Canon PowerShot SX500 IS 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 30x Wide-Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD (Black) (OLD MODEL)

I recently took this camera, along with my PowerShot Elph 110, on a Caribbean cruise. Because I have the waterproof case for the 110, I used it whenever I was shooting in wet areas and also for underwater shots. I used the SX500 in dry locations. In some instances, I was able to take comparable shots with both cameras and the difference was really striking. Let me preface this by saying that I'm NOT a photographer. I'm just someone who likes to take a lot of pictures. I like them to come out well, but I know virtually nothing about photography beyond what I've learned through trial and error. I found the low-light shots taken with the SX500 to be FAR superior than those taken with the Elph. Yes, it's difficult to capture a moving subject in low light. This isn't and expensive, professional camera. I'm very pleased with the results considering the price I paid. The biggest selling feature was the zoom lens. I was absolutely AMAZED how clear shots taken from VERY far away came out. I took this camera to Opening Day, to see the Red Sox players get their World Series rings. We didn't have the best of seats, so I had to really max out the zoom lens. I was certain the photos would be blurry. It's difficult to hold a camera really still, extremely zoomed in, while standing in a crowd. The photos were OUTSTANDING. I mean really...outstanding! I'm extremely pleased with this purchase. The camera is small and easy to carry with the strap around my neck. When I want something I can slip in my pocket, I opt for the Elph. I would classify this as a bridge camera. It's NOT as easy to carry around as a pocket-sized digital, but it's also not as cumbersome to carry around as a more professional model. It's EASY to use...even for novices like me! And it takes great photos. I'm sure as I have more trial-and-error lessons under my belt, my shots will be even better.

I am not sure what the mixed reviews are but this is a great fully functional camera. I am not a photographer, but I do love to take pictures. I started out with my iPhone and a Sony point and shoot. I realised I love taking pictures. So I did a lot of research this camera stood out. There is mixed reviews, but I continued to look at best buy, Walmart and amazon. The majority was anywhere from 4-5 stars all across the board. I even watched YouTube. So I decided for the price and just starting out I would give it a shot. Amazon sent it out and I began to use it. I have to say I love it, pictures are clear, movies are amazing. I began to take pictures at the lake, nature and my dog. Came out great. I know most are saying that the camera is not good for action shots and Lowe light, if you play around with the settings it's much better. It's not a fast camera but again you can play around with that setting as well. What I found to help me is that I ordered books like canon power shot digital photography and digital photography for beginners. They have helped with the understanding of this camera. This camera is small and compact, and it does a little of everything . It's great for me for just starting out and not mention I have has three back surgeries and unable to lug all that equipment around. Overall this is great camera small easy to use, great pictures and a lot of fun. Like I said I am no photographer by doing a little research you can have a wonder camera. One more thing order the tri pod and extra battery it helps for the 30 x zoom it is amazing. So if you are someone looking for great camera that takes great pictures and enough settings to feel as though you are a pro, this is worth every penny.

Let me start off by saying, I'm not a photographer and I know this is not a professional grade camera. I purchased this camera so I could take nice pictures of my kiddos as they grow throughout the years, but my iPhone seems to take about the same quality of photos. However, when I purchased this camera, I didn't have an iPhone so it was a good investment at the time. This is a pretty lightweight, not so bulky camera that takes decent images for day to day capture. It has a nice zoom range, without compromising image quality too much. There's also a slot for a memory card and another for the rechargeable battery. For the price, it's a good camera and it's basic features makes it an easy one to use for most anyone.

Love my camera. Takes great photos Didn’t come with lens cap But ordered separately

I don't understand the other reviews, really? Are you people serious?! I LOVE this camera, when I first saw it was "to be released" I started getting exited, I need this camera, the zoom was (is) perfect, the price, eh, not outta sight. Finally the day came, It was available to order, I ordered, waiting, patiently for it to arrive in time for our Disneyland vacation. It arrived. I was sceptical, bigger that I was used to, smaller than I expected, would it live up to my 200? ... Then the I took some test shots, garden pics, they looked beautiful!! So we were off to vacation, I took many, many pictures, day, night, motions, stills, portrait, landscapes, flowers, characters, all looked good but only able to see them on the camera. When I got home, I plugged the camera into my 55" HD tv via the hdmi cable, started the slide show..... The moment of truth! Did I get my monies worth? Risking a $4000.00 vacation photo shoot of hundreds of pictures of my kids, the park, capturing the actual "essence" of our grand vacation on a $329.00 camera? I DID!!! Breath-taking 16 mega pixel pictures adorned my 16:9 Full HD 1080p resolution panel (1920 x 1080) TV screen, flawless, gorgeous, vivid colors, absolutely stunning!! I was thrilled, all the photos in 16:9 format. I couldn't get enough!! I was the most excited of all the family members, "look, you can see so much detail..." I was beaming!! Plus the HD video, It's OUTSTANDING!!! Great camera, for the casual or everyday shutterbug! I love it!!! Oh, and don't believe me? 4/5 stars at one site, 4/5 stars at another, and 8/10 at still another.

I am still waiting for the arrival of the lens adapter and filters, as well as the package set which also includes the LCD protectors, so I am being very careful with my fantastic new camera. Add to this that i am a nature photographer, primarily, and everything is quite dead and i will have to add to review as I take more photos. I will say that the camera works great with no glitches. It arrived exactly on the due date with everything intact and working well. The pictures I have taken have been perfect. I am someone who is considered a professional, and have a degree in photography and everyone expects someone like me to have a DSL-R; but because of a very serious auto accident I can not longer carry around a heavy bag full of lenses and extra equipment, so imagine my joy over finding cameras like this. After all, a true photographer knows framing and lighting and can take a good photo with any piece of equipment. I am excited to recieve my filters and extra lenses and to put this camera to its full uses at which time I will give a more in depth review. But this camera is light, easy to hold, the pictures are clear and I am able to make good sized 300 to 600dpi prints and products. I am amazed at the amount of vacation photographers with DSLR cameras who, lets be honest, dont really know what they are doing with them... and I agree with a previous reviewer that this is no camera for a beginner. But if you want to save alot of money, not lug a heavy bag of equipment around, miss shots changing lenses, and still come away with professional quality photos, so far this camera fits the bill. It's an advanced "point and shoot" so if you're a beginner, I would recommend a different camera. But if you know what you are doing, this camera is, so far, working fantastically. And btw with my prime account the two day free shipping was fantastic! Once again Amazon is my favorite retailer of everything, and this is my first canon and I couldnt be happier! More to come...

This is a very nice camera if you are looking for a long range point and shoot camera with an excellent quick zoom and primarily will be shooting in daylight. I was looking for something smaller to carry around besides my big DSLR Camera and lenses. So I gave this camera a try and I was surprised at how small it was when I received it. The camera seemed well built and the focusing was very quick!!!! The stabilization worked very well at long distances. My only downfall with this camera was the Iso Noise in pictures in low light. It was very evident when you get around iso 600. Even at iso 400 you could see noise. I expected better low light results from Canon since I'm a Canon fan and I shoot with Canon products. I've had other point and shoot cameras that performed better in low light situations. In contrast, pictures in full daylight with no flash needed were very good! I'm sure the ISO noise issues in low light was due to the fact that this camera used a CCD sensor and not a CMOS sensor. I decided to upgrade to the Canon sx50 model with a CMOS sensor and a 50x zoom. I couldn't be happier!!! The sx50 is an awesome camera and shoots greats pictures even in low light. Pros: Easy to use, excellent focusing system, small size, battery life Cons: Iso Noise in low light

I love this camera! I recently returned an Olympus DSLR camera because it was difficult to operate and the printed images were not that good. After some research I realized that what I really wanted was a point and shoot camera that was on the small side and easy to operate. Voila, this is it! I use the Auto setting right now but will try the manual settings too, although the Auto does exactly what I want it to. The camera is small but easy to handle and lightweight. Taking videos is also easy and the results are nice. The videos are clear with very natural coloring which is what I like my videos to look like. Images are also very natural looking. For someone who's not a professional photographer I see no reason to buy a DSLR when you can get a point and shoot that does such a good job. The 30 zoom and 16mp are more than enough for the casual photographer. The battery lasted through about 200 pictures and 3 short videos before I had to recharge it. I just purchased an extra battery to carry with me so I don't lose any important pictures due to the battery running out. The camera did come with a lens cover that stays attached to the camera with a wire to prevent loss. I was pleasantly surprised to see this because it didn't say a lens cover was included with this camera. I would highly recommend this camera to anyone looking for great quality pictures and videos with ease of use.

Really love this camera! It's great quality. The pictures are sooooo clear! Much better than my previous camera, definitely an upgrade. And good price too! A couple things to keep in mind: you ARE going to want a second battery if you're taking pictures often. I hate running out of battery and then having to wait for it to charge. And the self timer isn't quite the same as other self timers. I've figure out ways around both of those but just things to keep in mind! Overall, I'd definitely recommend this camera!

I love this camera which takes very clear pictures - great for special occasions but a bit big for carrying with you every day. It is light, compared to other cameras I've tried with the same features, and comfortable to hold.

It's a really nice camera that has lots of very nice features. The optical zoom is amazing at 30x! I tried out the digital zoom which goes up to 60x, not expecting to like it but I was actually impressed with it as it still done a fairly nice job, even at digital zoom levels which looked better than me simply blowing up part of an image myself. It has a lot of features like the usual shutter speeds, focal lengths (though the range did seem fairly limited). It came with an extra battery which was nice, charger, memory card (4G), strap. I will note that the camera is used, though it is in excellent condition. The cost seemed a tad steep once I learned this is a 10 year old camera, but I am still happy with it. There were a few faint white specs in the image in low light dark, but that wasn't too bad, and only when it was really dark, which I easily compensated for by adjusting shutter speeds etc. All in all, I have no regrets buying it. It's small (see photo with pen and a bit of my keyboard beside it for scale). I have already captured some AMAZING shots of the moon at night, zoomed in with craters clearly visible, shots that got some praise from online people so... not too bad. Over all I would definitely recommend it (newer model if you can afford it, great camera).

its very gooood!! i love itt ! i would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a camera that can take good pictures

I love it very easy to use and the focus is amazing, pictures are very very clear and easy to download to pc.