Canon PowerShot SX600 HS Review

The Canon PowerShot SX600 HS camera has an extensive zoom range that fits into a tiny point-and-shoot camera chassis. This feature is in addition to the camera’s improved connection and artistic possibilities. Furthermore, the powerful 18x optical zoom of the Canon PowerShot SX600 HS camera gives customers the high-quality optics that the pocket-sized Canon PowerShot SX camera series is known for. This zoom range is equivalent to 25-450mm.

The Canon HS SYSTEM is created when a 16-Megapixel CMOS sensor and Canon’s DIGIG 4+ Image Processor are combined in the SX600 HS camera. This enables the camera to perform very well in low-light conditions.

Although Canon classifies this model as one of its “high-end, sophisticated digital cameras,” it is not. Instead, it has more in common with the budget-friendly Elph series that the camera manufacturer produces. You may have overlooked the SX600 HS because it was described as “advanced,” but you might consider giving it another chance.

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Canon PowerShot SX600 HS 16MP Digital Camera (Black)

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Last update was on: January 19, 2024 8:58 am
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See: Best Memory Cards for Canon PowerShot SX600 HS

The Nikon Coolpix S9600 (or the S9700) has a higher photo quality, while the Samsung WB350F is better for people seeking the most significant wireless capabilities. In addition, both cameras have a zoom range of 22 times.

Canon PowerShot SX600 HS Performance

The performance of this camera is roughly in line with that of others in its class, such as the Samsung WB350F, even though I wouldn’t consider it a rapid camera. It takes 1.7 seconds from turning the camera on to taking the first shot, and there is a 1.1-second delay between shots. It starts the flash drives, which can take up to around three seconds of waiting time.

Canon PowerShot SX600 HS Shutter

When shooting in good lighting, the time from pushing the shutter release button to taking the picture without prefocusing is slightly under 0.2 seconds. Still, it takes nearly 0.4 seconds when shooting in poor illumination. This is with the lens set to its most wide-angle position; when photographing a low-contrast subject with the lens set to its most zoomed-in position, you should anticipate a somewhat longer time to focus.

On the Canon SX600 HS, there are two choices for continuous shooting. You can shoot at full resolution at up to 4 frames per second or a reduced resolution of 4 frames per second for up to 10.5 frames per second. However, because the focus and exposure are both established with the first picture, regardless of which method you employ, it is doubtful that all of your photographs will be sharp if the subject of your photo is moving quickly.

In addition, if you are shooting with the camera set to Auto mode, the focusing mechanism will frequently focus on something other than what would seem to be the intended topic. The issue is that there is no way to bypass or circumvent it. When I wanted to take a quick shot but couldn’t choose my subject, this became an unbearably irritating experience. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been accustomed to using a smartphone, where I can tap the screen to bring the topic into focus.

Canon PowerShot SX600 HS Features

The Canon PowerShot SX600 HS is more similar to Canon’s ultra-compact Elph line in design and feature set than it is to Canon’s SX series. In the same vein as the Elphs, the SX600 is compact and lightweight, and its controls have been simplified for photographers who don’t typically switch out of Auto mode.

For instance, there is no dial for selecting the shooting mode; instead, a switch with three settings allows you to choose how you wish to shoot. The other controls are standard, except the Mobile Device Connect button, which is unique to Canon cameras. This button allows you to select a computer or smartphone in advance and then connect to it with the push of a button.

If you press it, it will switch on the camera’s wifi when you enter your mobile device’s wifi settings and choose the camera as the connection type. The procedure is finished when the software called Camera Window is opened.

You may use wifi to transfer photographs and movies straight to mobile devices for viewing, editing, and uploading. Additionally, you can use the wifi to sync the GPS on your mobile device to geotag your photos, which is convenient given that this camera does not have a GPS that is built in. You can also wirelessly send photographs directly to a photo printer or back them up on a computer linked to the same network as the camera.

Last, the application may function as a remote viewfinder and a shutter release. It only has a zoom, self-timer, shutter release, and flash (provided you have the pop-up flash attached), but it helps take pictures of wildlife and large groups of people. However, it cannot be used to begin or terminate the playback of a video.

Although Canon included NFC in the SX600 HS for Android devices, few people take advantage of it. If you haven’t already downloaded the CameraWindow app on your smartphone, you may open the Google Play store by tapping your device against the camera. This will allow you to get the software on your device. After then, it can only be used to start the application. You will still need to activate the wifi on the camera and connect your device to it by choosing the camera from the available wireless networks on your smartphone.

Other cameras from Sony, Panasonic, and Samsung with NFC will automatically start the app and manage the connection procedure. This will make shooting and sharing photos and videos far simpler. They also use NFC to easily transmit individual photographs to your phone by tapping the camera and the device together.

Using wifi will, as you probably have guessed, significantly decrease the time your battery will last. The battery life is perfect for regular shooting and comparable to the other models in its class. However, taking a lot of videos, utilizing the wifi connection, turning up the screen’s brightness, and repeatedly zooming in and out can reduce the battery life.

As I said before, the switch on the back of the camera next to the thumb rest is used to change the shooting mode.

The highest setting is reserved for Canon’s Hybrid Auto mode, which immediately records a brief video clip before taking each still image. When you have finished shooting for the day, the camera will compile all of the still photos and short videos you took during the day using Canon’s Smart Auto scene recognition feature and compile them into a movie for you. The end product is essentially a highlight reel of honest moments.

The Creative Shot option initially introduced on the ultra-compact PowerShot N released the previous year has been given a facelift and now occupies the center position. When you take a picture of something, the camera will automatically make five versions of the image using different color and tone settings, crop settings, and style settings, in addition to preserving the original photograph.

The previous version did not allow you to exercise any control over the effects that were applied. In addition, you can now select which type of filters (Retro, Monochrome, Special, or Natural) you want the camera to use out of the total of 46 available filters.

The final spot is reserved for Smart Auto in addition to everything else. After moving the switch to the bottom of its travel, you must push the Func. Next, set the button to access the menu of available shooting modes. Unfortunately, this model has no shooting modes that allow you to adjust the shutter speed and aperture directly; if you want those features, you must purchase the SX700 HS or one of the other SX models. Program Auto is the closest one, enabling you to manage different camera aspects, such as the ISO and the white balance.

Canon PowerShot SX600 HS Image Quality

The SuperFine JPEG option at 16 megapixels was used to capture each sample photograph included in this study. This setting results in an image that is around 8 megabytes in size on average.

For a camera that comes in at a relatively affordable price point, the SX600 HS can produce stunning photographs. The detail is sharp across the whole frame and is not as prone to being smoothed out by noise reduction as in many other cameras with sensors of equal size.

As a result, the tiny details in nature images are preserved very well. They are not smeared into a painterly mush, as is all too commonly the case with cameras operating in this market segment. In addition, the reproduction of vibrant and full-bodied colors contributes to the overall allure, as do faultless exposure metering and dependable white balance.

In high-contrast areas, an optical phenomenon known as chromatic aberration, sometimes known as purple fringing, can be seen. However, this phenomenon is rarely intrusive. Despite the lens’s wide variety of focal lengths, it performs poorly in the distortion sector. When shooting at wide-angle, there is only a trace of barrel distortion; when zoomed in, there is no discernible pincushion effect. The sharpness in the corners is good. However, the detail is not nearly as distinct as in the center.

Compared to its otherwise remarkable performance, the SX600 HS’s picture noise levels are a significant drawback for the camera. You may notice fine grit if you view images captured with an ISO of 400 or below at their full resolution. However, this is a common characteristic of cameras that use a 1/2.3-inch sensor. In addition, the amount of color speckling that may be seen when you ratchet the sensitivity to ISO 800 is less tolerable.

At an ISO of 1600, the issue is noticeable even when examining the photographs at a scale of fifty percent or less, and the detail has also deteriorated significantly. Check out the indoor sample photos if you want to observe the issue since it is not immediately apparent in our ISO picture quality test samples. Although the problem is not severe enough to make the photos useless, it is unfortunate that the camera is not on par with many of its competitors in this respect.

Canon PowerShot SX600 HS Specifications

Body typeCompact
Max resolution4608 x 3456
Other resolutions3264 x 2448, 2048 x 1536, 640 x 480, 4608 x 2592, 3264 x 1832, 1920 x 1080, 640 x 360, 4608 x 3072, 3264 x 2176, 2048 x 1368, 640 x 424, 3456 x 3456, 2448 x 2448, 1536 x 1536, 480 x 480
Image ratio w h1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9
Effective pixels16 megapixels
Sensor size1/2.3″ (6.17 x 4.55 mm)
Sensor typeBSI-CMOS
ProcessorDIGIC 4+
ISOAuto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
White balance presets5
Custom white balanceYes
Image stabilizationOptical
Uncompressed formatNo
JPEG quality levelsSuperfine, Fine
Focal length (Equiv.)25–450 mm
Optical zoom18×
Maximum apertureF3.8–6.9
AutofocusContrast Detect (sensor)Multi-areaCenterFace Detection
Digital zoomYes
Macro focus range5 cm (1.97″)
Number of focus points9
Articulated LCDFixed
Screen size3″
Screen dots461,000
Touch screenNo
Screen typePureColor II G (TFT)
Live viewYes
Viewfinder typeNone
Minimum shutter speed15 sec
Maximum shutter speed1/2000 sec
Aperture priorityNo
Shutter priorityNo
Manual exposure modeNo
Subject/scene modesYes
Built-in flashYes
Flash Range3.50 m (50 cm – 3.5 m (W) / 1.0 m – 2.0 m (T))
External flashYes (Canon High Power Flash HF-DC2)
Flash modesAuto, Manual Flash On / Off, Slow Synchro
Continuous drive3.9 fps
Self-timerYes (2 or 10 sec, custom)
Metering modesMultiCenter-weighted spot
Exposure compensation±2 (at 1/3 EV steps)
Resolutions1920 x 1280 (30fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
FormatH.264
MicrophoneMono
SpeakerMono
Storage typesSD/SDHC/SDXC
USBUSB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
HDMIYes
WirelessBuilt-In
Wireless notes802.11 b/g/n with NFC
Environmentally sealedNo
BatteryBattery Pack
Battery descriptionRechargeable Li-ion Battery NB-6LH
Battery Life (CIPA)290
Weight (inc. batteries)188 g (0.41 lb / 6.63 oz)
Dimensions104 x 61 x 26 mm (4.09 x 2.4 x 1.02″)
Orientation sensorYes
GPSNone
GPS notesvia mobile (linked to a compatible smartphone)

Canon PowerShot SX600 HS Conclusion

  • Product
  • Features
  • Photos

Canon PowerShot SX600 HS 16MP Digital Camera (Black)

& Free shipping
Last update was on: January 19, 2024 8:58 am
$199.95 $299.00

Even if it does not excel in any one area, the Canon PowerShot SX600 HS is a good option for photographers who are looking for a straightforward upgrade from a smartphone camera but do not want to give up the ability to share photos on the move.

Canon PowerShot SX600 HS FAQs

When did the Canon SX600 HS come out?

In January 2014, Canon made the PowerShot SX600 HS consumer camera available.

Is Canon PowerShot SX600 HS a good camera?

The Canon PowerShot SX600 HS is a camera that is generally considered to be of high quality due to its small size and many features, such as its 18x zoom lens, built-in wifi, and the capability to photograph in RAW format.

However, it is possible that it does not provide the same degree of manual control or picture clarity as cameras with a higher price tag.

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