The 500 has slightly larger Optical Sensor Size, which is nice. Also, the 500 can shoot under slightly dimmer light, but either camcorder should work fine in daylight. Zoom range beyond about 6X isn’t all that useful unless you’ve got a tripod. When you’re shooting from the plane, it would be a good idea to use a strong UV filter, to cut down the haze. (By strong, I mean more filtering power. It will have a very faint yellow cast.) If you don’t use a good UV filter, the video might look too blue and hazey. Even when on the ground, shooting distant landscapes usually works best with a UV filter. When you’re shooting things up close, the haze it not noticable. For canoeing, a UV or clear filter would help protect the lens from water. You might even put the camcorder in a protective plastic bag.
Good luck, 🙂
Ken Hull
