Slicing and Dicing Time - The Casio Exilim EX-F1
Reviewed on 22 April 2008

When we first heard about Casio Exilim EX-F1, we were reserved in our enthusiasm. So many times a gadget sounds great in theory but doesn't quite match up in reality. Sort of like the Samsung i8 which sounded like a cool camera that plays music and videos, but who really wants to watch a movie on a 2.7-inch screen? Or the Nikon D60's stop motion capture which is, lets face it, a little out of place on a DSLR, no matter how entry level it is.

Casio's EX-F1 however, garnered fame even before it materialized by claiming to be the fastest draw in the wild west of consumer camera gear. A 60fps burst shooting mode in a consumer camera is pretty impressive, especially when the going average is about 3fps. The 6 megapixels CMOS type CCD sensor is fast enough to capture 60 poster sized photos in one second, although the high speeds does mean that the ISO has to be pumped up, or bright lights required. The pictures aren't always the clearest, but speedfreaks will appreciate breaking up time.

One second can be the difference between a catch and miss, so the EX-F1 has a pre-record mode with a buffer memory that starts to take the shots when the shutter is half pressed. After you've captured the images, you review them like a flipbook movie. You can either pick the shots you wanted, delete the shots or keep them all. The EX-F1 also lets you parcel out the 60 shot maximum in different ways, like 30fps at 2 second or 15fps at 4 seconds or more.

Sports buffs will love being able to breakdown the action, but be warned, if you want to save all 60 shots, it takes the camera some time to store them. The EX-F1 also gives you the option to preview the action in slow motion before you click the shot you want. You will be falling behind on real time, but you can click the shutter at the point you want.

There might be some action you don't want to wait around for, so the EX-F1 has a motion detector mode. Just set the camera down somewhere and leave it. It can wait for hours until something happens at which point it auto shoots 60fps burst shots. So if you've been wondering who's found your secret chocolate stash, or you've been trying to photograph the elusive Bigfoot, you'll love this mode. You won't be encumbered by the dark either, the flash can fire away 20 times at 7fps, so you can go out at night, startle the local wildlife and photograph them as they scamper away.

The EX-F1 is doesn't just take photos, it is a camcorder and camera rolled into one. There are two shutters instead of one which was a little annoying at first, but the second movie shutter allows you to start recording videos immediately without having to change modes, and the first shutter allows you to take photos while recording movies.

The EX-F1 can record in outrageously high speeds of 300fps, 600fps, and 1200 fps. The only downside is that the faster you set the speed, the lower the resolution of the final image will be and there's no sound. You need plenty of light to grab good images, but honestly YouTube fans won't be disappointed, seeing time slowed is just too cool to quibble over resolution.

As bridging cameras go, it resembles a DSLR in how bulky and heavy it is but the sturdy body feels great to hold, and the 12x optical zoom is internal so you don't have to worry about the lens extending far out when you zoom into something. Focusing is an issue, it isn't very fast and sometimes it can be frustratingly hard to get it right. The zoom while an impressive 12x optical zoom, isn't the smoothest in the camera world, but you can zoom while recording movies which is a plus.

The lens barrel doesn't just control the lens, you can set it to control the zoom, focus or even change the speed of the burst shooting. The start-up is a little slow, though perhaps that's just relative to how fast it performs when taking shots. The 2.8-inch LCD is beautifully clear which is a perk, since the electronic viewfinder is pretty bad insofar as how small and coarse it is.

The two mode dials take a little getting used to, but once it's figured out, it does make it easier to change the modes of shooting and the different burst shooting modes. The quick menu access makes changing settings a breeze. The control dial reduces the effort on your fingers, you just have to twirl it around rather than punch a button repeatedly.

Casio Exilim EX-F1 ISO Test

Casio hasn't always been in the limelight, but this time it deserves plenty of kudos. In a world where other companies are pandering higher megapixels or bigger LCDs, Casio opted for the bold move of actually producing a unique and innovative camera like the EX-F1. It's the first of its kind out on the market, a veritable time machine in an age where everything seems to be moving so very fast. The Casio Exilim EX-F1 is a pioneering camera that is unlikely to disappoint anyone.