Image Quality & Value

Casio EXILIM EX-H20G review – Image Quality

Although the Casio H20G’s image detail is reasonable at the lower ISO settings, this quickly diminishes from ISO 400 and above. ISO 800-3200 appear progressively washed out of colour and lacking in detail. What’s most disappointing about the overall image quality however is the presence of JPEG artifacts throughout the entire ISO range. Even at the lowest ISO settings the H20G’s images display granular-like structures of luminance noise that disrupt fine detail and edges. A 14.1MP resolution over such a small sensor size is a high resolution – to the point of being detrimental to of overall quality. Furthermore there is some purple fringing apparent throughout the zoom range, particularly towards edges or around back-lit subjects.

For the non-critical eye, the Casio H20G’s images are perfectly acceptable on-the-go snaps, and when scaled down from the large 14MP size are certainly ideal for online sharing and other digital use.

Casio EXILIM EX-H20G review – Value

The Hybrid GPS adds a unique angle to the EX-H20G and, should you be willing to pay a premium for such a feature, then it’s fairly priced. The 10x optical zoom adds additional diversity to ensure that most shooting situations are possible. But at just under £300 the Casio H20G is not an especially cheap compact camera, it has to be said.

There are no fully manual options and the lack of truly inspiring image quality may make the most image conscious of users look for a more advanced compact for only a little more cash – think Samsung EX1 that’s available for around £300 at present (01/2011).