2.1
The Exilim EX-Z300 is a slim and shiny 10-megapixel point-and-shoot camera from Casio, that has an impressive zoom ratio of 4x, and a maximum aperture of f/2.6, which should let you shoot at very high shutter speeds. However, once we got it into our labs, we found that it performed slowly, and while it did very well in some tests (like resolution and manual noise) it also really struggled with others (such as automatic noise and white balance). These uneven test results and slow speeds coupled with the annoying user interface made this a less than favorite. For full details on the $299.99 camera, follow the link below.
Conclusion The Z300 isn't a bad camera, it's just thoroughly mediocre with an annoying menu system. It did very well in a couple of tests, like resolution, dynamic range and manual noise, but struggled with automatic noise levels, video resolution and white balance. In our speed tests it handled slowly, and the maximum shutter speed of 1/2 second without using a special scene mode is restrictive. The menu system's insistence on kicking you out every time you alter a setting is aggravating, as was the use of separate buttons for playback and shooting. All these little annoyances combined with its high list price of $300 make for an unconvincing purchase.
Likes
- Small body
- Solid construction - Good dynamic range, resolution and manual noise scores
-Maximum aperture of f/2.6
Dislikes
- Slow performance - Limited manual controls - Tiny buttons - Poor performance on automatic noise levels, video resolution and white balance
The Z300 isn't a bad camera, it's just thoroughly mediocre with an annoying menu system. It did very well in a couple of tests, like resolution, dynamic range and manual noise, but struggled with automatic noise levels, video resolution and white balance. In our speed tests it handled slowly, and the maximum shutter speed of 1/2 second without using a special scene mode is restrictive. The menu system's insistence on kicking you out every time you alter a setting is aggravating, as was the use of separate buttons for playback and shooting. All these little annoyances combined with its high list price of $300 make for an unconvincing purchase.