Review posted 7/5/2011

Quick Take

Pros

Versatile 12.5x optical zoom with 24mm extreme Blazing fast shooting performance SR Digital Zoom feature extends zoom to 18.8x, and does this rather well compared to other digital zooms Cool HDR and HDR-Art modes Captures nice 12-megapixel images outdoors You can customize the Left and Right directional keys on the 4-way controller Best Shot (Scene mode) offers plenty of easy to access and understand preprogrammed scenes Plenty of in-camera adjustments in Record and Playback modes Good ISO performance up to ISO 1600 Records decent 1080p HD video for a compact digicam Panorama is easy to use. Allows for 360°+ capture. (Have to remember where you started, otherwise you will get the same scene that you started with)

Cons

Strong CA in majority of photos Small White Balance issue under tungsten and/or fluorescent lighting Lack of labeling on the 4-way controller AF during video struggled at times in lower lighting Can't turn the instant review feature off, which slows the camera's shot to shot performance When the flash is recharging, quickly pressing the shutter release will Not capture an image, however it acts as tough it did; which is bad because it can easily fool you into thinking that took a picture if you are not paying attention or new to the camera Playback indexing is very slow The red camera button is waste of good button or space. If you are in playback mode, you can simply press the shutter release to go Fully zoomed images were blurry quite often

Bottom Line

The Casio Exilim EX-ZR100 is built for speed, and it delivers. This unit has some amazing capabilities for its size, some of which are unmatched by its competition. With pleasing image quality, loads of useful and fun exposure modes, and a sweet price tag of $299 or less, we give the EX-ZR100 a huge thumbs up! Read more in our Full Conclusion.

Casio leads the market with High-Speed compact cameras, and their Exilim EX-ZR100 is no exception. This pocket-sized camera boasts a 12-megapixel CMOS image sensor mated to a dual core "Exilim Engine HS Processor", which allows it to offer ridiculous fast shooting performance, with continuous shooting speeds up to 40fps at 10-megapixels, or 10fps at 12-megapixels. You can even choose the frame rate between 3 and 30 or 40 fps (depending on the mode chosen). Even movie mode offers high-speed options, up to 1000fps!

Other appealing qualities of the EX-ZR100 include a wide 12.5x optical zoom lens, SR digital zoom, a 3.0-inch LCD with 460k dots, in-camera HDR and HDR-Art modes, Full 1080p HD video recording, Prerecord function in both stills and video, and 360 degree "Slide Panorama" mode.

Casio Exilim EX-ZR100 features:

• 12.1-megapixel High-Speed, back-illuminated CMOS image sensor
  
• Exilim Engine HS dual-core processor
  
• 12.5x optical zoom lens, covers 24-300mm equivalent range
• Sensor-shift image stabilization
• SR Digital Zoom, extends to 18.8x without increased noise
• 3.0-inch Super Clear TFT LCD with 460k dots
• Full 1080p (30fps) HD video
• High-Speed video from 30fps up to 1000fps
• High-Speed burst mode shooting at up to 40fps @10M
• Intelligent "Premium Auto" exposure control, along with 32+ Best Shot modes
  
• Manual control with Aperture, Shutter Speed, and Manual modes
• Massive, 1800mAh Li-ion battery (up to 450 shots)
• HDMI output (cord sold separately)

The Casio Exilim EX-ZR100 is available in black only, with a MSRP of $299.99 US.

What's in the box?:

• EX-ZR100 camera body
• Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery (NP-130)
• Lithium Ion Battery Charger (BC-130L)
• AC Power Cord
• USB Cable
• AV Cable
• Strap
• CD-ROM