Canon SX500 IS

Canon SX500 IS is Canon's Small Sensor Superzoom digital camera first announced on August of 2012. The camera uses a 16MP, CCD 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a maximum resolution of 4608 x 3456.

Canon introduced the updated Canon SX510 HS (Read Full Comparison) as a way to improve this model.

The SX500 IS comes in at #139 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras & all-around #723 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. Remember to use our Advanced camera filter to see camera ratings based on your custom factors.

Here is a graph of specific criteria used in the scoring system.

The Canon SX500 IS is part of a family of cameras. You can see the detailed range underneath.

You can check the SX500 IS from various angles in the gallery below.

Below is a shortlist of advantages and drawbacks of the Canon SX500 IS based on aspects which are usually viewed as crucial in a digital camera.

The Canon SX500 IS is powered by the Digic 4 chip. The sensor spec on the Canon SX500 IS is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor can resolve 4608 x 3456 pixels and aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera has Image Stabilization (Optical). Optical stabilization is superior than digital stabilization since the latter can lead to cropping.

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The CCD sensor has 16MP and supports a standard ISO range of 80 to 1600. Unfortunately, RAW photos are not supported therefore the user has less margin for error.

The image underneath illustrates the SX500 IS's sensor dimensions when compared to other popular sizes. The SX500 IS sensor has a crop factor of 5.8 and is outlined in green.

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To get an understanding of various aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.

Canon SX500 IS weighs in at 0.75 pounds (341 grams or 12.03 ounces) & has outer proportions of 104mm x 70mm x 80mm (4.1" x 2.8" x 3.1"). The weight of normal Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387 grams and the Canon SX500 IS is lighter when compared to other competitors.

Photography Glossary

Here is a image of the Canon SX500 IS alongside a softdrink to help you to get a sense of its scale.

The top view underneath will illustrate the button layout on the SX500 IS.

The SX500 IS provides an inbuilt lens featuring a focal range of 24-720mm giving it a 30.0 x zoom which is ideal and is going to make it easier to zoom all the way in.

At the widest 24mm, it has an aperture of f3.4 which will be somewhat slow and not ideal for low light situations and you might find it difficult to get a shallow depth of field. You could also have to raise the ISO setting causing noisy photos. For the tele end, 720mm is brilliant zoom and comes to f5.8 which is pretty slow and you might need to set slower shutter speeds.

The SX500 IS has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• Wireless Yes

Cameras which have NFC or Bluetooth support can easily be controlled wirelessly through smartphones. You can easily copy images and at times alter settings without the hassle of connecting straight to the camera.

Many applications even allow a Liveview and click the shutter when you aren't near the camera. If the camera contains a HDMI port, it could be attached to an external monitor. The majority of cameras enable you to recharge the battery using the USB port.

The maximum video quality on the Canon SX500 IS is 1280 x 720 and you can shoot in H.264 file format. 720p is terrible for today's standards. You should try to get a minimum 1080p quality for video recording. The camera doesn't feature a microphone or headphone port which means that you have little control over the audio. It is perhaps best to have a look at another model in case you require good audio for your videos.

Canon SX500 IS doesn't include weather sealing so damp conditions can ruin the camera.

The Canon SX500 IS houses a 3" fixed screen supporting a resolution of 461k dots.

Unfortunately the screen isn't a touch screen.

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The ViewFinder specs for Canon SX500 IS are as follows:

• ViewFinder None

Viewfinders can be quite beneficial during sunny outdoor conditions which can make the camera screen washed out and hard to see.

Canon SX500 IS continuous shooting rate is 1.0 frames per second. The highest shutter speed is 1/1600 sec.

Canon SX500 IS has only inbuilt flash lacking external flash ability. The maximum flash sync is 1/1600 sec.

Canon SX500 IS has just Contrast Detect AF & is missing Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection focusing is a lot more snappier and exact when compared to Contrast Detect focusing. The camera boasts Face detection making it helpful for taking portraits of people.

The AF system boasts 1 focus points to pick from. It also comes with Tracking AF for objects on the move. Canon SX500 IS supports manual focus when needed during low light situations or you need more exact control on focus.

The battery (NB-6L) for the Canon SX500 IS is built to last for 195 images according to the CIPA requirements making it lower when compared to it's competition. The general Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR has got the highest possible (600) battery life within this range of cameras.

Following is a listing of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras having the highest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm HS35EXR
SX500 IS vs Fujifilm HS35EXR600 yesnono

Nikon B500
SX500 IS vs B500600 nonoyes

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Nikon L840
SX500 IS vs L840590 noyesno

Panasonic FZ200
SX500 IS vs FZ200540 yesnono

Leica V-Lux 4
SX500 IS vs V-Lux 4540 yesnono

The following diagram gives a summation of the Canon SX500 IS for varying types of photography. To learn more, visit the specific paragraph underneath.

The Canon SX500 IS receives a points tally of 46 which is reasonable, and means the camera is somewhat adequate for portraits. Taking portraits favors greatly towards sensor dimensions, RAW support plus the ability to work with off-camera lighting.

With a moderate rating of 51, the Canon SX500 IS is reasonably suitable to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera offers a fine balance of picture quality plus portability.

A low sports photography score of 44 suggests the Canon SX500 IS is just not suitable for shooting sports. A camera needs very good focusing and fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

Size is really critical in getting a travel camera. Over-all, the Canon SX500 IS gets a moderate 59 for a travelling camera which makes it reasonably adequate to take with you on your journeys.

For anyone who is looking to pick a digital camera for landscape photos, the most important factor will no doubt be image quality. The Canon SX500 IS and it's moderate rating of 46 for a landscape camera is fairly acceptable amongst its competitors.

A camera for vlogging really should posses a articulating screen, mic input and if possible image stabilization. Considering everything, the Canon SX500 IS is just not suitable for vlogging as it delivers a low score of 28.

If you are interested in alternatives to the SX500 IS, below is a list of the top ranked cameras that fall within the family of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The chart listed below will give you an overview of the SX500 IS versus it's highest ranked competitors listed previously.

Following are additional cameras you may look at as alternate options. To read through a thorough comparison, visit the "compare" link.