upgrade to sd500?

[NewYuppie]

i currently have powershot s410, (and have had all the models before that) and i think i have the best (ive read the s500 has some issues with noise?).
i was looking at the new sd500 model, and really wondering if i will upgrade or not.
could someone recommend what to do?
i feel i don't want to move from the typical square design, and i also like the "heaviness" of the s400. i love sturdiness, feels powerful. i love my s410, does anybody feel as reluctant to change as i do? i hate the rest of the digital cameras out there, because they aim to be light, portable and futuristic looking.

please help me decide

[JohnnyE]

The SD500 has a really nice feel to it. It's a bit thinner than the S400, but about as wide. It's curved on one side, which is tastefully different and stylish. One thing to consider is that is uses SD memory cards and a different battery, so you can't use the ones from your S410. I like the My Colors mode for in camera color editing - very cool. To upgrade??? Sure, why not.

[NewYuppie]

thanks for your reply johnny. what attracts me is the USB2 option. on the other hand, i already invested heaps of money in CF cards, and also 2 extra batts... the hell!
have you ever held the S400 in your hands? if so, do you think the new SD500 is lighter? which camera has a more sturdy feel, the "powerful" grip?
tell me about the pictures you take, have you compared them to some pictures you took on other models (namely s410?).
thanks for your feedback johnny

[JohnnyE]

thanks for your reply johnny. what attracts me is the USB2 option. on the other hand, i already invested heaps of money in CF cards, and also 2 extra batts... the hell!
have you ever held the S400 in your hands? if so, do you think the new SD500 is lighter? which camera has a more sturdy feel, the "powerful" grip?
tell me about the pictures you take, have you compared them to some pictures you took on other models (namely s410?).
thanks for your feedback johnny

Well, I have held both cameras, and it's difficult to say which feels lighter, but according to the specifications on the www.powershot.com site, the SD500 is 15g lighter than the S400/S410 (170g vs. 185g). The SD500 has a sturdier, more solid feel to it. The resolution is a lot better...image quality is about the same, maybe a bit better with the SD500. I think the colors look better on the SD500 too. I don't actually own the camera yet (it's not out yet), but I played with it at a phototography show in Orlando, FL. Canon posted some same images that you may want to check out: http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=SampleImagesAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=11157

[mchwe]

hi. i owned a s410 for more than a year, and just got the sd500 a couple of weeks ago.

the s410 is easier to hold: the sd500 is somewhat slick, and the curves increase the chance of a slip-- keep the wrist loop on! to mitigate this, i have put a large rubber band around the thin edge of the camera-- not very cosmetic, but better than dropping $500 on the floor.

the sd500 is just plain faster: starts up faster, changes modes (playback to shooting and back) faster. even the zoom seems to respond faster, and doesn't do that weird in-out thing that the s410 does when zooming.

the video function is truly great- i swear that the videos are better than my current camcorder's (elura 40mc), and you can shoot video at up to 60 fps!

my favorite new feature, tho, is that you can set the review time to "hold" which allows you as long as you like to look at a picture. i dislike the camera/memory door, which opens simply with pushing on the door: no latch is present, and i wonder how well it will hold up.

image quality is superb, as it was with the s410.

good luck, hope this helps!