Casio Exilim EX-Z850

Likes

- Generous 8 MP sensor - Tons of features - Nice manual control options - Rock solid all-metal design for great durability - Terrific range of Best Shot modes - Superb battery life

Dislikes

- Resolution on LCD too low for a camera in this price range - eBay Best Shot Mode could do more - ISO range not very wide - Design is visually uninteresting

Conclusion
For a camera this small, the Casio EX-Z850 certainly packs in everything but the kitchen sink. Starting with the powerful 8 MP sensor and going to the superb battery life which is rated at 440 shots, there’s a lot under the hood of this petite, all-metal point-and-shooter. Best of all, there are manual control options for more experienced photographers, including aperture and shutter priority AE and manual white balance. Those who like to let the camera do all the work can pick one of 34 of the Z850’s Best Shot modes, including 9 more in the camera’s Best Shot video mode.

On the downside, the LCD’s resolution is far too low to be able to check 8 MP images for quality. There are also a couple of gimmicky options such as the eBay Best Shot mode, which seems more of a marketing maneuver than anything else. The design, while very sturdy, is a bit dull and it would be nice to see Casio bring some of the experimental elements from some of its other models into the Zoom line. Overall though, this camera is incredibly easy to use and highly functional and should be a good choice for everyone from beginners to more advanced users. Once we can full evaluate image quality check out how well the 8 MP imager in this model captures pictures, we’ll know if all these options add up to real quality.