Casio Exilim EX-Z1050

Auto Mode (5.25)
When the camera initially turns on, a generic shooting mode called "Snapshot" is activated. This is the closest to an auto mode but it’s also similar to a program mode in that it allows access to most exposure controls. The auto focus mode, ISO, white balance, exposure compensation, metering, drive, and picture effects are all adjustable in the recording menu. The Snapshot mode is found along with all the other recording modes in the "BS" mode menu.

Movie Mode (5.5)
The movie mode is positioned with all the other recording modes in the "BS" menu. It can record standard 640 x 480-pixel video, but at a slightly truncated 25 fps. This same frame rate is available with a 512 x 384-pixel size. The smallest video resolution is 320 x 240 pixels and it records a very choppy 12.5 fps. None of these modes capture moving subjects very well. I recorded a video at the best resolution of my toddler digging and dumping sand at the beach. When he dropped the sand, it looked very strange because one second it was in the shovel and the next it was on the ground – not much in between. Motion appears jerky at best. There are more details about this in the Testing/Performance section of this review.

The optical zoom is locked when recording a movie, but 4x digital zoom is available. When this is used, though, subjects become very blurred.

Up to 4 GB can be recorded at a time. The camera uses Motion JPEG files, which allows users to easily edit video in the playback mode and even create prints from movie frames. The movie editing in the playback mode consists of three options that let users cut from the beginning, middle, or end.

The movie mode still allows access to many of its exposure settings including the exposure compensation, auto focus, and white balance. There is also an anti-shake mode that activates digital image stabilization. This actually works quite well, although it isn’t as good as the optical or mechanical versions.

The audio works decently as long as subjects are close to the camera. And there’s no wind filter on this digital camera’s microphone, so expect poor audio in windy conditions.

Overall, the movie mode offers decent exposure control but it’s missing the standard 30 fps frame rate found on almost every other model. Without optical zoom or much else to make the movie mode stellar, the Casio Z1050 bows out of the hybrid competition.

Drive / Burst Mode (4.5)
The drive modes aren’t necessarily easily accessible. They are in the menu system, but they work only when they want to. If the Tracking auto focus mode is activated, nothing works: self-timers, high-speed burst, etc. You could scroll through the options in the menu and make selections, but they are never registered. It’s not like the option was grayed out and disabled or anything. This was all done by trial and error though: there’s nothing in the user manual that says which options the burst mode won’t work with. It took me nearly a week to figure all of that out, and I play with cameras quite regularly.

The burst mode options include Normal Speed, High Speed, Flash Cont., Zoom Cont., and Off. Normal Speed is like normally slow. It takes the camera nearly 3 seconds between shots. That’s hardly a burst mode! The High Speed burst was advertised to snap 7 fps in the camera’s introductory press release, but that must not have panned out. It took 4 shots in the first second, then took about 2 pictures a second for awhile. Get this though: the image size is reduced to 2 megapixels and there’s no way to change it!

The Flash Continuous mode snaps three images in one second, each with the flash fired. This is impressive for a flash, although the flash’s range is shortened to within 6.56 feet. After the Z1050 took its string of flashed images, it took five seconds to write them to memory before it was ready to take the next burst.

The Zoom Continuous mode is hardly a burst mode. It simply takes one picture, then digitally crops a 3-megapixel rectangle out of the middle and saves it as a separate file.

The self-timer options include 2 and 10 seconds, and a triple self-timer. The latter option waits 10 seconds to take its first shot, then 3 seconds to take its second and third pictures. The orange auto focus assist lamp on the front of the camera doubles as the self-timer indicator.

Overall, the burst mode is not impressive. Users have to choose between decent resolution and speed, and neither option is good. And activating the burst mode in general means giving up other options such as the tracking auto focus mode, something that would have been useful in the burst mode.

Playback Mode (7.5)
The playback mode has a designated button on the back of the camera: thank goodness it isn’t grouped in the already overstuffed "BS" menu. The playback mode shows pictures without file info, with basic info, and with so much info that the picture can hardly be seen. The info can be hidden and shown with the top of the multi-selector labeled "DISP."

Users navigate through images with the right and left sides of the multi-selector. Pushing down continuously on one side will flip through images at about 10 fps. Pushing the bottom of the multi-selector will delete a picture, but only after asking if it’s okay. Images can be magnified up to 8x with the telephoto end of the zoom ring or viewed in screens of 12 images or as a calendar by pushing the wide end of the zoom ring.

The calendar can also be viewed from the menu, where a host of viewing and editing options reside.

Slide shows don’t hint at any existence of music, but apparently the "effect" comes with music. There are four soundtracks ranging from hip-hop to jazz to completely corny. One of the soundtracks comes with two transition effects, thus totaling five "patterns."

In the playback menu, there are lots of features and effects for both still and video files. There is plenty of in-camera editing which makes direct printing much easier.

Custom Image Presets (9.25)
This Exilim digital camera seems to not only be winning the megapixel race, but also the scene mode prize. It has a whopping 36 Best Shot scene modes. The modes are placed in a grid of sample pictures with 15 per page. The zoom control magnifies the sample image and provides an explanation for each one. Here’s an example: "Candlelight Portrait: Soft sharpness and tungsten white balance. Keep the camera still!"

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 Scene, Night Scene Portrait, Fireworks, Food, Text, Collection, For eBay, Backlight, Anti Shake, High Sensitivity, Underwater, Monochrome, Retro, Twilight, Layout 1, Layout 2, Auto Framing, ID Photo, Old Photo, Business Cards and Documents, and White Board.

There are so many scene modes that it is sometimes hard to find one of them! Some users may appreciate the abundance of preset options, but others may find them unnecessarily overwhelming.