Here are a few images that accurately reflect the abilities
of any given camera model. The images are altered only in
terms of size and sharpness after reduction and by the JPEG
compression used. Unless otherwise mentioned, assume that
any marbling or artifacts visible in the images are due to
the compression required to display them here. We feel however,
that they still faithfully represent the results we experienced.
STILL LIFE PHOTO
This subject is photographed in a room that has
a mix of fluorescent and incandescent light, but which is not
brightly lit. The camera's flash is used to add fill light.
The backdrop is 1.95 m (6.5 ft) from the camera.
To capture this image the sensitivity was set to Auto, allowing
the camera to increase it as necessary to obtain a bright
image.
With the zoom at the wide angle end, the camera benefits
from the brightest aperture of the lens, f2.8, and yields
a good image without having to the increase sensitivity.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f2.8
Exposure:
Program
Shutter
Speed:
1/40 sec.
Resolution:
2816 x 2112
Flash:
On
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
80
File Size:
2.3 MB
Focal Length:
31 mm (35 mm
Eq.)
As can be seen with this image,
at this distance and with the assistance of ambient light, the
flash adds enough fill-light to produce a clear image with no
loss of brightness in the corners. The effect of the compression,
however, can be seen as well. While the image is sharp, some
loss in the finer details is detectable. Similarly, a bit of
noise can be seen in the darker areas.
ZOOM PHOTO
The intent with this photo is to test the sharpness of the image
at the zoom's maximum setting, with the camera remaining at the
same distance as in the preceding photo.
Zooming in, the DSC-S600 increases sensitivity to 100 ISO
to compensate for the darker maximum aperture available at
the telephoto end of the zoom.
We note that the telephoto image exhibits more saturated
colours than the wide angle one, possibly as a result of the
increase in sensitivity.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f5.1
Exposure:
Program
Shutter Speed:
1/40
sec.
Resolution:
2816 x 2112
Flash:
On
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
100
File Size:
2.7 MB
Focal Length:
93 mm (35 mm
Eq.)
We also note that the zoom image
captures a slightly greater level of detail, which translates
into a larger file size. Noise is well controlled, and remains
comparable to the 80 ISO image.
Aperture: f2.8, shutter speed: 1/6
sec., 80 ISO.
MACRO PHOTO
The DSC-S600 does not offer a user selectable Macro mode,
but its lens can focus on a subject at a minimum distance
of 12 cm (4.8 inches) at the wide angle end.
This allows capturing close-ups, and at its minimum focus
distance the S600 is able to capture a field of view of 12.5
cm (5 inches) when measured horizontally across the frame.
BUILDING PHOTO
This image is our outdoor test. The architecture
of the building, in particular the angled girders, immediately
show the presence of jaggies. The shadowed entrance can also
often reveal the quality of the exposure.
After a fall rain shower, the S600 captures a clear image
with well saturated colours. When seen at 100% on a monitor,
the image has good sharpness overall, but is a little less
sharp in the corners.
We can see that the metering has favoured the highlights,
causing the shadows to be quite deep.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f7.1
Exposure:
Program
Shutter Speed:
1/320 sec.
Resolution:
2816 x 2112
Flash:
Off
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
80
File Size:
2.7 MB
Focal Length:
31 mm (35 mm
Eq.)
Similarly, we can see that there
is a complete absence of barrel distortion, and that the chromatic
aberration under the beams of the canopy is quite light.
ZOOM PHOTO
Zooming in on the entrance of the building,
the shadowed entrance takes on a greater importance for the
metering and can cause an overexposure of sections that are
directly lit.
With the zoom at the full telephoto position, the metering
yields an image with an exposure that is as good as the one
captured at the wide end. The highlights are perfectly exposed
but the shadows are a little bit deeper than ideal. Nevertheless,
the image reveals details behind the green-tinted glass doors,
and the colours are entirely consistent with those recorded
in the wide angle shot.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f5.1
Exposure:
Program
Shutter Speed:
1/250 s.
Resolution:
2816 x 2112
Flash:
Off
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
80
File Size:
2.6 MB
Focal Length:
93 mm (35 mm
Eq.)
With a wide angle end that has
a field of view that is wider than most3X zooms, the S600
looses a bit at the telephoto end. Still, as can be seen,
there is no pincushion distortion. Similarly, there is no
chromatic aberration, although the image contains some rather
strong contrasts.
As with other shots, a bit of noise can be discerned in the
shadows, and the compression has caused the loss of some of
the finer details, such as the words printed on the yellow
sign attached to the right side door.
Test Photos
