Digital-Camera Reviews

Pros:
The small size of this camera is excellent. Very nice and easy to carry around in a pocket.

Great display size. Very nice!

4 megapixel spec, very nice again.

Decent quality with landscape photos.

Great cool factor! Nice to hold.

Cons:
Awful pictures of close in subjects or indoor scenes. Digital noise is very intrusive in pictures.

You would think that a 4MP camera would take good photos, this camera proves otherwise. My 1.6MP and 2 MP Kodak's pictures are much better. Digital noise ruins most pictures from this camera if the subject is close in. Focus is a slight problem also as it seems to slightly not be flat throughout the scene but the noise, what a waste of time spent trying this camera out.

All settings were tried to make camera perform well, photos with people in them close up always looked awful. The lighter colors always have digital noise colored sparkles throughout.

Before I forget, the digital zoom is so bad in reproducing an image it should be left off (the controls allow you to do this). True garbage.

Summary:
The camera is junk. I thought mine was perhaps broken but other reviews agree with my findings. I'm returning it. Buy it if size / cool factor are what matters or if getting the shot is more important then getting a great shot.

I bought this product from Amazon which at the time still adverticed video capability as well, which this product is really lacking. As I was only visiting US soil at the time, the offering from Amazon to return the product was not applicable.

Otherwise the product has proven to be handy - but this lack of camcorder feature is really a handicap.

This is my third camera (second digital) and I think you should grab this one for the price.
This camera has a lot of options, so it may take a while to get used to it. Don't give up, patiently try out the options and once you get used to it, you'll appreciate each of the options.

I'll first talk about the plusses.

The obvious ones are 4M pixels and 3x optical zoom, ultra sleek design (by far the best looking camera I've seen), dock availability, super fast startup and capture time. Here's a brief mention of other features.

1) Large LCD screen for its size. This really helps for focus and also for previewing the pictures.

2) Best shots mode: Though it takes a while to get used to different modes to figure out the best possible setting, once you remember that, you're in tune to take great pics. I got fantastic pics of my campus on a cloudy day. The scenary mode allows you to capture intricate landscape details even in the borders.

3) Long exposure: You can take night pics with the long exposure mode (upto 4 seconds), the picture quality was awesome.

4) Fits in my shirt/coat pocket, no bulky stuff to carry around, can travel with your hands free.

5) The superimposing feature, where you and your buddy can take pics of each other with a scenary and merge the pic with both of you in it, sounds like a cool feature (if you're not an Adobe pro). I haven't had a chance to try it though.

After mentioning the coolness factor, please read this also.

For indoor pics, the flash is not powerful enough for objects that are say about 10ft away, but for closer objects it's good, or if the room is well-lit also, its good.

Make sure you choose the correct white balance. OK, this is a feature you'll have to test out if you're not a pro. Especially, if your room has fluorescent lamps, there is a special setting and I did not get good quality pics with the default setting.

The US version of the camera does NOT have MOVIE mode. I don't care for it, if you do, you should look for other cameras. There are cameras which have movie mode for this price.

And yes, if you're planning a long trip you have to carry the dock for recharging (you save on battery costs though).

The 10M memory bundled is inadequate, additional memory is a must, I bought a 256M SD card which costed me about 80 dollars.

We bought this camera thinking we could take nice pictures in night events, sports, etc, because it has multiple ISO and shutter speed settings.

But you can't control speed or exposure, and we can't have good night shots, unless it's just an scene.

I'd rather buy a Canon or Sony the same price, not this fancy but useless Casio.

The Exilim EX-Z40 is a small wonder to look at and hold ... and to actually use. It's arguably the best-looking digital camera on the market today. One look at it and you'll want to buy one. The matching cradle is also just as "cute."

Picture-quality-wise, it's good, but not as good as Canon's offerings. There's a certain softness to the pictures it takes, and you cannot adjust the sharpness level like you can on many (admittedly larger) cameras. The 2" LCD is just totally wonderful, but does put on some drain on the dimunitive battery.

All in all, a pretty good package if a bit expensive. It's definitely something you can impress a lot of people with.

If your looking for a good, pocket type camara with a lot of features, look no more. This camara is great. I love the quality and the awesome size. The battery is great, it lasts for 360 shots! The controls are great to, and the LCD is huge. Its bigger than most camara LCDs. Is shoots great movies(for a digital camara) and it can also has a recording voice feature. I love all the shots i've taken, they are alot better than my previous camara(Konica Minolta XG). The camara has a good grip for such a compact camara. You can put it in your pocket and take it anywhere. If your looking for a small, take it anywhere camara, with good photo quality and long battery life this is the camara for you.

For the first 2.5 months of ownership, I was very pleased; however, the camera now has difficulty focusing. The manual indicated the topic matter did not have enough contrast. (Hmm...perhaps a manufacturing bug, identified prior to distribution?) I then tested the theory, locating high contract topics with the same results. At this point, I contacted the manufacturer and they suggested I send the camera in to be repaired. Boo! I expect a product like this to provide years of service, not months. Save your money and look for a more reliable product.

pros:
- the main selling point of this camera is its small size: 3.4 x 2.6 x 0.9 in, weighing in at 5.1oz.
- 3MP resolution, 3x zoom in a very compact package.
- average three megapixel resolution.
- low image noise at low ISO settings.
- allows manual white balance.
- has 21 scene modes!
- good reliable metering.
- low image noise at low ISO settings.
- wide range of focus options including manual focus!
- histogram display in live view and play modes.
- solid build quality.
- fast startup time.
- cool feature: while in its cradle, pushing the dock's photo button turns the EX-Z3 into a small digital frame: the display shows the images it currently holds, displaying each for several seconds.

cons:
- no video out capability at all.
- some chromatic aberrations.
- some vignetting visible.
- average photo quality with soft edges.
- images noisier than competition.
- no buffering means a longer wait before you can take your next shot.
- no AF assist light.
- high redeye occurrence.
- no image parameter adjustment.
- blue cast when using flash.
- the LCD is a full 2", but is low resolution.
- metal body scratches easily.
- only JPEG format is supported.
- below average auto focus speed.
- longest shutter setting is 1 second.
- only 10MB of built-in memory provided so add $$ to your budget to buy external memory.
- proprietary battery - again, a few more bucks for a spare.
- you need to remove external memory in order to access images saved in internal memory.

the casio ex-z3 is very similar to the pentax optio S with the optio being even more compact than the casio. as such, they share most of the same strengths as well as issues. my biggest complaints are the soft images at the corners and the lack of buffering. a camera with better photo quality (but bigger and only has 2x zoom) is canon's sd100.

i hope this helps you with your buying decision. peace.

This is truly a fun camera to play with. Here's the deal: you get 3.2megapixil pictures from a machine thats the size of your credit card. What else can you want? It's true that the camera's viewfinder is a bit awkward, but the 2" display helps a lot. There's a little bit of noise in the pictures but I find the colors come out very well, even in dark settings. The size of the camera makes you want to be delicate with it, but it is made of sturdy materials. The control menu is straightforward, pretty much dummy-proof. Admittedly, the D-pad is small, but one will get used to it in hours. You can see that Casio had to make everything small for the 2" LCD screen.
The Best Shot feature will save you time with adjusting settings. At the same time, there are a couple of manual settings that you can fool around with (the EV shift and ISO settings). The video recording is decent, but it only lasts 30secs - then you'll have to make a new file.

All in all, this is not for the photography enthusiast, but instead for fun snapshooters. Definitely the Canon S-series or the Panasonic Lumix are better candidates if you want the "camera feel", but the casio is more of a fashion statement. The looks and design is remarkable. Watching the Pentax lens expand out boggles my mind every time I turn it on. If nothing else, it's the greatest conversation starter. Nothing compares to it (not even the Optio-S). Just take it out in public, people WILL turn heads.

Pros:

- Great design. Very sleek. Large LCD is an attention grabber.

- Portability. Very light and thin. The actual size is not as small as you'd think. But the lightness of the camera and it's thinness makes this maybe the most portable camera. You can just put it in your front shirt pocket and not feel like anything's in there.

- Lots of cool functions. The best shot mode is awesome. It allows you to make your own settings, and use it at ease. ISO levels are pretty decent too, considering it's such a small cam.

- I thought that the quality of the pics were very good. I'm merely a beginner, so this may not mean much, but I really thought this cam took some nice pictures, and I didn't even set it at the highest resolution. Perhaps, if you are really into photography, you may notice, but if you are, you probably would want to go with the SLR's anyway.

Cons:

- Too small? Well, this is actualy a good thing, but because it's so portable, it's really easy to lose. I actually lost my first Ex-3 on my first week, then bought another one, only to lose it again! Luckliy, I found it the second time around, but it just shows u, how easy it is to misplace it.

- Lack of a good case. First, it doesn't come with a case. You have to buy it. But even the ones that are out in the market, are not that great IMO. The cases make the camera bulkier, kind of beating the purpose of having this camera.

- No Zoom. Yes, there's digital zoom, but like everyoneelse in this site has mentioned, is practically useless. You mind as well just take the picture normally, then zoom it up in photoshop. It'll give you pretty much the same effect. I found zoom to be quite a necessary feature in photography, after i played around with my friend's zoomable camera.

- No burst mode. yes, it's really fast and easy to turn it on and take a picture, but you still have to hold the camera steady for like a second or two, before it actually takes the picture. For example, if you wanted to take a picture of someone who didn't want to (hehe), you would probably take a picture of them on a surprise, but by the time the camera actually takes the picture, they'll have their hands on their face. So it's not 'instant', as I thought it would be. I think for it to be instant, it needs 'burst mode'. Comparable Kyocera cam has this.

- The recharger/USB port is cumbersome. It's nice when u have it at home, but if you were travelling, you'd have to carry that whole cradle with u, just so u can recharge ur batteries.

Conclusion:

Suffice it to say, I bought the camera again for the second time, after I lost it the first time. This should tell you how much I like the camera. It's really the most portable camera out there, outside of those 1 mega pixel spy cams, and its features and sleek look, make it a true winner. But for my next cam, I'm going to make sure that it has zoom capability and burst mode.

This camera is my first camera and I certainly had high expectations and the EX-S3 didn't let me down. Its size is amazing, making it portable and easy to take candid shots. Plus, its makes taking snapshots a whole lot easier. The only thing it's really missing is an optical zoom. That was the biggest setback, but all of its other features make up for it. Suprisingly, the pictures using the digital zoom are not that bad quality compared to the photos of other cameras using a digital zoom.
A few other things that would be nice would be if it charged quicker, had sound in its 30 second videos, and a place attach the camera to a tripod.
Nevertheless, this camera is truly worth the $350. Just remeber to be aware if the camera's in your pockets because you could easily forget it's there and sit on it!

I have several Olympus Digitals that are excellent (5050 in particilar). But this Casio goes with me wherever I go. Consequently, I have taken many more pictures with this camera than with all the others combined (over 2500 in a year's time).

As for the case issue, I slip mine into an eyeglass case - the kind that is felt lined and has a pocket/belt clip attached. It fits nicely in my shirt pocket, dosen't fall out when I bend and
can be removed (and put back) in an instant.

Also, it is somewhat wide angle so it is great in small rooms.

Try it, you'll love it.

When i bought this camera, i was really mostly interested in finding a cool, little camera that would be sure to impress others with it's sleekness and not so much worried about it's features. After using it a little tho, i was pleasantly surprised to find that it's a great camera with no bad qualities as far i can tell so far. THe battery life it excellent, the LCD screen is as good as i could have hoped for and the quality of the pictures is far beyond any expectation of any need i could ever have for this camera. The ease of use is phemonminal also. Within an hour i had figured out how to use the features and had hte pictures on the computer. Speaking of taht, the included software was also easy to use and very complete. This said, if you're looking for a great, little digital camera that won't break the bank, you've found it.

Better than the EX-S2, the S20 adds a lens cover - really needed for a 'pocket' camera. Can take it anywhere without looking like a tourist. Flash is very bright. Pictures at max res 1600 x 1200 fine mode are pretty good, certainly good enough for a website or 3x5 prints. And since you are limited by the fixed lens anyways, 3 or 4 MP seems like a waste for the money. Added a 256 MB card and it holds 214 pix at max res. Only holds 6 pix without so definately get a card.

I admit, I bought the thing because of the cool factor. And yes, you will get people gawking at this gadget in public. And I guess I knew going in that it was just for fun pictures, nothing serious.

Given that, it performs well. But yes, the shutter slows way down in low light causing more blurry pictures than I'd like. And the flash is only good for a few feet (up to 6ft according to the specs). But if you can learn to live with its shortcomings, it's a fun little gadget.

It has many very useful functions like white balance and exposure compensation, all within its very intuitive menu system. And you can customize the joystick to control a given feature during recording (flash mode, exposure, white balance).

I thought the tiny joystick would be a problem with my big thumb, but it's not a problem once you get used to it.

Digital zoom is fairly useless with a 2 megapixel camera; just blows things up and makes them blurry.

The built-in memory won't hold very much, so you pretty much need an extra memory card.

All in all, a fun toy that would be a lot more fun at $200. But if you must have it (and I did), go out and get one!

I've been using this camera for a little over two months now and I have to say I love it. It's extremely easy to use and takes great quaility pictures.

pros.
very fast startup time - you can start shooting within about 1 second after hitting the power button.

very quick review time for recents pictures - easily scan through your photos quickly and delete on the fly.

thumbstick is easy to use, very intuitive - i never once picked up the manual. just used the 'menu' button or moved the thumbstick to control all features.

upgradable - i added a 64 meg sd ram card in addition to the 12 meg onboard.

requires no software - just plug it in the cradle and turn it on and windows will instantly see it as another drive!

LIGHT AND SMALL!!! - it's the size of a credit card!! fits in a shirt pocket with tugging down on your shirt. so small, the wow factor on this thing is great!

great screen quality - a generous 1.5" screen on a camera this small.

OVERALL - just an excellent camera well worth the money!!

overall - well worth the investment for web and family and fun photos. will take up to a 1600x1200 image with no problem. fun camera all around

great battery life - no joke, i took over 150 pictures with flash each time before i got low on the battery. it charges quickly too! and you can turn off the screen if you don't want to waste battery life.

cons
no optical zoom...the digital zoom is worthless but who cares. it's tiny!

must use cradle to charge - which is kind of a hassle but the battery life is good so it's not a big deal.

I bought this camera around Christmas time and I have absolutely loved it. I needed a point and shoot digital that I wouldn't have to think about adjusting, and this camera is perfect. It has the little signs of being designed well: really fast start up time, very quick shutter response, it retains settings on shutdown (my first camera chraged the flash all the time and ate batteries like there was no tomorrow), and the list goes on. It has the feel of a well thought-out product, the way something like an ipod does. I highly recommend it!

This is a great little camera for quick shots but actually had less resolution even on the highest setting than my dinosaur of a 1.3 mp Olympus. Also, movie mode audio track has a lot of digital noise. If you're after a fun all-rounder, however, this is a great camera with a fantastic user interface and design

I bought the M20U (about 2 months ago) as a secondary cam, after purchasing the Canon IS S1 (wonderful camera), for a camera to have with me always. Obviously this isn't the "best" taking picture camera out there, but for the compact size, and I stress compact, it's smaller than a credit card super thin, and has a very durable steel body, and a very decent MP3 player, it was perfect for my needs. A camera to have anytime of the day or night (what good is a shot you could take if you have no camera at all). The flash isn't super, but adequate for portrait shots. Also, Casio really adds alot of features as mentioned above to this tiny cam, especially the auto lens cover. The picture quality is good, not great, it would never replace my S1. But if you want a camera to have with you all the time, I would recommend this tiny companion. If it's for your main and only camera, you may want to consider Canon or others. But as a complimentary camera, its perfect. I use the MP3 player everyday while im at work. I love it.. I tried the Pentax S4, ok picture quality also (the fuzzy corner issue there), but more expensive at the time and actually double the size of the M20 (depth wise) plus no MP3 player and macro. I wanted a camera that would fit in any pocket, shirt or pants and wouldn't notice the weight or bulk of it. Again, I would recommend anyone that can find one, try it out, it's a fun, fast shooting camera. I've got shots I never could have with my S1. I was really amazed how fast this thing can shoot. No AF lag whatsoever, and start up is fast, real fast. Great battery life also. I listen to my MP3 7 hours a day with life to spare. I usually charge it each night though. (...). Great site... Only cons, is, no optical zoom (never use digital zoom), but not a big issue, just move closer if possible to the subject.

Hope this helps someone out...

This camera is simply fantastic. Not only is it stylish and slim (will fit in your jean pockets with easy) but also takes fantastic pics, with great resolution even at 20x12. My grandfather recently bought a 4MP Olympus and he had to conceed how little difference there is in image quality. Unlike some more expensive cameras it also takes movies with sound and can be used as a dictaphone or sound recorded.

And if this wasn't enough the camera sports a cool MP3 player, allowing you to use the device as a music player with storage capicty limited only by the size of your memory cards.

The build quality and features have also improved since the M2/S2. Battery life is greater and the interface and controls are allot better.

when i just bought it, its compactable size seemed to be its biggest advantage. however,its battery life isn't that good as it could only last for at most 2,3 days. sometimes, lesser than a day if many pictures were to be taken. also,its metal finish ain't that good as it is scratchable easily.Not good if you were prepared to have it with you for the rest of you life.thus, i find that only its size and mp3 function is a big plus for this little camera, without the fact of its poor quality of pictures. but hey, wad can you expect from a 2 megapixel camera...

I have this camera/MP3 player for a month now and I take it anywhere. the most usable feature for me is the MP3 player !
the camera is for fun and play.
I like to take lot of pictures and taking an expensinve camera in my pocket is not an option, so when I saw exilim I was amazed. this was what I was looking for and finding that it could be am MP3 player was a big bonus. later I found out that it was the other way around.
after recieving this camera, I started download MP3 from the internet and finally I had time to listen to the kind of music that I like, and not what you get on the radio or in music stores, so a whole new world has been open for me. by the way, the ear plugs are great too and you get a controller too.
the pictures are great, I work in many factories so I take pictures of the machines that I work on and the lighting are usually very bad, but on maximum resolution the pictures are great and the color definition is great too, I did not use even once a color enhance filter on the images.
so, if you like multimedia, this is a must!

I purchased this camera instead of a higher quality camera because of its size and its functions. The mp3 player part of it is awesome and the size of it is very convenient. its a great camera, although the quality of the pictures arent that great. i recommend this camera for people looking to take everyday pictures, but if you're looking for quality, this camera might not satisfy you. i bought a 256 memory card with it, and it allows me to have as many things on my camera as i desire. great design very stylish.. =]