Casio Exilim EX-Z1200

By Will Greenwald, CNET.com
Aug 1, 2007

Megapixels get too much emphasis these days. Most people really don't need more than 6 megapixels to take nice stills that you can edit, crop, post to the Web, or even print out to a respectable size. Larger images can be more trouble than they're worth for casual users, since larger file sizes require more memory and computer power to store, process and edit.

That said, higher resolutions can be handy. The more pixels you have in an image, the more you can zoom in and look at fine details, and the larger you can blow up prints. What does this mean for you? Don't get sucked into the megapixel hype, and don't sacrifice image quality or performance just for a few more pixels.

Design
The Casio Exilim EX-Z1200 joins the slowly growing ranks of 12-megapixel compact cameras. Like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX100 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W200, it packs a 12-megapixel sensor into a portable, relatively pocketable package.

     
For more details on the Z1200's design and image quality, click on the image.
At 152g with battery and SD card, the Z1200 weighs in as one of the heaviest Casio Exilim cameras to date. Despite its relative heft, the Z1200 cuts a similar profile to other Exilim Zoom cameras. Its body measures just 22.4mm across, making it slim enough to fit into a shirt or jacket pocket. A 2.8-inch LCD dominates the camera's back panel and dwarfs the screens of many other compact cameras.

Unfortunately, the combination of small body and large screen leave the Z1200 with precious little room for controls. The camera's joypad and buttons feel small and cramped, and can confound large-thumbed users. While its physical buttons can seem awkward, the camera's software interface works quite well, revolving around an on-screen sidebar that offers direct and intuitive access to nearly every camera setting.

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