In the never-ending parade of compact Point & Shoot cameras, the Exilim range from Casio has been earning quite a reputation for delivering high quality units with loads of features. None more so than the Exilim ZOOM EX-Z850 which we’ve been testing over the past few weeks.

We even took the little critter up in the air to size it against my other cameras which I use for aerial photography and guess what?

More…

No, I didn’t lose it through the open window of the Cessna Centurion I was flying but easily could have were it not for the strap…

But, back on the ground and behind my computer I was pleasantly surprised at how good the series of test shots compared with the much bigger Lumix DMC FZ20 which I tend to use for less demanding aerial work (yes, I’m still holding on to my medium format gear for larger poster work…)

I just love the huge 2.5” display which makes composing the shots so much easier in turbulent air.

But enough of this more-or-less specialist field of photography. I’m sure Casio did not design with aerial use in mind. Come to think of it: none of the modern camera makers do. It used to be different though.

So, let’s get down to highlighting what the Casio Exilim EX-Z850 was designed for: giving us the maximum in features in a minimalist package whilst not forgetting about quality either. I don’t know if that was the official “brief” to the design engineers but it certainly was the end result.

(Click to Enlarge - WARNING: 8MP Image - 1.6MB)

Aerial View of Coral Bay, Western Australia where the famous Ningaloo Reef meets the beach

Casio announced the Exilim EX-Z850 on Feb 21 this year to replace its previous top model, the Z750.

For this initial review I’ll do something different: I’m going through the Features List from the press release for the Casio Exilim EX-Z850 step by step as this contains an excellent guide to what the Z850 is all about. With every step I’ll tell you my observations. So you’ll be able to see how marketing hype stacks up with user reality. And, as usual, we’ll have plenty of illustrations and pics to complement the story. For bandwidth reasons we’ll limit these to small, Saved for Web, JPGs with a couple of exceptions where you can click on the image for a decent enlargement.

This is not a high-tech, count-the-pixels review for three good reasons:

1. we look at the QfM (Quality for Money) factor.

2. the Casio Exilim EX-Z850 is aimed at the Point & Shoot market where user-friendliness is key.

3. in-depth and comparative reviews (which we do as well) take heaps of time over sometimes many months.

With these provisos behind us, let’s click away.

8.1 megapixel CCD and retracting 3x optical zoom lens enable high resolution photography

We reviewed another 8MP camera, Olympus E-300 Evolt DSLR, more than a year ago (see our write-up here.)

This is a totally different class of camera but it’s still surprising that it took that long for P&S cameras to catch up in the MegaPixel race. Casio is still pretty unique in providing 8 and even 10 MP in this small format. We all know, of course, that you can’t compare the MPs across the camera divide, but still, it’s a reasonably good indicator of the capabilities of today’s “light recorders”.

Nearly 3 years ago we had a good look at the Minolta Dimage Xt ultra-compact camera and this is a camera in the same compact class as the Casio Exilim EX-Z850 (See article here.)

What stayed the same when you compare the two? The overall size and the 3X zoom. The zoom extension on the Casio, which is external, is just about as fast as the internal zoom on the Minolta. But the CCD went from 3 to 8 MP and that’s not the only change, of course.

Large 2.5-inch, super bright TFT LCD display with 1200cd/m2 brightness*1 for easy viewing outdoors; also includes optical viewfinder

Yes, a large and bright screen is an incredible asset on a modern camera!

Compare it to the tiny display of the Minolta Xt and you can’t go back there anymore. Optical viewfinders become (almost) irrelevant but still, I’m glad it’s included. Could be used as a battery-saving device in a pinch… However, will that ever be necessary, I ask, when you read about the next feature.

Super Life Battery allows up to approximately 440 still images*2 per charge on CIPA standards

Well, that claim is fully supported in my testing. You can’t know how important that endurance is until you’ve run out of juice on an important shoot. Of course, if you know you have to go about an important mission, like a wedding or so, you’ll carry spare batteries, cards and another camera.

In the air I took over 400 shots with the Exilim and the battery indicator was still at full strength. On my other camera the battery indicator was down to a third after just 100 shots. If you don’t use any flash you’ll be able to get at least 800 full-size, best quality pictures! And that’s about what my 4GB 150X SD card will hold.

Plenty enough for most holidays… That’s nearly 10,000 VGA shots.

Ah, that reminds me: the Casio Exilim EX-Z850 does have internal memory too: a whole 8MB…

Yes, friends, it’s a feature, not a fault. So don’t complain as it’s only there for emergency situations. Like a shot of last resort…

Mmmm. Still a bit frugal, me thinks!

The EXILIM Engine features the Anti Shake DSP, which reduces blurring caused by shaky hands or moving subjects

Try using this feature in an aircraft that vibrates and bounces around in turbulence to see how important this is! Anti-Shake technology is fairly standard these days in most high-end cameras, just like ABS on modern cars, I suppose…

Worked very well in various modes.

Once powered on, the camera is ready to take pictures in approximately 1.0 second*3

A noticeable improvement over previous generations is the speed.

Both in getting ready and actual picture taking.

The zoom lens flicks out blisteringly fast once the Power button (or the Record or Play button – if you like) is pressed.

After the shutter is pressed, the image is recorded almost instantly, with only an approximately 0.005 seconds*4 release time lag

This is where speed really counts. No annoying shutter lag, the bane of earlier digital cameras! 0.005 seconds is almost imperceptible.

And this enables high speed continuous recording too. Shoot until memory is full.

But there are also a few other High-Speed Continuous Shutter modes, with or without flash or zoom.

High-speed picture playback of approximately 0.1 seconds interval

The speed improvements continue also in Playback mode.

A “quick” check on recorded shots is truly quick. Showing your photos to friends is not a boring exercise either.

Subjects appear brightly on the display monitor even under low light conditions, enabling easy shot composition

A bright screen is a joy to work with. I’m spoilt because I work with some of the best screens on the various computers I have. Trust me: the display of the Z850, nice as it is, could be much better. Initially I was disappointed at the resolution of the 115k TFT screen and had to zoom in on the recorded image often to check on the quality.

I also question the wisdom of not having any raised points or a rim around the display to avoid scratching it if you were to put it down on the screen. I’ve got some scratches on the Minolta, precisely because it is so eminently pocketable.

Which leads me to another point of criticism: the lack of a suitable pouch. It’s all about protecting your gear! Not providing any case or pouch is an oversight of the highest order in my opinion. Fortunately, the leather belt case that housed my Minolta (which came from a GPS unit!) fits this model perfectly.

The Exilim series are made for traveling. Like the old Six Shooters in the Wild West, they need to be holstered properly, always at the ready…

Manual aperture and shutter priority AE options can be set quickly via a convenient mode dial for customized photographs

This is not a P&S camera for dummies. Everything-AUTO is great for most situations but on occasion you’d wanna tinker a bit with the settings. This camera is made for experimenting! You can’t ruin anything and mistakes don’t cost you expensive film. Besides, you’ll see the results of your experimenting immediately!

Particularly if you learn to use the live histogram feature.

Introduction, Performance

Functions, More Interesting Features

Conclusions, Specifications.

Review by: Martin Regtien