Physical Tour

**Back
**Interestingly, the Sony S600 was designed to be held with both hands, despite its compact size. The LCD screen is just off-center to the left and has the Sony logo at the bottom. Featured in the bottom left corner of the LCD is a thumb divot. In the top left corner, northwest of the LCD screen, are the optical viewfinder and its two accompanying LED lights. Above the right side of the monitor is the mode switch that moves from the playback mode to the still and movie recording modes. To the right of this feature are two zoom control buttons: the ‘W’ wide button is on the left and the ‘T’ telephoto button is on the right. Below those buttons are magnifying glass icons; the ‘W’ magnifying glass icon has a ‘-’ within it and the ‘T’ icon has a ‘+’ within it. Also below the ‘W’ button is a checkerboard icon to indicate the index frame mode in the playback section.

Below the zoom controls is another smile-shaped divot for the right thumb to rest in. When the thumb isn’t busy zooming, it can slide below to access the multi-selector and its three surrounding buttons. The multi-selector is made of a central selection button surrounded by the navigational control ring. The ring has icons at each cardinal direction to indicate what feature it accesses in recording mode. The top of the multi-selector changes flash modes, the right side controls the metering mode, the bottom activates the self-timer, and the left side acts as a ‘back’ function. To the northwest of the multi-selector is the Menu button. To the southwest is the display button that turns the LCD on and off, as well as add information to the picture on the screen. The button to the southeast of the multi-selector doubles as a delete button in playback and an image size option in the recording mode. Below the multi-selector is another divot that extends to the bottom; this makes it easier for users to pry open the memory card compartment below.

**Left Side
**The left side is almost featureless. A dark gray panel extends downward from the top, as does the niche within it. In the center of this panel are the words "3x Optical Zoom." In the bottom right corner of this side is a rubber panel that covers the USB cable.

**Right Side
**The right side has a large door that has a dent in its center and the word "Open" above a tiny gray button. When this button is pressed and the door is slid downward, users can access the battery compartment. Many digital cameras place this feature on the bottom. Having it on the side may actually prove useful, since it allows users to change batteries while the camera is still attached to a tripod. The right side also has a wrist strap eyelet.

**Top
**The center of the S600’s top has a plastic panel much darker gray than the rest of the light silver-colored digital camera. The left side has a smooth niche for the left fingers to comfortably rest in. The model number is in this niche, as well as the words "MPEG Movie VX." Almost centered on the top is the built-in microphone. To its right is the power button, which is designated with a green ring around it. To the right of the power button is the smoothly polished shutter release button; it sits in a slightly raised donut, which helps the finger grip the surface and stay put.

**Bottom
**The left side of the bottom has a small door that reveals the slot for the MemoryStick Duo or Duo Pro card. At the far right edge is the tripod socket. Just left of the socket is the built-in speaker.

Components

**Viewfinder **
The Sony S600 uses an optical viewfinder, which is becoming a rarity for point-and-shoot digital cameras. Many compact models omit them because of their inaccuracies and to save space, since compacts are usually so small and LCDs are constantly getting larger. The viewfinder on the S600 is slightly inaccurate – it crops the bottom of the picture off – but is still pretty decent compared to other compact optical viewfinders. Its placement is a bit strange, however, as it is unattractively located to the far right edge when viewing the camera front. This places it quite close to the lens, which while odd-looking aesthetically, does make the viewfinder more accurate.

A button at the bottom right corner of the LCD monitor can turn the LCD view off completely so that the optical viewfinder is the sole viewing device. That same button can also turn the LCD screen on to be utilized as an electronic viewfinder. Its accuracy is better, but the view is clearer with the optical viewfinder since the LCD resolution is poor. Overall, it’s nice to have the option of an optical viewfinder on the S600. Sure, the batteries last 440 shots on rechargeable AAs – but they can last even longer with the LCD turned off.

**LCD Screen
**The Sony S600 has a 2-inch LCD screen. While this is an overall average size, 2 inches looks petty next to the 2.5 and 3-inch screens that have been put on several new models this year. Still, remember the $199.95 price. Sony saved a little bit of money on this screen. It solarizes a bit when turned left to right—a rarity for Sony’s LCDs—and does so even more when turned up and down. At only 85,000 pixels, users can see the individual dots on the TFT LCD.

The LCD can be turned off in favor of the viewfinder or shooting information can be shown upon it; the button in the bottom right corner of the LCD changes the display on the screen. The 2-inch screen shuts off, along with the rest of the camera, after 3 minutes of inactivity when the Power Save Mode is selected in the setup menu. Sony did not include a brightness function on this screen, so the LCD could be hard to view in bright daylight as well. The LCD screen is certainly one of the features that Sony took shortcuts on so that the camera could be offered at a low price point.

**Flash
**On the front of the Sony S600 is a large (for this size camera) oval-shaped built-in flash.

Sony markets this flash to reach from 6 inches to 23 ft. in the automatic ISO mode. When the camera is set to ISO 1000, the flash can reach from 2 ft. 7 in. to 36 ft. Most compact models have weak flashes that only reach to 13 or 14 feet, so to have a powerful flash on a model like this is pretty interesting. It is controlled by the top portion of the multi-selector, which has a flash icon on it and allows access to the following modes: On, Off, Slow Sync and Auto. Within the setup menu, the red-eye reduction can be turned on and off as well. When it is on, the S600 fires about 4 pre-flashes before shooting the final flash. This system seems to work pretty well as test portraits came out red-eye-free. The flash level can also be adjusted to fire normally, at High (+) or at Low (-) in the recording menu. Unfortunately, the flash doesn’t fire evenly. There is an overly bright spot in the center that can be distracting if shooting a large group of people who aren’t all centered.

**Zoom Lens **
The Sony S600 has a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with a 5.1-15.3mm focal length that is equivalent to 31-93mm in 35mm format. That is a wider angle than lenses on most compact models. The 3x optical zoom lens is constructed of 7 elements in 6 groups with 3 aspheric elements present. The zoom is controlled by two square buttons on the back of the camera: one is labeled with a ‘W’ for wide and the other with a ‘T’ for telephoto. When these are pushed, a zoom bar appears on the LCD screen. The ends are labeled as ‘W’ and ‘T’ and a number is assigned to the zoom bar; for example, "1.5x." There are about 8 stops in the zoom range, which shows the S600’s control is sensitive and stops where users want it to.

The lens has a wide maximum aperture of f/2.8 at its widest setting, but loses that in telephoto where its maximum aperture is f/5.1. There is some barrel distortion noticeable around the edges of the frame; this will make unflattering self-portraits or macro shots. There is no designated macro mode on the S600, but the Sony specs claim an "auto macro mode." This Cyber-shot can focus as close as 4.75 inches, which is decent but not amazing. The S600 has 2x digital zoom that should be totally avoided and a 13x "smart zoom" feature that only works in the 640 x 480-pixel image size. Overall, it is nice to see the Carl Zeiss brand name on the lens but its barrel distortion and tiny telephoto max aperture are a bit disappointing to us.

Design / Layout

**Model Design / Appearance **

There’s no going around it: for under $200, consumers won’t find a stylish digital camera. In the war of form vs. function, form has definitely been sacrificed on the S600. The unattractive Cyber-shot has ergonomic features like thumb divots and finger grips to be thoroughly functional, but over all it is stocky with very thick frame. While the Sony S600 is compact enough to stuff into some purses, it’s not slim enough for a pocket or a clutch. Its plastic housing looks very traditional and, honestly, quite boring. It is a light silver color that is slightly textured. The body doesn’t look very durable, so don’t drop it. All in all, this Sony looks like what it is—a bargain.

**Size / Portability
**The S600 has chunky measurements of 3.9 x 2 x 1.4 inches. The digital camera is lighter than it looks at first glance, due in part to its plastic frame. The Cyber-shot S600 weighs 4.7 ounces unloaded and 6.4 ounces with the AA batteries and MemoryStick card inserted. This thick model can be carried by a wrist strap that attaches to the tiny eyelet on the right side, or it can be carried with one or two hands. The size and placement of the buttons are indicative of one-hand portability, but the ergonomic features are there for two-handed operation.

**Handling Ability **

Despite its hefty measurements, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S600 doesn’t have a thick right-hand grip. Instead, Sony included a polished vertical finger grip on its front and thumb divots on the back. The right thumb can sit on the zoom control buttons or just below in the smile-shaped divot. The right index finger sits comfortably on the shutter release button, which is polished and sits in a comfy donut. The left thumb has its own circular bowl in the bottom left corner of the back; while the other left fingers sit atop or on the front of the S600 for support. The S600 has a multi-selector for navigating through menus. The circular multi-selector has a selection button in its center. The control is easy to use and intuitive as well. The Sony S600 handles like a point-and-shoot – just as it should.

**Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size
**This camera has room for plenty of buttons, but Sony opted to keep things simple. In traditional fashion, all of the control buttons are located to the right of the LCD screen so that they are accessible by right thumb. The buttons are not crowded, and are all properly labeled and spaced.

There are two separate buttons for controlling the zoom. While this may look and feel a bit strange initially – probably because most models have a single toggle – it is easy to adjust to this system. The multi-selector, on the other hang, is much more traditional. It has a ring around a central selection button. On each side of the ring is a different icon representing the feature it accesses in recording mode. The top changes flash modes, while the right selects an AF mode. The bottom activates the self-timer and the left side acts as a ‘back’ function, but only in the menus. Despite the ring being made from a single panel, navigation is not complicated on this model. Scrolling quickly through menus is possible without accidentally scrolling the wrong way. The most important button, the shutter release button, is located atop the camera and surrounded by a donut to keep the finger from sliding off. The surface is polished and comfortable. Overall, the buttons allow comfortable and easy access to the S600’s functions.

**Menu
**The Cyber-shot S600 has menus similar to all other Sony models. A gray bar with all of the S600’s options appears across the bottom of the live screen. When users scroll through the icons on the horizontal bar, the text title of the selection appears and its subsection appears above it. The icons and menus are done in an easily readable font on a gray background. When an item is selected, it becomes surrounded by a yellow box and marked with a yellow checkmark. Navigation through the menus is done with the multi-selector and the central selection button. There is a live view behind the menus that activates when the ISO, color modes, scene modes, and white balance modes are scrolled through.

When the camera is in recording mode, the following options are available: Camera (this is where users choose the shooting or scene mode), Exposure Compensation, Focus, White Balance, ISO, Picture Quality, Recording Mode (this is where burst modes are selected), Flash Level, Picture Effects, Saturation, Contrast, Sharpness and Setup. These are the options available with the Program shooting mode because it has the most options.

In the Auto mode, the menu shortens to allow burst mode shooting and access to the setup menu. The setup menu has four tabs in it: Camera, Card, Setup 1 and Setup 2. The Camera tab allows access to AF Mode, Digital Zoom, Red-eye Reduction, AF Illuminator and Auto Review. The Card tab has only a Format option. The Setup 1 tab groups Beep, Language and Initialize options together. Setup 2 includes File Number, USB Connect and Clock Set options. The setup menu is done all in text, so strange icons won’t be found here.

The Playback menu consists of the following options: Folder, Protect, DPOF, Print, Slide, Resize, Rotate, Divide, and Setup. The movie mode menu has these options: Exposure Compensation, Focus, White Balance, Picture Effects, and Setup. This is more than what most compact models offer in their movie modes. Overall, the menus are intuitive and easy to use, especially if the user is familiar with the Sony menu system setup.

**Ease of Use **

The Sony S600 is designed for beginners in just about every way. It is simple to take pictures in the auto mode, which automates everything and even allows access to the burst mode in case action shots are about to be taken. The menu system is easy to figure out and navigate; the live views are handy for beginners who don’t know the lighting differences between fluorescent and incandescent. There are no fancy features like histograms and help guides, but beginners will get along just fine without those. The handling is easy with the attention to ergonomics on the body. All in all, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S600 is easy to use.

Modes

**Auto Mode
**The automatic mode does not have a designated button or position on a mode dial, but is easily found as the top option in the shooting mode menu. Once selected, users have access to the burst mode only. Otherwise, all other adjustments are handled by the camera. The Sony S600 displays the shutter speed and aperture on the LCD screen once the exposure is locked, although these cannot be manually adjusted (of course, this is the auto mode). The auto mode is easy to use but its own button on the camera body would have made things just a touch simpler for true beginners frightened of menus.

**Movie Mode **

The movie mode can easily be found on the mode switch above the LCD; this switch moves the camera from still recording mode (a camera icon) to playback and movie modes. The image size can be found with the button in the bottom right corner of the S600. The MPEG video can be recorded at 640 x 480 pixels in either Fine (30 fps) or Standard (16.6 fps) settings. The Fine setting can only be captured if a Sony MemoryStick Pro Duo card is used. Also, if the 32 MB of internal memory is used then the camera defaults to the Video Mail size, which is a tiny 160 x 112 pixels. It shoots only 8 frames a second. Users will have to purchase a Pro card if they want to really take advantage of the movie mode on the S600.

All of the image sizes record video with monaural audio. The microphone is on top of the body and the audio is actually decent for a cheap, compact camera. Zoom cannot be used while recording, but users can choose an auto focus mode. The Center AF mode works well for backlit subjects and the Multi AF works for most situations. There are no fancy features like image stabilization or still image extraction, but users can still divide clips. On the whole, the movie mode is decent for a compact model but having to buy an optional card to get the most of it—a common practice at Sony—is still something we don’t like to see.

**Drive / Burst Mode **

The burst and multi-burst modes are available in most modes, including the auto mode. The burst mode isn’t anything to get too excited about; it shoots 7 frames at a rate of 1.25 fps (at full resolution). The burst went fairly quick, but it took just as long to write to the memory card. The multi-burst mode records sixteen 320 x 240-pixel frames and stitches them into a single frame. This is supposed to be for analyzing golf swings and for other disposable action. Users can scroll through each of the 320 x 240 frames in playback. Otherwise, the speed of the camera is pretty good considering its cheap price. It has a fairly quick start-up and has hardly any shutter lag. There is also a self-timer on the Sony S600 that is activated by pushing on the bottom of the multi-selector. After ten seconds of flashing from the orange LED on the front, the camera takes the shot.

**Playback Mode
**The playback mode is also accessed via the mode switch above the LCD screen. Pictures can be viewed with a vast amount of shooting info: time, date, file number, shooting mode, image size, exposure compensation, ISO, white balance, flash mode, auto focus mode, shutter speed and aperture. Individual images can be zoomed in up to 5x with the square ‘T’ button. The ‘W’ button lets users view 9 thumbnails at a time. In this multi-up mode, users can select pictures to delete (individual pictures can be deleted with the designated on-camera button). Pictures can be rotated and trimmed, but not cropped. Movies can be played back and divided. There is a slide show function in the playback mode, but it’s nothing spectacular. Users can change the intervals from 3, 5, 10, and 30-second selections. The pictures can all be played or only pictures from selected folders. The show can be looped to play all day and all night – or as long as the batteries hold out. There are no fancy transitions, but this is a $199 model.

Unfortunately, viewing the slide shows and pictures in playback mode isn’t all that great. The image is good enough for a quick check, but it’s not good enough to show off to the family. The 2-inch LCD has poor resolution. To make things worse, there is no port for an A/V cable so users can’t hook the camera up to a television for slide shows. If users want to see the big picture, they’ll have to upload all the pictures to a computer (there is a USB port) and view them there.

**Custom Image Presets **

The S600’s scene modes can be selected in the menu; there are seven options to choose from. Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Soft Snap, Landscape, Beach, Snow and High Sensitivity can be scrolled through with live views to accompany them. This selection covers the basics, but users looking for a Portrait mode will have to settle for the Soft Snap mode. It is basically the same thing; it softens skin tones to hide blemishes. The custom image presets on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S600 are very basic, but the selection is typical of a $200 camera.

**Manual Control Options
**Manual control is not the S600’s forte, as it is designed for point-and-shooters. Users do not have control over shutter speed and aperture, yet they are displayed on the LCD screen anyway. Users can control the exposure compensation, auto focus mode, white balance and ISO sensitivity if desired.

Control Options

**Focus
***Auto Focus
*The Sony S600 has two auto focus modes: Multi and Center AF. The Multi is the default mode that uses five points to focus from. The Center AF mode only focuses in the middle of the frame, no matter where the subject stands. Brackets on the LCD screen indicate where the camera is focusing. The auto focus system works rather quickly and doesn’t breathe in and out like some cheap systems do. The S600 has an orange AF illuminator that activates in low light (granted it is turned on in the setup menu). This Sony can focus from 4.75 inches in wide and 19.75 inches in telephoto. The auto focus works well and works quickly – which can’t be said of many budget-priced digital cameras.

*Manual Focus *

There is no manual focus on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S600.

**Metering
**The S600 has two metering options: Multi-pattern and Spot. They can be selected with the right portion of the multi-selector. The multi-pattern metering system uses 49 points on the frame, which is typical for a cheap camera. Still, other compact models use 64 or even 256 points to measure the light in the scene. The spot metering option works well for backlit subjects.

**Exposure
**Many comparable compact models do not have manual control over shutter speed and aperture; the Sony S600 is like its competitors in this way. Most models also do not display the shutter speeds or apertures; however, the S600 displays them once the exposure is locked. This is great for beginners who want to advance in the ranks of digital photography. Seeing the exposure settings that the camera chooses can help users learn how a camera works in different types of lighting.

Users can adjust the exposure compensation via a menu with a live view. The exposure can be adjusted from +2 EV to -2 EV with 1/3 steps.

**White Balance **

There are five white balance options available in the recording menu and no manual mode to boot. Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, and Incandescent options are available. The automatic mode works quite well, so beginning point-and-shooters won’t miss the manual white balance mode. As time goes on and users try to shoot under harsher lighting conditions, they may come to feel its absence though.

**ISO
**Sony markets this camera’s ISO selections as one of its selling points. Most compact models have a short ISO range from 100-400. The Sony S600 adds ISO 800 and 1000 settings to its list. The camera at the CES convention center had only 80, 100, 200 and 400 options – as well as the obligatory auto ISO mode – but had an attached tag touting its ISO 1000 setting. The ISO menu did offer live views, which is always a plus.

The Sony representatives assured me that the model on display was pre-production and as such did not include the full range. On the final product though, the ISO range should add ISO 800 and 1000 settings. This would enhance this model’s low light capability. With higher ISO sensitivities comes more noise though. After a few shots in the ISO 400 setting, I entered the playback mode and zoomed in. Surfaces that should have been solid black had blue and purple speckles across them. This is noise in some form – either on the image file itself or on the low-resolution LCD screen. Either way: beware.

**Shutter Speed
**The shutter speed range is determined by the shooting mode selected. In the auto mode, the shutter speeds range from 1/8-1/2000th of a second. In the Program mode, they run a little longer with options of 1-1/2000th of a second. The scene modes have various ranges as well, but none slow longer than one second. This isn’t conducive to night photography, but perhaps the S600 tries to make up for it with the ISO 1000 setting and its powerful flash. Shutter speeds cannot be manually adjusted, but they can be viewed on the LCD screen while recording and in playback mode.

**Aperture
**The aperture also shows up on the LCD screen, but it cannot be controlled manually. The maximum aperture on the 3x optical zoom lens is a wide f/2.8. The smallest the aperture can get in the widest focal length is f/6.3. When the lens is at its equivalent 93mm setting, the aperture shrinks considerably to f/5.1-f/11. This is unfortunate, but is once again somewhat alleviated with the presence of the ISO 1000 setting and the bright flash.

Image Parameters

**Picture Quality / Size Options **

The image size can be changed with the button in the bottom right corner of the camera. The image size button doubles as the delete button, so both icons are next to it. Users can select from the following image sizes: 6M, 3:2, 3M, 2M, VGA, and 16:9. The maximum image size is 2816 x 2112 pixels. Each of the sizes can be saved in Fine or Standard quality, although these options must be found in the menu.

The S600 offers lots of image size options uncharacteristic of a cheap camera. The 3:2 mode makes accurately framed 4 x 6-inch prints and the 16:9 mode can be used for wide screens. Ironically, there is no A/V cable to connect the camera to a widescreen television, so this size is completely useless.

**Picture Effects Mode
**The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S600 has several picture effects, but they can only be used in the recording mode – users cannot add them later in playback mode. Basic Black & White and Sepia modes are offered. Contrast, Saturation and Sharpness all have High (+), Normal and Low (-) options. There are live views in the color mode menu, but not in the contrast, saturation and sharpness menus.

Connectivity / Extras

**Connectivity **
*Software
*The Sony S600 comes with Sony Cyber-shot Viewer software version 1.0 and a Windows USB Driver on CD-ROM.

*Jacks, Ports, Plugs
*The Sony S600 does have a rubber door covering its USB 2.0 port, but it does not double as an A/V jack. There is no A/V jack anywhere on the camera – and this isn’t just a pre-production quirk. Instead, it’s disappointing; the 2-inch LCD screen has such poor resolution that users will want to hook up their cameras to televisions for slide shows, but this is not possible. There is no jack for a power adaptor either. There is a door for the AA batteries and a door for the MemoryStick slot.

*Direct Print Options
*The S600 has DPOF and Print options in its playback mode menu. These options specify which pictures and how many of each to print. There is no single button for simplified printing, but the process isn’t terribly difficult to figure out either. This Sony is PictBridge compatible.
*

• *Battery *
  

As part of the Sony Stamina series, the S600 has endurance. It uses AA batteries, which are conveniently found at grocery stores all over the world. With standard AAs, the camera can take 160 shots. With the optional NiMH rechargeable AA batteries, the S600 can take 440 shots. The Sony site sells the rechargeable batteries for $8.99 a set, so it’s worth the extra power and money to get the Sony batteries. Sony always has to have a trick up its sleeve, though. The battery charger does not come with the camera either, but nor is it sold separately. The charger only comes in a package with the batteries and a carrying case; the lot is sold for about $35. Still, it’s probably worth the extra 280 shots a charge and the money saved from not having to buy a new set of AAs every 160 shots.

*Memory
*The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S600 accepts MemoryStick Duo or Duo Pro cards. If users want to use the Fine 30 fps movie mode, a Pro card is necessary. The S600 supports Pro cards up to 2 GB. The camera also has 32 MB of internal memory, but unless users are okay with downloading pictures every 5 shots, they’d better purchase more memory. A 256 MB MemoryStick Pro card sells for $45 on the Sony site. With the optional batteries and charger and such, this $199 camera is beginning to cost quite a bit more.

Overall Impressions

**Value **

The S600 offers users a basic set of features with a few highlights. It has 6 megapixels, which is quite a lot for the $199 price. The camera also features a 2-inch LCD screen (though the resolution is not very good), 32 MB of internal memory, and a Carl Zeiss 3x optical zoom lens. It has an ISO 1000 setting and a flash that can reach to 35 feet. The Sony S600 offers beginners a lot for their money.

Still, Sony finds ways to suck more cash from your wallet. Its movie mode doesn’t function without the Sony MemoryStick Pro cards, which are generally a little more expensive than other forms of memory. The camera uses AA batteries, which only get 160 shots – unless you purchase the Sony batteries that get 440 shots per charge. The battery charger only comes in a package that includes their batteries and a carrying case. By the time users purchase a decent memory card, the batteries, and the charger package, the $199 camera costs at least $279. For that price, consumers may be able to find a better camera that includes a battery and charger and uses a cheaper form of memory.

**Comparison to the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S90 **

All of the Sony Stamina series models up to this point have 4 megapixels. The line was started in February 2005 for point-and-shooters who wanted lots of battery power from conveniently found ******

**AA batteries. The previous flagship model, the Sony S60, has 4 megapixels on a 1/2.5-inch CCD. It has a 3x optical zoom lens and similarly chunky 4.8 x 1.6 x 2.5-inch measurements. Like the S600, the S90 has an optical viewfinder, but the S90 also has a larger LCD screen. The screen has 115,000 pixels. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S90 has similar shooting modes except for its omission of the S600’s High Sensitivity mode. The S90’s flash ranges from 1.6-12.5 ft. and its ISO ranges from a more typical 80-400. The S90 runs on AA batteries and can take 580 shots per charge with the Sony rechargeable batteries. The 4 megapixel Sony S90 sells for about $229.

**Who It’s For
***Point-and-Shooters –* The entire S-series of Sony digital cameras is made for point-and-shooters. These digital cameras are easy to use and have basic features for a reasonable price.

*Budget Consumers – *If money is an issue, buying a Sony S600 shouldn’t be. This digital camera retails for under $200 and comes stocked with pricier features like 6 megapixels, a Carl Zeiss lens, and a 2-inch LCD screen.

*Gadget Freaks – *This budget-minded digital camera doesn’t come with any frills, so gadget freaks will be completely bored by its look and specs.

*Manual Control Freaks – *These consumers will be disappointed by the lack of control; the S600 isn’t designed for these users at all. It is made for those who want good pictures without having to turn eight dials and push six buttons to get them.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists – This segment of the market won’t even look at a Sony S-series digital camera. They don’t have the manual control or the high-quality image sensors to please these consumers.

Conclusion

**Conclusion **

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S600 is the new flagship model of Sony’s low-end Stamina series of digital cameras. Even though its reasonable $199 price reflects a low-end status, the S600’s features are more typical of pricier models. For instance, the S600 has ISO 800 and 1000 settings that make it a good candidate for low light photography. The camera also has a flash that reaches to an unprecedented 36 feet. The Sony S600 is designed with the point-and-shooter in mind; it is easy to use and intuitive to navigate. Its body is comfortable to hold although it does have stocky 3.9 x 2 x 1.4-inch measurements.

The back of the camera has a 2-inch LCD screen that has 85,000 pixels. The view isn’t very good in recording or playback, so users will have to make do while recording and save lengthy playback for the computer. There is no A/V jack on the Sony S600, so users will have to forego the television slide shows and opt for downloading and viewing on a computer instead. The movie mode’s frame rate only operates at 30 fps when an optional MemoryStick Duo Pro card is used. The camera takes 440 shots only when the Sony rechargeable AA batteries are used; the S600 only gets 160 shots from standard AAs. Generally speaking, the Sony S600 is a decent camera at a decent price, but consumers will have to factor the hidden costs into their analysis—which may yield a different value equation indeed.