Canon PowerShot SX600 HS review
A likeable camera with a big zoom, but last year's model is better
Specifications
1/2.3in 16.0-megapixel sensor, 18.0x zoom (25-450mm equivalent), 187g
Our image quality tests followed a similar pattern, making a strong first impression but revealing problems under scrutiny. The lens performed reasonably well throughout most of its zoom range, but telephoto shots suffered from chromatic aberrations and poor corner sharpness. Noise was reasonably understated when shooting in direct sunlight, but noise reduction softened details when insufficient light caused the ISO speed to go up.
There’s not much to fault in this brightly lit shot at a medium focal length, with sharp details and little evidence of noise. Highlights are over-exposed but the camera has done a decent job of balancing highlight and shadow detail
The hair texture in this ISO 100 shot looks a little indistinct and noisy
Details aren’t so sharp here, with blooming around the white swans and noise reduction taking its toll on the dense grass texture
This shot at the full zoom extension suffers badly from chromatic aberrations
There’s a big difference between detail levels at the centre and edge of the frame in this telephoto shot
Noise is understated in this indoor shot at ISO 640, but details are pretty vague – note the indistinct smudge of colour in the iris
Ultimately, these kinds of problems are far from unusual, especially in pocket ultra-zoom cameras where a slim lens has to cover a large focal length range. However, the bottom line is that the SX600 HS doesn’t match the standard set by last year’s Canon SX280 HS. It’s disappointing that Canon has moved from a 12- to a 16-megapixel sensor, as this has done little to boost detail levels and only really served to raise noise levels. While there’s nothing desperately wrong with the SX600 HS, we’d much rather spend the same amount on the SX280 HS.
Basic Specifications | |
---|---|
Rating | *** |
CCD effective megapixels | 16.0 megapixels |
CCD size | 1/2.3in |
Viewfinder | none |
Viewfinder magnification, coverage | N/A |
LCD screen size | 3.0in |
LCD screen resolution | 461,000 pixels |
Articulated screen | No |
Live view | Yes |
Optical zoom | 18.0x |
Zoom 35mm equivalent | 25-450mm |
Image stabilisation | optical, lens based |
Maximum image resolution | 4,608×3,456 |
File formats | JPEG; MP4 (AVC) |
Physical | |
Memory slot | SDXC |
Mermory supplied | none |
Battery type | Li-ion |
Battery Life (tested) | 290 shots |
Connectivity | USB, AV, micro HDMI, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Body material | aluminium |
Lens mount | N/A |
Focal length multiplier | N/A |
Kit lens model name | N/A |
Accessories | USB cable |
Weight | 187g |
Size | 62x104x26m |
Buying Information | |
Warranty | one year RTB |
Price | £199 |
Supplier | http://www.wexphotographic.com |
Details | www.canon.co.uk |
Camera Controls | |
Exposure modes | auto |
Shutter speed | auto |
Aperture range | f/3.8 (wide), f/6.9 (tele) |
ISO range (at full resolution) | 100 to 3200 |
Exposure compensation | +/-2 EV |
White balance | auto, 5 presets, manual |
Additional image controls | i-contrast, contrast, saturation, sharpness, red, green, blue, skin tone |
Manual focus | Yes |
Closest macro focus | 5cm |
Auto-focus modes | multi/face detect, centre, tracking |
Metering modes | multi, centre-weighted, centre, face detect |
Flash | auto, forced, suppressed, slow synchro, red-eye reduction |
Drive modes | single, continuous, self-timer |