There are two types of photography enthusiasts. Those who feel (and look) good while being photographed, and those who feel good (and want to look good too) while standing behind the camera.
And Casio Exilim EX-V7 with 7x optical zoom lens will appeal to both of them.
Exilim EX-V7 is sleek and lightweight (just 149gms). The one I reviewed had a metallic silver finish and contoured edges. It is a sheer visual delight.
The size and design of the camera is such that it can be carried in the shirt pocket with ease.
In front, a sliding plate with ?EXILIM? embossed on it covers the lens and the flashlight. To switch it on, simply slide the cover open. Directly under the lens is a bright A/F assist light and two microphones to record stereophonic sound on both still and movie modes. (Yes! the EX-V7 also records movie clips at resolution of 840×840 and 640×480 in MOV, Motion JPEG and AVI formats).
A bright and crisp 2.5 inch TFT-LCD display screen takes up most of the rear side, leaving just enough space for a Mode command dial, a five-button control dial, a green focus-ready LCD light, a zoom slider, two review and menu buttons and eight tiny holes for speakers. That?s a bit too cramped for my liking and impossible for one-hand use.
A soft, dual-pressure shutter release button (a little pressure on the button will first auto focus the lens and the follow through will take the picture) is placed on the top.
Connectivity to the PC is through a docking cradle. The camera has to be docked to transfer images to the computer and also for charging the lithium ion battery. (I would have preferred a mini USB slot instead). The docking slot and tripod socket occupies the bottom of the camera.
Memory card slot and the battery can be accessed from the side of the camera after sliding open a lid under the wrist strap notch.
The 7x optical zoom lens (f3.4-5) renders crisp vivid colours throughout the zoom range. Though under low light conditions it showed some increased graininess and slight shift in colours, there is the built-in flash to cope with such low light situations.
To test its bright daylight capabilities I took the camera to the terrace. Thanks to the built-in image stabiliser (CCD shift system), I got some crisp close-ups of the kite flyers on the terrace of a distant building with the zoom fully charged, without a hint of a shake.
The ?movement analysis technology? built into the Exilim Engine 2.0 came very handy. The pictures I clicked of two boys running to catch a falling kite came out reasonably sharp and the background was blurred, giving a hint of motion. That?s a definite plus point.
The few close-ups I clicked indoors, with soft light pouring in from the window were amazing. Vivid in colour and very flattering, they had well-rendered highlights and shadows. The EX-V7 has all the standard features that come in present-day digital cameras. Though it is not very ergonomically designed, its small size and featherweight more than makes up for this.
At the MRP of Rs 21,995 (inclusive of all taxes) Casio Exilim EX-V7 definitely has flaunt value.
In the Box:
Camera, USB cradle, USB cable, AV cable, AC adaptor, AC power cord, wrist strap, CD-ROM and Lithium ion battery.