Quick Overview

The Canon PowerShot SD600 retains the original classic look conceptualized by Digital ELPH designer Yasushi Shiotani. Beyond its looks, Canon adds cutting edge technology that delivers what discriminating photographers want in a camera. It features a 2.5” LCD screen, 6 Megapixel resolution, and 3x optical zoom with UA lens. You get sharp pictures faster with its DIGIC II, iSAPS and 9-point AiAF (Artificial intelligence Auto Focus).

A total of 16 shooting modes are available, plus you get My Colors in-camera photo effects, which is great for special effects to enhance your shots. Movie clips can be recorded at 30fps in VGA mode.

Canon SD600 Features

What all that technical stuff boils down to is this: the Canon PowerShot SD600 is a stylishly compact and solidly built camera that allows you to take really good pictures not only outdoors in bright sunlight but also indoors and in other low-light situations. Most digital cameras fail at indoor pictures, but not the SD600. In addition, its Auto setting automatically sets faster shutter speed to minimize image blurring.

At 2.5 inches, the LCD screen allows you to compose your shots and review them without eyestrain. The screen also has a wide angle of view, making it easier to share playback with others.
With 16 shooting modes, a bad picture is a thing of the past. The camera’s shooting modes include Auto, Manual, Portrait, Indoor, Underwater, Night Snapshot, Color Swap, Kids and Pets, Sepia, Black and White, Stitch Assist, and more. You can even apply My Colors photo effects before and after taking pictures. This allows you to customize your images even without a computer. Color Swap and Color Accent modes let you apply color effects to images and movies without the help of a computer or image-manipulation software. You can also take underwater pictures with the optional waterproof case.

If you want to take a video clip, the SD600 won’t let you down. You can record 30fps VGA movie clips up to 1GB in size. A memory card is necessary to expand the camera’s 16MB Canon memory card. The Compact recording mode allows you to record up to 3 minutes in low resolution for convenient email sharing.

Printing multiple images has never been easier. The SD600’s Print menu simplifies printing directly to any PictBridge-compatible printer even without a computer. Of course, you can still download your images to a computer and print from there.

What’s in the Box

This is what you get out of the box: Canon PowerShot SD600 digital camera, Lithium battery pack NB-4L, 16 megabyte memory card SDG-16M, battery charger, Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM, wrist strap, USB interface cable, and AV cable.

Accessories

If you go for underwater shoots, you will need the optional waterproof case (Canon WP-DC3 for the Powershot SD600). You can bring the camera underwater up to 40 meters deep. You may also find the Soft Leather Case useful, along with the PowerShot metal and leather neck strap and compact AC power adapter. Although the camera comes with a battery pack NB-4L, you may want to have an extra battery pack handy for those “just in case” moments.

The Powershot SD600 comes with a 16MB Canon memory card, which you will find woefully inadequate for all those images and videos you plan to take. The camera is compatible with SD/MMC memory cards. The cost of memory cards has gone down, so you should get a 2GB card at the very least. A Sandisk memory card has a faster speed, so you may want to get this. Otherwise, the Kingston memory card is a good alternative.

What You Will Like About the PowerShot SD600

People who buy digital cameras usually want two things in a camera: it must be easy to use and must take excellent pictures. That’s exactly what the SD600 does. In addition, it is solidly built and ultra-compact. Amateur photographers will find the Auto Focus mode helpful (just point and shoot), while more experienced photographers will like that it also allows manual shooting. One of the best things about it is the good photography even in low light.

If you’re concerned about the 6MP resolution, especially now that 8MP and 10 MP digital cameras are common, just keep in mind that you won’t notice the difference unless you intend to make large poster size prints with your pictures.

What You Might Miss

If you’re a big fan of personalized images, you may be a bit disappointed that the camera has no titling capability. It does not have a calendar feature either, and there is no indicator meter for the battery. You can’t tell how much battery you have left until the camera dies on you.
Unlike other models like the SD700, this digital camera does not have an “anti-shake” feature, but you will get sharp pictures nonetheless. If you have a problem with shaky pictures, try shooting through the viewfinder. This will give you a firmer and more stable grip.

The Bottom Line

This is a great camera for the price, and it takes good quality pictures even in low light. It’s very compact and easy to use. If you are looking for a no-fuss, point-and-shoot camera, the Canon PowerShot SD600 fits the bill perfectly. You can purchase it at Amazon for only $474.99.

The A480 will come in silver, red, blue, or black.  It has a 3.3x Canon optical zoom and has 15 preset shooting modes.

“Whether you’re 7 years old or 70, the PowerShot A480 offers a great-value way to discover the fun of taking pictures,” stated Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging at Europe. “This camera brings Canon’s unrivalled image quality to its widest audience yet.”

The phone is available in Europe, but no word on whether it’ll be released in the U.S. yet.  The retail price is about £129.00 (US$189)

[via DPreview]