Before the announcement, Casio's digital camera product line consisted of the QV-R series compact cameras, and the impressively slender EXILIM cameras - all fairly standard point-n-shoot cameras that make taking snapshots simple, but don't offer the photographer much in the way of manual control. The new Casio EXILIM PRO EX-P600 digital camera is quite different then, offering some rather more advanced features like a hybrid phase difference detection / contrast detection Auto Focus system, three frames per second burst mode (for six frames), Aperture and Shutter priority modes as well as a fully Manual mode, Auto Exposure Bracketing, White Balance Bracketing, Auto Focus Bracketing, manual control over sharpness, hue, saturation, and contrast, both TIFF and JPEG file formats, and a whole lot more besides. The EX-P600 has a 6.0 megapixel 1/1.8" CCD imager coupled with a Canon 4x optical zoom lens, and other interesting features include a 2.0" TFT LCD display, 10MB of built-in memory (of which about 9MB is available to store images), rechargeable Lithium Ion battery and Secure Digital / MultiMediaCard storage.

The Casio EXILIM PRO EX-P600 weighs just under eight ounces without batteries or flash card, and has dimensions of 3.84" x 2.66" x 1.78". It should be available this April at a price of $649.99.

Casio EXILIM PRO EX-P600
Recording Element	1/1.8-inch square pixel primary color CCD (6.37 million total pixels; 6 million effective pixels)
File Record Format	Snapshots: JPEG (Exif. Ver. 2.2), DCF standard, DPOF compliant Movies: AVI (Motion JPEG); Audio: WAV (monaural)
Recording Medium	Built-in flash memory (approx. 9MB recordable area), supports SD memory card/Multi Media card
Recorded Image Sizes	Snapshots: 2816 x 2112 / 2816 x 1872 (3:2) / 2048 x 1536 / 1600 x 1200 / 1280 x 960 / 640 x 480 pixels Movies: 320 x 240 pixels
Resolution	Fine / Normal / Economy / TIFF
Lens	Canon Lens (8 lenses in 7 groups, including aspherical lens) F2.8(W) to 4.0(T); f=7.1(W) to 28.4(T)mm (equivalent to approximately 33.0 to 132.0 mm when converted to 35mm film); Lens barrier
Zoom	4X optical zoom; 4X digital zoom (16X total when optical and digital zooms are used in combination)
Focusing	Phase difference sensor AF/ Contrast type AF (selectable between spot, 7-point multi, free AF area switching, continuous AF); macro mode; infinity mode; manual focus; focus lock
Approximate Focus Range	15.75 cm to 8; Macro: 3.94" to 19.69"
Exposure Control	Metering: Multi-pattern by imaging element Control: program; aperture; shutter speed; manual exposure; AE lock Exposure Compensation: -2EV to +2EV (in 1/3EV steps)
Shutter	CCD electronic / mechanical shutter; Bulb, 60 to 1/2000 shutter speed (manual exposure)
Aperture	10 stage aperture; F2.8 to F8.0(W), F4.0/F11.1(T)
White Balance	Auto; Fixed (7 modes); Manual
Recording Functions	Snapshot / audio snapshot (up to 30 seconds); high-speed continuous shutter (3 shots / second, max. 6 shots); Auto Bracketing (AE/WB/AF); Multi Bracketing (color/portrait/sharpness/saturation/contrast); Macro; Best Shot, movie with audio; voice recorder
Self-timer	10 seconds or 2 seconds; Triple Self-timer; Remote control; 2 second remote control self timer
Built-in Flash	Flash Modes: Auto, Flash On, Flash Off, Red Eye Reduction; Approximate Range: 0.66 to 9.51 Feet(W); 0.66 to 6.56 feet (T)
Viewfinder	Monitor screen and optical viewfinder
Monitor Screen	2.0-inch high-definition TFT color LCD, 115,200 pixels (480×240)
Timekeeping Functions	Date and time recorded with image data; auto calendar up to 2049
World Time	162 cities (32 time zones); city names; date and time; summer time
Input/Output Terminals	External power (DC IN); USB/AV connection (NTSC/PAL compliant); External flash sync terminal; microphone / speaker
Power Requirements	Proprietary lithium ion rechargeable battery; AC adapter
Dimensions	3.84" (W) x 2.66" (H) x 1.78" (D) (excluding projections)
Weight	Approximately 7.94 oz (excluding batteries and accessories)
Bundled Accessories	Lithium Ion rechargeable battery; Battery charger; Card remote control; USB cable; AV cable; Strap; CD-ROM
Optional Accessories	Conversion lens adapters (wide and tele); proprietary lithium ion battery; battery charger
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EXILIM PRO EX-P600 MAIN FEATURES

• 6-megapixel CCD
  Able to record photos up to a resolution of 2816 x 2112 pixels. Clearer and sharper images have been made possible by maintaining the edge of objects while reducing noise. Images can also be recorded directly from the CCD to TIFF format to avoid any degradation of picture quality.
• Canon 4X optical zoom lens
  This lens features a high-performance 4X optical zoom with 10-stage aperture settings. Using the high-resolution offered by the 6-megapixel CCD, it is possible to get the best out of the 16X zoom lens (16X total when optical and digital zooms are used in combination). The lens has an automatic barrier for protection, and can be used in conjunction with the three commercially available Canon conversion lenses (X 0.7 / X 1.5 / close-up) to increase the camera’s flexibility.
• Easy to use compact body
  With a high-quality and rigid stainless steel body 3.84” (W) x 2.66” (H) x 1.78” (D) (1.03” at thinnest point), the EX-P600 is the ideal compact size. The camera’s case features the “Ex Fine Blast Treatment” for stylish looks and quality feel.
• 3 photos / second rapid shooting
  EX-P600 offers 3 photos / second high-speed continuous shutter up to a maximum of 6 photos. With this function you’re sure to catch the best shot, whether it be children playing, sports, or any other fast-paced activity. These images can all be previewed together on one screen.
• Speedy response
  Never miss a photo opportunity with a rapid start-up time of approximately 2 seconds and a fast shutter time lag of approximately 0.01 seconds. Photo playback is also possible at intervals of approximately 0.1 seconds, a very convenient feature when scrolling through a large volume of images.
• Auto bracketing photography
  By pressing the shutter button once, it is possible to use the auto bracketing function to take either 3 or 5 photos, applying different effects to each one. In addition to exposure variation (AEB), white balance (WBB), and focus positioning (AFB), the Multi Bracketing feature also allows users to choose variations of color, portrait, sharpness, saturation, and contrast levels. This allows users to pick the very best shot from among their photos.
• High-definition 2.0-inch TFT LCD monitor
  The EX-P600 has a large, easy to see 2.0-inch monitor with a high-definition TFT LCD (115,200 pixels). The monitor makes it possible to scroll through photos, and to view the camera’s various functions and other information.
• The “EX Finder” for quick and easy visual display of photographic information
  The camera’s photographic information, such as shutter speed, aperture, and focusing can be displayed graphically on the monitor. These graphical displays make it easy to quickly adjust settings manually. There is also an RGB histogram for high-end users.
• The “Manual Assist” display of picture effects for manual settings
  When shooting manually with priority on either shutter speed or aperture, users can see what kind of photo will result from the chosen shutter speed and aperture settings by the visual display.
• “Best Shot” function
  By choosing from Best Shot’s sample photos, it is easy to automatically adjust such things as exposure and white balance levels. There are 25 sample photos to choose from, including ‘soft focus’ and ‘sports.’ It is also possible to register up to 999 of your favorite settings in your own ‘My Best Shot’ folder, allowing you to use the same settings at any time.
• Adjusting manual settings quickly and easily on one screen
  By pressing the proprietary “EX button”, the levels for white balance, ISO sensitivity, metering, and AF area settings can be displayed and adjusted on a single screen. When shooting manually, changes to these settings can be done quickly and easily.
• Multiple Auto focus area
  In addition to the fixed auto focus and the 7-point multi auto focus, the EX-P600 has an auto focus area that can be moved freely to the left or right, up or down using the arrow keys. This area can be enlarged during playback to ensure correct focus.
• Other features
  • Lengthy movies with audio are possible depending on the amount of memory available
  • Images and movies can be viewed on a TV screenPhotos taken with the camera in a sideways position are automatically displayed upright thanks to a built-in horizontal / vertical position sensor
  • Built-in flash memory (approx. 9MB) / SD memory card / Multi Media card compliant
  • Commercially available external flash equipment can be used with the Sync Terminal
  • A convenient wireless remote control is included for slow shutter and self-timer photos
  • “Photo Loader” software is included to allow automatic transfer of images to a PC
  • Connects directly to PictBridge and USB DIRECT-PRINT compliant printers using a USB cable

Specifications subject to change without notice.