Casio EX-Z1000 Design

The Camera

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The front of this metal-bodied Casio EX-Z1000 has a large opening for the extending lens in the lower right corner. The lens is protected by a split lens cover and extends a full inch (and pretty quickly, too). Hard to believe there's room in that thin body for a lens that deep, but it is constructed in three parts. Above the lens and slightly to the left is the autofocus assist/self-timer lamp and just down the curve of the lens a bit more is the tiny hole for the microphone. You can store mono audio clips with images, capture sound movies, and record voice memos, too. Above the Casio EX-Z1000's mic is the small flash.

The wrist strap eyelet is on the right side of the Casio EX-Z1000 and swivels freely, a nice touch. There's nothing on the left side of the camera.

The top of the camera has (l-r) the Display button to toggle through information display options, the Playback and Record mode buttons, the Power Button, the Shutter button ringed by the Zoom control, and a small camera status LED just rear of the Casio EX-Z1000's Zoom control.

Underneath the Casio EX-Z1000 is (l-r) the speaker grill, a plastic tripod mount, the cradle port and the hinged battery/storage card compartment. You'll have to remove the camera from a tripod to swap batteries.

The back of the Casio EX-Z1000 has a few ridges in the top right corner impersonating a thumb grip. Below that is the Menu button which is mirrored on the opposite side of the Navigator and its Set button by the Best Shot or Scene mode button. Most of the real estate is taken up by the 1.5x2-3/8 inch LCD, an unusual format but well employed to display shooting options along the right side.