Product Description

8.0-megapixel effective recording * EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens (35mm equivalent focal length: 28-90mm) * 1-13/16" color LCD * eye-level SLR viewfinder (with dioptric adjustment) * wide-area 7-point autofocus * ... Read more

Features

• Fast start-up time--.2 seconds
• Powered by rechargeable Lithium-ion battery (included, with charger)
• 8.0-megapixel CMOS sensor captures enough detail for photo-quality 16 x 22-inch prints
• Includes Canon's EF-S 18-55mm, f3.5-5.6 zoom lens
• DIGIC II Image Processor provides fast, accurate image processing; captures images at a rate of up to 3 frames per second

Reviews (29)

Great dSLR especially for the money
Got this camera after considering between this and the 20D.Was very impressed with the 20D, but the price difference could easily give me a very good lense, and the feature differences are minor, so Rebel XT it is.I am a photography enthuiast who wishes he had the budget for a canon 1D MarkII but instead have the budget of a mortal and have to pay for a personal camera out of his own pocket.
I have been reading some other reviews on this site and other sites regarding digital SLR cameras in general.I had to admit, most of the reviewers really are better served with a point and shoot.This is a SLR camera, it will take great pictures in automatic modes, but if you use your camera in those modes, get something like the Canon Pro1.This camera is to be used in Av, Tv or Manual modes, maybe in Program in a pinch.It requires you to understand WB, depth of fields, exposure metering as well as other wide array of nuances that come with a SLR camera.If you don't want to spend some time to learn some details about photography, you will be better served with a point and shoot.If you decide to use the attached flash for in door portrait shots, you're probably better served with a point and shoot.If you need to frame your shot on the LCD, you're better served with a point and shoot (becasue the whole SLR concept of through the lense view of the scene, DOF checking, focus accuracy is completely lost by that opinion).Yes the sensor on dSLR's will get dirty and require maintenance.Some one mentioned why don't engineer design the sensor to have the opposite charge to rebel dust.Well, dusts don't have one single polarity in their charges, so 50% of the dust will be attracted to the sensor doesn't matter what polarity the sensor is charged with.
Also, this is not a Canon 1Ds either, so it does have its limitations, but then again, people who will feel completely limited by this camera should have gotten a Canon 1D series camera anyway.
The best merit for this camera is foremost image quality.It's extremely low in image noise all the way up to ISO 800.ISO 1600 is completely usable if you stay below 8x10 enlargement and don't mind photoshopping your image a little.Again, if you don't ever want to bother with photoshop adjustment of you pictures, you probably will be better served with a point and shoot.The kit lense is of decent quality again for the price, but you're definitely short changing yourself if that's the only lense you decide for have for this camera.If you want to buy the kit and had no intention to buy another lense, you shoud seriously be considering Canon Pro1, it's got a L glass and a good match between the lense and the body.Buying this camera will be at most 50% of your investment if you truly want to make it worthwhile, the other 50% will be needed for buying good lenses (get the Canon 17-40mm USM L lense, the 70-200 4L zoom, and the 28-135mm as a walk-around, the Tamron 28-74 is an excellent medium range lense as well and is probably a superior substitue for the Canon 28-135 USM).
I would have to say lack of spot metering does give the Nikon D70 an advantage, but this camera does have a center metering mode with exposure lock, so it is not really a show-stopper. Compared to the D70, the Rebel XT has superior noise level performance.This is from my personal experience as well as photos from a wide variety of sites on the net.Low noise level is very important to me, so if this is on your priority list, you really can't go wrong with the Rebel XT at this price point.
What I want to emphasize here is seriously consider your needs before buying this camera, to make this camera truly worth the money you spent, you need to spend a bit more of your money and a lot of more of your time on learning how to properly handle a piece of equipment like this.Otherwise, you guessed it, Canon Pro1 is a very very good candidate.

This is one awesome camera
I bought from amazon after being let down by Dell. It arrived next day and on the weekend i gave it a good workout at a local airshow. I took just under 1000 photos and was amazed by how well the shots came out in sport mode. Very quick focus and spot on.
excellent camera and well built , not small as some people have noted, works for me...

Awesome!
What an amazing small compact SLR camera! I originally purchased the 20D but I found it a bit too big for my taste. The Digital Rebel XT is small and compact and perfect for my wife and I. Although small, the battery can easily shoot 230 shots in a single charge (20% using flash).

I highly recommend this camera it's perfect for amateur photographers. This is an excellent upgrade from my previous Canon G2. If you are new to photography I would recommend the G6 before this camera. But the best nest step would be this one.

Also, with the $700 dollars that I saved getting this instead of the 20D, I purchased a new Canon 17-85mm EF-S lens. What an AMZING lens!

Hope that this help!

Top Notch digital
I bought this camera as soon as it was available on Amazon, and have had it for about a month now.The experience has been fantastic.The pictures are nothing less than stunning.Colors are great, resolution is amazing, and the software package is very complete and easy to use.

Probably the best features are the number of modes that are available, and the ease of use.It can be set to a full program mode, and used as a point and click snapshot camera by anyone at all, or put into full manual mode for the more experienced.

I do have a couple of suggestions.Order this body without the Canon lens.I upgraded to a Sigma 28-300 mm Macro Zoom for about the cost of the original lens, and now have one lens for virtually any situation.

Also, get top notch compact flash card.I bought high speed, 1 GB Lexar 80x flash because I really wanted the ability to take high speed repetative pictures.I was not disappointed.You can either take one picture after another about as fast as you can hit the sutter, or put the camera into repeat-shot mode and hold the shutter button down.This is a great feature.

Also order a spare battery or two.It takes a lot of pictures on a single charge, but seems to go from a full battery indication down to dead real fast, so there's not a lot of warning that you need to charge up.

All in all, a very outstanding bit of technology.

Canon Kiss Digital N (Digital Rebel XT)
I'm stationed overseas so most companies won't let me buy cool electronics like the Digital Rebel XT so I went out on the Japanese economy.This is my first digital SLR.I've struggled trying to capture great shots of my daughters playing soccer, basketball, running track..etc., with the "enthusiast" zoom cameras.The Kiss Digital N is made in Japan and has a few minor differences from the U.S. model.The kit zoom 18-55 lens for instance is USM.I bought it as a kit with another Canon lens as well, a 55-200 EF. It's light, cheap, and good enough as I'll get to in a minute. In the end it was between the Pentax istDS or the Digital Rebel XT.After completing all of my research on-line it came down to Canon picture quality, and technology.Am I happy?So far this camera is light years ahead of any digital that I've owned.It's fast, the pictures are sharp if you understand the limitations of the lens you are using, and it's easy.My wife can use it just fine and she doesn't have a digital clue.For the enthusiast, there is plenty of stuff to play with.The 8 megapixel CMOS sensor produces amazing results.The soccer pics tell the story for me.The 55-200 EF produced some incredible shots.It's USM and focuses fast and sharp.It's not an "L" lens but I don't even know what that means!This camera will sell like crazy.Eventually I plan on buying a 35mm EF prime F2.0 lens, the wireless remote, the battery grip, and Canon Flash. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Features

• 8.2-megapixel sensor captures 3504 by 2336 pixel JPEG or RAW images
• Includes 18-55mm (3x zoom) f/3.5-5.6 autofocus lens, EF mount compatible with all Canon lenses in EF and EF-S lineup
• Direct printing with PictBridge printers
• Store images on CompactFlash memory card
• Powered by rechargeable BP-511A 1390mAh battery pack

Features

• Highly advanced 5.0-megapixel digital camera camera with 3x optical/4.1x digital/12x combined zoom
• 14 shooting modes, with special Scene Modes for spectacular shots in special situations
• New, larger 1.8-inch vari-angle LCD monitor for easier image preview and review
• 9-point AiAF plus FlexiZone AF/AE for off-center subjects
• New Print/Share button for easy direct printing and downloads

Reviews (1)

Nice Camera
We just got these cameras in the store and they are amazing. Everyone enjoys the LCD screen on the back. Instead of the typical fixed LCD it has a swivel one much like your Camcorder. It pops out so you can have it hang to the side, or you can flip it over to take pictures of yourself and your family if you don't have a cameraman handy. It can also flip back into the body to function just like previous LCD screens. Amazing innovation in digital camera's. Overall nice camera from Canon. ... Read more

Features

• 4-megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create photo-quality 11-by-15-inch enlargements
• Canon 3x optical zoom lens with 3.6x digital zoom
• 9-point autofocus; movie mode; PictBridge compatible
• Store images on Compact Flash Type I memory cards (32 MB card included)
• Powered by rechargeable battery pack NB-1LH (included with charger)

Reviews (33)

Wonderful Point-and-Shoot Camera
This is the ultimate camera for active/sporting/outdoor snapshots. It's so small you can stick it in a pocket, and yet it has flash, 3x optical zoom and 4 megapixel resolution! Because it's digital you can see the results immediately, and you don't have to worry about wasting film. Send your experiences and memories to everyone!

Pros:
* Very small and handy
* Unobtrusive-your friends will stop posing every time you try to take a picture! My friend Christine has mastered the art of stealth photography with her S410; she looks in a different direction while glancing at the LCD viewfinder!
* Uses Compact Flash (CF)- Low-cost easy to handle memory cards available in capacities up to 1 GB!
* Picture quality (so far) is excellent

Cons:
* Uses a rechargeable battery-This takes some extra planning and perhaps a purchase of a spare battery.
* Non-automatic operation is difficult-the small size makes it hard to read and navigate the controls
* Small size can be a danger! You could lose it accidentally or drop it out of a shirt pocket

Excellently made compact camera
I've been reading the reviews on this Canon PowerShot S410 camera before and after purchasing my own. There certainly are numerous whiners out there. It seems people love to find something to whine about. Honestly, this camera has given me nothing but pleasure, excellent pictures and compliments from others. This is a solid well-built camera (my cats knocked it off my desk and dragged around a bit and it had no scratches and still works excellently) with excellent picture quality both indoor and outdoor and easy to figure out menu and buttons. People also seem to complain about the LCD screen being small on digital cameras in general. My answer, look through the view finder. In addition, with the Canon S410 the image on the LCD screen is so vivid and clear and the colors so rich that it doesn't really matter. After all, the most important thing is both the final print and how it looks on your computer not the size of the LCD screen. When I connect the camera to my Canon CP-330 compact photo printer, it's a one press operation and away it goes printing the best quality pictures ever. Unless you love to nit-pick (there's really nothing to nit-pick about on this one) you'll love this camera. Minor note, Canon could have possibly been a little more generous in what comes with the camera, such as an AC power adapter (although I love the battery recharger). However, don't consider this a complaint, just a suggestion to Canon. If you do decide to purchase, ENJOY! And to those whiners, life is too short .......

Small Size/ Big Performance
I'm not an expert on photography. I have only taken one photography class in my life, but this little camera is quite amazing! The size fits perfectly in anyone's hands; moreover, the buttons and controls are easy to manuever.

I was able to operate this camera pretty much right out of the box without having to read the manual. I have no problems downloading the pictures into my computer. It's very user friendly.

The pictures are crisp and clear, as you can see in the open window. It's a great daytime, point and shoot sort of camera and the pictures look quite professional. The only problems it has is taking night-time photos. This camera has a bit of a problem in the dark, but overall, great value for the price!!!!

I highly recommend it!

One of the best cameras out there for its size.
I got this camera because I was looking for a camera that was small but had great resolution. This camera can fit right into the palm of your hand. The only thing i didn't like was that the video is 320x240 pixels but the camera takes outstanding photos. This is a camera for someone who wants a small camera but with great resolution.

Best Still Picture Quality for Compact Digital Cameras
If you just need a digital camera to take pictures in the sun light, you can almost pick any digital camera.

But if you want your camera to take great pictures under all different light conditions (i.e. in door, with dark background, wedding photos and other complex light situations), then Canon S410/S500 will be the only choice. Thanks to Canon DIGIC Image Processor and iSAPS Technology, this Canon S410 really takes perfect pictures in all different light conditions, which no compact digital camera from other vender can match.

However the Canon case for S500/S410 is very dispointing, which is poorly made with cheap fake leather.

I found the most beautiful, perfect fitting leather case for Canon S410/S500 from http://stores.ebay.com/ProCases ... Read more

Product Description

records high-quality DVD-Video * records to mini DVD-Rs, DVD-RWs, and DVD+RWs * recording capacity of one disc: 20 minutes at HQ setting; 30 minutes at SP setting; 60 minutes at LP setting * digital photo mode * 2-11/16" widescreen color touch-panel LCD * ... Read more

Features

• 10X optical zoom
• 2.7 inch, 16:9 aspect display
• Dolby digital 5.1 audio recording
• DVD + RW / -RW media
• 3.3 megapixel CCD

Reviews (8)

Shoot, Finalize, Play, be Amazed.
I can't believe how easy this camera is to operate.

I received the camcorder last night and was anxious to get some test footage of my daughter before she went to bed.To save time, I skipped reading the directions and went straight to fiddling with the camera.With absolutely no difficulty or direction I was able to snap on the battery pack, plug the camera to AC power, pop in a disc, and begin recording my daughter's silly bed time antics.

Now it was time to play it in the DVD player.A freind had told me that you need to "finalize" the disc before you can play it in a DVD player.So, after a moment of hunting in the setup menu I found and selected the "finalize" option.A little whirring and a grave warning not to vibrate the camera, and a few minutes later the disc was done.

I placed the disc in the DVD player still believing this was too good to be true, but there it was.My daughter giggling and singing in 16:9 aspect ratio on my big TV, with no wires and no need to boot up my computer.Within 30 minutes of pulling the camera out of the box I was playing a freshly recorded movie without having to glance at the manual.I can't say enough about the ease of use.

And, the quality is top notch.I'm no expert but I have an older Sony Mini-DV and I've been exposed to home movies made on a number of different cameras.The picture quality on this one is as good or better than any video camera I've ever seen. But it was the sound quality that shocked me.

As I sat watching my daughter sing on camera I heard her singing in front of me.Then, I was startled to hear the sounds of my wife and I laughing and coaxing her comming from the surround speakers behind me.That's right, this thing records in Dolby 5.1 surround sound!

So far, I've only recorded two discs worth of material, and I haven't even gotten into exploring the more advanced features of the camera, but it does everything I want it to do.Incredible ease of use.High quality digital picture and sound.The only drawback I see is the $5-$8 price tag per blank disc.But as one reviewer mentioned you can transfer your movie to a much cheaper full size CD-R using a DVD recorder or your computer.Then you can reuse the same $8 mini disc over and over again.

Either way, it's a small price to pay for such a convenient and high quality product.

Wind noice is the killer.
When recording outdoor, even there is not much wind at all, this camcorder produces a lot of wind noise just like a thunder storm out there. I set the volume to low in the setup menu, but it does not help at all. The picture quality is good, the wide screen produces a very nice view on the 16X9 TV.

Excellent hardware-- mediocre software
From a hardware standpoint this camcorder is excellent. Picture quality under a variety of lighting conditions including dim lighting is excellent. The quality of the still photos is also excellent-- I haven't used my digital still camera since I bought it. The only letdown is the very mediocre software package that comes with it. I'm surprised a quality company like Sony would bundle a $1000 high end camera with budget software. It's workable but don'w expect much more than very basic functionality.

This is the first miniDVD camcorder that has worked it out in terms of ease of use, reliability, and picture quality. Sure, in 2-5 years we will all be using blu-ray digital cameras that will hold 2 hours of HD video on 1 disk, making the paltry 21 minutes of high quality video (1 hour on low quality setting or 30 minutes on normal quality)seem quaint, but until then this one is it.

UPDATE-- I've have the camera a couple of weeks now. I'm feeling better about the bundled software--it turns out a lot of the bugs that I initially experienced using the software were due to codecissues and not the software itself. I actually find the software, although basic in it's features, pretty useful and stable. For those who want to edit their videos more extensively, Windows Movie Maker is free from Microsoft and handles the MPEG2 video format used by this camera very well.

The camera itself is a joy to use. I have found that 21 minutes of high quality video per disc is not as restrictive as I once thought-- having the power to edit my videos (ie cut out the garbage)makes that 21 minutes go a long way. And the media itself is not expensive-- I just bought 20 miniDVD-Rs online for $20.

Overall, a great choice--it gives me the option to burn my video right away and watch it on my DVD player at home, or if I feel like it I can download it to my computer and edit it and then burn it and watch it. Either way, a winner.

Great camcorder with High quality of picture
I bought this camcorder about a month back. I finished recording my first DVD and the quality of the picture is awesome. This is my first camcorder and I am already in love with it. I have SONY DSC-T1 with 5 MP and now this camcorder has builin flash with 3.1 MP I am rarely using my DSC-T1 for taking pictures. I would say it is worth the cost. I suggest you buy it and you won't be dissappointed.

5 stars all the way!
Was shopping around for a camcorder for awhile, and was debating against a mini dv and or dvd camcorder.Panasonic even has 3ccd camcorders at a comparable price offering supposedely a better quality camera.I had my heart set on a dvd camcorder as I didnt want the hassle of transferring to PC and then burning to dvd.Knowing myslef, I would just never get around do doing it.So after having my mind set on a dvd camcorder, looked on the internet and there was the sony 403, the specs looked good but there werent that many reviews posted.

Decided to go with it, and I must say it is one fantastic camcorder, quality is great, low light is not that bad either.Built in flash for stills work great and quality still quality is great also.I have no need for my digital camera anymore.Is convenient to store both video and stills on the same dvd.

Havent used the software for editing yet, from the reviews ive read it isnt that great, but dont expect to to do that much editing. Finalizing the dvd creates an own dvd menu, again great feature.

Touch screen is A+, 16:9 recording works well.5.1 surround sound is great add on.Battery life on packaged battery gives good recording time.

I was skeptical of the only 30 min recording time on SP mode on the camera.mini dv's offer 60 min, but after recording a couple of dvd, you really don't realize how long 30 minutes is.SHould be ample for a standard home video.There is a setting at LP mode for 60 minutes, haven;t tried it yet, but will.My guess is that I won't notice a big difference.

Overall my opinion is that if your the average user, wants great quality footage easy to use, this camcorder is for u.I personally cant tell the difference between a 3ccd camera.It is pricey, but i think sony has set a new standard in DVD camcorders.

... Read more

Product Description

5.0-megapixel effective recording * DIGIC II processor for true-to-life color reproduction * 2" color LCD viewscreen * 3X optical/4X digital/12X total zoom * 35mm equivalent focal length: 35-105mm * ... Read more

Features

• Powered by rechargeable Lithium-ion battery; stores images on SD memory card
• 5-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 13 x 17-inch prints
• 3x optical zoom; 2.0-inch LCD display; ultra-compact design (.8 inches thick)
• Enhanced movie mode with fast 60-frame-per-second capture rate
• DIGIC II Image Processor provides fast, accurate image processing

Reviews (9)

Dual purpose camera for pictures and videos
I am not going to write a long review since the others have done an excellent job with that.

I just want to point out that with this camera you don't really need a handycam video camera anymore since it takes very good videos with sound at 640x480 resolution at 30 frames per second.Using Windows Movie Maker you can create your own movies and email them in compressed format to your friends.That is much more versatile than working with a Handycam.

The main drawback on the video function is that you can't zoom while filming.So I suggest taking several clips and stitching them together later with Windows Movie Maker.With that software a 1 minute video is only 5 MB in wmv format (or whatever size you want), so it can be easily emailed alongside your pictures.

I suggest getting a 1 GB SD Card with it if you plan on taking lots of movies.They really have come down in price.Make sure you get a "high speed card" (45x or faster).Compared to similar Sony cameras, the Canon uses much cheaper non proprietary SD memory and has a viewfinder to save batteries.

This camera is so small that you can carry it with you at all times taking pictures and video anywhere you go.What good is a camera if you don't have it with you when the perfect Kodak moment is in front of you?

Love this camera!!!
I have always had Canon's for my digital cameras, and recently received the Sd400 as a gift to replace my digital elph.I have nothing but good things to say about this camera. The size is amazing.The shutter speed is fantastic and I love the new version of the ZoonBrowser.The movie feature works fabulously.I can't wait to get a bigger SD card to start taking more pictures.The 16 MB one that comes with it isn't even worth the cost of making it.Your going to have to get a bigger one, obviously.I would highly recommend this camera.

Wonderful, recommend to everyone
No other camera can come close on the color accuracy and quality in this price range. This just has to be the best pocket-sized camera on the market. I tested Everything, and the only other camera that caught my eye was a larger Kodak (Z/DX)7590, but that one is much larger. Armed with a large SD card (gotta love those things better than CF) and a LI battery (too bad they make you buy them extra), this just has to be an unbeatable camera in it's class.

LCD display is big but fragile
Think twice before buying the Canon SD 400 camera. The LCD displays are large but extremely fragile. Mine was cracked on the second day. It was NOT dropped or abused.

I also have a Canon S110 and have taken just over 5,000 photos with it since Christmas 2001 without any problems. Apparently, in an attempt to make the new models light and the displays large, Canon sacrificed durability.

In some cases Canon will "waive" the LCD repair cost. In others they demand $165 for the repair.

Canon repaired mine as a favor.And I've since purchased a 'da Protector Model 104 - LCD protector.A thin plastic shield that fits well over the LCD window and is stiff enough to shield the LCD from any contact.

Great Little Camera
It's easy to use, easy to upload, easy to carry around. I've had my camera for about two weeks. Took tons of pictures and mini-movies of my 2 year old son and our dog - all came out great. Of course, I had to buy a larger memory card - but it was all worth it. Highly recomended for non-technically inclined users who love taking pictures. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Adding megapixel power to the popular S400 Digital Elph, Canon's PowerShot S500 bumps up the resolution to 5 megapixels--providing richer details and improved clarity. Elegantly designed and super compact, the S500 has a protective stainless steel shell with a celabrite finish, which mixes metals and ceramics to produce a tough cool-toned exterior that is visually stunning. It also features a 3x optical zoom, high-resolution video capture, and Canon's new Print/Share button, which helps you quickly connect directly to a printer or send an image via e-mail.

The S500's 5-megapixel sensor captures a wealth of detail.

Optics and Resolution
The 5-megapixel PowerShot S500 can capture 2592 x 1944 images for poster-size prints. It also has 1600 x 1200, 1024 x 768, and 640 x 480 resolution modes. The 3x optical zoom lens has a focal length of 7.4-22.2mm (35mm equivalent: 36-108mm). It also has a 4.1x digital zoom.

Movie Mode
The PowerShot S500 lets you capture high-resolution 30-second video clips with sound at 640 x 480 (10 frames per second). You can also capture 3-minute movies at lower resolution settings: 320 x 240 and 160 x 120 (both at 15 frames per second).

More Camera Features

• 9-point Artificial Intelligence autofocus (AiAF) for fast and sharp images, even with off-center subjects
• 1.5 inch low-temperature polycrystalline silicon TFT color LCD (118,000 pixels)
• Real-image optical zoom viewfinder
• Built-in flash with auto, red-eye reduction, and slow sync modes
• Record a voice memo of up to 60 seconds and attach to images
• Shutter speed: 15 - 1/2,000 seconds
• White balance control: Auto, pre-set (daylight, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent, fluorescent H), or custom white balance
• Continuous shooting: 2.2 frames (maximum 14 images)
• 2x to 10x zoom into captured images while reviewing via the LCD

Canon Technology Features

• Digic Imaging Processor: While much technical discussion of digital cameras centers around the optics and the CCD sensor, the complex task of image rendering is the job of the image processor--the "brains" of a digital camera. Canon's latest, exclusive DIGIC Imaging Processor significantly enhances digital camera performance in numerous areas. DIGIC's high-speed signal processing is combined with high-capacity buffering to give Canon digital cameras fast response and continuous shooting capability unmatched by other digital cameras. DIGIC delivers longer battery life and beautiful, rich color rendition with far fewer white saturation problems. And DIGIC's unequaled precision delivers clear, noise-free images that are demonstrably superior.

  Canon's 9-point AiAF makes it easier to focus even when your subject is off-center in the frame.

• iSAPS Technology: Canon iSAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space) technology dramatically improves the performance of AF (Autofocus), AE (Auto Exposure), and AWB (Auto White Balance). By analyzing a huge volume of photography data, accumulated over 60 years and the manufacture of over 150 million cameras, Canon engineers arrived at statistical relationships among focal length, focus distance, scene brightness, and other factors. Equipped with this "fore knowledge" Canon PowerShot cameras can optimize AF/AE/AWB settings for any given scene more rapidly and more effectively.
• Multi-point AiAF: Canon's wide-area, multi-point AiAF (artificial intelligence autofocus) automatically selects one or more focusing points based on factors, such as subject position and motion. AiAF works in conjunction with iSAPS Technology to more quickly and accurately achieve autofocus under a wide variety of shooting conditions. You get fast, accurate AF whether you hold the camera horizontally or vertically, with stationary or moving subjects, with off-center subjects, and even in low-light/low-contrast lighting.

Direct Printing/Sharing
The PowerShot S500 introduces a new Print/Share button that speeds and simplifies printing to compatible Canon and PictBridge enabled printers and one-touch image transfer to Windows XP, Me, 2000, and 98 computers for use with image processing programs, uploading to the Internet, or placement in e-mail. When connected to a Canon Compact Photo printer, a Movie Print mode divides the selected clip into equal parts and prints thumbnails of a maximum 63 equally spaced frames onto a single sheet of Postcard Size Paper.

Storage and Transfer
Images and video are stored on CompactFlash memory cards (Type I only) and the included 32 MB card holds approximately 21 images at the Large/Fine setting. Images can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via USB 1.1 connectivity, which means the camera can be connected to any USB-based Windows Me/2000/XP and Mac OS 8.6 or later computer without installing any software.

Power and Size
The camera is powered by rechargeable lithium-ion battery (NB-1LH). With the LCD on, you will get approximately 190 shots. It measures 3.43 x 2.24 x 1.09 inches and weighs 6.5 ounces (without batteries).

What's in the Box
This package contains the PowerShot S500 digital camera, 32 MB CompactFlash memory card, rechargeable lithium-ion battery (NB-1LH), battery charger (CB-2LS), USB and A/V cables, and wrist strap. The supplied software on the CD-ROM includes browsing and printing software ZoomBrowser EX (Windows) and ImageBrowser (Mac). Other software includes PhotoStitch, plus photo and movie manipulation software ArcSoft PhotoStudio and VideoImpression. ... Read more

Features

• 5-megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create photo-quality 13-by-17-inch enlargements
• Canon 3x optical zoom lens combines with 4x digital zoom for 12x total zoom
• 9-point autofocus; movie mode; PictBridge compatible
• Store images on Compact Flash Type I memory cards (32 MB card included)
• Powered by rechargeable battery pack NB-1LH (included with charger)

Reviews (31)

Point-and-shoot at its best
This is my first digital camera, and I have no regrets. It's a damn fine point-and-shoot with very intuitive controls and can be used virtually right out of the box (just charge the battery a bit). The video capture feature is just fine; afterall, if you wanted a video camera, you would have purchased one. I considered the Sony DSC-T1, but with Sony's proprietary memory requirements, the cost/benefit just didn't add up. The S500 is a sturdy camera, and should satisfy the casual photo enthusiast for quite some time. The included software is also user-friendly and easy to use.

My Canon Elan 7E and Canon Elph 2 kept me content for quite some time. With hundreds if not thousands of dollars spent on photo-processing however, it was simply time to get into the digital age.

For accessories, you'll want to get a case for it (such as the PSC-50) as it only comes with a wrist strap. In addition, consider purchasing a larger CF card (256MB or 512MB... I purchased the SanDisk Ultra II 256MB). Once you buy a card, you'll be able to use it in digital SLRs if you go that route; the included 32MB card will quickly run out of space if you are taking full resolution photos.

Anyone interested in taking the leap into digital photography and wanting unbiased reviews should take a look at Steve's Digicams at www.steves-digicams.com.

Choosing a digital camera is very much a function of lifestyle. If you are used to SLRs and like being able to bring multiple lenses for special photography opportunities, then consider the Digital Rebel or EOS 10D; you won't find better cameras on the market. If however, you want a compact camera that you can easily take anywhere, consider the S500 as a happy travel partner to capture those moments, and never process film again!

Best Still Picture Quality for Compact Digital Cameras
If you just need a digital camera to take pictures in the sun light, you can almost pick any digital camera.

But if you want your camera to take great pictures under all different light conditions (i.e. in door, with dark background, wedding photos and other complex light situations), then Canon S500 will be the only choice. Thanks to Canon DIGIC Image Processor and iSAPS Technology, this Canon S500 really takes perfect pictures in all different light conditions, which no compact digital camera from other vender can match.

However the Canon case for S500 is very dispointing, which is poorly made with cheap fake leather.

I found the most beautiful, perfect fitting leather case for Canon S410/S500 from http://stores.ebay.com/ProCases

Excellent camera
I find the double zooming feature (optical/ digital) very useful and powerful.

The quality of the resulting pictures is fantastic.

I highly recommend this product.

It might be your memory cards
Not all memory cards work well with all cameras. I tried to use a Viking card with my Canon s230, and got the E18 error mentioned here. As soon as I swapped my SanDisk back in, the problem was gone forever. I think sending the memory card back was a much better and cheaper solution than ditching an excellent camera.

Beware of moving this camera between indoors and outdoors
This camera is the next generation in Canon's Powershot family. Let me start by saying that I have not bought this model, but that this cautionary note is based on a significant flaw in the design of the S400 which I have. I don't believe this flaw has been corrected in this updated model.

I bought an S400 and used it for seven months. I was very happy with it. At that point, however, it stopped working without warning. When I sent it in to the factory service center, I discovered something very troubling about the camera that had I known earlier would have caused me to not purchase it.

It turns out that this model--as well as many other Canon digital cameras, the tech told me--has an aluminum body. If you subject the camera to temperature changes (and it only takes a change of 10-15 degrees, I was told) condensation will form inside the camera, and the camera will start to corrode, eventually rendering it unusable.

This is what had happened to me. What misuse had I subjected my camera to that caused this to happen? I took it on vacation to the beach with me. Carrying it from the hot and humid beach into an air conditioned car was enough to destroy the camera!

The tech told me that he sees this all the time. He didn't know the percent of all Canon cameras that suffer this fate, but he said a lot of them do. He told me he gets lots of cameras back from people who have taken them on vacation to Arizona, Mexico, and Hawaii. He even saw one that had stopped working because the owner kept it stored in a stuffy closet. When the owner eventually took it out to use it, the temperature change back to normal room temperature was enough to fry the camera.

I was told that this damage is not covered under warranty and that the manual cautions users not to subject their cameras to this sort of treatment. Canon will not provide service on cameras that suffer this fate. If this happens to your camera during the waranty period you're basically out of luck. You lose the investment you made in the camera and any peripherals that you bought.

I hope anyone interested in purchasing a Canon digital camera will learn from my very expensive mistake in purchasing one. See the review section for the S400 on Amazon.com for even more stories from people who have had this same problem.

What I said about the S400 holds true here as well. The camera is very nicely designed, but it's poorly engineered. If you plan to use the camera indoors only this is a great model. But if you plan to use the camera both outdoors and indoors, if there is a difference in humidity and temperature between the two where you live, and if you don't want to run the risk of totally losing your investment in the camera, this isn't the model or brand for you. ... Read more

Product Description

8.0-megapixel effective recording * EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens (35mm equivalent focal length: 28-90mm) * 1-13/16" color LCD * eye-level SLR viewfinder (with dioptric adjustment) * wide-area 7-point autofocus * ... Read more

Features

• Fast start-up time--.2 seconds
• Powered by rechargeable Lithium-ion battery (included, with charger)
• 8.0-megapixel CMOS sensor captures enough detail for photo-quality 16 x 22-inch prints
• Includes Canon's EF-S 18-55mm, f3.5-5.6 zoom lens
• DIGIC II Image Processor provides fast, accurate image processing; captures images at a rate of up to 3 frames per second

Reviews (29)

Great dSLR especially for the money
Got this camera after considering between this and the 20D.Was very impressed with the 20D, but the price difference could easily give me a very good lense, and the feature differences are minor, so Rebel XT it is.I am a photography enthuiast who wishes he had the budget for a canon 1D MarkII but instead have the budget of a mortal and have to pay for a personal camera out of his own pocket.
I have been reading some other reviews on this site and other sites regarding digital SLR cameras in general.I had to admit, most of the reviewers really are better served with a point and shoot.This is a SLR camera, it will take great pictures in automatic modes, but if you use your camera in those modes, get something like the Canon Pro1.This camera is to be used in Av, Tv or Manual modes, maybe in Program in a pinch.It requires you to understand WB, depth of fields, exposure metering as well as other wide array of nuances that come with a SLR camera.If you don't want to spend some time to learn some details about photography, you will be better served with a point and shoot.If you decide to use the attached flash for in door portrait shots, you're probably better served with a point and shoot.If you need to frame your shot on the LCD, you're better served with a point and shoot (becasue the whole SLR concept of through the lense view of the scene, DOF checking, focus accuracy is completely lost by that opinion).Yes the sensor on dSLR's will get dirty and require maintenance.Some one mentioned why don't engineer design the sensor to have the opposite charge to rebel dust.Well, dusts don't have one single polarity in their charges, so 50% of the dust will be attracted to the sensor doesn't matter what polarity the sensor is charged with.
Also, this is not a Canon 1Ds either, so it does have its limitations, but then again, people who will feel completely limited by this camera should have gotten a Canon 1D series camera anyway.
The best merit for this camera is foremost image quality.It's extremely low in image noise all the way up to ISO 800.ISO 1600 is completely usable if you stay below 8x10 enlargement and don't mind photoshopping your image a little.Again, if you don't ever want to bother with photoshop adjustment of you pictures, you probably will be better served with a point and shoot.The kit lense is of decent quality again for the price, but you're definitely short changing yourself if that's the only lense you decide for have for this camera.If you want to buy the kit and had no intention to buy another lense, you shoud seriously be considering Canon Pro1, it's got a L glass and a good match between the lense and the body.Buying this camera will be at most 50% of your investment if you truly want to make it worthwhile, the other 50% will be needed for buying good lenses (get the Canon 17-40mm USM L lense, the 70-200 4L zoom, and the 28-135mm as a walk-around, the Tamron 28-74 is an excellent medium range lense as well and is probably a superior substitue for the Canon 28-135 USM).
I would have to say lack of spot metering does give the Nikon D70 an advantage, but this camera does have a center metering mode with exposure lock, so it is not really a show-stopper. Compared to the D70, the Rebel XT has superior noise level performance.This is from my personal experience as well as photos from a wide variety of sites on the net.Low noise level is very important to me, so if this is on your priority list, you really can't go wrong with the Rebel XT at this price point.
What I want to emphasize here is seriously consider your needs before buying this camera, to make this camera truly worth the money you spent, you need to spend a bit more of your money and a lot of more of your time on learning how to properly handle a piece of equipment like this.Otherwise, you guessed it, Canon Pro1 is a very very good candidate.

This is one awesome camera
I bought from amazon after being let down by Dell. It arrived next day and on the weekend i gave it a good workout at a local airshow. I took just under 1000 photos and was amazed by how well the shots came out in sport mode. Very quick focus and spot on.
excellent camera and well built , not small as some people have noted, works for me...

Awesome!
What an amazing small compact SLR camera! I originally purchased the 20D but I found it a bit too big for my taste. The Digital Rebel XT is small and compact and perfect for my wife and I. Although small, the battery can easily shoot 230 shots in a single charge (20% using flash).

I highly recommend this camera it's perfect for amateur photographers. This is an excellent upgrade from my previous Canon G2. If you are new to photography I would recommend the G6 before this camera. But the best nest step would be this one.

Also, with the $700 dollars that I saved getting this instead of the 20D, I purchased a new Canon 17-85mm EF-S lens. What an AMZING lens!

Hope that this help!

Top Notch digital
I bought this camera as soon as it was available on Amazon, and have had it for about a month now.The experience has been fantastic.The pictures are nothing less than stunning.Colors are great, resolution is amazing, and the software package is very complete and easy to use.

Probably the best features are the number of modes that are available, and the ease of use.It can be set to a full program mode, and used as a point and click snapshot camera by anyone at all, or put into full manual mode for the more experienced.

I do have a couple of suggestions.Order this body without the Canon lens.I upgraded to a Sigma 28-300 mm Macro Zoom for about the cost of the original lens, and now have one lens for virtually any situation.

Also, get top notch compact flash card.I bought high speed, 1 GB Lexar 80x flash because I really wanted the ability to take high speed repetative pictures.I was not disappointed.You can either take one picture after another about as fast as you can hit the sutter, or put the camera into repeat-shot mode and hold the shutter button down.This is a great feature.

Also order a spare battery or two.It takes a lot of pictures on a single charge, but seems to go from a full battery indication down to dead real fast, so there's not a lot of warning that you need to charge up.

All in all, a very outstanding bit of technology.

Canon Kiss Digital N (Digital Rebel XT)
I'm stationed overseas so most companies won't let me buy cool electronics like the Digital Rebel XT so I went out on the Japanese economy.This is my first digital SLR.I've struggled trying to capture great shots of my daughters playing soccer, basketball, running track..etc., with the "enthusiast" zoom cameras.The Kiss Digital N is made in Japan and has a few minor differences from the U.S. model.The kit zoom 18-55 lens for instance is USM.I bought it as a kit with another Canon lens as well, a 55-200 EF. It's light, cheap, and good enough as I'll get to in a minute. In the end it was between the Pentax istDS or the Digital Rebel XT.After completing all of my research on-line it came down to Canon picture quality, and technology.Am I happy?So far this camera is light years ahead of any digital that I've owned.It's fast, the pictures are sharp if you understand the limitations of the lens you are using, and it's easy.My wife can use it just fine and she doesn't have a digital clue.For the enthusiast, there is plenty of stuff to play with.The 8 megapixel CMOS sensor produces amazing results.The soccer pics tell the story for me.The 55-200 EF produced some incredible shots.It's USM and focuses fast and sharp.It's not an "L" lens but I don't even know what that means!This camera will sell like crazy.Eventually I plan on buying a 35mm EF prime F2.0 lens, the wireless remote, the battery grip, and Canon Flash. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Delivering top-notch performance and high resolution at an affordable price, the Nikon D70 digital SLR offers easy-to-use yet powerful features to a wide range of users--from novices to serious and experienced photo enthusiasts. Its DX format 6.1-effective megapixel CCD sensor is optimized to deliver images with excellent sharpness and clarity, and it's compatible with Nikon's DX Nikkor lenses. This D70 digital camera body also includes a 18-70mm AF-S DX f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED zoom Nikkor lens.

Optics and Resolution
The D70 incorporates a next-generation 6.1-effective megapixel DX format CCD image sensor that produces 3008 x 2000-pixel images, and is optimized to deliver a wide dynamic range and superbly sharp details. It als has 2240 x 1488 and 1504 x 1000 resolution modes.

Nikon programmed the D70's advanced system LSI processor for improved performance to produce vivid colors and clarity, optimized auto white balance, auto tone and color control, and to run real-time processes that diminish digital noise in long exposure shots for cleaner overall results.

Nikkor Lens
The included 18-70mm Nikkor lens has a 3.8x zoom capability, easily covering portrait to wide view. It's constructed of three Nikon ED glass elements, plus an aspheric element for low distortion and minimized chromatic aberration

The Nikon SLR DX image sensor built into the D70 incorporates individual micro-optics on each of the sensors pixels. This micro-optic construction ensures that the image from the camera's lens will be precisely aligned with each pixel's sensor and that performance will be optimized.

More Features
The Nikon D70 has been designed to offer faster operation at nearly every level of performance, with the camera ready to shoot the instant it's turned on. Compressed NEF (RAW) files are processed and stored exponentially faster, making shooting in compressed NEF mode easier and more convenient than ever. It can shoot a rapid 3 frames per second for a continuous burst of 144 pictures (using the JPEG Normal/Large setting and a 256 MB CompactFlash card) due to improved buffer memory handling, faster image processing, increased memory card access speed, and greater system bus bandwidth.

Other features include:

• Built-in Speedlight flash with auto pop-up
• 1/8000 second shutter speed and a synch speed of 1/500 second for flash
• Auto modes include Portrait, Landscape, Close-Up, Sports, Night Portrait, and Night Landscape
• 25 Custom Settings allow you to personalize the operation of your D70 to match your shooting style or the demands of different shooting conditions
• Shoot in any lighting environment with the D70's built-in creative lighting system and 3D Color Matrix meter with 1,005-pixel RGB Sensor
• The D70 displays menus with simple or detailed information on a 1.8-inch LCD viewing screen
• Choose from a variety of file formats, including Nikon's RAW mode (NEF), TIFF, JPEG formats or Nikon's exclusive compressed JPEG + NEF combination
• ISO standard hot-shoe with safety lock
• Optical viewfinder features high magnification, diopter correction, complete info display, and On-Demand grid lines to aid in composition
• High-speed, high precision 5-area AF system with predictive focus tracking and Lock-on ensures quick response and sharp focus

Power and Size
The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-Ion battery pack (EN-EL3, included) or three CR2 lithium batteries (with supplied MS-D70 battery holder). It measures 5.5 x 4.4 x 3.1 inches and weighs 21 ounces (camera body only without batteries).

What's in the Box
This package includes the Nikon D70 camera body, 18-70mm Nikkor lens, strap, body cap, eyepiece cap, LCD monitor cover, USB and A/V cables, rechargeable lithium-ion battery (EN-EL3), battery charger (MH-18), CR2 battery holder (MS-D70), and Picture Project CD-ROM. Optional accessories include: Rechargeable Li-ion Battery (EN-EL3), Multi Charger (MH-19), Quick Charger (MH-18), AC Adapter (EH-5), Speedlight SB-800/600, Nikon Capture 4 (ver.4.1) Software, Semi-Soft Case (CF-D7)0, Remote Controller (ML-L3). ... Read more

Features

• Image sizes to 3008 x 2000 pixels
• Up to 1/8000 second shutter speed -- synch speed of 1/500 second for flash
• Flexible Digital Vari-Program modes include Portrait, Landscape, Close-Up, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Landscape & Auto
• File formats include Nikon's RAW mode (NEF), JPEG formats or exclusive compressed JPEG & NEF combination
• Built-in creative lighting system and 3D Color Matrix Meter enable effective shooting in any lighting environment

Reviews (14)

WOW NIKON! You outdid yourself with the D70!
I have had Nikon cameras for most of my adult life, and that is more years than I care to count. The Nikon D70 is the best I have ever used. It is fast, comfortable, and elegant. Its pictures are sharp, properly exposed, and always in focus with Nikon's fast AF system.

The batteries last for months with regular use, provided you don't upload your pics direct to your PC from the camera. I suggest you purchase an inexpensive card reader for the upload process.

I suggest buying the package, which includes the body, a battery, and a great 18-70mm AF lens. I do not recommend that you buy from Amazon. They are several hundred dollars more than most of their online competitors.

In closing, take the plunge with this great camera. It is easy to use, versatile, and an absolute best buy that will give you many years of pleasure. Great for the professional, the amateur, and those happily in between.

The D70 is worth the wait
I just received my camera last week and so far I love it. I haven't found any negative things yet. I bought the kit with the 18-70 lens. The Nikon is better than the Canon Rebel I had a month ago. I also bought the SB-800 flash and it's great. I love the flash sync of 1/500 second. It will take me a few weeks to learn the new features but I'm loving every photo I take.

The best dSLR for under $3k without question.
Simply an amazing piece of work. I'm an advanced amateur who felt somewhat dejected that Nikon had let Canon outdo them with the 10D vs. D100 comparison. Thankfully, that was a short reign for Canon as this camera blows the doors off of both the 10D and D100. It has everything, and everything done well that all be the professional photojournalist would want in a dSLR.

If you are considering a 300D, please, please reconsider. This is a far superior camera. It is better than the 300D's big brother the 10D and is untouched by any of the other <$2k range cameras out there.

If you have no interest learning how to use the flexibility the D70 will provide you, consider asking yourself why you are spending over a thousand dollars on a camera.

I'd strongly recommend getting a 512M CF card of the faster type (min speed maybe 12x). Why? because one of the neater things about he D70 is the ability to shoot very, very fast. With a normal speed card, like the standard Sandisk 512, you slow down and wait for the card. In most digitals, it is the camera that is slower, not the card.

The kit lens is quite nice. It isn't a drop dead top of the line Nikon, but it is better than most, and is a great standard every day lens. Given the crop factor of the CCD, it is equivalent to a 27-105mm lens on a 35mm camera. You may want to get a 70-200mm Nikkor to go with it, or to save money one from Sigma or Tamron. I also use a Tamron 28-200mm, which works well for this camera since its one major flaw, vignetting at large apertures, goes away completely for the same reason, the crop factor. Note that a 70-200 acts like a 105-300, and the 28-200 behaves like a 42-300.

A final note, shoot in raw format, not jpeg. One of the nicest things is that you can really, really see a significant improvement in picture quality by doing some quick touch up of the 12 bit image before saving to jpeg for printing or emailing. Also, for reference, the 512 Meg card holds 95 raw images even though the camera indicates half that when powered up. That is the one bug in the firmware I've found, but it is a very minor issue.

Goodbye film!
Pros:

1.Turns on instantly, no waiting for it to boot up.
2. Batteries last a very long time. I've had this camera for about 2 weeks and have taken several hundred shots and the battery shows no signs of getting week
3. No shutter delay.
4. Good solid construction
5. Excellent picture quality, of course.
6. Menus are easy to navigate.
7. Uses Nikkor (Nikon) lenses. I suggest getting the outfit with the lense included. The digital format is smaller than 35 mm, so multiply the focal length of your lenses by 1.5. Your existing lenses will not have the same focal length range as they do for 35 mm.

Cons:

1. High price, although competitively priced compared to similar digital SLR camera
2. CF flash card is not included. You will need to purchase one if you don't already have one. I suggest at least a 256 MB, preferably a 512 MB or larger.
3. Lense is an odd size 67 mm, may be hard to find filters. I was able to find them, but I had to go to several stores.
4. Accessories can be a little difficult to find. Nikon is notorious for sending out press releases and product literature months before the items are available.
5. Lately accessories for the D-70 are in short supply,e.g. lenses, filters and the SB-600 speedlight(...)I am extremely happy with this camera. I have been waiting for Nikon to come out with a more affordable digital SLR since I already own several Nikkor lenses. The qualities of pictures I have taken have been excellent. I guess I will be selling my old N70, since I am done with film.

The BEST DSLR on the market!!
This camera is FAST!!! It's a great relief to finally be able to take a digital photo with almost no shutter lag and/or wait time to take another photo. The startup time can probably be scientifically proven to be a value greater than 0 but is 0 for real world purposes. After flipping the 'on' switch the camera is ready to shoot before I can press the shutter release no matter how hard I try! Now that's progress!!

The auto focus is quick and accurate. I have not experienced 'Back Focus' problems as some have described. In low light, it does have difficulty focusing on objects with little or no contrast such as the bedroom wall, but this is of no consequence.

In case you haven't heard already from the other reviews, the battery life is absolutely legendary. I had my camera 2 weeks before it needed to be recharged. In those 2 weeks, I shot approximately 1000 photos. Many of which were with the flash or continuous focus. Continuous focus seems to be the biggest battery drainer.

My biggest concern about purchasing the D70 was the moiré problem that is in many of the sample photos I've seen and apparently in many of the photos of other reviewers. I can certainly say that I have not been able to produce moiré in any photo no matter how hard I try. I've taken photos of many complex patterns, near and far, under many lighting conditions and camera settings and still no moiré. Hooray for me, I guess.

The construction feels solid even though it is plastic. We shouldn't be haphazardly throwing our cameras around anyway.

If you're one of the many out there trying to decide between the Canon 300D and the Nikon D70, the choice is very simple. Ounce for ounce, dollar for dollar, the D70 offers more features than the 300D. Also, the kit lens for the 300D is a joke when compared to the 18-70 kit lens of the D70. All of that being said, if you have a bag full of Canon lenses, buy the 300D. If you have a bag full of Nikon lenses or no lenses at all, buy the D70. It's worth the price difference.

No camera is perfect and as such, this camera does have areas that could stand some improvement.

- The Auto White Balance is virtually worthless. 'Worthless' might be a bit harsh but it's rather inaccurate. Manually setting the White Balance takes care of that problem.

- The default and preset color profiles seem either too flat or too extreme. I recommend going into the custom settings and boosting the saturation +1 and sharpness +1.

-The view finder is a tad on the dark side.

These shortcomings are minor and should not really affect your buying decision.

As far as additional features for future models, should Nikon be reading, I would suggest a short cut to switch from single to continuous shooting mode and custom digi-vari programs to be able to switch from one group of custom settings to another in an instant. ... Read more

Product Description

7.1-megapixel effective recording * DIGIC II processor for true-to-life color reproduction * 2" color LCD viewscreen * 3X optical/4X digital/12X total zoom * 35mm equivalent focal length: 37-111mm * ... Read more

Features

• DIGIC II Image Processor provides fast, accurate image processing
• Powered by rechargeable Lithium-ion battery; stores images on SD memory card
• The first Digital Elph with an amazing 7.1 MP CCD, which captures enough detail for photo-quality 15 x 20-inch prints
• 3x optical zoom; 2.0-inch LCD display
• Enhanced movie mode with fast 60-frame-per-second capture rate

Reviews (22)

Mindless, professional results
I've been a user of a Canon G3 for 3 years now, but I wanted a high quality/ very compact point and shoot camera for travel.The key here was buying something I or my wife could put into a pocket to carry and not have the quality of the results suffer due to size.

Being a reseach psycho before buying anything, I narrowed the field down to 3:Sony DCXT7, Casio Exilim z750, and the Canon SD500.Then I went to the store to try them out (I can not stress this enough...it is worth the trip to a store to play with these), and the number of cameras being considered went to two.The Sony, the sexiest camera of the group, was so thin it was nearly impossible for me to get a firm hold on (camera shake and red eye are the main problems with small cameras, all three of which have these issues to an extent, but Sony's camera was overly hard to hold, making it by far the worst for camera shake ), so I removed it from consideration...really too compact...plus it was 5 mp vs. 7 on the other two...for the same price.That left the Exilim and Canon.

One note on megapixels...more is better if you like to digitally play with photos on photoshop elements or another program (crop pieces out, etc) or want a 13 X 19 blow up ability should you capture the perfect picture. If neither apply's to you, the SD400 (same feature set, lens, processor) or another 5 mp would work just as well for less money...and give you the highest quality results needed up to 8X10 and a little bigger.Me, I like to play with photos after the shoot, which is why I wanted the extra resolution.

Just picking up and shooting with the SD500 produced great results (easy and mindless), and it was small, but not too small, to work with.My wife does not care about F stops or shutter priority (which it does not have).She wants to pick a subject, snap, and have amazing, mindless 7 mp results that rival the leading current prosumer G6 from Canon.I suspect that a large number of people buying digital camreas want the same thing.

If this is what you want, along with a great movie mode, useful scene modes, longer flash range than any camera this size, and a few fun fuctions (though you can do it on Photoshop, I enjoy the "color swap" (easily swap colors in a picture), & "color accent" (neat with B&W photo, think "Sin City" for a camera)) this is the camera you want.Mindless, stunning, professional results.You really can't go wrong picking this camera.

If you want or need full manual controls on a camrea this size, check out the Casio Exilim Z750, which came in a close second.

And speaking of manual, thank you Canon, for including a compact printed manual for the SD500.I've become tired of having to print manuals out on my computer for many new products.

Small camera great pictures
I read reviews before buying this camera.The reviews really helped my decision on the purchase.So, I guess I appreciate my reads by contributing my part.

My take on this small beauty:

Good:
* great resolution
* great colors
* really like the my color and color swaps capabilities
* small & sleek design (It fits in my tiny purse with the camera bag)
* video with zooming function
* decent battery life (get a generic brand that gives 20% more)
* underwater photography capability WITH its underwater housing case (sold separately).This is great for trips to the beach, snorkeling, and (not so deep water)diving.

Bad:
* Because it is so small and heavy with its metallic body, it's easy to drop and have bad impact on the camera body.I dropped mine to the ceramic tile floor.The point of impact was the corner of the battery compartment.I force-open the battery cover (kissed my warranty good bye) with a thin piece of metal because I didn't want to send it to the service center - I was afraid to lose my pictures in the card!
* Camera shake due to its small body.Canon should have done better to fix this.
* Pricey
* SD card comes with the camera is TOO low on capacity
* No direct in camera link to power chord.You need to buy separate AC adaptor kit which costs you some bucks.
* whining sound on video playback


Every camera has its pros and cons.SD500 is worth the money for me.

Hindsight is always 20/20 - Made the right decision up front
Before I took the family on a Disney Cruise to the Carribean, I shopped for a digital camera.I spent many nights reading reviews from various sites, compared prices vs features, size, megapix, accessory cost, memory card price,etc.I narrowed it down to a Sony Cybershot vs the Canon.I can say that I am not a pro photographer in any sense, but I enjoy snapping "tourist" photos and ones of the family so one day when I am senile I will remember.THIS CAMERA TOOK FANTASTIC PHOTOS, FOOEY ON THE NAYSAYERS.The only reason their pictures turned out blurry is because they cant hold their hands still!

WHY I'M GLAD I DIDNT BUY THE SONY:
Sony memory cards are a rip off (try pricing their high-speed ones versus regular SD high speed), their spare batts are a cha-ching, and their fragile LCD's are complained about a lot.Even though the Canon camera itself costs more than the Sony camera did, the Sony accessories would have cost me more than a fully loaded Canon w/ accessories! I'm sure the photos would have been nice also, but the features on the Canon are better and I have a higher megapizel camera for an overall cheaper cost of ownership.

CANON'S COOL FEATURES!
1.Besides taking gorgeous, rich, color photos, I spent a few minutes reading the manual.If you set it to SCN scene mode, there are a ton of pre-programmed modes that compensate for every setting, beach, night, indoor, close-up plants, and even fireworks.I played with the various modes and I easily figured out which was best for the picture about to take. The Disney cruise ship did fireworks from it and the pix are awesome.Cant wait until the 4th of July!
2.Super fast 1 second, ready to shoot time from the pocket. Didnt miss a single action moment!
3.Photostich- allows you to take panaramic photos left, right, up and down, then the included software automatically pastes the pictures together!It rocks!
4.Battery life was fantastic.I wasted my money on the spare battery (which was a generic Digipower from Best Buy and it died after 20 shots!) I used the camera all day, took photos and motion video and used up the 1gb storage space and the battery never died that day.
5.I bought a 1GB high-speed SD card for it from Fry's and I took motion videos with this camera!They play back in Windows media player and I emailed those out; people thought it was from a camcorder!I owned a Panasonic D-Snap and promptly sold it after my trip to Australia last fall.Wish I took the Canon there instead!Make sure you buy the high speed SD cards not a super Sunday sale cheap 512 card for $59!A 1gb high speed is about $80-$100.Also, dont forget to do a low level format 1st!
6.Their included software is a little cumbersome to learn, but it works well once figured out.Just wish it had more editing features in it instead of having to use an external software for advanced editing.
7.LCD can be seen at 50% level even in full sunlight & zoom was decent for a compact dig cam.

CONS (IF ANY)
I dont really have any true complaints, but to be fair here are some.Why pack a 32mb SD card?That's worthless, it holds like 7 pictures, Canon ditch it and lower the price instead!Dont like the flappy door thing covering the USB jack, seems cheesy. Camera can get slippery, use the hand strap at all times, thats cheap insurance!

Hope this review helps, I know I appreciate the other reviews people posted here, it helped me make the right decision for an investment that costs over $700 with all the accessories.

Dissapointed in audio recording quality, but otherwise nice.
I am/was a huge fan of the Canon powershot cameras, I started out with the 2 megapixel S110 then upgraded to a Canon S230.

1. First, the SD500 takes great photographs, that is not my complaint.

2.I purchased this camera for its video capabilities because it can record 30 frame per second video at 640x480 resolution (regular television standard).

I had fell in love with the S110 and S230 despite the limited amount of time you could do 640x480 clips for the amount of time supported by the card you are using until it fills up versus only 30 seconds with the S230.

The audio recording quality of the S230 is actually pretty good, in fact good enough that I was able to use the camera to record concerts (mainly organ/classical music concerts for friends who were playing etc, which is really neat from such a small camera.

>>>>
However the audio recording quality of the SD500 is nothing like the S230, in fact it sounds like someone took the camera and threw it in a well somewhere near what you are trying to record.It is muddy and just nothing in comparison to the S230.

That is my 2 cents.

Otherwise it is a great camera, but if you are doing it for audio recording I'd recommend finding another camera, I have went back to using my S230 even though it only records 30 seconds at a time, and is only 3 megapixels.

LCD display is big but fragile
Think twice before buying the Canon SD 500 camera. The LCD displays are large but extremely fragile. Mine was cracked on the second day. It was NOT dropped or abused.

I also have a Canon S110 and have taken just over 5,000 photos with it since Christmas 2001 without any problems. Apparently, in an attempt to make the new models light and the displays large, Canon sacrificed durability.

In some cases Canon will "waive" the LCD repair cost. In others they demand $165 for the repair.

Canon repaired mine as a favor.And I've since purchased a 'da Protector Model 104 - LCD protector.A thin plastic shield that fits well over the LCD window and is stiff enough to shield the LCD from any contact. ... Read more

Product Description

The EOS Digital Rebel XT features Canon's 8.0 Megapixel CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor, which captures images of exceptional clarity & tonal range & offers the most pixels in its class.This APS-C size sensor (22.2 x 14.8mm) has the same 3:2 ratio as film cameras, creating an effective angle of view that is 1.6x the normal EF Lens focal length.Featuring an on-chip Noise Reduction Circuit with an expanded ISO range, the Digital Rebel XT's sensor offers professional sophistication in a consumer package.Digic II Image Processor: The EOS Digital Rebel XT's sensor is driven by the DIGIC II Image Processor, which has been enhanced across the board with improvements in speed and image quality.Information captured by the sensor is processed & assembled into images of exceptional clarity & resolution. Consuming very little energy, DIGIC II works with the sensor to ensure natural colors, accurate white balance & speedy write times, letting you focus on taking pictures.Smallest & lightest EOS Digital SLR to date (as of February 2005) Much smaller than its predecessor, the Digital Rebel XT measures 4.98" across, 3.71" tall & only 2.63" deep, so it fits perfectly in your hand. Plus the Digital Rebel XT weights less than two pounds, too!Fast 3 frames-per-second shooting with a 14 frame burst & 0.2 second startup time The EOS Digital Rebel XT was designed from the ground up to be faster & more intuitive th ... Read more

Features

• Fast start-up time--.2 seconds
• Powered by rechargeable Lithium-ion battery (included, with charger)
• 8.0-megapixel CMOS sensor captures enough detail for photo-quality 16 x 22-inch prints
• Captures images at a rate of up to 3 frames per second
• DIGIC II Image Processor provides fast, accurate image processing

Reviews (29)

Great dSLR especially for the money
Got this camera after considering between this and the 20D.Was very impressed with the 20D, but the price difference could easily give me a very good lense, and the feature differences are minor, so Rebel XT it is.I am a photography enthuiast who wishes he had the budget for a canon 1D MarkII but instead have the budget of a mortal and have to pay for a personal camera out of his own pocket.
I have been reading some other reviews on this site and other sites regarding digital SLR cameras in general.I had to admit, most of the reviewers really are better served with a point and shoot.This is a SLR camera, it will take great pictures in automatic modes, but if you use your camera in those modes, get something like the Canon Pro1.This camera is to be used in Av, Tv or Manual modes, maybe in Program in a pinch.It requires you to understand WB, depth of fields, exposure metering as well as other wide array of nuances that come with a SLR camera.If you don't want to spend some time to learn some details about photography, you will be better served with a point and shoot.If you decide to use the attached flash for in door portrait shots, you're probably better served with a point and shoot.If you need to frame your shot on the LCD, you're better served with a point and shoot (becasue the whole SLR concept of through the lense view of the scene, DOF checking, focus accuracy is completely lost by that opinion).Yes the sensor on dSLR's will get dirty and require maintenance.Some one mentioned why don't engineer design the sensor to have the opposite charge to rebel dust.Well, dusts don't have one single polarity in their charges, so 50% of the dust will be attracted to the sensor doesn't matter what polarity the sensor is charged with.
Also, this is not a Canon 1Ds either, so it does have its limitations, but then again, people who will feel completely limited by this camera should have gotten a Canon 1D series camera anyway.
The best merit for this camera is foremost image quality.It's extremely low in image noise all the way up to ISO