The Casio EX-ZR1000 is the new, raw-capable flagship model in the manufacturer’s High Speed Exilim line-up, featuring a 24-300mm equivalent lens and newly designed user interface that includes a function ring and a hinged rear display. Powered by the Exilim Engine HS, the Casio Exilim EX-ZR1000 boasts performance indicators such as a start-up time of 0.99 second, auto focus lag of 0.15 second and a minimum shot-to-shot time of 0.26 second. Users can operate a Step Zoom with nine settings in addition to the regular zoom by rotating the function ring mounted around the lens. The function ring also allows them to set the exposure value (EV) shift, shutter speed, manual focus, and white balance. The maximum continuous shooting speed of the EX-ZR1000 camera is 30fps (up to 6fps with auto focus). A fixed-focus “snapshot” mode allows users to take “decisive-moment” photographs with no focus lag at all. Pricing has yet to be announced.

Casio Press Release

Casio Releases Third-Generation High Speed EXILIM Camera with Improved Comfort and Beauty

Flagship Model Equipped with New Graphical User Interface and Hardware as well as Functions That Make the Most of High Speed Technologies

Norderstedt, September 18, 2012 - Casio Europe GmbH and its parent company, Casio Computer Co., Ltd., today announced the release of a new model in the High Speed EXILIM line of digital cameras-the EX-ZR1000. Equipped with a 24mm*1 wide-angle lens and 12.5x optical zoom, the EX-ZR1000 inherits the renowned quick shooting capabilities of every High Speed EXILIM, and comes equipped with a newly designed, high-quality graphical user interface (GUI). Brand-new features include a function ring and Tilt-type LCD for noticeably better operability and superior shooting performance compared to previous models.
*1 When converted to 35mm film format

When Casio released its EX-F1 in 2008, the camera’s shooting speed of 60 shots per second was the world’s fastest.*2 The product created a new market for Casio’s High Speed EXILIM technology, which can record motion too fast for the human eye to see. Casio then combined its high-speed shooting and high-speed image processing technologies to develop its new EXILIM Engine HS in 2010. This new engine was included in the EX-ZR10, a high-performance model that outdid conventional compact digital cameras with its high-speed shooting response and high-speed burst shooting functions.
*2 As at January 6, 2008, based on a Casio survey of consumer market digital cameras.

With the new EX-ZR1000, Casio has aimed to design a compact digital camera that can beautifully capture all the moments that users want to preserve. Powered by the EXILIM Engine HS with a newly developed system that aims for a “TRIPLE ZERO” solution for eliminating time lag, blur, and camera shake, this new product represents the third generation of the High Speed EXILIM line.

The EX-ZR1000 offers high-speed shooting capability, with a start-up time of 0.99 seconds,*3 a high-speed auto focus of 0.15 seconds,*4 and shooting between frames in as little as 0.26 seconds.*5 The camera is fitted with a user-friendly GUI designed for easy and intuitive operation so that photo taking is always a relaxing and pleasurable experience. Various new hardware features compliment the GUI including a function ring that enables zooming with the left hand, graphic indicators, a synchronized control dial, and an LCD that tilts, letting users take pictures at different angles. All together, these features make for quick and easy operability.
*3, 4, 5 Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) standard compliant

Befitting this new stage of Casio’s High Speed EXILIM, the EX-ZR1000 is fully loaded with new shooting functions designed to realize instantaneous TRIPLE ZERO performance. These include AF burst shooting that continues to automatically focus on moving subjects even during continuous shooting, along with Casio’s All-In-Focus Macro function that ensures well-focused photos by keeping every area of the shot in focus from close-up subjects to background scenery. Also included is High-Speed (HS) Night Shot, a feature that eliminates camera shake in dark environments, even at the maximum light sensitivity level of ISO 25600.

A 10-year commemorative EXILIM package that includes a Genuine Leather Jacket Case and a neck strap in a gift box along with the EX-ZR1000 is also being made available with the launch of this product.

Main Features of the EX-ZR1000

Equipped with EXILIM Engine HS Version 3 with newly developed system
The EX-ZR1000 employs a newly developed system for Casio’s EXILIM Engine HS, which consists of a reconfigurable processor and a vector graphics core. The vector graphics core smoothly produces two-dimensional images, while the reconfigurable processor combines high-performance functions and high-speed processing via a dual-CPU, two parallel image processors and various other new technologies. These improvements deliver best-ever high-speed shooting capability, including 0.99-second*6 start-up time, 0.15-second*7 high-speed auto focus, and as little as 0.26-second*8 shooting between frames. The camera also boasts a high-quality GUI. The display is very easy to view, making for intuitive operation.
*6, 7, 8 CIPA standard compliant

Fitted with a function ring and control dial for intuitive and quick operation
Casio has remodeled the EX-ZR1000 with a new graphic user interface and synchronized hardware to enable more intuitive operation. Users can operate a Step Zoom with nine settings in addition to the regular zoom by rotating the function ring mounted around the lens. This lets users take successive shots by pressing the shutter with the right hand while zooming in and out with the left hand. The function ring also allows users to set the exposure value (EV) shift, shutter speed, manual focus, and white balance. In addition, the control dial mounted next to the LCD is synchronized with all settings shown in the display, enabling users to quickly change settings while looking at the LCD.

Camera stand and a Tilt-type LCD lets users enjoy shooting from various angles
The EX-ZR1000’s LCD can tilt up to 180 degrees, helping users to shoot photos from various angles as well as take self portraits with the LCD tilted at a 180-degree angle. Self portraits can also be taken when you are away from the camera by using the motion shutter, which snaps the photo in response to the subject’s movements. Additionally, the built-in camera stand, which allows the user to stand the camera either horizontally or vertically, opens up even more photographic options.

Snap photography for successive shooting
Using the neck strap and the Tilt-type LCD with a fixed focus makes it easy to take snap photos without any focus time lags.

AF burst shooting keeps moving subjects in focus even while continuously shooting
Casio has accelerated the frame rate in the auto focus (AF) mode and optimized the camera’s lens drive control, image sensor control and AF algorithm for parallel processing of AF operations and high-speed continuous shooting. This makes it possible to achieve AF burst shooting up to 30 frames and as fast as six frames-per-second, which makes it possible to take clear photos of moving subjects such as children and pets.

All-In-Focus Macro and Blurred Background deliver total focus control with high-speed continuous shooting
The EX-ZR1000 comes with All-In-Focus Macro, which selects only in-focus areas from continuously shot images at different focus settings to produce a composite image. This achieves photos with every area coming out in focus, from foreground subjects to far-away backgrounds, which are hard to produce using a conventional camera. Also, Casio has employed its high-speed continuous shoot technologies to create Blurred Background, an original technique for processing the background scene of a shot like the soft blur effect attainable using a single-less reflex camera, thereby accentuating the subject of the photo. Users can select from three different processing levels of blur effects to set the background focus just as they wish.

Premium AUTO PRO function produces beautiful photos with just a press of the shutter button
The Premium AUTO PRO function automatically analyzes the shooting scene to choose the best settings and perform image processing. It automatically combines images from high-speed continuous shooting according to shooting conditions to create gorgeous photos. Users can easily take sophisticated photos at the press of the shutter button, thanks to the automatic activation of functions such as HDR technology, which combines photos of differing exposures to handle high-contrast conditions, as well as High Speed Night Scene mode for night shots and High Speed Anti Shake for high-power zoom shooting, both of which combine highly sensitive, continuously shot images, taken with camera shake kept at a minimum, to reduce noise in the resulting image. For movies, the Premium AUTO Movie function automatically analyzes the scene to choose the best settings, by detecting people, landscapes, night scenes, macro subjects, blue skies, foliage and low light.

HDR technology faithfully reproduces images as they really appear, avoiding under- or over-exposure

HS Night Shot eliminates camera shake even in dark settings
With Casio’s HS Night Shot, the EX-ZR1000 detects shooting conditions and conducts high-speed burst shooting of numerous frames determined automatically with a level of light sensitivity as high as ISO 25600. High-precision positioning alignment technology suppresses any low-frequency camera shake that may not be completely eliminated by the optical Anti Shake correction function. Casio’s latest image-processing technology also completely removes low-frequency color noise, which has typically been very difficult for cameras to eliminate. These technologies work together to produce beautiful photos with minimal blur, even in low-light conditions.

HDR-ART for creating artistic photos; freedom to create artistic images with ART Shot
Users can create artistic photos using Casio’s HDR-ART function, which combines continuous shots with differing exposures while performing advanced analysis to locally change the intensity of contrast and color saturation. Users can now choose from a total of five different processing levels of art effects to enjoy creating more freely expressive images, as two more levels have been added to the three previously available. These two new effect levels employ state-of-the-art advanced tone mapping technology to produce impressive tonal gradation for more dynamic photos. Additionally, ART Shot offers eight different filters for creating the artistic photos of the user’s preference: toy camera, soft focus, light tone, pop art, sepia, monochrome, miniature and fisheye. Users can change the color and processing levels of each filter, and can view the effect on the display and adjust the result prior to actually taking a picture. Even better, all of these filters can be used for shooting movies, too.

Capture every image with and without filter processing with a single press of the shutter
The HDR-ART function simultaneously saves both the filter-processed image and the standard photo with a single press of the shutter button.

Scenes come alive in their full expansiveness with the Wide Shot function
The EX-ZR1000 combines continuous shots taken with high-speed continuous shooting when the user is moving the camera, enabling powerful super-wide-angle shots. Users can choose wide-angle shooting modes equivalent to 14 mm or 18 mm.
Slide Panorama captures 360-degree panoramic images
The Slide Panorama function detects moving subjects and faces and adjusts them appropriately as the camera is moved, allowing users to create more natural-looking panoramic images just by panning the camera across a scene.

Multi Frame SR Zoom maintains refined image quality with exceptional clarity to a maximum zoom of 25x
The wide-angle 24 mm, 12.5x optical zoom lens offers zoom performance equivalent to a maximum of 25x optical zoom with Casio’s Multi Frame SR Zoom, which actually combines a number of still images to maintain the image quality needed for high-resolution photography.

Manual shooting and Raw Image shooting mode for the enjoyment of photos taken just the way you like
There are also a variety of manual shooting features such as shutter speed priority, aperture priority, and manual exposure. The EX-ZR1000 is also equipped with a mode for saving raw images, a first for a High Speed EXILIM, made possible by the EXILIM Engine HS.

Mode dial for rapid access to shooting modes
The EX-ZR1000 is fitted with a mode dial that lets users quickly choose from 10 shooting modes, including Premium AUTO PRO, ART (which combines the HDR ART and ART Shot functions), and a Custom mode that allows the user to save favorite function settings.

Works with Eye-Fi™/FlashAir™ for wireless connection to computers and smartphones

The EX-ZR1000 is compatible with Eye-Fi™/FlashAir™, making it possible to wirelessly send photos and movies to a computer or smartphone.

Your Comments