Customer Reviews

Casio Exilim EXZ55 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Note to AMAZON REP. REVIEWING THIS EDIT: I HAVE MADE SOME MINOR CHANGES (SPELLING, CLARITY, ETC. OF MY ORIGINAL REVIEW) AND ADDED AN UPDATE AT THE BOTTOM. PLEASE PUT THIS ONE IT'S ITS PLACE AS IT HAS ALL NECCESSARY CHANGES AND UPDATES. I HAVE SENT THIS BEFORE WITH NO LUCK...HOPEFULLY THIS MESSAGE HELPS. THANKS!!

MY REVIEW: This camera is absolutely wonderful! In searching for a new digital camera, I was looking for several things...small size, excellent picture quality, and fast reaction time. Not many things...just big improvements over my last camera (a Nikon Coolpix). The Exilim Z55 has these features and MANY MORE! I do my research - and this camera came out on top!

Below is my review(...)

I cannot believe how much thoughT Casio put into the features and orgnaization of this camera. You can access each feature quickly and easily. In a short time I was already able to use almost all the features of this camera (I never figured out half them on my other camera, or they would take so long to change that I didn't bother). I didn't really care about the large LCD display when buying the camera...but now it's one of my favorite features. Because of this display, I can switch between the different scene modes easily. At the press of the button I can access the 23 different scene modes and decide which one to use. because of the big LCD display, there is room for Csaio to give the user a short description of what each scene mode does right on the camera...so I understand when to use it and what it is doing. Also, when alter modes such as white balance, you can see on the LCD displayhow the change will affect the picture. This is because the icon help menu pops up on top of whatever you are viewing (no blue screen). And, of course, the large LCD display makes it very easy to see pictures, aand delete the ones that you don't want (another easy thing to do at the puch of a button. These two things (ease of use and LCD display) did not go into my decision to buy this camera but have been surprisengly wonderful and helped me really anjoy and get the most out of my camera.

Picture quality - wonderful. On the Exilim z-40, people complained about low light picture quality. Not on the z-50. Casio has done several things to correct it...this camera has flash assist (see casio website for more info on this), as well as gives the user the ability to quickly change the flash intensity. I'm telling you, if you use the features of this camera (which is not hard to do at all)...your pictures will come out great! Color saturation is beautiful and the pictures are very crisp and clear. At the stores, I took pictures with this and 3 different cameras (a Nikon, Kodak, HP)...the Casio's pictures were great (looked like 35 mm camera pictures), clear, crisp, colorful... and not as dark as some of the others. And this was before I knew how to use any of the cameras features.

Fast reaction time...no more missing that first smile, the half second you child actually looks at the camera, or the one second someone takes to blow out the last candle on the cake. Casio's ex-z55 turns on in 1.5 seconds and takes the picture within .01 seconds after pressing the button. I LOVE IT!!!!

Battery life! They just keep going and going and going. You can take like 400 pictures with this camra on one battery! I don't worry about taking time to view pictures, play around with modes, etc because I know I still have plenty of battery life let. This first day I got this camera, I played around with it contantly fr hours and at the end of the day, still had a full bar. Plus, Casio gives you a rechargeable battery which you can recharge right in the camera by putting the camera into the cradle/docking station (another nice feature; also provided) each night. Now that I mentioned it...the docking station. Need to download picutres...no more messing with wires and connecting them to the back of the computer. Just place the camera into the docking station (which is plugged into your computer at all times (if you choose and I would), and download them. Not to mention, your battery won't go dead downloaded pictures, as the docking station will power it while you download. See what I mean...CASIO THOUGHT OF IT ALL.

Along with several other cameras, after much research I narrowed it down to this camera and the Canon S500, but after reading many reviews about the dreaded E18 error which eventually leaves the camera unusable, I leaned more to this one and I am so glad! The Exilim has a steel case so is not subject to change of pressures, and tempurture problems as some other aluminum bodies camera. Seriously, if you are looking for a pocket size camera with many features and great piture quality. Take a look at this camera...you will be impressively surprised. I appreciate a company who takes the time to really think about their product, how to make it easy to use, and really makes improvements over their last model. I don't give out 5 stars to everything, normally I don't even leave reviews on things I have purchased, but I am so impressed with this camera and really think people need to come and check it out.

If you want to see this model in person, most Circuit City's have one on display. Go take a look...you won't be disappointed.
I'll be sure to update this review if I do find out anything unfortunate...but I don't think I will need to. Hope this information helps...Good luck with you're new camera and ENJOY!

I bought this camera after owning the EX-S3 (3.2) Casio card camera for a year. I took the other camera with me on a military deployment and it stood up to sand, heat, humidity and then freezing cold, so I already knew that this line of cameras is very hardy. This camera exceeds all expectations. It has a large screen, takes movies with sound, snapshots to which you can add a voice tag if you wish, and has a variety of snapshot modes for black and white, extreme closeups, portraits, sepia tones and split images where you take one half of the photo and then the second half with another subject in it. It takes excellent pictures at night. There is very little distortion for low light pictures or movies. Learning the indicators and modes is easy and intuitive. This camera is not as small as the 3.2 or 4.0 megapixel cameras - it is thicker, but still able to sit in a shirt pocket (not a pants pocket). The battery life exceeds the EX-S3 model by at least 300 photos. Cons: 1)No camera case. 2) Extra batteries cost a lot. I advise not buying an "off-market" battery, because they don't quite fit in this camera. I have bought two and they were too short to make a decent contact. So stick to the Casio battery. 3) Manual is on a CD - you have to print it out yourself or look at it on a computer screen.
My best success with this camera was using the extreme closeup mode (called "macro mode") to take pictures of old snapshots in a family album. I didn't use a tripod, I held the camera in my hands and the pictures were phenomenal. I was able to focus in on one person in a group shot and my photo looked as though that was the original - of just that person. This is an esoteric use, but I was pleasantly surprised. I agree with one reviewer here who says to get a 1GB memory card - definitely needed or you may run out of memory space after taking movies and snapshots for hours. One last thing: you can change the size of the photos you take, from email size to a size that you can make a poster out of. You can also take a picture then later crop the photo to focus on one item more closely, while you are looking at the photo on the camera's screen. There are several features that this camera has, but you don't find out unless you get into the manual a bit. I recommend this highly.

The Casio EX-Z55 is especially notable for two salient features not found in other ultra-compact, ultra-thin digital cameras:

1) A *huge* 2.5" LCD screen (vs. 2" on the slightly cheaper Z50). You probably have seen labels on other tiny cameras that claim "large 1.8-in LCD." Well, this tiny Z55 has a whopping 2.5" (diagonal) screen which is almost twice as big as the 1.8" ones.

2) Incredible battery life for such a small camera. Casio rates this at 400 pictures using some industry standard measurement (called "CIPA"). In comparison, the Canon SD300 is rated at 140, the Pentax Optio S5i at 160, and the Panasonic DMC-FX7 (with vibration reduction) at 120. I have not measured real-world battery life since I didn't have the camera for long, but I took over 200 pictures (about 1/4 with flash and all with the LCD on) and there was still plenty of juice left.

Unlike many ultra-compacts, this camera does have an optical viewfinder, albeit a tiny one. If you want to prevent blurry pictures, you may want to use the optical viewfinder more, as holding the camera close to your face helps steady your shots.

Now, what about the Picture Quality?

First, as I always tell people: be realistic in your expectations. This is a very small camera, which means it has a very small lens (and aperture) and a very small sensor inside. The law of physics simply cannot be defied. The guy who owns a Canon EOS Digital Rebel of course complains about the picture quality of this Casio; it's like you own a Ferrari Enzo and then tries to expect the same performance from a Toyota Corolla. No matter how refined the Corolla is, it simply does not have the same power or performance as the Enzo, simply because it's in a different class, intended for a different audience, and has a much smaller engine.

Digital SLRs such as the Nikon D70 and Canon EOS Digital Rebel are large and expensive for a reason: they are designed to wrestle the best performance out of digital sensors (CCD or CMOS). The Casio EX-Z55, like other ultra-compacts, is designed to be pocketable (even in a shirt). Cameras like this simply cannot take ultra-sharp pictures; their tiny lenses simply won't allow that.

OK, enough philosophizing. The Casio is best for casual shots. You know, the shots at a party or club, the candid shots of kids and pets, the family shots at the local park or zoo. This is a take-anywhere-shoot-anywhere camera. It's even pretty fast in starting up so you can just take it out, turn it on, and shoot. It's best used as a point-and-shoot (also known as an idiot's camera).

If you compare the Casio's picture quality vis-a-vis that of the Pentax Optio S5i or Canon SD300, you'll see it holds up pretty well. In fact, I would say for this tiny amazing thing, the picture quality is pretty high. The picture is a little on the soft side, but that can be sharpened in most image editing packages. If your intention is to make prints, the picture quality is sufficient, esp. after you apply a little bit of sharpening. Let me put this way: for most casual shots (which is what we consumer photographers do anyway), the Z55's picture quality does not disappoint.

But don't take my word for it. Hop over to Best Buy or Circuit City or Radio Shack and take a look at this amazing camera yourself. If you want a pocketable camera with good picture quality and amazing battery life and a large, impressive LCD, the EX-Z55 should be your top choice.

This is the first camera I've bought that's both digital and non-SLR, and it will most likely be my last.

Casio was probably the last name I would've thought of when looking for a digital camera. Casio's name was synonymous in my head with electric musical instruments and low cost home appliances (phones, clocks, etc).

I was looking at Sonys and Canons primarily, and my main point of reference was reading the customer reviews. Those cameras got generally good reviews, but every so often there'd be one written by someone that actually knew what they were talking about and I had to cross them off my list. Then this Casio popped up. Wow.

This camera not only has all the features you could need, but it actually takes GREAT pictures.

And to speak of the battery life, it's unprecedented. Today is January 14th. I received and started using my camera on December 19th. I've taken well over 100 pictures, all using the LCD and flash. I have yet to recharge the battery, and the meter still shows full!

This is really a phenomenal camera and makes the other so-called "high end" (4MP+) Sony and Canon cameras pale in comparison. Smaller screens, lower resolutions, less battery life, worse picture quality, and with a higher price. It just doesn't make sense to buy anything else in this price range!

I have researched cameras for a while now, with my own personal experiences in all of the large brands...kodak, sony, canon, nikon... and i have to say all of them are inferior to this camera. the z55 is awesome. below i have listed pros and cons for casio, most of which are great
pros
1)everything the camera states is true, battery life is phenominal, ive taken 450+ pictures and then it dies, it would definately last a weeks trip to the mountains
2)very sturdy its strong and can eaisly be slipped into a purse.there is no need to worry about breaking it because it has a hard coat lcd screen, meaning theres a little peice of plastic on the screen, protecting it from scratches and harm.definate plus for me
3) very handsom and very shique, its a subtle silver (looks like the silver ipod except little lighter) with little peices of polished metal surrounding the edges and lens.. very sophisticated
4) ergonomics were good... i usually take pictures with one hand, i never felt like it would drop, it has a little grip on the front and the back is recessed to fit your hand comfortably. however i highly suggest using the wrist strap just in case it does fall
5) THIN, wow its pretty small, its about the size of a credit card and is about 8/10 of an inch thick, overall its tiny
6) outdoor picture quality is awesome, bright, clear, and macro (close up pictures) are the best ive seen in any compact camera, i can take pictures of a fly and see the hair on it :) wow!
7)lcd is very big, however it is low resolution, but in my oppinion who cares? i dont have to squint and i laugh at all the 1.5 lcds :)
8)menu system i think its the best in the market, lets you control ALMOST everything- saturation, contrast, flash, and 23 preset picture modes, thats crazy (sunset, flowers, food, parties)!!!
9)its fast! it focuses fairly fast one second and takes another second to write to the card
cons :(
1)indoor picture is grainy, i have to set it at 50 iso to get decent quality, still nice but your going to need a lot of light around
2)for best results indoor it requires flash, this is a definite con for me since i like to work with natural light
3)white balance has got issues, you have to adjust it when your inside, or else you get a yellow tint, very minor but kind of annoying
overall i think this is the best camera on the market, its small, cool, great featres, beautiful picture quality, awesome macro mode, built to last and its battery lasts a good 1-3 weeks, at least (with the lcd and flash on too)... most of the issues are for indoor only(although still very nice), so if you take most pictures outside, this is perfect. in my oppinion i was doubtful when i first bought it, wanted a sony or canon for brand but i highly doubt they could contend with the z55, this is an overall good product, although it might not be for everyone, try it out before you buy it. dont think that this reveiw isnt trust worthy just cause im a kid, i know more about cameras than most adults:) seriously... hope this helps :)

I am not one of these reviewers that is just impressed by the camera look and size...I have had many digital cameras in the past (have used Nikon, Sony, Canon, etc.) and am very experienced with technology products and I only buy the best (hence I do TONS of research, I even contact the companies techincal departments to ask questions...)

Please take this review very seriously when I say the Casio EX Z 55 is the best small size high resolution camera currently on the market, from features to LCD screen to picture quality, to price/value level, to build quality--frankly, it blew me away right out of the box:

1. Size and build: Although not as slim as its little brother, it is quite small (.88 mm deep), yet VERY solid. It is all metal and metal alloy and most importantly, the LCD is protected by a plexi-protector (thank you for not making the same dumb mistake as Canon and sony). Although the battery cover is plastic (like all other digital cameras), unlike others, this one has a sliding lock that is spring loaded with a metal piece and even has a locking battery piece inside--so no worries about anything breaking off or falling out! The camera, although tiny, is easy to hold and control with your hands automatically knowing where to go naturally--very well thought out layout. Button are minimal and VERY well marked. A 10-year old could master the device in less than 20 minutes, and that says alot about ease of use because the camera has TONS of features!!!

LCD Screen: Yes, the pixel count is lower than Sony, Canon or Nikon models...do NOT let that scare you away. The image quality of the LCD, the anti-glare properties and the LCD processor are far superior! You can hold at almost any angle in any light and clearly read the display. Canon models "white out". The LCD does not jitter or delay (like all other digital cameras), the image looks 100% real time--great processor! People mention a bit of grainy-ness...not really, what they are seeing is the decreased resolution and darkening when you use the zoom. the scrren gains up in low light and you can also further adjust it. i am truly impressed w/ the screen and i did not even mention its huge 2.5" size!!!

pic clarity: dont take my word for it...read the professional reviews (steve's digicams, PC world, PC magazine, DP Preview, etc) Pic quality is far superior to the canon SD series and sony. these images blew away my 4 MP Nikon w/ Nikoor lens. 5 megapixel means crisp, clear shots. color is spot on and the "Best shot" scene options are handy and work well! The zoom is an improved Pentax lens, works great up to 3x optical, will stick in their with any Nikkor or Sony lens. When you think Casio, you may not think of cameras...but Casio uses its processor and battery technology and partners with camera companies to produce a device that is best of both worlds!

by the way, camera battery life really is really as long as you've heard...i could not drain it over 3 days of continous use with LCD on.

In the game of tennis, there's an area on the face of the racket known as the "sweet spot," where if the ball is hit there it is returned with special power and accuracy. Buying a digital camera is an exercise in compromise, and in the EX-Z55 Casio has found a special balance of features, a digicam sweet spot.

There is no perfect digital camera--it's more like camera X is perfect for situation A, camera Y is perfect for situation B, and camera Z just isn't anywhere near perfect for anything. While we all want perfect pictures, most of us would rather sacrifice some quality for a lower price, a smaller or lighter camera, longer battery life or a larger picture capacity, ease of use, fashion, or whatever. The trick is picking the right compromise. In my case, this includes the compromise between what I want in a camera and what my wife wants, since we just have one. We settled on the Casio EX-Z55 eight months ago, and we aren't sorry.

I like a lot of control over the process of taking a picture, and I don't really get all the control I want in the EX-Z55. It's not a camera that gives you full control over aperature, shutter speed, and film speed. Instead, it relies on its "Best Shot" features, pre-set combinations of such factors. Usually this works pretty good. On our daughter's birthday, I was able to get some nice pictures of her with her birthday cake in the dark, by candlelight alone--using the Best Shot created for this purpose. Unfortunately, there's no Best Shot for sports--for stopping action crisply. The best I could do was set the camera for a very fast film speed (there is limited control over such things). But hey, I was looking for something cheap, and I don't blame the EX-Z55 for not being a professional SLR. I have Best Shot and not full manual control--I'm dealing with it fine, and in some cases my pictures are the better for it. One other feature I miss is the "power winder" setting, that lets me take a series of pictures quickly without lifting my finger from the button. Well, I knew that feature was missing, and if it was something I really needed I would have bought something else.

My wife and technology do not go together. She still needs to ask for help (from me or any grade-school kid) in finding the document on the computer she just saved yesterday (usually named "Document38" or something). This was actually the deciding factor in our choosing the Casio digicam over another brand I had picked out (that gave me more control). My wife needs a camera that she can point and shoot. Amazingly, she gets terrific pictures from this camera just pointing and shooting. We usually leave the camera in Snapshot mode for this reason. What really impresses me, though, is how easy the menu system is for my wife. She occasionally wants to change the flash mode or take a short video clip instead of a picture...and so far she's been able to do what she wanted.

Everything the manufacturer says about this camera above is true; it just works as advertised. The shortcomings of this camera tend to be shortcomings with this TYPE of camera more than with this specific model: It's a small camera, and sometimes when we take pictures, the movement of the camera is reflected in blurry pictures (the camera is not bigger and heavier). It has a built-in flash, and indoor pictures that rely on flash are washed-out or grayish if not close enough (it doesn't have a standalone strobe with its own battery pack). Crop a picture and blow it up to poster size, and quality suffers (no $500 lense, only 5 megapixels). Video is not professional quality (no special microphone, not really a camcorder). And so on. But taken as a cheap point-and-shoot digicam, and it exceeds expectations--because it isn't really JUST a point-and-shoot camera.

I've used this camera to take pictures of colleagues' business cards when I didn't have another way of makins sure I had their contact information. I've used this camera to take pictures of documents to send via e-mail when my scanner was broken. I've used this camera to take pictures of the ancient coins I collect to sell on eBay. I've used this camera to take pictures by birthday candlelight. I've used this camera to take video, and edited that video using Ulead Video Studio 8, and distributed the MPEG result.

My bottom line: This is not the perfect camera--but it's perfect for our family, so I give it 5 stars. It works as advertised, and we haven't wished we would have gotten another model instead. This feature, that feature, yada, yada--at the end of the day we have the pictures we wanted, better pictures that we've been able to get from any of our previous cameras. I still wish I had a more professional camera--but since we're compromising on just one camera for the family, this is a better choice overall.

A note about the Casio brand: I like it. I don't have any experience with their customer relations or service, as I haven't ever had any problems with any of their products until the product was so old I wanted something more up-to-date anyway--so I can't comment on the reviews of Casio service, which I see are unanimously negative here. I've always found their quality:price ratio to my liking.

I spent countless hours online searching for the BEST in the ultra-compacts, went to all the non-biased www sites searching out WHICH ultra-compact digital was the best unit, they ALL pointed to the EX-Z55 CASIO. I bought mine a few days ago, its MORE than even i expected, an im pretty darn cynical!

the BEST feature (since i own 2 other digital cameras) on this unit is that it has an instant shot feature which bypasses the half-shutter-then focus-then full shutter and shot,.........you can depress the shutter release full ways without doing a prefocus, which is VERY IMPORTANT for catching those candid shots that WILL NOT WAIT for a time-consuming focus then shot.

built rugged, menu is a breeze, the docking station is wonderful, and GOODNESS! the battery life is beyond beyond!. The hype about this units ultra long battery life is NO HYPE, even with flash on every shot, i still havent been able to kill the battery on this baby yet!.

Good job casio, you really skunked Sony, Olympus and Canon and Nikon in the ultra compact dept.

the only downside to this camera is that its sharpness is less than perfect, but easily adjusted in computer on photo suite software, but heck it IS an ultra-compact, so its lens is tiny.

I agree with PC Magazines digi-cam review about this model which said "this is THE BEST PICTURE weve ever seen from an ultra-compact", i agree.

the Casio EX-Z55 outclasses all comperable models of sony, olympus and canon after extensive research.

I've had my Casio Exilim EXZ55 for a year now and I'm quite happy with it. It's small and very sleek looking. I can take it anywhere and everywhere, and not have to worry about it taking too much space in my purse or pocket. The pictures come out great, I love the huge LCD screen, and I've had no problems with the camera whatsoever. It is very user friendly and it makes for a GREAT first camera for those who aren't camera/gadget savvy. Even for someone like me who loves to take pictures and have used many cameras in the past, I am still very impressed with it! I've used the Olympus and Minolta cameras in the past and have been happy with those, however for a small and easy to use, easy to carry around, this camera is really something! It does the job of all the other cameras and takes less space to carry around.

The only thing that's a bit inconvenient is the cradle you have to put it into when charging the battery or when downloading pictures...however, it's a minor detail and it's really not that big of a deal. Speaking of battery, you only have to charge it fully once (I normally do it overnight) and the battery will last you a VERY VERY long time...I can keep it in my purse for 1-2 months taking pictures left and right before it runs out of battery (approx. 600+ pictures). If I'm taking a lot of pictures every day, such as on a vacation, it will last me 3-4 days of taking pictures constantly, before the battery life will go low. It's amazing how much battery life it has!

I highly recommend this camera and for the great price, it's quite a deal! You won't be disappointed.

PS - I normally keep the camera in a camera case when it's in my purse so it doesn't get all scratched up since I carry it EVERYWHERE.

I bought this camera for a trip to Brazil with my daughter.. I bought a 1gb card for it. We had the ability to take 500 photos. We actually did take almost 400 and I never had to re-charge the battery--not once. My daughter used three sets of batteries for her own camera and only took 98 photos. I used it under all lighting conditions and the photos are beautiful. Everyone is commenting on how beautiful the photos are-clear and the good color. It is so small and light that I took it everywhere with me and this is something new for me. I never enjoyed carting a camera around before. This is my first digital and it was easy to learn how to use it.

I highly recommend this camera.