Casio Exilim EX-S3

Bookmark

By Calvin Siew
Apr 01, 2003

Since the very first Casio Exilim EX-S1, the question of form over function or vice versa has been asked countless times. The manufacturers all know that they need to strike the perfect balance to create a hit. The Exilim EX-S3 is Casio's latest attempt at such a cause. Like it's predecessor, the EX-S2, the unit keeps the eye-catching body and improves with a higher pixel count and more features.

"Thinny-Weeny"
With its lightweight magnesium alloy body, the EX-S3 feels rather solid and exhibits a tint of class with its brushed metallic look. You really have to feel it in your hands before you realize how small this thing is. It's barely larger than a credit card and also thinner than most fashion magazines. Weighing in a hair below 100g with both battery and media installed, the EX-S3 readily qualifies as a featherweight in the collection of point-and-shoot cameras.

For its size, the EX-S3 is surprisingly easy to grip. Along the body, you'll see various bumps and protrusions (one even cleverly disguised as a brand tag), showing that Casio engineers have given a lot of thought on how to increase your clutching needs without compromising on that sleek design. On the back, the layout is clean and neat, allowing for effortless navigation on an otherwise small real estate.

Coming after the EX-S1, S2, or even the MP3-equipped EX-M series, the EX-S3 has lost some of that "shock and awe" that its predecessors generated. Nevertheless, the unit will be well-received by the market's desire for diminutive objects.

What's New?
As anticipated, the EX-S3 lacks frills, but it does have some features that allow it to raise the bar with regard to point-and-shoot cameras. Confined in the small frame are a 3-megapixel CCD sensor, 15 preset picture modes, and as many saved custom favorite settings as your storage allows. With its immense picture modes, there's really hardly a need to apply the manual options, but it's comforting to know that the ability is there.

The unit offers (+2.0/-2.0 EV) exposure compensation in 0.3 to 0.4EV intervals and selectable white balance presets, including a manual white balance option (for calibration with a white object in any lighting situation). There are also four independent ISO speeds ranging from 80 to 640. Typical of point-and-shoot cameras, all the options are available only through the unit's menu system.

In terms of storage, the EX-S3 comes with 10MB of internal memory with support for Secure Digital (SD) and MultiMediaCard (MMC) media. The retail package does not include any external flash memory, hence users will need to buy an additional MMC or SD card if they intend to use the 3-megapixel sensor to its fullest ability. The unit is able to save JPEGs at four resolutions and three compression settings. In movie mode, it can record 30-second clips in AVI format with sound at 320 x 240 resolution. There is now a microphone at the front of the unit for capturing sound, but unfortunately still no speakers for audio playback.

New to the Exilim series is the Best Shot Mode that first graced the earlier QV-R3/R4. Casio's Web site has details to this feature complete with explanations and pictures. Other than these, this itsy-bitsy camera also stocks three self-timer modes, 4x digital zoom, a world clock, and amazingly, even a histogram.

Also new is the rather large 2-inch LCD (especially for its dimensions) compared to the "small" 1.6-inch that the EX-S2 incorporates. Showing that they listen to user feedback, Casio has now implemented a lens barrier that automatically opens and closes to prevent damage to its lens from dirt and impact.

Using It
Bearing in mind the size, the EX-S3 performed admirably. The power-up time of the unit was just over a second! In terms of image capture performance, the unit has negligible shutter lag; its manufacturer claims a world's fastest timing of 0.01 seconds. Shot-to-shot time was about average coming in at about 2 to 3 seconds with flash on. These all combined to make the camera perfect for catching those rare spontaneous moments.

We had no problems composing pictures on the monitor, which proved sharp and viewable even in bright light. This is rather surprising, particularly since the LCD has only 85k pixels. The optical viewfinder, on the other hand, is a bit small and shows approximately 80-90 percent of the actual image area, but it's reasonably crisp and bright.

The 15 preset picture modes will prove useful especially for novice users. It gives a brief description of what each of the individual modes attempt to accomplish as well as hints to taking the photos. For example, the "Night Scene" settings cue the user to hold the camera still and steady as it has slowed the shutter speed of the camera. Even though the tip was useful, without a tripod mount, it proved a gargantuan task just to make use of the suggestion. Suffice to say, most users will have trouble getting the perfect night shot with this model.

Picture Quality
On the whole, the EX-S3 produced test shots that were detailed and well exposed. However, certain images exhibited slight barrel distortion, which strangely enough seemed to be visible only when there were two straight vertical objects to the left and right of the image. You're not wrong to say that the unit is not built for taking picturesque landscapes. It's designed more for snapshots of people (preferably close by), and may even be a good conversation starter at a bar or party.

As with other cameras, don't put too much weight on the digital zoom. In our tests, there were visible artifacts and noise when we zoomed in on our test subjects. Otherwise, the EX-S3 proved acceptable. The unit's automatic white balance was able to handle most lighting conditions. Like the HP Photosmart 850 that was just reviewed, the manual white balance proved useful when a white object (such as a card) is brought along. Colors captured were vivid, showing only some noise and artifacts in shots with dim lighting. This can't be taken against Casio as it's typical of CCD sensors when done at high ISO settings.

Do We Bite?
With its world time function and fast image capture performance, the EX-S3 ups the bar for point-and-shoot vacation cameras. Retailing at S$699 (US$395), there's a premium for being cool. For the same price, you could purchase a 3-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom. Even so, while the EX-S3 may not provide the all-weather properties of the Olympus µ[mju:] series, the unit does offer style and portability, arguably second to none. If you play your "cards" right, it may even work well for you at parties and functions. We, though, are awaiting the EX-Z3 due to reach us soon.