The S602 is my third digital camera, and by far the best. It has every feature I wanted in a camera and a lot more to boot. The 6x optical zoom is incredible, the movie quality is great, and the plethora of settings allow you to take pictures in nearly any condition. The camera is easy to hold and control, though it's bigger than a standard camera. You won't fit the S602 in your pocket, and most smallish camera bags are out.

I was a "point and shoot" guy before this camera, but I've now learned the basics of "real" photography and am sure the S602 will see me through the rest of my years of photography. My previous cameras had some of the features of the S602 (such as ISO settings), but I rarely used them, so I was concerned that this camera was going to be "wasted" on me.

The good news is that the S602 is laid out in such a way that using the advanced features is easy. In my old camera, I had to go into the menu, scroll all around and then change the ISO settings. On the S602, it's a couple of button presses, and I've found that I tinker with the shutter speed, aperture etc more with regularity. This allows me to take better pictures without having to wait 5 minutes to set up the shot.

The only complaint I have is that it takes some time to learn how to work all the features. But then again, with this many features, it would take some learning on *any* camera.

Overall I highly recommend this camera for anyone looking to do professional or semi-professional photography. For anyone just looking to snap a few simple shots, it's overkill and a waste of money.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 580
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts