The big problem with the way digital cameras are developing is that the upgrades are all flash and no substance. What good is it to have the camera filled with gimmicks when the picture quality is bad, one could ask himself. The PowerShot SD600 goes easy on the features and focuses on the basics.

The controls are on the back of the camera, next to the LCD and you get to control camera functions with a basic four-way-plus-OK switch, with instant access to ISO, flash, macro, burst, and shutter settings. There is also a mode slider, as well as display, menu, and print buttons and the top side is home for the shutter release, the zoom rocker, and a power button. It has a standard f/2.8-to-f/4.9, 3X zoom lens (35mm-to-105mm equivalent) and offers a basic feature set highlighted by a few notable capabilities. The screen is ok, a 2.5-inch LCD which can be accompanied by an optical viewfinder, something which is not very usual.

The downside is that it doesn’t have some features which are in other models, but there is nothing very bad; it lacks built-in memory, image stabilization, manual exposure control, and a live histogram. The performance is very good, it is also very fast even in dim light. It delivers 2.1fps. The image quality has no major flaws and you have to look a lot to find vignetting or pincushioning. The colors are saturated at all speeds.

Also, another good thing is that the high-ISO performance will eliminate the need for flash in most cases, but there will be some noise at that setting. Not too much, but you can hear it. So, top-notch build quality, very good image quality and fast performance, but there are no special features. Price is $249.94.