Casio EX-H20G Review

January 31, 2011 | Gavin Stoker | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Introduction

The Casio EX-H20G is a new travel-zoom camera offering a 10x wide-angle zoom lens with a focal length of 24-240mm and CCD-shift image stabilization mechanism. The 14 megapixel H20G is the first Casio compact to feature GPS technology, complete with motion-sensor driven positioning, which makes it possible to track the camera's position even when there is no satellite signal. The camera is also pre-loaded with world atlas data and information on 10,000 landmarks around the globe. The EX-H20G additionally offers a large 3.0-inch LCD monitor with a resolution of 460,000 dots, 720p HD movies, 600-shot battery life and a fully automatic Premium Auto function for beginners. Available in black or silver/black, the Casio EX-H20G retails at £329 in the UK and $349.99 in the USA.

Ease of Use

Casio arguably pioneered the wafer-thin digital pocket camera we've come to know and love today, with the launch of its Exilim series almost a decade ago. But, as others have muscled in on that act over the last few years, most notably Sony with its T-series Cyber-shots, Casio has been looking to broaden its appeal further. Whether that be via ridiculously fast shooting speeds, its ever increasing zoom series or increasingly long battery life, with even its basic compact models now offering up to 1000 shots from a single charge - when the average from a competing compact brand is around 250.

So where does the brand turn now, and how does the Casio Exilim EX-H20G fit into the range? Well, it is a step up from the EX-H10 yet otherwise is very similar to the EX-H15 'high zoom' pocket model we reviewed last year. Like that camera this is a 10x optical zoom-sporting snapshot, with a focal range starting out at a wideangle 24mm in 35mm film terms and running up to 240mm at the telephoto end. In doing so it's as useful for shooting landscapes as it is for snapping group portraits as candid close ups from afar. Less welcome news is that the EX-H20G is expensive for a Casio compact, possessing a suggested retail price of £329. But it has a extra trick up its sleeve, more on which later.

The two cameras share very, very similar blocky styling and design, with the EX-H20G marginally taller. Like its close relative, the shoehorning in of a larger-than-average internally stacked zoom mechanism has necessitated a wider-than-average body design. This has also had the knock-on effect of causing this Casio to outwardly resemble a 'toughened' camera, when the EX-H20G is actually neither waterproof nor shockproof. With a high degree of metal detailing in the build however, it does feel very solid when held, and as if it would withstand the occasional drop or whack nevertheless. Official proportions are 102.5x67.5x28.8mm and the camera weighs 216g (marginally up on the EX-H15's 206g) with battery and card loaded, so whilst you'll certainly notice it in your pocket, it's in no way a heavy load. The solid feel also, to a degree, helps one to hold the EX-H20G steady when shooting handheld toward the extremities of the zoom. There's a gentle curve and raised edge to the bottom right hand corner of the faceplate, which forms the only concession to a handgrip of any sort.

So what else is different this time around? Well, the 'G' suffix added to the model name/number here subtly alludes to the fact that the camera includes a GPS facility - or rather something Casio is calling 'hybrid GPS' which it claims twins GPS positioning with a motion sensor. The latter is there so that the camera can still continue to determine the photographer's position if there is no GPS signal available - should you suddenly enter a cave or dungeon for example. The EX-H20G cleverly 'counts' your steps since your last known GPS position, while an integral compass provides an indication of direction. Clever stuff - potentially - and particularly useful if you're going potholing perhaps, but at the very least it's a point of difference from the other myriad point and shoots out there.

In its most basic terms this functionality boils down to the camera automatically revealing the photographer's location via a slender 'bulletin board' at the bottom of the LCD screen display when framing up a shot. But that's not all; the camera also functions as what Casio is calling a mini travel guide of sorts thanks to photos of 10,000 popular destinations - or 'photo opportunities' - having been pre-uploaded and stored, as a way of directing indecisive snappers to where their next visual masterpiece could potentially be shot.

So could the EX-H20G finally be the ultimate travel zoom compact that we at Photography Blog have long been searching for? Well, initial investigation of the GPS functionality led to the camera informing us that we lived in the neighbouring borough, but as the boundary line is a mere handful of streets away, we couldn't judge this slight miscalculation too harshly.

The other headline features ensure the rest of the must-have boxes are ticked. Whilst zoom power has remained the same as the earlier EX-H15, so has pixel power at 14.1 effective megapixels from a 1/2.3-inch CCD, both being an improvement on the 12.1 megapixel EX-H10. But whereas that earlier model made great play of being able to take users 'around the world' with a battery life of 1,000 shots, on the EX-H20G this drops to a less impressive (if still very respectable) 600, according to CIPA testing. So pack the charger - provided in the box with a mains lead - on this latest world trip.

Once again images are written to a choice of removable media, as long as it's SD, SDHC or SDXC card format. We've lost some of the EX-H15's 73.8MB internal capacity here, the EX-H20G managing a piffling 14.5MB by way of concession.

AS well as retaining the EX-H15's CCD shift stabilization to help prevent blur when shooting handheld at longer focal lengths or in low light, the EX-H20G also offers a large 3-inch LCD with better than expected 460,800-dot resolution screen. Added to the mix, there's also - but of course - 1280x720 pixels HD movie recording, here at a decent 30 frames per second (fps) and in H.264 compression format.

Casio EX-H20G Casio EX-H20G
Front Rear

One thing we did notice during our period with the EX-H20G was that, compared with most latest generation compacts and the 15x zoom Fuji FinePix S2800HD we had in at the same time, it was slightly sluggish to power up and down. Which, as this is conceivably a travel accomplice you'd want to whip out at a moment's notice in an unfamiliar location and have it ready for shooting as soon as possible, was slightly disappointing.

With a paucity of manual adjustments meaning that operation is mainly of the point and shoot variety, the Casio provides auto tracking AF, plus its own take on intelligent and smart auto functionality via the image enhancing Premium Auto function. This is secreted among its 27-strong 'Best Shot' scene and subject shooting modes, covering most common bases but here omitting the 'Art Shot' effects (watercolour, oil painting and the ilk) that were fun and surprisingly effective on the EX-H15; a shame if not a major loss.

What we do get here instead is a panorama function which impresses in operation mainly due to the machine gun-like noise of the camera taking a rapid sequence of shots as you pan with the camera in an arc - very similar in feel in that respect to shooting Sweep Panorama with a latest generation Sony Cyber-shot. Also like the Sony, the Casio stitches together the sequence in-camera automatically, so you're left with one elongated image. For photographers possibly wanting to include themselves in the picture, the Casio can further cope with shooting the full circular 360°.

Whilst it may be packing some new technology inside, like the EX-H15 from the front the EX-H20G looks smart if somewhat conventionally 'Exilim' in its square-ish design, an impression compounded by the regulation issue silver/grey of our test sample.

Whilst it's not without some style, the bulked-up appearance slightly reminiscent of the company's own G-Shock watches, the only thing initially marking this one out as a little different is an almost hotshoe-like hump above - and to the left of - the lens, upon which Casio has inscribed 'hybrid GPS'. This is where, according to the manual, the GPS antenna is housed. A couple of extra function buttons have been added to the top plate to implement the GPS feature further, and more on which in a moment.

The EX-H20G's dominates proceedings at the front of the camera. As expected it's retracted away within the body when the unit is inactive, helping to maintain as compact-as-possible dimensions for portability. Top right of this is a small window for the built-in self-timer lamp/AF assist.

Located at the other side of the lens is a small pinprick housing the built-in microphone and, adjacent to this, a narrow window housing the integral flash. This is exactly the same layout as provided on the EX-H15. As mentioned at the outset there's a slight concession to a grip provided bottom left of the faceplate, with a raised edge providing a purchase point for a couple of fingers as your thumb comes to rest on a pad or four small raised nodules at the rear, leaving forefinger free to hover over the shutter release button.

In truth though you'll want to use both hands to hold the camera as steady as possible when shooting, whereupon the thumb of your left hand inevitably smudges the back screen.

Moving to examine the camera's top plate, the shutter release button is in turn encircled by a lever for operating the zoom, the front lip of which extends sufficiently far into a recess at the front of the camera for your forefinger to effect a convincing purchase.

Over the hump for the GPS antennae we find a recessed, small, on/off button. Press this and the model powers up from cold in just under three seconds, lens extending to maximum wideangle setting from its storage position within the body. This activity is sound tracked by a mechanical buzz and bird-like chirp as the rear screen blinks into existence.

Casio EX-H20G Casio EX-H20G
Front Top

By contrast, with a half press of the shutter release button there's barely a moment's pause while the camera determines focus and exposure, AF point/s being highlighted in green accompanied by a bleep of affirmation. Go on to take the shot and with a barely discernable shutter delay, maximum 14MP resolution JPEG images are committed to memory in just two seconds, screen momentarily blanking out and then presenting a preview of the capture shot. Can't grumble about that.

Though audibly quite noisy in operation, the EX-H20's zoom is fast to respond, powering audibly through its 24-240mm equivalent focal range in just less than two seconds if you keep a finger on the 'trigger'.

As on the EX-H15, the fact that the zoom is located on the top plate has another advantage: it leaves room here at the top right of a camera back (where a zoom rocker switch might otherwise be located) for a dedicated video record button. A press of this begins the recording of a clip whichever Best Shot stills shooting mode might have been user-selected at the time. There's no mode wheel on the camera back to otherwise distract or even a button actually marked 'mode' to direct unsuspecting users - just the Casio regular of the 'BS' button.

The final two controls on the camera's top plate relate back to its globetrotting faculty. Press the first, denoted by the 'squished' globe icon - in other words the 'map' button - and you're presented with a miniaturised map of the world, with a crosshair and flashing indicator beacon hovering over your location, which in our experience he camera was near instantaneous in deciding upon. Furthermore, if you're playing back a pre-captured image, you get the positional cooardinates given as part of that images' capture information. It transpires then that the map mode has two 'sub modes'.

In the 'user image' mode photographers can display images, the locations where they were taken, and also the direction the camera was pointed when they were shot, with the ability to even track movement on the map. A subsequent button press takes you into the second active 'map' mode, which is the Photogenic Spot mode touched on earlier. This allows users to pinpoint photogenic locations on the map around the world, and is arguably more of a gimmick.

To change the scale of the map, you simply use the camera's zoom lever to enlarge a section, which is nicely intuitive and admittedly quite cool. Though you can't quite get right down to your road and house - like on Google Maps - the map will reach to within a couple of miles, naming any famous local landmarks (Heathrow Airport and Kew Botanic Gardens in our case) as it does so.

If you lose yourself, the button next to it, marked with the inverted spinning top icon is the 'current location' button. It would be useful to have a bit more information on getting up and running with these more unusual features out of the box, but Casio has just provided merely a cursory quick start manual in printed form. This does the confusing Casio thing of featuring instructions in three different languages printed across each page, so you have to pick your way through to find the relevant text with the care of navigating a minefield.

Thankfully subsequent back plate controls are a little more obvious. We get a large-ish 3-inch LCD, which, in the absence of an optical viewfinder is bright and clear as regards visibility. Swallowing up four fifths of the available space at the rear, remaining controls are ranged in a row to the right hand side. We've already mentioned the convenience of the one touch video record button - although, scandalously, the optical zoom isn't accessible in this mode, merely staying put at the point it was left when recording commenced - beneath which is a further pair of buttons, one above the other, for stills capture and playback. The user is able to swap between such modes with a single press of each, or jump back into capture mode with a half squeeze of the shutter release button.

Under this again is a familiar control pad, with 'set' button at the centre for implementing chosen menu options. With the pad marked 'display' at its 12 o'clock setting and featuring delete and flash control options at six o'clock, operation is again straightforward. As on the EX-H15, users get a choice of the usual on/off flash settings, including a red eye reducing option, plus a further softened flash.

Casio EX-H20G Casio EX-H20G
Memory Card Slot Battery Compartment

Press that central 'set' button meanwhile and a toolbar of essential shooting functions appears on the right hand side of the screen, running top to bottom. Again, this is identical to the EX-H15. So, as a time saver, this conveniently avoids having to dip into the menu folders proper and search for basic options.

From the top we have the ability to determine image quality and pixel count, flash (again) and focus options (AF, macro focus, infinity focus and even a manual option: the latter presenting a histogram and an adjustable focus distance of between 15cm and infinity). AF modes are further adjustable between intelligent AF, spot, multiple area and AF tracking. Next down the toolbar are the selectable light sensitivity offerings of between ISO80 and ISO3200, and, down one option again, choices of self timer between 10 and two seconds and a further kind of self timer bracketing option that fires three consecutive shots with an interval of a second between each. It's here too that face detection can be turned on or off, and exposure compensation adjusted between -/+ 2EV.

Beneath the EX-H20G's basic control pad is, finally, another stacked pair of buttons, for the self-explanatory menu mode and as we've previously noted, the less immediately obvious 'BS' (BestShot) scene and subject modes. So here too the photo thumbnail illustrated Best Shot modes govern all the familiar subjects from portraits and self-portraits through autumn leaves, fireworks, flowers and food, plus, more unusually, splashing water and soft flowing water.

A press of the 'menu' button meanwhile and EX-H20G owners are presented with three menu sub folders that can be tabbed between: record, quality and set up.

Within the record menu photographers can switch continuous AF, face detection and anti shake on or off, call up a nine zone compositional grid to practice the 'rule of thirds'. Within the quality folder as expected resolution of both stills (Fine or Normal) and video (HD or standard def 640x480 pixels) can be adjusted to suit the intended end purpose. It's under the 'quality' heading that we also find an alternative means of amanually adjusting exposure (+/- 2EV), white balance, ISO (ISO80-3200), metering (multi zone, centre weighted or spot) plus applying a palette of colour filters to variously warm or dampen the image. Sharpness, saturation, contrast and the intensity of the flash can further be tweaked, whilst further 'make up' and landscape effects filters can be activated for application.

In Set Up mode meanwhile, users have the ability to turn Eye-Fi and/or GPS connectivity on. Otherwise operational sounds, start up visuals and time stamps can be governed in this mode as expected, though like us you're probably most likely to access it to format the card in use and quickly delete all the images contained therein.

While operationally, that's about it for the robust and reasonably responsive EX-H20G, on the camera's right hand flank next to a lug for attaching a wrist strap we find a protected port for a single yet dual purpose AV/USB output. Unlike the EX-H15, the EX-H20G adds a further mini HDMI option for hooking the camera directly up to a flat panel TV and enjoying your movie clips on a larger wide screen display. When shooting video the screen display ratio automatically narrows to ape 16:9 aspect.

The base of the camera meanwhile features a slightly off-centre screw thread for attaching a tripod, just next to a shared compartment for battery and card. Whilst we didn't get close to the 600 images the company promises in terms of battery life, but with that sort of option here is a camera you could take away on holiday for at least a weekend - five days at a push - and conceivably not have to worry about packing a charger and compatible plug too.

Whilst the GPS-equipped EX-H20G performs ably as general purpose travel snapper, albeit noisily and a little sluggishly at times, do its images signal a move in the right direction? Do they point the way to photographic greatness, or merely lead the user into a creative cul-de-sac? Read on to find out…

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 14 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 5Mb.

Our findings with the EX-H20G largely aped our observations from last year governing the EX-H15. That's to say that, as with most Casio compacts, warm, well-saturated colours are the order of the day, shots understandably coming alive when blessed with shooting under blue skies and bags of natural light. Generally there was little in the way of visible blur from camera shake, though inevitably we did get the very occasional soft shot, particularly when shooting at the telephoto end of the zoom. Pixel fringing was also evidenced on close inspection between areas of high contrast, though again this was kept at acceptable levels.

We noticed too a slight loss of definition towards the corners when shooting at maximum wideangle setting; again not totally unexpected, given the much wider than average 24mm equivalent, as is some visible barrel distortion - disguised much better when shooting natural landscapes rather than man made ones.

With a broad light sensitivity range starting out at ISO80 this time around (to the EX-H15's even lower ISO64), up until ISO400 a sharp level of detail is maintained, fractionally softening when we come to ISO800. There's more pronounced degradation on close inspection between that setting and ISO1600. The latter is still very usable however - not bad at all a performance from this class of compact.

At top ISO3200 detail has softened across the image to limit the appearance of noise and it is beginning to take on a fuzzy, watercolour-like effect. However the EX-H20G delivers far from the worst showing we've seen at this setting on a point and shoot; some deterioration is virtually a given, what with the high pixel count on offer.

Noise

There are 7 ISO settings available on the Casio EX-H20G. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting:

ISO 80 (100% Crop)

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

iso80.jpg iso100.jpg
   

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

iso200.jpg iso400.jpg
   

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

iso800.jpg iso1600.jpg
   

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

 
iso3200.jpg  

Sharpening

Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are soft at the default sharpening setting and benefit from some further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. You can also change the in-camera sharpening level to suit your tastes.

Original (100% Crop)

Sharpened (100% Crop)

sharpen1.jpg sharpen1a.jpg
   
sharpen2.jpg sharpen2a.jpg

Focal Range

The Casio EX-H20G's 4x zoom lens provides a focal length of 24-240mm in 35mm terms, as demonstrated below.

24mm

240mm

focal_range1.jpg focal_range1a.jpg

Chromatic Aberrations

The Casio EX-H20G kept chromatic aberrations largely under control during the review, with some purple fringing present around the edges of objects in high-contrast situations, as shown in the examples below.

Example 1 (100% Crop)

Example 2 (100% Crop)

chromatic1.jpg chromatic2.jpg

Macro

The Casio EX-H20G offers a Super Macro setting that allows you to focus on a subject that is 7cms away from the camera when the lens is set to wide-angle. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject (in this case a compact flash card). The second image is a 100% crop.

Macro Shot

100% Crop

macro1.jpg macro1a.jpg

Flash

The flash settings on the Casio EX-H20G are Auto, Flash On, Flash Off, Soft Flash, and Red Eye Reduction. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.

Flash Off - Wide Angle (24mm)

Flash On - Wide Angle (24mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64
   

Flash Off - Telephoto (240mm)

Flash On - Telephoto (240mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64

And here are a couple of portrait shots. Neither the Auto setting or the Red Eye Reduction option caused any amount of red-eye.

Flash On

Flash On (100% Crop)
flash_on.jpg flash_on1.jpg
   

Red-eye Correction

Red-eye Correction (100% Crop)

flash_redeye.jpg flash_redeye1.jpg

Night

The Casio EX-H20G's maximum shutter speed is 4 seconds in the Night scene mode, which isn't good news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 4 seconds at ISO 80. I've included a 100% crop of the image to show what the quality is like.

Night Shot

Night Shot (100% Crop)

night1.jpg night1a.jpg

Single Frame SR Zoom

Single Frame SR Zoom electronically extends the S200's zoom range by a factor of 1.5x to 15x.

Off

On

sr_zoom_off.jpg sr_zoom_on.jpg

Single Frame SR Quality

Single Frame SR Quality promises to deliver images with improved clarity and resolution.

Off (100% Crop)

On (100% Crop)

sr_quality_off.jpg sr_quality_on.jpg

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Casio EX-H20G camera, which were all taken using the 14 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample Movie & Video

This is a sample movie at the highest quality setting of 1280 x 720 pixels at 20 frames per second. Please note that this 15 second movie is 20.7Mb in size.

Product Images

Casio EX-H20G

Front of the Camera

 
Casio EX-H20G

Isometric View

 
Casio EX-H20G

Isometric View

 
Casio EX-H20G

Rear of the Camera

 
Casio EX-H20G

Rear of the Camera / Image Displayed

 
Casio EX-H20G

Rear of the Camera / GPS

 
Casio EX-H20G

Top of the Camera

 
Casio EX-H20G

Bottom of the Camera

 
Casio EX-H20G

Side of the Camera

 

Casio EX-H20G

Side of the Camera

 
Casio EX-H20G
Memory Card Slot
 
Casio EX-H20G
Battery Compartment

Conclusion

As with most big zoom compacts claiming to be all in one solutions, the pluses surrounding the Casio EX-H20G - extended creative options due to that broader focal range - outweigh the negative of slightly wider physical dimensions. And it's worth recalling that just a couple of years back you would have to buy an enthusiast-targeted bridge model to get anything like the lens reach offered here. Advantages over the EX-H15 here most notably include the GPS functionality (and HDMI output), though many may feel they can do without that for day-to-day use and plump for the slightly cheaper camera instead.

It's a shame that the obvious mechanical buzz of the zoom lens making its adjustments has necessitated the lens barrel being frozen in place when video recording commences. This is in itself much noisier in operation than on competing models, and is one of the few black marks against Casio's travel zoom Exilim, the other being the slightly sluggish powering up and down, again in comparison with rivals.

That broad focal range, high resolution and a decent battery life do however ensure that the Casio EX-H20G should be on the list of anyone looking for an able travel companion that can return decent results with the minimum of fuss and prior knowledge. As we noted when summing up its EX-H15 sibling, it may not be the prettiest device out there, but it's practical. Just make sure you shop around to get a good price as there's a premium being paid for the GPS facility.

4 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 3.5
Features 4.5
Ease-of-use 4
Image quality 3.5
Value for money 3

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Casio EX-H20G from around the web.

whatdigitalcamera.com »

The Casio EXILIM EX-H20G is Casio's latest compact, but beneath its standard exterior are some unique features: namely the Hybrid GPS technology that combines Global Positioning Satellite technology with a motion sensor to geotag images wherever you are. Beyond this the camera comes pre-loaded with top locations on a map, and a simple click of a button will find your location and what's in the surrounding area.
Read the full review »

Specifications

Number of Effective Pixels 14.1 million
Image Sensor   1/2.3-inch square pixel CCD
Total Pixels 14.48 million
File Format Still Images JPEG (Exif Version 2.3, DCF 2.0 standard, DPOF compliant)
Movies MOV format, H.264/AVC, IMA-ADPCM (monaural)
Internal Memory 14.5 MB*1
Recording Media SDXC-, SDHC Memory Card, SD Memory Card*2
Number of Recorded Pixels Still Images 14M (4320 x 3240), 3:2 (4320 x 2880), 16:9 (4320 x 2432), 10M (3648 x 2736), 6M (2816 x 2112), 3M (2048 x 1536), VGA (640 x 480)
Movies HD: 1280 x 720 (30 fps) / STD: 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Recording Capacity (Maximum Image Size Setting) Still Images Built-in Memory Approx. 1 shot (Fine) / ca. 3 shots (Normal)
SD Memory Card 1GB*3 Approx. 103 shots (Fine) / Approx. 199 shots (Normal)
Movies Recording Time Max. recording time per file: 29 min.
Built-in Memory Approx. 11 second (HD)
SD Memory Card 1GB*3 Approx. 12 min. 10 second (HD)
Operating Speed Start-up Time*4 Approx. 2.8 second
Shutter Release Time Lag*4*5 Approx. 0.007 second
Auto Focus Speed Approx. 0.17 second (At full wide angle; Auto Focus Speed measure conditions defined by CASIO)
Playback Speed*3 Approx. 0.12 second / image
Shooting Interval*3*5 Approx. 1.2 second intervals
Lens / Focal Length Construction 11 lenses in 10 groups, including aspherical lens
F-number F3.2 (W) to F5.7 (T)
Focal Length   f= 4.3 to 43.0mm
35mm Film Equivalent Approx. 24 to 240mm
Zoom 10x optical, 15x Single SR Zoom, 4x digital, max. 159.4x digital (in combination with HD Zoom@VGA)
Focusing Focus Type Contrast Detection Auto Focus
Focus Modes Auto Focus, Macro Mode, Super Macro Mode, Infinity Mode, Manual Focus
AF Area Intelligent, Spot, Multi or Tracking
AF Assist Lamp Yes
Focus Range*6 (From Lens Surface) Auto Focus Approx. 15cm to Infinity (W)
Macro Approx. 7cm to 50cm (W) (First step from widest setting)
Super Macro Approx. 7cm to 50cm
Infinity Mode Infinity (W)
Manual Focus Approx. 15cm to Infinity (W)
Exposure Exposure Metering Multi-pattern, center weighted, spot by imaging element
Exposure Control Program AE
Exposure Compensation -2EV to +2EV (in 1/3EV steps)
Shutter Type   CCD electronic shutter, mechanical shutter
Shutter Speed*7 Auto 1/2 to 1/2000 second
Night Scene (BEST SHOT) 4 to 1/2000 second
Aperture*8 F3.2 (W) to F7.5 (W)*9
White Balance Auto WB, Daylight, Overcast, Shade, Day White FL, Daylight FL, Tungsten, Manual WB
Sensitivity (SOS/REI)*10 Still Images Auto, ISO80, ISO100, ISO200, ISO400, ISO800, ISO1600, ISO3200
Movies Auto
Other Recording Functions Image Stabilization Mechanism CCD-shift image stabilization
Premium AUTO Yes
Single Frame SR Quality Yes
360° Slide Panorama Yes
Make-up Mode Yes (12-level steps)
Landscape Mode Yes (Vivid Landscape: 2-level steps / Mist Removal: 2-level steps)
BEST SHOT   Yes: 27 scenes
Dynamic Photo Yes
YouTube™ Capture Mode Yes
Geo-tagging by snapshots and movie Yes (Latitude and longitude coordinates, shooting ditrections, place name and stamp place)
World map data and sights Approx. 10,000 internal pre-installed sight images
Face Detection Yes
Self-timer 10 seconds, 2 seconds, Triple Self-timer
Built-in Flash Flash Modes Auto, Flash Off, Flash On, Soft Flash, Red Eye Reduction
Flash Range*8 Approx. 0.2 to 3.5m (W), approx. 0.5 to 1.9m (T)
Flash Charge Time Approx. 5 seconds
Monitor Screen 3.0-inch TFT color LCD (Super Clear LCD), 460,800 dots (960 x 480)
Timekeeping Functions Date and Time Recorded with image data
On-image Time Stamp Function Yes
Auto Calendar To 2049
World Time 162 cities in 32 time zones, city name, date, time, daylight saving time, time auto correction with GPS
Input/Output Terminals   USB/AV port (NTSC/PAL), HDMI™ (Mini)
USB Hi-Speed USB
Microphone Monaural
Speaker Monaural
Power Requirements Rechargeable lithium ion battery (NP-90, 1950mAh) x 1
Battery Life Number of Shots*11 (CIPA Standards) Approx. 600 shots (GPS function turned off)
Approx. 480 shots (GPS function turned on)
Continuous Playback*12 (Still Images) Approx. 5 hrs 40 min.
Continuous Movie Recording Time*13 Approx. 3 hrs 20 min.
Dimensions (CIPA Standards) 102.5 (W) x 67.5 (H) x 28.8 (D) mm, 24.7mm thick excluding lens
Weight (CIPA Standards) Approx. 216g (including battery and memory card), approx. 172g (excluding battery and memory card)
Bundled Accessories Rechargeable lithium ion battery (NP-90), battery charger, AC power cord, USB cable, AV cable, strap, CD-ROM

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