Casio Exilim EX-Z70 Review

The Casio Exilim EX-Z70 is a seven megapixel, pocket sized digital camera. It has a standard three times optical zoom lens. Looking at the price the Exilim EX-Z70 is a cheaper option than the majority or seven megapixel slimline digital cameras. In terms of features the camera has a few more than other similar point and shoot models.

On the whole the camera is able to produce bright, clear images. It does have a clear problem when the light gets low though.

The outdoor shots show the Exilim EX-Z70 is a little above average for a camera in this price range when it comes to focusing. I would not describe the photos as pin sharp, but I am certainly satisfied with focusing in most places. There is a slight drift away from sharpness towards the edges of each photo. This is especially noticeable in the second outdoor shot when the zoom is not in use. Towards the edges of this shot the photos become quite soft in terms of focusing.

Colours are vivid without being overpowering. This is supported by all the outdoor shots and also the dedicated test for colours. The colours are well balanced and no single colour dominates.

There are a few concerns with the outdoor shots including a loss of detail in the brightest areas. This is particularly noticeable with the wooden slats under the roof of the building in the first picture. In the third picture there is a hint of purple fringing. This is where a thin purple line is added to the edge of light coloured objects where they catch the light. There is also a degree of pixilation in the skies. This causes the skies to not be totally smooth.

I am happy with the outdoor portrait shot. This is a fairly standard result, but the skin tones show a good level of pink and the picture works well. The Exilim EX-Z70 is also able to show a lot of detail in the shot.

The macro shot is another success. It is not perfect, but if you are looking to take some close up snapshots with the camera then it should be able to produce a decent photo for you. Focusing is sharp and the image is clear.

Without doubt the camera struggles in lowlight. Both the outdoor portrait and shot of beer bottles taken in very lowlight are clearly out of focus. There is also plenty of red eye in the indoor portrait. This is a camera built for outdoor shots in good light.

Sometimes it is possible to help the camera in lowlight situations by increasing the ISO rating. Again this is an area where the Exilim EX-Z70 tends to struggle. At ISO 400 there was a noticeable decrease in picture quality and white colours start to look grey.

I was able to take a single shot in 0.27 seconds and five shots in 11.13 seconds. These are average times.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

The 3x optical zoom lens has a focal length equivalent to 38 to 114mm in 35mm format. There is also 4x digital zoom available. Apertures work in the range F3.1 (W) to F5.9 (T).

The LCD screen is 2.5" and is made up of around 115,200 pixels. Casio produce some of the clearest and brightest LCD screens available. These are much easier to view in bright sunlight then most other makes. There is no viewfinder.

The maximum range of the flash unit is 3.7m. This falls to just 1.9m when the zoom lens is in use. There is a menu option that allows you to adjust the power of the flash. The flash modes available are Auto, Flash On, Flash Off, Soft Flash, Red Eye Reduction.

As is typical of Casio cameras the Exilim EX-Z70 has a number of focusing options. These include auto focus, pan focus and manual focus. There is also a macro focus mode. This allows you to get as close as 10cm to a subject for close up shots.

When you take a photo you can record a short sound clip with it. You can also add a sound memo to a photo after it has been taken. The camera can also be used purely as a voice recorder.

Other useful features include colour filters (black and white, sepia, red, green, blue, yellow, pink and purple) and controls for sharpness, contrast and saturation. A histogram is available too.

When you would like to appear in the picture there is a self timer. This can be set to a delay of either two or ten seconds. To help with making 6 x 4" prints there is a special 3:2 aspect ratio. This means that none of the photo needs to be trimmed away to fit in a 6 x 4" print.

Again as with other Casio digitals the Exilim EX-Z70 is packed with scene modes or best shot modes as Casio calls them. The scenes 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, auction, backlight, anti shake, high sensitivity, monochrome, retro, twilight, old photo, business cards/documents and white board. In case this is not enough you can also create your own scenes. When you use a scene mode the camera understands the type of photo you are about to take. It can then use what it considers to be the optimum settings for the shot.

Among the more advanced features you have access to are metering (Multi-pattern, centre weighted, spot), exposure compensation (-2EV to +2EV (in 1/3EV steps)), white balance (overcast, daylight, shade, tungsten, night fluorescent, daylight fluorescent and manual) and ISO sensitivity (50, 100, 200, 400; automatic or manual switching - 800 with anti shake and high sensitivity).

Shutter speeds are controlled automatically by the camera. In the majority of shooting modes these range from ½ second to 1/2000. In night mode the maximum time the shutter can be open is four seconds and in fireworks mode two seconds.

Three continuous shooting modes are available. These are normal speed, high speed and flash continuous. At normal speed you can continue recording until the memory card is full. In high speed and flash continuous you can record three photos.

After a picture has been taken it can be trimmed/cropped, resized and rotated.

TV quality movies can be recorded with sound. The maximum resolution for a movie is 640 x 480 pixels. The top speed available is 30 frames per second. Zoom can be used before you start to record, but cannot be altered once recording has started.

Casio supplies all the necessary cables and software to connect the Exilim EX-Z70 to a computer, television set and PictBridge compatible printer.

The Exilim EX-Z70 uses the standard Casio menu system and a fairly common layout in terms of buttons and controls. In my view Casio have clearly put a lot of thought and effort into this area of the camera as it is straightforward and easy to use. Buttons are kept to a minimum and you should soon be able to find your way around. There is also help available

To decrease the number of menu options and make the camera even more straightforward there is an easy mode available.

You can pick up a Casio Exilim EX-Z70 for around £155. This compares to around £175 for a Pentax Optio S7, £180 for a Sony DSC W70 and £160 for an Olympus MJU 700.

As you can see the Exilim EX-Z70 is a bit cheaper than other seven megapixel, pocket sized digital cameras. Personally I would suggest spending a bit more for the Sony DSC W70 if you are planning to use the camera when the light starts to deteriorate.

The Exilim EX-Z70 is available black and silver and in my view is a very tidy looking camera. Its rounded edges stop it from looking harsh and it fits comfortably in the pocket. It has dimensions of 95.2 x 60.6 x 19.8mm and weighs 118g.

A lithium ion battery (NP-20) is used to power the Exilim EX-Z70. Casio estimates it should be able to take a round 200 shots before it needs to be recharged. Both a charger and battery are supplied with the camera as standard.

There are just over eight megabytes of storage built into the camera. I was able to take just three photos before this became full. Therefore you will struggle to even test the camera unless you buy a high capacity memory card to go with the camera.

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Design and style
Ease of use

Indoor photos
Very small internal memory

Although I like a lot about the Casio Exilim EX-Z70 it does have a big weakness when it comes to lowlight shots. It has plenty of megapixels, is easy to use and looks good. It is also a lower price option for a digital camera with this specification.

Casio EXILIM EX-Z70 Front View

Casio EXILIM EX-Z70 Back View

Casio EXILIM EX-Z70 Top View

Sample Menus

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, please make sure you double check the feature set and specification at the point of purchase.

Casio Exilim EX-Z70