Viewfinder (0.0)
The EX-S600 doesn't have an optical viewfinder. Users compose pictures on the LCD instead. On a camera as small as the EX-S600, there's no room for a useful viewfinder. The viewfinders we see on small compact cameras are invariably small, inaccurate and inconvenient to use, so we don't consider its absence a big loss.
LCD Screen (4.0)
The EX-S600 has 2.2-inch TFT LCD, which acts as the viewfinder, displays menus, and plays back images. Though the size is pretty good, the resolution – 84,960 pixels – is really awful. It's not good enough to evaluate video, let alone still shots. The LCD has a narrow angle of view: from an angle, the colors fade, and black tones go gray in a phenomenon called solarization. Casio says the LCD is twice as bright as last year's, for better outdoor performance. Admittedly, it is at least a bright LCD.
Flash (6.0)
Casio reports the EX-S600's flash range is about 9 feet in wide angle and less than 5 feet in telephoto. Our wide shots at 9 feet looked a little dark, but usable. The telephoto shots at 5 feet looked about right. In general, this range is short of most competing cameras and will force the user to get closer to their subject for proper illumination.
Lens (5.5)
The EX-S600's 6.2mm – 18.6mm, 3x zoom lens has a maximum aperture of f/2.7 to 5.2, and is equivalent to a 38 to 114mm in 35mm terms. We saw significant barrel distortion at the wide angle setting and color fringing throughout the zoom range. We would notice both problems in snapshot-sized prints. Casio notes that the lens includes an aspheric element.
The EX-S600 has 4x digital zoom, which digitally magnifies the center of the lens's image, but reduces quality at about the same rate that it increases size.
