 Casio Exilim EX-FC100 camera
Theo Boshoff
Not many Casio digital cameras have come our way in the past, so we at Digital Life were all too happy to get our hands on the Casio EX-FC100.
It’s a mid- to high-end digital camera that makes taking photos a pleasure. As it’s not an SLR camera, we thought it wouldn’t be too difficult to operate, but navigating through the settings was not that easy. You have to either search long and hard or get out that user manual, which, let’s be frank, no one likes to do. We also feel that there are too many buttons on the device itself.
But what’s great about this nine-megapixel camera with its 5x zoom lens is that it does not only allow for still photography, but also acts as a good entry- and mid-level digital video camera or handy-cam. That’s right, the EX-FC100 also shoots HD video, saving video at up to 1 000 frames per second for incredible slow motion when slow motion playback is activated. Sadly, video capture is limited to only ten minutes.
The coolest feature of this camera is the staggering image record rate of 30 frames per second (fps), so you can capture high-speed action shots, like moving cars and bikes, and then choose the best pic of the lot. What is nice is that it actually captures an image up to 0.3 seconds before the shutter button is pressed, as an anti-lag solution. This is, however, only possible at a lower setting of six-megapixel resolution, but it’s still okay for large-format prints, not billboards, but posters.
The image quality is good for most amateur photographers, but it did not blow us away. At 100 ISO, images are good, but from 200 ISO to the maximum of 1 600 ISO, the image noise increases and just gets worse.
Another kind of noise problem is the sound the camera makes when doing the autofocus thing. The camera has lightning-quick autofocus, but you constantly hear the autofocus happening as you move the camera around the slightest bit. It’s like a mosquito around your head.
Despite all the negatives and its hefty price, we do think it’s a good camera and will make novice photographers very happy.
In summary
Rating: 67%
Best for: Beginner
Digital Life says: The Exilim EX-FC100 is a fairly good camera with fantastic capturing speeds, but image quality is lacking at higher ISO levels
Plus: The 30fps capturing speeds for fast-action photography
Minus: Noisy images from 200 ISO upwards; noisy autofocus
Contact: www.thecasioshop.co.za
Price: R5 699
- Resolution: 9.1MP
- Screen size: 2.7-inch-wide LCD
- Zoom: 5x optical
- Still photos: 30fps
- Video: 1 000fps, HD recording
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