In summary
Ultra-high resolution presents technical challenges to a prestige point-and-shoot camera with some interesting and useful functions. We can’t understand why Casio put a 10-megapixel imager into its new slimline digicam, the EX-Z1000. By our calculations, each photosite on this chip has an area of just under two microns square. This will challenge the on-board image processor and is likely to produce a narrower dynamic range and more image noise than lower-resolution models. By comparison, the photosites on Sony’s DSC-R1 or Nikon’s D200 models are much larger at just over 6.8 microns square. . . [more]
Full review
We can’t understand why Casio put a 10-megapixel imager into its new slimline digicam, the EX-Z1000. By our calculations, each photosite on this small chip has an area of just under two microns square. This will challenge the on-board image processor and is likely to produce a narrower dynamic range and more image noise than lower-resolution models. By comparison, the photosites on Sony’s DSC-R1 or Nikon’s D200 models are much larger, at just over 6.8 microns square.
Although the imager may be an interesting beast, essentially the Z1000 is a point-and-shoot model; its retracting 3x optical zoom lens is nothing special and the camera lacks the functionality provided by the EX-Z850. However, its metal body is solid and well-designed, with most of the rear panel covered by a 2.8-inch, ‘Wide and Bright’ LCD, which provides better than average viewing in bright conditions. No viewfinder is provided.
A convenient menu bar is superimposed along the right side of the monitor, giving quick access to key controls like resolution, flash, focus, self-timer, anti-shake DSP (digital signal processing), ISO, white balance and EV. The current time is shown at the bottom of this list. Top image resolution is 3649 x 2736 pixels and you can fit only one high-resolution image in the on-board 8MB memory.
The few sophisticated functions include an on-demand histogram for record and play modes, which has red, green and blue traces overlaid on the tonal graph. Selectable grid lines and contrast, sharpness and saturation adjustments are also supplied. The camera comes with eight filter effects (B&W, sepia, red, green, blue, yellow, pink and purple) and 37 Best Shot scene presets, including a high-sensitivity mode that extends the ISO range to 3200.
Four Continuous Shutter modes are provided, covering normal and high-speed burst recording plus a flash mode that lets users capture up to three consecutive flash shots. The fourth mode, Zoom Continuous Shutter, lets users delineate an area on the monitor for enlargement. Pressing the shutter release records both the standard image on the screen plus the selected area enlarged to twice its normal size.
Spot and Multi-area AF are provided, the latter with nine outlined zones that light up when the camera selects them. Manual focusing is also provided. The EZ1000 has the usual multi-pattern, centre-weighted and spot metering settings, along with EV adjustment of +/- 2.0 EV in 0.3 EV increments. Eight white balance settings include two for fluorescent lighting and a manual measurement.
Images from the test camera were similar to those from the EX-Z850, although they took slightly longer to load and exposures were slightly better balanced. This allowed more highlight detail to be recorded without compromising shadow detail. White balance performance was excellent, even for incandescent lighting. The flash provided enough light to illuminate an average-sized room. Low-light shots were noise-free up to ISO 400 but the high sensitivity mode produced obvious colour mottling and noise-related softening.
Imatest showed resolution varied with distance from the centre of the frame, with best results roughly half way to the centre. Both resolution and sharpness declined towards the edges of the frame, especially for wide-angle shots. Barrel distortion was obvious at the wide lens position but disappeared midway along the zoom range. No pincushion distortion was observed.
Imatest also showed the lens to have moderate levels of lateral chromatic aberration and we found traces of purple fringing in shots taken in contrasty lighting. Whether most users would find these flaws significant is open to debate. Shots taken at the extreme end of the digital zoom range (equivalent to 17.1x zoom) tended to be soft and the maximum image size was reduced to 5 megapixels.
Camera response times were generally good. It took just over 1.3 seconds to power-up the camera and extend the lens, and shot-to-shot times averaged about 1.5 seconds. Average capture lag was 0.5 seconds, reducing to instantaneous capture with pre-focusing. The standard burst mode recorded shots at 1.2 second intervals, while the high-speed mode captured three shots at 0.3 second intervals.
Battery life was excellent. We still had plenty of power to spare after completing all our tests (approximately 120 shots), which means Casio’s claim of up to 360 shots per battery charge is credible. The camera is supplied with a multi-function cradle for battery charging and connecting to a PC or AV equipment. It also supports the camera when it’s used as a slideshow viewer.
Specifications
Image sensor: 7.18 x 5.32mm CCD with 10.37 million photosites (10.1 megapixels effective)
Lens: 7.9-23.7mm f2.8-5.1 zoom (38-114mm in 35mm format)
Zoom ratio: 3x optical, up to 17.1x digital
Dimensions (wxhxd): 92 x 58.4 x 22.4 mm
Weight: Approx. 139 g (without battery and card)
Image formats: Stills – JPEG (Exif 2.2); Movies – AVI (Motion JPEG)/WAV (VGA at 25 fps)
Shutter speed range: ½-1/2000 second (to 4 sec. in Night Scene mode)
Focus system/range: Contrast detect AF; range 40 cm to infinity, macro 6-50 cm.
Exposure metering/control: Multi-pattern, centre-weighted and spot metering by CCD; Program AE plus 37 BestShot scenes.
White balance: Auto, daylight, cloudy, shade, fluorescent (x2), incandescent and manual.
Flash modes/range (ISO auto): Auto, On, Off, Soft flash, Red-eye reduction; range 0.1-3.6 metres
ISO range: Auto, ISO 50, 100, 200, 400
Storage Media: 8.0 MB internal memory plus SD/MMC slot; internal memory is too small for 1 high-resolution image but holds up to 57 VGA shots.
Viewfinder: n.a.
LCD monitor: 2.8-inch TFT colour LCD with 230,400 pixels.
Power supply: NP-40 rechargeable lithium ion battery.
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Rating
Rating (out of 10):
- Build: 8.5
- Ease of use: 8
- Image quality: 8
- OVERALL: 8.5