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Introduction
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01.Physical Tour
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02.Color and Resolution
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03.Noise and Video
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04.Speed and Timing
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05.Components
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06.Design / Layout
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07.Modes
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08.Control Options
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09.Image Parameters
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10.Connectivity / Extras
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11.Overall Impressions
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12.Conclusion
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13.Sample Photos
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14.Specs / Ratings
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15.Comments
Casio Exilim EX-Z300
Previous: Page 4
Speed and TimingNext: Page 6
Design / LayoutViewfinder (0.00)
As with many point-and-shoot cameras, the Z300 doesn't have a viewfinder.
The Z300's LCD is stock-standard, offering 230,400 pixels across its three-inches of screen real estate. It hit a bit of solarization at extreme angles, but nothing out of the ordinary. The screen can be set to one of three levels of brightness. There are also two levels of automatic screen level adjustment, which changes brightness based on ambient light levels; one setting reacts faster than the other.
The effect of the display button.
Flash (7.00)
The flash is a small affair, but plenty bright for that. It doesn't have a particularly fast recharge rate, but if you throw the camera onto flash continuous mode, it'll fire off three bursts in quick succession. The strobe is placed a bit to the right of the lens, so there is a chance that your finger will spill over from the shutter control and block part of it, but it's a fairly minimal possibility.
The flash is rated at 0.7 feet to 14.8 feet (0.2m to 4.5m) on auto ISO, which gives us a sense of the maximum effective range. The flash can be set to auto, off, on, soft or red eye reduction. You can also manually adjust the flash intensity up to ±2 levels, though these levels are never described.
It's unlikely your fingers will get in the way of the flash.
Lens (7.00)
When fully zoomed, the Z300 gives you 4x magnification, a decent level for a basic pocket point-and-shoot. The aperture range is f/2.6 to f/7 with the lens at its widest-angle setting. This range shrinks when at maximum zoom, but because there are no manual controls, and since such specifications are not given, we estimate that it changes to f/5.8 to f/15.5. The widest aperture of f/2.6 is quite fast for this type of camera, so you should be able to get decent low-light performance.
4x zoom is nothing to be scoffed at.
Shop for the Casio Exilim EX-Z300
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