The
Casio QV-3EX is a sleek all metal, 3.3 megapixel with a single
focal length lens.
The
layout of the controls is standard, and with his camera, Casio has opted
for a Mode Dial placed near the shutter release, while the Power switch
is mounted on the rear edge. The switch has three positions, Play-Off-Rec,
and has an LED that glows green in recording and playback, and red when
the camera is storing, or at start up and shut down.
The Mode Dial has seven recording programs:
Manual
Mode: full control over shutter speed and aperture.
Aperture
Priority: three selectable apertures (f2.6, f4.2, f6.6); the
camera sets the shutter speed to match.
Program
Mode: automatic shutter speed and aperture.
Night
Scene Mode: can be used in conjunction with the flash for slow
synch.
Landscape
Mode: uses a small aperture for increased depth of field and
allows the use of colour "filters", blue, green, red,
yellow, pink.
Movie
mode: up to 30 seconds of recording with a frame size of 320
x 240 without sound. (White balance and exposure are set at the
1st frame.)
Panorama
Mode: presents a portion of the last image on the screen to
improve the overlap; up to 9 images can be recorded.
A
status display is located on the top left side of the camera. The display
indicates 8 camera settings which include focus settings (manual focus,
infinity, macro); flash modes (red-eye or forced off); battery charge
remaining; self timer activation (2 or 10 seconds) and, of course, the
number of photos that can still fit on the card or Microdrive.
Below the status screen three buttons provide functions in both recording
and playback. The first controls flash modes in recording and displays
photo info in playback. The second is to select manual focus, infinity
focus or macro mode in recording, or to jump from one folder to another
(where images are stored) in playback. Last, the third button is to engage
the self timer or delete images in playback.
The
back of the QV-3EX has an easy to use layout that clusters the controls
on the left side of the screen.
A four-direction controller has the Menu button placed above and
the Set button, used to confirm selections, below. As a secondary
function, the Set button can be used to magnify an image displayed on
the LCD screen in playback, making it easier to ascertain the sharpness.
The DISP (display) button turns the LCD screen on, or off, but
can also present a real-time histogram showing the brightness of
a subject about to be captured.
The QV-3EX is well
designed, very nicely finished, and in use its functions become quickly
familiar.
As is often the case with Casio cameras, the QV-3EX package does not stinge:
the Casio USA package includes a 340MB IBM Microdrive, a
case and strap, a Lithium Ion battery and a charger/adapter.
