Casio Exilim EX-Z1080 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Anti-Shake Optical Zoom (Black)

by Casio

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.2 x 3.6 x 1 inches ; 8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000VH81IK
• Item model number: EX-Z1080BK
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,173 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 10, 2007

Product Description

Manufacturer Description

Manufacturer Description

Introducing the fashionable, user-friendly 10.1-megapixel EX-Z1080 with 3x optical zoom. Whether you are taking snapshots of your family at the park, or capturing video to share with your friends, this compact, high-quality digital camera is sure to satisfy all of your photographic wants and needs.

Exilim EX-Z1080 Highlights

10.1-megapixel CCD Over 10 million pixels enables consumers to capture high-resolution images that reproduce crystal-clear even when printing very large sizes.

Bright, 2.6-inch wide-format LCD Capture breathtaking wide aspect ratio images and easily share images on the wide LCD. On-screen setting information can be conveniently arranged on the right side of the screen to improve viewing and ease of use. Equipped with a super bright screen (1,000cd/m2), this LCD will not wash out in outdoor environments. In auto mode, the LCD automatically adjusts to the brightness of the surrounding environments.

MPEG-4 H.264 high-quality video with sound Have a cinematic experience with your digital camera by taking high quality MPEG-4 H.264 16:9 format video to play on your plasma or LCD television without distortion.

YouTube Capture Mode The YouTube Capture Mode allows you to shoot video at the optimum size and quality recommended by YouTube for easy online video sharing.

Movie Stabilizer Movie Stabilizer technology digitally processes video footage while recording to minimize the effects of hand movement. Stabilizer processing is also performed during playback, to ensure that movies always look great.

Anti-Shake DSP Anti-Shake DSP (Digital Signal Processor) minimizes image blur caused by shaking hands or moving subject matter.

Face Detection Technology and Auto Focus Tracking Maintains sharp focus and correct exposure for a human face. Detects up to 8 faces in a scene and automatically tracks and focuses to capture the moment.

eBay Best Shot Mode This feature makes it incredibly easy to take great photos at the correct resolution and file size for carefree uploading to eBay. With eBay best shot mode, the camera automatically configures the camera settings to shoot the photo with auto macro at 2MP and a 1600 x 1200 image size.

39 Best Shot Modes Enables consumers to capture perfect images under a variety of circumstances without having to manually adjust settings. Some of these Best Shot modes include sports, night scene, portrait and eBay.

Triple Continuous Flash Continuous Flash allows users to shoot up to three photos on a single flash charge so moments will never be missed due to flash failure.

Exilim Engine 2.0 image processor The Exilim Engine 2.0 -- a high-performance, image-processing module that boosts performance by enabling instantaneous color correction or angle adjustment. In addition it incorporates a tonal control that lets users keep bright areas of the scene bright by limiting the occurrence of dark pixels. With Casio’s newly designed Exilim Engine "Auto Tracking AF" function follows moving subjects, keeping them continuously in focus until the photo is taken. It also offers the ability to selectively eliminate noise in designated color regions, such as the sky. This all means faster, high-resolution, power-saving and ultra-compact configuration.

Product Description

Slim styled, 10 mega pixel digital camera with 3x optical zoom, 2.6" wide bright LCD, face detection technology, anti-shake, MPEG 4 H.264 video and You Tube Video capture mode.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

125 of 126 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Casio EX-Z1080 versus the competition, November 10, 2007

By 

Truth "in Yeshua" (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Casio Exilim EX-Z1080 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Anti-Shake Optical Zoom (Black) (Electronics)

I recently purchased a Casio EX-Z1080, as well as a Canon PowerShot SD750 and a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX55K. I wanted to get the best camera available for the money in a small form factor.

I put all three cameras through very extensive testing, and was surprised by what I learned. First, I'll provide a brief rundown on the strengths versus weaknesses of the camera I chose versus the others. Then I'll provide a list of pros and cons for the particular camera I found to be the overall winner.

Oh, yes, the winner, surprisingly, was the Casio EX-Z1080. Moreover, this was also the cheapest camera of the bunch by far!

The Casio EX-Z1080 had sharper images across the board and reproduced greater detail than either the Canon SD750 or the Panasonic FX55K. Color accuracy, etc., was also just as good on the Casio as its competitors. I took dozens of photos of small objects, including objects with fine text, from varying distances. So long as the focus lamp was enabled, the Casio always took sharper photos with far greater detail. When the focus lamp was turned off, both cameras took blurry photos. I suspect the Casio came out on top for two reasons: first, it has a higher megapixel CCD, and second, its digital image stabilization actually outperforms the optical image stabilization of the Panasonic, which was a BIG surprise to me. Both the Casio and the Panasonic outshined the Canon SD750 on photos; each were sharper and produced greater detail than the Canon. (My Canon SD750 also had an area of dead pixels in the CCD right out of the box, so it was defective in that regard.)

In terms of video, the Casio and the Panasonic take the most compact, high-resolution videos, and the Casio offers superb audio (the best of the bunch). However, the color balance of the videos taken with the Casio EX-Z1080 is sadly inferior to that of the Canon SD750 and the Panasonic DMC-FX55K. I found that I could compensate for this a bit with the Casio by increasing the EV value to +0.3, though doing so left my videos looking too bright in places. (Casio could really use a smaller stepping, such as +0.1.) Additionally, the Casio EX-Z1080 exhibited considerable pixelation in videos taken in low-light -- much more than the Canon SD750. (The Casio EX-Z1080's video was higher-resolution and better focused, with superior audio, but otherwise inferior in terms of color balance, brightness and contrast, and pixelation.) If taking videos in low-light situations (e.g., indoors) is something that would be important to you, then your best choice would be the Canon or Panasonic. Otherwise, if you have good lighting, the Casio might suit your needs. (Regardless, the Casio produces much better photos than either of its competitors.) One more thing: due to the fact that it uses the latest MPEG 4 code (i.e., H.264), the size of the video files, even though they are higher resolution with superior audio, is smaller with the Casio than with the Canon SD750. (This is also true of the Panasonic.)

Both the Panasonic and the Canon have nicer battery chargers, in that each has a rotating plug, rather than a long cord that has to be attached to the charger, which is a downfall of the Casio. (Due to the cord, the Casio's charger is bulkier and not as portable.) The Casio EX-Z1080 does, however, have the best battery life of any digital camera of its size, to include the Canon SD750 and the Panasonic DMC-FX55K, though the Canon SD750's battery life is pretty good.

So, the Casio is best all around where photos are concerned, and it is the cheapest of the bunch. Besides this, the Casio also gives you more for your money: a 1GB SD card and a nice case are both included. The Canon SD750 only comes with a measly 32MB SD card, which is ridiculous (!), and NO case. While the Panasonic DMC-FX55K also includes a 1GB SD card and a case (not as nice as that of the Casio, I don't think), you pay MUCH MORE for the Panasonic than for the Casio.

OK, to the pros and cons of the Casio EX-Z1080. Pros:
- the very best battery life, and a useful electronic in-built battery meter (not found on the Canon SD750)
- highest resolution CCD (10 megapixels)
- takes superior photos that exhibit both sharper focus and greater detail
- outstanding video compression (like the Panasonic I bought)
- superior audio quality in videos
- generous extras (very nice case and a 1GB SD card included)
- the best price of all three cameras I purchased

Cons:
- inferior color balance, brightness and contrast, and pixelation in low-light situation videos; Casio could learn a great deal from Canon in this particular area, and were Casio to collaborate with Canon on a future version of its camera, Casio could flat out take the digital camera market by storm
- wrist strap is a bit small; would fit most women well, but a significant number of men will find it a bit tight to put on
- poor plug design on the battery charger, which makes it overly bulky for travel (i.e., it uses a separate electrical cord rather than a rotating plug)
- inferior LCD display; both the Panasonic and the Canon offered much nicer LCD displays (larger, clearer and higher resolution, though brightness was not a problem for any of them)
- the included printed manual and other reference material is next to USELESS!!! One has to consult the electronic guide, which is on an included CD, for any truly useful information regarding the camera and its settings, etc.

On the whole, I feel one gets a great deal for the money with the Casio EX-Z1080; I got mine at Costco. Most of us who purchase a digital camera do so for the photos, and here the Casio EX-Z1080 shines. While the LCD display could be better, as could the battery charger's design, and while Casio could really improve on the color balance, etc., of its video processing engine, the camera is otherwise head and shoulders above the competition--at any price! You also get a much better package with the Casio for the money (i.e., nice case and decent SD card). However, if video is what matters most to you in a digital camera, look elsewhere. Personally, I have decided to return both the Panasonic and the Canon. I'd rather have a dedicated video camera for those situations where the best video really matters to me anyway.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I liked this camera so much I bought two!, November 28, 2007

By 

Gadget Lover "I love hi-tech gadgets" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Casio Exilim EX-Z1080 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Anti-Shake Optical Zoom (Black) (Electronics)

I am a long time Canon camera diehard, and my wife is a long time Sony camera user.

Recently we wanted to upgrade to smaller, more capable cameras. I purchased the Casio EX-Z1080 after reading favorable reviews online. I purchased this for my wife, and she loved it after trying it out for a week.

I really liked photos, movie mode, speedy photo performance, and decided to buy a second one for myself, in lieu of some of the Canon models I was seriously considering.

Pros: Small, long life battery, very simple and easy to use, great images, lots of features.

Cons: Not much, macro mode is not as good as the Canons I have used, but still adequate. Movies are only at 25 fps instead of standard 30 fps, but not a big deal in my eyes.

So far we both love our Casios and look forward to enjoying it for a long time.

EDIT: I did a side to side comparison to a Canon SD800is, which I was debating about buying, and here are some thoughts about these two cameras:

The Casio EX-Z1080 is far more intuitive and usable than the Canon from a UI perspective and physical ergonomics perspective.

After playing with the SD800is for several hours, and reading every page of the Canon basic and advanced guide, I'm still confused on some features, and it's definitely a lot more complex to use than the Casio. I skimped over the Casio user guide and it's super intuitive to use.

Here are the pros/cons of the two cameras in my opinion:

Casio Pros (in relative order of importance):
1. UI and ergonomics are super, even my wife who is not a technowhiz figured it in a few minutes.
2. ability to easily change most settings very very quickly, which means more flexibility in taking shots
3. large, clear LCD screen
4. long battery life, one of the longest in its compact camera class
5. 10.1 megapixels (doesn't really matter to me because I use 1600x1200 most of the time anyhow, or 2 megapixel resolution)
6. sturdy metal case, solid feel, versus plastic case / more fragile feel of the SD800is.
7. Visible battery meter shows status in 3 bars, so you can recharge well ahead of the weak battery status.

Casio Cons
1. digital image stabilization only (means increasing ISO to compensate for movement) - although most images are fine
2. lack of optical viewfinder (I use this in bright light, and to conserve battery life if forced to)
3. optical zoom only 3x, versus 3.8 on the SD800 IS

Canon SD800is pros:
1. Optical image stabilization - this is the best image stabilization method, versus digital Image Stabilization which is not really all that good
2. wide angle lens - more area for indoor shots
3. 3.8 optical zoom
4. Optical viewfinder (at the expense of a much smaller LCD)

Canon SD800is cons:
1. UI and ergonomics are far worse than Casio (I spent 3 hours studying the manuals and still haven't figured half the stuff out like I did with the Casio, and I HATE the hard to push buttons on the back)
2. battery life is not as good as Casio, and there's no battery status meter. The weak battery icon pops up only when it's too late.
3. Can only do date and time stamp on 1600x1200 images (I like to date and time stamp every shot so I know when it was taken)
3. 7.1 mega pixels versus 10.1 megapixels on the Casio (not a big deal in my book)
4. Feels bigger and fatter than the Casio (although they both have the same dimensions, the Casio just feels a lot slimmer, and better)
5. plastic case. versus metal case of the Casio (the Casio feels very good to hold)
6. much smaller LCD than the Casio
7. shiny chrome parts are constantly smudged, and hard to keep clean

So overall Casio is such a user friendly camera, that it really is optimal for the point and shoot crowd (most consumers).

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best camera, November 24, 2007

By 

Denyel Davis (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Casio Exilim EX-Z1080 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Anti-Shake Optical Zoom (Black) (Electronics)

I LOVE this camera!!! I own the casio 1050 and the casio 1080. I much prefer this camera over the 1050. The 1050 has a poor lcd screen and they fixed that with the 1080. This camera also has face detection which the 1050 does not. The picture quality is amazing on the casio 1080. I have 3 kids ages 1, 3 and 8 and could not ask for a better camera. All the extra features are very easy to use. I also love the video. I can playback the video on my camera with audio. The battery life lasts a very long time. I cant think of one con for this camera. It is my all time favorite. Thanks Casio for finally coming out with the camera that I have been looking for. Although the other poster did mention getting a 1GB SD card and a nice case included!?!?! I did not recieve either of those? How did you get those to come with your camera?