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Casio’s parade of metal-clad, ultra-compact snapshot cameras in the Exilim line has culminated in the Exilim EX-Z1000, a 10.1-megapixel mite of a camera.
The EX-Z1000 is not the leading camera its specs suggest it might be. It demonstrates why other manufactures haven’t made 10-megapixel ultra-compact cameras: 1) they can’t get good image quality out of such small sensors; 2) snapshooters don’t need that much resolution; 3) it’s a pain in the neck to store and download such large files.
The Casio Exilim EX-Z1000 is a pocket sized digital camera. If its megapixels you are after then you will be impressed by the fact the Exilim EX-Z1000 is a ten megapixel model.
Casio is the first company to launch a compact camera boasting a massive 10.1 megapixel CCD, equal in resolution to a mid-level digital SLR. At the time of writing, the Casio Exilim EX-Z1000 is currently the most powerful digital compact camera in the world.
Despite, and not because of, the megapixel willy-waving, the EX-Z1000 is a superb camera. It possesses first class build quality, brisk performance, outstanding image quality and an innovative and easy-to-use control system that makes it ideal for a first-time user. As to whether you really need 10 megapixels, only you can decide.
The Casio Exilim EX-Z1000 is a frustrating camera. It is one of the best-built, well thought-out, feature-rich and quick compact digital cameras that I’ve ever reviewed. On the other hand, the 10 megapixel sensor is a liability, producing images that look good at first glance, but which upon closer inspection suffer from noise at ISO 200 and faster, purple fringing in many shots, including situations where you wouldn’t expect to find it, and almost completely ineffective anti-shake and high-sensitivity modes.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed using the EX-Z1000, but didn’t like the images that it produced, which is possibly the worst kind of disappointment. Unfortunately it also proves that you can’t squeeze 10 megapixels onto such a small sensor without creating some serious image quality issues.
The Casio Exilim EX-Z1000 produced attractive images of well-lit subjects, but we saw no benefit to the extra resolution. In part, that’s because the camera tended to overprocess its photos, resulting in compression artifacts and soft details.
Our test shots were virtually noise-free up to ISO 200, though the ISO 400 setting produced a marked amount of fuzziness and grain. Low-light shots disappointed, with fuzzy details and large amounts of noise.
A slim design and an easy-to-use interface make the Casio Exilim EX-Z1000 appealing, but its overprocessed images and mixed performance depress its overall value.