Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z77

Performance

In our lab tests, the EX-Z77 neither impressed nor disappointed with its performance, beating or tying its predecessor in every category. After a 1.6-second wait from power-on to first shot, the Z77 could take a new picture every 1.6 seconds with the onboard flash disabled. With the flash turned on, that increased to 2 seconds.

Shutter lag fared best in our tests, measuring 0.5 second with our high-contrast target and 1.1 seconds with our low-contrast target, which mimic bright and dim shooting conditions, respectively. In our continuous-shooting test, the camera captured 10 full-resolution shots in 9.2 seconds for an average rate of 1.1 frames per second. Though that's nothing to write home about, that rate still beat the Z75's burst speed of 0.7fps, so it's still an improvement.

Image Quality

While noise stays pleasantly low in the EX-Z77's pictures, a general softness obscures details that should otherwise look sharp. Pictures taken under incandescent light tend to come out slightly warm even under the tungsten white balance, though the camera's manual white balance can help you overcome this problem. The camera's shots work well enough for e-mails and small prints, but any bigger print will likely disappoint.

At first glance, the Casio Exilim EX-Z77 seems like a very nice camera. It's small, fast, and full of handy options. Unfortunately, sharp-eyed users will be disappointed by its image quality and scant improvements over the Z75. If you already have a Z75, you don't really need to shell out the cash for such a minor upgrade. If you're simply looking for an affordable, simple slimcam, you might want to check out Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-W55 or Olympus' FE-190.

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