Casio Exilim EX-M1 digital camera

Casio Exilim EX-S1 / EX-M1/b>

Sensor	1/2.7" 1.3 megapixel CCD
Effective pixels	1.2 megapixel
Lens	37 mm equiv. F2.5
Focus	Fixed focus
Digital zoom	Yes, up to 4.0x
Image sizes	1600 x 1200 (interpolated) 1280 x 960 640 x 480
Image format	JPEG
White Balance	Auto + four modes + manual
Metering	Center Weighted Average
Exposure compensation	+/-2.0 EV in 0.3 EV steps
Flash	Internal
Flash modes	Auto Fill-In Cancel Red-Eye reduction
LCD monitor	1.6" TFT 85,000 pixel (354 x 240)
Storage	14 MB internal RAM SD/MMC slot
Viewfinder	Optical
Connectivity	Via cradle (USB)
Power	Casio np-20 Lithium-Ion rechargable (included)
Dimensions	EX-S1: 88 x 55 x 11.3 mm (3.5 x 2.2 x 0.4 in) EX-M1: 88 x 55 x 12.4 mm (3.5 x 2.2 x 0.5 in)
Weight	EX-S1: 86 g (3.0 oz) EX-M1: 87 g (3.1 oz)

When you have a camera this small, you've gotta have a proprietary battery. Casio uses one called the NP-20, which seems familiar for some reason. This 2.3 Watt/hour battery will get you about 80 minutes of juice per charge, according to Casio. Charging the battery (in the USB cradle) takes two hours.

Speaking of the USB cradle, this is a dock similar to those found on other cameras. Unlike Kodak, HP, and Fuji, Casio actually includes the dock with the camera. You use the dock to transfer photos as well as recharge the battery. The dock does not have to be powered to use the USB connection, which usually isn't the case with docking stations.

The Exilim has a slot for Secure Digital / MultiMedia cards, but one is not included. Instead, the camera has 12MB of built-in memory. A "dummy card" sits in the SD/MMC slot to protect it from dirt and dust.

The Exilim produced pictures that were very good for a 1.2-megapixel camera. Colors were vivid and accurate, and the Exilim's variable ISO sensitivity produced nice pictures in low light, even without a flash. Our test images didn't look great on the PC screen—especially when compared with the 2-, 3-, and 4-megapixel cameras in our roundup—but they produced perfectly acceptable 4-by-6 prints. The 1.6-inch TFT LCD screen is bright and sharp, even in full outdoor light. Unfortunately, the fixed-focus lens really limits the camera's versatility; we couldn't focus on the test target, so the camera couldn't complete any of our performance tests.

The Exilim comes with a USB docking cradle that does double duty as a charger for the camera's
np- 20 lithium ion battery. And battery life was very good, even though we used the LCD screen almost continuously. The model we tested includes MP3 record and playback features, and it comes with a built-in microphone for taking voice memos, a wired remote control, and a set of earbuds. The Casio Exilim EX-S1 omits these features.

With its tiny size and way-cool cachet, the Exilim is a great yet pricey party camera. But if you're looking for sharp picture quality, you'll be disappointed.