Casio Exilim EX-S10

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Arriving six years after Casio first introduced its slimmer-than-slim Exilim line, the 10-megapixel EX-S10 launched as the "thinnest 10-megapixel" digital camera on the market. For those of you who want a carry-anywhere point-and-shoot camera, that's a good thing. While an ultracompact--and fashionable--design is not quite enough to make the S10 a star these days, especially considering its modest 36-108mm (35mm equivalent) 3x optical zoom lens, this little camera has a few tricks up its sleeve and it's fun to use.

Editors' note:

This review is based on tests done by our sister site CNET.com. As such, please note that there may be slight differences in the testing procedure and ratings system. For more information on the actual tests conducted on the product, please inquire directly at the site where the article was originally published. References made to some other products in this review may not be available or applicable in Asia.

Design

Taking pictures with any ultracompact has its benefits and drawbacks, and the S10 is no exception. On the one hand, the S10's slender chassis is extremely portable and small enough to squeeze into skinny jean pockets; measuring 94.2 x 54.6 x 15 mm and weighing 113g fully loaded, you can even wear it around your neck dangling from a lanyard for quick access (and to show off the camera). It looks good in silver, black, red, or blue--all with silver accents--and its slightly rounded corners adds another dash of style. Its lens extends out from the camera when powered on, so there's little chance of an errant finger blocking the lens as is often the case with ultracompacts.

The EX-S10 is available in four shades: Silver, black, blue and the one featured here, red.
(click for larger image)

The downside is of course tiny external controls, including a very low profile power button and small shutter/zoom combo along the camera's top edge. Given that the S10 features a 2.7-inch LCD, which occupies the majority of its rear real estate, it's no surprise that buttons and the four-way controller are diminutive as well. You're more likely to need a fingernail tip to operate the camera's dedicated buttons and four-way controller than the pad of your finger. So if you're a nail biter, in between manicures, or have large hands, operating the S10 may be a little awkward, if not challenging. To complicating matters further, the silver-on-silver icons and text on the buttons are difficult to read, as are the silver icons and text on the camera body (at least on our red review unit).

Once you get past its size, operating the S10 is pretty easy, thanks to the onscreen panel menu. With the four-way controller and the center set button, you can quickly change the image resolution as well as access flash, auto shutter, and trigger sensitivity options. The onscreen menu also lets you enable face detection, and adjust continuous shooting, ISO, and exposure compensation settings. The time is also displayed at the bottom of the list. No worries if you don't know what each one does since there's a text explanation that will make sense to pretty much everyone, even beginners.

Tags: Camera, compensation, LCD, benefit, real estate

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