Casio Exilim EX-F1

Connectivity
Software
Casio reps say all-new software will be introduced with the EX-F1. It won’t come with the run-of-the-mill beginner’s editing software that comes with most Exilim digital cameras. According to Casio reps, the software will have video editing software that will be able to handle the huge batches of photos and videos.

Jacks, ports, plugs
The Casio EX-F1 has plenty of interesting jacks, ports, and plugs. It has a hot shoe for external flash systems and accepts any flash brand. It has a rubber flap on the left side of the camera that covers four ports: USB/AV, HDMI, DC-in, and an external microphone jack. The USB is high-speed 2.0. The AV-out can be set to NTSC or PAL in 4:3 or 16:9 format. The USB and AV cables are included with the camera, but the HDMI mini cable does not come with the EX-F1. The HDMI allows high-definition video to be output to HDTVs. The DC-in power adapter comes with the camera. As a first for digital cameras, the Casio EX-F1 comes with an external microphone jack, in hopes this will make the EX-F1 a more attractive choice to serve consumers as a camcorder/camera hybrid.

Direct Print Options
The Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1 is PictBridge-compatible and comes with a USB cable to hook up to printers. The camera is DPOF compliant and can create print orders in the Playback menu. Prints can be made from videos – called Motion Print in the Playback menu – that are more like filmstrips. Still images can be selected, 0 to 99 prints chosen, and date stamps added. This can all be done in the Playback menu.

Battery
There is a rechargeable NP-100 lithium-ion battery that comes with the Casio EX-F1. Its lifetime is still to be determined. The battery is substantially sized: it’s about as big as a business card and at least a half-inch thick. The Casio EX-F1 comes with a battery charger, as well as a power adapter that fits into a port on the left side.

Memory
The Casio EX-F1 can snap 60 fps at full-resolution – but that scoops up an enormous amount of memory. The amount of internal memory is to be determined and still very much in flux right now, according to Casio reps. The software is still in development, so the internal memory will get the "leftovers" of memory space. Right now, that is enough to hold 17 full-resolution images. But that could very well change by production time. Stay tuned.

Most professionally-minded digital cameras, including most DSLRs, require CompactFlash memory cards. The EX-F1 uses smaller media, though: SDHC, SD, MMC, and MMCplus. Currently, most of these cards are available at up to 8 GB. Even this will go quickly when snapping slow-motion sequences. Most high-resolution slow-motion digital cameras record to ample hard drives – then again, those cost more than luxury sedans.

In the Playback menu, users can move files from the internal memory to the card and vice versa.

Other features
Slow Motion View – This feature takes a little movie and then plays it back in slow motion, allowing the user to hit the shutter at the desired moment.

Dynamic Range Expansion – In the Quality menu, the dynamic range can be expanded to +1 and +2 options. This is used to bring subjects out of shadows in starkly lit photographs.

Remote Shutter Release – Images and video can be taken remotely with the extra purchase of a remote control.