Casio QV-R4

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By Reuben Lee
Sep 09, 2002

The Casio QV-R4 is the latest in a growing list of 4-megapixel ultracompacts such as the popular Pentax Optio 430 and Konica KD-400Z. Standard features include a stainless steel casing, 3x optical zoom lens, 1.6-inch LCD display and proprietary Lithium-ion battery pack. However, the Casio QV-R4 has a few tricks up its sleeve.

Feature Laden
Possibly one of the best-equipped point-and-shoot cameras to pass through our hands, the QV-R4 comes with an impressive set of manual controls. Advanced shooters will appreciate the multiple metering modes (multi, center-weighted, spot) and manual focusing function, on top of the standard exposure compensation, shutter speed and white balance controls.

For greater creativity, there are various levels of contrast, sharpness and saturation as well as multiple filter options. There's even a histogram display to help ensure the correct brightness in the images.

Most Casio offerings today come with the extremely useful Best Shot mode. The QV-R4 ups the ante with 33 pre-programmed settings for shooting in various photographic situations, taking care of the more difficult lighting conditions (such as night views and action shots) for first-timers. Additionally, the camera has the ability to save customized settings (up to 999 entries) so you almost never run out of shooting options.

As we've noted, the QV-R4 doesn't skimp on features. We liked that it can be programmed to take pictures at a certain time interval, to capture the various stages of any particular scenery such as sun rise. And instead of taking just a single shot, the camera comes with a self-timer mode that shoots three consecutive shots, enabling the user to pick the best among the lot.

Other noteworthy shooting options: a coupling shot mode which lets you merge two shots into one image; as well as a pre-shot mode that allows you to shoot the background first and use it to better compose the actual shot on the LCD screen.

Where the user guide was concerned, this wasn't very helpful. Fortunately, the QV-R4 is quite easy to operate, thanks to its intuitive user interface.

Sleek Design
Aesthetically, the 240g QV-R4 is probably one of the best-looking cameras we have seen from Casio thus far. Its design is simple yet stylish, and its brushed metal body feels surprisingly rugged and sturdy. Unfortunately, the boxy edges don't give us enough of a camera grip, while the mode dial is placed in an awkward location that makes it difficult to scroll while one is using the camera.

For eyeglass users, the unit comes with two viewfinder options: a sharp 1.6-inch LCD display; and an optical viewfinder with dioptre control. Images can be stored on the onboard 11MB memory or expandable SD/MMC memory slots. The slim rechargeable Lithium-ion battery lasted us around 100 shots per full charge.

High-Quality Shots
Test images captured using the QV-R4 were generally sharp with good color contrast and saturation. Most of the pictures also exhibited accurately reproduced tones that were natural yet not overly vibrant as seen in a few other cameras. However, we noticed that when the camera was used in automatic mode, images tended to be slightly under-exposed. When the Best Shot mode was used, the images turned out fine except for a couple which required slight tweaks to the settings before the desired image quality could be achieved. Otherwise, we were happy with the images captured.

Speedy Performance
We were impressed by the QV-R4's fast performance. The 0.01-second shutter lag claimed by Casio also provided one of the fastest response times in a consumer point-and-shoot camera. In practical terms, this means you will capture exactly what you see when you press the shutter button, and not something that happened half a second later, which can make a world of difference if you are shooting action scenes.

A Camera With Extras
If you are looking for a digital camera that's laden with features, the Casio QV-R4 merits serious consideration. At S$1,049 (US$599), it's also one of the most affordable models in its category and competes very well in the compact 4-megapixel class. For something less pricey, its 3-megapixel sibling, QV-R3, also gives value at S$899 (US$514).