Mario's Note: On this occasion Iaio introduces us to the world of bridge or bridge cameras, by the hand of the Canon Powershot SX500 . If you are doubting which camera to buy to take your first steps in photography, this article may interest you. Photography is a discipline that increasingly attracts more and more people, making it fertile ground for companies to innovate and constantly launch new products to the market. Canon is no exception and as we are accustomed to, it has launched this impressive camera, within the range of bridge calls. These types of bridge cameras, allow greater control over image acquisition than common compact digital cameras, are equipped with a powerful lens (usually of greater range than a reflex camera lens), which makes them very versatile, although they are not interchangeable objectives, along with a host of features that will make you wonder: « Do I really need an SLR? « As not everything in the world of photography goes through a professional camera, here I leave you an analysis of the new Canon Powershot SX 500 IS , a small but powerful camera, which will surely leave more than one mouth open.
DESCRIPTION
With the launch of the SX500 IS, Canon can boast of offering the smallest super zoom camera on the market. And it is, that even your hand will be large. Despite looking like a toy, it is a really solid team and although it is not small enough to fit in your jeans pocket, it can fit in any small bag, making its transfer really easy and comfortable. The Canon SX500 IS is an excellent option if the camera of your mobile phone is not enough for you, you do not want to spend a lot of money on a SLR camera, or you simply do not want to carry the full weight of a SLR device that can give you the same versatility as this little monster. As I said before, the Canon SX500 IS is an intermediate camera, halfway between the common compact and the SLR for beginners, which could well go through a telescope thanks to its 720 mm focal length (35mm equivalence).TO WHOM?
The Canon Powershot SX 500 IS is aimed at all amateur photographers who are thinking of making the jump from beginner to amateur, and why not also, to those more advanced photographers who do not want to go carrying all their equipment from here to there just to Take the desire to take some pictures. If you are thinking of buying a camera that has the comfort of a compact but the benefits of a semi-professional team, then the PowerShot SX500 IS may be your ideal camera.FEATURED FEATURES
- Resolution of 16 megapixels.
- Focal length: 4.3 to 129.0 mm, which equals 35 mm to 24-720 mm.
- Maximum aperture (brightness): f / 3.4 - f / 5.8.
- Smart Image Stabilizer
- Shutter speed: 15 to 1/1600 seconds, although it varies depending on the shooting mode.
- 3-inch TFT screen of 461,000 pixels.
- Screen vision coverage of almost 100%.
- Maximum shutter speed of 15 seconds and minimum of 1/1600.
- HD video recording.
- Stereo microphone
- Rechargeable lithium-ion battery (almost 200 shots).
FEATURED FUNCTIONS (BEYOND THE OBVIOUS ONES)
- Zoom framing assist: it is a very interesting function for this type of super zoom cameras. By pressing a small button located next to the lens, the camera automatically opens the plane a little to allow us to better locate where we are pointing and when released, return to the original position. When you work with an equivalent focal length of 720 mm (30x), believe me that this is really very useful.
- Grip: it has a grip that allows it to be handled more easily and safely, making it extremely comfortable to hold. Stability is something very important for any camera, even more so for this model because its small size and extensive zoom, being able to hold it firmly becomes a key factor.
- Flash Pop up Manual: it has probably happened to you that by shooting in automatic modes, once the photo was framed and when you pressed the shutter button, the camera decided to shoot the flash when it shouldn't, ruining your picture. With this type of flash, where it is you who lifts it when shooting, you will not have this problem, and you will gain more control over the final photograph.
- Dedicated video button: it is very useful in this era where compact cameras and even the mirrorless hide the functions behind an infinite number of menus, having this type of functions at your fingertips. Even more so in this type of cameras that are designed for a standard user who will use it for both photographs and recording.
- Image stabilizer: despite the fact that the approach of this camera is attentive against its stability, the stabilizer that Canon incorporated into it is really effective. It makes the photos come out less moved and sharper.
- Super Macro mode: this is one of the strongest points of this camera. In macro mode, the minimum focus distance is 0 (zero) centimeters. Yes, you read it right. With this small device you will be able to photograph from a beautiful landscape to the pollen of a colorful flower.
- Built-in gyroscope: with this function it will no longer matter in what position you should put the camera, however uncomfortable, to obtain a spectacular photograph. The gyro will automatically rotate the image, both on the screen display as well as when it is taken.
- Scenes and filters: This model has more than 30 scene modes and filters available so you can give your photographs a professional look, without the need to go through a computer. It also brings the possibility of using the manual mode, to have more control over the result of the photograph.
BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE ODD PROBLEMS LIKE
- The camera size can be very good or very bad, depending on the size of your hands. Being so small, handling the dials to change the settings during the photo can be uncomfortable.
- Only record videos in HD 720p at 25 frames per second of maximum resolution. Although the processor is capable of recording in 1080p, this model does not have such configuration available. 720p anyway are more than enough to record a decent family video.
- You must forget to capture your photographs in the RAW image format because, again despite having the processor's ability to do so, it does not have that format.
- Despite having a screen of more than considerable dimensions, you can only shoot looking through it. It does not have a viewfinder.
- Although the size of the sensor is according to the audience to which it points, it is known that Canon is incorporating sensors of dimensions much larger than the one brought by the SX500 IS, in cameras almost the same size as this one, although it would lose focal length (zoom range) if not modify the lens.
- If you are a touch lover, this model will leave you wanting since all the controls are adjusted using knobs and buttons, something that in my personal experience is much more convenient.
PRICE
This camera is currently available on Amazon for less than 200 Euros .WHAT REALLY MATTERS
As always, here I leave you a small selection of photographs taken with this same camera so you can assess their results.FINAL OPINION
The Canon SX 500 IS is a photographic device with many more features than those offered by compact digital cameras. It is even more complete than many of the bridge cameras in its segment, so it becomes an ideal option for those fans who begin to take their passion for photography seriously.