If you are looking for a quality digital camera, take a look at the Canon PowerShot SD500 Digital Elph. This newest model has an impressive 7.1 megapixel resolution. While megapixels do not guarantee better images, you can’ t refute the S500’s superior image quality.

The SD500 executes well on speed and sharpness tests. It also got a fun My Color feature that will be sure to please many kinds of users.

In design, the Canon PowerShot SD500 is comfortable to hold and control. One note however is that the tightly positioned buttons on the back are easy to press accidentally during one-handed shooting. This camera boasts a large 2 inch LCD with an optical viewfinder located directly above that keeps a smooth, bright and clear image when panning.

Apart from the 7.1 megapixel mark, the Canon PowerShot SD500 has most of the customary features of its group, including an f/2.8 to f/4.9, 7.7- to 23.1-mm (37- to 111-mm, 35mm equivalent), 3X optical zoom lens.

Both the mode dial and the menu system offer all the standard modes to include Playback, Auto, Manual (this adjusts white balance, ISO, EV compensation and color effects), Macro and Movie. VGA clips are captures at 30 frames per second in Movie mode. The menu system offers addition modes such as Stitch Assist (for panoramas) and nine preset scene modes.

The Canon PowerShot SD500 has a very intuitive user control system. It also offers a very remarkable shooting mode called My Colors. You can make blues, greens, or reds more animated, or lighten or darken skin tones.

The Color Accent and Color Swap options create some surreal effects. Color Accent lets you isolate the color of one object, while the color information for the rest of the photograph is dumped. The result might be a bright red rose in the middle of a black-and-white wedding shot.

In Color Swap mode, you select a certain color in a scene on the LCD, and then select the color you want to swap it with. For example, you could isolate the bright red of one car and swap it with the blue from another. You have to make your color selections before you shoot however, so make sure you’re not going to miss the shot.

Pictures are stored in SD memory cards with the CanonPowerShot SD500. There is also a direct connection to Canon CP Printers and select BJ Printers. This basically means that you do not have to have a computer to print pictures with these printers.

The Canon PowerShot SD500 makes use of proprietary lithium batteries. The marketed battery life is about 160 shots with the LCD on and about 550 shots with the LCD off. If a long battery life is a necessity, extra batteries are available for purchase at your local camera store so you can take along extras.

Another feature seldom seen in other cameras is an optional DC coupler found in a flap on the battery/media door. This permits you to operate the camera off AC power by means of an optional adapter while you charge the battery in the external charger that’s included.

On the whole, the Canon PowerShot SD500 is a great camera. One shortcoming is that it has some problems finding the intended focusing point in Macro mode. Also, when the flash fired in the macro shots, most of the picture was very overexposed - except for some areas near the bottom of the image, where a dark shadow appeared because of the extended lens blocking the flash.

Another drawback is the mode dial design. Only the center (Manual) mode’s label shows as level when chosen. The other labels (Playback, Auto, Macro and Movie) are slanted when you turn the dial.

Be sure however that the Canon PowerShot SD500 is a great ultra-compact camera. From its looks to its capabilities, this camera is impressive. Then once you add on its remarkably unique features, the Canon SD500 stands out among the rest as a contender for a top seller.