Casio Exilim EX-Z57

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-Z57 digital camera, a highly portable snapshot camera with a 2.7-inch LCD that's as bright as it is large. Though the Z57'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 Z57's design is its 2.7-inch LCD screen, which takes up most of the small camera's back and, thus, seems even bigger. With this model, Casio dropped its predecessor's comically small and essentially useless optical viewfinder. Casio crams all of the buttons on the 5.6-ounce Exilim Z57 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-Z57'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 Z57 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 Z57 with a tripod, as you'll be able to compose your shots, then take a break without losing battery power. Speaking of the Z57's battery, it's phenomenal: we took more than 1,000 photos, 50 percent with flash, without needing to recharge.