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  • Testing / Performance

  • Physical Tour

  • Components

  • Design / Layout

  • Modes

  • Control Options

  • Image Parameters

  • Connectivity / Extras

  • Overall Impressions

  • Conclusion

  • Specs

  • Testing / Performance
  • Physical Tour
  • Components
  • Design / Layout
  • Modes
  • Control Options
  • Image Parameters
  • Connectivity / Extras
  • Overall Impressions
  • Conclusion
  • Specs

Testing / Performance

Color*(5.83)
*To evaluate the color performance of EX-Z57, we captured a sequence of images of an industry standard GretagMacbeth color chart, illuminated by Lowell softbox lamps. The results were uploaded into Imatest Imaging Software to analyze the color information and determine the accuracy of each rendered tone. Images recorded with the EX-Z57 were shot on a tripod, using the camera’s lowest ISO setting (50) and custom white balance. These tests are designed to indicate the camera’s ability to render accurate tones, as they originally appeared in the scene; the score is not a measure of tonal brilliance or vibrancy.

Below is a copy of the color chart modified by Imatest; the outer square contains colors produced by the Casio Exilim EX-Z57, while the vertical rectangle is the ideal. The inner square is camera’s reproduced tone, corrected for luminance.

Below is a more quantitative graph depicting the EX-Z57’s color performance. The squares represent the tonal ideal, while the corresponding circles display the camera’s rendering of that particular color. The greater the distance between the two shapes, the less accurate the camera’s reproduction of that tone.

The Casio Exilim EX-Z57 scored low on our color tests, earning just a 5.83 overall color score. Analyzed images were 7.5% over-saturated, which is minimal, but nearly all of the individual hues strayed to some extent from the ideal. This is particularly noticeable in the under-saturated blue and green channels. Many of the cooler tones lacked vibrancy, while orange and yellows hues were shifted, resulting in the camera’s 5.83 overall accuracy score.

While the EX-Z57’s color performance was certainly substandard, the lack of tonal accuracy will not be detrimental to all users. Those looking to attain a "realistic" reproduction of the scene, the way it appears to the human eye, will be greatly disappointed; however, snapshooters interested in the EX-Z57 as an instrument to merely capture moments in time should not be overly disturbed. Having said that, there are many similarly priced models made by Kodak, Canon, and Fuji that produce far more accurate tones with increased vibrancy and aesthetic appeal.

**Still Life Scene
**Below is a shot of our Joseph Cornell-inspired still life scene photographed with the EX-Z57.

[

](https://reviewed.usatoday.com/cameras/viewer.php?picture=EX-Z57-StillLife-LG.jpg)*Click on the above image to view a full resolution version (CAUTION: the linked file is very large!)
*

Resolution / Sharpness*(2.73)
*To test the resolution of the EX-Z57, we shot a number of images of an ISO resolution chart and imported the results into Imatest Imaging Software. The software reads the imported file and determines the actual number of pixel used to form the image. The images were recorded in a controlled studio setup using Lowell softbox lamps. The images were captured using the camera’s various available settings and modes, to get a proper feel for the camera’s capabilities. We report the best results we were able to attain. The results are given as the actual number of detected pixels and as a percentage of the advertised resolution. When this is done, cameras that score over 70% of their advertised pixel count are viewed as "good," while scores exceeding 80% are "very good." Anything beyond 90% of the marketed resolution is "excellent" and quite rare.


*Click on the chart above to view full resolution image *

The Casio EX-Z57 was sharpest around 40-45mm (equivalent focal length), at f/4.5. The camera achieved a real resolution score of 2.73 megapixels, with 24.9% oversharpening. This is roughly 56% of its advertised resolution and a very low score. While the EX-Z57 is designed for both portability and sharing images on its large screen, many competing cameras offer a similar styling with resolution scores beyond 70% of their marketed capabilities. For users of the EX-Z57, the lack of resolution will not be noticeable in small 4 x 6 prints or images displayed on the camera’s large LCD; however, when users attempt to make larger prints or view full resolution images on their television sets, the image quality will be far below expectations.

Noise – Auto ISO*(2.79)*

Almost exclusively designed for snapshooters, users of the slim and stylish Casio EX-Z57 are likely to set the camera to automatic and point and shoot. In this situation, many users might be surprised to see the granulated look of the EX-Z57’s produced images. With Casio attempting to market the camera’s 1/2.5-inch CCD, users might feel a bit misled. We tested for sharpness (above) and found that the camera fell short of its marketing claim; however, the biggest surprise was the amount of perceivable noise present in images produced by the EX-Z57 in auto mode. The camera earned just a 2.79 noise score when set to Auto ISO, one of the lowest scores of any camera we have tested.

The tests were conducted under profuse lighting, illuminated by three Lowell softbox lamps, with over 300 lux of illumination on the scene. Given the situation, we found it surprising that the camera elected to set the ISO at 200. The ISO 50 or 100 setting should have been sufficient and would have cut down on the amount of noise in the image tremendously. Fortunately, the EX-Z57 does enable users to set the ISO speed manually; an option even the most hands-off users should take advantage of when shooting with the EX-Z57.

Noise – Manual ISO*(5.13)
*For cameras that provide manually alterable ISO settings, we test the amount of noise produced at each available rating. The results are put into a regression analysis to determine an overall manual ISO score. The incremental results are displayed in the graph below, with the EX-Z57’s sensitivity ratings placed along the horizontal axis and the resultant noise plotted on the vertical axis.

The EX-Z57 produced images of far greater quality when the ISO settings were manually set by the user. The camera’s 50 and 100 ISO settings were similar, with a moderate increase in noise at the 200 setting. It is not until the camera is pushed to its ISO 400 setting that images truly become fraught with noise. The lack of a clean looking ISO 400 setting might be a problem when paired with the camera’s weak flash unit, but for those snapshooters photographing outdoors or under substantial indoor illumination, the resulting images should be of acceptable clarity.

Low Light Performance*(3.0)
*Our low light evaluations are designed to show the camera’s ability to record at night or in minimal illumination without the use of the flash. We do this by recording a sequence of four images at decreasing light levels. The cameras are tested at 60, 30, 15, and 5 lux to approximate performance in typical low light conditions; 60 lux is comparable to a moderately lit bedroom after dusk, while 30 lux is roughly parallel to a single 40 watt lightbulb. Tests shot at 15 and 5 lux display the camera’s recording capabilities in near darkness. All shots were recorded on a tripod, using the camera’s 10 second self-timer.

Click on any of the above charts for additional image analysis

The Exilim EX-Z57 is designed with an abundance of presets, some of which are oriented for low light situations, providing the user with an extended shutter speed range. With just a 400 maximum ISO setting, we expected the camera to have some difficulty in the compromised lighting setup. As predicted, the Casio EX-Z57 was not qualified for low light usage without the assistance of the flash. As you can see in the chart above, images captured at 60 lux lacked color vibrancy and contained a lot of noise. In the Night Scene preset, which enables exposures of up to 4 seconds, the camera was able to maintain a decent degree of visibility, but could not attain focus. The focusing difficulty appeared to be unavoidable and indicates that flash assistance will be a necessity when shooting in low light. While the incessant use of a flash will not deter some potential consumers, others may view the inability to record in natural light and capture the ambiance of a night scene to be unacceptable.

**Speed / Timing
***Start-up to First Shot (6.34) *

The Casio EX-Z57 takes its time to get going, requiring 3.66 seconds to record its first shot. This is extremely slow compared to other competing cameras and will test the limitations of its long enduring battery – if it's not left on, photos will be missed.

*Shot to Shot Time (7.86) *

Taking over 2 full seconds between images, the EX-Z57 is one of the slowest cameras in its styling to record subsequent frames. Speed is generally a strong marketing slant for this type of camera and many similar models shoot in 1/2 – 1/4 of the time the Z57 takes.

*Shutter to Shot Time (8.98) *

Shutter lag is perhaps the most import speed requirement for many consumers and fortunately, it is the only instance in which the EX-Z57 performs quickly. With just a 0.01 second shutter lag, once powered on, the user should not be concerned with the Z57's speed, unless multiple frames are needed. 

Physical Tour

Front*(7.0)
*The lens assembly dominates the front of the EX-Z57. A stationary brushed-aluminum ring surrounds the telescoping mount, which extends outward when the camera is turned on. The lens is labeled 'SMC Pentax Zoom lens / Optical 3x.' Above the lens, in the right-hand corner (when looking at the lens’ front element), there are two small windows. The larger one, which is farther to the right, is the self-timer indicator light. The smaller window is a hole for the microphone. To the left of the lens near the top of the camera is the fixed flash unit, flush with the camera’s front face.

The EX-Z57's decorative flourishes include a small Casio nameplate in the upper left, and an 'Exilim' nameplate in the lower left. A raised, satiny bar runs from the left side of the camera to the lens mount. A vertical bar with a black rubber insert crosses the horizontal bar. While the rubber is intended to add grip, the slim strip didn’t seem as effective as advertised. A black badge that trumpets '5.0 MEGA PIXELS' in iridescent letters is centered between the lens and the vertical bar.

Back*(4.5)
*At least three quarters of the back of the camera is consumed by the 2.7-inch, 115,200 pixel LCD screen. It is surrounded by a thin black border, with the Exilim branding in the upper left. On the right side, the tiny zoom buttons, which double as the magnification control in playback mode, are at the top. Below them are the Playback and Camera mode buttons. Further below is the continuous four-way controller, encircling the 'set' button. The four-way controller navigates menus, playback mode, white balance, flash modes and autofocus in shooting mode. Near the bottom of the frame are the minuscule Display and Menu buttons. In shooting mode, the Display button cycles through several choices for shooting information. The Menu button brings up the tabbed menu interface.

Left Side*(7.0)
*The left side of the Casio EX-Z57 features a vertical row of three holes which form the speaker grille. The other features filling the camera’s left side are structural and cosmetic: four screw heads are placed in a rectangular formation and another satiny metal band runs from the top of the camera, down the left side, and onto the bottom.

Right Side*(7.0)
*The right side of the camera features a swiveling lug for a wrist strap. The swivel is helpful in keeping the strap untangled. Other than that and four screw heads, the right side is bare.

Top*(7.0)
*The top of the EX-Z57 is largely plain. Placed off to the right is a small indented power button, alongside a rectangular shutter release button. The two controls are placed on a raised plane, making them easily to access by feel. The satiny metal band wraps around from the left side extends across more than half of the top of the frame. The band is engraved "5.0 MEGA PIXELS DIGITAL CAMERA EX-Z57," which is a bit redundant when it’s placed on the top of a camera.

A ready light that indicates the status of the flash, the autofocus system, and file-saving shines through a small port at the left of the camera on the back edge of the top. The light is visible from either the top or the back of the camera.

Bottom*(6.0)
*The underside of the EX-Z57 contains a tripod socket placed directly under the lens, right where it belongs. Unfortunately, the socket is made of plastic, and is therefore prone to breaking or stripped threads if ever actually utilized. The EX-Z57 hides the battery and the SD card media slot under a single door on the bottom of the camera. The door closes securely, and seems relatively durable when shut; however, there is a lot of give when the door is open, and it could easily break if pushed too far. Between the tripod socket and battery door is the port to connect the EX-Z57 to its cradle. 

Components

 

Viewfinder*(0.0)
*The EX-Z57 has no optical viewfinder. In the past couple of years, optical viewfinders and LCD displays have been competing for space on sub-compact cameras, and the LCDs have started to win. The optical viewfinders died an ugly death, however. In the end, the few still shoehorned into the smallest cameras are tiny, inaccurate and uncomfortable to use, although they will provide a power-conserving alternative when needed.

LCD Screen*(7.0)
*The EX-Z57 has a remarkably large LCD display. At 2.7 inches, it's unique in a field where 2.5 inches is rare, although that has obviously begun to change. The difference amounts to more than bragging rights; a 2.7-inch screen is noticeably bigger than a 2.5-inch display. While this will provide a larger displayed image, it inevitably results in far less room on the compact frame to access controls.

The LCD, as large as it is, is incredibly short on resolution. While the 2.7-inch screen is a bit ahead of the trend, the screen’s 115,200 pixels is at least a year behind. Many LCDs composed of essentially the same resolution are only 1.8 inches diagonal. The combination of expanded surface area and lack of resolution makes it nearly impossible to focus the camera manually with any degree of accuracy and distorts the replayed images enough to counteract one of the camera’s intended functions as a digital viewer.

One particular strength of the EX-Z57’s screen is that it remains viewable at very wide angles. When the camera is tilted to the left or right or when viewed from below, the displayed image retains visibility, although the angle of view isn't nearly as good when viewed from above. The expanded angle of view is much more useful to groups of people looking at images together than it is to one person taking pictures; however, in pairing the oversized screen with tiny buttons, it appears that was Casio’s intention all along. For these people, the large screen is functional as a photo album, although the low quality display will encourage users to take their favorite images to print.

**Flash ***(5.0)
*The EX-Z57's flash is very small, which seldom translates to flattering portraiture. The tiny light source will make for very sharply-defined dark shadows, accentuating wrinkles, blemishes and most imperfections on skin. It's also unfortunate that the flash is mounted to one side of the lens. This will cause the subject's shadows to consistently show up quite clearly. If the flash were shifted over to the lens axis, shadows cast by the subject could be neatly hidden behind them.

Unfortunately, the EX-Z57’s fixed flash is also relatively weak: Casio says it's effective as far as 8.5 feet when the lens is zoomed to wide angle, but to only 6.5 feet at the telephoto setting. This is far shorter than the 10-15 ft. range available on many competing models.

**

Zoom Lens***(6.5)
*Casio applied a Pentax zoom lens to the front of their EX-Z57. The available focal range extends from 5.8 to 17.4mm, which is comparable to a 35mm to 105mm zoom lens on a 35mm camera. In terms of perspective, the lens offers a slight wide angle to a mild telephoto range of view. At the wide angle end, the lens will be wide enough to take pictures of small groups of people at a reasonable distance, but not wide enough for expansive scenic vistas. At the telephoto end, the applied Pentax lens is long enough for comfortable and flattering individual portraits, but not long enough for sports or action photography, bird-watching, or covert surveillance.

Casio lists a maximum aperture of f/2.6 at 5.8mm to f/4.4 at 17.4mm. The minimum apertures range from f/4.6 to f/7.7 over the zoom range.

Design / Layout

Model Design / Appearance*(7.0)
*Stylistically, the EX-Z57 lies somewhere between 'elegant minimalism' and 'Captain Incredible's whizzbang decoder ring.' The matte-colored metal that covers most of the camera's body is an attractive, tough finish that indicates general durability and solid construction. The plain, rectangular silhouette of the camera adds to the pared-down aesthetic, as does the contrasting use of rounded and beveled corners.

Unfortunately, after wisely choosing those attractive options, the Casio designers compromised the overall look of the EX-Z57 with several gratuitous decorations that undermine the style of the camera's smooth exterior. First, there's a small black badge on the front of the camera that reads in iridescent letters, '5.0 MEGA PIXELS.' Across the top of the camera, there's a brushed-metal strip that is engraved, '5.0 MEGA PIXELS DIGITAL CAMERA EX-Z57.' For good measure, the front of the camera also sports a sticker, reminding users once again, of the camera’s '5.0 MEGA PIXELS 3x OPTICAL ZOOM.'

A satiny metal stripe across the front of the camera makes the exterior appear busy, but only adds slight visual interest to the frame. There's a vertical bar on the front, with a black rubber insert helping it to stand out. Also, the battery door on the camera is beveled differently from the chassis of the camera, so it doesn't quite match. All around, the design of the EX-Z57 is acceptable, but relies on the large screen to make an impression – which fades with increased use.

Size / Portability*(7.5)
*The EX-Z57 is designed for consumers in search of a pocket-friendly camera that’s easy to transport. At 3.5 x 2.3 x 0.9 inches and 4.6 ounces, the EX-Z57 is smaller than an iPod and just as easy to store in a pocket or bag. The camera is designed to allow users to carry it all the time, rather than just on special occasions.

The exterior of the EX-Z57 is sealed effectively against dust, and its moderately smooth profile shouldn't snag on much inside a pocket or bag. For a small camera, the frame should stand up well to less-than-careful treatment.

Handling Ability*(4.0)
*The EX-Z57 will be challenging to handle; however, this is not due to its diminutive size as much as the incredibly oversized LCD screen. The large screen leaves users with no place on the back of the camera to place their right thumb. With the current layout, the right thumb falls on four buttons and the four-way controller. While more dexterous users may be able to maneuver their way around the essential controls, less agile hands will find manipulation of the EX-Z57’s controls to be extremely cumbersome.

With no thumb rest on the back, it's tempting to hold the camera like binoculars - both thumbs underneath, and both index fingers on top. That grip has the advantage of not blocking the user's view of the controls, but it's not as steady as a right-hand grip, where the fingers of the right hand press the camera against the thumb or palm. While visibility may not be a problem, those lacking petite fingertips will find controlling the EX-Z57 to be a continual struggle.

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size*(3.0)
*Saying controls and buttons on the EX-Z57 are small and crowded is an understatement. The camera’s smallest buttons (which activate the onscreen display and the menu system) are the size of grains of rice – quite literally. Fortunately, the controls are paired in groups of two with a fair amount of space in-between. However, within the groups of buttons, users will have to display some skill in accurately handling the functions.

The zoom buttons, placed on the back right of the camera near the top of the frame, are two separate buttons; however, they are also incredibly small. The separation between the wide and telephoto zoom controls makes the function operable, but still a task. Additionally, the small zoom controls are remarkably stiff, perhaps to make it harder to press them accidentally. Unfortunately, the stiffness makes it difficult to use the control. It is also difficult to attain any accuracy with the zoom, and overshooting the desired focal length is more than likely.

The EX-Z57 shutter release is also smaller than most, but it has a nice indentation in it that makes it easily recognizable by feel. The button lacks proper feedback, prohibiting users from feeling when it has been pressed far enough to activate the focus, or when you've actually taken a picture.

The power button is small and recessed slightly, to help prevent it from accidental activation. The power button on the EX-Z57 worked properly in testing, but levers or slide-switches provide better protection from accidental engagement.

The EX-Z57 has a button to start the Playback mode, and another button to switch to Camera mode. The two circular buttons are small and placed close together, but well-marked with icons. Many cameras opt for a single button to access both modes; pressing the playback button to switch the camera to playback, and then pressing the same button again to switch the camera back to shooting mode. It seems like that would have been the logical decision for this model, helping to alleviate some of the overcrowded feel in the control layout and create a realistic resting area for the right thumb.

The camera's four-way switch is a small, circular disk, without any separation or boundaries between directions. This makes it even more tedious to utilize the small navigational disk. The dial does however offer tactile feedback; there is a nice click when the button is pressed all the way down.

Menu*(8.5)
*The EX-Z57 menus are unusually refined. The text appears superimposed over the viewfinder image, which displays a live feed below the accessible options. Casio goes a bit beyond the plain text interface, creating boxes around each heading and supplying subtle shadows behind the type. This helps the text remain visible against both light and dark backgrounds. The menus are tabbed, meaning the main headings are visible simultaneously. As each is selected, the various subheadings become visible.

Alert messages, such as 'Memory Full,' come up in an orange-bordered alert box. The boxes are a stab at a more refined, more graphical user interface. It's striking to note how finished and clean the interface looks, compared to the ones on prosumer and professional cameras that cost five or ten times as much. The graphical element is quite advanced and clearly one of the strongest elements of this camera.

When the EX-Z57 is in shooting mode, the three menu tabs are REC, Memory and Set Up. All the settings that have to do with taking pictures (everything from exposure modes, to file size, to the self-timer, to sharpness) are under the REC heading. The REC menu is so long that it almost defeats the purpose of the tabbed interface. The Memory heading includes controls to allow the user to save many of the settings made under the REC heading. If you don't turn on the Memory feature, many of the camera settings revert to their factory defaults when the camera is shut off. The Set Up tab covers a number of settings that most people set and forget (date and time, language and alert sounds), but buried among those are ones that users may need to access regularly. The control for formatting memory cards is buried in Set Up, as is the control to allow the camera to connect directly with a printer. People who use those settings frequently will probably get annoyed at the amount of time they spend scrolling down through rarely-used menu to get to ones that they need.

Ease of Use*(5.5)
*The EX-Z57 carries a rather long list of annoyances. The minuscule buttons and lack of a clear space for one's right thumb are at the top of the list. Unfortunately, the list goes on, with an oversized screen, a flash that's likely to produce unflattering results, scene modes that don't deliver what they promise, and laugh-out-loud image editing software, with functions organized via animal metaphors (choose the chameleon for image editing, the kangaroo for resizing, the monkey for rotating, or the cow for printing.)

On the other hand, the EX-Z57 deserves considerable praise for its attention to fonts and graphics in the menus. Its onscreen explanations of scene modes are clear and helpful, although 23 modes seems like overkill, and some of the modes themselves are problematic. The Lithium-Ion battery amounts to an ease-of-use feature – its long life between charges improves the user experience.

The camera comes with a dock for charging the battery and making USB connections to computers or printers, which simplifies both functions for users who can set up the dock permanently.

Casio provides the 214-page EX-Z57 manual only as an electronic file. It's a .pdf file on the software CD-ROM. Worse yet, the software installer starts automatically each time the disk is inserted into a Windows computer, so consulting the manual will require inserting the disk, shutting down the installer, and then opening the manual in Acrobat.

Modes

Auto Mode*(6.5)
*The EX-Z57 offers a "Snapshot" setting, which fully automates exposure – both aperture and shutter speed. The ISO and white balance controls can be set to automatic as well, but the Snapshot setting does not switch them to automatic. The EV setting, which lightens or darkens the exposure, is available in snapshot mode, but there is no way to control whether the adjustment is made with the aperture or the shutter speed.

Custom Image Presets*(8.0)
*The EX-Z57 offers 23 preset modes. While that’s still far from some newer Casio models, which reach 32 presets, it’s still enough that there is invariably some overlap between similar settings. The camera will also allow users to create a preset mode.

Some of the presets are common and self-explanatory: Portrait, Scenery, Portrait with Scenery, Candlelight Portrait, Natural Green, Sundown, Night Scene, Fireworks, Monochrome, and Twilight. Some are somewhat common though the camera settings they tweak are not immediately obvious: Children (enhances color and sets a higher ISO), Party, Pet (both of which increase ISO), Flower, Food (both of which set focus range to Macro and brighten colors), Retro (commonly called Sepia on other cameras), Text (sets focus range to Macro and increases contrast and sharpness), and Business Cards & Documents, White Board Etc (both of which do what ‘Text’ does while also correcting for distortion caused by tilting the camera).

Some presets require more detailed explanations. Collection mode, seen on Casios and others, is for photographing small objects (presumably in a collection). In addition to setting the focus range to macro, it shows a grid on the viewfinder, as an aid to composition.

Coupling Shot mode melds two exposures into one image. The first time you press the shutter, the left half of the image is taken, and the second time you press the shutter, the right half is taken. The left half of the picture stays onscreen between shots, to help you line up the images.

The Pre-shot mode functions like a rough draft. It’s really for control freaks and helps make sure that other people take exactly the picture you want. Suppose you’re touring alone and want a passerby to take a photo of you in front of a landmark. If you frame your shot (without you in it) from the spot where you want the passerby to snap the picture, then hit the shutter in Pre-shot mode, the image appears onscreen as a transparent overlay, with the live view superimposed. You step into place, the shooter lines up the viewfinder with the transparent shot, and presses the button. The pre-shot disappears, and the final image is saved.

Drive/ Burst Mode*(0.0)
*The EX-Z57 does not have a dedicated burst mode. No matter how long the shutter release is held, the user can only capture one shot.

Playback Mode*(7.0)
*The EX-Z57's 2.7-inch display is an advantage for on-camera playback. Snapshooters will enjoy sharing their pictures via the large display. It's important to remember, though, that the display will have less detail than many smaller displays, since it only has 115,200 pixels. Many displays under two inches match that.

Playback is very straightforward on the EX-Z57. Pressing the Playback button brings up the most recent image. The zoom controls will magnify the image, or switch to a view of nine images at a time. The left and right side of the four-way controller scroll through the images in sequence. The top and bottom of the four-way controller bring up a well-rendered calendar. Dates on which pictures were saved to the SD card or internal memory are highlighted, and users can scroll directly to the date they want to review, and start viewing from there.

By pressing the shutter release and the SET button simultaneously, users can flip the display 180 degrees. Casio says this can be handy for showing pictures to people who are facing you. The other option, physically turning the 4.6-ounce camera 180 degrees around in your hand, is also practical.

Users can also rotate images in 90 degree increments, and resize or crop in-camera using the menu options available in Playback mode.

The EX-Z57 has a slideshow feature. Options for slide shows include the length of time each image appears, the total duration of the show, and whether the show includes every image in memory, including movies and sounds, or just the images saved in the favorites folder in the camera's built-in memory.

Movie Mode*(4.0)
*The EX-Z57 saves movies in AVI format, at a 320 x 240 resolution, which is about a quarter of regular video. Even worse, the video is captured at just 15 frames per second, which is about half the recording rate of full motion video. The result will be choppy video clips with substandard resolution. The EX-Z57 records monaural sound via a microphone in the upper right corner of the camera. The only limit on the length of videos the EX-Z57 will record is the capacity of the memory card in the camera.

Casio warns that the camera's motors and alert noises will be recorded on videos, and gives instructions for minimizing them. To avoid stray noise, the video mode turns off autofocus, though you can turn it back on if you like.

Some competing cameras, such as the Canon PowerShot SD400, offer 640 x 480 resolution and 30 frames per second, which are essentially the specs for home video. These cameras certainly offer better video quality than the EX-Z57, but none match the quality or flexibility of video captured with even the most basic digital camcorders. Video on still cameras remains a novelty – something to use on a whim, or when the impulse suddenly arises. 

Control Options

Manual Control Options*
*The EX-Z57 doesn't offer much in the way of manual control. There is no direct control of either aperture or shutter speed. By setting the ISO rating and changing the EV setting, which changes the exposure, the user can influence aperture and shutter settings and make the image lighter or darker. Manual focus and custom white balance are also available.

**FOCUS **
*Auto Focus (6.5)
*The EX-Z57 autofocus mechanism offers a variety of focusing modes. The camera defaults to a standard multi-zone mode which allows the camera to select a focus point from a row of five focus sensors arrayed in a line across the lower part of the composition. A spot mode is also available, forcing the camera to focus on the center of the image. Holding the shutter release down halfway will lock the focus, enabling users to recompose the image for the selected region. The EX-Z57 switches seamlessly between regular distance focus and macro, so it focuses continuously from infinity to 6 cm.

There is an unusual and potentially tricky feature included on the EX-Z57 that will enable users to override the autofocus. When the camera is set to "Auto PF," quickly pressing the shutter all the way down overrides the autofocus and sets the lens to focus at about six or seven feet. The PF setting is explained below in the Manual Focus section of the review.

*Manual Focus (4.0)
*The EX-Z57 offers three variations of manual focus. Two are efficient, one is flexible, and none of them are both. The efficient ones are Infinity, which locks focus at far distances, and Pan Focus, which sets the lens to a medium-range distance, with the expectation that many common photos are taken at about that range. In Pan Focus, subjects from 1 to 4.9 meters (about 3 to 16 feet) will supposedly be in focus. At the telephoto setting, the range narrows to 2.6 to 4.8 meters (about 8 to 16 feet). Pan Focus tries for acceptable results, not the best the camera can do. Casio says the manual focus options speed up the camera's operation, so they may be better than missing a shot entirely.

The EX-Z57 also offers a more typical manual focus option, but it relies on the live LCD display, which is pretty fuzzy. It's very hard to see the difference between infinity focus and one meter focus onscreen. The autofocus system consistently does a much better job than the manual focus can do, unless speed is the priority.

ISO*(6.5)
*The EX-Z57 can be manually set to one of four offered ISO ratings: 50, 100, 200, or 400, or it can be set to automatically choose an ISO setting, based on either available lighting or a scene mode. The EX-Z57's available ISO range is typical of point-and-shoot cameras, although Fujifilm has released some standout cameras with higher top settings, such as the E550 which goes up to 800 and the F-10, which extends to ISO 1600.

White Balance*(7.5)
*The EX-Z57 offers preset white balance settings of daylight, cloudy, shade, two fluorescent settings, tungsten and automatic. A manual setting is also available, which operates in a typical fashion: after scrolling over the manual option, the user points the camera at a white card (or something close to "true white") and presses the shutter, saving the setting.

The white balance choices on the EX-Z57 are better than many of its competitors. It's valuable to have separate settings for Cloudy and Shade, and two fluorescent settings are much better than one. The manual setting is very useful in scenes with mixed lighting, or in rooms with brightly-colored walls.

Exposure*(7.5)
*The EX-Z57 exposure modes are all automated, either in the Snapshot mode or the Best Shot mode. The camera's EV setting allows the user to adjust exposure over two stops in 1/3-stop intervals. That's a standard range for cameras of this type. With the live histogram display, it's a useful way to optimize exposure.

Metering*(6.0)
*The EX-Z57 uses a multi-pattern metering system which takes separate light readings from several areas of the frame, and evaluates them to settle on an exposure. Multi-pattern systems are usually the best bet for automatic modes. The EX-Z57 is unusual and a bit limited because it does not offer any other options, such as spot or center-weighted.

Shutter Speed*(0.0)
*In Snapshot and most other modes, the EX-Z57's shutter speeds range from 1/8 to 1/2000 of a second. In Night Scene mode, the slow end of the range extends to 4 seconds, and in Fireworks mode, the shutter speed is fixed at 2 seconds. While this is a limited range, it should suffice for most point-and-shooters.

Aperture*(0.0)
*The 5.8 to 17.4mm Pentax zoom lens has a maximum aperture that ranges from f/2.6 at the wide end to f/4.8 at the telephoto end. The minimum aperture is not listed in Casio's specs, but it appears to be in the range of f/7.7, which is typical for point-and-shoot cameras relying on small imagers and short lenses. Again, there is no opportunity for the user to set the aperture on the EX-Z57, although the camera can be set to display the aperture and shutter speed settings determined by the camera on the LCD display. 

Image Parameters

 

Picture Quality / Size Options*(7.0)
*The EX-Z57 offers six image sizes in three quality settings. The sizes are 2560 x 1920, 2560 x 1712, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960 and 640 x 480 pixels. The quality options are called Fine, Normal and Economy. Economy compresses the file much more than Fine, cutting the file size by anywhere from 30 to 50 percent, with a significant loss of quality.

Picture Effects Mode*(6.5)
*The EX-Z57 lumps picture effects with shooting modes, including "Monochrome" for black-and-white images, and "Retro" for brown-toned images. "Sunset" and "Twilight," with their red and magenta tints, might also be regarded as effects. 

Connectivity / Extras

**Connectivity **
Software (3.0)

Casio bundles Photo Loader and Photohands for Windows with the EX-Z57. Photo Loader for Mac OSX is also included. Photo Loader is a downloading and organizing utility, and Photohands is an image editing program. Both software packages are limited and frustrating.

Photo Loader downloads and saves images and generates html files to form a directory of the pictures. It organizes the directory by date, and starts Microsoft Explorer to view the directory. It's unfortunate that the program defaults to saving images to a directory within the program files directory, rather than in the standard "My Pictures" folder where many users will expect to find them. In general, Photo Loader doesn't integrate functions well for users, bouncing them from its own minimal and unhelpful interface to Explorer to Photohands.

Photohands is odd. It's a very limited collection of editing tools bundled in a gratuitously confusing and inefficient interface. About half the screen in Photohands does nothing – offers the user no data or controls. Another tenth or so is taken up by four animal-themed buttons for the program's four functions. A solid quarter of the screen is taken up by a thumbnail viewer, which shows only three images at a time, smaller than they would appear on the back of the camera. Much more than half of the thumbnail viewer is taken up by over-stylized backgrounds and the two-button navigation tool. The window showing the selected image is probably less than 20 percent of the program window.

The chameleon button brings up contrast, brightness, and saturation sliders, as well as buttons to activate sharpening (soft, hard or OFF), Noise Removal (on or off) and Filter (black-and-white, sepia, or OFF). There is no color balance adjustment. The kangaroo button brings up a resize dialog, the monkey button allows the image to rotate in 90-degree increments, or flip horizontally or vertically. The cow (I think it’s a cow) brings up the print dialog.

There are many more effective choices for handling images on your computer. Which ones are better? All of them. For simplicity's sake, I'll just mention Photoshop Elements, which allows users to do far more in a much more direct manner.

*Jacks, Ports, Plugs (6.0)
*The EX-Z57 is packaged with a dock that handles both its USB and power connection. The dock's power cable plugs into an AC outlet, and its standard USB plug can connect to either a computer for downloading images, or to a PictBridge compatible printer for camera-controlled printing. The EX-Z57's Lithium-Ion battery charges while the camera is stationed in the dock. There is no provision for charging it separately. For most users, that's not a significant limitation, but it's unfortunate that there isn't an option to keep a spare battery, and charge the depleted one while using the spare.

*Direct Print Options (6.0) *

The EX-Z57 is compatible with the standard computer-independent options: PictBridge and DPOF. In Playback mode, the user can choose which pictures to print, how many copies of each frame to print, and whether to imprint the capture date on the final prints. PictBridge-compatible home printers can read the data and print the images without reliance on a computer. Some photo labs can also read the data and download print orders from SD media cards. The EX-Z57 is also compliant with EXIF and Print Image Matching standards, which aim to maintain color fidelity in prints.

*Battery (8.0)
*The EX-Z57 uses an NP-40 rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery. Lithium-Ion is a high-capacity technology, typically providing long life between recharges. The EX-Z57 seemed to have good battery life in the period we spent with the camera, and is estimated at 400 shots per charge, according to CIPA standards. This should endure well beyond competing cameras that rely on AA batteries – even rechargeable AA cells.

*Memory (6.0) *

The EX-Z57 has 9.3MB of internal memory. That's enough to hold four images at the camera's largest file size (the resolution Casio suggests for a letter-size print), 94 images at the very smallest size (suitable for emailing), and various sizes in between. The camera also accepts SD memory cards, when additional storage is necessary.

Other Features*(4.0)
**Custom Mode – *In the Best Shot mode, it's possible to create your own custom mode to meet individual shooting needs.

Programmable Buttons – It's possible to set the left and right buttons on the four-way controller to control a variety of features that are usually only available via the menu.

Self-Timer – The EX-Z57's self-timer offers a 2-second and 10-second delay, followed by three exposures at 1-second intervals.

Overall Impressions

Value*(4.0)
*The EX-Z57 is easy to use, very compact, and quite rugged for its styling. The available menu displays are incredibly readable, and unusually well rendered. At $300 online, it is a competitive value. The EX-Z57’s 2.7-inch LCD display is the camera's unique selling feature, and should make the camera particularly attractive to people who enjoy sharing their pictures via the display; however, the limited resolution will take a lot away from its appeal. Larger LCDs have typically commanded higher prices, so it's significant that the EX-Z57 is available at the same price as cameras with smaller displays. This is due to the 115,200 pixels it uses to display images. Additionally, the large screen results in tiny buttons that are difficult to access which can be quite frustrating at times.

The camera is also lacking in image quality. Both our color and noise tests (see the Performance/Testing section) show substandard performance, with little room for redemption. For people who don't care about the display, or who need manual control or fast performance, the EX-Z57 is not a good choice or value. For those looking for a large screen to display their images at events, the EX-Z57 offers an unusually large screen for this point in time.

Comparisons
Kodak EasyShare C360 – The Kodak EasyShare C360 is also a 5 megapixel compact camera with a 3x zoom. Offering 24 fps video capture, the C360 will produce far smother clips than the EX-Z57, with just a 15 fps recording rate. While the EX-Z57’s oversized display is significantly larger than the C360’s 2-inch LCD, the camera’s menu interface is far more convoluted. The C360 has 32MB of internal memory, over three times the storage of the EX-Z57's 9.3MB. The C360's images earned good scores for their low noise, but lower scores for color reproduction. Some of this may be attributed to the lack of a manual white balance option on the C360, a feature that the EX-Z57 offers. However, in terms of control, the C360 is far beyond the EX-Z57. The body of the C360 is much more logically laid out and contains enough working space for the buttons and for proper handling.

Nikon Coolpix 5600 – The Nikon Coolpix 5600, yet another 5 megapixel compact with a 3x zoom, suffers in comparison to the EX-Z57. Its 1.8-inch LCD is small compared to the EX-Z57’s 2.7-inch display. The 5600 contains 16 presets, as opposed to the 23 on the EX-Z57, though not all of the presets on either camera are truly useful. The EX-Z57's White Board and Business Card presets, which remove keystone distortion from certain images, set the camera apart in the preset race.

**

Fujifilm E550 –* The Fujifilm E550 is a 6 megapixel, 4x zoom compact camera available online for less than $300. With much faster operation than the EX-Z57 (it also includes an actual burst mode), the E550 will handle action far better. The E550 also offers ISO settings up to 800, helping it to handle low light better. The E550’s 2-inch LCD screen is far smaller than the EX-Z57's 2.7-inch display, but with 154,000 pixels, it has considerably higher resolution than the EX-Z57's 115,200.

**

Who It’s For **
Point-and-Shooters – The EX-Z57 is a point-and-shoot camera with a large display, making it a suitable alternative for snapshooters looking to show their exposures immediately. Other than that, point-and-shooters would be better off with other alternatives.

Budget Consumers – The EX-Z57 is not a good budget choice. Many other cameras take better pictures for less money. Most budget consumers don't need the big display.

Gadget Freaks – Well, the large screen might quality as a gadget, but otherwise, the camera is fairly barren to the gadget freak.

Manual Control Freaks – The EX-Z57 has relatively little manual control, even for a small compact camera.

Pros/Serious Hobbyists – The large LCD won't appeal to these users. There really isn't anything about it that would, and they'd expect better image quality than the EX-Z57 can provide, even from a pocket-friendly alternative.

Conclusion

Conclusion

With a 1/2.5-inch 5 megapixel CCD sensor and large 2.7-inch LCD screen available for under $300 online, the 3.48 x 2.28 x 0.89–inch aluminum alloy Exilim EX-Z57 appears to be an enticing package. Other attention-grabbing elements are the rechargeable Lithium-ion battery that reportedly attains 400 shots per charge (CIPA standards), 23 preset shooting modes, a video capture setting, and despite the scarcity of manual controls, a custom white balance setting. The graphical design of the menu is perhaps the most impressive element of all. The interface graphics are well structured to provide optimal visibility in direct light and dark shooting situations.

However, the camera only appears enticing at first glance. Look closer and the camera has some cardinal deficiencies. While the oversized LCD screen might sound attractive, the Z57’s 2.7" screen sounds far better than it actually performs. The 115,200 pixel monitor displays images with minimal sharpness and poor color reproduction. The screen itself consumes 3/4 of the back of the frame; a problem when there is no mode dial and the back of the camera houses all controls other than the shutter and power buttons. The cramped layout will limit the camera’s audience, and users with larger hands might forgo the Z57 entirely rather than deal with the headache (or hand ache) of operating it.

Also, image quality and performance feel like afterthoughts on the EX-Z57. The camera performed slowly (except for its minimal shutter lag time) and colors were imbalanced and lacked vibrancy. The camera handled noise far more effectively when the ISO setting was manually set, rather than automatically controlled by the camera. This will present a problem for a large number of the camera’s targeted audience, who presumably won’t want to bother with manual controls. Additionally, the weak flash and limited 50-400 ISO range, coupled with the Z57’s poor noise performance at the 400 setting, casts the camera as a daylight imager only – losing effectiveness after dusk and indoors. Although, even well-exposed images with the EX-Z57 also lack sharpness.

But the EX-Z57 does have an audience, limited though it may be. This camera is ultimately for a certain specialized sort of point-and-shooter: one who doesn't want manual control, whose typical subjects don't include action, and who likes to show other people pictures as they are taken. With its poor image quality, the camera is for users who aren't too discerning about color, and perhaps ones who don't plan to make prints of their images at all.

The EX-Z57 is a good portable photo viewer at best, but a sub-par camera at worst. For those consumers searching for a camera with strong image quality and moderate speed, there are plenty of other offerings with 5 megapixels and 3x optical zoom that are worth looking into.

Specs

Specs Table
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Meet the tester

Patrick Singleton

Patrick Singleton

Editor

Patrick Singleton is a valued contributor to the Reviewed.com family of sites.

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