Model Design / Appearance
Built for style, the EX-Z57 has a simple, rectangular design that appears sleek and attractive. The body is constructed of aluminum, avoiding the cheap look and feel that plastic emanates. The camera has raised portions of the body that add interest, as well as comfort for gripping. This thin digital camera has a polished surface on its front with a skinny rubber vertical finger grip that works surprisingly well. It is refreshing to see a finger grip that works and is hardly noticeable. The blend of attractive form and practical placement sustains a congruent flow throughout the design of the Z57 and has become a known strength of the Exilim line.

Size / Portability
A definite strength of the Casio Z57’s construction, and much of the Exilim line, is the compact form and condensed shape. At only 0.9 inches thick, the Z57 can fit easily into a pocket. When turned off, the lens retracts into the camera body, flattening the remaining surfaces. The body is very lightweight at 4.6 ounces, which can be misinterpreted as an effort to keep costs down rather than bring portability up; however, spanning 3.5 x 2.3 x 0.9 inches, with an accompanying wrist strap, the point-and-shoot Z57 is obviously designed for easy transport.

Handling Ability
For a digital camera this tiny, the Z57 handles well. There is no bulky hand grip, but rather an attractive polished bar with a vertical strip of rubber acts as a finger grip in the front. The wrist strap loop rotates on the side of the camera, so the strap won’t get twisted up. Perhaps it’s only a subtle detail, but it’s these tiny details that make a point-and-shoot model desirable. The small Z57’s ergonomic layout is optimized for both control and comfort, surpassing many competing “ultra slim” models within its price bracket in providing users on the go with an efficient and reliable camera that suits their lifestyles.

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size
Buttons and controls are laid out in an orderly manner on the EX-Z57, giving the back face of the camera an aesthetically pleasing facade. Most (but not all) of the buttons are properly sized and all of them are properly spaced. The only buttons of concern are the bottom two: the DISP and MENU buttons. They are small and shaped like very thin rectangles, so users must jam fingers into the back of the camera and hope the right button is pushed. The navigational/control dial is also less than optimal, as it is a single circular button with four directions on it. The dial could be easily pushed in between two different directions, leaving the camera to decide where to apply itself. The zoom buttons at the top are a bit on the small side, especially considering their probable frequency of use. While the power button is small and recessed, working to keep the camera from accidentally turning on in a backpack or pocket, it also keeps users from starting the camera quickly. Fortunately, Casio got the most important button just right; the shutter release button is big, polished, and raised, avoiding any direct issue when capturing the shot.

Menu
The easy-to-find, self-labeled Menu button displays three headings when the button is pushed. The three menus are labeled with file folder-like tabs across the top of the screen, with the highlighted menu’s options aligned in the lower portion of the screen. The three menus are Recording, Memory, and Setup. When the Recording menu is highlighted, the following selections appear: Self-Timer, Size, Quality, EV Shift, White Balance, ISO, AF Area, Sharpness, Saturation, Contrast, Flash Intensity, Flash Assist, Grid, Digital Zoom, Review, Icon Help, and Left/Right Key. This lengthy list takes several screens of scrolling to get through, but it’s always nice to have an abundance of options. Once the setting or option is selected with the up or down portion of the dial, it can be pushed on the right to enter the sub-menu, where a user can again scroll up and down.

The Memory menu operates in the same way with the following options: Recording Mode, Flash, Focus, White Balance, ISO, AF Area, Self-Timer, Flash Intensity, Digital Zoom, Manual Focus Position, and Zoom Position. This menu acts as the brains for the camera. All of the default settings are automatic, but they can be changed and saved within this menu.

A Setup menu offers these options to add flair and convenience to the digital camera: Screen, Sounds, Startup, File Number, World Time, Date Style, Adjust, Language, Sleep, Auto Power Off, Record/Play, USB, Format, and Reset. The Casio Z57 can speak many languages: Chinese (simplified and traditional), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. When the camera is in Playback mode, the menu appears with these selections: Slideshow, Favorites, DPOF, Protect, Rotation, Resize, Trimming, Dubbing, Create Album, Alarm, and Copy. All of the menus are easy to navigate. The Icon Help function enhances the ease of use even more. The menu options can be viewed in text and/or icons.

Ease of Use
The Z57 is definitely easier to use than its counterpart, the Z750, which has more manual functions but less overall functionality. The Casio Z57 takes only the best features, such as the Icon Help menu option and live histograms, from its manual-oriented counterpart. Users won’t have to push several buttons for menus; on this model, the Menu button covers the span of options. In Best Shot mode, scrolling through the menu is simple and even somewhat interesting, as users get a sample image of each scene mode along with a title and explanation. There aren’t many manual options, but the existing ones can easily be found in the menu.