Casio Exilim EX-S100

Review Date
February 7, 2005

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
0-1 years

Visitors rate this review
3.75 of 5, 8 votes

Reviewed by
janandersen , Intermediate

Price Paid
$207.00 at Germany

Summary
I have the Canon Powershot A40, but now its broke, so I did a lot of research for my new camera, based on experience with my first digital camera. The A40 took excelent pictures but had some technical problems from the very start, and having to plug in a USB tiny connector every time I wanted to download pictures was quite iritating. So was the too offen battery change. The limited time of video recording was very iritating too.

So my demands was ( in priority ):
1) Docking station ( that disqualifies all Canon cameras )
2) Unlimited video recording time ( that disqualifies all Canon cameras )
3) Inexpensive SD card ( that disqualifies all Sony cameras )
4) Small as possible

I made a comparison of picture quality at www.steves-digicams.com where most digital cameras have been tested, and which has photos from all the cameras. Conslusion was, that there was very little difference in picture quality among the compact cameras. Only if you compare the pictures side by side and examine closely you can see a difference - so picture quality is not an issue when choosing a compact camera today - they are all more or less the same in picture quality ( unless you are a photofile ). I ended up with ZZ50,Z55 and S100 was the only cameras fullfilling my demands. I choosed the S100 since it is the smallest - yes there is a difference in picture quality from Z55 to S100 but ist tiny and you wont notice it unless compared isde by side - of cause you compare a 5M with a 3.2M camera.

Conclusion:
The S100 is a fantastic camera, no complains at all. The docking station is very important to have. Dont buy a camera without docking station.

At a price as low as 217 Euro look no further for your compact camera - this is the best one available today.

Looking forward to the next model from Casio with 640x480 video recording.

Strengths
Small
Docking station
SD card
Unlimited video recording
Many preset themes

Weaknesses
No 640x480 video mode

Similar Products Used
Canon Powershot A40

Review Date
February 3, 2005

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
0-1 years

Visitors rate this review
2.60 of 5, 5 votes

Reviewed by
hellinvader , Intermediate

Price Paid
$385.00 at eBay

Summary
I'm Very pleased with this camera, a Very Good tiny camera to carry around that's below $400CAD include shipping and tax. I was attracted by the size of it when I read the 1st review about it. I used to carry a EX-S2 all the time, then i switch to EX-Z4U for the zoom. But then its TINY little bit too heavy, so i switched to a EX-S100. It is a EXCELLENT tiny camera EXCEPT flash takes a bit too long to charge up, but its still acceptable and expected since its so compact and with this tiny battary. I bought 2 of them becuase I lost my 1st 1 since its SMALL. I had been thinking to get a Sony M-1 instead of buying the same model, but considering the size of it, if I'm using the M-1, then why don't I stick with my OLD Casio QV-R40 and the Fujifilm A101.

Strengths
-WORLD's thinest camera with zoom lens
-WORLD's 1st transparent ceramic lens
-Large 2" LCD display
-UNLIMITED movie with sound
-SUPER compact (credit card size)
-VERY light weight
-Short shutter lag, tho its not as short as the EX-Z4U and EX-S2
-Stylish design
-Best shot mode (lots of fun functions)
-TOO MUCH TO LIST

Weaknesses
-Build in flash not strong enough
-Build in flash takes a bit too long to recharge
-Easy to lost due to small size

Similar Products Used
Fujifilm A101
Samsung DigiMax 300 (sucky camera)
CASIO EX-S2
CASIO EX-Z4U
CASIO QV-R40

Customer Service
the 2nd 1 i bought's build in flash wasn't working, lucky there's warranty for it, but i still have to pay the postage mailing the camera to the US from CA.