Casio Exilim Card EX-S600 6Mp camera

Review This, the latest edition to the company's range, without a doubt strengthens Casio's Exilim Card camera collection. The EX-S600 combines ultra-compact design with stylish looks and high-resolution six megapixel snaps...

The 600 also plays host to a few neat technologies such as image stabilisation in both still and video recording, the latter allowing you to take 640 x 480 movies at 30fps with audio.

Movies with sound are not the only things you'll hear when using the 600 - there'll be many an "ohh" and many an "ahh" uttered around you as mates turn the svelte little all-metal camera over in their hands. The 600 really is very small, only 1.4cm wide at its thinnest point. Its "Card" moniker is very fitting.

Such a small camera can conversely become a bit of a handful to use, however, as anyone with larger hands will become all fingers and thumbs if they're not careful. A tiny on/off button partners a shutter release on the sliver-like top plate. The camera's large 2.2in colour screen plays host to the other controls. This screen lacks resolution for my liking but is bright, colourful, and easy to use in all but the brightest of conditions.

The 3x optical zoom lens control is integrated nicely with the camera's wrist strap lug. Above the screen are the playback, still image mode and video recording release buttons. Menu activation is via a button adjacent the square four-way jog-style control with a central Set button for confirming options. At the bottom is the Bestshot button. This is the entry point for the massive array of subject (or scene) modes, which range from the usual portrait, landscape and night scene pre-sets to a few more esoteric offerings.

These include both Food and Text modes; a Collection setting optimised for Macro photography; a high sensitivity setting that boosts the ISO rating to 1600, as does the additional Anti-shake mode - the 'usual' sensitivity settings run from 50 to 400. There's even an Old Photo mode, which can restore the colours in faded photographs if you use the EX-S600 to copy them.