Overview
The Casio Exilim EX-Z700 is a pocket sized digital camera. It has seven megapixels and a 3x optical zoom lens. In terms of features it is a standard, point and shoot camera. There is nothing especially out of the ordinary about the Exilim EX-Z700, although it does have a larger than standard 2.7" LCD screen. In terms of price this is a mid price model.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
7
3x
2.7 inches
88.5 x 57 x 20.5mm
112g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
15cm
No
No
Lithium-ion Rechargeable
SD/SDHC
Image Quality
Looking through the test pictures I took with the Exilim EX-Z700 I would say I am very satisfied with them. Perhaps not quite sharp enough to compete with the very best, but there are no really big areas of weakness and there many areas where the camera is comfortably above average.
Outdoors the Exilim EX-Z700 produced three standard test shots. There are pocket sized digital cameras available that are able to produce sharper images, but this camera makes a creditable effort. Focusing does fall away to a small degree as you move towards the edges of the photos, but this is less noticeable than with a number of rival cameras.
The problem of sunlight reflecting back from light surfaces and therefore losing detail from the shot is handled quite well without being perfect. Likewise there is a loss of detail in some of the darker areas, but not to a degree where I would be concerned.
I like the colours the Exilim EX-Z700 produces. They have a more natural feel to them than some of the cameras I have tested recently.
Another photo that works well is the outdoor photo. It was taken using the shady white balance setting. This helps to add a little pep to a shot taken in the shade or on a cloudy day. The levels of colour and lighting are more or less spot on. There is no loss of detail and the skin tones look natural.
The dedicated test for colour highlights the fact the Exilim EX-Z700 falls somewhere in the mid range when it comes to strength of colours. In my view it gets it about right. No colours dominate, but there is enough depth to ensure pictures are not washed out while retaining a natural feel to them.
I have little to complain about with the two indoor test shots. Both the portrait and shot of beer bottles are as sharply focused as you can expect given the conditions. Lighting levels are good too, especially when you take into account the shot of beer bottles is taken in more or less total darkness. The portrait shows very low levels of red eye. In fact red eye may not show up at all in smaller prints. One possible explanation for the lack of red eye is the fact the flash has a fairly limited range and is not strong enough to reflect a lot of light back from the eye.
The macro shot is sharp and clear. The drawback with the macro mode of the Exilim EX-Z700 is the fact you can only focus from 15cm away from your subject. This meant I had to crop a lot of the picture I took to make it appear close up.
With all the Casio digital cameras I have tested I have noticed a real weakness at higher ISO settings. The Exilim EX-Z700 is no exception and picture quality falls below average in this test.
Shutter Lag and Recycling Times
I was able to take a single photo in 0.40 seconds and five photos in 9.75 seconds. These are around about average times, although the time taken to take a single photo is on the slow side of average.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Features
One feature I really like is the 2.7" LCD screen. This is made up of 153,600 pixels. Not only is it larger than standard, but it is also much easier to see in bright sunlight than that majority of screens provided by other brands.
The 3x optical zoom lens has a focal length equivalent to 38 - 114mm in 35mm format. The aperture of the lens is F2.7 (W) to F5.2 (T). There is also a 4x digital zoom.
Focusing options include auto focus (selectable between spot, 9 point multi), infinity mode and manual focus. For close up shots the Exilim EX-Z700 can focus from 15cm away in macro mode.
For when you would like to appear in a picture there is a self timer. The delay period can be set to either two or ten seconds. There is also a histogram. This is used to help check exposure levels.
When you take a picture you can record up to 30 seconds of commentary at the same time. The camera can also be used purely as a voice recorder.
The flash unit has a maximum range of 3.4m. This falls to 1.8m when the zoom lens is in use. This is not very powerful at all. The flash modes available to you are: Auto, Flash On, Flash Off, Soft Flash and Red Eye Reduction.
As with other Casio digital cameras there are more scene modes than you can shake a stick at. Just about every conceivable type of photo is covered. If you find there is one missing there is a feature that allows you to create your own. The scenes modes 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, underwater, monochrome, retro, twilight, layout, layout 2, auto framing, old photo, business cards/documents and white board.
If you are looking to make 6 x 4" prints from your photos then there is a special 3:2 aspect ratio you can use. This avoids the problem of the top and bottom of your photos being trimmed to fit on the paper.
Other useful features include colour filters (black and white, sepia, red, green, blue, yellow, pink and purple) and controls for sharpness, contrast and saturation.
There are a number of more advanced features you can use. These include exposure metering (Multi-pattern, centre weighted, spot), exposure compensation (-2EV to +2EV (in 1/3EV steps)) and white balance (overcast, daylight, shade, tungsten, day white fluorescent, daylight fluorescent and manual). ISO sensitivity can be set to auto, 50, 100, 200 and 400.
Shutter speeds are set automatically by the camera. They work in a range between ½ second to 1/2000 seconds. In night mode the camera can use a shutter speed of up to four seconds.
Three types of continuous shooting are available. Type one allows you to fire away until the memory card is full or the battery runs out. The second type allows you to fire off three quick photos. Third is similar to the second, but allows you to use flash.
After a photo has been taken you are create smaller copies and also trim or crop the photo.
Movies with sound can be recorded. These have a maximum resolution of 640 x 480 pixels and a top speed of 30 frames per second. Zoom cannot be used while recording is in progress, but you can zoom in before you start to shoot the movie.
Casio supplies all the necessary cables, software and a cradle to connect the Exilim EX-Z700 to a computer, television set and a PictBridge compatible printer.
Ease of Use
A digital camera like the Exilim EX-Z700 is pretty easy to use. Casio pack more options into the menu and reduce the number of buttons on the camera compared to other brands. You may or may not find this helpful. For example if you want to shoot a movie or set the self timer this needs to be done through the menu system. The menus themselves are straightforward and it is a case of scrolling through until you find the option you are looking for.
Cost
You can pick up a Casio Exilim EX-Z700 for around £175. This compares to around £235 for a Sony DSC T30, £210 for a Olympus MJU 740 and £155 for a Pentax Optio S7.
The Exilim EX-Z700 comes in substantially cheaper than a top of the range model such as the Sony DSC T30. I would say this camera offers good value for money.
Style
Probably the most exciting fact is the camera is available in four colours. These are silver, gunmetal, red and blue. It some areas the red and blue versions are more difficult to get hold of. Other than that it really is a typical rectangular box. The design is pleasant enough though.
Dimensions are 88.5 x 57 x 20.5mm and the camera weighs 112g.
Batteries and Memory Cards
Power is supplied by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery (NP-40). Both a battery and charger are supplied with the camera. Casio estimate you should be able to take around 460 shots before the battery needs to be recharged.
The camera is compatible with SD and the new SDHC (High Capacity) memory cards. A card is not supplied as standard. Instead Casio have built 8.3mb of memory into the Exilim EX-Z700. I was able to take just three photos before the internal memory was full. This is not even enough to give the camera a proper test. Therefore you will need to pick up a high capacity memory card before you can use the camera properly.
Click here to save money on SD cards..
Points I like:
Picture quality
Overall ease of use
Excellent LCD screen
Where it is not so hot:
Very small internal memory
Summary
The Casio Exilim EX-Z700 is a solid if unspectacular digital camera. Pound of for pound I would say it offers good value for money and if you cannot afford or do not want to pay out for a top of the range model then this is certainly a camera well worth considering.
Casio EXILIM EX-Z700 Front View
Casio EXILIM EX-Z700 Back View
Casio EXILIM EX-Z700 Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Casio Exilim EX-Z700 Review Casio Exilim EX-Z700 Specification Casio Exilim EX-Z700 Sample Images
Review Date
November 2006
