If
one word can be used to describe the Casio's QV-R40 it is the word:
fast. 1 secondto deploy its 3X zoom
lens and be ready to shoot, a feat few others can claim.
The design of the QV-R40 makes the camera's external controls very simple.
The
Casio QV-R40 measures 88 mm (W) x 60.5 mm (H) x 32.7 mm (D) (3.5"
x 2.4" x 1.3") and weighs 200 grams (7oz) with batteries, a
card and the wrist strap.
It is small, and has a very sturdy feel.
On
the top side, the QV-R40 has a Power button mounted flush to the surface,
and to its right a shutter release with the spring loaded zoom
control around it.
The zoom is stepless, and reacts very quickly to the lightest pressure
on the zoom control. From wide angle to telephoto, the zoom takes just
a little over 1 second to transit through its full range.
Like
many other digital cameras, the zoom control also provides additional
functions when the camera is in playback. The telephoto side magnifies
an image (4X), and the wide angle side displays thumbnails with an index
screen composed of 9 images. But Casio adds an additional level to the
way images can be chosen: the date.
Pushing the zoom control a second time from the thumbnails view displays
a calendar, which allows selecting images based on the date on which they
were taken.
All
the other controls of the QV-R40 are on the right side of the camera's
back, near the 1.6 inch LCD monitor:
Selects
the Recording mode directly, by-passing the On/Off switch.
The On/Off switch must be used to turn the camera off.
Selects
the Playback mode, and can be used to start the camera directly
into Playback mode. The On/Off switch is still required to turn
off the camera.
The
MENU button is
below. The menu button provides access to 2 distinct menus, one for the
Recording mode, the other for the Playback mode. The Recording menu is
composed of three sections, while the Playback menu has two. (See the
Characteristic section of the review for the options of the menus).
Navigation of the menus is assured using the large round 4-direction control
below the Menu button, and a button labelled SET
at the centre is used to "enter" a selection. The 4-direction
control also provides the way to select other functions. The Up arrow
serves:
To
select the Macro mode, Infinity mode, or Manual
Focus mode when the camera is in Recording mode.
The Macro mode has a focus range of 10 to 70 cm (3.9 to
27.6 in.) and limits the zoom to either 1X or 1.2X.
Infinity mode []
sets the lens to infinity focus and makes it simple to capture
landscapes or distant subjects.
Manual focus []
provides a range of 10 cm (3.9 in.) to infinity in wide angle
and 60 cm (23.6 in.) to infinity at the maximum telephoto end
of the zoom. Focus is adjusted using the right and left arrows
and the camera automatically provides a blow-up of the central
part of the frame on the LCD screen to make sure the focus is
sharp.
In
Playback, this button is used to start the QV-R40's Album creation
system. (See the Characteristics section of the review).
The right
and left arrows of the 4-direction control are unlabeled, but by default
are set to work as a short cut to the QV-R40's Recording modes, avoiding
having to call up the menu and change the mode there. Single shot mode
is indicated by
on the LCD screen. And when either arrow is pressed once, the display
changes to either
indicating the Best Shot mode, a type of Scene mode that offers
21 scene types, or to
indicating that the Movie mode is selected. A menu option allows
changing the function assigned to the right and left arrows. (See the
Characteristics section of the review for an overview of these modes).
The Down arrow is the access for:
Flash
modes: Auto, Forced On, Forced Off, Red-eye Reduction.
Delete,
one or all photos in Playback.
Finally,
the DISP button
controls the LCD monitor and its information overlays. By default, the
LCD monitor shows the wide focus area and a host of info on the screen,
and when the camera has focus and is ready to shoot, the display gets
augmented with the camera settings for aperture and shutter speed. Pressing
the DISP button
once adds a superimposed real time histogram — a graphical representation
of the distribution of brightness in the frame — to the existing
information. A second press of the DISP
button clears all information from the screen with the exception of the
AF area, and the exposure values. Last, a third press of the button turns
off the monitor.
The
Casio QV-R40 is elegant, very compact, and is ergonomically well designed.
It's functions are easy to get used to as are the controls. Only the optical
viewfinder leaves something to be desired. Its exit pupil is quite narrow,
making it a bit difficult to use for someone that wears glasses.
]
sets the lens to infinity focus and makes it simple to capture
landscapes or distant subjects.
]
provides a range of 10 cm (3.9 in.) to infinity in wide angle
and 60 cm (23.6 in.) to infinity at the maximum telephoto end
of the zoom. Focus is adjusted using the right and left arrows
and the camera automatically provides a blow-up of the central
part of the frame on the LCD screen to make sure the focus is
sharp.
on the LCD screen. And when either arrow is pressed once, the display
changes to either 
indicating the Best Shot mode, a type of Scene mode that offers
21 scene types, or to 
indicating that the Movie mode is selected. A menu option allows
changing the function assigned to the right and left arrows. (See the
Characteristics section of the review for an overview of these modes).
