Canon ELPH
500 HS
 vs
Canon PowerShot
SD980 IS

Updated (January, 2012): Compare the Canon ELPH 520 HS vs Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

Canon ELPH 500 HS
"The Canon PowerShot Elph 500 HS is a top-notch compact camera across the board."
pcmag.com | talking about the 500 HS's overall-performance
"The 500 HS was able to go up to ISO 800 without... visibly blurry or grainy."
pcmag.com | talking about the 500 HS's iso-noise

Reasons to buy the Canon ELPH 500 HS

Aperture
 Wide aperture
f/2.0
Movie format
 Full HD
1080p @ 24fps
Wide angle
 Wide angle lens
24 mm
Screen size
 Large screen
3.2"
Touch screen
 Touch screen
Less buttons
Supports 24p
 24p movies
For that film look
Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

Reasons to buy the Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

Wide angle
 Wide angle lens
24 mm
Touch screen
 Touch screen
Less buttons
Weight
 Light-weight
150 g
Fastest shutter speed
 Fast shutter speed
1/3000 of a second

differences

Advantages of the Canon 500 HS
Aperture Significantly wider aperture f/2.0 vs f/2.8
Help
 At its widest zoom, the 500 HS's lens captures slightly more light (1 f-stop)
Movie format Higher resolution movies 1080p @ 24fps vs 720p @ 30fps
Help
 Shoots higher resolution Full HD (1080p) video but at a lower frame rate
Supports 24p Supports 24p Yes vs No
Help
 Get that real film feel
High-speed framerate Records high-speed movies 240 fps vs None
Help
 Capture events too fast for the naked eye and play them back in super-slow motion
Sensor type Has a CMOS-family sensor CMOS vs CCD
Help
 CMOS-family sensors often produce better quality images
Screen size Larger screen 3.2" vs 3.0"
Help
 Around 10% larger screen
Screen resolution Higher resolution screen 461k dots vs 230k dots
Help
 More than 2x higher resolution screen
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 3,200 ISO vs 1,600 ISO
Help
 The 500 HS's maximum light sensitivity is 1 f-stop better
Continuous shooting Shoots faster 3.4 fps vs 0.8 fps
Help
 More than 4x faster continuous shooting
Canon ELPH 500 HS Learn more about
the Canon 500 HS

Advantages of the Canon SD980 IS
Size Smaller 100x53x23 mm vs 100x55x25 mm
Help
 More than 10% smaller
Fastest shutter speed Much faster max shutter speed 1/3000s vs 1/1000s
Help
 3x faster max shutter speed
Weight Lighter 150 g vs 185 g
Help
 Around 20% lighter
True resolution Slightly higher true resolution 9.8 MP vs 9.7 MP
Help
 Almost the same
Sensor size Slightly larger sensor 1/2.3" 6.2x4.6mm vs 1/2.3" 6.2x4.6mm
Help
 Almost the same
Thickness Thinner 0.9" vs 1"
Help
 Around 10% thinner
Canon PowerShot SD980 IS Learn more about
the Canon SD980 IS
vs

recommendations

Snapsort can't make a recommendation (yet) because it doesn't have enough data yet about the 500 HS.

advice

Need help deciding?

Ask the community!
I am considering either the 500 HS or the SD980 IS,
For example: Taking photos in low light or great family photos or ability to take great photos underwater

Select aspects that are most important to you: (max 3)

Popular tags:

Are you a camera expert? Share your knowledge!
0
votes
by Wendy-Roth last month
Canon 100 HS vs Canon 500 HS

I am not an expert when it comes to pictures but I like a camera that takes good pictures in low...

One person recommends the Canon 500 HS:

" The Canon 500 HS is better for low light but the Canon 100 HS has a faster shutter."
1
votes
by Wendy-Roth last month
Canon 510 HS vs Canon 500 HS

Tell us more! Are you a beginner or expert? What types of photos do you like to take? What featu...

One person recommends the Canon 510 HS:

" I would go with the Canon 510 HS, it is the better camera, and has a larger zoom which is nice."
0
votes
by Philip-Neff this month
Canon 500 HS vs Canon S100

I am a beginner and I want to buy a good quality camcorder for making Youtube videos. Price is a...
0
votes
by BoutiqueClassics 5 days ago
Canon 500 HS vs Panasonic DMC-FX78

I would like a camera that is easy to use that has automatic settings for taking indoor pictures...

similarities

Compared to recent compacts

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Aperture Wide aperture Help
500 HS:f/2.0
SD980 IS:f/2.8
Wide angle Good wide angle Help
24 mm
Touch screen Have touch screens Help
Less buttons
Image stabilization Good image stabilization Help
Lens
Macro focus Good macro capabilities Help
3 cm
Panorama Neither camera stitches together panoramas Help
You could stitch photos in post
HDR Neither has in-camera HDR Help
You could do HDR manually
Zoom Poor zoom Help
500 HS:4.4x
SD980 IS:5x

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon ELPH 300 HS

Canon ELPH 300 HS

Compact

$146 - $179
Size Is slightly smaller
Thickness Is thinner
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Touch screen Doesn't have a touch screen
Compare the ELPH 300 HS vs the ELPH 500 HS
Compare the ELPH 300 HS vs the PowerShot SD980 IS
Canon ELPH 310 HS

Canon ELPH 310 HS

Travel zoom

$195 - $196
Panorama Creates panoramas in-camera
Macro focus Slightly closer macro focusing
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Touch screen Doesn't have a touch screen
Compare the ELPH 310 HS vs the ELPH 500 HS
Compare the ELPH 310 HS vs the PowerShot SD980 IS
Canon Powershot S100

Canon Powershot S100

Pro digicam

$372 - $430
True resolution Takes much higher resolution photos
Light sensitivity Significantly higher maximum light sensitivity
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Lowest price Is significantly more expensive
Compare the Powershot S100 vs the ELPH 500 HS
Compare the Powershot S100 vs the PowerShot SD980 IS
Canon ELPH 100 HS

Canon ELPH 100 HS

Compact

$109 - $189
Thickness Is thinner
Lowest price Is slightly less expensive
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Touch screen Doesn't have a touch screen
Compare the ELPH 100 HS vs the ELPH 500 HS
Compare the ELPH 100 HS vs the PowerShot SD980 IS
Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS

Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS

Pro digicam

$294
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Lowest price Is slightly more expensive
Compare the PowerShot SD4000 IS vs the ELPH 500 HS
Compare the PowerShot SD4000 IS vs the PowerShot SD980 IS
Canon PowerShot SX230 HS

Canon PowerShot SX230 HS

Travel zoom

$239 - $307
Zoom Has much more zoom
Panorama Creates panoramas in-camera
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is significantly heavier
Compare the PowerShot SX230 HS vs the ELPH 500 HS
Compare the PowerShot SX230 HS vs the PowerShot SD980 IS
Canon PowerShot S95

Canon PowerShot S95

Pro digicam

$340 - $389
Sensor size Has a much larger sensor
HDR Has in-camera HDR
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Lowest price Is significantly more expensive
Compare the PowerShot S95 vs the ELPH 500 HS
Compare the PowerShot S95 vs the PowerShot SD980 IS

Canon ELPH 500 HS Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon PowerShot ELPH 320 HS

Canon ELPH 320 HS

Compact

$249
Size Smaller
Weight Lighter
Aperture Significantly narrower aperture
Continuous shooting Shoots slightly slower
Compare the ELPH 320 HS vs the ELPH 500 HS

Canon PowerShot SD980 IS Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon PowerShot SD960 IS

Canon PowerShot SD960 IS

Compact
Macro focus Better macro capability
Size Slightly smaller
Wide angle Significantly worse wide angle
Touch screen No touch screen
Compare the PowerShot SD960 IS vs the PowerShot SD980 IS

appearance

Canon ELPH 500 HS Canon PowerShot SD980 IS
Canon ELPH 500 HS Canon PowerShot SD980 IS
Canon ELPH 500 HS Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

discussion

Showing 0 comments