Casio adds 'makeup function' to new digicams

Remember that HP camera that had a slimming feature that made you look ten pounds lighter? I actually tested it, and it did make me look slimmer and weird in pictures, but do consumers really want cameras that tinker with reality? Apparently so. Tech On says Casio in Japan will be releasing two sexy Exilim Zoom cameras with a makeup function to beautifully airbrush a person's face.

Face detection already brightens up faces in the shot, but this new function will go one step further by optimizing the focus and exposure to make the skin look smooth and soft. Any hard shadows, blotchy skin, and wrinkles will disappear when the camera adjusts its settings and improves a person's skin with a little photo magic. A Casio spokesperson adds that the camera "will make the skin tone look softer and smoother, while covering annoying little wrinkles."

Another wicked function is the handheld night scene shooting mode, which Tech On says is a form of night image stabilization that reduces shaky cam and brightens up faces. It seems the camera can detect whether it's on a tripod or if it's being hand held and so it adjusts its settings to optimize night shots.

The EX-Z300 is a 10.1 megapixel camera with 4x optical zoom, image stabilization, and video capture, while the EX-Z250 is 9.1-megapixel point and shoot camera also with a 4x optical zoom lens, video capture, and 38.5 MB of on-board storage. Both digicams will be launch at the end of the month in a silver and champagne color.