Casio EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z1000

Price: $332.22 - $539.99

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My favorite new toy11/08/06

Pros:

10 Megapixels, LONG Lasting Battery, Big LCD, Idiot-friendly!

Cons:

Minor: Cannot charge or connect to computer without docking unit (included). Wrist strap too small, no neck strap or pouch included.

I just bought this little baby a week ago and I can't stop talking about it. I live in Japan so the user guide is all in Japanese, but I figured out how to use the camera and its features in about ten minutes on the train ride home.This despite the fact that I don't really know what I am doing when it comes to taking pictures. I bought this because it had the biggest screen, the most megapixels, and a long-lasting battery. And it was on sale. But since then I have had no regrets.



This camera is great for the novice because it comes with 36 'Best Shot' settings which you choose based on descriptions and example photos (i.e. anti-shake, party, pets, fireworks, food). Pick the pic that is closest to what you are trying to do and the camera does the rest (well, you still have to aim and shoot).



I am quite satisfied with the videos i have shot as well. The speaker is loud enough so that I can hear it, though it would be nice if I could plug headphones in. (I don't know if other cameras have an earphone jack or not. They should.) Also I really like the 'Motion Print' function, which allows you to select frames from your videos and save them as still shots. The only downside is the resolution suffers dramatically: photos are VGA, which is less than 2 Megapixels and a far cry from 10. Still it is a nice way to capture otherwise uncapturable moments.



One concern is the need for a large memory card. I have two responses to that. One is that memory cards have gotten bigger and cheaper and it shouldn't be that much of an issue. Buy a 2Gig SD card and you should be set. The other is this: You can take your pictures in 10 Megapixel mode, and then change them to lower resolution if you deem them unworthy of so much memory card space. Then just delete the 10M versions of the same pictures.



And of course the massive screen makes looking at your shots, or just playing around with it, all the more enjoyable.



A few other interesting perks: a nice slideshow feature, a calendar that shows a picture from each day you used the camera, movie editing, and a voice recorder function!



Perhaps most important, though, are two things--a battery with stamina (think Energizer bunny on viagara) and beautiful pictures that still look great even after you zoom and crop them, provided you are using 10 Megapixel mode. I am a happy camper.



Ah, one last thing: the black model is much more fetching, in my opinion. I don't know why the advertisers show the silver one all the time.