IT168 Product Review Casio digital cameras always give people a sense of fashion every time they release a new product, and the S series combines fashionable appearance with practical functions. It was only one year since the last EX-S12 was released. At PMA2010 in February this year, we saw the new S series machine Casio EX-S7, which uses the latest EXILIM Engine 5.0 image processor. The author has previously given a detailed introduction to the appearance of the Casio S7. Today, let’s take a closer look at the specific performance of the Casio S7 in terms of configuration, menus, functions, samples, etc.
The Casio S7 released this time is equipped with a 1/2.3-inch 1200-pixel CCD sensor, which can meet the shooting needs of most users. It is worth mentioning that the S7 also uses a new fifth-generation EXILIM Engine image processing engine. The new image processing engine optimizes Casio’s unique beauty function and dynamic synthesis function, allowing users to shoot more beautiful photos. picture.
Casio EX-S7 packaging
As for the lens, the S7 uses a 3x optical zoom lens with a maximum aperture range of F3.1 (W)-F5.6 (T) , the minimum focusing distance is 10 cm. In terms of display, the S7 is equipped with a 2.7-inch 230,000-pixel LCD screen. Although it is not too big, the display effect is very good. The most anticipated thing is that the S7, as an entry-level machine, also has a 720p high-definition video recording function, which can record 1280X720 resolution video to meet users' imaging needs. In addition, the special functions of Casio cameras such as beauty shooting, scenery shooting, and dynamic synthesis are also included.
Casio EX-S7
Comparing the Casio S12, we can find that although there are not many changes in the parameters of the S7, they are mainly based on the fifth-generation EXILIM Engine image processing engine. The appearance of the fuselage is also more fashionable. Friends who are familiar with Casio's camera product line may find that from the appearance of the body alone, the S7 seems to be an upgraded version of the Casio Z2, because the appearance of the two is so similar. Regarding the ranking of the S7 among Casio's entry-level cameras, it seems that it can be understood this way. The S7 is a functionally upgraded version of the Z2 and a beautified version of the S12 (beautiful appearance and beauty optimization).
The overall appearance is stylish and ultra-thin body details, buttons and interfaces
The Casio S7 I got is black. The matte surface of the body has a strong metallic texture. The color matching makes S7 cool and charming. Friends who are familiar with Casio cameras know that excellent industrial design and fashion sense are the highlights of their appearance, even the entry-level S7 is no exception.
In addition, the iron-gray metal trim with a mirror effect around the S7 body outlines the outline of the S7 body. The four corners of the body are rounded, making the black S7 look cold but still cool. mellow.
The Casio S7 body is very compact, with length, width and height of 96.9mmX56.5mmX19.9mm, and the thinnest part is only 18.0mm. There is a 2.7-inch LCD screen on the back of the compact body. Although it is not a large screen, it is still compact. The weight of the whole machine without battery is only 100g. Holding the S7 in your hand feels very solid.
The front of the Casio S7 uses a two-stage 3x optical zoom lens. When turned on, the extended length of the lens is equivalent to the thickness of the fuselage. The configuration information of the lens is marked on the inner surface of the lens: 3x optical zoom, maximum aperture range F3.1-F5.6.
3X optical zoom, maximum aperture F3.1-F5.6
The silver raised EXILIM logo on the right side of the lens is very eye-catching. It is the symbol of the image processing engine of Casio digital cameras. , in fact, this S7 uses a new fifth-generation EXILIM Engine image processing engine. The light gray CASIO logo is printed next to the flash, which looks very low-key.
Casio S7 front
Although the S7 is compact, you can still find a 2.7-inch 230,000-pixel LCD screen on the back. The screen takes up 3/4 of the back of the fuselage. area. The control keys on the right side of the screen are all circular in design. The layout is compact and leaves a certain amount of space for each key, making it less likely to cause misoperation. In the upper right corner, there is also a specially set up red video recording button. When you need to record, you only need to press it with your thumb to start it.
Screen and button layout on the back of Casio S7
Although the S7 also supports beauty functions, there is no Casio unique beauty on the top of the fuselage except for the power switch and shutter button. color button. Beauty mode needs to be set in the SET menu and provides different beauty levels.
At the bottom of the camera, the battery slot and the memory card slot are still juxtaposed, next to the tripod head fixing hole and speaker hole. Casio S7 is equipped with a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 700 mAh, and the official description can take about 270 photos.
The bottom of the Casio S7 (battery compartment, tripod hole, speaker hole)
There is a USB/AV two-in-one interface next to the lanyard hole on the right side of the S7. The right side of the fuselage is relatively clean.
Menu and shortcut keys
After turning on the phone and setting the date and time, enter the photo interface. The default shooting mode is automatic. At this time, press the SET key to activate eight shortcut menus on the right side of the screen, including photo and video resolution settings, flash, time-lapse shooting, focus mode, ISO sensitivity, easy mode and date and time display.
3 photo ratios
720p HD video
As you can see from the picture above, Casio S7 provides multiple resolution settings, in addition to the general 4: In addition to 3 photo ratios, there are also 3:2 and 16:9 to choose from. In terms of video, it supports 720p shooting (1280X720), and the sensitivity starts from ISO64 and supports up to ISO1600. Among them, the easy mode only displays a few setting items after opening it, and the BS menu is not available in this mode. The playability is greatly reduced, and it is not recommended to open it.
In addition to making these settings in SET, you can also turn on the beauty function, bright scenery, or turn off both through the left and right buttons of the disc around the SET. The upper key opens the shortcut menu, the video time that can be recorded on the memory card, and the peak value, etc., and the lower key is the flash setting item.
Scene modes and interesting features
Generally speaking, card machines rarely provide manual exposure settings, but the 33 scene modes of the Casio S7 make up for this shortcoming. The mode covers almost all shooting scenes in daily life. When shooting, you only need to press the BS (Best Shot) button on the lower right corner of the back of the fuselage to browse these scenes. Set as needed, it is simple and fast, and the ease of use of a card machine is the same. reflected in this place.
There are several fun and practical features in the above scene modes, such as beauty shooting, dynamic photos, fireworks, backlighting, high sensitivity, continuous shooting image synthesis You Tube, etc., of course the more commonly used ones Landscape, portrait, flower, sports and other modes are naturally indispensable. Here are a few special features to focus on.
Beauty mode is one of the most popular functions of Casio cameras among female users. Since the birth of beauty mode in 2008, it has now developed into the second generation technology. The performance of details is more natural, avoiding image distortion and detail loss caused by post-beautification, making the final photo closer to the public's aesthetics. In several scene modes based on portrait shooting, the beautification intensity can be set through the beauty level in SET.
Dynamic photo mode is a simple and fun function in Casio S7. You can use it to create GIF animations with a monochrome background.
In this mode, first shoot the dynamic subject that needs to be photographed for about 1 second, then move the subject out of the background, keep the camera fixed and shoot the background again. The camera will automatically process and remove the background to form multiple photos of only the subject. The camera can automatically play the animation. After copying it, you only need to use GIF software to add it and save it as GIF format. In order to achieve better results, it is best to fix the camera on a tripod when shooting.
Static photos of the actual object
Dynamic photos (dynamic photos can only be taken with a resolution of 640X480)
Dynamic synthesis is also more fun. Fixed cameras are used to shoot moving subjects. , the camera automatically synthesizes a photo containing the subject's movement trajectory.
High sensitivity, ISO1600 (without flash), noise is well controlled
High sensitivity mode is suitable for use in dark environments and when the flash is not turned on, such as In dark places such as museums where it is inconvenient to turn on the flash.
Appreciation of sample photos
Judging from the photos taken by Casio S7, the overall color reproduction is relatively good. Intuitively, it is slightly reddish and has high saturation. At higher sensitivities, noise is still well controlled, especially when shooting in high-sensitivity mode. Even at ISO 1600, the thumbnail image is acceptable, exceeding the level of half of entry-level card cameras.
Shutter 1/160s, F3.1, ISO 64, macro
Shutter 1/320, F3.1, ISO 64, wide-angle end
Shutter 1/60, F3.1, ISO 400 (fake flowers)
Shutter 1/320, F3.1, ISO 64, wide-angle end (the main body of the photo is the display model)
Shutter 1/60, F3.1, ISO 200, wide-angle end, macro, with good perspective effect
Shutter 1/60, F3.1, ISO 200, wide-angle end
Shutter 1/50, F3.1, ISO 400, wide-angle end
Shutter 1/60, F3.1, ISO 125, wide-angle end
Shutter 1/60, F7. 8. ISO 64, flash
Shutter 1/60, F3.1, ISO 160
Shutter 1/40, F3.1, ISO 400
Shutter 1/30, F3.8, ISO 400
Shutter 1/30, F4.6, ISO 400
Shutter 1/60, F3.8, ISO200
Shutter speed 1 second, F3.1, ISO 64
The minimum focusing distance of the Casio S7 is 10 cm. Its macro shooting ability is not strong, but the photos are sharp and can capture the details of the subject. The intensity is relatively strong.
Evaluation summary
No matter which product line it is, every time a new product is released, I believe everyone will expect the product to have better performance, more fashionable appearance, and more affordable price. Casio S7 meets our demands as consumers. As a new member of the S series that focuses on practicality and affordability, Casio S7 inherits practical functions such as beauty mode and dynamic synthesis from S12, and further optimizes these functions through the use of EXILIM Engine 5.0 image processor, retaining It has the 720p high-definition video recording function that is increasingly favored by consumers.
In addition, the appearance of the S7 is more fashionable than that of the S12. The rounded corners of the fuselage make the S7 no longer look more masculine due to the sharp edges and metallic texture of the S12, because these two machines actually focus on The function is still beauty and fashion, and the appearance of S7 also takes care of women’s aesthetic needs.