Customer Reviews

Sony Cybershot DSC-S600 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I just got my camera a few days ago. After days of research, I chose the DSC-S600 because:

1. It was under 200 bucks.
2. It is incredibly easy to use.
3. It has a very bright flash.
4. It has AF illuminator so it focuses well.
5. It sings a little song when it turns on.
6. It takes pictures without me having to do anything.
7. 3X optical is standard, and good enough for me.
8. 6MP is really all a regular guy/girl needs...
9. Carl Zeiss Lens. I don't know what that means, but cool.
10. You can quickly and easily access your files without installing their software if you want...unlike many Kodak cameras.

I am disappointed that:

1. The camera runs on AA batteries, but this is kind of an advantage if you were to run out on vacation...plus you can get 4 NiMH batteries and a charger for 25 bucks.

2. The software is good...it organizes pictures but has absolutely no editing features. This is okay, because I have access to PhotoShop CS2 at school, but for you it might be important to know.

3. The camera doesn't have many scene modes--just the standard 6 or 7 rather than the 16 that the Olympus cameras have.

So, I'd say buy it. Other cameras I considered:

1. Nikon Coolpix L1 (overpriced)
2. Panasonic DMC-LZ2 (no AF illuminator lamp)

Remember to buy:

1. At least a 512 MB Memory Stick Pro Duo to take 160 or so pictures in one go (50 bucks or so).

2. Rechargeable AA batteries and a charger (25 bucks or so).

3. Case (10-15 bucks or so).

I still cannot believe a 6M camera at $200.00! I've been using Sony cameras for some time and this was an upgrade from my older 4M. Similar features, but I recall I bought my old one at $400.00! Expect to get nice large prints (>16X20) from this 6M if you're into printing posters or large photographs. (If you don't care about larger prints, a 4M is plenty!)

I didn't give it 5 stars for 3 reasons:
1. The camera is a bit heavier than others in the 6M range (non-SLR of course). Nonetheless, comfortably fits in your pocket.
2. It may prove challenging for some with larger hands as the size is smaller than others.
3. No rechareable batteries included.. Plan on buying some. Keep regular ones for emergencies only!

Highly recommend a 512M memory stick (or two 256Ms). I would also turn off the digital zoom.

A bientot.

P.S... don't expect WiFi for $200.00 price!

Update 6/9/2006:

I have had the camera now for a few weeks and have taken several hundred pictures. I am still very happy with it. A few things to add:

- The wide-angle lens is even more of a benefit than I originally thought. It makes a difference at, say, a restaurant table, where you can get everyone in the picture without having to go to the other side of the room. And the corresponding lack of long-range zoom hasn't bothered me at all.

- I hadn't expected to make much use of the video capability, but the quality is so good that I'm using it instead of my camcorder for brief action shots of my toddler. Make sure you get the faster Pro version of Memory Stick Duo in order to be able to use the highest video resolution.

- Some users report the camera shutting down with the lens sticking out after only a few shots. I had this issue too, but it was due to nothing more than dead batteries. Alkaline batteries get used up very quickly in digital cameras, and tend to die suddenly, leaving too little power even to withdraw the lens. Sony should reconsider their decision to ship alkalines with the camera as this has led many people to have a poor first experience with thic product.


Original review posted in April 2006:

Here are the features of this camera that are most important to me as a casual snapper, based on my frustrations with a 4-year-old Nikon E775:

- It takes AA batteries, which are available everywhere so you're never stuck with a dead rechargeable.
- Small size, pocketable, despite taking AA batteries (Canon A series cameras are huge compared to this).
- Robust: see the reviews of Canon SD series cameras complaining about easily breakable LCD. Lens retracts completely.
- Sensitivity: ISO 1000. There's some noise at that setting, but I'll take noise rather than underexposure or blur.
- Wide setting of lens is wider angle than most (31mm equivalent). Good for group shots or landscapes.
- Powerful flash - some cameras have less than 10 feet range. This has over 20 feet.
- Quick start up and no shutter lag. Search Google for sites that compare shutter lag and next-shot delay on current model cameras.
- Camera connects directly to computer via cable, doesn't require a special "dock" that I would probably forget to pack on a trip, or I might lose it or break it.
- Standard mini-USB connector on camera, not a proprietary one, so if I lose the cable it is easy and cheap to replace.

Things that are less important to me:

- Display size. 2 inch is plenty for me.
- Megapixels: I am happy with my current 2MP camera. Nothing less than 4MP is available from any vendor, so this wasn't a factor. 6MP on this camera is more than enough. I'm considering setting it to capture 3MP images for smaller file size.

Downside:
- It's slightly fatter than I would like, but still pocketable. For a camera that's similar but thinner, consider the Sony DSC-P200, but that has a proprietary rechargeable battery and a weak flash.
- It uses Memory Stick Duo, so figure in an extra twenty bucks or so compared to the cost of SD memory for competitors' cameras, depending on how much capacity you buy.
- No macro mode, but who uses this anyway on a point and shoot?
- Wide angle lens with 3x zoom means that the telephoto end of the range is only 93mm. Would benefit from 4x optical zoom.

Rechargeable batteries are essential for everyday use, as they both outperform and outlast alkalines. I purchased the Sony BCG-34HE4 battery charger which includes 4 AA NiMH 2500mAh batteries. I chose this charger for price and small packing size as well as its smart charging features.


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After doing a lot of research on digital cameras, I decided to ignore the reviews from people whose cameras were defective, and bought the Sony DSC-S600 for myself.

With the first camera I was sent, I noticed a problem almost immediately. The POWER button did not work consistently. I would have to press it any random number of times (5 to 50) to turn the camera on or off. When the camera was on, it took beautiful photos and video clips. I have no complaints at all about picture quality. That's why I gave this product 2 stars instead of 1. Had the camera worked properly, I would have given it 5 stars.

Since I spent $200 on the camera and another $60 on a 1GB memory stick, I decided to exchange it for one that worked properly. After reporting the problem, Amazon sent a new camera to me overnight. I was happy to find that the POWER button worked well on the new camera, and I thought that would be the end of my problems. Unfortunately, a few hours later, the camera spontaneously shut off, leaving the shutter open. Now, every time I try to turn the camera on, the word ACCESS will appear on the screen for a split second, then it turns off again. It sounds like the same problem a few other reviewers had.

Needless to say, I am regretting my decision to purchase this camera. I know I shouldn't expect much for $200, but I definitely expected to receive a camera that works for more than 2 hours. Since I already invested $60+ on the Pro Duo memory stick, I'm going to give it another shot with a new camera. Here's to hoping that the third time's the charm.

I bought one of these a couple of weeks ago. I took a few shots with it and then the shutter wouldn't close, the power button worked intermittently etc. as reported by others. Then I changed the (supplied) alkaline batteries for NiMH's and this camera has been fine. It drained those alkalines in a dozen or so shots, but the same NiMH's (2300mAh) have been in there since then for several movies and many more stills. I agree with all the compliments I've read about picture quality and ease of use.

I upgraded from a Sony DSC P52 to the DSC-S600 digital camera. The reason for my "upgrade" was that I dropped the camera in the mississippi while canoeing. The previous camera stopped working, so I bought this one, only to find out after a week when the camera dried out, that it was functioning as good as new! That re-enforced my decision of having bought a Sony product again!

The good points: Very easy to use, just aim and shoot on "auto". Those who are overwhelmed by technology and just want to get good pictures, well, you just need to put in the battery and then the camera asks you for the time (first time use) and you are ready to go without even adding any memory, thanks to the 32 MB built in memory.
The picture quality is really good. I did not find much difference in the 2MB and 6MB setting. The flash range is good and the screen size is good. Camera is nice to fit in a pant pocket, but not a shirt pocket. This uses 2 AA batteries and so not having a charged battery is not an issue.
Areas Sony Corporation could improve on:
1. Sony left out the date imprint option on this model. I hope in the shorterm, if they could let their included software do the job (the files saved shows the date of shot along with the fle information).
2. My previous model had the LCD screen offset from the outer surface. This one is almost flush and hence chance for scratches etc.
3. Sony removed the capabilty to connect the camera to the TV! Any way one could download to the laptop and then use a cable to see the pictures on the TV screen.
4. The thickness can be reduced further. The other dimensions are fine.

Just to balance, off, I am very happy with the camera and after reading the latest issue of the consumer reports magazine, I was happy to note that Sony had the lowest percentage of problems compared to any other camera including Canon. My experience with the previous camera has shown that the design is very robust and can take a lot of rough handling. I would not hesitate to buy another Sony again (albeit, I would wait a week if I did drop this in the water again!)

Looking to purchase our first digital camera, we did considerable research, online and in stores, searching for a simple point-and-shoot camera that would be easy to use for those with very little experience with digitals. We came down to the Sony S600 because of the price, the megapixels, the reasonably compact size, and the ease of use. We are very pleased with this camera. Soon after we received it we took it on vacation and got some beautiful pictures. The 6MP allow for enlarging and cropping sections of pictures, which is a plus for novice photographers who may not always be the best at framing a shot. We bought Sony rechargeable batteries (BCG-34HE4) to use with the camera and they work quite well and have long life. Recently, my husband took the camera with him on a trip to Mexico and once again got great pictures. For this trip he used the Energizer E2 lithium batteries so he wouldn't have to keep track of the battery charger, and got long life out of those as well. We highly recommend this camera for beginning photographers.

I purchased this camera so that I would have a "pocket camera" as I usually use a digital SLR. The size and handling are great. The pictures are pretty crisp.

My only complaints are that the battery life seems to be very low. I just purchased rechargeable batteries and they work somewhat better, but you should make sure you always have a spare set with you.

I also am not really happy with the zoom quality, but this may not be a fair assessment since I am used to a bigger camera.
Also, the LCD panel is very difficult to see on a sunny day, almost useless.

Otherwise, for a small backup camera, the Sony has worked out quite well. I would definitely recommend it as a model to carry in your purse or pocket as a backup, but if you're going on the vacation of a lifetime..... go with something bigger.

I got this camera as a gift from one of my friends, its simply amazing. Its exremely easy to use, very compact. It can easily fit inside your jeans pocket.

Battery usage is great. I was able to use the camera for 3 days on 2 Alkaline batteries, with a lot of snaps and videos and picture previews. I am sure it will run much longer on NiMaH Batteries.

Picture quality too is damn good, 6 MP is more than suffecient.
The quality if the Muvi Clips too is simply great.

The only problem with this camera is that it does not have TV out.

I suggest to invest in a 1 GB Card.

I bought this camera not too long ago and have had some use out of it. I bought it more for fun and wanted a good digital camera for not a too expensive price. I would say you definatley get your money's worth! For $200 how can you go wrong, not too mention it is 6mxp! Takes excellent pictures, I was amazed at the excellent quality of the pictures! Has the black and white and sepia feature as well, which I also liked! I do highly recommend purchasing at least a 256mb memory pro duo chip, if not a 512mb. Also I would definatley buy the Sony Ni-Mh 2500 batteries for the camera to! As we know, digitals suck power! On the downside, I wish it had a bigger zoom, but thats my only complaint!