Casio Exilim Card EX-S100
Review Date: February 28th 2005
|
Conclusion
(out of 5 stars)
The Casio Exilim Card EX-S100 is as about as ultra-compact as digital cameras get at the moment - if you want the ultimate in small digicams, then the EX-S100 is it. Squeezing a 2.8x optical zoom lens into such a slim camera is an amazing technological achievement by Casio's engineers. Thankfully Casio have ensured that the Casio Exilim Card EX-S100 is not merely a technological marvel, but also a good camera in its own right. I expected all sorts of image quality issues to arise due to the tiny 1/3.2-inch CCD sensor, but the photos that I took were fine, exhibiting virtually no trace of chromatic aberrations and keeping noise levels under control. With a large 2-inch LCD screen and simple control layout, the Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z55 is perfectly suited to the new photographer that it is aimed at, and indeed for any photographer that wants a very small and very responsive point and shoot model. The only potential downsides from a handling point of view are the rather grainy LCD screen, caused by having too few pixels in too large a screen, and the lack of an optical viewfinder, which won't suit all photographers. Despite the lack of more advanced settings like being able to set the aperture or shutter speed, the speed and simplicity of the Casio Exilim Card EX-S100 is a real attraction and it is a great camera for all social occasions. Perhaps the biggest problem that the EX-S100 faces is its price. At just £5/$40 less (at Amazon, as of February 2005) than the 5 megapixel Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z55, the EX-S100 faces stiff competition from its better-specced sibling. Personally I give the edge to the Z55, but both are fine cameras in their own right and well worth taking a good hard look at if you're shopping for an ultra-compact digital camera.
Related Links
Casio UK: Casio Exilim Card EX-S100
Leave a Comment about this Review
|
PhotographyBLOG is a member of the DIWA organisation. Our test results for the Casio Exilim Card EX-S100 have been submitted to DIWA for comparison with test results for different samples of the same camera model supplied by other DIWA member sites.