By Leonard Goh
20/08/2008
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/digitalcameras/0,39001469,62045081,00.htm

In the digital imaging industry, Casio was one of the first companies to engineer some of the slimmest cameras we've seen. While the latest trends are high-resolution sensors and touchscreen displays, the firm is concentrating on keeping its point-and-shoots slim and stylish. At first glance, the babies from Casio may not seem to have any features to shout about, but we delved in deeper and found HD-quality video capture and wide-angle optics.

The 10-megapixel Exilim EX-Z300 has bumped up the LCD to 3 inches (up from the Z200's 2.7-inch display) and comes with HD-quality (1,280 x 720 pixels) video capture in this shooter. It has also imported the 28mm wide-angle lens and 4x optical zoom from its predecessor. Its sibling, the 9-megapixel EX-Z250 has similar features without the HD-quality video capture.

The other two 9-megapixel models, the EX-Z85 and EX-Z19 are pretty similar in terms of specifications. Both units have 3x optical zoom with 2.6-inch displays, but the Z85 has a new fun feature that will probably appeal to the casual users. While the typical point-and-shoot's focus frame is rectangular, you can customize it on the Z85 to be in the shape of a heart and when the image is out of focus, the heart breaks up. Gimmicky, but we think it'll be fun to use.

Casio was unable to confirm the Asia availability and pricing as of press time, but we will update once we have the information.

Model name	In a nutshell
Casio Exilim EX-Z300	Notable features: HD-quality (1,280 x 720 pixels) video capture 10 megapixels 28mm wide-angle lens 4x optical zoom CCD-shift image stabilization SD/SDHC card slot and 38.5MB internal memory 96.9 x 57.6 x 23mm; 131g What to look out for: This is the first Casio point-and-shoot to feature HD-quality video capture and is probably targeted at more savvy shutterbugs. Pricing and availability: TBA
Casio Exilim EX-Z250	Notable features: 9 megapixels 28mm wide-angle lens 4x optical zoom CCD-shift image stabilization SD/SDHC card slot and 38.5MB internal memory 96.7 x 57.3 x 19.9mm; 119g What to look out for: Without the HD-quality video capture hardware, this shooter is slightly trimmer and should go down well with ladies. Pricing and availability: TBA
Casio Exilim EX-Z85	Notable features: 9 megapixels 3x optical zoom lens Customizable focus frame 2.6-inch LCD display SD/SDHC card slot and 41.2MB internal memory 89.7 x 51.7 x 19 mm; 100g What to look out for: The customizable focus frames are a fun touch to this otherwise conventional snapper. Pricing and availability: TBA
Casio Exilim EX-Z19	Notable features: 9 megapixels 3x optical zoom lens 2.6-inch LCD display SD/SDHC card slot and 18.5MB internal memory 92.5 x 55 x 23.2 mm; 127g What to look out for: Although this compact may have the least features in this lineup, we guess it should be priced as an entry-level shooter with an afforable price tag. Pricing and availability: TBA

As of press time, Casio was unable to provide us with images for the Exilim EX-Z85 and EX-Z19. We will update this page accordingly when we get them.