Casio Unveils EX-S500 Credit Card Sized Camera

June 28, 2005: Casio’s latest Exilim Card digicam, the EX-S500 featuring a 5-megapixel sensor and MPEG-4 video capture, will go on sale in Australia next month.
Barely bigger than a credit card and just 13.7 mm at its thinnest point, the S500 has a fully-retracting 3x optical zoom lens plus a large 2.2-inch LCD monitor. Up to 4x digital zoom capability is provided, along with Casio’s Anti Shake Digital Signal Processor, which reduces blurring caused by shaking hands or moving subjects. The S500 also features a ‘super life’ battery that provides enough power for up to 200 pictures per charge. Up to an hour of continuous movie recording can be captured in ‘Normal’ mode using a 1 GB SD card, although the S500 can also record VGA movie clips at 30 frames/second. The continuous shooting setting records at one frame/second, with the number of shots being limited only by the available memory.
The new S500 is also easy to use and boasts a one-touch “BEST SHOT” button for quick scene mode selection. The camera shutter is easily operated with the index finger, and the “Direct Movie” button with the thumb. A “Snapshot-in-Movie” function lets users take still pictures while shooting movies and an “Auto Macro” mode allows seamless switching between normal and close-up focus. The S500 also includes Casio’s “Past Movie” function, which starts movie recording from five seconds before the recording button is pressed and the “Short Movie” function, which captures up to eight second clips, before or after the shutter release is pressed. In camera movie editing and “Flash Assist’ exposure compensation are also provided, along with “Icon Help” for assistance in selecting camera settings. The EX-S500 has a stainless steel body that comes in shotgun grey or orange. For details of pricing and stockists, go to www.hagemeyer.com.au.