Casio Exilim EX-V7 - slimline compact with 7x zoom launched

Press release:
Casio Electronics Co. Ltd., and its parent company Casio Computer Co. Ltd., announced today the release of the 7.2 megapixel EXILIM Hi-Zoom EX-V7, the most powerful zoom yet in the stylish EXILIM series of compact digital cameras. This new model is the world's slimmest digital camera with a 7x optical zoom lens*. Thinness is a defining quality of the EXILIM line, and the EX-V7 is no different as it easily fits in a shirt pocket or small handbag.

* As of 8th January 2007, for digital cameras with a zoom ratio of 7x or above. Based on a Casio survey.

In recent years, a number of compact, high-performance digital cameras have appeared on the market, but the trade-off between zoom power and camera size was evident in those models. Users who wanted to capture subjects at a distance have had to buy bulkier cameras. Others have made the hard choice to sacrifice zoom for portability.

The new EXILIM Hi-Zoom EX-V7 solves this problem, giving users the best of both worlds. It packs a cutting-edge, non-protruding 7x optical zoom lens in the same stylish body and compact size that people expect of any Casio EXILIM. At last, an exceptionally portable, great-looking digital camera with a powerful zoom lens - just what the world has been waiting for.

The new camera also introduces an innovative function for reducing photo blur, made possible by mechanical CCD shift technology. It also combines Casio's Anti Shake DSP, which reduces blur from shaky hands or a moving subject by using higher ISO sensitivity and faster shutter speeds, with new motion analysis technology that uses the most appropriate ISO sensitivity and shutter speed to capture a moving photo subject. The new motion analysis technology is built into the new EXILIM Engine 2.0. Even at high zoom settings, the EX-V7 reduces most occurrences of image blur. From first-time photographers to seasoned pros, everyone will love this latest photographic marvel from Casio.

EXILIM Hi-Zoom EX-V7 Main Features

The world's slimmest digital camera with a 7X optical zoom lens, as stylish as any EXILIM

• 59.8 mm high, 95.5 mm wide, and 25.5 mm thin (20.8 mm at the thinnest part)
• Incorporates a cutting-edge, non-protruding 7x optical zoom lens.
  Offers 10x equivalent zoom without loss of picture quality (in 3.0 megapixel mode).

Four blur reduction technologies with new CCD shift system

• New CCD shift system actually mechanically compensates for camera shake.
• Automatically analyses the velocity and vector of a moving subject and sets the most appropriate ISO sensitivity and shutter speed.
• Anti Shake DSP reduces blur due to shaky hands and subject movement, using high shutter speeds and high sensitivity settings.
• Electronic camera shake compensation function eliminates blur when shooting in movie mode.

Newly designed EXILIM Engine 2.0 image processor

• Auto Tracking AF function follows moving subjects, keeping them continuously in focus until the photo is taken.
• Tonal control lets users keep bright areas of the scene bright by limiting the occurrence of dark pixels.
• Offers ability to selectively eliminate noise in designated colour regions, such as the sky.
• Boasts faster image processing functions that enable instantaneous colour correction or angle adjustment.

High-quality movies using next-generation H.264 video encoding method

• Makes beautiful movies at high compression ratios to save storage space.
• Records about 1.5 times longer with the same memory capacity and same picture quality as conventional MPEG-4.
• Silent lens motion enables optical zooming while recording movies in stereo sound.
• Records 16:9 wide-aspect movies compatible with wide-screen TVs.

Recording Element	1/2.5 inch square pixel primary colour CCD (7.41 million total pixels; 7.20 million effective pixels)
File Record Format	Still Images: JPEG (Exif. Ver. 2.2), DCF 1.0 standard, DPOF compliant; Movies: MOV (H.264/AVC, Motion JPEG AVI format when the image quality setting is “LP”); Audio: WAV (Stereo)
Recording Medium	Built-in flash memory (approx. 11.6MB); SDHC / SD / MMC compatible
Recorded Image Sizes	Still Images: 3072 x 2304, 3072 x 2048 (3:2), 2560 x 1920, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, 640 x 480 pixels Movies: 848×480 (UHQ Wide/HQ Wide), 640×480 (UHQ/HQ/Normal), 320×240 (LP) pixels
Operating Speed	Power on to first shot:approx. 1.2 secs.*2 Shutter release lag time:approx. 0.008 secs.*2 Shot to shot time:approx. 1.0 secs.*2*3 Continuous shutter:approx. 0.7 intervals*3 High-speed continuous shutter and Rapid Flash:approx. 3fps Image to image playback scroll:0.1 secs.
Lens	12 lenses in 9 groups, including aspherical lens; F3.4(W) to 5.3(T); f=6.3(W) to 44.1(T) mm (equivalent to approx. 38 to 266 mm in 35mm format)
Zoom	7x optical zoom; 4x digital zoom (28x total when optical and digital zooms are used in combination)
Focusing	Contrast type AF (selectable between spot, multi, or tracking); light; auto focus, macro mode, infinity mode, manual focus
ApproximateFocus Range	Auto Focus: 30cm *4 to ∞; Macro: 10 to 40cm *4; Infinity mode: ∞; Manual: 10cm *4to ∞
Exposure Control	Metering: Multi-pattern, centre weighted, spot Control: Program AE, Shutter Speed Priority AE, Aperture Manual Exposure Exposure Compensation: -2EV to +2EV (in 1/3EV steps)
Shutter	CCD electronic / mechanical shutter; Program AE: 1/2 to 1/800 second *5 Aperture Priority AE: 1 to 1/800 second *5 Shutter Speed Priority AE & Manual Exposure: 60 to 1/800 second
Aperture	F3.4 / 4.6 / 9.2*6(auto switching)
White Balance	Auto; Fixed (6 modes); Manualswitc
Sensitivity	Still Images: Auto*7/ ISO 64 / ISO 100 / ISO 200 / ISO 400 / ISO 800; Movies: Auto
Recording Functions	Still image; still image with audio (max 30 secs); continuous shutter (normal speed, high speed, rapid flash); BEST SHOT; self timer; macro; movie with audio (Normal movie, Short Movie, Past Movie, Movie BEST SHOT ); voice recording
Self-timer	10 seconds or 2 seconds; Triple Self-timer
Built-in Flash	Modes: Auto, On, Off,Soft Flash, Red Eye Reduction Approx. Range: 0.1 to 2.2 m (W), 1.0 to 1.4 m (T) Approx. Flash Continuous Shutter: 0.4 to 2.1m (W), 1.0 to 1.4m (T)
Monitor Screen	2.5”inch TFT colour LCD, (230,400 pixels, 960x240)
USB	USB 2.0 (Hi-speed) compatible
Battery	Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery (NP-50)
Battery life	Approx. 240 images (CIPA standards*8) Continuous playback: approx 6 hrs mins (still images) Continuous recording: approx 1 hrs 40 mins (movies) Continuous recording: approx 4 hrs 20mins (voice recording)
Dimensions	95.5(W) x 59.8(H) x 25.5(D)mm (excl. projections, thinnest point 20.8mm)
Weight	Approx. 149 g (excl. battery and accessories)

NOTES
*1Based on Panasonic (Matsushita) 256MB card. Capacity depends on card manufacturer
*2 With built-in flash off
*3 With image size set at 3072x2304 and using normal image quality
*4 Using optical zoom causes the ranges to change
*5 Shutter speed range may be different depending on BEST SHOT scene selected
*6 Using optical zoom causes the aperture to change. F9.2 is the aperture when an ND filter is being used.
*7 Max sensitivity is ISO 1600 when using High Sensitivity BEST SHOT mode
*8 Auto Mode, standard brightness monitor setting