Product Description

The EX-S500 is barely larger than a credit card and just .54" at its thinnest point. Packed into the pocket-sized body are 5.0 mega pixels and MPEG-4 quality movie recording capabilities, allowing more than one hour of standard video recording when using a 1GB SD memory card. And, with Casio's EXILIM Engine's Anti Shake DSP, blurry pictures are nearly a thing of the past.The EX-S500 delivers real movie recording capabilities in a card-size configuration. It records beautiful VGA images (640x480-pixel) at 30 frames per second. You can take the EX-S500 along anywhere and record movies with all the ease of snapshots. Now you can take still images plus movies for a whole new world of digital camera fun.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4732 in Camera & Photo
• Color: Grey
• Brand: Casio
• Model: EX-S500
• Dimensions: .63" h x 3.54" w x 2.32" l, 1.85 pounds
• Display size: 2.2

Features

• 5.0-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 13 x 17-inch prints
• Up to 80 minutes of continuous MPEG-4 video with audio capture and playback
• 2.2-inch high-resolution TFT color display
• Movies have up to 640 x 480-pixel resolution
• Anti-shake, auto-macro, and quick shutter features produce great photos

Amazon.com Product Description

The Casio EX-S500 5MP Exilim Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom lifts the bar for family-friendly digital photography. As powerful as it is petite, this notecard-sized camera will pique interest and turn heads with its unique design. You'll win praise from your friends and family when you start sharing the shots and video you've taken. Whether it's a TV-quality video of your child's first step, or a large family portrait you've had printed for framing, the EX-S500 is designed to deliver.

And this camera proves that looks can truly be deceiving. At about the size of small wallet, with a stylish grey body, the EX-S500 is loaded with features that were formerly reserved for a camera twice as large and much more expensive. Included among the many features are:

• 5.0-megapixel resolution delivers prints of amazing clarity
• 38-114mm f2.7-5.2 lens (35mm film camera equivalent) with 3x optical zoom for close-up shots
• Up to 80 minutes of continuous MPEG-4 video with audio capture and playback
• 2.2-inch TFT color display

With 5.0-megapixel resolution, you won't have to worry about grainy, pixelated images when it's time to print. The CCD (charge-coupled device) technology delivers beautiful images and combined with a high-quality lens, this camera is built to produce professional-quality prints with remarkable clarity, precision, and sharpness from edge to edge. You no longer have to sacrifice quality for the convenience that digital photography delivers. With an anti-shake system to minimize blur due to hand movement, auto-macro to ensure proper focus, and a quick shutter speed to catch all the action, Casio will keep your subjects looking great shot after shot.

And when it's time to make a movie, the EX-S500 will be waiting to deliver outstanding video that you can simply plug straight into your TV for instant viewing. With up to 640 x 480 pixels of resolution, and a zoom-in feature and digital stabilization that will keep your frames from shaking, you'll have the confidence you need to capture those once-in-a-lifetime moments.

In short, the Casio EX-S500 gives you everything you need right out of the box to start capturing moments with professional-quality photos and videos.

What's in the Box
EX-S500 digital camera, NP-20 rechargeable lithium-ion battery, CA-28 USB cradle, special AC adapter, AC power cord, USB cable, AV cable, strap, software, and basic reference guide.

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Customer Reviews

Great camera for its purpose - Also compared it to Canon SD400 and Nikon S1
I bought this camera for my wife who needs no more than a point and shoot. I wanted something she could throw in her purse and take everywhere so she would take more pics of our boys. I own a Nikon D70 (which is an awesome camera) but it is too big to for my wife and even for me sometimes.

I figured if I was going to spend $500 (by the time I bought a memory card, case, etc...) on another camera I wanted to make sure it was as good as I could get in an ultra compact camera. So I actually bought 3 cameras, took about 75 pics apiece (half indoors and half outdoors). I took the best 20 pics (10 indoor and 10 outdoor) and got them developed. The three cameras were the Casio EX-S500, Nikon S1 and the Canon SD400 - I had no preference but since I already owned a Nikon I was pulling for that one a little.

Out of the three the Nikon and Casio were easily the best. The Canon SD400 did not really compare in my opinion. The pics were soft and not very sharp. The exterior case of the Canon also seemed cheaper than the other two. It was a very hard decision between the Nikon and Casio. Both had sharp pics but the Casio did seem to be a tad sharper...it was honestly hard to tell. The Casio was also a little easier to use...especially the menus on the back. We ultimately kept the Casio (took the other two back) because the pics were very good for a small camera and my wife liked the feel, look and size and felt it was easier to use.

P.S. I would have been happy with either camera.
P.S.S. All three cameras's had problem with red-eye but I think all cameras will at this size.
P.S.S ***If you buy this camera I would definitely recommend you click on the menu button on the back and increase the contrast, sharpness and saturation to +1. The range is -2 to +2. That made a big difference in the colors jumping out and once it is changed it stays that way until you change it again.

A great snapshot taker
Pro:
- Very compact: the face of the camera is about the size of a playing card, and it's a bit less thick than a deck. Compared to the Canon SD400, it is slightly longer and somewhat less thick.
- The stainless-steel body is very solidly built
- Competent image quality; good sharpness and color
- Nice big LCD screen
- You're ready to take a picture within a second of when you press the power button
- The docking cradle is really convenient
- The menu system is very responsive and easy to use
- Easily accessed "Best Shot" menu gives you a large selection of preconfigured scene modes, and you can define your own modes as well.
- The camera has a number of small, thoughtful features that aren't advertised (the "unexpected extra", if you will). For example, the "quick shutter" function allows you to emergency skip the auto-focus and take a picture instantly, possibly saving you from missing a precious moment. On a similar note, the movie recorder can be configured to include the 5 seconds *before* you press the record button. "Business shot" can automatically straighten out pictures of business cards, whiteboards, etc. taken at an angle. You can turn on a live histogram while composing a shot.
- Casio's accessories, such as batteries and carrying cases, are not *as* overpriced as they are from most digicam manufacturers.

Con:
- Merely competent image quality; higher ISOs and image stabilization can result in very noticeable noise
- It's small and solid enough to carry around in your pocket, but for $400, do you really want to?
- The docking cradle is an extra thing that you have to bring when you travel. (As far as I can tell there's no way to charge the battery without the cradle using the equipment in the box; I'm sure they'll sell you something, though) That stated the cradle is pretty small and light.
- I am a little worried about the LCD screen, which actually juts out slightly from the camera body. You will want a carrying case.
- The image stabilization is a mysterious function; we know it's digital, but it's not clear if there is an accelerometer in the camera detecting and correcting camera shake, or if it's purely a gimmicky after-effect, like digital zoom, or somewhere in between.
- You can't change the optical zoom level while recording a movie. Also, the image stabilization does not apply to movies.
- No viewfinder: it would be nice to have the option of saving battery power by not using the LCD screen.
- The power button is too easily pressed by accident when putting the camera in a case, etc.
- Some of the "Best Shot" modes have given me worse results than the default metering; particularly indoors without flash.
- The manual for the camera is in PDF form only, on the included CD. There is only a bizarre and totally worthless "Basic Reference" printed booklet.

In summary: this is a fantastic little snapshot camera. You probably won't want to rely on it for artsy-fartsy photos because of its fine, but not outstanding image quality. But it has a lot of thoughtful touches for the user, and you should strongly consider it if you're looking for an ultra-compact camera.

Tips for Better Photos from Casio Exilim EX-S500
If you're a pro or pro-amateur photographer, you're likely tired of carrying bulky camera gear, but wish you could have a "back pocket" slim camera with you always. That's the point of this gem: at 1/2" thick, it's about the highest quality in the slimmest design available.

Naturally, the "out of the box" configuration sets images up for mass market consumers printing on cheap home inkjets: too much contrast, with overbright highlights. But this camera simplifies getting the perfect exposure if you make three simple tweaks:

1. Turn on the real-time histogram function. This allows you to see the image exposure plotted on a graph, with dark shades at the left and bright colors at the right. If the graph hits the right, some part of the image will be overexposed. If it hits the left, something will be underexposed.

2. [optional] Change the default contrast value to -1. This will give you more exposure latitude -- brights will be a little less bright, and darks a little less dark, so more shades will fit in your exposure. It's easy to boost contrast after the fact, even free Picasa software will do it. But you can't get back over/under exposed pixels.

3. Assign EV (exposure value) compensation to the L/R (left and right) thumbpad keys. With this change, you can fiddle with the exposure on-the-fly as you're looking at the image and histogram. Typically, a -0.7 to -1.0 value will give you the brightest image without over exposing highlights.

With these three (or optionally, two) quick image quality changes, the results will satisfy even a pro photographer enough to warrant keeping this wallet-thin camera glued to the hip.

PROS:

- Slimmest (1/2" thin!) quality for the money
- Burnt orange color welcome after blacks and silvers
- Fantastic image quality for its size after above tweaks
- High quality MPEG4 (use free MSFT MovieMaker, PSP9, etc., to downsize for sharing)
- Photo-album slideshow mode when docked
- Calendar layout of thumbnails to quickly locate recent pics
- 30+ "best shot" groups of presets for almost any picture situation
- Make your own additional image presets or groups of presets to add to the "best shot" menu
- Whiteboard/scanner/business card mode that makes paper or whiteboards white and fixes perspective to appear straight
- Excellent battery life

CONS:

- Camera needs the base to sync w/ computer or recharge (-1 star for this, sorry)
- "Full flash" recycle time is long (because the flash is remarkably powerful)
- Some bodies seem to have a soft-focus problem (but I've only seen this with bodies purchased at retail warehouses, not ones purchased from camera stores)