Review: Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z1050 digital camera

When most camera manufacturers are churning out digital SLRs (DSLR) to bring in the bucks, Casio has instead upgraded last summer’s 10-megapixel Exilim Z1000, the first pocket model to offer a resolution that high.

So, what recommends the new Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z1050, other than it being £150 cheaper?

Flip the camera over and you’ll find out. The back is almost entirely swallowed up by a 2.6in wide screen, not the biggest in its class, but with a camera these dimensions it’s plenty big enough.

A mix of plastic and aluminium, and available in black, blue, silver, gold or pink, the Z1050 feels lightweight.

Controls have been kept to a minimum; above the screen sits a pair of buttons, one for shooting mode, the second for playback. To the right there’s an even smaller button for calling up menu options, mirrored below a four-way control dial by a second button marked ‘BS’.

While that may prompt a ripple of mirth from North American readers, here it stands for Best Shot, Casio’s beginner-friendly range of 38 scene modes.

Turn the camera on – the Z1050 powers up in just under two seconds – and it’s immediately obvious why Casio has kept few exterior controls. Down the right-hand side of the screen is a toolbar that includes all main shooting settings such as image size, flash options, ISO (sensitivity to light) speeds, exposure and white balance.

These can be switched off if you like, but for beginners it’s a useful crutch – while a live histogram (a graph showing the areas of brightness so you can get exposure spot on) can also be displayed.

Images are saved as JPEGs, and you’ll need to supply your own SD memory card. Furthermore, with the high-speed variety you can take advantage of an impressive seven frames per second capture speed, but with a drop in resolution.

With complete reliance on the screen for every aspect of operation – there's no viewfinder - Casio suggests you’ll get up to 370 shots from a single charge, which is just slightly better than average.

So what of the images themselves? Exilims have a history of stumbling in the dark. Turning off flash and utilising only natural light indoors there’s the chance of camera shake, and compensating with higher shutter speeds and ISO settings only partly avoids blur.

Image noise – grain in darker areas of the frame – isn’t as noticeable at higher ISO settings as previous generations, though the high level of processing applied to minimise it does smooth away detail.

Still, under bright skies, well-exposed, warmly colourful images are the order of the day – and the Z1050 makes a better job of contrast-y situations than many rival compacts.

Not a great deal has changed since the Z1000, apart from a cheaper price, smaller size and that very fast, albeit compromised, burst rate. Still, the Z1050 is very easy to use, very portable and delivers very colourful images that will satisfy any occasional snapper.