Casio Exilim EX-Z55

CNET editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Design : 8.0
  Features : 7.0
  Performance : 7.0
  Image quality : 6.0
  Overall score: 7.2 (3.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Robert Dubbin
• Edited by:
  Lori Grunin
• Reviewed on: 11/12/2004
• Released on: 09/20/2004

At some point, you have to figure that the dominant digital photography trends of smaller cameras, bigger LCD screens, and more megapixels will reach a critical point, and we'll be left with some sort of tiny 12-megapixel monocle. Until that day arrives, we'll have to settle for models such as Casio's 5-megapixel Exilim EX-Z55 digital camera, a highly portable snapshot camera with a 2.5-inch LCD that's as bright as it is large. Though the Z55's lack of manual features and poor outdoor imaging can be frustrating at times, the camera delivers pleasing indoor results and acceptable shot-to-shot performance.

The centerpiece of the Z55's design is its 2.5-inch LCD screen, which takes up most of the small camera's back and, thus, seems even bigger. Also contributing to this effect is the Z55's comically small and essentially useless optical viewfinder, which works only passably well during daylight and will temporarily blind you at night if you try it with the LCD turned on. Casio crams all of the buttons on the 5.6-ounce Exilim Z55 to the right of Screenzilla but organizes them logically despite their cramped layout. Though the camera lacks ports to charge the battery and download photos directly, the included dock accomplishes both tasks seamlessly.

The Casio Exilim EX-Z55's 3X optical zoom works well, although you're limited to six stops from its widest angle of 35mm to its 105mm telephoto (35mm equivalents). The camera's lens is small enough to keep the camera looking sleek but protrudes enough to keep you from inadvertently taking 10 shots of your own finger. We like Casio's novel memory menu, which enables you to instruct the Z55 to remember the camera's current settings--zoom length, color and ISO settings, white balance, and flash modes--even after you've turned it off. This feature will benefit anyone who chooses to use the Z55 with a tripod, as you'll be able to compose your shots, then take a break without losing battery power. Speaking of the Z55's battery, it's phenomenal: we took more than 1,000 photos, 50 percent with flash, without needing to recharge.

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Recent user reviews

• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 38 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars Write review

• Showing 3 of 38 user reviews

• 4.0 stars

  "nice camera to carry all around in pocket and get good photos for web/email/6X4 prints"

  by dgporob on December 11, 2005

• 2.0 stars

  4 out of 4 people found this helpful

  "Good on paper. Disappointing execution."

  by Conspicuous Consumer on July 30, 2005

• 4.5 stars

  "Quick and simple"

  by primervdc on June 14, 2005

• See all 38 user reviews Write review

Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

• alaTest.com

  Editors' rating: 86

  Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 426 reviews of Casio Exilim EX-Z55 from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 71/100 and users 88/100. Comparing these reviews to 575707 other Digital Compact Cameras reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 86/100 = Very Good.

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• dcresource.com

  Summary: The EX-Z55 has a built-in lens cover so there are no messy lens caps to worry about. As you can see, the camera is quite small

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• macworld.com

  Editors' rating: 60

  Summary: The EX-Z55 has 23 scene modes in all, including a Business Shot mode for straightening pictures of business cards and white boards in-camera. Manual controls are limited to manual focus, exposure compensation (which you access via a menu), white ...

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• pcmag.com

  Editors' rating: 70

  Summary: The Z55 has the sharpest images we've seen in a camera this size, a big LCD, Casio's great menus and features, and reasonable speed. But the images produced by this camera don't quite measure up to those of of the Canon Powershot SD300.

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• photographyreview.com

  Summary: The Casio S500 is an extremely well-built camera that provides incredible features. When you are out and about, this camera can go with you without slowing you down. It fit in my shirt pocket or in my pants pocket, and I was almost tempted to fit it ...

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• cameras.co.uk

  Editors' rating: 75

  Summary: The Casio Exilim EX-Z55 is a fairly solid offering. It scores highly for ease of use and I like the design. I did experience problems using the camera indoors and it tends to struggle in lowlight.

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