2.2The Casio Exilim EX-FH20 is the new, super-fast, ultra-zoom released by the manufacturer who made waves with the more expensive EX-F1 earlier this year. The FH20 sports a 20x zoom, the ability to take 40 frames per second at 7-megapixels, or record super-slow-motion video at up to 1000 frames per second. However, once we got the camera into our labs, we found the body to be low quality, the auto focus was slow, it went through batteries at an incredible rate, and it scored poorly in our testing. Full details follow.
Auto Mode(5.50) The FH20's auto mode isn't actually that automated. It leaves you controls for ISO, white balance, metering, focus and flash. It's essentially program mode, and only automates the aperture and shutter speed. Sure, you can flick all the other controls over to auto too, but you'll have to do it manually.
Movie Mode(12.50) The FH20's extensive array of movie modes is one of its selling points, and while some of these feel gimmicky, they're certainly fun to play with. It can also shoot in 720p high definition wide screen, if you want to stick the movie up on your HDTV.
FPS
Resolution
30
640x480 (4:3 ratio), 1280x720 (HD, 16:9)
210
480x360
420
224x168
1000
224x56
30-210 (user definable)
480x360
At the higher speeds, the resolution is absolutely tiny, and due to the astonishing quickness, you'll need lots of light. Completely blasted under three studio lamps, the 1000 fps clip still looked a little dark. Also, if you're recording at higher speeds and shooting under fluorescent lights, you'll notice a strobing effect. This is because this type of lamp actually flickers at about 60 hertz, so when you're filming at 1000 frames per second, the flicker becomes obvious. We also hit some trouble with the autofocus in these modes. It was sluggish and imprecise. However, if you're shooting from a tripod at a stationary object, manual focus works just fine.
While shooting video there's YouTube mode, which records the video at a size ratio appropriate for YouTube. If the chosen resolution is too low, the camera will surround the video with a black border to fill the standard YouTube area.
One handy feature, is the ability to pre-record video. When this option is enabled, half-pressing the shutter button will start storing video to a cache for up to five seconds (three seconds in high-speed mode), and when you hit record, that buffer will be saved. So, for instance, lets say you're recording your kid at a baseball game. You can start pre-recording as soon as he or she steps up to bat, and hit record when the pitcher throws. That way you'll definitely have the pitch and hit, both saved on your camera.
Oddly, while shooting in standard definition, you can only record one minute, twenty seconds of film, while in HD you can record seventeen minutes, fifty-seven seconds.
Below are clips of the various high speed modes. From the top, they are: 1000fps, 420fps, 210fps and 30fps HD.
Drive / Burst Mode(16.00) While the FH20's video capabilities are more nifty than practical, its burst mode is amazingly useful. You can capture up to an impressive 40 frames per second at a reduced 7 megapixel resolution (3072x2304) and 1, 3, 5, 10, 15 or 30 frames per second at 8 megapixels (3264x2448). Strangely, there is no continuous shooting at the highest resolution, namely 9 megapixels: not even one image per second. It can, however, shoot up to 5 frames per second with flash, when set in continuous flash mode. Without flash you can save up to 40 images at a time, with the flash only up to 5.
Like with the video mode, you can pre-record images on the FH20 by half pressing the shutter button. This still image buffering can be set between 15 and 40 shots, but keep in mind the camera can only record a maximum of 40 pictures, so these could get bumped out quite quickly. After you've taken the photos, you can then select which of them to keep (or all if you want to record the lot).
Once again, this is amazing for capturing that perfect moment that you just know is coming. Whether it's at a sports game, or watching a bird take flight, or a lion tackle an eland, this way you don't have to worry about missing that one amazing shot.
Sadly, the FH20 has lost some features from its big brother, the EX-F1. It can only shoot 40 fps instead of 60; there's no auto high speed, a setting the F1 had that would set the number of frames per second based on light levels, so that they wouldn't be under-exposed; and it can't bracket exposures.
For self-timer options, you have 10 seconds, 2 seconds or x3, which takes an image after 10 seconds then another two at two seconds apart. Unfortunately, the self-timer is accessed via the menu system, rather than the quick menu, which means additional time-consuming button presses.
Playback Mode (7.25) During playback, the amount of data displayed on the screen can be altered by pressing the display button. This varies from just the image; to date, time and image size; and finally full EXIF information and a combined brightness/RGB histogram.
If you took a series of photos using the continuous shooting function, these are bunched into a single group, which can be played through in a sequence, and deleted either individually or as a whole.
The slideshow mode is a lackluster affair. You select your images, how long to wait between changing, overall time (from 1-60 minutes), and which of five transitions you want. Frankly, the thought of a 60 minute slideshow of 40 fps captures fills our hearts with dread.
As one would expect, while in playback, the zoom controls adjust the level of magnification on the image you're reviewing. You can zoom in up to 8x, and out into thumbnail mode, which shows 25 images.
The editing controls are piecemeal at best. You can adjust brightness ±2 steps, rotate, resize, trim, divide groups (which lets you split up images taken up under high speed, which are usually stored as a cluster), copy (between the built in memory and the memory card)and alter white balance. This last effect is interesting, as it takes your saved image, and can apply a different white balance to any saved image. Handy, if you forgot to set it right the first time.
You can grab stills from your videos with Motion Print, which allows you to take either a single frame, or nine frames combined in a snazzy composite image. You can also cut your movies down to size, deleting from the beginning to a marker, between two markers, or from a marker to the end.
Custom Image Presets(9.50) Showing a stunning lack of localization research, Casio have decided to call their Image Preset system "Best Shot", usually labeled "BS." Really, Casio? Really? Disregarding their horrible choice of names, they've actually put in a fairly decent selection of presets. There's 18 of them, ranging from the normal (portrait) to a number designed to make use of the FH20's high shutter speed (like Multi-motion Image). The Best Shot modes are: Portrait, Scenery, Portrait with Scenery, Children, Sports, Pet, Flower, Natural Green, Autumn Leaves, Sundown, High Speed Night Scene, Night Scene Portrait, Fireworks, High Speed Anti Shake (records multiple images and combines them to correct blur), Multi-motion Image (records multiple images and combines them), Digital Panning (combines multiple images to focus on a subject and blur the background), Move Out CS (automatically shoots continuous images when the subject moves out of a defined area), Move In CS automatically shoots continuous images when the subject moves into a defined area) or Register User Scene (lets you save your current settings).
We had mixed success using some of the more advanced presets, With a significant amount of fiddling, we were able to get something vaguely like what we wanted with the Multi Motion Image BS (see image above). This was done by dropping a black stress ball in front of the camera. However, it's not a capability you'd be able to use on the fly with much luck. We couldn't get digital panning to function properly, but high speed anti-shake seemed to function well.
