Nikon S600 Performance

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Nikon Coolpix S600 Performance

Timing and Performance

Good to slightly slower than average speed for a consumer camera.

Startup/Shutdown
Power on to first shot	1.0 second	Time it takes for LCD to turn on, lens to deploy and take a shot.
Shutdown	1.2 seconds	How long it takes to retract lens.
Buffer clearing time	2 seconds (2 seconds buffer after 20 L/F JPEGs)	Worst case buffer clearing time. -- This is the delay after a set of shots before you can remove the card. Some cameras won't retract their lenses and shut down until the buffer is cleared.

The Nikon S600 tested with good startup and shutdown times.

Mode Switching
Play to Record, first shot	1.1 seconds	Time until first shot is captured.
Record to play	1.9 seconds	Time to display a large/fine file immediately after capture.
Display recorded image	2.4 seconds	Time to display a large/fine file already on the memory card.

Mode switching times are also good.

Shutter Response (Lag Time)
Full Autofocus Wide	0.38 second	Time from fully pressing shutter button to image capture, zoom lens at wide angle position.
Full Autofocus Tele	0.48 second	Time from fully pressing shutter button to image capture, zoom lens at telephoto position.
Full Autofocus Wide, Flash Enabled	0.67 second	Time from fully pressing shutter button to image capture, zoom lens at wide angle position, with the flash enabled.
Prefocused	0.188 second	Time to capture, after half-pressing and holding shutter button.
Continuous AF	0.38 second	This mode usually shows no speed increase with our static subject; we have no way to measure performance with moving subjects.

Shutter response is better than average at both wide angle and telephoto, at 0.38s and 0.48s respectively, and "prefocusing" the camera by half-pressing and holding down the shutter button before the final exposure results in a lag time of only 0.188 second. Very good results.

Cycle Time (shot to shot)
Single Shot mode Large Fine JPEG	2.08 seconds	Time per shot, averaged over 20 shots.
Single Shot mode 640x480 JPEG	2.01 seconds	Time per shot, averaged over 20 shots.
Early shutter penalty?	Yes	Some cameras don't snap another shot if you release and press the shutter too quickly in Single Shot mode, making "No" the preferred answer.
Continuous mode Large Fine JPEG	0.81 second (1.24 frames per second); 10 frames total; 1 second to clear	Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first.
Continuous mode 640x480 JPEG	0.80 second (1.24 frames per second); 10 frames total; 1 second to clear	Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first.
Flash recycling	5.6 seconds	Flash at maximum output.
*Note: Buffer clearing times measured with a SanDisk Extreme III SD memory card. Slower cards will produce correspondingly slower clearing times. Slow cards may also limit length of bursts in continuous mode. ISO sensitivity also affects cycle times and burst mode performance, with higher ISOs generally increasing cycle times and reducing burst performance.

Shot-to-shot cycle times are a bit slower than average, at about 2.08 seconds for large/fine JPEGs, though the camera does capture frames continuously at this rate. The Coolpix S600 also drags a little in its Continuous modes, capturing 10 large/fine frames at 1.24 frames per second before slowing down, regardless of resolution. The flash takes 5.6 seconds to recharge after a full-power shot, which is about average.

Download Speed
Windows Computer, USB 2.0	2,125 KBytes/sec	Typical Values: Less than 600=USB 1.1; 600-769=USB 2.0 Low; Above 770=USB 2.0 High

Connected to a computer or printer with USB 2.0, download speeds are fast.

Bottom line, the Coolpix S600 won't be a good choice for sporting events or any fast-paced action, but is responsive enough for most family photo opportunities. It has slightly sluggish cycle times, but overall performance should be sufficient for normal shooting conditions.

Battery and Storage Capacity

Battery
Below average battery life for a lithium-ion design.

Operating Mode	Number of Shots
Lithium-ion Rechargeable Battery, (CIPA standard)	190

The Nikon Coolpix S600 uses a custom rechargeable lithium-ion battery for power, and ships with a charger. Battery life is a little below average, so we strongly recommend you pick up a spare battery (or two) and keep it freshly charged and on-hand for extended outings.

The table above shows the number of shots the Nikon S600 is capable of (on either a fresh set of disposable batteries or a fully-charged rechargeable battery as appropriate), based on CIPA battery-life and/or manufacturer standard test conditions.

(Interested readers can find an English translation of the CIPA DC-002 standards document here. (180K PDF document))

Storage
The Nikon Coolpix S600 accepts SD/SDHC memory cards (no card included), and has about 45MB of internal memory.

Image Capacity with 45MB Internal Memory		Fine	Normal
3,648 x 2,736	Images	8	14
3,648 x 2,736	File Size	5.4 MB	3.0 MB
3,072 x 2,304	Images	-	20
3,072 x 2,304	File Size	-	2.2 MB
2,592 x 1,944	Images	-	27
2,592 x 1,944	File Size	-	1.6 MB
2,048 x 1,536	Images	-	45
2,048 x 1,536	File Size	-	985 KB
1,024 x 768	Images	-	147
1,024 x 768	File Size	-	305 KB
640 x 480	Images	-	294
640 x 480	File Size	-	153 KB

We strongly recommend buying a large capacity SD/SDHC memory card at least a 2GB card, preferably a 4GB one, to give yourself extra space for extended outings and video with the Nikon S600. (Check the shopping link above, cards are really cheap these days, so no reason to skimp.)