Casio Exilim EX-S600

Model Design / Appearance (8.5)
The sample EX-S600 we received is a snappy persimmon orange, a few shades darker than my first Schwinn bicycle. It's very slim, and it seems that its appearance was as important in its design as its function. It's very shiny, which means that it's slick easy to drop.

The top of the camera is on an incline, so that the shutter-release end is about 1/8 of an inch taller than the lens end. The curves of the two ends of the body echo the curving "E" of the Exilim brand. The labeling and buttons are small, so that the camera doesn't look crowded.

Size / Portability (9.0)
The Exilim EX-S600 is very small, small enough to fit in some pretty small pockets and small purses and bags. Casio supplies dimensions of 3.54 x 2.32 x 0.63 inches, but can't resist adding that at its thinnest, the S600 is only 0.54 inches thick. Without the battery – which doesn't weigh much -- the S600 is barely more than 4 ounces. It isn't going to be a burden in many circumstances.

Part of portability is durability, though. We see a few signs that the EX-S600 may leave a pocket or purse less functional than it was going in. It is not well sealed against dirt or moisture. The power button is prone to turning the camera on accidentally if it's bumped, which would expose the front of the lens, and stress its collapsible barrel. The pretty orange finish is vulnerable to scratches, and they'll show up brilliantly. On the other hand, the camera is primarily metal, so it may survive drops better than some of its competition.

Handling Ability (6.75)
The stylists' choices on the EX-S600 are both good and bad for the user who plans to take pictures. First, the camera is slippery and small. A camera that's hard to hold onto is hard to use, and the EX-S600 will present some frustrations this way. However, the sparseness of the EX-S600's controls offer an advantage. Though there is no textured grip on the back of the S600 for the user's thumb, there is plenty of space, in the right spot, for the thumb to rest. On the left side, the top and bottom of the camera are adequate spots for holding the camera as well.

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size (5.0)
The designers did a good job placing the buttons on the EX-S600. They're small, which many mean trouble for users with very large hands, but for many others, the controls are large enough, and placed well enough that it's fairly easy to avoid hitting the wrong one accidentally. The OK button in the center of the 4-way controller is the least well placed button, but we had relatively little trouble with it.

Menu (8.0)
The EX-S600's menus are displayed over a live preview. The text is large and readable, and has a subtle drop-shadow that makes it readable against all sorts of backgrounds.  

Quality
Size	Set resolution
Quality	Set JPEG compression
Movie Quality	Set resolution and compression of movies
EV Shift	Adjust exposure
White Balance	Adjust white balance
ISO	Adjust ISO from 50 to 400, plus Auto
Metering	Set meter pattern to multi-zone, spot or averaging
Filter	Set for various picture effects, including black and white, sepia, colors
Sharpness	Adjust sharpness in 5 steps
Saturation	Adjust saturation in 5 steps
Contrast	Adjust contrast in 5 steps
Flash Intensity	Adjust flash exposure in 5 steps
Flash Assist	Turn fill flash on or off

Set Up
Screen	Set screen brightness to Auto, Bright, or Normal
Sounds	Set options for sounds and volume for many camera functions
Startup	Set to change the appearance of the start-up routine
File No.	Set to determine how files are numbered
World Time	Set home time zone
Adjust	Set time and date
Date Style	Set the style for displaying dates
Language	Set the language for menus and displays
Sleep	Set camera to save power when it is unattended
Auto Power Off	Set camera to shut off when it is unattended
REC/PLAY	Set for REC and PLAY buttons to turn on the camera
USB	Set the mode for USB connectivity, either to run a printer or to act as a storage device
Video Out	Set video format
Format	Erase memory card
Reset	Return camera to default settings

Playback
Slideshow	Show sequences of pictures
Motion Print	Create still images from video frames
Movie Anti Shake	Set to avoid motion blur in movies
Movie Editing	Cut parts of movies
Favorites	Select images to save in internal memory
DPOF	Print images directly from camera
Protect	Save images from deletion
Date/Time	Set date and time
Rotation	Turn images so that verticals show correctly
Resize	Shrink images emailing and sharing
Trimming	Crop images
Dubbing	Add sound
Copy	Duplicate images

Ease of Use (7.0)
The EX-S600's fully automated shooting mode isn't hard to use, but it can be confusing to set the camera's options. The button that accesses custom image presets, which Casio calls "Best Shot" modes, is labeled simply, "BS." Setting aside the scatological reference, "BS" isn't likely to ring a bell for most users. Other touted technologies, such as the Anti Shake system, appear as both a Best Shot mode, and as an item in the shooting menu. It might be more flexible that way, but more likely, it's just confusing.