Casio EX-V7

Reviewed September 2007

Characteristics

Equipped with a 1/2.5 inch, square, pixel primary, colour CCD with 7.41 million pixels, of which 7.2 million are effective, the Casio Exilim EX-Z100 is able to capture images at any one of 6 sizes:

Three JPEG compression levels are available: Fine, which compresses images the least and therefore offers the highest image quality using a compression ratio of around 6:1; Normal, which has a compression ratio of around 12:1; and Economy, which applies the strongest compression, using a compression ratio of approximately 20:1 or more.

CCD sensitivity starts at 64 ISO and can be manually set to to 100, 200, 400 or 800 ISO and an Auto setting (64 through 200 ISO) that allows the camera to adjust sensitivity according to the ambient brightness is also available. Moreover, when the camera is set to the High Sensitivity scene mode a sensitivity of 1600 ISO is used. Worth noting, when Shutter Priority is used, the ISO is set to Auto, regardless of the ISO setting.

The EX-V7 uses a 7X zoom lens composed of 12 elements in 9 groups, including an aspherical lens to reduce curvilinear distortion. The lens is fully internal and has a focal length of 6.3 to 44.1 mm, equivalent to a 38 to 266 mm lens on a 35 mm camera. Three apertures are available, f3.4, f4.6 and f9.2, when the zoom is at the wide angle end, and f5.3, f6.5 and f13 at the telephoto end, with the apertures f9.2 and f13 using the built-in neutral density (ND) filter of the camera.

The EX-V7 has a maximum shutter speed range that covers from 1/800 to 60 seconds when the camera is used in the Manual and Shutter Priority modes, but which is otherwise limited to a maximum exposure time of 1/2 or 1 second in the other modes, with the exception of some Scene modes.

A 4X digital zoom is also available, however, the digital zoom crops the centre of the image and interpolates it to the currently selected image size, causing a degradation in image quality.

The Exilim EX-V7 also provides a stabilization system that is activated in the menu (see further). The system can stabilize the image using CCD-shift, or stabilize the subject by boosting the sensitivity allowing for a faster action-stopping shutter speed, or in auto mode which lets the camera decide which mode to use.

As there are very few external controls on the EX-V7, most of the settings available to the user are found in the menus of the camera. In the recording mode, the menu displayed when the MENU button is pressed is composed of 3 sections: Rec., Quality, and Setup. The last section, Setup, is shared in common with the Playback menu (see further) and is detailed in the Interface and Software section of the review.

The first section of the capture menu, REC, contains the following options:

• Focus, which serves to select the focus modes:
  • AF: Auto Focus (default), has a focus range of 30 cm (12 inches) to infinity.
  • Macro: allows the camera to focus from 10 to 40 cm (3.9 to 15.7 inches) when the zoom is at the wide angle end.
  • Infinity: sets the focus at infinity to ensure a sharp image of distant subjects.
  • Manual Focus: makes it possible to manually adjust focus from 10 cm (3.9 inches) to infinity using the Control button.
• Continuous, where it is possible to select:
  • Normal Speed: captures images as long as the shutter release is pressed until the memory is full.
  • High Speed: captures up to 3 consecutive images at high speed.
  • Flash Cont.: allows capturing 3 consecutive images with the flash.
  • Off: captures one image at a time when the shutter release is pressed.
• Self-timer selects the self timer delay: 10 seconds, 2 seconds, X3 (uses a 10 second delay then captures 3 images sequentially), or Off.
• Anti Shake: provides 5 settings:
  • Auto: minimizes both camera shake and subject movement. Subject movement is minimized by increasing CCD sensitivity, and camera shake is minimized by moving the CCD to compensate for the inadvertent movements of the photographer.
  • Camera Shake: compensates for the inadvertent movements of the photographer only (CCD shift).
  • Image Blur: increases sensitivity to compensate for subject movement. Note that the sensitivity must be set to Auto.
  • Off: turns off both.
• REC. Light: On or Off. Allows turning on the AF assist light to act as a source of light for photos when the environment is too dark. The range of the assistance given by the light is limited to short distances.

• AF Area offers three choices:
  • Spot: forces focus to take place at the centre of the frame.
  • Multi: allows the camera to find one or more focus points using its 9 AF areas.
  • Tracking: tracks the subject once the camera has focused on it.
• AF Assist Light: On or Off. provides control over the AF Assist light that is turned on when the AF has insufficient light to operate reliably.
• Digital Zoom: On or Off. Controls the 4X digital zoom.

• L/R Key: assigns a function to the Left and Right arrow buttons of the 4-direction controller (Continuous, EV Shift, White Balance, ISO, Self-timer, or Off).
• Quick Shutter: On or Off. Allows capturing a subject without having to wait for the auto focus.
• Audio Snap: On or Off. When On, the function allows adding a 30-second audio clip to an image immediately after its capture.
• Grid: On or Off. Controls the composition grid that can be superimposed on the monitor.
• Review: On or Off. Decides whether a just-captured image is briefly shown on the monitor for approximately 1 second while it is being saved.
• Icon Help: On or Off. Briefly displays a small text description for the icon associated with a setting change.
• Memory serves to select which settings will be restored when the camera is turned On: Flash mode, Focus mode, White Balance, ISO, AF Area, Metering, Self-Timer, Flash Intensity, Digital Zoom, MF Position, Zoom Position.

The second section of the menu, Quality, contains the following options:

• Size: serves to set the image size (see above).
• Quality (Still images) serves to select the compression applied to images: Fine, Normal or Economy. (See above.)
• Quality (Movies): serves to set the frame size, format, and compression level for movie recording (see the Ergonomics section of the review for more information about the movie mode).
• EV Shift: serves to adjust exposure compensation over ± 2 EV in 1/3 EV increments.
• White Balance: Auto, Daylight, Overcast, Shade, Fluorescent 1 (white fluorescent), Fluorescent 2 (daylight fluorescent), Tungsten, Manual (user-set under the ambient lighting).
• ISO serves to set the CCD sensitivity: Auto (between 64 and 200 ISO), 64, 100, 200, 400, or 800 ISO.

• Metering offers a choice of three metering patterns:
  • Multi: divides the frame into segments and meters each independently. The readings are then combined to arrive at the proper exposure settings.
  • Centre-Weighted: meters the entire image, but gives more importance to the reading obtained at the centre of the frame.
  • Spot: meters a small area at the centre of the frame.

• Dynamic Range: provides control over the dynamic range of the camera:
  • Expand +2: suppress underexposure more than Expand +1.
  • Expand +1: suppress underexposure.
  • Off (default): do not suppress underexposure.
• Portrait Refiner: serves to enhance the appearance of human skin by reducing digital noise. Three settings are available: Noise Filter +2, Noise Filter +1, and Off.
• Colour Filter: decides if the image will be recorded in normal colours, or as Black and White, Sepia, or with a Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Pink, or Purple tone.
• Sharpness: serves to adjust image sharpness over 5 steps.
• Saturation: serves to adjust image saturation over 5 steps.
• Contrast: serves to adjust image contrast over 5 steps.
• Flash Intensity: allows increasing or decreasing the flash intensity over ± 2 steps.
• Flash Assist provides 2 settings: Auto or Off. When set to Auto, Flash Assist detects when the subject was too far to have been lit effectively by the flash, and brightens up the image before recording it.

• Slide Show: is to review the images that have been captured. The contents of the show can be selected to be still images only, movies only, or one image at a time, or those that have been selected as Favourites (see further). The duration of the slide show can be selected (from 1 to 60 minutes), as can the interval between photos (from 1 to 30 seconds). Transition effects (dissolve, fade, shutter) and background music are also available.
• Layout Print: serves to combine multiple photos into a single (7M or 3:2) image.
• Motion Print serves to create a still image from a movie. Two formats are offered:
  • 9-Frames places 9 frames from the movie in a single 1600 x 1200 pixel frame. In the 9-Frame image, the frame selected appears larger in the middle, with 4 preceding frames above and the 4 frames that follow it below in a smaller size.
  • 1-Frame Snapshot records a 640 x 480 (VGA) image of the frame selected.
• Movie Anti shake: On or Off. Electronically stabilizes the image during playback.

• Movie Editing: allows editing movies in any of three ways:
  • To-Point Cut: discarding the section up to the cut.
  • Point-to-Point Cut: discarding a section between two points.
  • From-Point Cut: discarding the section after the cut.
• Dynamic Range: serves to brighten the underexposed parts of an image without affecting parts that are properly exposed. Two settings are available: Expand +1, or Expand +2.

• White Balance allows adjusting the white balance of a captured image by specifying a white balance: Daylight, Overcast, Shade, Neutral Fluorescent, Daylight Fluorescent, Tungsten, Cancel.
• Keystone: allows correcting a rectangular subject that was captured at an angle.
• Colour Correction: serves to do a colour restoration of an old photograph captured with the camera.
• Favourites: allows selecting images as favourites and storing them in a special folder where its contents can be shown, or not.
• DPOF Printing: serves to select which photos will be printed, how many prints will be made of each, and whether or not they will be date-imprinted. The EX-V7 is compatible with PictBridge, allowing the camera to print directly to a compatible printer.
• Protect: allows marking the images as "read-only", preventing an accidental erasure.
• Date/Time: serves to change the time and date of an already captured photo.
• Rotation: serves to rotate an image in 90° increments each time the SET button is pressed.
• Resize: makes it possible to resize an image to 5M (2560 x 1920 pixels), 3M (2048 x 1536 pixels), or VGA (640 x 480 pixels).
• Trimming: serves to crop an image. 3:2 aspect ratio images have a 4:3 aspect ratio when cropped.
• Dubbing: allows attaching a sound recording (up to 30 seconds) to an already recorded image.
• Copy: serves to copy images, movies, or audio recorded with the EX-V7 between its internal memory and a memory card, or vice versa.

The Casio Exilim EX-V7 has a 11.6 MB internal memory and is normally retailed without a memory card. The camera is, however, compatible with SDHC, SD, MMC and MMCplus memory cards. The card slot is located next to the battery in a compartment that opens to a solid door on the right side of the camera.

The chart below lists approximate capacities for both the 11.6 MB internal memory and a 1 GB SD card:

The Exilim EX-V7 is powered by a long Lithium-ion (NP-50) battery. Recharging requires the use of the USB cradle (CA-35) that is supplied with the camera as the battery is recharged in the camera while it sits on the cradle, itself connected to power using the supplied AC adapter. A full charge requires approximately 150 minutes (2 hours 50 minutes).

The cradle also provides a USB connection (2.0 Full-Speed) and an A/V (Audio/Video) out jack so that the camera can be connected to a television. The cradle allows the camera to be connected to a computer, or to a PictBridge compatible printer, and the USB Protocol, as well as the Video Out signal (NTSC or PAL) are selected in the Setup menu (see the Interface and Software section of the review).