Casio Exilim EX-S600

Opinion: I have had the camera for approx two years. It is easy to use and easy to bring along, due to the very small size. However compeared to my previous camera the Canon Ixus 65 the usablity of Ex-S600 is significantly poorer. Eg. quick adjustment of ISO values and Marco shots are much better with my previous Ixus 65 camera. If it wasn't for the below (annoying) problems I have experienced, this would be a very good bargain!

Opinion: I'm a contractor and record all phases of remodel and construction. The Ex-S600 has taken over 12,000 high quality images that I regularly forward to clients. It seems to work very well in all lighting situations and I love the 'best shot' feature. I bought a 10mp EX-Z1050 and don't like it nearly as much. I have a Nikon D-80 but still prefer the shirt pocket version of the EX-S600.

Opinion: This camera was bought for me to use at work since it can fit right in my pocket. I find the size is amazing and it works well enough for a point and shoot. The movie mode also comes in handy. The software that comes with the camera is useless. Mine holds a charge for a decent amount of time, even during prolonged usage.

Opinion: Well, first of all I was looking for the smallest camera possible and that is about it. It was between this and the Sony T9/T10. I ultimately chose this because of the bad reviews I have read on both the T9 and T10 and because there was a significant difference in the price.

The only reason that I did not put 5 for Construction is because the lens pops out of the camera instead of being contained like with the Sony. However, this is barely a problem because the camera turns on and off so quickly that you will rarely miss a shot due to the camera not being ready. I still had to take it in to account though, because it was probably one of the thigns I like the most about the Sony.

Now, where some of the other reviewers the low quality ratings is beyond me. For my use, the pictured have turned out great, and are certainly of a quality that is satisfying to me.

The size is remarkable, and is one of the absolute best characteristics of this camera. It is well made as far as I can tell, meaning it feels solid and sturdy.

As for features...it certainly get s a five, but to be honest, I have no clue when or where I will use them. There are so many picture modes, the video mode, and then the manual adjustments on top of that, where do I start?

I highly recommend this camera if size is important to you. It is just so convenient and pocketable, you'll never even consider having it to be "something else to have to carry" when going somewhere, and you'll take it everywhere...I sure do!

Picture Quality is rated relative to the type of camera it is....not by comparison to a top of the line SLR. So, in terms of 6MP point and shoot cameras, it's a 4.5

Opinion: Ok, this is not the greatest camera ever made, nor should it be. What it is, is a well built, easy to use, highly pocketable P&S. Pushed to the end of the Telephoto, the weakness of the lens shows, but used as a take (almost) anywhere(hey, don't go diving with it!) snap camera that anyone can use, it's hard to beat.
Especially at the price of £120/$235.
Oh, did I mention the movie mode?
OMG.
This was the real clincher.
It's GREAT, I mean, really great.
This may not not be quite DV quality, but it's pretty damn close and certainly lightyears ahead of anything you can get out of a cell phone.
take a look at this and see for yourself:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/ex-s600/samples/cimg0088.avi

Opinion: If you're considering buying a Casio, you need to know why I'll never buy another Casio product again. I bought a Casio digital point and shoot about 6 months ago. I make my living as a photographer, I'm a gadget guy and I've owned dozens of point and shoots. I did a lot research and decided on the Casio. The features and design are great. Image quality is only average, but I can live with that.

I got it and was really happy with it for about 4 days. Then it wouldn't turn ON. I'd push the power button and it wouldn't turn ON for 10 - 30 seconds. So I sent it to Casio and they fixed it. ok.

I used it for a few months and was happy with it. Loved the features and design. Not thrilled about the image quality, but I could live with it.

A little more than a month ago I pushed the power button to turn the camera off and the thing freaked out. It made a weird beep or two. The lens tried to retract back into the body but failed. The screen went blank and never came back on. I DIDN'T TOUCH THE LENS BARREL.

So I wasn't happy but at least the thing was still under warranty, right? And I'd be happy after they fixed it again because it's a great camera when it works, right?

So I sent it to Casio and waited to get it back. 3 weeks later I got a repair estimate for $130. ??? They want to charge me to fix their defective product that's still under warranty? So I called their 1-800 number.

This is where it gets interesting. I called and spoke to a friendly person in the repair department. She told me they would have it reevaluated and she would call me back within 2 days. I waited 3 days and never received a call back. So I called again. Talked to another friendly person. She told me the same thing- they'd have it reevaluated and she'd call me back within 2 days. I waited 3 days and never received a call back. Called again. I was told the same thing. The friendly person on the other line apologized for not returning my calls like they said they would. She said she would call me back within 3 days. I waited 4 days with no call. Shame on me, huh?! So I called this past Friday to talk to somebody in charge... and ended up getting thrown into his voicemail... which was full.

That's why I'll never buy a Casio product again. I think I'm going to get a Fuji F30 tomorrow.

Opinion: This camera really has just about everything you would want in a P&S -- great size, solid construction, good ergonomics, unbelievable number of settings (for a P&S), intuitive menu navigation, brilliant and huge LCD screen, minimial shutter lag, dynamite battery, and so on. Just about everything.

Unfortunately, the difference in image quality between the Casio and the Fujifilm Finepix F30 I ended up buying instead is only slightly less pronounced than the gap between a disposable camera and an SLR. Now maybe I'm being a bit harsh, but not by much; the Casio only produces images of acceptable quality in bright light. Even outdoor shots on overcast days are frequently disappointing (to me). Forget about low-light indoor shots. Quality at ISO 400 is fair to poor, and at 800 it is just unjustifiably bad. Fuji and some other makers seem to have finally realized that people actually do frequently use P&S cameras in lower-light situations. Casio either does not acknowledge this fact or is simply incapable of producing a product at this price that performs these tasks acceptably. I can't rate image quality as "average," because, for me, unacceptable quality half of the time is scarcely better than unacceptable quality all of the time.

I acknowledge that I am probably more picky than most P&S buyers in this regard, but I cannot fathom how anyone who has owned a good dSLR or even another comparably-priced digital P&S from Canon to Pentax to Nikon to Fujifilm could abide this fatal weakness.

I spent many, many hours with this camera and the F30 before ultimately choosing the latter, and I really and truly wanted to love the Casio, given all of its features. There's just no getting past the low-rent lens and circuitry for me, however.

Opinion: Casio makes great ultra thin cameras but that's probably their only selling point. The image quality on this casio is OK depends where you are taking the picture, really can't expect much from this little thing, but it did improved from my previous casio a bit. However, the battery life is still amazing, super long.

In general, if you need an easy-to-carry camera, this will suit you well because of its super thin and small compact size. Not recommended for good image quality seekers.

Opinion: A Great Camera with excellent features and ergonomics.

Turns on very quickly. Very short shutter delay. 35 camera presets (called Best Shot) are easy to understand and use and put the camera into a mode that is actually useful. You can store personal camera setups if desired. Picture quality is adequate for an extremely tiny, ultimately portable camera.

MPEG4 video uses M4S2 codec; fabulous quality. Plays well with Windows Media Player 9. (Crashes QuickTime Player, but you can download Window Media Player elements from Microsoft.) 1 hr of 483kbps 640x480 @ 30fps HQ video on a 2gb SD card. 2 hrs of 256kbps 640x480x30fps in Normal, 4 hrs (more, actually) of 92kbps video at 320x240x15fps. Video is difficult to import into pro editing systems like Vegas to edit, though. Need to convert it first for editing. Can open with Windows Movie Maker and render out as DV. Can edit in iMovie on a Mac if inexpensive flip4mac plugin is purchased and installed.

Can go from still mode into movie recording instantly if desired. Cannot zoom during shooting movies but can select a focal length first (and other camera functions like saturation, sharpness, etc), then shoot movies. These settings can be saved as a user "best shot."

Great feature: the “Past Movie” mode that buffers 5 seconds of video BEFORE you press the Record button so you don’t miss the action. This is a very cool feature. Video auto exposure, focus and color balance are good in almost any light.

Audio recording: a 2 GB card will record 60+ hours (yes, sixty) mono, 4 bit. Would work great for meetings. It gets up and recording very quickly. There is an elapsed/remaining recording time readout. (This feature works for video recording also.) During recording the LCD blanks out to preserve battery, but a blinking LED reminds you it's recording.

An amazing Photoshop capability is built into this tiny camera: it has keystone correction for squaring up business cards or pictures shot at an angle.

Flat battery is easy to store when carrying a spare. Cradle attaches power and USB2 so you don’t have to remove card or battery to transfer files or recharge. Cradle works very well. Recharges fast. Battery lasts a long time.

This camera is perfect for the less than camera/computer literate person but also performs well for the guy who knows what he’s doing.

The Best Shot feature actually brings the text from the manual onto the LCD to explain how the preset will work ("Infinity focus, slow shutter for night scenes" "Macro with enhanced color for shooting food," etc). Large, sharp LCD, visible in daylight, but a little dim.

Ergonomics are well laid out. Metal body is very small. But it's also very smooth and slippery. I superglued 1/2" diameter rubbber spots on front and back to supply a small rubber grip surface.

Image stabilization works very well, especially in movie mode; also helps those longer handheld exposures to be sharper. Movies are remarkably stable as if on a tripod.

I love this camera. Everyone I show it to loves it and wants it. I thought my Minolta DiMage 50 was great. This Casio Exilim S600 is better, smaller and more capable. I don’t know how they do it.

Got it for $266 delivered, less chip, carrying case and extra battery. Takes great stills and great movies.