Auto Mode
Technically, there isn’t a truly automatic mode. The exposure mode still allows full access to the on-screen Function menu. Exposure compensation, white balance, and ISO can be changed, along with color filters, typical image size, etc. This mode is easily found on the mode dial with its red square icon: the rest of the icons are printed in black, making this one stand out. It isn’t an Auto mode, but there are plenty of Best Shot scene modes to serve that purpose. And if users want a true Auto mode, they can create one (just select automatic everything when customizing a Best Shot mode). Manually creating an Auto mode kind of ruins the point, though.
Movie Mode
More proof this digital camera is not a DSLR: it has a Movie mode, which requires a fully exposed image sensor. This isn’t just any Movie mode, either. It includes high-definition quality, ultra high speed, and a standard Movie mode. It is accessible from its very own movie button, which makes it easier and faster to take movies on a moment’s notice.
The separate movie button allows you to take full-resolution still images while recording video. Canon has this same setup on its PowerShot S5 and calls it MovieSnap. The Canon S5 has a definite blip and jump in the video, though: you can hear the shutter click, and the video blacks out for a second while the image is being captured. The function didn’t work on the pre-production Casio EX-F1, but Casio reps say there won’t be a disturbance in the video or audio.
The EX-F1 can record 1920 x 1080 pixels at 60 fps and 1280 x 720 pixels at 30 fps. It can be recorded at high or normal quality. This high-definition video can be output to a high-definition TV with an HDMI cable that is sold separately.
The High-Speed Movie mode records more action than human eyes can actually see. The Casio F1 can record 300, 600, or 1200 fps for up to 1,200 frames. The speed depends on the resolution. The 300 fps video can be recorded at 512 x 384 pixels, which is a bit smaller than standard 640 x 480-pixel television screens, so resolution won’t look flawless. The motion of the subject, however, will look flawless. The 600 fps video records at 432 x 192 pixels, while the 1200 fps video records at 336 x 96 pixels. At the 512 x 384-pixel resolution, the frame rate is adjustable from 60 to 300 fps. Specs indicate that the video can play back in slow motion, but this function didn’t work on the pre-production model I looked at.
There is a pre-record function, too. This is something that has been included on previous Casio digital cameras, but has never been so useful. The high-speed videos can only record a few seconds of action, so timing is key to get just the right point of action. Imagine life as a photographer out in the African jungle. Your assignment is to get a shot of monkeys calling to each other. You can’t pose the monkeys or tell them to call; you have to wait hours for that shot. And when the opportunity comes, will you miss it? Probably not with the Casio EX-F1. It records a continuous feed of video, and when the shutter release button is pushed, it saves a selectable number of frames before the button was pushed. The default is set to record half of the frames before and half after (if set to 60 fps, then it will record 30 frames prior to your pushing the shutter release button).
The standard Movie mode includes 640 x 480-pixel video at 30 fps, which is what most digital cameras have on tap. The EX-F1 may very well rival hybrid cameras such as the Canon PowerShot S5 IS, which has standard video resolution but exceptional performance and perks, such as optical zoom and stereo audio.
Indeed, the Casio Exilim EX-F1 has a stereo microphone (although only a mono speaker onboard) and 12x optical zoom available during movie capture. A fresh addition is the external microphone jack: no other comparable cameras have this feature, although it’s standard on most camcorders. The in-camera audio was hard to assess in the conference center because of the constant noise. The presence of the microphone jack and stereo audio makes a statement, though: the EX-F1 can be used as a serious camcorder, as well as a serious digital camera. Is this the Holy Grail hybrid everyone has been looking for? We’ll have to wait until production time to find out.
The Casio EX-F1 has a sensor-shift image stabilization system, but it isn’t fully functional in the Movie mode. Only the electronic image stabilization is functional while recording movies – a disadvantage compared to the Canon S5, which uses optical image stabilization to keep movies steady while using the 12x zoom.
You can play back movies on the camera and perform some very simple editing. The beginning, middle, and end can be cut.
For Casio users who still lust after the simple life every once in awhile, the EX-F1 keeps the YouTube movie mode made popular on its other compact models. This is listed among the Scene modes and preps videos for instant upload to the popular online video sharing site.
The Casio EX-F1’s videos are recorded in H.264 compression, which is typically better than the Motion JPEG videos most digital cameras record. It is more efficient, uses less space on the memory card, and its quality is still excellent.
The Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1 has a monster of a Movie mode. It’s big. It’s bold. It’s packed full of features. It combines the Canon TX1’s high definition videos (although hopefully they’re of better quality) with the Canon S5’s accessibility, and adds all new technology that allows high speed videos and slow-motion playback. The Casio EX-F1 seems to combine the best of every digital camera’s Movie modes. It may come close to camcorder quality. We look forward to getting this camera for a full review and taking a closer look at the video footage.
Drive / Burst Mode
Casio announced the EX-F1 as having the world’s fastest Burst mode with its 60 fps rate – yes, at full 6-megapixel resolution. It earns this designation and then some. The next fastest is the Canon EOS-1D Mark III, a 10.1-megapixel DSLR that can shoot 10 fps.
The Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1 has an entire dial on top of the camera dedicated to the drive modes. It has Single, Continuous, High-Speed, Prerecord, Bracketing, and Flash Continuous. The most marketed Burst mode is its fastest, of course. The Burst mode on the pre-production model wasn’t working properly, but it is reported to capture 60 fps. For those who don’t want that kind of speed, the burst rate can be varied anywhere from 1 to 60 fps. The burst stops after 60 frames though, whether it goes at 5 fps for 12 seconds or 12 fps for 5 seconds.
The Prerecord feature’s default is to record half of the images before the shutter release button was pushed and half after. This can be adjusted, though. This seems to be a pretty incredible leap in technology. Casio has come out with all new stuff, though: a new CMOS image sensor paired with an LSI image processor. This is new ground for the manufacturer.
The technology can’t be stopped – even in low light. The Continuous Flash mode functions up to 7 fps, and beyond that the LED turns on continuously to record up to 60 fps.
The Burst modes can be saved in folders that can be easily scrolled through in the Playback mode.
The self-timer comes with 2 and 10-second delay options, as well as a triple self-timer that delays for 10 seconds before snapping three consecutive shots.
Playback Mode
The Playback mode is accessible with a button on the back of the camera. This button can be set to power the camera on; this is customizable in the Setup menu.
Images can be viewed one by one by pushing the sides of the multi-selector or rotating the rotary dial. Rotating the dial is much easier and much more comfortable on the thumbs. Moving the zoom ring in and out changes the size of the images. It can show 12 thumbnails per page or it can magnify the images. The specs on magnification aren’t available, but by the looks of it, it appears to be at least 10x.
Many of the Playback mode’s functions are available in the Playback menu.
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Slide Show
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Start, Images (All Images, All Images Except Burst, Stills Only, Videos Only, One Image), Time (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 min), Interval (1-30 sec, Max), Effect (Pattern 1-5, Off), Cancel
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Motion Print
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9 frames, 1 frame, cancel
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Movie Editing
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Cut Beginning, Cut Middle, Cut End, Cancel
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White Balance
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(this kept freezing up the preproduction camera, but is assumed to have the presets offered in the shooting menu)
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Brightness
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(this kept freezing up as well)
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DPOF Printing
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Select Images (0-99 prints), All Images, Date Stamp (On, Off)
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Protect
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On, All Files, Cancel
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Rotation
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Rotate, Cancel
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Resize
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(this didn’t fully function but most Exilims provide every image size smaller than the one used to shoot the selected image)
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Trimming
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Yes, Cancel
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Copy
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Built-in to Card, Card to Built-in
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Divide Group
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(this wasn’t functional on the preproduction model but is expected to work with the groups of burst photos)
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Display Layout
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Normal
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Images can be deleted by pushing the bottom of the multi-selector. Overall, the Casio EX-F1’s Playback mode seems thorough. It has to cover a lot of different recording features, though: editing for videos and still images. The rotary dial navigation makes it easy to scroll through the loads of images photographers using this camera will likely rack up due to the extensive Burst mode.
Custom Image Presets
Casio Exilim digital cameras are notorious for their excessive number of Best Shot Scene modes. The EX-F1 doesn’t have 30-something modes like on the newer compact cameras, but comes close with 27 Best Shot Scene modes.
The modes weren’t finalized on the pre-production model. Some of them had Japanese characters in place of sample photos. It does seem that all of the modes come with a sample photo and a brief explanation of what the mode does.
The list of Scene modes includes the basics, like Portrait and Scenery, and assuredly there will be more interesting scenes with the new features on the EX-F1. Perhaps a hummingbird shooting mode to use the high-speed burst? Hmmm.
Like less expensive, more compact Exilims, the Casio EX-F1 comes with a YouTube Capture mode that records movies optimized in format to load quickly to the online video sharing site.
Like most Casio cameras, the EX-F1 has a “Register User Scene” mode that allows users to save up to 999 custom modes with combinations of the hundreds of features on the camera.
