ProductCritic: Canon PowerShot SD500/IXUS 700 Reviews

Review Shop (100)

I highly recommend Canon SD500 if you want a miniature, cool yet capable camera with 7.1-megapixel resolution that produces excellent photos with print sizes of up 13×19 inches. It is extremely fast, easy to use and utterly capable.

DP Expert (98)

The IXUS700 is the sort of camera that can be easily carried everywhere and be ready in a second to snap the once-in-a-lifetime picture. Highly recommended.

Digital Camera Review (95)

Canon’s little SD500 is a revolutionary imaging tool that pushes the boundaries of product development right to the cutting edge where the upper limits of current resolution technology meet the potential limits of miniaturization. With the introduction of the SD500 Canon has achieved one of the two symbolic holy grails of the digital imaging revolution (the other is an affordable high performance dSLR). Photography has always been about compromises so there will never be a perfect camera, but the new Canon Powershot SD500 comes tantalizingly close. It is (for now) in a class all by itself.

Megapixel.net (91)

Positives: Excellent image quality, Accurate metering, 15-second maximum exposure time allows for night photography, Good ergonomic design, Very fast to operate, Solid and high quality construction. Negatives: Wide angle images slightly less sharp than others, No full Manual mode, Lack of indication for aperture and shutter speed on the monitor.

Steve's Digicams (90)

Canon has created yet another winner in its Digital ELPH series in the SD500. The SD500 makes an excellent family and travel camera, able to be used by photographers of every experience level and taking up no more space than a deck of cards. At a street price of under $500, the SD500 is not inexpensive, but it offers a compelling value to those who need its combination of small size, high resolution, terrific image quality and style.

Globe & Mail (90)

For its size and scope, the SD500 is an impressive offering from Canon. The picture quality is impeccable with smooth tones and excellent exposures and colour balances. It’s compact, easy to use and has some things that are unique (“My Colour” is an example). If you want big photos in a compact unit, the SD500 is a worthy choice.

Maximum PC (90)

Try as we might, we couldn’t find anything to dislike about this camera, other than the price.

LAPTOP Magazine (90)

An extremely capable and flexible camera in a handsome package.

Digital Camera Resource Page (90)

With the PowerShot SD500 Digital ELPH, Canon has delivered an excellent ultra-compact, high resolution digital camera that’s one of the best out there. In case you didn’t notice, I like the PowerShot SD500. A lot. If you want a lot of pixels in a small camera, this is a great choice.

Imaging Resource (90)

Thanks to its high-speed DIGIC-II processing chip, it’s also very responsive for a subcompact digital camera, and its movie capability goes far beyond what I’m accustomed to seeing from subcompact digicam models. All in all, an excellent camera, an easy choice as a Dave’s Pick.

ePhotozine (89)

The Canon Ixus 700 is capable of producing some stunning results. The images produced by this camera contain tons of detail, natural colour and a good tonal range. What little evidence of chromatic aberration there is is very well controlled, and will only be visible in the very largest prints.

PC Advisor (88)

It may be too automated for budding photographers but for everyone else, the Ixus 700, competitively priced and easy to use, is the compact camera to buy.

Digital Trends (85)

Canon wins very high marks with this tiny camera. Picture quality is excellent, the form factor is terrific but not museum quality. One of the ELPH’s few negatives is the proprietary lithium ion battery that really doesn’t have the juice to keep you shooting for a day.

T3 (85)

Resolution isn’t the only factor in producing good pictures, but coupled with everything else, the IXUS 700 is a worthwhile purchase over and above the hoi polloi of five-megapixel jobs snapping at its heels.

Digital Photography Review (80)

So the SD500 is a great little camera that, maybe unfairly, I felt didn’t quite deliver on its promise. That said, we experienced none of the movie audio problems (a faint whine or hiss) mentioned by some owners (and in fact were very impressed by the movie mode), and in good light with plenty of contrast the results are often stunning.

Good Gear Guide (80)

The small and rugged Canon Digital IXUS 700 is a good companion for capturing everyday mementos, though image quality may disappoint more demanding photographers.

Macworld (80)

The Canon PowerShot SD500 takes excellent pictures, but the lack of manual features makes it a pricey point-and-shoot camera.

Digital Camera Magazine (80)

There’s a lot on offer here for beginners and even for enthusiasts looking for a second snapshot camera. However, those seven megapixels don’t quite make this camera a star in the all-important image quality department and there are too many quirks for full marks – especially at this price.

PC Mag (80)

As we’ve said time and again, having more megapixels doesn’t necessarily lead to better images. But we certainly can’t argue with this camera’s excellent image quality. The SD500 also performed very well on our speed and sharpness tests, and it’s got a fun My Color feature that will appeal to many types of shooters. Overall, the SD500 is strong enough to earn Editors’ Choice among ultracompact cameras.

Digital Camera Info (75)

While the PowerShot SD500 is an easily portable digital camera with an abundance of features, intrigued consumers should be sure that the camera’s limitations will not get in their way before purchasing.

CNET (72)

We really enjoyed shooting with the Canon PowerShot SD500. It has an exterior design that combines form and function more elegantly than any point-and-shoot we’ve ever tested. A Digic II-powered image-processing system enables the SD500 to snap a limitless stream of 7-megapixel photos at a respectable clip, its start-up time is tops in its class, and it delivers decent photos when compared to its competition.

PC World (72)

The small and rugged Canon SD500 Digital Elph is a good companion for capturing everyday mementos, though image quality may disappoint more-demanding photographers.

Pocket-lint (70)

So should you be rushing out to buy the Ixus 700. This is the important question and we can’t help but feel the answer is NO.