Sony Cyber-shot® DSC-S600 Digital Camera

After becoming tired of the brick I called a camera producing blurry and off-colour shots all the time, I decided it was time to treat myself and to buy a new camera. After researching online, I decided that the Sony cybershot s600 would best suit my needs.

Straight out of the box, it is very easy to use. The menus are all set out logically, and its very easy to take a picture/movie.

Although the camera comes with built in memory, dont even think of buying the camera without also purchasing a memory card to go with it. I bought a 2gb pro duo card, which meant I could take 1000s of photos as well as over 20 minutes of video on its highest quality. You cannot even record using the highest video quality without having a pro duo card.

The most important thing in a camera, obviously, is the picture quality, and for this camera it did not disappoint. I dont print my pictures, but Im sure I could print them at a decent size without any blurring. Sure, if you're used to a 12Mp digital camera then this will be a step down, but if you just want a compact camera to take decent shots, then this is great. The colours are generally well balanced, and the image reasonably sharp. The S600 uses a wide angle lens, which is great for landscapes and taking photos of large groups of people. However, this means a compromise in the telephoto end. In other words, its like you cant zoom in as far compared to other cameras (but it still has 3x optical zoom).

For me, an important feature of a digital camera is its ability to take movie clips. Again, this camera performed well. Videos are taken at 30 frames per second (more than you get on TV) at resolution 640 x 480 pixels, which is good for getting quite a lot of detail. Sure, some newer cameras can shoot at higher resolutions, but for around £60, the Sony is great. The sound quality from the in-built microphone is also surprisingly good, and you can review the video on the LCD screen, and also hear the audio from the in-built speaker. A minor quibble I had with the movie mode is that you cannot zoom during capture. However, it is possible to zoom in before you start recording, so you can record at 3x optical zoom, as long as you dont need to zoom out again.

For the professional photographer, this camera may not be the best, as it will usually try and do everything automatically (which is great for the average user). It is possible to change some settings, but most are automatic. Focussing is an example, as the camera uses autofocus (push shutter button halfway to focus, press all the way to capture).

I found the quality of the LCD screen to be perfectly acceptable, and it made it nice and easy to navigate through pictures I had already taken. Battery life was also good (especially on rechargeable batteries). On a different note, the tripod mount is a bit too far to one side, but it still works.

One other thing worth noting is that this is the 2nd S600 I have bought. The first one survived the odd fall or two, but one day the lens decided to get stuck in the 'out' position, and after much trying I still couldnt fix it. The camera wouldnt work at all and I had to get rid of it. However, the fact I am buying another one should be testament to the quality of the camera. I just hope the problem I had was a one-off.

I hope this helps anyone considering this camera. I would recommend this camera to a friend, but its always worth doing your own reseach first.