Casio Exilim EX-F1
Digital Camera Review
Jul 23, 2008
- By Steve Morgenstern
2.2
Unquestionably the most futuristic camera of 2008, the Casio EXILIM EX-F1 offers unparalleled capabilities. It can take 60 full-res pictures in a second, It shoots both standard- and high-def video and, for its most jaw-dropping trick, offers super-slow-motion shooting at up to 1200 frames per second. The EX-F1 looks like an SLR, but it’s actually a rocket-powered point-and-shoot with a 12x optical zoom lens, priced at $999. The killer feature turns out to be rapid-fire still photography, though image quality is good, not great. For more details, read the full review that follows.
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Conclusion
Casio's EXILIM EX-F1 promises features no digital camera on the market has offered before, and it delivers - with some reservations. The camera's strongest suit is the option to shoot up to 60 full-res 6-megapixel images in a second. Combined with a sophisticated prerecord capability that continually captures images to a buffer when you half-press the shutter and saves the most recent ones to memory when push the shutter all the way, the tools you need to never miss another great shot are at hand. Image quality wasn't great, but it's perfectly acceptable for on-screen viewing or consumer-size prints. The other headline feature is capturing movies at incredible speed -- as many as 1200 frames per second, producing a slow-motion effect previously found only in science lab experiments. We loved this for a day or two, but it lost the ability to raise a giggle pretty quickly. Of course, your smileage may vary.
There are ultra-zoom cameras that are far more portable, and available at far less than the $999 price of an EX-F1, or you could opt to spend a grand on a high-quality digital SLR with superior image quality and the option to use interchangeable lenses. That's our practical side talking. When it comes to having fun with a digital camera, the EX-F1 has no equal.
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Likes
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- Blistering-fast continuous shutter stills
- Prerecord capability for stills and movies
- Slow-mo video (at least for a few days)
- Long zoom lens
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Dislikes
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- Large and heavy versus other ultra-zooms
- Expensive
- Auto focus performance slow and inconsistent
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