Casio Exilim EX-S500 Digital Camera review

Introduction

The Casio Exilim EX-S500 is the latest ultra-compact from Casio. It's a stylish little camera that comes in gray, white, and orange. The EX-S500 is a 5 megapixel camera, with 3x optical zoom, 2.2 inch LCD, Anti Shake DSP, and 30 Best Shot settings. If you're looking for an ultra-compact with some great features, the Casio Exilim EX-S500 is a good option. While not at the top of the class in image quality, it's images are still good and will satisfy most users.

In the Box

Included in the box is the camera, NP-20 rechargeable lithium-ion battery, CA-28 USB cradle, special AC adapter, AC power cord, USB cable, AV cable, strap, software, and basic reference guide.

Casio is one of the growing number of camera manufacturers who no longer include a memory card with their cameras. A year or two you'd see a 16MB (or 32MB if you're lucky) memory card included with the S500, but no more. Instead Casio has built 8.3MB of memory right into the camera. That holds a grand total of TWO photos at the highest quality setting, so consider a larger memory card to be a required purchase. The EX-S500 uses Secure Digital and MultiMedia cards, and Casio recommends the use of a high speed SD card with the camera. A 256MB card is a good size to start with.

The S500 uses one casio NP-20 lithium-ion rechargeable battery for power. This small battery packs 2.6Wh of energy, which isn't too much. To charge the battery just put the camera onto the cradle. It takes about two hours to fully charge the NP-20 battery. If you want to charge the battery outside of the dock you can do so by purchasing the np-20 external charger.

Features

The S500 is a 5 megapixel camera with a 3x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom. The camera does not have an optical viewfinder, only a 2.2 inch LCD. While there isn't a brightness adjustment for the LCD, it does adjust its brightness depending on the ambient light. (If you walk into a dark room, the LCD image brightens).

One of the selling features of the camera is the Anti Shake DSP. To minimize blurring in low light (slow shutter speed) situations, the camera will boost the ISO sensitivity to allow a quicker shutter speed. It is effective, but will never be as superior as optical image stabilization. The downside to boosting the ISO sensitivity is that "noise" is increased in the image. (See the noise comparison image later in this review).

The camera is very snappy. The start up time is excellent -- under a second. Shutter lag is more or less non-existent after the camera is already focused (by depressing the shutter partway). Even when the camera is not already focused, it's still very snappy. Auto focus is quick, even in dark areas (with the help of the focus assist light).

Casio EX-s500 Camera Conclusion

The Casio Exilim EX-S500 is an attractive, well-built camera. While the ultra-compact size is nice for some, for others it can easily slip out of your hand. With three colors to choose from, it's obvious that a large point of difference for this camera is its looks. The image quality is good with some minor issues at times and a high quality casio np-20 battery,but I think that most users of this camera will not notice. The LCD is nice and sharp and makes for excellent viewing and framing of images.

This camera is a good choice for people who need a stylish camera to take out on the town, as it won't take up much space in a pocket or purse. The speed of the camera and great battery life make it easy to catch the right "moment", which could come in handy for snapshots of kids. The Best Shot modes give you a ton of choices for those special shots, but the Auto mode works well too.