The main attraction of the Casio Exilim EX-V7 is the fact that it has a much longer than standard zoom lens in a compact body. It has a seven times zoom lens. The Exilim EX-V7 also has seven megapixels.
Another attraction is that it is one of the few cameras of its type offering manual exposure controls.
Taking both the extended zoom lens and the manual exposure controls into account I would suggest the camera is likely to appeal to a wide range of potential buyers. Although manual exposure controls normally appeal to the more serious photographer I can also see people who are looking for a point and shoot camera, but who would like some extra zoom showing a keen interest in the Exilim EX-V7. With a fully automatic mode the camera can easily be used as a straightforward point and shoot model.
In terms of size the camera has dimensions of 95.5 x 59.8 x 25.5mm. This makes it a bit larger than a true ultra compact digital camera, but it will still just about fit into a pocket, as long as the pocket is of reasonable size. Weighing 149g it is again heavier than a number of more lightweight digital cameras.
Looking at the camera it is quite a sleek model. Casio have kept buttons and dials to an absolute minimum. When the camera is turned on the lens remains integral to the camera and does not protrude in the way many other camera lenses do. You have a choice of colours with the Exilim EX-V7 being available in silver and black.
I like the LCD screen on this model. It is 2.5" in size. The most important point about it is that it is able to cope with glare from the sun in a better way than most digital cameras do. The majority of Casio digital cameras have good quality LCD screens that function well even in bright conditions.
Power comes from a lithium ion battery and Casio estimate you should be able to take in the region of 240 photos in between charges. A battery and a cradle for charging are supplied with the camera.
Casio have built 11mb of storage into the Exilim EX-V7. To be honest this is not a great deal and you will struggle to even run a decent test of the camera before the memory becomes full. When you need to buy memory cards remember this camera is compatible with SD and SDHC cards.
On the whole the camera is easy to use. Although using few buttons can make the camera look good it does mean that you need to dip into the menu to access a number of functions that you are usually able to control at the push of a button on other cameras. This includes items such as the self timer and placing the camera into movie mode. When you do need to use the memory you should find it bright, clear and easy to use.
One other upgraded feature the Exilim EX-V7 has is the ability to shoot movies for widescreen televisions. This is a feature that a small number of other digital cameras now offer and one I can see becoming widespread over the next 18 months.
