Canon's 2004 flagship IXUS pocket compact — 5MP CCD, 3x 36-108mm zoom, CompactFlash, sold as PowerShot S500.
The Canon Digital IXUS 500 was a premium pocket compact released in early 2004, sold in North America as the PowerShot S500 Digital ELPH and in Japan as the IXY Digital 500. It headed the CompactFlash-based IXUS line, which sat above the PowerShot A-series in Canon's range and traded on slim, metal-bodied styling.
It stepped the series up to a 5.0-megapixel 1/1.8-inch CCD behind a 3x optical zoom covering 36-108mm equivalent at f/2.8-4.9, with DIGIC processing. Video recorded at up to 640x480 and 10fps, images were stored on CompactFlash, and power came from Canon's proprietary NB-1LH lithium-ion rechargeable, in line with the rest of the IXUS family.
It suits collectors of the early-digital era and anyone after classic CCD colour in a genuinely pocketable metal shell. Handling is minimal, with no manual exposure modes, and the 36mm wide end is tight indoors, but it remains a neat carry-anywhere camera for daylight snapshots.
Used buyers should test images carefully for purple casts, distortion or blank frames: Canon issued CCD service advisories for the sibling IXUS 400 and 430 of this generation, and the free repair programmes have long ended. NB-1LH third-party batteries are still made, but a CompactFlash card and reader are required, and worn battery-door and tripod areas betray heavy use.