megapixels

Canon has got itself a real winner with this one.The S500 is a very comprehensive point and shoot.Quality construction,ease of use,asthetically pleasing and good value.Pictures come out sharp and vibrant.The movie mode could be a little better(compared to the new Sony DSC T-1 which can take video at 30fps,just like you would see on a DVD)but that's a small complaint.

All the new cameras coming out in May04 from just about all the manufacturers will have a high-res movie mode,so you might want to wait if you want to take video with your cam as well.

Back to the Canon.I highly recommend this camera.Of course you will want to upgrade the included flash memory of 32MB which is just not enough.Also get some sort of carrying case,this camera is too expensive to let it get knicked or bumped.I found another site that has great articles on digital cameras:www.digitalelectronicsreview.com Check them out for a second opinion.

Enjoy

Canon have done it again and produced this year another great ultracompact camera. The Powershot S500 really hits the mark for me. Small, and well designed it is also a well-rounded performer in the digital camera world. At 5 megapixel resolutions you can take very good quality pictures. The camera itself is aesthetically pleasing and easy to use. It comes with 32 MB compact flash, so you may well want to upgrade this capacity. Also, a case is not supplied in the box. Still these are small minuses. Like a lot of the newer ultracompact digital cameras the S500 has a movie mode, and can capture 2-3 minutes. Outdoors it takes some very nice pictures, but I was actually pleasantly surprised by its indoor performance with flash. It is possible to take some good photos without red eye problems. You cannot really go wrong with this camera if you want a good high performance compact.

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