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.
