I love this camera! I wanted a higher end point and shoot camera that could keep up with my kids and do well in low light. I read a lot of reviews and settled on this one. I thought about the ELPH 300hs but decided I was too used to using the touch screen on my Sony Cybershot to go back to buttons. I love the touch screen! The menus are well laid out and it is easy to find things. I was a little worried it would take me awhile to figure out the Canon menus since I have been a Sony user for so long, but I am not having any trouble at all! I am having fun trying out all of the programs/effects on the camera. The Kids and Pets setting is just what I was looking for. My kids don't sit still for me to take pictures and now I can just snap pictures of them on the go without the picture being too blurry. After reading reviews I was worried about battery life. I decided to buy and extra battery since we had a big wedding we were going to and I didn't want my camera to die before the day was done. Turns out I wouldn't have needed the extra battery. I still have the first battery in after taking 150 pictures and a few short videos. Another thing I love is that there isn't much delay between pressing the button and the actual capturing of the picture (this was a big frustration with my previous camera). The only thing I noticed is that with moving subjects and in low light you really have to make sure to give the camera time to focus by holding the button halfway down for a second or two before snapping the picture. I had great luck with this camera in low light. I snapped some really awesome pictures on the dance floor at the wedding. I was even able to shoot a little video on the dance floor. When I tried that with my old camera it turned out almost black, but with this camera I got a great video of my 3 year old dancing. I have only had this camera for a week, but I haven't found any area where this camera has let me down yet. I am excited to keep experimenting with some of the programs and effects I haven't gotten to use yet. Bottom line....Great camera!
UPDATE: I lost my ELPH 500 HS while we were on vacation (a long sad story). I needed a new camera fast so I went to Best Buy and they only had the ELPH 300 HS and nothing else was really close to the quality I wanted at the price I wanted so I bought it. The 300 has pretty much the same functions as the 500 and still takes great pictures. But I would take my 500 back any day! The touch screen makes it so much simpler to navigate through the menus and change settings quickly. I don't think the microphone is as good on the 300 because a couple of my videos are hard to hear. It seems a little slower to focus and snap a picture, but maybe it is all in my head. One problem I noticed is that my photo editing software (I use Picasa) would automatically pick up the red eye on photos with my 500 but on the 300 I have to manually select the area to change it. The 300 looks cooler than the 500 and is a little smaller, but I loved the large screen on the 500 and you don't get that with the 300 since they had to make room for all the buttons. Bottom line in my opinion: Spend the extra $70 and go for the 500 - it is worth it.
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Reviews with images
Fun to use! The camera I have with me
This camera replaces an old Panasonic Lumix I have, the DMC-LZ2. A great camera in its day, but bulky and I found myself not wanting to carry it. Plus it was getting harder to upload pictures. So I began a search for a new pocket camera. My primary criteria was excellent low light performance. I work in theater, backstage in the dark, and occasionally want to capture what life in blue light looks like. I also never use a flash, no matter the situation. So the CMOS sensor in the Elph 500 appealed to me. I also considered every other Elph: the 100, 300, and 310 HS. Those models are great, but so small! I'm a tactile person and how something feels is important to me. I'd not considered this camera till it went on sale as a lightning deal, and I decided to take a chance. I'm glad I did! The ELPH 500 HS feels substantial for its small size. The beveled edge makes it easy to hold. Most importantly, it takes great pictures! I tested it in low light and got excellent results. The mode that's most useful is Handheld Night scene. If you set the camera in automatic, in low light situations, it'll often choose that. How smart! You can trust the camera in the Automatic setting. I also like the menu navigation. I was able to mute the camera with no difficulty after reading the Quick Start guide. I really enjoy the touch screen interface. It's not like an iPhone, but the result is that you won't make accidental inputs. When you choose something you have to mean it! Tap with intention. The only con so far is minor: the lens cover is loose when closed. That concerned me. I checked the display model at another store and it was the same: loose. But it doesn't affect the performance. PROS: -Excellent performance in low light -good build quality -Fast start up -Easy to import photos. I use iPhoto -I enjoy the touch screen navigation -Takes beautiful video CONS: -Loose lens coverSo far I love this camera! I always have it with me, and as the pros say, the best camera is the one you have on you.
