ArsGeek

I’ve been spending a little time with one of Casio’s latest models, the EX-Z77 Exilim. The camera features 7.2 megapixels (effective) with a 3x optical zoom. On the back you’ll find a 2.6” wide LCD display. It’s available in four different colors, for the fashion minded (silver, black, blue and pink) and is a decent size for easy carrying and use. There’s 11.4MB of built in memory which you’ll want to ignore and get yourself a fast SD card instead. The EX-Z77 has a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery which is good for roughly 190 images. It ships with a battery, the battery charger, AC power cord, USB cable, an AV cable, a wrist strap and software. For a complete list of stats, check out the bottom of this article.

The EX-Z77 (and it’s slightly beefier in specs cousin the EX-S880) feature two new exclusive features. The first is the YouTube video capture mode. The camera records in MPEG-4 H.264 format, which “provides an ideal compression ration that allows users to record longer without having to sacrifice the quality of their movies”. Essentially it’s 640×480 resolution with up to 30 frames per second. The camera is packaged with Casio’s software which allows easy uploading from camera (or PC) right to YouTube.

the second exclusive feature is the eBay best Shot Mode. The camera takes images that are optimized in size for uploading to eBay, thinking for you it plonks the images right into an eBay directory for easy retrieval.

Another interesting feature packed into this camera is blur reduction. Blur reduction is achieved by using a combination of motion analysis, auto tracking AF and face detection. It essentially locks onto a person and won’t let go, even if they move. It judges the most appropriate shutter speed and ISO sensitivity and also pulls a bit from anti-shake technology.

For several weeks I’ve used this camera is my primary means of taking photographs and videos. Overall I’ve taken 215 shots with it and 15 minutes worth of video in varying conditions and under varying settings on the camera itself. In general the EX-Z77 performs well, with little delay between shots.

There are all kinds of modes available on the camera in addition to the eBay and YouTube modes. In all I count 41 modes, including one for voice recording. Built in photography and video modes can be helpful but I doubt if I used more than four of these modes for the few weeks I was using this camera, and I took photographs under a variety of conditions. Most common for me was simply the Best Picture mode, with occasionally switches to an scenery mode and a the Children or Pet mode.

An interesting mode is the Family First mode. This allow syou to store facial information for your family members inside the camera, which will remember them and pick them out using facial recognition. This is great if you want to focus on specific individuals out of a crowd.

At 7.2 megapixels, the resolution on this camera was more than enough to meet my daily photo needs. In good light photos came out crisp and clear. I found that in poor light, or indoors at night with indirect lighting some photos did appear grainy, even when on the appropriate mode.

The pause between button push and a photograph hitting my SD card were marginal – as good as any other similarly priced model on the market. I did notice that focusing was a bit slow however, which caused me to lose a picture or two with my 4 year old or a pet. The pause between pictures was marginal as well, what I am used to with other camera models. Startup time on this camera is excellent. From the push of the power button to the first shot barely two seconds will pass.

I did find some of the controls represented by menus on the camera itself to be a little clunky but I understand the reasoning behind digital menus as opposed to physical settings where weight and size are a factor.

YouTube mode is fun, the software provided is good at getting your videos online however unless you’re a dedicated YouTube video uploader, it may not be enough to distinguish this camera from other models. the included eBay photo mode also strikes me as more of an advertising point than a selling point. I’ve never had a problem sizing pictures correctly for eBay using freely available photo manipulation software. If you’re someone who doesn’t like to take that extra step or two and who uses eBay a great deal, this may be a time saver and a useful feature for you. Otherwise I wouldn’t give it much weight when considering this model.

As my daily camera for several weeks the Casio EX-Z77 was good enough, however it wasn’t stellar. If the multiple shooting modes, eBay photo mode and YouTube video uploading software are truly appealing to you, along with this cameras light weight and small size, then you will be happy with your purchase. If these modes are not something you absolutely need, you may want to consider a camera with fewer features at a lower price point. The EX-Z77 is a good, sturdy camera but doesn’t distinguish itself from the rest of the pack.

The silver model retails for about $200, with colors heading up into the $229 range.

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EX-Z77 SPECIFICATIONS

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