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The last Casio camera that we reviewed was the Exilim Z-90. It was small and compact enough to fit just about any pocket. Now, the Exilim Z550 is just as small as the Z90, probably a little wider, but what we need to look into is the performance of the Z550. The EX-Z550 is compact little camera that has a mix of the usual combination of plastic and metal in its construction – which makes it solid and quite durable. As from the size of it the EX-Z550 fits plum in your palm with no fuss what so ever. However the overall grip is what the camera lacks as the brushed metal finish feels a little too slippery for comfort. Nevertheless what you get is a decently sized camera that measures just about 99.5 x 55.4 x 22.4mm in size and weighs 140 g which makes it light enough to carry around. The camera features a high resolution 14.1 MP CCD sensor that comes combined with a decent 4x optical zoom. In addition to this the Z550 boasts of a wide angle lens (26mm) that allows you to capture a much wider aspect of the subject. The camera manages to accommodate a decent 2.7-inch LCD display which works well without any sort of panning issues when shooting. However the screen feels a little too reflective when used under a well lit area. A mode that has made its mark in almost all cameras is the calendar mode which allows you to view pictures by the date it was captured on – the EX-Z550 does it with utmost perfection. There is nothing much to the interface to get used to as it is quite simple to comprehend. Changes such as Flash, ISO, Timer so on and so forth are easily accessible via the menu system placed towards the right. Casio has also thrown in an option to change the cameras menu color to any of the six predefined colors. The Casio EX-Z550 has a very plain rear with just the required buttons in place. Here you’ll find the preview/camera button, the menu/mode selection button along with the directional keys that also double up as display and flash button. And just like the Z90 the Z550 comes with a dedicated record button for video capture. What makes the Z550 a no brainer when it comes to usage is its overabundance of preset modes – 43 to be precise. Now that’s a whole lot of modes to choose from which makes this a simple point and shoot. Most modes remain the same as the previously reviewed Z90. However there were only a handful of modes that were worth mentioning such as the Multi-motion image, ID photo and silent. Here the silent mode basically gives you the freedom to record video in black and white eliminating the audio. However the overall film effect gives a feel of an old time silent movie. Just like all cameras there is the obvious Intelligent Auto mode which can be recognised as “Auto Best Shot”. |
Tags: Casio EX-Z550 , EX-Z550
Would you buy it?
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