The Canon Powershot SX500 IS is the smallest 30x zoom camera today on the market. With a 24-720mm lens packed in a pretty compact form factor, yet almost as big as a bridge camera with no viewfinder, it is a nice travel camera although I would advise to get a 20x camera instead and to invest in a BSI CMOs camera with better image quality and more interesting features (like 10 fps, swipe panorama mode, HDR, multishot nigh mode… yes, i am thinking o the Sony HX20V… and others). The issue with today’s announced Canon Powershot SX500 IS is that is gets a simple 16MP CCD sensor which can definitely not compete with Sony’s BSI CMOS sensors technology. Its HD video mode sticks to a disappointing 720p definition. yet, it records stereo sound and has an HDMI-CEC slot. The SX500 IS (and the SX160 IS) is sticked to ISO 1,6000 as a maximum sensibility setting.
Appart from that, the Canon SX500 IS image is stabilized by the latest “intelligent IS” mode which will detect the shooting conditions and set the way it works accordingly. Same thing with the smart Auto mode with auto scene detection among 32 cases (58 cases on Canon Powershot SX260 HS for instance, a 20x zoom camera with a BSI CMOs sensor… that is the one I’d recommend in canon’s range, has GPS too….). PASM modes are available and the 3″ screen whose definition is not stated by Canon is their press release (must be pretty weak like 230Kdots I believe) can display help and hints for beginners. Finally, you can apply creative filters to your images.
The Powershot SX160 IS borrows 90* of the SX500 IS technical specs but :
- has a 26x (28-448) zoom lens instead
- is powered by 2xAA batteries
Both cameras are ignited by the DIGIC 4 processor, the DIGIC 5 being Canon high-end models exclusivity.
Canon Powershot SX160 IS and S500 IS price and availability
The Canon Powershot SX500 IS will be the first available, by the end of this month, at a suggested retail price of $299. Its smaller brother, the Powershot SX500 IS will be available later, in September, at a suggested retail price of $179.
Canon Powershot SX500 IS technical specifications
| DIGITAL CAMERA | PowerShot SX500 IS | |
| IMAGE SENSOR | ||
| Type | 1/2.3 type CCD | |
| Effective Pixels | Approx. 16.0M | |
| Colour Filter Type | Primary Colour | |
| IMAGE PROCESSOR | ||
| Type | DIGIC 4 with iSAPS technology | |
| LENS | ||
| Focal Length | 4.3 – 129.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 24 – 720 mm) | |
| Zoom | Optical 30x ZoomPlus 60x Digital Approx. 4x (with Digital Tele-Converter Approx. 1.6x or 2.0x and Safety Zoom [1]). Combined Approx. 120x |
|
| Maximum f/number | f/3.4 – f/5.8 | |
| Construction | 13 elements in 10 groups (1 UD lens, 1 double-sided aspherical lens) | |
| Image Stabilisation | Yes (lens shift-type), 3.5-stop. Intelligent IS | |
| FOCUSING | ||
| Type | TTL | |
| AF System/Points | Face Detection, 1-point AF (fixed to centre) | |
| AF Modes | Continuous, Servo AF/AE [10], Tracking AF | |
| AF Point Selection | Size (Normal, Small) | |
| AF Lock | On/Off Selectable | |
| AF Assist Beam | Yes | |
| Manual Focus | Yes | |
| Closest Focusing Distance | 0 cm (W) from front of lens in macro | |
| EXPOSURE CONTROL | ||
| Metering modes | Evaluative (linked to Face Detection AF frame), Centre-weighted average, Spot (Centre) | |
| AE Lock | On/Off Selectable | |
| Exposure Compensation | +/- 2 EV in 1/3 stop increments. Enhanced i-Contrast for automatic dynamic range correction |
|
| ISO sensitivity [3] | AUTO, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 | |
| SHUTTER | ||
| Speed | 1 – 1/1600 sec. (factory default) 15 – 1/1600 sec. (total range – varies by shooting mode) |
|
| WHITE BALANCE | ||
| Type | TTL | |
| Settings | Auto (including Face Detection WB), Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom | |
| LCD MONITOR | ||
| Monitor | 7.5 cm (3.0”) TFT, Approx. 461,000 dots | |
| Coverage | Approx. 100% | |
| Brightness | Adjustable to one of five levels. Quick-bright LCD | |
| FLASH | ||
| Modes | Auto, Manual Flash On / Off, Slow Synchro | |
| Slow Sync Speed | Fastest speed 1/1600 sec. | |
| Red-Eye Reduction | Yes | |
| Flash Exposure Compensation | +/- 2 EV in 1/3 stop increments. Face Detection FE. Safety FE. | |
| Flash Exposure Lock | Yes | |
| Manual Power Adjustment | 3 levels with internal flash | |
| Built-in Flash Range | 50 cm – 5.0 m (W) / 1.4 m – 3.0 m (T) | |
| External Flash | Canon High Power Flash HF-DC2 | |
| SHOOTING | ||
| Modes | Smart Auto (32 scenes detected), Program AE, Shutter priority AE, Aperture priority AE, Manual, Live View Control, SCN (Portrait, FaceSelf-Timer, Low Light (4.0MP), Snow, Fireworks), Creative Filters (Fish-eye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect), Discreet, Movie | |
| Modes in Movie | Smart Auto (21 scenes detected), Standard, iFrame Movie, Program AE, Portrait, Snow, Fireworks, Miniature Effect, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect | |
| Photo Effects | My Colors (My Colors Off, Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Custom Color) | |
| Drive modes | Single, Continuous, Continuous with AF, Self-Timer | |
| Continuous Shooting | Approx. 0.8 shots/sec. with AF: Approx. 0.5 shots/sec. LV: Approx. 0.6 shots/sec.(until memory card becomes full) [6] [7] | |
| RECORDING PIXELS / COMPRESSION | ||
| Image Size | 4:3 – (L) 4608 x 3456, (M1) 3264 x 2448, (M2) 1600 x 1200, (S) 640 x 480 16:9 – (L) 4608 x 2592, (M1) 3264 x 1832, (M2) 1920 x 1080, (S) 640 x 360 3:2 – (L) 4608 x 3072, (M1) 3264 x 2176, (M2) 1600 x 1064, (S) 640 x 424 1:1 – (L) 3456 x 3456, (M1) 2448 x 2448, (M2) 1200 x 1200, (S) 480 x 480 Resize in playback (M2, S, XS) |
|
| Compression | Superfine, Fine | |
| Movies | (HD) 1280 x 720, 25 fps, (L) 640 x 480, 30 fps Miniature Effect (HD, L) 5fps, 2.5fps, 1.25 fps iFrame Movie (HD) |
|
| Movie Length | (HD) Up to 4 GB or 29 min. 59 sec. [11] (L ) Up to 4 GB or 1 hour [7] |
|
| FILE TYPES | ||
| Still Image Type | JPEG compression, (Exif 2.3 [Exif Print] compliant) / Design rule for Camera File system, Digital Print Order Format [DPOF] Version 1.1 compliant | |
| Movies | MOV [H.264 + Linear PCM (stereo)] iFrame |
|
| DIRECT PRINT | ||
| Canon Printers | Canon SELPHY Compact Photo Printers and Canon Inkjet Printers supporting PictBridge (ID Photo Print, Fixed Size Print and Movie Print supported on SELPHY CP & ES printers only) | |
| PictBridge | Yes | |
| OTHER FEATURES | ||
| Red-Eye Correction | Yes, during shooting and playback | |
| My Camera / My Menu | Start-up image and camera sounds customisation | |
| My Category | Image tagging feature | |
| Intelligent Orientation Sensor | Yes | |
| Histogram | Yes | |
| Playback zoom | Approx. 2x – 10x | |
| Self Timer | Approx. 2 or 10 sec., Custom | |
| Menu Languages | English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Italian, Greek, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Spanish, Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Simplified Chinese, Chinese (traditional), Japanese, Korean, Thai, Arabic, Romanian, Farsi, Hindi, Malay, Indonesian, Vietnamese | |
| INTERFACE | ||
| Computer | Hi-Speed USB (MTP, PTP) dedicated connector (Mini-B compatible) | |
| Other | HDMI Mini Connector (HDMI-CEC compatible) A/V output (PAL/NTSC) | |
| MEMORY CARD | ||
| Type | SD, SDHC, SDXC | |
| SUPPORTED OPERATING SYSTEM | ||
| PC & Macintosh | Windows 7 SP1 / Vista SP2 / XP SP3 Mac OS X v10.6 – 10.7 |
|
| SOFTWARE | ||
| Browsing & Printing | ImageBrowser EX | |
| Other | PhotoStitch | |
| POWER SOURCE | ||
| Batteries | Rechargeable Li-ion Battery NB-6L (battery and charger supplied) | |
| Battery life | Approx. 195 shots [8] Approx. 540 min. playback Approx. 240 min. playback |
|
| A/C Power Supply | Optional, AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC40 | |
| ACCESSORIES | ||
| Cases / Straps | Soft Case DCC-950 | |
| Flash | Canon High Power Flash HF-DC2 | |
| Power Supply & Battery Chargers | AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC40, Battery Charger CB-2LYE | |
| PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS | ||
| Operating Environment | 0 – 40 °C, 10 – 90% humidity | |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 104.0 x 69.5 x 80.2 mm | |
| Weight | Approx. 341 g (including battery/batteries and memory card) | |
| All data is based on Canon standard testing methods (according to CIPA Standards) except where indicated. | ||
| Subject to change without notice. | ||
| [1] Depending on the image size selected. | ||
| [3] Standard Output Sensitivity / Recommended Exposure Index. According to ISO 12232:2006 (20th April 2006) which specifies the method for assigning and reporting ISO speed ratings for digital still cameras. | ||
| [6] Under conditions where the flash does not fire. | ||
| [7] Depending on memory card speed / capacity / compression setting. | ||
| [8] Using the batteries and memory card format supplied with the camera (where included), except where indicated. | ||
| [10] Some settings limit availability. | ||
| [11] The following Speed Class memory cards are required for maximum record time: (HD) 1280 x 720 Speed Class 4 or above. (Full HD) 1920 x 1080 Speed Class 6 or above. (iFrame) 1280 x 720 Speed Class 6 or above. | ||
Canon Powershot SX160 IS technical specifications
| DIGITAL CAMERA | PowerShot SX500 IS | |
| IMAGE SENSOR | ||
| Type | 1/2.3 type CCD | |
| Effective Pixels | Approx. 16.0M | |
| Colour Filter Type | Primary Colour | |
| IMAGE PROCESSOR | ||
| Type | DIGIC 4 with iSAPS technology | |
| LENS | ||
| Focal Length | 4.3 – 129.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 24 – 720 mm) | |
| Zoom | Optical 30x ZoomPlus 60x Digital Approx. 4x (with Digital Tele-Converter Approx. 1.6x or 2.0x and Safety Zoom [1]). Combined Approx. 120x |
|
| Maximum f/number | f/3.4 – f/5.8 | |
| Construction | 13 elements in 10 groups (1 UD lens, 1 double-sided aspherical lens) | |
| Image Stabilisation | Yes (lens shift-type), 3.5-stop. Intelligent IS | |
| FOCUSING | ||
| Type | TTL | |
| AF System/Points | Face Detection, 1-point AF (fixed to centre) | |
| AF Modes | Continuous, Servo AF/AE [10], Tracking AF | |
| AF Point Selection | Size (Normal, Small) | |
| AF Lock | On/Off Selectable | |
| AF Assist Beam | Yes | |
| Manual Focus | Yes | |
| Closest Focusing Distance | 0 cm (W) from front of lens in macro | |
| EXPOSURE CONTROL | ||
| Metering modes | Evaluative (linked to Face Detection AF frame), Centre-weighted average, Spot (Centre) | |
| AE Lock | On/Off Selectable | |
| Exposure Compensation | +/- 2 EV in 1/3 stop increments. Enhanced i-Contrast for automatic dynamic range correction |
|
| ISO sensitivity [3] | AUTO, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 | |
| SHUTTER | ||
| Speed | 1 – 1/1600 sec. (factory default) 15 – 1/1600 sec. (total range – varies by shooting mode) |
|
| WHITE BALANCE | ||
| Type | TTL | |
| Settings | Auto (including Face Detection WB), Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom | |
| LCD MONITOR | ||
| Monitor | 7.5 cm (3.0”) TFT, Approx. 461,000 dots | |
| Coverage | Approx. 100% | |
| Brightness | Adjustable to one of five levels. Quick-bright LCD | |
| FLASH | ||
| Modes | Auto, Manual Flash On / Off, Slow Synchro | |
| Slow Sync Speed | Fastest speed 1/1600 sec. | |
| Red-Eye Reduction | Yes | |
| Flash Exposure Compensation | +/- 2 EV in 1/3 stop increments. Face Detection FE. Safety FE. | |
| Flash Exposure Lock | Yes | |
| Manual Power Adjustment | 3 levels with internal flash | |
| Built-in Flash Range | 50 cm – 5.0 m (W) / 1.4 m – 3.0 m (T) | |
| External Flash | Canon High Power Flash HF-DC2 | |
| SHOOTING | ||
| Modes | Smart Auto (32 scenes detected), Program AE, Shutter priority AE, Aperture priority AE, Manual, Live View Control, SCN (Portrait, FaceSelf-Timer, Low Light (4.0MP), Snow, Fireworks), Creative Filters (Fish-eye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect), Discreet, Movie | |
| Modes in Movie | Smart Auto (21 scenes detected), Standard, iFrame Movie, Program AE, Portrait, Snow, Fireworks, Miniature Effect, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect | |
| Photo Effects | My Colors (My Colors Off, Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Custom Color) | |
| Drive modes | Single, Continuous, Continuous with AF, Self-Timer | |
| Continuous Shooting | Approx. 0.8 shots/sec. with AF: Approx. 0.5 shots/sec. LV: Approx. 0.6 shots/sec.(until memory card becomes full) [6] [7] | |
| RECORDING PIXELS / COMPRESSION | ||
| Image Size | 4:3 – (L) 4608 x 3456, (M1) 3264 x 2448, (M2) 1600 x 1200, (S) 640 x 480 16:9 – (L) 4608 x 2592, (M1) 3264 x 1832, (M2) 1920 x 1080, (S) 640 x 360 3:2 – (L) 4608 x 3072, (M1) 3264 x 2176, (M2) 1600 x 1064, (S) 640 x 424 1:1 – (L) 3456 x 3456, (M1) 2448 x 2448, (M2) 1200 x 1200, (S) 480 x 480 Resize in playback (M2, S, XS) |
|
| Compression | Superfine, Fine | |
| Movies | (HD) 1280 x 720, 25 fps, (L) 640 x 480, 30 fps Miniature Effect (HD, L) 5fps, 2.5fps, 1.25 fps iFrame Movie (HD) |
|
| Movie Length | (HD) Up to 4 GB or 29 min. 59 sec. [11] (L ) Up to 4 GB or 1 hour [7] |
|
| FILE TYPES | ||
| Still Image Type | JPEG compression, (Exif 2.3 [Exif Print] compliant) / Design rule for Camera File system, Digital Print Order Format [DPOF] Version 1.1 compliant | |
| Movies | MOV [H.264 + Linear PCM (stereo)] iFrame |
|
| DIRECT PRINT | ||
| Canon Printers | Canon SELPHY Compact Photo Printers and Canon Inkjet Printers supporting PictBridge (ID Photo Print, Fixed Size Print and Movie Print supported on SELPHY CP & ES printers only) | |
| PictBridge | Yes | |
| OTHER FEATURES | ||
| Red-Eye Correction | Yes, during shooting and playback | |
| My Camera / My Menu | Start-up image and camera sounds customisation | |
| My Category | Image tagging feature | |
| Intelligent Orientation Sensor | Yes | |
| Histogram | Yes | |
| Playback zoom | Approx. 2x – 10x | |
| Self Timer | Approx. 2 or 10 sec., Custom | |
| Menu Languages | English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Italian, Greek, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Spanish, Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Simplified Chinese, Chinese (traditional), Japanese, Korean, Thai, Arabic, Romanian, Farsi, Hindi, Malay, Indonesian, Vietnamese | |
| INTERFACE | ||
| Computer | Hi-Speed USB (MTP, PTP) dedicated connector (Mini-B compatible) | |
| Other | HDMI Mini Connector (HDMI-CEC compatible) A/V output (PAL/NTSC) | |
| MEMORY CARD | ||
| Type | SD, SDHC, SDXC | |
| SUPPORTED OPERATING SYSTEM | ||
| PC & Macintosh | Windows 7 SP1 / Vista SP2 / XP SP3 Mac OS X v10.6 – 10.7 |
|
| SOFTWARE | ||
| Browsing & Printing | ImageBrowser EX | |
| Other | PhotoStitch | |
| POWER SOURCE | ||
| Batteries | Rechargeable Li-ion Battery NB-6L (battery and charger supplied) | |
| Battery life | Approx. 195 shots [8] Approx. 540 min. playback Approx. 240 min. playback |
|
| A/C Power Supply | Optional, AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC40 | |
| ACCESSORIES | ||
| Cases / Straps | Soft Case DCC-950 | |
| Flash | Canon High Power Flash HF-DC2 | |
| Power Supply & Battery Chargers | AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC40, Battery Charger CB-2LYE | |
| PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS | ||
| Operating Environment | 0 – 40 °C, 10 – 90% humidity | |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 104.0 x 69.5 x 80.2 mm | |
| Weight | Approx. 341 g (including battery/batteries and memory card) | |
| All data is based on Canon standard testing methods (according to CIPA Standards) except where indicated. | ||
| Subject to change without notice. | ||
| [1] Depending on the image size selected. | ||
| [3] Standard Output Sensitivity / Recommended Exposure Index. According to ISO 12232:2006 (20th April 2006) which specifies the method for assigning and reporting ISO speed ratings for digital still cameras. | ||
| [6] Under conditions where the flash does not fire. | ||
| [7] Depending on memory card speed / capacity / compression setting. | ||
| [8] Using the batteries and memory card format supplied with the camera (where included), except where indicated. | ||
| [10] Some settings limit availability. | ||
| [11] The following Speed Class memory cards are required for maximum record time: (HD) 1280 x 720 Speed Class 4 or above. (Full HD) 1920 x 1080 Speed Class 6 or above. (iFrame) 1280 x 720 Speed Class 6 or above. | ||
