Studio{us} Mommy

Its finally here! My review of the Casio Exilim EX-Z33 Point and Shoot Camera! I will get to the exact technical specs a little later but first I want to touch on its features. Its a 10.1 mp camera with a 3X Zoom and a 2.5 inch LCD screen (nearly as big as my Nikon!). Its got not only a video mode but also a setting in camera to optimize it for YouTube and also comes with software to upload it directly to YouTube when you put the card into your computer! I tend to edit my videos so I upload mine directly from my Adobe Premier software but still its a neat feature. The best part of the video option? There is ONE BUTTON to press on the back to get it started!!Also the amazing thing that I think I love the most is the MANY options of scene modes to choose from, they call it Best Shot:

It really takes the guesswork on what settings to use so you can shoot faster and get that shot you want! I am dying to use the fireworks mode this summer!

Ok here are the specs of the camera that Casio sent me:

The EXILIM EX-Z33, a 10.1 megapixel digital camera with a 3X optical zoom lens. The EX-Z33 features a dedicated movie button that allows users to record widescreen movies with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Additionally, the EX-Z33 is compatible with commercially available SD memory cards.   This camera combines a stylish, slim body with high-powered features that allow families or anyone on-the-go with the ability to capture a memorable moment where ever they are.

• Easy Mode – Helps new comers become an expert with common settings – Using easy Mode, photo settings are restricted to just image size, flash on/off and self timer, and these are displayed on a simplified menu screen.
• Convenient Face Detection Function – The camera automatically detects people’s faces, allowing users to take well focused and beautifully exposed pictures of the faces of their intended subjects.
• Widescreen Movies – Simply by pressing the dedicated Movie button, users can record widescreen movies with a 16:9 aspect ratio.
• YouTube™ Capture Mode – Movies can be recorded and saved using the ideal size and quality settings for the world’s most popular video sharing site, YouTube™. Recorded movies can be uploaded to YouTube™ using the included compu ter software.

Advanced Technical Specs can be found HERE.

My Thoughts on the camera:

Firstly I needed something I could throw in my purse or diaper bag for quick photos. I find my kids seem super adorable when we go shopping and wish I had a camera for that. I am so glad I do because I got this one of Aiden a few days ago!

And this is one I took of my hubby and Aiden later that night-

And a couple of videos- First A video clip I took with the Casio-

Then a short video I took with my Nikon showing a couple features of the camera:

Its a pain to drag around the heavy camera bag and the dSLR so its nice to just whip out a camera really fast. It starts up very fast. There are just a few buttons on the back.

One for video (red dot), one for playback and taking pictures, then the wheel that helps you scroll through menus, then the menu and Best Shot button. The zoom is right at the shutter button. I love the simplicity of it. It takes SD cards and I use those already in my slr cameras so that was a huge bonus. Another bonus is never having to worry about the lens cap because the lens retracts into the camera.

For around $99, this camera is great for what it does. I would definitely recommend it to my friends and my father-in-law is already planning on buying one.

The Pros: Affordable, lightweight, very user friendly ( I didn’t even read the book!) and very handy. Hands down a HUGE plus is that it comes with a rechargeable battery and charger! No more buying AA batts!

The cons: Shutter Speed. I am so used to fast shutter speeds and sharp, crisp images. Point and Shoots at this price range simply cannot keep up with dSLR for speed. I find the lag to be long and sometimes I miss a shot or it blurs. I think this camera performs really well outdoors but has a little more trouble in low light. It powers up super fast though and it would probably run even faster with the screen turned off in the back. Again I don’t like to use flash but had to in low light and it took longer than I liked but nothing horrible.

Bottom Line – I don’t have other cameras to compare it to so for now its taking the cake. I think its a great camera with great features for someone like me who needed something like this for the purse to catch moments on the go.

Thank You Casio for providing us with a camera for review purposes!