In the Exilim EX-Z150, Casio
packs 8.1 megapixels onto a 1/2.5-inch sensor with a diagonal measure
of 0.4 inches. By comparison, the diagonal measure of a frame of 35 millimeter
film is 1.74 inches.
Startup time for the Z150 is relatively slow, averaging slightly more
than three seconds.
Shot to shot times for the camera were fairly fast at around .02 seconds
for images shot at best quality and largest size.
Snaps captured by this Casio model are in JPG format. Seven photo sizes
are supported by the camera and three quality levels. Sizes range from
3264 x 2448 pixels to 640 x 480 pixels. Quality levels are Fine, Normal
and Economy. Compression levels for Fine pictures ranged from 2.2:1 at
640 x 480 pixels to 3.6:1 at 3264 x 2176 pixels; for Normal images, 3.5:1
at 640 x 480 to 7.3:1 at 3264 x 2448; and for Economy pics, 3.8:1 at 640
x 480 to 9.3:1 at 1600 x 1200 (see compression table).
The Z150 accepts SD, SDHC, MMC or MMC Plus cards for storage. On a one
gigabyte SD card, as few as 210 Fine images may be stored at 3264 x 2448
pixels to as many as 6902 Economy snaps at 640 x 480 pixels. (see specifications
section).
In addition to still images, the Z150 captures video. There are two video
sizes--640 x 480 pixels and 320 x 240 pixels--and three quality levels.
At HQ quality (640 x 480), which has a data transfer rate of 10.5 megabits/second
and frame rate of 30 fps, a minute of video consumes slightly more than
78 megabytes of disk space; at Normal quality (640 x 480, 6.1 Mb/sec.,
30 mps), a tad over 47MB; and at LP quality (320 x 240, 2.6 Mb/sec., 15
fps), about 20MB (see compression table). Normal quality video is used
for the camera's software's YouTube uploads.
Image Size (pixels)
Quality
MP
File Size (MP)
Ratio/1
3264
x
2448
Fine
7.99
2.43
3.3
3264
x
2448
Normal
7.99
1.09
7.3
3264
x
2448
Economy
7.99
0.76
10.6
3264
x
2176
Fine
7.10
1.97
3.6
3264
x
2176
Normal
7.10
0.99
7.1
3264
x
2176
Economy
7.10
0.59
12.0
3264
x
1840
Fine
6.01
1.86
3.2
3264
x
1840
Normal
6.01
0.90
6.7
3264
x
1840
Economy
6.01
0.59
10.2
2816
x
2112
Fine
5.95
1.74
3.4
2816
x
2112
Normal
5.95
0.85
7.0
2816
x
2112
Economy
5.95
0.53
11.3
2304
x
1728
Fine
3.98
1.24
3.2
2304
x
1728
Normal
3.98
0.58
6.8
2304
x
1728
Economy
3.98
0.37
10.9
1600
x
1200
Fine
1.92
0.67
2.9
1600
x
1200
Normal
1.92
0.31
6.3
1600
x
1200
Economy
1.92
0.21
9.3
640
x
480
Fine
0.31
0.14
2.2
640
x
480
Normal
0.31
0.09
3.5
640
x
480
Economy
0.31
0.08
3.8
VIDEO
Quality
Min.
File Size (MB)
640
x
480
HQ
1
78.20
640
x
480
Normal
1
47.40
320
x
480
LP
1
19.60
The unit has a spacious
three-inch LCD. Photos must be framed and shot through the display as
the unit does not have an optical viewfinder. The absence of a viewfinder
can be a disadvantage when using the camera on bright days outdoors. On
the plus side, the 230,400-dot LCD provides an expansive canvas for displaying
menus with large type and slideshows that transcend the novelty quality
of shows splashed on smaller screens.
Light sensitivity for
the ultra compact spans ISO 64 to 1600. That ISO 64 is a nice touch. It's
not a common feature in this class of camera or even in more expensive
models. While much noise is made about the high end of the light sensitivity
spectrum because of the desire to shoot quality photos in adverse lighting
conditions, improving the quality equation at the low end of the spectrum
has its merits, too. It's a way to further drain grain and noise from
a photo.
When Casio released the Z150, it boasted that the model was among the
thinnest with a wide angle zoom. Typically, the wide end of zooms in
cameras in this category are in the 35mm equivalent range. Having a
wide setting of 28mm, as the Z150 does, makes a big difference. It gives
photos shot at the wide end of the zoom more breathing room and adds
more drama to them.
Overall the unit's F/2.6-5.9 lens had good edge-to-edge performance
throughout its zoom range.
The Z150 has good flexible focusing options. There’s an Auto
mode for general image capture. A Macro mode can be used for close-ups.
Then there's a Pan Focus mode for shooting at the wide end of the zoom
and an Infinity mode for shooting distant subjects and scenery.
There's also a Manual mode. In that mode, a yellow focusing square
appears on the LCD. You line up the square with the subject you want
to shoot. Then you use the left and right buttons on the Arrow Pad to
fine tune the focus. When you press an arrow key, the target of the
shot will be enlarged to facilitate focusing and a gauge will appear
on the LCD. The gauge, calibrated from 15cm to 1m, performs the same
function as distance numbers on the focus ring of a lens for a camera
that uses interchangeable glass.
As sharp and clear as the Z150's LCD is, it is still difficult to obtain
a precise focus in manual mode.
If face detection is enabled, manual focus will be disabled. Face detection
determines if there's a human mug in a shot and automatically optimize
the camera's setting for the best focus and exposure for the faces in
the photo.
Focus Lock is also supported by the unit. That allows you to focus
on a subject by partially depressing the shutter button and keep that
subject in focus while recomposing the shot by moving the camera.
When the camera finds the proper focus for a subject, a focus frame
in the center of the LCD will turn green, as will the back lamp beside
the display.
Three exposure
modes are offered in the Z150.
Multi mode is an all purpose setting. It divides a target
frame into sections, analyzes the lighting conditions in each and calculates
a balanced value for the shot.
Center Weighted mode concentrates on the center of the focus
area for its light reading. It gives you control over the contrast of
a shot.
Spot mode measures the light in a small area of the frame.
It's useful when you're only concerned with the exposure of a specific
subject and not with its surroundings.
General metering readings can be modified with exposure
compensation. It allows you to under- or over-expose a shot by up to
two stops in 1/3 increments. Automatic bracketing--the ability to rapidly
shoot three frames--a base exposure, an over-exposure and under-exposure--is
not available with the camera.
Certain stock photographic situations can be shot without
fiddling with the camera's exposure settings. Those situations are covered
with the unit's Best Shot mode. Here are the available Best Shot options.
· Auto · Portrait
· Scenery · Children · Sports ·
Candlelight Portrait · Party · Pet · Flower
· Soft Flowing Water · Sundown
· Night Scene · Night
Scene Portrait · Fireworks · Food · Text
· eBay · Backlight · Anti Shake ·
High Sensitivity · YouTube · Voice Recording
The Anti Shake and High Sensitivity options can be fine tuned through
the menu system. The YouTube option is for video shooting and Voice
Recording for using the camera like a tape recorder.
Shutter speeds range from 1/2 to 1/2000 second in Auto mode and from
4 to 1/2000 second in Night Scene mode. Shutter speeds are set by the
camera and can't be directly customized.
When shooting at lower shutter speeds, the effects of camera shake
can be offset by the unit's image stabilization technology. That technology
will compensate for hand movement by shifting the digcam's CCD sensor
and for subject movement by increasing the light sensitivity for a shot
enabling the image to be grabbed at a higher shutter speed.
In addition to shooting photos one at a time, the camera has a continuous
capture mode. The speed at which images are grabbed in continuous capture
mode varies with the size and quality of the pictures being shot, as
well as the speed of the storage medium. The mode works slower with
the camera's internal memory, for example, than with a memory card.
With an SDHC card, we found that the camera
snagged about 1.1 frames per second until the card was full of images
at the highest size and quality values.
The shutter can be fired
unattended with the self-timer. There are three self-timer modes.
A 10-second delay can be deployed when the photographer
wants to be included with the subjects he's photographing.
The two-second delay is useful when shooting at low shutter
speeds to avoid camera shake caused by pressing and releasing the shutter
button.
Then there's a third mode
that isn't found in many cameras, but should be. With it, shutter firing
is delayed for 10 seconds. After that time expires, three shots are taken
in quick succession. If you've ever taken a self-timer shot of a group
of people and someone has their eyes closed or are captured in some other
awkward pose, this self-timer mode can be nice antidote for that situation.
A number of White Balance options are
offered in the Z150.
There's full auto, where the camera chooses the proper White Balance
for a shot. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there's a manual mode,
where you set the WB by using a white card.
Then there are settings for shooting in daylight, overcast skies, shade
and fluorescent and tungsten lighting.
When making White Balance changes on the fly, their effect can be previewed
on the LCD before finalizing a shot.
The Z150 has a flat flash located at the front of the camera. With
the DSC's zoom in wide mode, the flash has a range of six inches to
10.5 feet; in telephoto mode, from 1.97 inches to 4.92 feet.
Flash recycling times, with a newly charged battery and image quality
set at highest quality and maximum size, ranged from 1.58 to 2.75 seconds.
The unit has several flash modes.
Auto mode will fire the flash automatically based on the lighting of
a scene.
Flash On mode fires the flash whenever the shutter button is depressed.
It's a way to add light to a subject. For instance, the flash can be
used to "fill" dark areas in a face that's shot in harsh light.
Red-eye mode reduces that defect in a picture. In that mode, a pre-flash
is fired before the main flash. The pre-flash reduces the size of a
subject’s pupils so red-eye won't appear when the main flash fires.
Just as a meter reading by the camera can be altered through exposure
compensation, the amount of light emitted by the flash can be increased
or decreased through a menu item.
Battery life for the camera was relatively short. Its initial charge
lasted about eight days with moderate use. Casio rates the unit’s
battery life at 280 still shots; 4 hours, 20 minutes, of continuous
playback; or 4 hours, 50 minutes of voice recording.
Standards supported by the Z150 include Exif Version 2.2, DCF 1.0,
DPOF and NTSC/PAL.
Characteristics
