The group at CNET have a review on the Samsung Digimax S500 where they write, 'Exposures were generally accurate, though images were slightly soft and had noticeable fringing in highlights, especially with backlit subjects. We also noticed JPEG artifacting, which lent a choppy look to some curved edges.

Given that Samsung has shown that it is capable of making cameras that capture pleasing images, such as the Digimax L85 and the Digimax L60, there's little excuse for its S-series cameras turning in pictures that are plagued by artifacts and other noise. So, while the Digimax S500 certainly has a feature set that looks decent, you're better off spending a little more on one of Samsung's better-performing cameras, or looking at another brand altogether, such as Nikon's Coolpix L3.'