Phil Hanson gets up to speed with the super-fast shooting modes of a tiny camera with a big heart

It seems entirely fitting that Casio, a leading light in providing calculators that solve complex maths answers in a trice, should also make the king of high-speed compact digital cameras.

The new EX-FC100 may look much like any other pocketable compact, but it packs a mighty performance punch that outshines even top dSLRs: the ability to shoot at up to 30 frames a second. As if that’s not enough, it’ll take video at 1000fps for wild s-l-o-w motion effects.

OUT OF THE BOX

Casio has been making digital cameras for more than 10 years, products marked by good build quality and stylish design. The EX-FC100 body is all metal and weighs a little more than many similar sized compacts at 180g with battery and card. On the back is a 2.7-inch 230k-dot  monitor with most controls laid out to the right.

The 6.4-32mm 5x Exilim zoom lens equates to 37-185mm full frame, a range that will usually complement its high-speed shooting capabilities. Maximum aperture is f3.6 at the wide end and f4.5 fully extended. F3.6 is somewhat modest for a quality compact these days. Sensor-shift stabilisation helps ‘steady’ slow shutter-speed shots.

Images are recorded on a 1/2.3-inch high-speed CMOS sensor that, at 9.1, won’t win the megapixel race. On the other hand, there’s much more to a good photo than how many pixels are squeezed onto the sensor.

Multiple focus modes include pan focus, manual, manually selectable AF point and tracking AF.

The FC100 includes Casio’s Best Shot mode comprising a range of scene programs as well as some party tricks like Multi-Motion Image, which records a multi-exposure image on the same frame of a moving subject, giving a strobe-like effect.

BULLET TIME

Sure, it can take pictures one at a time but that 30 frames per second burst is a standout attribute. And a lag correction feature continuously records to the buffer, allowing the camera to capture an image up to 0.3 seconds before the shutter button is pressed! In these modes the image drops to 6MP.

In single-shot mode using maximum image quality the Casio can shoot about one frame per second and has a continuous shutter function allowing it to click away at 1fps until the SD card is full; this may often be more useful than the 30-frame sprint.

Its high-speed video can shoot at 210, 420 or 1000 frames per second. Resolution is limited in these modes to 480 x 360, 224 x 168 and 224 x 64 pixels. The 1000fps really slows fast action but the lower shooting resolution takes the edge off image quality. A high-definition video mode can record at 1280 x 720 pixels at 30fps and does a nice job of it.

SEEING IS BELIEVING

There’s next to no wide-angle lens distortion and corner sharpness is good.

Colour reproduction is impressive and the dynamic range is notable for a small-sensor camera. Image quality is best at 100 ISO.

CONCLUSION

For those who need to capture action but don’t want to carry around a big dSLR, the Exilim EX-FC100 is tremendously appealing. No, it won’t do quite the same job as a fully featured ‘big gun’, but on the other hand it does far better than you have any right to expect from such a wee package.

CASIO EXILIM EX-FC100 – Specs

• Manufacturer: Casio

• Model: Exilim EX-FC100

• Effective Pixels: 9.1 million

• Lens: Exilim 6.4-32mm 5x zoom (37-185mm full frame equivalent)

• Monitor: 2.7-inch TFT colour LCD

• Aperture: f3.6-f4.5

• ISO: auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600

• Shooting modes: Auto, Best 
Shot, movie

• Exposure Metering: Multi-pattern, centre-weighted, 
spot

• Focus Modes: Contrast detection AF, macro, pan focus, infinity lock, manual

• Internal Memory: 31.9MB

• Media: SD, SDHC

• File Format: JPEG Exif 2.2; DCF 1.0 standard, DPOF compliant; Motion JPEG AVI, IMA-
ADPCM audio

• Flash: Auto, red-eye reduction and correction, slow-synch

• Interface: USB, PictBridge

• Battery: NP-40 Lithium-ion rechargeable

• Dimensions: 100 x 58 x 23mm (W/H/D)

• Weight: 180g including battery

Contact

www.monacocorp.co.nz

PROS

• Blazing capture speed

• Small size

• Solid, quality feel

CONS

• A bit pricey

• Noise at higher ISO

Design                      16
Performance             16
Features                   18
Image Quality           16
Value for money       19

TOTAL     85/100

This article if from D-Photo issue 30.

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3. Casio Exilim EX-Z600 – 012
4. Canon EOS 450D – Review – 24
5. Panasonic DMC LZ8 – Review – 24

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