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Casio Inc. recently announced three new digital cameras to join their EXILIM EX line. In their press release, Casio stated their commitment to designing ultra-slim digital cameras with high quality. Casio has improved upon previous models with its new camera introductions. "Since that first EXILIM," according to president of Casio Inc, John Clough, "Casio has continued to create even thinner cameras with more rapid responsiveness and superior performance."
EXILIM Card EX-S100
In the ultra compact Card category, the company states that they are releasing the world’s smallest digital camera with zoom capabilities. With a 2.8x zoom lens the EXILIM Card EX-S100 is built with the goal of high quality in an ultra small body. In the Zoom category Casio is introducing the EXILIM Zoom EX-Z50 and EX-Z55 featuring large LCD screens, extended battery life, and competitive features.
The Casio EXILIM Card EX-S100 is made up entirely of stainless steel in a credit card sized frame (see specs). This ultra slim body measures 3.46 x 2.24" with a remarkable width of .66" at its largest and .56" at its smallest. The EX-S100’s body is finished with a special blast treatment to give it an extra shine.
Seen as a defining model in the EXILIM series, the EX-S100 attempts to combine style and size with competitive features at an MSPR of $399.99. This 3.2 megapixel digital camera utilizes the EXILIM Engine image processing LSI module. It also features a 2" TFT LCD screen and the world’s first 2.8x transparent ceramic lens.
Features:
3.2 megapixel CCD
2.8x optical zoom
2 inch TFT LCD screen
Sleek polished and blasted silver finish
Solid stainless steel body
Business Shot function — designed to compensate for angled shots by recording them as
if taken from straight on
Best Shot function — allows camera’s settings to be chosen using sample scene images
Flash Assist function — exposure compensation for areas the flash didn’t reach
USB cradle also functions as a battery charger
EXILIM Zoom EX-Z50 and EX-Z55
In the EXILIM Zoom line Casio Inc. simultaneously announced the EX-Z55 and EX-Z50, both succeeding the EXILIM Zoom EX-Z40. Also containing the EXILIM Engine, which enables portability, the Z55 and Z50 both feature 5 megapixel CCDs, 2.5 times longer battery life than the cameras they replace, and 3x optical zoom. Unlike the small body of the Casio Card EX line, the Z55 and Z50 are made of aluminum to create a lightweight camera for easier portability.
Containing most of the same features, there are few differences between the EX-Z55 and EX-Z50 such as body size, LCD size, battery life, and price. The EX-Z55 (see specs) has a weight of 4.59 oz and measures 3.43 x 2.28 x .89", and the slightly smaller EX-Z50 (see specs) weighs 4.27 oz, with a body size of 3.43 x 2.24 x .88".The Z55 contains a 2.5" TFT LCD screen with 115,200 pixel resolution, and the Z50 has a smaller 2.0" TFT LCD screen with 84,960 pixel resolution.
The EX-Z55 has a small advantage over the Z50 in a slightly longer battery life and the ability to record approximately 400 shots in one charge as opposed to 390 on the EX-Z50. These few features cause the prices to differ slightly. The EX-Z50 is estimated to have an MSRP of $399.99 and the EX-Z55 will be slightly higher at $449.99.
Features:
Images captured by 5.0 megapixel CCD
3x optical zoom
2.5 inch digital interface TFT LCD screen (2.0 inch on the Z50)
Lightweight aluminum body with added handgrip
10% longer battery life than previous models
Business Shot function — designed to compensate for angled shots by recording them as if taken from straight on
Best Shot function — allows camera’s settings to be chosen using sample scene images
Extended video and sound recording capabilities
7-point Multi-auto focus
Flash Assist function — exposure compensation for areas the flash didn’t reach
All three Casio models will be available in stores in October of 2004. The EXILIM EX-S100 and EX-Z50 are both estimated to retail around $399.99, and the EX-Z55 will be approximately $449.99.