Generally, some of the advantages of the Canon ELPH 520 HS compared to mirrorless interchangeable-lens competitors include: it has image stabilization (lens vs none), records movies in 24p, is thinner (0.7" vs 1.3"), is slightly lighter (155 g vs 298 g) and has a built-in flash.
However, on average it records higher quality movies (1080p @ 24fps vs 1080p @ 60fps), has a significantly lower resolution screen (461k dots vs 1,040k dots), records less high-speed movies (240 fps vs 1,200 fps), takes slightly lower resolution photos (9.7 MP vs 17.9 MP) and doesn't have a touch screen.
Canon EOS M
6 months newer
$469 - $629 (body only)
$649 - $749 15-45mm lens
Significant advantages of the EOS M (vs the ELPH 520 HS)
- Much higher resolution screen: 1,040k dots vs 461k dots
- Has a touch screen
- Has interchangeable lenses
Significant disadvantages of the EOS M (vs the ELPH 520 HS)
- Doesn't record high-speed movies: None vs 240 fps
- No image stabilization: None vs
- Lens
- No built-in flash
common strengths of the EOS M and ELPH 520 HS
- Fairly small: Compact (109×66×32 mm) vs Ultra compact (87×54×19 mm)
- Very thin: 1.3" vs 0.7"
- Light weight: 298 g vs 155 g
Nikon 1 S1
1 year newer
$129 11-2mm lens
Significant advantages of the S1 (vs the ELPH 520 HS)
- Has interchangeable lenses
- Faster autofocus: Phase detection vs Contrast detection
Significant disadvantages of the S1 (vs the ELPH 520 HS)
common strengths of the S1 and ELPH 520 HS
- Extremely high speed movies: 1,200 fps vs 240 fps
- Fairly small: Compact (102×61×30 mm) vs Ultra compact (87×54×19 mm)
- Very thin: 1.2" vs 0.7"