Customer Reviews

Casio EX-H10 12Mp Digital Camera with 10X Optical Zoom and 3.0 Inch LCD

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I've had the Casio Exilim H10 about 2 weeks, during which I was on vacation taking a lot of pics. I chose this camera over the competing pocket super zooms for several reasons. 1) The telephoto range is good - not quite as much as the Canon or Panny, but plenty for hand held photography. I really appreciate the long lens for candid photography - even if the subject is aware that you are photographing them, the extra distance makes the subject less self conscious. 2) The camera allows a good deal of manual control - I expecially like the ability to manually focus for those tough shots (this also eliminates focus lag). 3) This camera has the ability to focus quickly (important to me because shutter lag drives me nuts when I'm taking candids). The standard focus is pretty fast, and there is a quick focus mode that is very fast at the cost of a few mis-focused shots. 4) It is small - fits in my pocket easily, or in a very small belt pouch (Tamrac 3805 Neoprene). It is small enough to take everywhere, so I always had it with me when I saw an opportunity. 5) It takes HD video - a real advance from my last camera.

I was very happy shooting with the H10. This is the first camera I've had with optical image stabilization - a great invention for those of us who like long lenses or available light photography. Almost all my shots, day and night, were done with available light. If flash is turned off in the menu, it stays off when the camera is cycled off and on (avoiding those embarrassing unintended flashes in museums etc). My biggest complaint is that the zoom is too fast, making it hard to frame exactly. Although I generally don't take wide angle shots, I did find the extra-wide angle useful on more occasions than expected. I did not use 'best shot' scene modes, nor did I find the makeup and vivid landscape gimmicks useful. I wish there was more direct menu access (or buttons) for features like self timer, picture brightness, flash and focus mode. I wish there were an optical viewfinder, but no direct competitor has one either. I have not yet had a chance to critically evaluate picture quality, but the pics look good on a computer screen. [...] A small camera like this can't be as good as one with a larger sensor (and consequently larger size), but the pics look fine to me.

Update 1: I keep discovering good things about this camera. It can be configured to remember the last zoom setting before it was turned off -- great One can configure the rocker buttons to quickly change an often used setting (I set it to control exposure brightness (EV shift), but it can alternatively be used for metering, white balance, ISO setting or self timer (but only one of these).
Update 2: A month later still happy. Those of you who have questions might want to download the pdf manual from the casio support site. It's not always clear, however. Took me a while to realize that turning a setting 'on' in the Memory panel does not tell the camera to always turn the setting on, it tells it to remember how it was set the last time the camera was on. Not intuitive, but a neat feature when you understand it.

I'm very pleased with this camera -- it may not be perfect, but it is amazingly good.

I also have had a Casio ultracompact the EX-Z850 before and I have been mostly happy with that. My aim in purchasing the EX-H10 was to find an ultra-compact camera with a long zoom and reasonable picture quality. The length and width are about the same as the competing Lumix, Canon, and Stylus 9000 models. The Stylus 7010 is slightly smaller and lighter, but had bad reviews. The Casio EX-H10 is about an ounce or two lighter than competing cameras at 6.8 oz and almost a half inch smaller in depth at 0.9 inches. That makes a difference. However, it feels heavier than the EX-Z850 and is a little bulkier. I recently tried out the Stylus TZ7 (also called the ZS3) and it was decidedly heavier at 8 oz and 1/2" thicker.

The image quality of photos is good. It is not what one expects from a good SLR with a larger sensor, but pleasing. The zoom starts at 24mm -- good for those of us who seek a wide-angle camera. The operation is straightforward. Video is more than simply satisfactory. I don't like the photos one gets with the flash, but when it is turned off, the quality again is good.

The camera slips easily into a pocket, it has a huge capacity of shots on the battery -- claimed 1000 and I don't doubt it. What sold me was the combination of very small size, light weight, good image quality, and long zoom.

I purchased this camera and did some extensive experimentation with it before finally deciding to return it and get the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 instead, but it was not an easy choice. The lower quality of HD video on this camera was the motivating factor to try another camera for me, but it had some really good things going for it.

PROS:
- Battery Life: This camera advertises 1000 shots per battery charge and IT IS TRUE. (Consumer Reports also backs this up) Most other cameras get 200-400 shots per charge so this is a HUGE PLUS for this camera. I could play with it all weekend without the battery even going down past the half mark.
- Good in low-light situations: Consumer Reports also said this one got good pictures at the highest ISO of its non-SLR competitors. I noticed this one did pick up a lot of light in dark environments, more than the Panasonic I was comparing it to.
- Interface: I really liked the interface on this camera, and felt like I immediately knew my way around it even before looking at the manual. The interface gives notes and even photographic examples for shot modes that are quickly understandable. It also has nice and simple organization of the pictures and movie files (which get numbered and placed right along the pics) on the SD card which was nice.
- 10x Zoom

CONS:
- HD Video: The video was very grainy except for when I was in the brightest outdoor environments. I think it had a great deal to do with the motion-jpg codec. I was very excited to use this new camera as a camcorder and camera together so this was a real dissapointment for me. The Panasonic Lumix ZS-3 that I replaced this with has much better video (people post examples of video on YouTube which was really helpful.) I think a newer codec like AVCHD or H.264 is pretty necessary for HD video to look good. Also this camera does not allow you to zoom in or out while filming, which I found to be more limiting that I would have thought, and audio recording is not in stereo (the Pansonic's is).
- There were a few other small things. This camera could be a little flatter on the bottom, which means its hard to take non-flash shots using just a tabletop in lieu of a tripod. The camera also has a proprietary jack instead of mini-USB (although this is fairly common for cameras I'm afraid) and no HDMI port for hooking up to your HDTV. Finally the pictures on this came out a bit softer (but brighter) in the details than the Panasonic's shots.

Basically if you don't care about getting pristine video quality but just want a good camera with excellent battery life, make no hesitation about this camera.

Note: CES just announced the successor to this camera, the H15, which is about the same except it boosts the megapixels up to 14 from 12 (not that you need more than 10), adds some gimmicky "art shot" mode (makes shots look like paintings), and has an improved "Exilim Engine" for faster/better image processing (the one real worthwhile improvement IMO). Might be worth reading up on or waiting for.

So much lens zoom and so many features in one pocketable camera. Takes great shots. Wide-range zoom lenses, especially when compacted into a tight space, technically can't match a big SLR lens, but this camera takes excellent, high quality pictures over a wide range of conditions, operates in a wide variety of automatic and manual modes, and is easy to use. We got it for our daughter, a teen with an interest in photography, so we wanted something easy to carry, able to take good shots automatically, but with enough manual and creative control for her to experiment with, and it fills the bill. If this camera had been around a few years ago, I probably would not have gotten my digital SLR, which I love, but hey, it's huge and changing lenses is a distraction from picture taking.

Most "super zoom" or "ultra zoom" cameras don't have a wide angle at the wide-angle end of the zoom. In 35-mm film photography, a standard wide-angle is (was?) about 28-mm focal length, and most digital super zoom cameras seem to go down only to about 35 or 38-mm (film camera equivalent) focal length, almost "normal" (NOT really wide angle) and zoom out to very long telephoto lengths that are difficult to use due to camera shake (much as it's tough to be steady with powerful binoculars), which to me is a dumb choice. Image stability systems help but the fact remains that too long a tele will shake and is often not useable. This camera, however, goes from true, useful wide-angle out to a very respectable but still useable telephoto.

Some of the special effects, in-camera editing, and picture taking modes are super. My daughter is heavily into cooking and appreciated the "gourmet food" mode, which is rather unique.

I've seen Casio cameras that friends have, they have always been high quality, amazing video capability even when shown on full-size screens, and loaded with features. This one is no exception.

This camera essentially bridges compact, pocketable, automatic cameras with more advanced cameras. One should not compare it to a professional, full-size digi SLR, but for most people, it meets every conceivable need and situation (except it's not submersible!). The built-in flash, like all built-in flash units, has limited range and such, but the range of ISO "film" speeds, controls, manual overrides, and lens zoom range provides a rich set of tools to use if desired, and one can default to "dummy" auto mode.

In summary, an attractive, convenient, easy to use, flexible, and extremely powerful camera. Highly recommended.

Good things about the camera have already been provided by other folks. It is a good camera but not as good as other Casio camera like the Z850 that I have been using for the last 2 years. Let me point out things that needs to be improved (hope someone from Casio is reading this):

a) Location of the Makeup Mode and Landscape mode buttons. I typically hold the camera with two hands while taking pictures and I have been accidentally pressing one of these buttons. These modes process the picture after you have taken them. So, you are stuck for 5-6 seconds before taking the next shot. I think it is a bad idea to have settings buttons where one would typically hold the camera.

b) Charging the battery. You have to take the battery out to charge. And when I put it back after charging, I have to go through all the settings all over again. I should be able to charge it without taking the battery out.

c) Wide angle distortion. As with any wide angle lens, the corner of the images are distorted. So, any image taken without any zoom gets you distorted images. Use of wide angle lens is an option one chooses and one knows what to expect. But getting the distorted images on simple shots without any zoom was not what I was expecting.

d) Low light performance. I am probably asking more of a point-and-shoot camera here. But in low light (in a 20x20 room with a 100W light, light behind me and onto the subject) condition, pictures are grainy. (I had to take pictures without the flash)

--REVISIONS--
You can see my initial impression of the camera below, but i discovered a few things (as noted in comments below) that have improved my opinion of this camera.

The menu is somewhat confusing to navigate, and because of this, i overlooked an area of settings that lets you assign OTHER settings to be stored permanently. The digital zoom and Best Shot are among these, but are not set to be stored by default. Hence my frustrations.

Picture quality is good, and after tinkering with some settings manually, i think i've got a better feel for what settings work for general use. i'm still dubious about the usefulness of the BS feature, as lighting and scene conditions change so often. But if you're spending a few hours in a given environment, setting this would probably come in handy to save time between power on/off. And yes, the battery is a good one, but i'd still prefer the ability to charge by USB or a standard battery size so i have one less cable to tote around. However, i can deal with it. Also, i stand by the complaint about losing all settings when the camera has no battery in it.

--ORIGINAL--
As in other reviews here, there are some nice benefits in this compact model. It's very feature-rich, and most settings are easy enough to understand. However some are for more advanced photography knowledge, and are not well-explained in the manual for novices/amateurs like me. i have a general understanding of photography attributes, but if a camera is going to offer that level of control, some general explanation should be included.

Also, some settings are not retained between power-ons. The key one of these that gets under my skin is "Digital Zoom": whether or not the 3x digital kicks in after the optical. i have to disable this every time i turn the camera on, which is irritating. The optical zoom on the unit is great, but as soon as the digital kicks in, photo quality tanks from pixellation.

The manual goes through some of the feature sets, including the broad range of "Best Shot" (or more accurately, B*** S***) scenarios. Basically, take your pick among 30 or 40 different scene types in the Best Shot gallery, and the camera automatically sets up for that scene. Just don't bother if it's a candid or momentary photo op, because choosing the Best Shot is itself time consuming and, in my mind, utterly pointless outside of a fixed photo session with consistent conditions. And if that's what you have, chances are you're a professional in need of a D-SLR. Some times it's just better to take the easy point/shoot photo and touch it up after. Trying to make a point/shoot camera do all that work before the shot is taken is usually going to result in disappointment and missed chances.

i completely agree with the review mentioning the charging module. On top of the ridiculously bulky design and the requirement to charge the battery OUTSIDE the camera (which causes your settings to be erased, as there is apparently no internal CMOS battery to store such superfluous data as date/time and your general preferences), but the battery is a proprietary type which means you're stuck buying second or third batteries for longer time periods away from wall sockets, and once the battery drains, you can't use the camera until the battery is recharged (assuming you won't dish out for additional batteries - but even if you do, better be quick on the switch). And by the way, Casio-branded battery: $50, compatible: $20.

Features that drew me to the camera: EyeFi support, compact design, feature set (didn't realize the trickiness and fickleness of how those settings are managed), and price. i'm not completely thrilled by this unit, but i've managed to compensate for most of the shortcomings. Those that remain are annoying, but tolerable. i just won't put Casio at the top of my list for next time.

I was drawn to this camera due to the 10X optical zoom, the relatively small size for a superzoom camera and the claimed very long battery life. I didn't preview the camera at a store before purchasing it at Amazon, but there is one thing that prevented me from giving this camera a full five stars: The charging module. It is obvious the people who engineer these cameras don't actually use them. Otherwise they would make the battery charging "cube" like many other camera companies do; with a "flip out" plug that stores nicely in itself when you are traveling. Instead this Casio (and I assume other Casios as well) still has a huge four foot cord that you plug into the side of the charging module that when wrapped up is bigger in size than the camera and charger together. This is a ridiculously stupid design and it must be more expensive to produce too. Why do they do it? I nearly packed the camera back up and sent it back just because of this, but decided that I might not need the charger on anything but very long trips. I decided to give Casio a break and keep the camera (I still think it's a big pimple on the face of a great camera).

I'm still exploring all of the features of this camera which far exceed any of the four or so digital cameras I have previously owned. The menus are easy to navigate and so far the pictures have been excellent. I love the 10X zoom for capturing candid shots which I like much better than posed shots.

Had this camera for a few months and cannot get colors to shoot correctly,all colors look washed out and faded, a red apple looked purple,green grass looks teal in color and a beautiful flaming orange sunset with dusk blue sky above comes out a grainy gray and washed out pink! tried different settings without luck,so as it is still under warranty I was told by Casio to send it to an independent but authorized repair shop at my own expense, that may or may not charge me upwards of $100 to fix it, under warranty?!. According to yelp reviews others with warranties have indeed been charged at this place and Casio company does no repair's of it's own products. Plus, the menu is confusing to find certain settings. The only good thing is the long zoom, but it gives really grainy shots at full length. Wish I had not given away my old Canon for this Casio,never had a problem with my Canon's for 20 years of using them. Wanted to return to Amazon but missed return deadline by two days. Casio needs to do something about their after sales customer care if there is a problem with a product.

This well-made little camera is amazing, and after considerable research and comparison shopping, I feel that the EXH10 was the perfect choice for me. It's a terrific automatic "point and shoot" camera, (which my wife loves) but it also has plenty of manual controls such as white balance, sharpness, color saturation, ISO speeds, focus, etc. It also has over 30 "best shot" modes such as self-portrait, text, night scene, etc. The camera comes with a brief multi-language instruction booklet, but the full manual must be printed out by the purchaser. Although this manual is 175 pages long, it is easy to understand and explains lots of hidden features of the camera.

I found the picture quality to be excellent with fast recovery time between shots. The wide angle lens is a definite bonus as is the 10x zoom. Here are some other features I particularly like: (1) The camera's "makeup" mode almost makes it worth the price for this feature alone. By pressing one button on top of the camera, digital processing will turn an otherwise sharp image into a wonderful soft-focus effect for portraits. My older relatives and friends love the results, since it removes facial wrinkles and lines and makes one look about 20 years younger with very realistic results! The degree of correction can easily be adjusted. (2) There is also a one-button setting (also on top of the camera) called "landscape" mode which enhances colors and makes them more vivid. This works well, particularly if you like the old super-saturated Kodachrome look. (3) This camera will take around a thousand pictures on one battery charge, which is very useful for extended trips. (4) The video mode also works well and is instantly activated with one record button. The camera also allows one to do limited in-camera video editing, such as making cuts from the beginning or end of your movie.

So far, there have been no problems at all, so my only negative comments would be: (1) The 4-way button controllers on the back are very small and close together, so it's a little difficult for a person with large hands or long fingernails to manipulate them (2) When reviewing photographs, the screen images often have a slightly orange/amber tint. However, the colors are normal when transferred to the computer, so this is not a major issue. (3) The "dynamic photo" mode, which allows the photographer to combine two photos and substitute one background for another) is complicated and not really very practical, but one has to give Casio credit for coming up with some unique features which one won't find on any other camera.

The camera is the perfect size for a pocket, and the overall construction is excellent. I'm impressed, and am very happy I chose this model.

The Casio EX-H10 12MP camera is a great combination of ease of use, performance, and value.

This particular model fits in a slimmer body than the high speed enthusiast series from Casio, yet offers a greater optical zoom. It is slightly larger than most other Exilim models due to the extended zoom and large 3.0" LCD display.

PROS
*10x optical zoom
*wide angle lens
*long battery life
*easy point and shoot camera

CONS
*lightweight design uses lots of plastic
*must use LCD for visual (no viewfinder)
*slightly bulkier than Exilim card models

Other Considerations from CASIO
For more durable design: Casio Exilim EX-G1
Thinner design: Casio Exilim EX-S12
Advanced features: Casio Exilim EX-FH20