Overview
The Casio Exilim EX-V8 is an 8 megapixel digital camera with a 7x optical zoom lens. What makes the Exilim EX-V8 different to other cameras with this length of lens is the fact it is a very small and compact camera. Although too large to slip easily into say the pocket a pair of jeans it is still small enough to carry around easily. It is also one of the smallest cameras to offer manual exposure controls. These help to give you a bit of extra control over how your photos will look.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
8
7x
2.5 inches
95.5 x 59.8 x 25.5mm
149g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
10cm
No
Yes
Lithium-ion Rechargeable
SD/SDHC
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
The Exilim EX-V8 kicks off with a solid start. Sharpness and brightness are impressive. There is plenty of colour in the photo too.
Sun glare is handled quite well although there is a loss of detail on the second boat.
This is another photo that works quite well. Sharpness is roughly inline with middle ranking cameras. Colours are strong, especially in the sky. There is a small amount of purple fringing showing in the photo.
With the zoom fully extended there is a noticeable loss of sharpness. There is also a fair amount of noise affecting the photo. This is clearly evident in the sky. I think this is a disappointing photo, especially after the first two outdoor shots.
Portraits
This is another photo where the colours are strong. In fact in this photo the colours are very strong. The picture was taken in the shade and I used the shady white balance setting. This has certainly contributed to the strong colours, but without it the photo I took was dull.
Many people prefer to take photos without flash whenever they can as they feel this leads to a more natural looking photo. The Exilim EX-V8 produces a decent effort. There is noise showing in the photo as I would expect, but this is only likely to be a serious issue with larger prints.
Most digital cameras produce similar quality indoors photos with flash as long as the lighting is good. Therefore this is a fairly typical example. Again it is a bright photo.
Macro, Colours and Noise
With the Exilim EX-V8 only being able to focus from 10cm away this test photo has been cropped heavily. Even then the sharpness of the photo falls below average.
The colours produced by the camera are stronger than most cameras produce. Although the strength of colour in a photo is very much personal taste I would like to see colour levels toned down. Blues can be dominant.
At ISO 400 my test photo is roughly average in terms of picture quality when compared against other cameras. Definition is lost through noise, but colours remain stable.
At ISO 800 picture quality has been lost and colours have started to bleed into different areas.
Summary
My test results from the Exilim EX-V8 are a bit of a mixed bag. The big disappointment is the loss of quality when the zoom lens is fully extended. Colours are also overpowering in places.
Style
Small and lightweight. The Exilim EX-V8 is available in black and silver. It has a sliding lens cover.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
0.43 seconds
15.03 seconds
1 seconds
19.72 seconds
Ease of Use
Even with the manual exposure controls I still found the cameras to be straightforward. Menus are easily assessable. They are also clear and easy to read.
Points I Like
Design (a lot packed into a small body) - ease of use
Where it Could Improve
Macro shot - lack of sharpness when zoom at maximum - very strong colours
Verdict
The Casio Exilim EX-V8 does offer something different to the majority of digital cameras with extra zoom in a compact body. Although the camera is capable of bright photos, picture quality is a bit patchy in places.
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Casio Exilim EX-V8 Review Casio Exilim EX-V8 Specification Casio Exilim EX-V8 Sample Images Casio Exilim EX-V8 Features
Review Date
December 2007
