Casio Europe: new 5mpix EXILIM ultracompact
By
Mike Tomkins
(Wednesday, May 3, 2006 - 23:31 EDT)
From its European headquarters in Norderstedt, Germany, electronics company Casio has unveiled a new digital camera that packs some interesting features into an ultracompact package.
The Casio EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z5 combines a 1/2.5" CCD imager with five megapixels and an EXILIM-branded 3x optical zoom lens with a fairly standard 38 - 144mm equivalent focal range. There's no optical viewfinder, but a 2.5" LCD display with 115,200 pixels dominates the camera's rear panel. With the lens retracted, the Casio Z5's smooth, clean lines and 19.8mm thick body should prove friendly for storing in a pocket. Images are stored on Secure Digital / MultiMediaCards, or in 8.3MB of internal memory. The Casio EX-Z5 has a whopping 33 scene modes (including five movie scene modes), dubbed "Best Shot" modes in Casio parlance. The Z5 also has some more unusual features - including a flash assist mode that selectively corrects underexposed areas in images, and a Rapid Flash mode that allows three flash shots to be captured in a single second, the trade-off being that flash range is roughly halved. An in-camera exposure warning function activates a warning of under / overexposed areas of the image when the shutter button is half-pressed, and a histogram function that allows both the more traditional function, and an RGB histogram that lets you see if a particular color channel is correctly exposed. A "Date Edit" function allows you to selectively correct the date and time recorded in EXIF metadata stored with images - useful if you forgot to set the camera's clock, or to change the time and date when travelling to a different time zone. The Casio EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z5 will ship in Europe from the endof May 2006. | Casio EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z5 |  | | General | | Camera Type | Ultra Compact | | Manufacturer | Casio | | Model Number | EX-Z5 | | Dimensions | 3.7 x 2.4 x 0.8"
95.2 x 60.6 x 19.8mm | | Weight | 118.0 g
4.1 oz | | Image Capture | | Sensor Type | 1/2.5" CCD
5.00 megapixels (effective) | | Aspect Ratio | 4:3, 3:2 | | Image Dimensions | 2560 x 1920 (4.9 megapixels)2560 x 1712 (4.4 megapixels)2304 x 1728 (4.0 megapixels)2048 x 1536 (3.1 megapixels)1600 x 1200 (1.9 megapixels)640 x 480 (0.3 megapixels) | | Image Preview / Review | | Viewfinder | No | | LCD | 2.5", 115,200 pixels | | Lens | | Lens Type | EXILIM Optical
3x optical zoom | | Image Stabilization | Yes | | Focal Length | 6.3 - 18.9mm (actual)
38 - 114mm (35mm equivalent) | | Aperture Range | f/3.1 (wide) / f/5.9 (tele) - ??? | | Focusing System | 9-point Spot / Multi Contrast Detection
Manual Focus possible (0) steps | | Focusing Range | Normal: 16" - infinity (40 cm - infinity)
Macro: 4.1" - 20" (10 cm - 50 cm) | | Exposure | | ISO Sensitivity | Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400 | | Shutter Speed | 1/2 - 1/2000 second | | Exposure Modes | Program | | Metering Modes | Multi Pattern, Center Weighted, Center Spot | | Exposure Compensation | +/- 2.0EV in 1/3EV increments | | White Balance | Image Sensor - Auto, 6 presets, Manual, Manual | | Internal Flash | Modes: Auto, manual-on, manual-off, Red Eye-Reduction, Soft Flash
Range: 0.1 m - 3.7 m (W) / 0.6 m - 1.9 m (T) | | Creative | | Scene Modes | Portrait, Scenery, Portrait w/ Scenery, Coupling, Preshot, Children, Candlelight, Party, Pet, Flower, Natural Green, Sundown, Night, Night Portrait, Fireworks, Food, Text, Collection, Monochrome, Retro, Twilight, Soft, Sport, Flowing Water, Splashing Water, Projection, Biz Card, ID Photo, 5 x Movie | | Digital Zoom | 4x | | Self Timer | Yes, 2 or 10 seconds | | Movie Format | AVI (Motion JPEG) with audio
640x480 and 320x240
Max. frame-rate: 30 frames per second
Max. clip length: 600 seconds (640x480) | | Storage | | Recording Medium | SD/MMC | | File System | Complies with Design Rule for Camera File System (DCF) | | File Format | JPEG (Exif 2.2) | | Connectivity | | Video | Yes, NTSC / PAL switchable | | Computer | USB 2.0 Full (LOW) Speed | | Power | | Battery Type | Lithium Ion rechargeable | | Battery Form Factor | Proprietary NP-20 | | Product Bundle | | Battery / Charger | 1 x proprietary NP-20 Lithium Ion rechargeable battery and charger | | Flash Memory | 8.3MB built-in memory | | Other | | Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) compliant | Yes | | PictBridge Compliant | Yes | | Internal Microphone | Yes | | Internal Speaker | Yes | | Tripod Mount | Yes | | Remote Control | No | | More Photos |  | | |
Thanks to
IR reader Bob Rijnbeek
for this item!
|
Original Source Press Release:
| A new digital camera to start your digital photography experience: The black EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z5 by CASIO Norderstedt, April 2006 - The new EXILIM EX-Z5 is the perfect companion for the summer. With its matt-brushed, black surface it is a well-designed eye-catcher in every situation. At the same time the easy-to-handle digital camera convinces due to its simple operability and innovative EXILIM technologies. Users appreciate the 5 mega-pixel resolution with 3x optical zoom for fantastic photo quality, as well as the 2.5-inch TFT color display to view the photo motifs in comfort. A large number of BEST SHOT motif programs, which can be easily activated via the BEST SHOT button, makes it easy to take photographs at selected moments. Beginners therefore also have the possibility of setting their digital camera specifically to outside motif conditions. The freely selectable Easy Mode prevents inadvertent adjustment of the technical settings and makes it easier than ever to take pictures. The DIRECT ON function rounds off the user-friendly operability of the EX-Z5. The integrated Anti Shake DSP (Digital Signal Processor) electronically reduces the risk of camera shaking. The Auto Macro function, Quick Shutter function and multi auto focus also safeguard correct focusing. The innovative Revive Shot function complements the pallet of functions of the EX-Z5. Old and faded photos can be photographed directly out of the photo album and replenished by means of Color Restoration technology. Thanks to CASIO's own digital restoration including trapezium correction, photos shine resplendent in their new color gloss. The Rapid Flash function takes three pictures with flash in succession in only one second. Additional flash functions for beautiful photo results with little ambient light are the Flash Assist function and the 4-function flash with Red Eye Reduction and Soft Flash. The internal memory of the new EXILIM digital camera can be increased with commercially available SD-/MMC cards. The EX-Z5 delivery package includes a lithium-ion storage battery (NP-20), USB cable, AV cable, extensive software on CD-ROM and a hand carrying-strap. USB docking station, camera bags, neck straps and other comprehensive accessories are available optionally in the latest EXILIM look. The EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z5 is available from the end of May 2006. Further information also under www.casio-europe.com or www.exilim.de. |
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