Go to:
Previous Item
Current News
Next Item

Casio's EXILIM EX-P505 digital camera. Courtesy of Casio, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Casio announces EXILIM Pro EX-P505 (UPDATED)
By
(Monday, January 31, 2005 - 07:42 EST)

Casio worldwide has today announced a new digital camera model that marks the Japanese manufacturer's first footsteps into the SLR-style digicam arena.

The Casio EXILIM Pro EX-P505 features a five megapixel CCD imager coupled with coupled with a 5x optical zoom lens. Unusually for the form factor, the camera forgoes any optical or electronic viewfinders in favor of the tilt/swivel 2.0" LCD display which is also used for image review. Other features include a pop-up flash, full manual controls, 7.5MB of built-in storage as well as SD / MMC card support, power from a proprietary rechargeable Lithium Ion battery, USB 2.0 High Speed connection for image transfer, and NTSC / PAL video output.

Full specifications translated from the Japanese release follow below. The camera will ship this February at an MSRP price of $499.99. Six sample images shot with the camera, along with two sample videos can be seen on the Casio Japan website.

Casio EXILIM Pro EX-P505
Casio's EXILIM EX-P505 digital camera. Courtesy of Casio, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
Image Sensor 1/2.5"-type square pixel primary color CCD (Total Pixels: 5,200,000 / Effective Pixels: 5,000,000)
Record Format
Still Image: JPEG (Exif Ver2.2) / DCF / DPOF compliant
Movie: AVI type MPEG-4 compliant; Sound: WAV
Record Media Built-in flash memory (7.5MB available); SD memory card / MMC compliant
Image Size
Still Image: 2560 x 1920 / 2560 x 1712 (3:2) / 2048 x 1536 / 1600 x 1200 / 1280 x 960 / 640×480
Movie: 640 x 480 (Fine) / 640 x 480 (Standard) / 320 x 240
Lens
10 elements in 8 groups include aspheric element, F3.3 - F3.6
F = 6.3 (W) - 31.5 (T) mm (35mm equivalent; Approximately 38.0 - 190.0mm)
Zoom Optical: 5x; Digital: 8x (40x including optical zoom)
Focusing Contrast detect-type automatic focusing and spot AF / multiple AF / free AF selection possible; macro mode, pan focus (movie only), infinity mode, and manual focusing
Focusing Range
Still image - standard: Approximately 40cm - infinity; Macro: 1 - 50cm (W)
Movie - standard: Approximately 10cm - infinity; Macro: 1 - 50cm (W)
*Varies with optical zoom.
Exposure Control
Metering system; Multi-pattern metering, center-weighted metering and spot metering by the image sensor
Control type; Program, aperture priority, shutter priority and manual exposure
Exposure compensation; -2EV - +2EV (1/3EV steps)
Shutter
Combined CCD electronic / mechanical shutter
Still image aperture priority - 1/8 - 1/2000 seconds
Shutter priority / manual exposure - 60 - 1/2000 second
Aperture
6 step aperture; F3.3 - 7.4
*Varies with optical zoom.
White Balance Automatic / preset (7 settings) / manual
Sensitivity Still image: Automatic / ISO50 / ISO100 / ISO200 / ISO400
Capture Modes
Still image, Still image with audio clip(Length: up to approximately 30 seconds), macro, self-timer, best shot, flash assist, scene and automatic macro
Movie with stereo audio, movie best shot, short clip, motion print and movie editing
Self-timer 2 or 10 second, triple self-timer
Built-in Flash
Automatic popup flash
Modes: Automatic / forced / Off / red eye reduction
Flash range: Approximately 0.4 - 3.0m (W)
*Varies with optical zoom.
Viewfinder LCD display
LCD Display Swiveling 2.0"-type TFT color liquid crystal; 84,960 (354 x 240) pixels
Clock Function Date & time: recorded in image; automatic calendar to 2049
World Time 162 cities (32 time zones), city name, date & time, daylight-saving time
Input / Output External power source (DC IN), USB / AV connection (NTSC / PAL compliant with stereo sound)
Power Source Proprietary Lithium Ion rechargeable
Dimensions Width 98.5mm x height 55.5mm x thickness 73.5mm (excluding projections)
Weight Approximately 215g (excluding battery)
Accessories Lithium ion rechargeable battery, quick charger, USB cable (High-speed USB 2.0 compliant), AV cable, strap and lens cap, cap holder, lens hood, CD-ROM
More Photos
Casio's EXILIM EX-P505 digital camera. Courtesy of Casio, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
Casio's EXILIM EX-P505 digital camera. Courtesy of Casio, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
.

UPDATED 2005-01-31 10:15ET: The US press release is now available, and the item has been updated to reflect this.

UPDATED 2005-01-31 10:56ET: Incorrectly formatted press release replaced.

Original Source Press Release:

A NEW STYLE OF DIGITAL CAMERA - CASIO'S EXILIM PRO EX-P505

5.0 Megapixel and 5X Optical Zoom with High Quality Movie Capability

DOVER, NJ, January 31, 2005 - Casio, Inc., in conjunction with its parent company, Casio Computer Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, has released the newest model in its popular EXILIM digital camera series. The new EXILIM PRO EX-P505 is a stylish digital camera equipped with a 5.0 megapixel imaging element and a 5X optical zoom. It not only takes superbly detailed digital photos, it is also capable of shooting extended video scenes with high-image quality. The EXILIM PRO EX-P505 will be available at retail the end of February, MSRP $499.99.

"We are very excited about this new addition to our award-winning EXILIM line. With the new EX-P505 you can now shoot videos and take quality digital photos. Casio's top-of-the-line EXILIM cameras are engineered for high image quality, high-speed operation, lower power consumption, and extremely compact dimensions," said John Clough, president of Casio, Inc. "We achieved these objectives through the use of Casio's remarkable "EXILIM engine," an extremely compact image module that represents the crystallization of Casio's advanced technology."

The new EXILIM PRO EX-P505 is a high-performance digital camera with an amazing high- quality video capability. The EX-P505 features a 5X optical zoom, an imaging CCD with 5.0 mega effective pixels, Casio's "EXILIM engine", and a large 2-inch TFT color rotating screen that makes angle shots a snap. It offers the same manual operation made famous by the EX-P600, as well as high-quality video shooting capability of 30 frames per second, in VGA size, thanks to the incorporation of MPEG-4 technology.

The very first EXILIM PRO model, the ground-breaking EX-P600, is equipped with a 6.0 megapixel imaging element and a 4X optical zoom, along with user selectable aperture, shutter speed and other effects, assuring the exact desired results when taking portraits or other types of photos. Manual operation is so easy that beginners can enjoy taking great pictures right away. The EX-P700, the second in the series, continued the tradition of the EXILIM PRO series, and remains hugely popular with photographers of all levels.

  • Authentic manual operation puts the user in control
    With a CCD imaging element with 5.0 mega effective pixels, along with the advanced Exilim engine, remarkably detailed images can be taken with ease. The 5X optical zoom lens has macro capability down to 1 cm, as well as aperture priority or shutter priority automatic setting, along with manual exposure mode for completely manual operation.

  • High quality video shooting
    The adoption of MPEG-4 technology enables full-scale high quality video shooting in VGA size (640 x 480 pixels) at 30 frames per second. "Movie BEST SHOT" allows the user to select from sample scenes for a wide range of shooting styles. "Short Movie" lets users film short movies during a single shutter, while other shooting and editing functions such as "MOTION PRINT" can be used to obtain a still image from a movie.

EX-P505 Main Features

Authentic manual shooting of photo subjects

  • CCD with 5.0 mega effective pixels and the Exilim engine assure detailed images
  • Optical 5X zoom lens with macro shooting down to 1 cm
  • Super Life Battery gives approx. 220 pictures per battery charge (CIPA standards*)

*CIPA standard "Standard Procedure for Measuring Digital Still Camera Battery Consumption":

Until recently there has been no standard measurement for battery life. This has resulted in inconsistencies between camera products and their catalogs and instruction manuals. As of December 2003, CIPA (Camera & Imaging Products Association) established the Standard Procedure for Measuring Digital Still Camera Battery Consumption, and hopes to reduce confusion among consumers by having this adopted by the world's digital camera manufacturers and retailers.

  • High-speed startup enables shooting only 0.8 seconds after the power is turned on*

*With internal flash off, using internal memory

  • Release time lag of only 0.01 sec. means images are recorded approximately 0.01 seconds after the shutter is released*

* With internal flash off

  • High-speed picture playback of approx. 0.1 sec. interval
  • Automatic power ON/OFF when the LCD panel is opened and closed
  • "BEST SHOT" function: 22 different types of shooting possible by simply selecting a scene from various samples
  • Flash automatically pops up when needed. (Auto pop-up flash)
  • Aperture priority, shutter speed priority and manual exposure modes can be selected
  • "EX Finder" shows shooting information by easy-to-understand graphics
  • Various manual settings can be quickly set on a single screen (EX Button)
  • Various shooting effects possible by changing the manual settings are shown in sample images (Manual Assist)

High-quality video shooting

  • MPEG-4 format used to enable long-playing video shooting
  • VGA size (640 x 480) pixels), 30 frames/sec, stereo audio high-quality video possible
  • Optical 5X zoom lens with macro shooting down to 1 cm
  • Movie BEST SHOT: select a scene* from among the samples to achieve the desired shooting effect

*Note: 5 different scenes: Portrait, Scenery, Night Scene, Fireworks, Silent

  • Approx. 2 hours of movie shooting on a single battery charge (continuous recording).
  • Past Movie function enables video recording to begin from five seconds before the shutter is pressed
  • Short Movie function enables up to eight seconds of movie to be taken during a single shutter
  • MOTION PRINT function enables either 9 or 1 frames to be converted to a still photo
  • Movie Playback Zoom function enables zoom display during video playback
  • Three types of Movie Editing operation (before, during or after) can be used to eliminate unwanted scenes

Other Features

  • New compact body reflects the high performance features of this stylish line of cameras
  • Large 2-inch TFT color rotating LCD panel enables angle shooting
  • High-speed USB 2.0 compatible for high-speed image transfer
  • Both still images and video images can be viewed on a television or monitor
  • Photo Loader PC software included to enable automatic transfer of images to the user's personal computer
  • Windows Media Player 9 video playback software and Ulead Video Studio video editing software included
  • Menu display can be set in 10 languages, including Chinese (simplified and traditional), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish
  • Compatible with PictBridge specifications for direct connection to a printer
  • ExifPrint (Exif 2.2) and PRINT Image Matching III compatibility

Go to:
Previous Item
Current News
Next Item

Powered by Coranto