Canon PowerShot SD600

Summary: Well, Canon has done it again! Canon's new line of cameras is probably the best combination of aesthetics and functionality on the camera market today. It's like they ...

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Summary: Well, Canon has done it again! Canon's new line of cameras is probably the best combination of aesthetics and functionality on the camera market today. It's like they put together Sony (who only focuses on looks and doesn't care if the pictures it takes are crap) and their older Canon models (which were the fattest, ugliest things ever, but took great pictures) into one slick product line.

This camera is great, but it's not perfect like many make it out to be.

Pros: This thing looks sexy! Large 2.5" screen that you have to see to believe. Bright and brilliant, it makes you wish they implimented this kind of LCD technology in everything digital. It boots up in about a second, which is great for those who like to turn it on just to snap a picture, and then keep it off to conserve battery. The pictures it takes are great, and there are a myriad of different features, which include several different kinds of presets for point-and-shoot photography in all sorts of situations. There are also manual features which can be tweaked to liking, such as white balance, color, exposure (contrast), ISO speed, etc. There is also a High-ISO mode for 800+ISO pictures, which can be handy for many situations. Also one neat feature is time and date input and time zones. Basically when you first boot the camera for the first time, you enter in the date and time and your time zone. Then, if you go traveling, you can set the camera into travel mode and select the time zone of your travel locale for instant time switching.

Cons: No battery meter! Is it just me, or do NO digital cameras these days have battery meters!? Sheesh, at least make it a menu item where you can check the battery levels! The camera also lacks some advanced manual features like aperture and shutter speed. On top of this, the camera requires battery power to operate USB transfers and does not draw USB bus power. The software bundle comes with Canon's EOS Utility (which allows some nifty features like remote capturing of pictures straight to the PC), but there's no support for the SD600! It kind of gets your hopes up when they bundle that software in there, and then it doesn't even work with your camera model. Also, the 3x optical zoom leaves much to be desired.

Conclusion: This camera is great, and if you can get over its few shortcomings, then it's for you. If not, then you can try checking out the Canon A-Series which I imagine would have a few more features, but slightly poorer picture quality. Overall, great camera, and another success for Canon.

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Summary: Hate to give this camera such a low rating other than to draw attention to a major compatibility problem with Windows XP.

First the PROS: Great small size, sturdy casing,

...

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Summary: Hate to give this camera such a low rating other than to draw attention to a major compatibility problem with Windows XP.

First the PROS: Great small size, sturdy casing, takes great pictures even on Auto which is easy to set, has more features than anyone should need in what for most will be a carry-in-ur-pocket point-n-shoot camera, great LCD (this is the first camera that I actually prefer to take photos via LCD but the viewfinder is a great backup for those sunny outdoor shots where all LCD?s get washed out). And has a neat color adjustment feature, that u can alter/correct a photo, save it as a duplicate rather than overwrite the original so when you download you can choose which is better, the original or the altered one. Can save you time by not having to use Photoshop later.

CONS: And this is a major one. Impossible to download to Windows XP if you have another camera, scanner or multi-function printer/scanner connected to your computer without first disconnecting all those other imaging devices & rebooting your computer. And I don?t mean WHILE you?re using those other devices, just if they?re connected to your computer is enough to prevent this camera from downloading. And this is a pain if all you want to do is download a few pictures & get back to work. This is because Canon wants to ?hog? that device manager and won?t share with other imaging devices. I have multiple cameras, scanners, printers & a multi-function machine and they all co-exist happily except the Canons which won?t share. Canon tech support knows of this defect and even mentions it in a small paragraph buried in the manual but since this is a known problem with all Canon imaging products, it should be noted in bold print on the box so you see it before you walk out the store.

However it?s an easy fix: buy a memory card reader for $40 but that means you?ll never use all the download features of this camera.

And while I?m at it: no battery meter. All you get is a warning icon when the battery is low which only gives you a few minutes to change batteries. And since you can?t leave the battery in the charger more than 24 hrs, this means if you don?t use the camera regularly, and you don?t have 90 mins advance notice to charge the battery before you walk out the door, you always need a backup battery. Another $40.

So, this means you?ll constantly be opening & closing the cover protecting the battery & memory card to remove & change them and the cover/hinge are not that sturdy. I fully expect that to break one day so make sure you buy this camera from someone like Costco that has a no questions return policy.

And a final minor point ? comes with a pitiful 16mb memory card which only holds 10-12 photos so count on buying more memory before walking out the store. Another $40. Most will do this anyway with any camera. But come-on, for Canon it would only cost a few dollars more to include a 256 or at least a 64mb card. How cheap can they get.

In short, be prepared to spend another $100 to overcome this camera?s shortcomings. But unlike other cameras, at least this camera?s problems can be fixed with more money. And if you can afford it & can work around these problems, it's a great camera.

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Summary: The key to great pictures is having the camera with you when opportunities arise. How many times do you not have the DSLR when a great shot is available. For ...

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Summary: The key to great pictures is having the camera with you when opportunities arise. How many times do you not have the DSLR when a great shot is available. For those of us who don't have time to go looking for photo ops, the key is to have a camera thats always with you.
This one takes great shots in every kind of light (has ISO 800, is every bit as versatile as anyone but a pro could possibly need, and is one of the few in this size range to keep an optical viewfinder. That means that a single battery can last through an entire vacation if you use the optical viewfinder for daytime shots. I carry one spare battery, a 1 gig SD card, and can travel anywhere, taking hundreds of perfect shots, because the camera is always in a shirt pocket or on my belt, and I can go days without the need to recharge a battery.

Replaced a canon S400 which was also a great little camera. I never touch the DSLR.

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Summary: So I lost my Canon Elph S230 and had to buy a new one. It was a no brainer to pick up another elph, because I loved my last one ...

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Summary: So I lost my Canon Elph S230 and had to buy a new one. It was a no brainer to pick up another elph, because I loved my last one so much. Low and behold my lost camera showed up on my doorstep and gave me a chance to compare the two. This new model is substantially thinner and a bit shorter (~1/8"). The shot isn't that much better though. I thought 6 megapixel would blow away a 3.2 megapixel camera, but when you zoom in on photoshop, the quality is hard to discern. Nice video options and I like the high ISO800 feature. If you don't have a camera yet, this is a sweet deal. If your looking to upgrade, I would hold off.

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Summary: I wasn't sure what to expect with the Canon SD600. I had been using an Olympus 3030z purchased in the year 2001. I used to carry around the big ...

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Summary: I wasn't sure what to expect with the Canon SD600. I had been using an Olympus 3030z purchased in the year 2001. I used to carry around the big case full of spare batteries, extra memory cards and RCA cords. I was ready for a compact. I bought the Canon based on the size, specs and its popularity. It has not disappointed.

The most surpising feature of the SD600 is the video. Amazing. I'm not sure if the technology has improved that much since I last shopped for a camera (admittedly 5 years ago), or if Canon does an exceptional job, but it is a joy to use. I almost use the video more than the stills.

My only complaint after two months of use involves the flash. It seems I wish it would fire more often in the automatic program mode. I know, the high ISO is supposed to compensate, and does. This will take some getting used to. And even when the flash does fire, I end up wishing it was a little stronger. Again, I realize that the compact form factor does not lend itself to a monster flash, so this will take some getting used to.

Lastly, I enjoy the software included with SD600 and recommend you get at least a 1GB SD memory card. (I bought a 2GB and love it.)

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Summary: While I think this - and other Canon cameras as well - is a very good camera overall, it is well behind other cameras in many aspects:

1. LCD Resolution:

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Summary: While I think this - and other Canon cameras as well - is a very good camera overall, it is well behind other cameras in many aspects:

1. LCD Resolution: While the 175,000 pixels is much better than previous Canon elph models which features just 118,000 pixels, it's still way behind other cameras which offer 230,000 pixels (Kodak, Pentax, Sony, and others). (And they still use the lower 115,000 pixel LCD on other cameras, S80, A700, etc.)

2. Video is captured in uncompressed AVI format - which will allow for a mere 8 minute high quality video on a 1 GB card - while other cameras use compressed formats (MPEG or QuickTime) which allow up to 1 hour of high quality video.

3. Optical zoom is disabled during video recording, only digital zoom is allowed. Other cameras (but not many) would let you zoom in & out OPTICAL during video recording. The digital zoom is really bad and isn't worth to try.

4. The camera is pretty fast, but some other cameras (especially the Casio Exilim EX-Z750 I recetnly tested) is much faster.

5. Battery life is only adequate. The Casio models are much better.

6. Controls are very tiny even for small hands, leave alone bigger hands. Again, the above-mentioned Casio has controls which is much superior to the Canon's. (Canon's controls was much better in the past with smaller screens, as the SD300).

Some other options I found in other cameras not available on the Canon: Small lamp to illuminate dark areas when recording video or for shots without flash (Casio, Kodak); magnify videos during playback (on Canon cameras, "Cannot Magnify!" comes on the LCD when trying); see a bar during video playback, similar to you media player on your computer so you see graphically the length of your clip, and where are you now(found on Casio and Fuji cameras); Battery meter (found on Casio models.)

To summarize, I think that Canon needs a lesson from other manufacturers, that besides good picture quality, they leave so much to be desired.

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Summary: Great little camera. Use my Nikon D70 when picture speed and quality a must. But I wanted something to carry around or put in the video camera bag. Made a ...

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Summary: Great little camera. Use my Nikon D70 when picture speed and quality a must. But I wanted something to carry around or put in the video camera bag. Made a good choice and Canon did well with making the choice easier. Very compact, good images, screen and options. Battery lasts quite a while and additional batteries not that expensive. Again not the perfections of a DSLR but when you want to have a camera with you at all times and will preserve the moments..This is a very good option.

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Summary: I picked this camera to carry when I don't want to lug my Canon EOS 2D on travel yet still want the option of taking photos. Overall the quality ...

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Summary: I picked this camera to carry when I don't want to lug my Canon EOS 2D on travel yet still want the option of taking photos. Overall the quality is good, you just have to remember you're shooting without image stabilization otherwise you end up with a bunch of unusable photos. Basic modes are acceptable- auto, manual, macro, portrait, night, and a kids/pets shoot. The lack of a fast mode is somewhat lacking for action shots. The menus are intutive and offer help text automatically. The larger screen is a great improvement. Thumbs up Canon, no regrets on the purchase.

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Summary: This camera was bought to replace our Canon A70 which was our 1st digital camera. It feels like we made the transition from dinosaur to speed racer! The SD600 is ...

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Summary: This camera was bought to replace our Canon A70 which was our 1st digital camera. It feels like we made the transition from dinosaur to speed racer! The SD600 is very fast, during start-up, pic-to-pic, and during focusing. With the DIGIC processor it's difficult to take a bad picture. The rechargable battery has worked great, lasting a long time even with extensive photo sessions. Definitely buy on-line for the price break.

We are so impressed that we bought one for our friend that is graduating from college!

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Summary: Being the Canon fanboy that I am with their multifunction photo printer(MP500), camcorder(Optura300), 35 m.m., and now my second powershot camera, I have been greatly impressed by ...

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Summary: Being the Canon fanboy that I am with their multifunction photo printer(MP500), camcorder(Optura300), 35 m.m., and now my second powershot camera, I have been greatly impressed by this particular camera.

It's highly pocketable, very durable, as well as functional. The buttons are laid out in a logical manner and makes it easy to get to all the options and customization available. The screen is sharp, bright, and vivid enough to see it outside on a bright day. The all metal casing is durable and doesn't smudge. I also like the fact that all Canon cameras have a place on the side for users to attach a lanyard; it makes it much easier to carry the camera.

Now onto the image quality. What can I say, the pictures are terrific. All of my shots have turned out just bright enough and pefectly matched colors. Macro shots are great, but I use the optical viewfinder for better shots, it's very hard to frame what you're going to take correctly. Zoom shots look great and allow you to really capture detailed shots. The digital zoom is functional as the Digic II processing does a good job of smoothing out the picture for a usable and printable shot. I recently had a chance to capture some recent fireworks, and they also turned out amazing. The color swap feature is pretty cheesy, but I've actually had a lot of fun with it and have gotten some really good shots with that function.

You'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between a video from a low-end camcorder and this digital camera. There's no lagging on action shots. A complaint is that only the digital zoom is functional when in movie mode. This works fine, but it'd be nicer to zoom in with the Canon optics to avoid the noise when you utilize the zoom. It looks okay up until 4x.

Playback on the screen is much more enjoyable than my previous SD110. The screen is vivid and there are now transitions. The screen also automatically rotates the picture depeneding on your orientation of the camera. So now when you take a portait shot, all you have to do is turn the camera and you can see the entire picture on the entire screen as it was meant to be seen. The tv-out function is also nice allowing you to watch those movies, which really look like a camcorder shot the video.

The speed of this camera is also very nice. You can take several pictures at once without worrying about the camera being able to process in time. I've also yet to miss a shot as the camera turns on immediately.

Prints turned out great on this camera with my multifunction printer. Incredibly crisp and even looks better than chemical developing at the stores.

I found that the camera was very affordable as there were a number of rebates available for it at a local store, but with all the discounts online, this is still a very affordable camera especially since it shouldn't be outdated for at least another 5 years.

Overall, it's a great camera, although the optical viewfinder could have been better placed to avoid smudging the screen as well as bigger. If you have the money, spring for the SD630.

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