to have a slight lag when starting up, in between shots, and after the shutter button is pressed.

Start-up / First shot (7.1)
Using our standard speed test, the Canon PowerShot S500 had a start-up to first shot time of 2.9 seconds. This is a pretty good score, as anything below three seconds is above average.

Shot to shot (8.8)
The Canon PowerShot S500 had a shot to shot time of 1.2 seconds. This is an above average time for shot to shot, and the shots fire off in succession very quickly.

Shutter to shot (8.8)
The shutter to shot time for the Canon PowerShot S500 was 0.1 seconds. This is a great time, well above the average, and is a strong argument for the PowerShot S500.