The Casio Exilim EX-Z600 is a six megapixel digital camera with a three times optical zoom lens. This is a slim digital camera that will slip easily into a pocket. It has all the basic features you would expect to find on this type of model. Being relatively easy to use the Exilim EX-Z600 is likely to appeal to anyone who is looking for a small, point and shoot camera that they can soon master.
Casio offers a number of pocket sized models and this one sits somewhere towards the lower end of the range. This is also reflected in its price.
Image Quality
I was impressed with the photos I managed to take with the Exilim EX-Z600. One test shot that stood out as being different from what I normally see. This was the test for colour. Normally there is not too much to report about this shot. This time around though I would say the colours are noticeably stronger than I am used to seeing. The blue in particular really stands out. Now I like strong vivid colours so this test gets a tick in the box for me and it should bode well for almost every photo you take.
Not everyone likes colours that are this deep. Some people feel that there is a slightly unnatural feel to them. Therefore although I will give this camera high marks for colour it is a case of having a look and making up your own mind as well.
One photo where I feel the strong colours are apparent is with the outdoor portrait. There is a pleasantly warm glow about the photo. This picture was taken in the shade on an overcast day. Taking these factors into consideration the lighting was not ideal for this type of shot as it was harsher than I would like. To compensate for this I changed the white balance setting away from normal to shade. This proves to be a big help to the camera.
Looking at the other outdoor shots I would describe these as fairly standard. The focusing in each shot is sharp without being of the absolute highest quality. The focusing also falls away slightly as you move away from the centre. I also noticed a difference in the level of sharpness when the zoom lens was fully extended. This leads to a slightly softer level of focus.
The shot taken in more or less complete darkness of some beer bottles produces a good result. The camera makes a very good attempt at focusing despite the conditions. One point to notice here is that this photo is not as well lit as other cameras have managed. This suggests that the flash unit of the Exilim EX-Z600 is not particularly strong. This is supported by the fact the camera has a fairly limited flash range. In fairness there is a setting in the menu system that allows you to boost the power of the flash.
Looking at the indoor portrait this is another pleasing effort. The level of detail in the shot is very good considering the lighting conditions. In this shot the level of red eye is much lower than I have experienced with other similar digital cameras. It is even possible that this is partially due to the weaker flash.
The macro shot is another that works well. The camera focuses sharply and produces a bright, clear image.
Finishing off with the test for noise or picture deterioration at higher ISO levels the Exilim EX-Z600 does not fare as well as other digital cameras. Once the level is pushed up to ISO 400 there is a clear deterioration in picture quality.
To sum up I would say the photos I managed to take with the Exilim EX-Z600 were a shade above average for this type of camera.
Shutter Lag and Recycling Times
I was able to take a single photo in 0.39 seconds and five photos in 9.68 seconds. The time to take a single photo is slightly below what I class to be a fair time. The time it takes to shoot five photos is about average.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Features
One very noticeable feature of the Exilim EX-Z600 is its large 2.7"LCD screen. This is larger than the standard size. The screen is made up of around 153,600 pixels. I also found the screen very clear and easy to see in bright conditions. The only downside is that the size of the screen leaves no room for a viewfinder.
As well as the standard 4:3 aspect ratio that is ideal for viewing images on a computer monitor there is a 3:2 aspect ratio. This is the best setting to use if you are planning to make 6x4" prints of your photos. This ensures there is no trimming of the photo required to fit onto the paper.
The three times optical zoom lens has a focal length equivalent to 38 - 114mm in 35mm format. The maximum aperture of the lens is F2.7 (Wide) to F5.2 (Tele). Further zoom is supplied by a 4x digital zoom feature.
There are a number of focusing options you can choose from. These are auto focus, manual focus, pan focus, macro and infinity. For auto focusing you can select from spot and multi point. When taking a close up the camera can focus form 15cms away from the subject.
When you would like to appear in the photo yourself there is a self timer. This can be set to a two or ten second delay. You can also set the self timer to fire off three images at the end of the delay period. There is a histogram available to help you get the exposure levels right. An anti shake feature can also be used.
To help you get the best possible shot Casio offer probably the widest selection of scene modes. By selecting the most appropriate scene you signal to the camera the type of photo you are about to take. The camera then uses what it considers to be the optimum settings for the picture. The scene modes available are: portrait, scenery, portrait with scenery, children, sports, candlelight portrait, party, pet, flower, natural green, autumn leaves, soft flowing water, splashing water, sundown, night scene, night scene portrait, fireworks, food, text, collection, anti shake, high sensitivity, monochrome, retro, twilight, old photo, business cards and documents, white board and custom scene.
The built in flash unit has a range of 2.8m. This falls to 1.4m when the zoom lens is in use. The flash modes available are Auto, Flash On, Flash Off and Red Eye Reduction.
To add interest to your photos there are some colour filters you can apply. These are black and white, sepia, red, blue, green, yellow, pink and purple. You can also adjust levels of sharpness, saturation, contrast.
The camera can also be used as a simple voice recorder. There is also a setting that allows you to capture sound at the time you are taking a still image.
Among the more advanced features are three types of metering (Multi-pattern, centre weighted, spot), exposure compensation (-2EV to +2EV (in 1/3EV steps)), ISO sensitivity equivalents (Auto ISO 50, 100, 200, 400 - 800 is available in anti shake and high sensitivity modes ) and white balance (auto, sunny, cloudy, shade, fluorescent day, fluorescent night, tungsten and custom). Shutter speeds are set automatically by the camera. These operate in the range 4 - 1/2000 seconds.
Three types of continuous shooting are available. These are normal, high speed and flash.
Normal allows you to keep shooting until the memory card is full. High speed allows you to fire off three shots is quick succession. Flash allows you to take up to three consecutive shots with flash.
There are some useful features available to you after a picture has been taken. You can add 30 seconds of commentary to a photo to help you preserve the memory. A photo can also be trimmed or cropped. Also a smaller copy of a photo can be made. This allows you to create photos that are suitable to be sent quickly by email.
You can shoot movies up to the capacity of the memory card. The maximum resolution you can use is 640 x 480. The top speed you can record a movie at is 30 frames per second. This should be good enough to provide TV quality movies. Sound can be recorded with a movie and digital zoom is available too. There is a clever feature that allows you to capture a still image from a movie. The only drawback is that the still image is at a low resolution and you will encounter problems trying to make anything other than a very small print.
Casio supplies all the necessary cables and software to connect the Exilim EX-Z600 to a computer, PictBridge compatible printer and a television set.
Ease of Use
When it comes to ease of use I think Casio digital cameras tend to be one of the best bets. You will find the Exilim EX-Z600 has very few controls and buttons on the back and top of the camera. Everything is kept to a minimum, but the basics such as flash, zoom and picture review are all there for you. It is difficult for you to get confused and press the wrong button.
Likewise the menu system is straightforward as well. It is divided into three sections. All you need to do is scroll through the sections to find the feature you are looking for.
Cost
You can pick up a Casio Exilim EX-Z600 for around £175. This compares to around £165 for a Sony DSC W50, £200 for a Canon IXUS 60 and £275 for a Nikon Coolpix S6.
There are a lot of digital cameras to choose from with a combination of six megapixels and a three times optical zoom lens. Based on these prices I would say that Casio have the price of the Exilim EX-Z600 about right.
Style
I like the clean and simple design of the Exilim EX-Z600. It comes in silver or black. To be honest there is not a lot to say about the style of the camera. It is a typical rectangular shape and is small enough to slip into a pocket. It has dimensions of 88.5 x 57 x 20.5mm and weighs 112g.
Batteries and Memory Card
A rechargeable lithium ion battery (NP-40) is used to power the camera. Casio estimates the Exilim EX-Z600 should be able to take around 550 shots before the battery needs to be recharged.
There are 8.3MB of memory built into the camera. Therefore a memory card is not supplied as standard. I was only able to take three shots with the camera before the internal memory became full. This is very poor indeed. To be able to use the camera properly you will need to pick up a high capacity memory card as well. The camera is compatible with SD (Secure Digital) cards.
Click here to save money on SD cards..
Points I like:
Simple design
Overall picture quality
Ease of use
Large LCD screen
Where it is not so hot:
Very small internal memory
Small flash range
Summary
If you are looking for a six megapixel, pocket sized digital camera then the Casio Exilim EX-Z600 is well worth considering. It combines picture quality with ease of use and an attractive, simple design. There are not any real downsides to the camera and it is well priced.
Casio EXILIM EX-Z600 Front View
Casio EXILIM EX-Z600 Back View
Casio EXILIM EX-Z600 Top View
Sample Menus
| Casio Exilim EX-Z600 Summary |
| Description: | Six megapixels with a three times optical zoom lens |
| Ease of Use: | 9 |
| Features: | 8 |
| Colour: | 9 |
| Macro: | 8 |
| Indoors: | 8 |
| Value for Money: | 8 |
| Style: | 8 |
| Movie Mode: | 8 |
| Image Quality: | 8 |
| Build Quality: | 8 |
| Total: | 82 |
| Verdict: | "The Casio Exilim EX-Z600 is pretty much a standard pocket sized digital camera. The images I managed to take were good in more or less every situation, without ever quite being the best. The camera is easy to used and fairly priced." |
| Review Date: | May 2006 |
| Click for: | Specification Sample Images |
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