Canon PowerShot SX600 HS

A likeable camera with a big zoom, but last year's model is better

Canon PowerShot SX600 HS review: Picks up where your phone leaves off without sacrificing easy sharing

The 16-megapixel PowerShot SX600 HS is sort of an oddball in Canon's SX and S models.

Though there's nothing extraordinary about it, the SX600 HS is a solid choice for snapshooters wanting a simple step up from a smartphone without sacrificing on-the-go sharing.

The Canon PowerShot SX600 HS delivers easy automatic shooting options; very good photo and video quality; and a useful zoom range with optical image stabilization in a slim; lightweight package and at a reasonable price.

The lens is slow; so indoor use of the zoom lens is limited; the autofocus can be frustratingly inaccurate at times; and low-light photo and video quality are merely OK.

Canon PowerShot SX600 HS Review

The Canon PowerShot SX600 ($249.99) is a slim camera that somehow manages to squeeze an 18x zoom lens into its svelte body. The 16-megapixel camera features Canon's unique Creative Shot mode, which adds color filters and unique crops to your images, and it's got Wi-Fi so you can share images as soon as you capture them. It's not quite an Editors' Choice winner; its images are a bit too noisy for it to earn that recommendation. Our current favorite compact zoom is the Nikon Coolpix S9700( at Amazon), which is more expensive, but has a longer 30x lens and does better in low light. Design and Features At 2.4 by 4.1 by 1 inch (HWD) and 6.6 ounces, the SX600( at Amazon) is one of the smaller and lighter long zoom cameras out there. The Samsung WB350F( at Amazon) (2.5 by 4.5 by 1 inch, 7.6 ounces) comes close, but it's just a little bit larger and heavier. Canon offers the camera in white, black, or red; regardless of color, the body has rounded edges and a modest, but comfortable, bum...

The Canon PowerShot SX600 HS is a slim camera with an 18x zoom lens and Wi-Fi, but its images are on the noisy side.

Sharp lens; Quick focus; 18x zoom range; Creative Shot function; Wi-Fi

Noisy images; No high-speed burst shooting; Limited control when using Creative Shot