Digital Camera Review by: Michael Gazzola

The Exilim Pro EX-P600 is a digital camera for those with a taste for grunt in the compact / prosumer range. At 6 mega pixels, Casio has raised the bar offering those looking to purchase a 5 mega pixel camera a step up. The option to produce images on an A4 sized canvas with every click will be very tempting for a 'pixel-hungry' market, especially since Casio are using a Canon lens. Yes, you read correctly.

There is a small price to pay though, in that you will need a large capture card to store the EX-P600 images. The inbuilt memory is far too small at just 9.7mb, which captures just 3 images at its highest resolution - so a capture card of 128mb or 256mb is a must!

The packaging for this camera is similar to the EX-Z40, sharp and well presented. It reflects the digital device inside and also the quality it produces. At 6 mega pixels, this camera gives many 'pro-sumer' models on the market a serious run for their money.

The camera has a 6 mega pixel capture producing workable jpeg size files that upload to your PC fairly quickly. The EX-P600 also uses the Photoloader software (included), which, as mentioned in previous Casio reviews is fantastic and very user-friendly. Scrolling through uploaded images, browsing thumbnails or viewing data about the settings applied to any given shot makes the experience of shooting in digital that little bit more interesting.

The Casio EX-P600 body size has got to be one of the smallest in it's 6MP class. The outer case appears to be finished in stainless steel, with a hint of chrome. The body design is not going to win any awards, but the quality and size of images it produces is more than enough to balance up the equation.

Like other Casio models reviewed, the EX-P600 has a very easy user-friendly navigation system for the photographer. All the key functions are where they should be located and more often than not are only one step, or press of a button away. There is also a hot shoe option should the photographer wish to plug in a studio flash or portable flash. A great idea in my book as no space has been lost or design principal compromised.

Overall, I liked this camera and will enjoy further experimenting with the many functions on offer. If you're considering a 5 or 6 mega pixel camera, this is one that needs to be on your list... if the price is right.

Appearance rating	3.5 stars
Functionality rating	4.5 stars
Image quality rating	4 stars
RRP (AUD)
Effective Pixels	6 Million
Image Sizes	6 Sizes / 3 quality modes and TIFF
Lens - zoom wide [mm]	7.1mm (35mm equivalent of 33mm)
Lens -zoom tele [mm]	28.4mm (35mm equivalent of 132mm)
Resolution Settings	From 640x480 to 2816x2112
Quality Modes	5 Individual. Plus auto and manual
Manual Focus	No
Auto Focus	Yes
Focus Range [cm]	10cm to infinity
Aperture Range	Auto / F2.8 - F11.1
Aperture Priority	Yes
Macro	Yes
Macro Range [cm]	10cm
Shutter Speeds	Bulb, 60 to- 1/2000
Shutter Priority	Yes
ISO	4 Options. 64 - 400. Plus auto.
LCD Monitor	Yes
LCD Size	2.0-inch digital interface TFT color LCD
Viewfinder	Yes. Optical real-image zoom viewfinder
Flash	Built In. 3 mode options. Plus auto.
Hot Shoe	Yes
White balance	7 options. Plus auto and manual.
Self Timer	Yes. 2 or 10 Seconds.
Auto Power Off	Yes. 2min or 5min.
Sleep	Yes. 30sec / 1min / 2min / Off
Movie Options	Yes. Only limited by card size and battery.
Audio Options	Yes. Only limited by card size and battery.
Video Out	Yes.
Storage Type	SD / MMC Cards
Storage Included	9.7Mb Internal.
Image / Audio Formats	Jpeg / AVI / Wave
Connectivity	USB.
Power Source	Rechargeable battery and AC adaptor included.
Dimensions	97.5mm x 67.5mm x 45.1mm
Weight	225 Without batteries

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