EX-Z200
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Casio's Exilim EX-Z200 gets reviewed
Casio's Exilim EX-Z200, which broke cover at CES earlier this year, has been taken in to review by the shutterbugs over at PhotographyBLOG. Sporting a 10-megapixel sensor, 4x optical zoom and a 28-millimeter wide-angle lens, this pocket-friendly point-and-shoot proved to be a love / hate affair in its finest form. Despite being loaded with features and relatively easy to operate, the Z200 still delivered subpar image quality; more specifically, noise and smearing of fine details were quite evident even at ISO 200, purple fringing was obvious in high-contrast scenes and the painfully slow shutter speed left critics woefully underwhelmed. Overall, the digicam seemed to stumble in the areas that matter most, and with the plethora of alternatives out there, it sounds as if your hard-earned dollars could be better used elsewhere.[Thanks, Mark]
Almost live coverage of Casio's press conference
So after a bit of technical difficulty, we're finally posting a play-by-play of the Casio press conference which wrapped up a few minutes ago. However, rather than just posting the non-live minutiae, we'll give you a hearty gallery for a taste of the flavor. After all, we already know how it all turns out. We have to admit that while we went in with limited expectations, Casio pleasantly surprised us with a production version of the EX-F1, an iTunes compatible EX-S10 with autoshutter mode and Super Clear LCD, the EX-Z80 (like the S10 but without the Super Clear LCD), and wide-angle, 4x optical zoom EX-Z100 and EX-Z200 shooters. Casio wants to "take advantage of digital tech, not just replace film cameras." Sounds like they're on the right path to us.%Gallery-12797%
Casio intros a handful of new compact cams that play nice with iTunes
It's not all crazy high-speed prosumer hybrid cameras for Casio today, as the company also dropped a few new Exilim point-and-shoots. All the new cams shoot video in iPod / iPhone-friendly H.264, and Casio's really playing up that fact -- even showing a slide about it during their press conference. The new Exilim Card EX-S10 (pictured) manages to pack a full 10 megapixels, 3X optical zoom, a 2.7-inch LCD, and stereo microphones into its 1-inch thick frame -- which means we're a little curious as to how noisy that sensor is, since it can't be very big. We'll find out soon enough, as the $249 cam should hit next month.The Exilim Zoom line is also getting a little bigger, with the addition of the 8.1 megapixel EX-Z80, new colors for the venerable EX-Z100 and the new 10.1 megapixel EX-Z200. The Z80 features a 3X optical zoom, face detection and an intelligent focusing system that locks in the correct focus, while the Z200 rocks a 4X optical zoom and wide angle lens -- down to 28mm. Both the S10 and EX-Z200 should hit in March, for $249 and $329, respectively. Check photos of all these, and Casio's random "Works with iTunes!" slide, after the break.
