Casio Exilim EX-Z75

Manual Control Options
The Casio Exilim EX-Z75, in general, is an automatic point-and-shoot. The Casio Exilim EX-Z75 offers a few basic manual options, such as white balance and manual focus, but is primarily an automatic point-and-shoot.

Focus
Auto Focus (3.0)
The Casio Exilim EX-Z75 has Contrast Detection Auto Focus. It has the following automatic focusing modes: Auto, Macro, Pan, and Infinity, accessed through the Record menu. Most auto focusing modes proved to be mediocre, sometimes producing blurry photos for close up shots. The Macro focus, intended for closer-range photos, was not much better, and users wouldn’t be able to see a visible difference when switching between modes. Panning focus for moving subjects and Infinity focus for longer distance shots performed better, and more accurately captured focus when subjects were farther away from the camera.

There are Auto Focus options in the Record Menu: Spot and Multi. The camera uses a nine-point AF system, clustered at the center of the frame. The camera focuses from 3.95 to 19.69 inches in Macro Focus mode, making subjects closer than 4 inches out of focus. Normal focal range measures 15.75 inches to infinity.

Users are better off using Manual focus, but of course, that requires a little elbow grease on the user’s part.

Manual Focus (2.0)
The Casio Exilim EX-Z75 also offers manual focus control, which is much more accurate if the user has the time to adjust focus. For users who prefer to focus on one particular face in a group, the manual focus allows them to do so. Once manual focus is selected in the Record menu, "MF" is displayed in the corner of the screen. Users can choose a desired focus point with the four-way controller, which allows for easy selection. The manual focal range measures 3.94 inches to infinity.

Metering (7.0)
The Casio EX-Z75 covers all the metering mode bases with Multi-Pattern, Center-Weighted, and Spot metering options. Users can choose metering systems in the Setup menu or via the four-way controller. The metering system works effectively in varied lighting situations, including backlit scenes. The three systems will help users properly expose images.

Exposure (7.25)
Like most point-and-shoots, the Casio EX-Z75 offers exposure compensation, also called EV Shift, for accurate exposure in irregular lighting situations which might throw off the light meter. The Exilim EX-Z75 has an EV range of +/- 2 in 1/3 steps that users can access through the Quality menu or the main four-way controller shortcut. Users select the intervals by a sliding scale that also gives numerical values for the exposure compensation.

This basic point-and-shoot doesn’t include semi-manual presets such as aperture or shutter priority, or manual or custom modes. With the plethora of Scene modes, though, users still have some control, especially since the Registered User function saves camera setting combinations. As expected, the Exilim camera does not offer exposure bracketing for sequenced shooting at different exposure values.

White Balance (7.25)
The Casio Exilim EX-Z75 provides a full range of white balance controls, vital for accurate color in varied lighting conditions. Sometimes the base models of manufacturer’s point-and-shoot lines lack adequate white balance settings, but the Casio EX-Z75, thankfully, has several.

Users can access white balance functions either through the Quality menu or through the main four-way controller shortcut. White Balance presets are Auto, Daylight, Overcast, Shade, Tungsten, and two kinds of fluorescent settings - DayWhite Fluorescent and Daylight Fluorescent. There’s no flash setting, but there is a manual white balance setting, which is a nice inclusion.

ISO (5.0)
Users may be disappointed with the limited sensitivity range on the Casio EX-Z75. It comes with the following settings: Auto, 50, 100, 200, and 400 ISO in most modes and two Best Shot modes that raise sensitivity up to 800 ISO. While many of the camera’s contemporaries are vying for the highest max settings at 1600 ISO or even up to 3200 ISO, the Casio EX-Z75 tops out at only 400 ISO in most Scene modes, making dark scenes, indoor, or nighttime photographs a little tricky.

The Z75 has a High Sensitivity mode that is activated through the BS menu. The High Sensitivity mode reaches a paltry maximum of 800 ISO for low light shooting. Sensitivity also reaches its 800 ISO max when engaged during Anti-Shake mode, Casio’s Digital Image Stabilization (DIS) system, which is really a fancy term for boosting ISO sensitivity to its fullest that thereby increases the shutter speed.

While DIS helped in low-light situations, the high ISO images often produced noisy photos, especially noticeably on black or dark colors. Users who often shoot in low light should consider using the flash in conjunction with DIS, or selecting a camera with extended wider aperture instead of simply boosting ISO.

Shutter Speed (0.0)
The Casio EX-Z75 has a CCD electronic and mechanical shutter that ranges in speed from ½ to 1/2000 a second in Snapshot and most Scene modes. The Night Scene mode has a shutter speed range of 4 to 1/2000 of a second, and the Fireworks mode has a fixed 2 second speed. Shutter speed can’t be manually selected.

Aperture (0.0)
Like shutter speed, users can’t manually change aperture settings on the Casio EX-Z75. The camera has two aperture ranges. When zoom is not activated, the EX-Z75 possesses an f-stop range of f/3.1 to f/5.9. When zoom is engaged, the camera has an aperture range from f/3.1 to f/5.9, the smallest aperture allowed on the camera. The Z75’s aperture falls short of the competition, and will likely force users to increase ISO and use the flash often.