Casio Exilim EX-V7 Digital Camera Review

In recent years, Casio have moved on from wrist watches and calculators. After a shaky start, they have become a well-known name in the digital camera field by providing small, stylish cameras with new technology. The V7 doesn't fail to provide as Casio have managed to squash a 7x optical zoom into a small body and for the sum of £249.

Casio Exilim EX-V7 Specification

• Sensor: CCD - 7.2Mp
• Image Size: 3072 x 2304 pixels
• Lens: 38-266mm f/3.4 to 5.3, f/6.3 to 44.1mm (7x zoom)
• Focus: Auto, Manual, Macro
• Exposure: Program AE
• Metering : Multi/Spot/Tracking
• Monitor: 2.5in. Colour TFT LCD
• Movie Mode: Yes - with sound
• Storage: Internal/SD/SDHC/MMC
• Batteries: Lithium-ion Battery
• Video Output: No
• Size/Weight: 90x60x25mm - 150g
• Transfer: USB 2.0

The V7 is aimed at the type of person who has an interest in photography to the point where they may want to take control of their pictures, but can't be bothered carting a big camera around. Close comparisons are the Canon IXUS 900ti with 10Mp, a titanium body and 3x optical zoom priced at £249 or the Nikon Coolpix S500 with 7Mp, a 3x optical zoom and anti-shake priced at £229.

Casio Exilim EX-V7 Modes and features
Powering up the camera is done by sliding the lens protector over. It then bursts into life although with no external moving parts, it's difficult to tell. Until you look at the back of the camera and see the bright screen which I will cover first. The screen should look better than it does and suffers motion blur. It also has extra light thrown onto it by some lights at the bottom of the screen which are good, but only if you cannot see them and they are plainly visible. Pressing the Display button will take all info off screen, add basic info or add a Histogram to allow for evenly metered images. The top of the camera has only the shutter release button, the zoom, mode selector dial and menu options are all on the back.

The 7x optical zoom is operated by a simple vertical sliding system which is a little quirky but responsive and smooth. When locking the focus, a whirring noise occurs which sounds like a moving part inside the camera.

The dial presents a few different options which are Auto, Best shot, Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Manual, Easy mode, Video Best shot and Video mode. The Best shot mode allows you to change the mode of the camera and there are 34 different options including one that allows you to set your own. The modes available range from the usual Portrait, Macro and Landscape modes to more bizarre ones like Autumn leaves, Auction and ID photo. Some of the options suggest that Casio intended the camera to be used by small businesses. The programmable modes are useful if you want to get into it, but Casio have not made the camera versatile enough to be able to use the manual modes in any situation other than bright days as the lens can only stop down to f/3.4 at wide angle and in the tests I did, I mainly had an underexposure warning flashing at me unless I altered the ISO rating to ISO400 or ISO800 which then starts to show noise.

In the menu, three tabs are available called Record, Quality and Set up. They each open up a selection of options to change the camera. The Record tab makes changes to the camera for taking pictures like the Focusing, Self timer, Anti-shake, AF assist light and Digital zoom. The Quality tab allows changes to be made to things like the Resolution, Quality, White Balance and ISO rating whilst the Set up tab gives options to the mechanics of the camera like the Frame counter, World time, Sounds, Date/time and Auto power down. Usually when in Auto mode, the camera will block off a lot of options in the menu, but Casio have left them all open suggesting that they think we're grown ups and can make our own minds up whether to change stuff in the menu.

Casio Exilim EX-V7 Build and handling
The components of the V7 are encased in a solid, slightly weighty, metal body. It certainly feels like it is meant to last as there are no flimsy parts to the camera and everything is internal, so nothing to get knocked. The dial is a little sharp and I mean that literally as overuse can end up with a thumb ripped to shreds. The features are easily laid out and all options on the Best shot mode are shown with a picture and explanation in case you don't know what a portrait is. The battery and card are both housed together on the side of the camera and nicely, the camera doesn't get mardy and switch off if the compartment is opened.

Casio Exilim EX-V7 Flash options
Auto, Flash off, Flash on, Red-eye reduction and Soft flash are the options available on the V7.
The flash can range from 0.1 to 2.2m at wide angle and 1.0 to 1.4 m at telephoto which is really quite pathetic.

Casio Exilim EX-V7 Performance
The 10 second burst test showed that the camera takes six images in total in two parts of three. Interestingly, if the shutter was kept depressed, the camera would shoot, download then do nothing. The shutter has to be released and pressed again to take another burst of three images.

The autofocus is intermittent. I found that it would sometimes not focus on something it later focused on, however, the focusing is fast and although the Macro mode is below average at 10cm, it is also concise.

The zoom shots taken in my barren living room show that the camera can not pull in enough light to cope with the zoom and has to push the ISO to handle it, this instance had the wide angle set at ISO200 and the zoomed image set to ISO800 which seems to me that maybe Casio were in a rush to get a big zoom on a small camera and either didn't think of light availability or put in some shortcuts to cope with it. Given this fact, the camera can handle metering well at wide angle.

Casio Exilim EX-V7 Noise test
ISO64 shows good colour rendition on the petals, which doesn't change throughout the stages, and lack of noise as to be expected at that rating. ISO100 also lacks noise and ISO200 only has a scraping. ISO400 starts to break down and ISO800 is horrible which is a shame as that is what most of the zoom pictures will be set to if indoors or using the zoom.

The ISO64 test.	The ISO100 test.
The IS200 test.	The ISO400 test.
The ISO800 test.

Casio Exilim EX-V7 Verdict
This camera has the potential to be amazing. It is bursting with features and has technology on it that is ground-breaking. The distinct lack of basic photographic requirements like a decent flash, consistent focusing and a good macro facility seemed to have eluded Casio on this one. I cannot help but feel that the camera has been pushed out as quick as possible and the functions have not been thought through properly.

I want to give the camera a really good mark and if it wasn't for the problems just mentioned, I would do. Having a large zoom in such a small body would have warranted a Cutting Edge Design award if the performance had been better.

Casio Exilim EX-V7 Plus points
Small body
Big zoom
Features don't lock out in Auto mode

Casio Exilim EX-V7 Minus points
Noise on zoomed in images
Motion blur on screen
Below par macro focus
Below par flash range

FEATURES

HANDLING

PERFORMANCE

OVERALL

The Casio Exilim EX-V7 is priced from £249 and is available at the ePHOTOzine shop here .

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