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09/10/2002
Credit-card-size cameras won't leave you overextended
By Ric Manning, Gannett News Service
When the first digital cameras came out in the mid 1990s, they were the size of a brick and almost as heavy, worth using only when you had a specific project that required digital photos. But Casio's new EXILIM camera resembles a thick credit card instead. Half an inch thick and weighing less than 4 ounces, it's light and easy to keep close at hand. Either the EX-S1 model or the EX-M1 will fit comfortably in a shirt or pants pocket.
Casio's new EXILIM camera
Despite their size, these are no cheap throwaway cameras. Both have solid, silver metal bodies that give them the look and feel of a serious and well-made camera — with price tags to match. The S1 has a list price of $300; the M1, $350.
Both have a progressive CCD lens and the ability to capture more than 1.2 million pixels. That makes them comparable in quality to most of the digital cameras in their price range.
Both also have a built-in flash, a 1.6-inch color LCD monitor and a cradle that recharges the camera's internal battery and sends images to a PC using the computer's USB port.
The M1 is more expensive because it also has the ability to capture short video and sound clips and to store and play MP3 music files. Put the camera into video or audio mode and hold down the shutter button. The camera records video in 15-second increments using the AVI file format.
The M1 also will attach audio to still images: for instance, you could attach the sound of church bells to a photo of a cathedral.
The user controls for the EXILIM cameras are better than on other digital cameras. Some digital cameras are so complicated that you have to keep the user manual with you to figure out all of their features.
Not so with the Casios.
The cameras have a single "menu" button built into the back, along with a thumb controller that works like a joystick. Move the button up and down or left and right, then press it to enter your selection.
You can review your photos — or video clips — on the camera's screen, then mark them to delete or save.
The Casio's fast recycle time is also a winner. With most digital cameras, you have to wait a couple seconds after you press the shutter button for the image to record, then wait a few more seconds before you can take another picture. With the EXILIM cameras, the wait time is considerably shorter.
Both cameras have slots to plug in a Secure Digital or Multimedia memory card — and you will need additional memory. The cameras have only about 12 MB of storage built in, enough for 10 photos at the highest-quality level. You'll want at least a 64 MB card if you plan to capture more than one or two video clips or play more than a handful of MP3 files.
You'll also want to keep an eye on the battery level. You can get about five hours of music or about 90 minutes of recording on one charge.
Ric Manning writes for The (Louisville) Courier-Journal
Credit-card-size cameras won't leave you overextended
By Ric Manning, Gannett News Service
When the first digital cameras came out in the mid 1990s, they were the size of a brick and almost as heavy, worth using only when you had a specific project that required digital photos. But Casio's new EXILIM camera resembles a thick credit card instead. Half an inch thick and weighing less than 4 ounces, it's light and easy to keep close at hand. Either the EX-S1 model or the EX-M1 will fit comfortably in a shirt or pants pocket.
Casio's new EXILIM camera
Despite their size, these are no cheap throwaway cameras. Both have solid, silver metal bodies that give them the look and feel of a serious and well-made camera — with price tags to match. The S1 has a list price of $300; the M1, $350.
Both have a progressive CCD lens and the ability to capture more than 1.2 million pixels. That makes them comparable in quality to most of the digital cameras in their price range.
Both also have a built-in flash, a 1.6-inch color LCD monitor and a cradle that recharges the camera's internal battery and sends images to a PC using the computer's USB port.
The M1 is more expensive because it also has the ability to capture short video and sound clips and to store and play MP3 music files. Put the camera into video or audio mode and hold down the shutter button. The camera records video in 15-second increments using the AVI file format.
The M1 also will attach audio to still images: for instance, you could attach the sound of church bells to a photo of a cathedral.
The user controls for the EXILIM cameras are better than on other digital cameras. Some digital cameras are so complicated that you have to keep the user manual with you to figure out all of their features.
Not so with the Casios.
The cameras have a single "menu" button built into the back, along with a thumb controller that works like a joystick. Move the button up and down or left and right, then press it to enter your selection.
You can review your photos — or video clips — on the camera's screen, then mark them to delete or save.
The Casio's fast recycle time is also a winner. With most digital cameras, you have to wait a couple seconds after you press the shutter button for the image to record, then wait a few more seconds before you can take another picture. With the EXILIM cameras, the wait time is considerably shorter.
Both cameras have slots to plug in a Secure Digital or Multimedia memory card — and you will need additional memory. The cameras have only about 12 MB of storage built in, enough for 10 photos at the highest-quality level. You'll want at least a 64 MB card if you plan to capture more than one or two video clips or play more than a handful of MP3 files.
You'll also want to keep an eye on the battery level. You can get about five hours of music or about 90 minutes of recording on one charge.
Ric Manning writes for The (Louisville) Courier-Journal
