Casio Exilim EX-Z4

Pentax Optio W60

Casio Exilim EX-Z4

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Casio Exilim EX-Z4

WARNING: Do not buy any Casio Exilim cameras! While their fit and finish are superb, and the pictures are excellent, they don't hold up to even the dust within pockets, making it useless for its intended purpose. Furthermore, I've heard terrible things about Casio support in dealing with this issue; I'm not encouraged about the reception my cameras will receive. An update will be posted. This saddens me a great deal, as I've grown to love these cameras. I have, instead, purchased a dustproof and waterproof Pentax Optio W10.

Wednesday 18 February 2004

It was three months ago that I purchased a Casio Exilim EX-Z4U to become my daily digital camera (one of a long line of digital cameras), supplementing my long-lasting Nikon CoolPix 950 (which returned from Nikon repair with a broken hinge, necessitating the glamorous use of a rubber band).

The main reasons for the purchase were (1) a resolution high enough to provide decent paper prints and (2) something small enough that it would always be tucked into a pocket.

The EX-Z4U does both, better than I expected. The results from the print shop have been nothing short of spectacular, easily meeting the quality I'd gotten used to with my 35mm Olympus OM-1, -2, and -10s. The camera is always with me.

But one very windy day in Gran Canaria I lost the damn thing. What to do? My Sony DCR-TRV20 video camera can take still pictures, albeit lower quality. A quick search on the Internet with my Handspring Treo 180 resulted in an interesting bit of information: we United States buyers of the EX-Z4U have had foisted upon us a castrated version of the camera.

The non-US version, the EX-Z4, has the ability to take video footage! For tariff reasons this ability has been snipped.

I'm furious that I spent the same money, got the same box, and had one of the most compelling functions removed. Had I known how compelling it would be to be able to take video snapshots (in chunks of up to 60 seconds, as many of which your SD/MMC card can hold) I would never have bought the 'U'.

But now I have, and I'm thrilled with it. It's no replacement for a full-quality DV video camera but it is head and shoulders above being limited to still pictures.

And the tiny wonder is always in my pocket. That's the very best thing.

Have you found errors nontrivial or marginal, factual, analytical and illogical, arithmetical, temporal, or even typographical? Please let me know; drop me email. Thanks!

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