Casio Exilim EX-V7

Auto Mode
The mode dial’s characters are all black except for a red rectangle: this is the Snapshot mode, which is similar to a Program mode. This mode automates the shutter speed and aperture completely, but still allows access to other manual controls like ISO, flash intensity, and white balance. If users want something a little less complicated, they can turn the dial to the Easy mode designated by a shamrock icon (I always thought a shamrock was an icon for luck, but it almost does take a bit of luck to get a good picture in this mode). When the Menu button is pushed in the Easy mode, the following options appear: Flash, Self-Timer, Image Size, and Exit Menu. The text options are in a huge font on a brightly colored background. When choosing an option, text explanations appear. For instance, the auto flash option read, "Flash fires when required." The Easy mode makes picture-taking very simple, but the resultant pictures aren’t very impressive. Many turned out blurry and under-exposed in the convention center I was shooting in.

Movie Mode
One of the camera’s most advertised features is its movie mode because the camera employs a unique H.264 video encoding method that stores more video in less space. Casio claims that this compression can record about 1.5 times longer than typical MPEG-4 video on the same memory space without losing quality. This is up for debate; I couldn’t compare the video mode side-by-side with a more traditional coding method on the show floor. This is something we will look for upon further review in our testing lab.

The movie mode has several Best Shot modes of its own that can be changed by pushing the Set button: Portrait, Scenery, Night Scene, Fireworks, Backlight, High Sensitivity, Silent, Short Movie, Past Movie, Voice Recording, and Register User Scene. This is in addition to the standard Normal Movie mode. The recording size can be chosen in the Quality menu: UHQ (Ultra High Quality), UHQ Wide, HQ (High Quality), HQ Wide, Normal, and LP. These letters represent the different levels of compression and the 848 x 480, 640 x 480, and 320 x 240-pixel video recording options. The top two resolutions operate at 30 fps, while the smallest size shoots at 15 fps.

The 7x optical zoom lens is available while recording video, which is a bonus as many compact digital cameras still don’t zoom while shooting. I used the High Sensitivity mode in the dim convention center, and the video didn’t look that good. It didn’t look very sharp at all. In the recording menu, users can turn on a recording light.

Movies can be played back in VCR-style with fast-forward, rewind, play, and pause options. Motion prints can be created from the playback menu, and the video can be edited. Stereo audio is recorded with the movies, which is an upgrade from most compact digital cameras that record mono audio. Overall, the movie mode on this pre-production model didn’t perform well in the limited lighting in the convention center but its functional optical zoom and plenty of available options make it a tempting mode to use.

Drive / Burst Mode
The Casio Exilim Hi-Zoom EX-V7 has a burst mode that can be found in the recording menu with these choices: Normal Speed, High Speed, Flash Continuous, and Off. The Normal Speed isn’t very impressive. Casio tags it at a shot every 0.7 seconds, and that seems pretty accurate. Casio’s published specs claim the High Speed mode quickens to 3 fps, but the model at the show only took 2 frames at a time. They were taken in less than a second, but still only two nonetheless. The Flash Continuous moves at that rate too, although the flash’s power doesn’t reach much beyond 6 ½ ft. A self-timer can also be activated through the recording menu too. It can delay the shutter for 10 or 2 seconds, and can activate a triple self-timer that will make snapping a blink-free portrait a lot easier.

Playback Mode
There is a designated playback button on the back of the Casio V7 that enters the world of photos already snapped by the camera. Pictures can be viewed individually, in frames of 9, and in a calendar. They can be viewed and edited with the following playback menu.

There are a lot of interesting options in this playback menu, such as the Dynamic Range and White Balance. These are also available while recording, but are rarely seen in the playback section. Like on other Casio Exilim digital cameras, there are Keystone and Color Correction options. And just like other models, the V7’s two options both activate the keystone function, with the Color Correction option only correcting color after straightening the image.

More typical editing options like trimming, resizing, and rotating are available too. Some of the cooler features are buried in the long playback menu. For instance, users can tag Favorites and save them, but finding that menu item when you want to show them off is a bit more painful than the Favorites position on Kodak’s mode dials.

File information can be hidden or displayed with a touch of the top of the multi-selector. A histogram with red, green, and blue channels can be viewed too. Overall, the playback mode is very thorough. It provides a lot of in-camera editing options for still images and movies, and the high-resolution 2.5-inch LCD screen provides a nice medium for it.

Custom Image Presets
Casios are known for their abundance of scene modes. Sure enough, the Exilim V7 has 33 Best Shot modes tailored for every conceivable shooting situation. Here’s the rundown: Portrait, Scenery, Portrait with Scenery, Children, Sports, Candlelight Portrait, Party, Pet, Flower, Natural Green, Autumn Leaves, Soft Flowing Water, Splashing Water, Sundown, Night Scenery, Night Scenery with Portrait, Fireworks, Food, Text, Collection, For eBay, Backlight, High Sensitivity, Monochrome, Retro, Twilight, Layout 1, Layout 2, Auto Framing, ID Photo, Old Photo, Businesscards and Documents, Whiteboard etc, and Register User Scene. Users can scroll through that lengthy list by pushing the Set button and scrolling around with the multi-selector. Casio makes choosing from the many modes a little simpler by adding a guide. When users select a mode and push the zoom control up, they can view a sample photo and a text explanation of the mode. The V7 definitely isn’t short on selection, but is almost overboard. Several of the modes are combinations of each other too (Portrait with Scenery). How long will it be before we see an "auto framing backlight pet action" Best Shot mode?