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(More customer reviews)My local camera store just got their first shipment of Casio's new Exilim EX-Z57 super-slim digital camera, and I eagerly hopped over to check it out.
The EX-Z57 is a very slight upgrade (and one downgrade... read on) of the very popular EX-Z55 model. The Z55 had a 2.5" LCD screen that was considered "huge" just a year ago, but now that so many other digital cameras also sport a 2.5" LCD, Casio decided to release a 2.7" LCD model, hence the Z57. Amazingly, the overall physical size hasn't changed, and the EX-Z55's industry-leading amazing battery life (over 300 even with flash on and LCD on full-time) has been retained, making the EX-Z57 another battery life champ.
As far as I can tell -- and from what the sales clerk told me -- the internals of the EX-Z57 are identical to those of its immediate predecessor. This means very good image quality from such a small camera. Three important issues to keep in mind as you shop for this camera or a similarly ultracompact model:
1. The tiny lens and tiny sensor necessarily limit the sharpness of the picture. If you shoot at the maximum 5MP and print out at up to 5x7", you probably won't be disappointed by the sharpness of the picture. However, as you print larger pictures, you'll see the pictures tend to be softer and noisier than from larger cameras. This is simply a result of the law of physics, and it's a trade-off between size and quality.
2. The small camera also means a small, limited-power flash, so your indoor pictures when the ambient lighting is dim will not come out very satisfactory. Again, this is entirely due to the small form factor. If you want to use this camera to shoot a small group of friends at a dinner party, it's okay. But you should know that as you near the flash range and go beyond, you'll get horrible-looking pictures.
3. A camera this small makes it very hard to hold it steady. Many people with tiny cameras like this complain about blurry pictures. This is because as you press the shutter button, you'll move the camera ever so slightly. With a larger camera body (e.g., a digital SLR), the much heavier camera body requires more effort to hold which has the side benefit of providing a counteracting force to the shutter-pushing force. Hence, with a small camera like the EX-Z57, you must remember to hold the camera very steady as you press the shutter.
Whereas the older EX-Z55 had an optical viewfinder, Casio opted to remove it in order to accommodate the enlarged LCD screen without changing the overall size of the camera. Yes, the Z55's optical viewfinder was tiny and hard to use, but at least it was an option -- and looking through the optical viewfinder instead of at the screen actually helps steady your shots because you hold the camera close to your body (think the principle of leverage). Also, when you are really low on battery, switching to optical viewfinder can squeeze out a few more shots. For a camera purish like myself, it's a pity that the optical viewfinder is no more on the Z57, but for most casual photographers (the Exilim's target audience) this will likely be a non-issue, since they probably would never use the optical vewfinder to begin with.
In summary, the Z57 provides an unbeatable small form factor yet a crowd-pleasing huge LCD screen, amazing battery life and very good image quality (for a camera this size). You can also record movies (albeit only at a stuttering 15 frames per second) as well as sound. It's very intuitive to use, and my friends who have the Z55 are all very happy with it (once I gave them the tip about holding the camera super-steady or on a tripod to avoid blurs). While I don't have money to buy another digital camera at the moment, but if I had some extra spare dough, I would definitely buy this just for the HUGE 2.7" LCD. To a gadget freak like me, it's priceless to be able to impress my friends with something this cool. :)
Click Here to see more reviews about: Casio Exilim EXZ57 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom
View your images to a stunning degree with the massive 2.5" LCD screen on this Casio EX-Z57 5MP digital camera. Thin and stylish, the EX-Z57 is a high-performance, easy-to-use camera with 3x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom and a built-in viewfinder in the digital interface TFT LCD screen. Sleek, slim and bold, the camera also features a 9.3MB built-in flash memory with external SD/MMC memory card slot and AVI movie making with sound. Also includes 5 recording modes, including Snapshot, Best Shot, Movie, Still Picture with Voice and Voice Recorder. Camera also keeps track of world time of up to 162 cities in 32 time zones and has an auto calendar up to the year 2049. Bonus features of the camera bundle include AC adapter, USB cable, strap and a CD-ROM. Made in USA. 2.25Hx0.8Wx3.5L".
Click here for more information about Casio Exilim EXZ57 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom
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