Canon IXUS 500 HS (ELPH 520 HS / IXY 3)

90% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

battery, image quality, price, usability

89% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

89% of the reviews on Amazon.ca give this product a positive rating.

12X zoom lens in an ultracompact body ; Very good exposure and color ; Wide array of scene modes and effects

Battery life is only fair ; No manual controls ; Buttons are very small ; Poor image sharpness ; Uses MicroSD cards for storage

The PowerShot Elph 520 HS is a very compact 12X-optical-zoom camera designed for casual shooters. It doesn't perform at the level we're used to seeing in Canon's cameras, and its MicroSD slot and lack of manual controls may give prospective buyers pause.

Very slim and compact. Stylish. Nice zoom range. Snappy responsiveness.

Tiny image sensor. Poor low-light performance. Slightly soft lens. Uses microSD memory.

Performance and Conclusions The Elph 520 HS, which is powered by Canon's Digic 5 image processor, performed admirably—but not exceptionally—in our speed tests. It can start up and grab a shot in about 2.8 seconds and records a 0.2 second shutter lag....

Durable metal exterior available in 4 colors ; Offers that classic Digital ELPH look and feel ; Captures pleasing 10-megapixel photos when viewed full screen ; Good shooting performance ; Loads of useful exposure options; both in still and video modes...

Extremely Weak flash ; Uses microSD cards ; Poor Battery Life ; Luminous noise present through ISO range, causes graininess or speckling when viewing images at 100 ; Tiny rear controls are cumbersome; specifically the 4-way controller buttons

While the PowerShot 520 HS has some appealing features and performance, it also has several cons; more than we typically see with a PowerShot camera. At about $300 USD, we recommend you take a good look at the competition before making your final...

The Canon IXUS 500 HS is a good attempt to marry the classic styling of the IXUS range with a big zoom lens, but the tiny controls, poor battery life, so-so image quality at high ISO speeds and the eye-watering price-tag detract somewhat from its...

Compact 12x zoom; Optical image stabilization; Full HD movies; Handheld Night Scene mode; Good shutter lag time

Uses microSD media; Short battery life; Flash is weak; Soft at telephoto; Tiny buttons

I can easily recommend the Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS to anyone looking for a slightly beyond-the-basics point-and-shoot digicam, particularly if portability is important. It has a good Smart Auto system with 58 options for aim-and-forget shooting. If...

12x stabilised optical zoom., Very compact sylish metal body., Optical zoom while movie recording

Poor battery life., Takes MicroSD format cards., Small buttons can be difficult to press., Reduced 2.5M resolution Burst mode

Wide array of scene modes and effects ; Very good exposure and color ; 12X zoom lens in an ultracompact body

No manual controls ; Buttons are very small ; Poor image sharpness ; Battery life is only fair ; Uses MicroSD cards for storage

Pocket-megazoom cameras have been around for a few years now, but you probably haven’t seen one as small or as simple as the Canon PowerShot Elph 520 HS. In a way, it represents a new breed of basic compact camera: Rather than cramming more megapixels...

Stunning design, Well-specified, Impressive LCD screen

High price tag, Lacking a few more high-end features to justify price tag