Focus
Auto (6.0)
The SD500 has a 9-point AiAF Smart auto focus system that focuses fairly quickly, but has a mind of its own. The point of focus is not selectable, so the camera will only focus on what is closest to it. Also, users have the option to determine whether the AiAF is on or off, but that is all the selection available — there are no AF modes offered. This invariably leads to focusing difficulties in shots where the subject is not easily discernible or centered within the composition. For wider landscapes and shots with extended planes of depth, the likelihood of attaining the desired focus is quite slim. This is one of the camera's glaring flaws.

The SD500 does include an AF-assist beam to aid focusing in low light; this feature can be turned on and off in every recording mode. For added simplicity and user awareness, when the LCD screen is used as a viewfinder, green boxes are placed around the portion of the picture that is in focus. The camera can normally focus from 1.6 feet to as far as the lens can see. When the camera is switched into Macro mode, the SD500 can focus from 2 inches to 1.6 feet when the lens is zoomed out and 1-1.6 feet when the lens is zoomed in tight on a subject. There is also an Infinity mode that focuses from 9.8 feet. This is best used while shooting landscapes. The through-the-lens auto focus is activated like the auto focus on most digital cameras — when the shutter release button is partially depressed.

Manual (0.0)
There is no manual focus option on the PowerShot SD500. However, users of this camera probably won’t miss this option; its auto focus works well and compact cameras don’t have a good track record with manual focus anyway.

Metering (7.0)
This digital camera has metering options common to most compact digital cameras. There is a default Evaluative metering mode that measures images in several points within the frame. A Center-Weighted option measures only from the center; the Spot option measures from a smaller point in the center. These are expected options, but unlike the lack of conventional AF modes, they are fortunately included in the SD500.

Exposure (7.0)
The Canon PowerShot SD500 uses a Program AE exposure control system that can be adjusted in the standard +/- 2 EV range in 1/3 steps.

White Balance (7.5)
The camera’s white balance menu can be found midway down the list of icons when the “Func. Set” button is pushed. When users scroll through the white balance options, they can see the lighting change — and hopefully make an informed decision about which mode to use. The following modes are available: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, and Custom. The manual white balance is easy to set, as directions appear onscreen. These options should appease most users and allow for proper color calibration under a variety of lighting conditions.

ISO (7.0)
The ISO options can be found on the same screen with the white balance. The following options also show live views when scrolled through: Auto, 50, 100, 200, and 400. The live view of ISO settings is actually fairly rare among compact cameras and does provide additional assistance to the user, though it does not completely portray the degradation of quality that will ensue from the pushed sensitivity ratings.

Shutter Speed (2.0)
The Canon PowerShot SD500 uses a hybrid mechanical and electronic shutter to capture images at speeds of 15 seconds to 1/2000^th of a second. Although users cannot set the shutter speed in most shooting modes, there is some manual control granted over the slower shutter speeds. A Long Shutter mode allows users to select from the following speeds: 1, 1.3, 1.6, 2, 2.5, 3.2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13, and 15 seconds. If the Long Shutter option is not selected, there is no opportunity for user control and the camera is left to automatically set the shutter duration. When the camera senses a shutter speed that is slower than 1.3 seconds, it will operate with additional noise reduction technology.

Aperture (0.0)
The Canon SD500 has an aperture range from f/2.8-f/7.1 in the widest setting and a range of f/4.9-f/13 in full telephoto. Sorry manual control freaks--only the camera can select the aperture setting for the shot. This may be disappointing to many users who might expect to find manual exposure control in a $500 digital camera, but users of the SD500 are primarily paying for style and megapixels. So if you’re a traveling photographer who likes to blow up your automatic snapshots beyond 16 x 20, this is the camera for you!