- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How it compares
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS
- 10 MP
- 12x f/3.4
- 1/2.5" CMOS
- 3" LCD
Released January, 2012
Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (May, 2012)On the subject of the zoom: the camera’s intelligent IS system performs well in use and offers that extra step of stability that will help you get sharp images in low light conditions.
Conclusion Check out the Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS
First reviewed February, 2012
Features Key features of the Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS
10 MP
1/2.5"
Rated 68% by by c|net (Mar, 2012)The Canon PowerShot Elph 520 HS is a good choice for those already happy with their smartphone's photos and movie clips, but looking for a cute, little camera with a long zoom and faster performance.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 18 MP    | 20 MP |
PowerShot ELPH 520 HS by HCedrinks (May, 2012)I consider megapixel count to be irrelevant; anything above 8 MP is good enough in my book.
PowerShot ELPH 520 HS by Photography Blog (Feb, 2012)While 2.8fps at full resolution is perfectly acceptable, there are some Sony models that can shoot at 10fps at full resolution, which rather dwarves the IXUS 500's headline speed of 6.8fps at a paltry 2.5 megapixels.
sensor size
PowerShot ELPH 520 HS by c|net (Mar, 2012)The one positive is that colors remain consistently good up to ISO 800.
PowerShot ELPH 520 HS by Photography Blog (Feb, 2012)The IXUS 500 HS' modest 10-megapixel CMOS sensor once again indicates that Canon is continuing to call a halt to the race for more megapixels in preference to improving said sensor's ability to perform better at higher ISO settings.
wide angle lens
PowerShot ELPH 520 HS by Clay-Adams (Sep, 2012)For years I've wanted a small point-and-shoot camera with a powerful zoom and wide-angle stabilized lens that takes great pictures.
PowerShot ELPH 520 HS by Kyle--cylem (Feb, 2013)When the lens is out at wide angle it is about a half inch out and at full telephoto it is only like an inch out maybe which is also strangely small!
aperture size
PowerShot ELPH 520 HS by c|net (Mar, 2012)The 520 HS has a fairly large assortment of shooting options, but almost all of them are automatic modes, meaning there's no full control over shutter speed and aperture.
PowerShot ELPH 520 HS by Photography Blog (Feb, 2012)Maximum apertures of f/3.4 and f/5.6 are nothing to write home about, but we can excuse them on what is after all a consumer-oriented camera.
zoom range
| 0x | 20x   | 20x |
PowerShot ELPH 520 HS by Photography Blog (Feb, 2012)You can also use the 12x optical zoom complete with image stabilizer when shooting movies, and thanks to the lens’ quiet drive system there's less audio interference when zooming than on other compacts.
PowerShot ELPH 520 HS by Eric-L.-Fox--vaporlock9 (Jun, 2012)The zoom is fantastic for a camera of this size.
body size
87 x 54 x 19 mm
133 x 100 x 80 mm
105 x 60 x 34 mm
PowerShot ELPH 520 HS by Annie (Dec, 2012)This is the best of the small camera in terms of great photos...I wanted the quality of the pix to be good enough that I was happy with them, and I am!
PowerShot ELPH 520 HS by Michael-W.-Roberts--Mikey48 (Jun, 2012)It really feels like and is a very light point&shoot camera, weight wise.
Performance Real world tests of Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS
battery life
190 photos
440 photos
320 photos
PowerShot ELPH 520 HS by The-Dude (Apr, 2013)As far as battery life goes, I've taken 72 photos and the battery is still at 100 percent.
PowerShot ELPH 520 HS by Ron (Apr, 2012)I can't comment on the battery life yet because I have not had to recharge it.
max continuous shooting
PowerShot ELPH 520 HS by Photography Blog (Feb, 2012)The IXUS 500 features the new Digic 5 processor 'under the hood' to keep things zipping along, with continuous shooting offered at a fairly snappy 2.8 frames per second at full resolution.
PowerShot ELPH 520 HS by Kyle--cylem (Feb, 2013)However I would like to mention most cameras seem to limit to only like a couple seconds with their burst, and even though this is like 6 fps I sat there for a good 10+ seconds and it never stopped it appears to just keep going and I'm only using a class 4 card.
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
12x -
Contrast detection focusing system -
HD video -
Create slow motion video -
10 mm -
1/4000 s
cons
-
28 mm -
10 MP -
2.8 fps -
HD video -
Use buttons to access features and menus -
No automatic 3D -
No automatic stitching -
3,200 ISO -
190 -
2,200 s -
No automatic HDR -
Jan, 2012 -
155 g -
19 mm
Reviews Word on the street
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 | Rated by 69 users at amazon.com Rated 40% by by K.-Jones--kjay12 (Mar, 2013) Rated 80% by by A.-Psychiatrist (Jun, 2012) |
Video
Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS | Rated 100% by by Mr.-LP (May, 2012)Miniature effect is another fun mode I like...I haven't tried taking the video yet, but with the the build and picture quality, plus the reasonable price tag, this camera is a 5 stars for me currently.
Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS | Rated 100% by by Paul-Hunter (Mar, 2013)I particularly love the HD video feature.
Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Feb, 2012)The 10 megapixel Canon 500 HS offers a stylish metal body, High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor, DIGIC 5 image processing engine, Full HD video capture with stereo sound and a HDMI port, 240fps slow-motion movies, a 3.5-stop optical Image Stabilizer, 2.8fps burst shooting, a 3 inch LCD screen, a Smart Auto mode which detects 58 different scenes and a range of fun effects.
Lens
Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Feb, 2012)The Canon IXUS 500 HS's 12x zoom lens provides a focal length of 28-336mm in 35mm terms, as demonstrated below.
Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS | Rated 100% by by Jerry-P.-Danzig (Feb, 2013)The image stabilization works perfectly too, which is handy when you're zooming in on the top of a sixty-story building.
Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS | Rated 100% by by Eric-L.-Fox--vaporlock9 (Jun, 2012)The lens is not "flat"...you can achieve quite nice bokeh for a point and shoot.
Zoom
Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS | Rated 100% by by Gil (May, 2012)Taking pictures at extended zoom is also surprisingly enjoyable.
Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS | Rated 100% by by G.-T.-Spigel--shutterbug (May, 2012)The pictures are nice and clear, the new cmos sensor works great in low light, it's very small so fits well in your shirt pocket, and it has 12X optical zoom.
Image quality
Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS | Rated 80% by by Katie (May, 2012)The picture quality seems to be very clear when set on Auto mode and once you get used to the different program modes and settings, the pictures are very clear and crisp under almost every type of situation.
Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS | Rated 100% by by Eric-L.-Fox--vaporlock9 (Jun, 2012)I'll update this review after we get back from vacation where I'll really get to test the underwater mode and low light performance of stills and video.
Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS | Rated 100% by by Allan-Lee (Apr, 2013)The image quality is good, very portable, and price is very affordable, really inexpensive!
Battery
Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS | Rated 100% by by dclaar--dclaar (Jul, 2012)The battery is pretty small, though, so make sure you have two or three, which I have always done anyway (they're small, so it isn't that big a deal).
Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS | Rated 40% by by Vanessa-Rockey (Nov, 2012)On a fully charged battery, it starts blinking low battery after shooting 5 minutes of video.
Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS | Rated 100% by by dclaar--dclaar (Jul, 2012)Be careful if you buy an off brand battery: Many of them have LESS capacity.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Canon Rebel T3i Largest sensor Rebel T3i vs PowerShot ELPH 520 HS |
 | 2 | Canon PowerShot SX260 HS 2-way tie: Most zoom SX260 HS vs ELPH 520 HS |
 | 3 | Canon PowerShot SX240 HS Rated the best by consumers SX240 HS vs ELPH 520 HS |
 | 4 | Canon PowerShot S110 Fastest lens PowerShot S110 vs PowerShot ELPH 520 HS |
 | 6 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX10V Most detailed video recording mode Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX10V vs Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS |
 | 7 | Canon ELPH 300 HS 3-way tie: OK lens ELPH 300 HS vs PowerShot ELPH 520 HS |
 | 8 | Canon ELPH 320 HS Largest screen ELPH 320 HS vs PowerShot ELPH 520 HS |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
Editions Editions of the Canon ELPH 520 HS / IXUS 500 HS
| Price | Edition | Model | Continents | Compare | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | | IXUS 500 HS | Europe | | ||||
 | | ELPH 520 HS | North America | | ||||
Discussions Get involved, ask your question about the Canon PowerShot ELPH 520 HS
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