External Flash? SX500 IS

I decided that I wanted a bridge/P&S camera (I have a 50D, but shoot mostly medium format film), and being a Canon fanboy since 1978, I searched for Canons. I really know nothing about these cameras, so I started searching ebay for cheap (<$100) cameras that fit my needs. I must have watched a video for a different camera, as I could have sworn it showed how the SX500 has a hotshoe under the cover on the top. I just figured out it's a mic, not a hotshoe cover.

Anyway, is there a way to shoot an external flash with the SX500? I don't have the camera in hand yet, so I'm trying to decide if I'm going to keep it or not.

If it can't be done with the SX500, what bridge/p&s does? I'll be using it mainly for product shots with multiple flashes on triggers. I decided that using my 50D for this purpose is overkill, so that's where this camera come in.

My needs are:

Full Manual Control
External Flash capability
>10mb
<$100 (the cheaper the better)
1 ft or less minimum focus distance (macro mode, but I don't need 0" minimum)
Tripod socket would be useful (I think almost all have this)
Decent IQ
RAW would be a bonus


I'm not really concerned about:

Age
Type of Memory card
Zoom range
AF speed
Noise
Processing speed
Physical size/weight

Thanks!

SX500 doesn't deliver RAW format and is subject to AC despite internal optical corrections.

Any Canon P&S with hotshoe can synchronisze with external flash.

If no hotshoe, Canon P&S such as Powershot S95, S100, S110, S120, G7X, G9X can have their popup flash turned into manual mode with low output level : so that this popup flash can be used to activate at distance any studio flash or any external flash via an optical slave cell...

Yeah, I was aware the SX500 didn't shoot RAW, but RAW is not necessary.

I'll give using the built-in flash a try as Master on Low, and I have optical slave sensors, so that's no problem. My only concern is how much light gets put out in Low, considering it isn't a 'master' flash setting, so it won't fire like a Master, and the light will affect the image captured. But it is a possibility.

The built-in flash of the SX500IS can't be switched into manual mode.

It's only available for some Canon P&S such as S95, S100, S110, S120, G7X, G9X and for Canon P&S with hot-shoe. (cf Manual of each product)
With these Canon P&S, if it is for indoor photo with external flash and you proceed with 100 ISO and 1/250è s as shutter speed, the low level of out put won't be very much and not noticeable ; in all other cases, you have the possibility to hide the major part of the popup's light : the optical slave sensor will work as well.

Regards,