Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S600 First Impressions Review

Likes

- $199 price - ISO 1000 (coming soon) - Powerful flash (with manual illumination control) - Easy to use - Quick and accurate auto focus

Dislikes

- Stocky frame - Poor LCD resolution - f/5.1 maximum aperture in telephoto - Need MemoryStick Pro for 30 fps video - No A/V jack

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.