Imagine a quality built digital camera that fits into your pocket, has a large 2.8 inch super bright screen, a 3x optical zoom and 10.1 megapixel resolution. That would be fantastic. It is. It is the Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z1000.

Not that pixels are the be all and end all of image quality, but any compact digital camera that can pack 10.1 megapixels into a body this size is quite remarkable. The added bonus is that the CCD in the Exilim Zoom EX-Z1000 is that it is larger than many compact digitals of its class, meaning that there is less noise in the image. Noise is the digital equivalent of film grain and can degrade an image, making it appear coarse. However, the CCD in the Exilim Zoom is very low noise and with its high dynamic range produces images that have excellent tonal range and detail. So, not only are you getting more pixels than many professional cameras, you are also getting more highlight and shadow detail than you might expect.

Add to this an excellent 3X zoom lens and you have what you need for quality photographs. The zoom on the EX-Z1000 is the 35mm equivalent of 38-114mm, making it suitable for everything from landscapes to candid portraits of your family and friends. The EXZ1000 also features Anti Shake DSP, which reduces blurring due to unsteady hands or moving subjects.

Cameras of this size have always had small display screens, up till now. Larger that the screens on many professional cameras, the 2.8 inch screen on the back of the Exilim Zoom not only allows you to see each picture you take very clearly, it is also very bright. CASIO makes the most of this extra screen space to offer great new functions like simultaneous viewing of both a wide angle and a telephoto shot, and a convenient right-side set of icon controls. In fact, the Casio Exilim EX Z1000 has been cleverly designed to feature a minimal amount of buttons, relying more on the large screen and its many programmed modes to help you with each picture.

The widescreen monitor has also been designed to let you take pictures in several image formats. For instance you can decide between 4:3, 3:2 and 14:9 images. The 3:2 format is for standard print sizes whilst 14.9 dimensions are suitable for a widescreen LCD or television. The 4:3 can be used to play back on a computer monitor or standard TV. The Exilim Zoom EX Z1000 is also very fast. It takes just a fraction over a second before its ready to take its first picture. In this time the camera has charged the flash, positioned the optical zoom lens, and activated the screen. And, with a shutter release lag of a mere 0,002 seconds, there is no more worry over the dreaded shutter lag that constantly meant losing those valuable candids.

The Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z1000 is a quality camera that is clearly evident by simply picking it up. It is very well made, easy to use and produces excellent images. And if you don’t believe us, simply look at the picture on the opposite page. For only $849 RRP, it is the quality ‘take anywhere’ camera that doesn’t sacrifice image quality for size.

Web site: www.casio.com.au

Related: