Casio Exilim EX-Z70

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Performance
Despite a few quirks, the Z70's performance is excellent. The camera powers up in only 1.2 seconds and can take a shot every 1.3 seconds. With the onboard flash enabled, shot-to-shot time increases to 2.5 seconds.

Typical continuous-shooting speed (frames per second)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)

Casio Exilim EX-Z70

0.8

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T10

1.4

Canon IXUS 70

1.7

Shutter lag measures a speedy 0.4 second in bright light and only 1 second in dim light. Burst mode was acceptable, pumping out 27 full-resolution images in 33 seconds for a rate of 0.8 frame per second.

A Quick Shot mode lets you can snap off shots even more rapidly by forgoing focusing, but when you get home to edit, e-mail, or print them, they'll be nothing but grainy blurs.

Press the shutter release down halfway until it achieves a focus lock; then take the shot. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you have the rhythm down you'll be taking quick, focused photos.

Shooting speed
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Typical shot-to-shot

Time to first shot

Shutter lag

Casio Exilim EX-Z70

1.3

1.2

0.4

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T10

1.6

1.4

0.5

Canon IXUS 70

1.5

0.5

Image quality
The Z70 handles exposure and color very well, but its images are otherwise disappointing. Fine details appear soft even in very good circumstances, and noticeable processing artifacts and image noise further obscure the picture.

We also notice some distinct lens distortion at both the wide-angle and telephoto ends of the camera's zoom.

Though its slim size and price tag make it quite appealing, the Casio Exilim EX-Z70 has a few notable quirks to overcome. If you don't mind getting used to shooting in a certain rhythm or gingerly carrying the camera in your pocket, the Z70 could be a nice, responsive choice.

Instead of the Z70, you might consider the superior ultracompact Canon PowerShot SD600. It has only 6 megapixels and is a bit thicker than the Z70, but its image quality is far superior.

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