Nikon Coolpix $600: slow speed, controls bog down sleek camera.(REVIEWS: CONSUMER TECH)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)

THE $299.95 NIKON COOLPIX $600 is a slow 10-megapixel point-and-shoot (with a 4x optical zoom) that suffers from a difficult-to-use interface. You will spend most of your initial time with this camera either trying to navigate the controls or studying the instruction manual to figure out where everything is. On the plus side, it's an attractive and easy-to-hold model that produces some nice images under the right conditions.

Start-up time is short--just nil 0.7 seconds. (Nikon claims it has the fastest start-up speed in its class.) But the shutter lag time is slow at 2.8 seconds, and shot-to-shot will set you back 3.2 seconds, or 4.7 seconds with flash. Battery life is decent--but not spectacular--at 190 shots per charge.

The $600 took some nice outdoor photos, producing clear images with accurate color representation. Indoors, however, photos tend to come out a bit grainy and blurry, especially at higher ISO settings.

Pressing a menu button lets you change settings on ...