Canon Ixus 500 HS review

We were bowled over by Canon’s compact cameras last year. Judging by the Ixus 500 HS, the company isn’t resting on its laurels. We first saw this model in January under its american designation of Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS at CES in Las Vegas, but it’s been baffingly rebranded for its European release.

Whatever it’s called, cosmetically it’s a triumph, with a squared-off metal body that’s almost entirely smooth when the camera’s switched off, and a subtle textured finish that gives it a mysterious translucent glow. The 3in screen is bursting with colour, but it barely leaves enough room for the controls. They’re the usual set we’ve seen on other Ixus cameras, but they’ve been rearranged with the Func/Set button repositioned below the navigation buttons rather than in the centre. We’d probably get used to it – eventually.

Incredibly, Canon has managed to pack a 12x zoom lens into this ultra-slim camera, which measures just 19mm deep when switched off. Canon’s fanfare is slightly diminished by the simultaneous arrival of the Panasonic SZ7 and Sony WX100, both of which are 21mm deep, a few grams lighter and have 10x zooms, but the Ixus 500 HS is the clear victor in this battle of Tardis-like cameras.

There are a few compromises to deliver such extraordinary miniaturisation. One is that the battery is relatively small, and only lasts for 190 shots. That might be less than a day’s use for trigger-happy photographers. Another is the use of a microSDXC slot. There’s nothing wrong with this format – and some smartphone and tablet users may find the cross compatibility useful – but having spent the last 10 years building up a collection of full-sized SD cards, we’d prefer not to have to start all over again.

Yet another is that, while the sensor is a standard 1/2.3in size, only the central 10-megapixel area of this 16-megapixel chip is used to capture the image. This means that the lens doesn’t have to work so hard to achieve sharp focus across the frame, which makes it easier to deliver such a slim 12x zoom lens. It’s not great news for image quality, though, as it brings the higher noise of a 16-megapixel sensor without the benefit of extra detail.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating, though, and the Ixus 500 HS’s photos are actually pretty good. It helps that this sensor is an HS chip, Canon’s name for back-illuminated CMOS technology which delivers lower noise than conventional sensors. The higher pixel density of this 16-megapixel sensor does bring drawbacks, though, with some image noise even in bright conditions. Image quality held together extremely well in gloomier conditions, though, standing up to scrutiny at ISO 400 and producing passable snaps at ISO 1600. The Panasonic SZ7 gave cleaner results in bright light, but in low light the Canon’s superior noise reduction gave it the advantage.

Details here look reasonably sharp at first glance, but there’s not much definition to the ripples or dense foliage, and the hull of the boat reveals some noise – click to enlarge

The Canon’s lens isn’t up to the same standards as the Panasonic’s, though. Comparing both at 100 per cent magnification, the Panasonic was slightly sharper at their wide-angle settings, and its higher resolution and wider-angle view gave it a clear advantage. As we zoomed both cameras in, the Canon’s focus began to deteriorate, at first just in the corners of frames, but by the full telephoto extension it was a little soft across the whole frame compared to the Panasonic.

Focus deteriorates at the telephoto end of the zoom: compare this shot to a similar one in our Panasonic SZ7 review – click to enlarge

The rest of the package is familiar territory, with Canon’s usual knack for sumptuous, flattering colours and sensible automatic exposures. Performance was solid, taking 2.1 seconds on average between shots, while continuous mode ran at 2.3fps. Videos are recorded at 1080/24p in AVC format but are limited to 10 minutes per clip. Picture and sound quality were excellent but the zoom motor spoiled the soundtrack slightly.

The Ixus 500 HS is bound to be a bestseller with its eye-catching slim design and 12x zoom. Its owners are unlikely to be disappointed, but the Panasonic SZ7 is a better example of the same basic concept. Meanwhile, if you can live with an 8x zoom, the Canon Ixus 230 HS remains our top recommendation with its exceptional image quality, slim design and sub-£200 price.