Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S600

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.