The Sony DSC S600 is a six megapixel digital camera with a three times optical zoom lens. In terms of the range of Sony digital cameras the DSC S600 is the entry level model. Compared to other cameras in the range it still has a fairly good set of features and there are not that many omissions. The biggest difference is in the build quality of the camera.
Therefore if you are looking for a Sony digital camera or any other good quality digital camera and you do not want to spend a fortune then this camera is worth a close look.
Image Quality
The DSC S600 managed to produce a set of test images that were far superior to many more expensive digital cameras. I was more than happy with pictures taken indoors as well as outdoors. Picture quality does fall short of the very best, but when you take into account the price of this camera it is still remarkably good.
Starting with the outdoor landscape type shots I have no major complaints. Focusing is good and there is only minimal loss of sharpness as you move out away from the centre of each photo. Areas of contrast are handled well and the camera handles dark and light areas without much of a problem. It also copes with glare from the sun too.
As with other Sony digital cameras colours are strong, but manage to retain a natural feel to them. Each photo is a fair reflection of the scenes as they were when the pictures were taken.
When taking the outdoor portrait shot I set the white balance to cloudy. This matched the weather conditions at the time. The reason for doing this is to add some warmth to the colours in the shot. This particularly helps with the skin tones. Although this has improved the photo I would like to have seen even more of a warm feel in the shot.
The indoor portrait is excellent. With many cameras at the lower price end of the market you find indoor and lowlight photography is a serious weakness. The DSC S600 produces a well focused and well lit shot. There is a touch of red eye, but this is actually less than the majority of digital cameras tend to produce.
The next indoor shot is one of the best I have managed to take with a digital camera in this price bracket. Considering the photo was taken in more or less complete darkness it is well lit and the focusing is about as good as you could hope to expect.
The dedicated test for colour also produces a strong result. The colours are well balanced.
One big drawback of the camera is that there is no macro mode. You can still take close up shots, but you need to be some distance from the subject and the end result is not one to get excited about.
The final test is for how the camera reacts when you push the ISO rating up to 400 and above. You may wish to do this is you are taking a photo in lowlight or you are trying to freeze movement. Although the camera fares no worse then many I have tested at ISO 400 there a fall off in quality. When you push the setting up to the maximum level of ISO 1000 picture quality leaves a lot to be desired. I would only use this setting if there was no other way to get a picture.
Shutter Lag and Recycling Times
I was able to take one photo in 0.12 seconds and five photos in 5.08 seconds. Both of these times are very fast indeed. In fact when you consider the price of this camera it puts many much more expensive digital cameras to shame.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Features
The 3x optical zoom lens has a focal length equivalent to 31 - 93mm in 35mm format. Although that gives you 3x zoom power this actually gives you a little less telephoto zoom than most digital cameras. The maximum aperture is f/2.8 (wide) and f/5.1 (telephoto). There is also a smart zoom offering up to 13x zoom and a digital zoom with a further 6x zoom. Be aware that when you use the smart zoom the number of megapixels available is reduced. When using digital zoom the picture quality is likely to decrease. For close up shots the camera can focus from 12cm away from the subject.
The LCD screen is 2" in size. Again this is quite generous on a camera in this price bracket. The screen is made up of around 85,000 pixels and can be brightened if required. As well as accessing the menu and composing and reviewing shots the screen also carries warnings relating to battery level, memory card space and hand shake. There is also an optical viewfinder available.
To help you take the best possible picture there are a selection of scene modes. These are Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Soft Snap, Landscape, Beach, Snow and High Sensitivity. All you need to do is select the most appropriate scene for the shot you are taking. This signals to the camera the settings it needs to use for the photo.
The built in flash unit has a maximum range of 7m. This is a large range compared to other similar models. The flash range decreases to around 3.8m when the zoom lens is in use. The flash modes available are Auto, Forced Flash, Slow Synchro and No Flash. Red eye reduction can be set on as well.
For when you would like to appear in the picture there is a self timer. This gives you a delay of approximately ten seconds before the photo is taken.
There are two burst modes available. The first is a standard type that lets you real off up to seven shots in fine mode and more if you reduce the quality setting or resolution. The second burst mode captures 16 shots and stores them all in a single image.
If you are looking to make 6x4" prints there is a special resolution you can use. By using this resolution none of the photo is trimmed during the printing process. The resolution to look out for is 2816 x 1872.
After you have taken a photo there are one or two useful features you can use. These are for trimming and resize. Trimming an image allows you to remove a part of the photo you do not need. Resizing a photo allows you to create a smaller copy suitable for sending by email or displaying on the Internet.
Among the more advanced features are exposure compensation (+/-2.0 EV, 1/3 EV step), white balance (Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent), two types of light metering (multi pattern and spot) and ISO sensitivity (Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1000). Shutter speeds are set automatically by the camera. These range between 1/8 - 1/2000 seconds. You can also set levels of sharpness, saturation and contrast.
Movies can be recorded up to the capacity of the memory card. The maximum resolution of a movie is 640 x 480 pixels. With a top speed of 30 frames per second this should be good enough for viewing on a television. Zoom is not available when a movie is being recorded. Sound can be recorded too.
Sony supplies all the necessary cables and software to connect the DSC S600 to a computer and PictBridge compatible printer. There is no television connection available with this camera.
Ease of Use
When it comes to ease of use Sony digital cameras are very good indeed and the DSC S600 is no exception. All the key buttons to control flash, zoom, picture review and self timer can be found on the back of the camera.
When you need to use the menu system you should also find this easy to use as well. All you need to do is cycle through the available menus and then select the control you would like to use. There are not many menu screens to work through and it should not take you very long to find your way around.
Cost
You can pick up a Sony DSC S600 for around £125. This compares to around £135 for a Canon Powershot A530, £115 for a Panasonic DMC LS2 and £155 for a Nikon Coolpix L6.
Out of the cameras I have listed here the Sony DSC S600 and the Nikon Coolpix L6 are both six megapixel digital cameras. The Canon Powershot A530 and the Panasonic DMC LS2 have five megapixels. I would say for a six megapixel digital camera the DMC S600 offers excellent value for money.
Style
Style is not the strong point of the DSC S600. I think that is fair enough as you cannot expect to have everything for this sort of price. I would describe the camera body as functional. It is made of plastic and is too large to fit into a pocket. Size wise it is not overly large though and you should still be able to carry it around without any real problem.
The body of the camera is a typical rectangular shape and comes in silver. It weighs 133g and has dimensions of 99 x 52 x 36.8mm.
Batteries and Memory Card
Power is supplied to the camera by two AA batteries. Sony estimates you should be able to take around 180 shots with the DSC S600 before the batteries need to be recharged.
32mb of storage are built into the camera. Therefore no memory card is supplied with the camera as standard. I was able to take 13 shots before the memory became full. Therefore I would suggest picking up a memory card to go with the camera. The DSC S600 is compatible with Memory Stick Duo cards. Make sure you buy cards with the word Duo in the title as standard memory sticks are too large for the camera.
Click here to save money on Memory Stick Duo.
Points I like:
Value for money
Picture quality
Shutter lag
Flash range
Where it is not so hot:
Macro
No television playback
Summary
If you are looking for a digital camera without breaking the bank then the Sony DSC S600 is one for your shortlist. In terms of picture quality and shutter lag times it puts many more expensive digital cameras to shame. It is also easy to use and offers more megapixels per pound then almost any other camera. Recommended.
Sony DSC S600 Front View
Sony DSC S600 Back View
Sony DSC S600 Top View
Sample Menus
| Sony DSC S600 Summary |
| Description: | 6 megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom lens. |
| Ease of Use: | 9 |
| Features: | 7 |
| Colour: | 8 |
| Macro: | 6 |
| Indoors: | 9 |
| Value for Money: | 9 |
| Style: | 6 |
| Movie Mode: | 8 |
| Image Quality: | 8 |
| Build Quality: | 7 |
| Total: | 77 |
| Verdict: | The Sony DSC S600 may not look that pretty but it is very effective. Taking its low price into consideration it offers excellent value for money. It is good indoors and has a very low shutter lag. Well worth looking at closely. |
| Review Date: | May 2006 |
| Click for: | Specification Sample Images |
| 
