July 8, 2008 - We just received one of the most talked-about cameras of the year, Casio's extremely versatile Exilim EX-F1. In addition to taking 6-megapixel photos one at a time, the EX-F1 can fire off 60 stills in a second. It takes both standard-resolution and full high-def (1920 x 1080) video. And most surprising of all, it can shoot high-speed movies at up to 1200 frames per second - all in a $1000 consumer camera. We'll have the review for you soon but, before we could get the camera into the testing lab, our in-house videographer Mike Perlman grabbed it and unleashed a rein of destruction on all the innocent toys and lightbulbs he could find in the vicinity, lovingly capturing the results in extreme slow motion. To see the results, check out this YouTube video.
Our first impressions of the EX-F1 are generally positive, though we have to wonder whether the ultra-slow-motion video feature will have continuing appeal after the first few days with the camera. You can shoot at three different speeds, but each produces low-resolution videos, with 300 frames-per-second (fps) video at 512 x 384 pixels and 600 frames at 432 x 192. By the time you get to 1200 fps youy're shooting a grainy 336 x 96 video sliver.
What's more intriguing long-term is continuous still shooting. What Little League parent could resist capturing the perfect shot of Casey Jr. at the bat when you can grab dozens of images during a single swing? In our first field tests, we like the way the EX-F1 alleviates the pressure of hitting the shutter at precisely the right moment, and eyeballing these shots indicates picture quality will be perfectly acceptable, at least at snapshot sizes. As for detailed analysis of color accuracy, resolution, image noise, low-light performance and the rest, the answers await in our (thankfully air-conditioned) labs.
