The Casio ZR100 is a continuation of the popular EXILIM series – but it looks as though the latest Casio models are making bigger leaps forward than previous generation models. The ZR100 adds a brand new back-illuminated CMOS sensor to the Casio fray, coupled with image stabilisation, a 24-300mm (12.5x) optical zoom and high speed shooting. Is the Casio EXILIM ZR100 part of a new Casio cameras revolution…? The What Digital Camera Casio ZR100 test takes a more thorough look…

Casio Exilim ZR100 review – Features

The ZR100’s back-illuminated sensor is designed for better image quality performance. By essentially moving the wired parts of the sensor further back there is less interference to the light that enters the sensor and, therefore, this better quality of light should result in better quality images. Coupled with Casio’s latest EXILIM Engine HS and the ZR100 is capable of high-speed recording too. This latest image processor improves processing speeds and, according to Casio, sets a new standard in subject recognition too.

The ZR100’s back-illuminated sensor is designed for better image quality performance. By essentially moving the wired parts of the sensor further back there is less interference to the light that enters the sensor and, therefore, this better quality of light should result in better quality images. Coupled with Casio’s latest EXILIM Engine HS and the ZR100 is capable of high-speed recording too. This latest image processor improves processing speeds and, according to Casio, sets a new standard in subject recognition too.

 

 

As well as point-and-shoot auto modes, the ZR100 also offers Manual, Aperture-priority and Shutter-priority, as well as Best Shot, Premium Auto, Panorama and the latest HDR and HDR Art modes. The latter two are certainly a subject of taste and sit quite some way outside of what we’d consider ‘conventional’ photography.

Not only is the Casio ZR100 adept at stills, there’s also a Full HD movie mode to capture high definition 1920×1080 resolution motion pictures. This utilises the H.264 compression codec for optimum quality.

One of Casio’s specialities over the last few years has been the inclusion of super high speed modes. The ‘HS’ setting on the Exilim ZR100 means that some 30 10-megapixel images can be captured at a rate of 40fps. When this rate is lowered to 10fps the ZR100 can increase its resolution to 12-megapixels.

While the Exilim ZR100’s lens ranges from a 24-300mm equivalent, there are one or two other tricks up the camera’s sleeve. The 12.5x optical zoom can be effectively ‘increased’ to 25x using the Multi Frame SR Zoom – a feature that combines multiple shots into a single frame, thus pulling the level of detail from the cropped digital zoom areas of multiple frames into one shot with apparent little difference to quality.