Casio Exilim EX-Z300 Digital Camera Review

Casio Exilim EX-Z300

Digital Camera Review

Nov 26, 2008 - By Tim Barribeau
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.
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Casio EX-Z300

Value (3.00)
The Casio Exilim EX-Z300 costs $300, and to put it bluntly, it's not worth it. It's a completely average camera in its style, and is plagued by slow speed, a poor menu system, and some sub-par test results. The controls are difficult, and it's just not overly impressive. That isn't to say it's a bad camera, but at $300 (or below) you'll find seven of our top ten point-and-shoot cameras, which represent a much better value for your money. If you're dead set on the Z300, wait three months, and the price will probably be at a much more reasonable level.


Comparisons

Casio Exilim EX-Z1050 – An alternative 10MP model from Casio, this slightly older camera scored lower on color, resolution, dynamic range and manual noise, but did better for white balance and auto noise. It looks very similar to the Z300, but costs $350 and only has a 3x zoom.





 Samsung TL34HD – It's perhaps a bit unfair to compare the Z300 to the TL34HD, as the latter is our point-and-shoot of the year. It's small, sleek and has a fantastic touch-screen interface. The Z300 did better in a few of our including resolution, dynamic range, manual noise and video, but the TL34HD handily outperformed it in every other function, and was simply a much more pleasant camera to use. The TL34HD costs the same amount as the Z300, $300, and we consider it a preferable purchase.



Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 – If you're craving manual controls, perhaps the LX3 would be more your style. While markedly more expensive (currently about $450), this Lumix is as close as you can get to SLR levels of control in a pocket-sized point-and-shoot. It's also blessed with one of the best designed bodies we've seen, as well as excellent color and low light performance.




Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T700 – The T700 is Sony's drop-dead-gorgeous touch screen camera. While it's a bit pricey ($450-$500), it looks stunning, and boasts 4 gigabytes of built-in memory, so you'll never have to worry about running out of space while out shooting. It out-scored the Z300 in color, white balance and video, but apart from that performed decidedly poorly in comparison. It's a camera for those who think the look of the device is just as important as the photos it takes.






Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters – This camera is certainly aimed at the point-and-shoot crowd, yet given the poor results for auto noise levels and auto white balance, it can't even seem to do that particularly well. It's definitely more for people who want to leave it on automatic than for those who want to fiddle with settings, but it's still not a very strong camera even in auto mode.

Budget Consumers – In all honesty, it's not worth the $300 list price. If you're pinching pennies, look for a highly rated 6- to 12-month old model instead. It will cost you 1/2 to 2/3 the price of the Z300, the feature set will be almost identical for all the important settings, and the quality difference between say an 8MP and a 10MP camera is negligible.

Gadget Freaks – Probably not. There are no interesting new features or toys to grab the attention of a gadget freak with this camera. It's unlikely that such a standard point-and-shoot will draw in those obsessed with shiny new things.

Manual Control Freaks – While they'll probably appreciate the inclusion of manual white balancing and manual focus, the lack of shutter or aperture controls will drive a manual control freak to spontaneously combust in frustration, especially after the settings they do input are reset whenever the camera turns off.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists – As with manual control freaks, the lack of options and controls make this a poor choice for prosumers, even as a backup camera.

 
Connectivity / Extras Page 12 of 15 Conclusion
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