Casio EX-Z1000 Performance

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Casio EX-Z1000 Performance

Note: The following review is an experimental review format. Let us know what you think by emailing with the Email link below.

Timing and Performance

Key Factors

There are several key factors to a digicam's performance. How fast it starts up and shuts down can make the difference between getting and missing a shot. Autofocus and prefocus lag measure the responsiveness to the camera to your touch. Cycle time indicates how long you have to wait between shots without using a special burst mode. Flash cycling measures how long it takes the flash to recharge after firing a healthy burst of light. Finally, USB speed measures how quickly the camera can transfer images when connected directly to either a computer or printer.

DESC	SPEED	SCORE	RATING
Startup	2.0 secs	Average
Shutdown	1.6 sec	Above Average
Autofocus lag (combined wide angle and telephoto performance)	0.576 sec	Above Average
Prefocus lag (half-pressed Shutter button)	0.004 sec	Above Average
Cycle time (large/fine JPEG in Continuous mode)	1.5 sec	Above Average
Flash cycling	7.5 sec	Below Average
USB speed	886 KB/sec	Average

The Casio EX-Z1000 is pretty snappy, starting up and shutting down quickly and setting focus fast, too. Its flash is powerful, so takes some time to recharge but the Z1000 offers a flash mode that recycles more quickly at the expense of power. Likewise, the slow USB transfer time is easily overcome simply by using a card reader or PCMCIA adapter.

Ratings

Our ratings range from Below Average to Average to Above Average and are awarded a star for each step. Cameras are compared only to competitors in the same class.

Feature Comparison

Sensor, Zoom, LCD, Weight

Megapixels, zoom range, LCD size and weight are the first considerations of many buyers. Here's how the Z1000 stacks up against the competition.

DESC	SPEC	SCORE	RATING
Sensor	10-Mp	Above Average
Optical Zoom	3.0x	Average
LCD Size	2.8 inches	Above Average
Weight	169 grams	Average

Note that the 3.0x zoom is buttressed by a competent 4x digital zoom. And while the weight may rate only Average, the Casio EX-Z1000 isn't a heavy camera.

Image Stabilization

Some digicams are able to steady a hand-held shot in low light using image stabilization technology, making it unnecessary to use the flash for indoor shots (and thereby avoiding red-eye).

The Casio EX-Z1000 doesn't offer in-camera image stabilization, but its Anti Shake mode comes close. Anti Shake takes advantage of the Casio EX-Z1000's large sensor to increase ISO sensitivity without adding an objectionable level of noise to the image. At the same time, shutter speed is just fast enough to prevent camera blur.

While not quite as effective as the two to three stop gain of image stabilization, the Casio EX-Z1000's Anti Shake works well if you don't mind its grainy appearance.

Editing Functions

In-camera editing functions make it possible to tweak an image before printing it directly to a PictBridge printer, for example.

The Casio EX-Z1000 has an excellent selection of image editing functions available in Playback mode, which draw on a few Best Shot mode features. The editing functions include resizing (which saves the result as a new image, retaining the original), cropping the original to a 4:3 aspect ratio, keystoning to correct perspective, color restoration to correct the faded colors of an old photo (saved as a new image, retaining the original), changing the date/time of an image, and rotating an image. Movies can be cut, too, and stills recorded from a movie frame.

Not sure which camera to buy? Let your eyes be the ultimate judge! Visit our Comparometer(tm) to compare images from the Casio EX-Z1000 with those from other cameras you may be considering. The proof is in the pictures, so let your own eyes decide which you like best!