Casio Exilim EX-S600

April 10th, 2006 | by Vince Veneziani

Features and Design

Design has played a key role in the creation of Casio's Exilim EX-S600. The camera is extremely thin and fits easily into crevices inside a purse or backpack. For taking pictures, you can use a MMC or SD card to store photos. It is available in 4 vibrant colors: Luminous Gold, Mistral Blue, Fiesta Orange, and Sparkle Silver (we got our hands on the Mistral Blue version and it truly looks spectacular). The camera features PictBridge, which gives you the ability to download pictures directly to a printer rather than going through a PC.  For your viewing pleasure, pictures and previews are available on a crisp 2.2” LCD screen that has just the right amount of space to take a picture correctly. Unfortunately, no regular viewfinder exists, so if you accidentally drop this camera and damage the screen, you're out of luck.

Unlike many other digital cameras on the market, the buttons on the EX-S600 are very easy to use and navigate with. There is a dedicated power button next to the shutter button on the top of the camera, a record button for movies, zoom functionality via separate buttons for panning in and out, and picture mode and playback mode buttons. Next to the huge LCD display you'll find a menu button and a button labeled “BS.”  This isn't what you think it is...it actually stands for “Best Shot,” an option Casio has created that sets up your camera to capture the best shot available. Options for Best Shot include portrait, scenery, party, and a slew of others. Lastly, you'll find a 4-way directional pad for navigating through pictures, menus, etc., which is very easy to use.

The camera comes in a nice-looking box and includes some accessories, such as a lanyard, video out cable, battery, charger, and dock. The dock is nice, but also poses a problem. Casio expects you to only use this camera in your home. The only way to get pictures off the camera is to either use the included dock or take out the memory card and use a reader. This can be a huge pain; the ability to use a mini-USB cable here would have been a nice touch. Instead, you'll have to drag the dock around wherever you go in order to charge the camera or to get pictures off of it.

Image Courtesy of Casio