Casio EXILIM PRO EX-P6006.0 megapixels, a Canon 4x zoom lens, and a host of features.<<Design :(Previous) | (Next): Optics>> Page 4:ViewfinderReview First Posted: 07/30/2004 |
Viewfinder
The
EX-P600 offers both a real-image optical viewfinder and a rear panel, 2.0-inch,
TFT color LCD screen. Though it does not offer a diopter correction adjustment,
the EX-P600's optical viewfinder has a very high eyepoint, with plenty of room
for most eyeglass thicknesses to fit. In common with those of many digicams,
the EX-P600's optical viewfinder isn't too accurate, showing between 81 and
85 percent of the final image area, depending on the lens zoom position. The
LCD does much better, showing almost exactly 100% of the final frame, regardless
of lens setting. Two small LEDs on the right side of the optical viewfinder
blink or light continuously to report camera status, such as when the AF system
is fixed or having trouble, or if the flash is ready or charging.
The
EX-P600's 2.0-inch, color, high-definition LCD monitor has a 115,200-pixel display
and a very unique information overlay. The Display button next to the lower
right corner of the LCD monitor controls the display mode, cycling between a
standard information overlay, an advanced graphic display, a basic display with
only the focus brackets, and the disabled setting. The standard information
display reports the basic camera settings, including aperture and shutter speed
(when the Shutter button is halfway pressed), remaining battery power, date
and time, and the number of images that can be stored in memory at the current
image size/quality setting. The display also indicates where the images are
being stored, either on the internal memory or SD card. The EX-P600's more advanced
graphic display is much more interesting, and almost has a "flight simulator"
quality to it. A large cross-hair in the center of the frame, surrounded by
a circle, shows the focus area and the current focus setting. The ISO and flash
settings are reported in the top two corners, while a live-action histogram
in the lower left corner reports the tonal distribution for the overall image,
as well as for the individual R, G, and B channels. (This last is a very slick
feature, one that I've only previously seen on the Sigma SD-9 and SD-10 digital
SLRs.) On the right side are graphs representing the exposure compensation,
shutter speed, and aperture settings. Just above these, a color option cycles
through the available color display choices. Though it may be a little overkill,
the interface is actually quite fun to play around with, even though it does
cover up most of the image area, making it a little hard to see the subject.
In both the standard and graphic information display modes, you can use the
Four-Way Arrow pad to make a handful of exposure adjustments directly, depending
on the exposure mode selected. A Grid option is available through the Record
menu, which divides the image area into thirds, horizontally and vertically,
to help you line up shots with strong horizontal or vertical components. (Great
for making sure that your horizon is level, or for lining up architectural shots.)
When
using the LCD monitor to review captured images, you can zoom in up to 8x on
displayed images and then scroll around the enlarged image using the arrow buttons.
This is extremely handy for checking focus, small details, or precise framing.
There's also an Index display option which shows 16 images at a time. The Display
button again controls the amount of information presented onscreen, showing
the image only, the image with limited shot information (image size, file number,
date and time, and battery level), and the image with more detailed exposure
information and a histogram. The EX-P600 also offers the ability to resize or
crop your images post-exposure. You can also rotate images, or record a short
sound clip to accompany an image as an "audio caption."
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