Canon PowerShot SD600 6MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (OLD MODEL)

This is one of the last good cameras that Canon made before it decided to move onto plastic bodies and a more rounded shape such as their SD750, SD630. The SD1000 is the SD600 successor but is boxier with respect to the 600. I like the 600 because it has a sturdy body and is compact. I bought the leather case that goes with the camera and the case fits like a glove on the camera protecting it in case I drop it. The screen is a decent size and this camera is one of the few I liked which still had an optical viewfinder instead of just the LCD showing what I was going to take a picture of.Picture quality is 4/5. I had a Sony 5MP camera before I bought this Canon one and the Sony one just had a crisp clearer picture. Canon has decent image quality nonetheless and accepts SD which is less proprietary than Sony's Memory Stick and less expensive of course. Canon also is known for the different modes in which pictures can be shot, with color especially. It's nifty if you want to play with the functions (because it has so many) and if you're hanging out with your friends and want fun pictures. Indoor shots are decent and the pictures don't tend to be blurry even when taken with an unsteady hand.With a 2GB memory card, you can snap around 1100 pictures in 6MP format. Also the multiple snapshot function works well when you're taking candid pictures of people and at parties. You can always delete the ones you don't like later when you transfer them to the computer via a card reader or USB. Video recording is a bit on the rough side when it comes to recording a show because the image will blur in and out.One of the bad things about the camera/video/play switch is that sometimes you mean to take a picture and you end up recording a movie which is kind of cumbersome because you miss a really great picture moment.It's not the slimmest camera out there like the Sony T7 but it can definitely compete in the other departments like different modes and a more widely accepted memory format. If you're looking for a fashionable camera and it has to be compact as well, I would definitely recommend this camera among the others.Battery life is 5/5. (Lithium ion battery is much better than the rechargeable AAA batteries.)Image quality 4/5Functionality 4/5 (buttons are a bit squished)Cost-Benefit 5/5

I've had five Canon digitals: the tough-as-nails S230, the reasonably robust s410 (though the rotary settings dial failed there, happily I had the AMEX extended warranty), the ultra-rugged G2 and the excellent Digital Rebel XT. Oh, and the brand new frail and feeble Canon PowerShot SD600.Oh, it's not a terrible camera. It's inexpensive, the images aren't worse than the s410, the shutter lag is somewhat less ... but I expected more. Yes it's smaller -- but only outside of the case. Put it inside the somewhat bulky case (you wouldn't want to carry this fragile gem any other way) and it's about the same size as the s410 in its case.So the size drop doesn't bring much practical value, but the large display and small size have some unfortunate side-effects. The flash is microscopic and the battery looks too small to power the big display for long. Speaking of the big display, it doesn't leave much room for the almost invisible controls. Yes, the display is nice for doing on camera image review and editing, but we do that on the 20" iMac display. It's made for consumers who don't use a computer.Maybe it was the lack of space that made Canon remove the mechanical switch between 'Auto' and 'Manual' settings. That hurts. My wife uses auto, I use manual. The switch used to be foolproof, now it requires quirky menu navigation.And so we come back to the build quality. On the one hand the camera has a one year warranty. On the other hand it probably doesn't cover the camera door coming off in your hands. This camera is 'Made in Japan', but evidently that doesn't mean what it once did. The first time I inserted the SD card it wouldn't pop out again, though it did on a second try.The Digital Elph's had an enviable reputation for solid construction, Canon has tossed that out the window. If I were Canon's CEO I'd be calling for an internal inquiry.A few positives to end with. It still uses a standard mini-B USB connector and Canon's compact and plugless wall charger is as well designed as ever. For the price it may still be a competitive offering, but in the past I used to tell friends to save their time and buy Canon. Now I have to tell them to look around first.