CNET editors' review
-
CNET editors' rating:
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 02/27/2009
- Released on: 10/01/2008
If there is such a thing as a camera with too many automatic features, the 9-megapixel Casio Exilim EX-Z250 might be it. This ultracompact is brimming with detection, recognition, and preset shooting options to the point where the camera's Auto mode ironically provides you the most control. Luckily it also produces very good photos, as long as you don't mind some softness. It's also not all that fast, but that still doesn't stop it from being a respectable sub-$250 pocket camera.
The Casio Exilim EX-Z250 with battery and SD/SDHC card weighs a mere 5 ounces and its diminutive dimensions--3.8 inches wide by 2.3 inches high by 0.8 inch deep--are a good fit for a pants pocket or small handbag. The camera body is a combination of metal and plastic and feels like it can take a little abuse, though the battery/card slot-compartment door opens a bit too easily.
On top is a power button and shutter release with a zoom ring for controlling the wide-angle 4x f2.6-5.9 28-112mm-equivalent lens. A 3-inch LCD that performs well in bright conditions occupies most of the back. To its right are the remaining controls, all of which are flat and near flush with the body. I never had any problems using them except for the four-way control pad and the Set button in the center of it; while navigating menus I would occasionally hit a direction on the pad when trying to hit Set. It's not a big issue, but it's not fun either. The Z250 has a dedicated movie record button so you can start shooting video instantly. It's a nice design feature to have, but its placement--just to the right of where your thumb naturally falls when gripping the little camera--can result in movie-related accidents.
Casio calls its menu of scene modes Best Shot (accessed with a press of the BS button, of course). It offers no fewer than 37 choices, playing all the hits like Portrait, Landscape, Children, Pets, and Night Scene along with B-side selections including Text, ID Photo, Business Card, Splashing Water, and Autumn Leaves. Then there are the branded settings for eBay photos and YouTube videos. Don't feel like picking out the appropriate scene? Set it to Best Shot Auto and the camera does it for you.
There are also three Auto Shutter settings: Detect Blur, Panning, and Detect Smile. Smile detection is self-explanatory, as is blur detection, and Panning stops a subject in motion while allowing the background to blur. All of them worked well, particularly the blur detection; it adjusts shutter speed, ISO, and optical image stabilization to determine when the subject is at its sharpest, then snaps a photo. Used in conjunction with continuous shooting, it delivered more candid shots than I'm usually able to capture with a standard point-and-shoot. Granted, photos were softer due to the ISO boosting, but still usable for prints and online. It offers three levels of trigger sensitivity as well as a little control over the detection.
Finally, the camera's regular Auto mode falls more in line with other manufacturers' Program AE modes. It essentially gives you a full selection of settings for focus, autofocus area, ISO, exposure compensation, white balance, color, sharpness, saturation, contrast, and metering.
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Where to buy
Casio Exilim EX-Z250 (silver):
$227.84 - $241.17
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$227.84 | Yes |
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PC Connection
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$241.17 | Yes |
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