Model Design / Appearance
The Casio Exilim EX-Z850 features a silver metal body that feels sturdy in the hands.  The camera is definitely a downgrade in terms of sleek styling when compared to the more expensive 10 MP Z1000.  This camera is blockier and includes an optical viewfinder and numerous external controls that have been purged from the cohesive Z1000 to provide a thinner body frame and a larger LCD.  In terms of functional design, the EX-Z850 is mostly on the mark but it falls short in terms of visual appeal.

Size / Portability
The Casio Exilim EX-Z850 can fit in your pocket but it’s a bit uncomfortable with measurements of 3.5 inches in length, 2.3 inches in height and 0.93 inches width.  Add to this an approximate weight of 4.59 ounces without battery or memory card and the EX-Z850 is a solid camera. The port cover for the battery and memory card tended to open when being pulled from a pants pocket and the potential for this plastic cover to snap seems pretty likely.  An eyelet for an optional wrist-strap is located in the center of the right side. 

Handling Ability
The handling for the Casio Exilim EX-Z850 is compromised since the camera lacks a right hand grip or ridge to enable a better one-handed shooting style.  This isn’t as much of a problem on a thinner or lighter camera but with this camera’s girth and heft taken into consideration, two-handed shooting became the default method for capturing snapshots.  On a transition face between the left side of the camera and the LCD are two small buttons that were occasionally triggered inadvertently during adjustment to fingers and grip.  The extending lens barrel will help keep the fingers of the user away from the lens which is great considering how easy that can occur when shooting with a compact point-and-shoot.  There really isn’t a place to comfortably put the thumb of the right hand and it ends up resting in what little room exists between the four-way selector and the mode dial.