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Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z60
Price: £199.99 inc VAT

Features
Performance
Ease of use
Value for money
Overall

Reviewed By: Andy Shaw

This review updated: 05/06/2006
Featured in magazine:
Issue 135
Manufacturer Contacts:
Supplier: Casio
Tel: 020 8450 9131
Web Address: www.casio.co.uk


While the benefits of a camera you can slip into a pocket are obvious, one of the pitfalls is that there's less to hold on to. The clunky great cameras of old may have required sturdy straps to carry them around, but the added volume meant there was always plenty to grab hold of. Today's ultra-compact digital cameras require finger-tip operation, which can make them harder to hold steady. So it's nice to see models such as this one starting to come through, which has an image stabiliser built-in to help eliminate picture-ruining camera shake.

Features
The most impressive thing about the EX-Z60 is its svelte profile, but this compromises the optical zoom, which can offer only 3x magnification. The smaller lens also means it doesn't have such a wide angle, which is something to remember if you're expecting to take shots in small spaces. The internals are all up to scratch though, with the option of taking pictures up to six megapixels – good enough to get decent quality prints at a mind-boggling A3 size – and that handy image stabiliser.

Performance
Our test shots came out really well in most of the conditions we tried the camera under, though the small size and power of the flash means you'll probably only want to use it for reasonably close-up work in very dark conditions. Having said that, the camera works well in low-light without the flash, with the image stabiliser helping to eliminate blur from longer exposures. The biggest problem we had was the time it took to transfer a 6 megapixel snap onto a memory card, which seemed to take an age and could result in either missing a follow-up shot or forcing you to compromise on the size of the image.

Ease of use
Ease of use should be paramount on cameras of this type and we're pleased to report Casio has got it cracked. You can force the camera to adapt to specific conditions without having to know about photographic complexities by selecting your situation from a list of options, from 'low-light' to 'pets' to 'splashing water'. Buttons are kept to a minimum through the use of intelligent automatic settings and the menus, when you do have to access them to change something, are clear and simple to use.

Value for money
The six megapixels this camera can achieve makes a bit of a dent in the price and Casio has done well to keep it under £200. The optical zoom is a little unimpressive for this price, but its scope is restricted by that compact casing – you really have to choose between pocketability and optical zoom nowadays, as casings are shrunk to their limits. Its ease of use and handy features balance this all out quite nicely, to give good value for money.

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