Casio Europe: new 5mpix EXILIM ultracompact By
Michael R. Tomkins, The Imaging Resource (Friday, June 23, 2006 - 15:48 EDT)From its European headquarters in Norderstedt, Germany, electronics company Casio has unveiled a new digital camera that looks to be based on its existing EX-Z5 model.
Priced at £229.99, the Casio EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z70 combines a 1/2.5" CCD imager with seven megapixels and an EXILIM-branded 3x optical zoom lens with a fairly standard 38 - 114mm 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 Z70'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-Z70 has a whopping 33 scene modes (including five movie scene modes), dubbed "Best Shot" modes in Casio parlance. The Z70 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-Z70 will ship in Europe at the start of July 2006.
3072 x 2304 (7.1 megapixels) 3072 x 2048 (6.3 megapixels) 2560 x 1920 (4.9 megapixels) 2048 x 1536 (3.1 megapixels) 1600 x 1200 (1.9 megapixels) 640 x 480 (0.3 megapixels)
Modes: Auto, Flash On, Flash Off, Soft Flash, Red Eye Reduction Range: Wide: 0.1 to 3.7 m; Tele: 0.6 to 1.9 m
Creative
Scene Modes
33 Best Shot scene modes
Digital Zoom
4x
Self Timer
Yes, 2 or 10 seconds
Movie Format
AVI (Motion JPEG) with audio 640x480 and 512x384 Max. frame-rate: 0 frames per second
Storage
Recording Medium
SD/MMC, Built-in
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 High Speed
Power
Battery Type
Lithium Ion rechargeable
Battery Form Factor
Proprietary NP-20
Product Bundle
Battery / Charger
Proprietary NP-20 Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery and charger
Flash Memory
8.3MB built-in memory
Other
Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) compliant
Yes
Internal Microphone
Yes
Internal Speaker
Yes
Tripod Mount
Yes
Remote Control
No
More Photos
Original Source Press Release:
CASIO Introduces EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z70, A Slim, Stylish Digital Camera with 7.2 Megapixels
Features Easy Mode for Simple Camera Setup
JUNE 22, 2006, LONDON, UK -- CASIO ELECTRONICS CO. LTD. and its parent company, CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD., announced today the release of the EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z70, a new addition to its stylish series of EXILIM® digital cameras. This newest high resolution member of the EXILIM family delivers an effective 7.2 megapixels.
The EXILIM series has a reputation for transforming the digital camera market. Slim and stylish, packed with superior functionality, and astonishingly easy to use, EXILIM cameras combine the benefits of compact size, intuitive controls, large displays, and long battery life. The release of the new EX-Z70 complements the already available EX-Z60, a high-performance, 6.0 megapixel model released earlier this year. The EX-Z70 increases the resolution to 7.2 megapixels for even more detailed, beautiful photographs.
Like its forerunner, the EX-Z70 features Easy Mode, a user-friendly camera menu for beginners. Easy Mode simplifies the wide array of camera settings to three easy menus (image size, flash, and self-timer). With Easy Mode, users can make camera settings using simple onscreen descriptions, enabling even beginners to get started right away with the fun of photography. A combination of other powerful features ensures that beautiful photos are captured with just a touch of the shutter button:
Anti Shake DSP for reducing photo blur due to shaky hands or moving subjects
BEST SHOT function for getting optimal photo results simply by selecting a sample image of the type of scene the user wants to shoot
Large 2.5 inch LCD for great visibility
The camera’s lightweight aluminium body comes finished in either luxurious black or high quality silver. The top of the body is rounded to give it a soft look, and the overall design is a perfect blend of fashion and functionality. The EX-Z70 captures those priceless moments in a stylish package that puts superior image quality in the palm of every user’s hand.
The CASIO EXILIM EX-Z70 will be available in black from the beginning of July, and silver from the beginning of August, with a guide retail price of £229.99.
- ENDS -
EXILIM is a registered trademark of CASIO COMPUTER CO. LTD.
Specifications are subject to change without notice.
Casio Europe: new 5mpix EXILIM ultracompact
