Canon PowerShot S60: Follow-up to the S50

Final Words

The Canon PowerShot S60 offers quite a bit of versatility with exposure modes ranging from Auto to Manual. It offers options to record in either RAW or JPG mode. It even has advanced features such as AE and FE lock. In addition, you can use the 9-point AF system or select your own Custom AF point. The S60 has an updated design improving on the layout of the S50.

We found the S60 to be a good performer overall with only a few minor flaws. It put in a solid performance in our fine line resolution test. In our general image quality samples, we found the S60 to provide sharp and even exposures with a pleasant level of saturation. Although we spotted some areas with chromatic aberrations, we feel that this does not detract too much from the general overall quality and is to be expected from a wider lens on a compact camera. We found that the Auto WB setting worked well except under tungsten lighting. However, in tungsten lighting the color reproduction was very accurate when using the "tungsten" or "manual" preset. In our noise tests, we discovered that noise does not really become a problem on the S60 until ISO 400. Also the Macro mode provided a great amount of detail in our experience.

On the other side, there are a few points that could be improved upon. Although the S60 has a decent 1.87 sec. "Shot to Shot w/out Flash" time, the time between flash pictures is pretty slow at 5.5 seconds. Also, we really think Canon should work on Auto WB performance under tungsten lighting. It is a problem that most digicams have, but the S60 seems to have more of a problem than other cameras we have reviewed so far. We were disappointed with the S60's Movie mode considering the low frame rate and limited duration. Despite these few items, we feel that the S60 is a great follow-up to the S50. Beginners will find that this camera takes great pictures with little effort and experienced photographers will enjoy its advanced features and impressive resolution.