Casio Exilim EX-Z850

Viewfinder (1.0)
This camera does come with an optical viewfinder. Normally, a secondary viewing option with larger cameras is an advantage, however, the inclusion of this feature on the petite Z850 is largely negative.  The viewfinder is grossly inaccurate and the marginal size and placement directly above the LCD monitor makes using it difficult. Instead of using the viewfinder, do yourself a favor and buy a second battery if you are concerned about running low on shooting time. It’s worth the extra cost to avoid using this viewfinder and if a second battery isn’t a feasible option just skip the viewfinder and shoot at random. Chances are, the results will be comparable to those found with this inadequate feature and you won’t smear your sweaty nose across the LCD or have to ruin your eyesight while struggling to look through the viewfinder.

LCD Screen (6.75)
The LCD screen is 2.5 inches when measured diagonally which is standard for this price range. The TFT color LCD screen has an underwhelming total pixel count of 115,200 (480 x 240) pixels and users will find the displayed images to be sub-par to those found with manufacturers like Sony which provide 230,000 pixels on their 2.5 inch displays.  Fingerprints smeared the LCD easily and since there really is no place to put the left thumb when making adjustments to settings or camera angle, smudging will be a constant problem. The screen is viewable at more extreme angles which is great and should be beneficial when shooting awkwardly or quickly. Also aiding in the viewing of the screen is Casio’s Super Bright technology that keeps the image visible and contrasy.

Flash (6.5)
Flash settings for the Casio Exilim EX-Z850 give users several options to tailor their flash parameters to produce lighting qualities which are more nuanced than a standard auto flash.  The flash settings for this camera are accessed by pressing the down arrow of the four-way controller.  Pressing this button will open an on-screen menu in the upper left corner of the LCD with options for auto flash, on, off, high power flash, soft flash and red-eye reduction.