Casio releases Exilim EX-ZR200 flagship compact beyond Japan

CES 2012: Casio has released the Exilim EX-ZR200, its range-topping compact camera to the US and European markets. The ZR200, announced in Japan in November 2011, features a 12.5x zoom covering a 24-300mm equivalent range, with a maximum aperture range of f/3.0-5.9. It features the company's Premium Auto Pro mode, an extension of its Premium Auto mode. Rather than simply assessing the scene and using the appropriate shooting mode, the Premium Auto Pro mode will also use the multi-shot HDR and low-light shooting modes in an attempt to offer better images in a wider range of shooting situations.

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Press Release:

CASIO RELEASES FLAGSHIP EXILIM WITH ADVANCED AUTO FEATURES AND RAPID SHUTTER

State-of-the-art Premium AUTO PRO takes beautiful pictures every time; shoots in as little as 0.27 seconds between photos

Las Vegas, NV January 9, 2012 - Casio America, Inc., today announced the release of the new EXILIM® EX-ZR200 compact digital camera. The new digital camera, boasting Casio’s new Rapid Shutter feature, makes it easier than ever to shoot beautiful pictures.

Casio is a pioneer in the digital camera market, and the new EX-ZR200 introduces a whole new world for compact digital cameras. As the new flagship model in the EXILIM lineup, the EX-ZR200 uses Casio’s own high-speed technology to achieve new heights in camera performance, effortlessly taking beautiful pictures at any time.

The camera also comes with Casio’s HDR-ART function, which creates impressive artistic images with nothing more than a press of the shutter button. The Blurred Background function processes images to make a soft background that accentuates the subject, and the manual shooting function gives users control over shooting parameters. As one expects from a flagship EXILIM camera, the EX-ZR200 delivers advanced ease of use that raises that bar for functionality in a compact digital camera.

Main Features of the EX-ZR200

EXILIM ENGINE HS with high-speed shooting and high-speed image processing
Premium AUTO PRO function produces beautiful photos with just a press of the shutter button

The Premium AUTO PRO function incorporates all the features of Premium AUTO mode-which automatically analyzes the shooting scene to choose the best settings and perform image processing-while making it even better. Premium AUTO PRO can now automatically combine images from high-speed continuous shooting according to shooting conditions, to create gorgeous photos. Users can easily take sophisticated photos at the press of the shutter button, thanks to the automatic activation of functions such as HDR technology for high-contrast conditions, High Speed Night Scene mode for night shots, and High Speed Anti Shake for high-power zoom shooting.

HDR technology faithfully reproduces images as they really appear

With Casio’s HDR technology, each press of the shutter button actually takes several shots at different exposures and instantly combines them into a single image with a high dynamic range. This minimizes over exposed or under exposed areas in the image, creating a photograph that captures all the rich tonal gradation of the scene just as it appears in real life. The HDR technology also reduces the blur caused by a subject’s movements during continuous shooting, leaving only beautifully crisp, clear photographs.

HDR-ART creates artistic photographs

The EX-ZR200 features Casio’s HDR-ART function for enabling anyone to create truly artistic photographs at the press of the shutter button, unlike anything possible with conventional cameras before. The function works by combining continuous shots with differing exposures and performing highly precise image analysis to locally change levels of contrast and color saturation. Users can select from three different processing levels of art effects. The HDR-ART function can also be applied to movies (only one level of art effect available), allowing them to produce dramatic movies from everyday scenes.

Blurred Background function lets users take impressive photographs like a single-lens reflex camera

Casio has employed its high-speed burst shooting technologies to create an original technique for processing the background scene of a shot like the soft blur effect attainable using a single-lens reflex camera, thereby accentuating the subject of the photo.

Scenes come alive in their full expansiveness with the Wide Shot function

The EX-ZR200 combines continuous shots taken with high-speed burst shooting when the user is moving the camera, enabling powerful super-wide-angle shots. Users can choose wide-angle shooting modes equivalent to 14 mm or 18 mm.

Casio’s Multi Frame SR Zoom maintains refined image quality to a maximum zoom of 25x

The wide-angle 24 mm, 12.5x optical zoom lens offers zoom performance equivalent to a maximum of 25x optical zoom with Casio's Multi Frame SR Zoom, which actually combines a number of still images to maintain the image quality needed for high-resolution photography.

Users can enjoy producing high-resolution Full HD movies

The EX-ZR200 enables beautiful high-resolution Full HD movies. Even while shooting a movie, users can take still 16-megapixel high-resolution images with high-speed burst shooting using the Snapshot In Movie function, and can also use the optical zoom and continuous auto focus.

Mode dial for rapid access to shooting modes

The mode dial enables users to choose from 10 shooting modes, including scene modes and Premium AUTO PRO, Multi Frame SR Zoom and HDR modes.

The EX-ZR200 will be available in Black, White, Red and Blue and will ship in April for $379.99.

Casio Exilim EX-ZR200 specifications

Additional Images

Comments

Total comments: 23

By audijam (Jan 19, 2012 at 15:33:51 GMT)

...........................Casio~ People actualy buy Casio cameras?!

0 upvotes

By wkay (Jan 12, 2012 at 17:14:34 GMT)

Will the corner softness from the ZR100 go away? Can't believe Casio released such a dog. Had two copies and they both did it so fundamental design flaw.

0 upvotes

By Francis Carver (Jan 12, 2012 at 18:10:31 GMT)

I agree. Ain't life a b*tch, though? :-)

0 upvotes

By gogo2 (Jan 12, 2012 at 03:36:47 GMT)

f/3.0 for flagship? Casio is joking right?

0 upvotes

By Francis Carver (Jan 12, 2012 at 18:11:48 GMT)

Just ask Canon. Their "flagship" now is the G1 X -- f/2.8-5.8. Not all that much better, is it now?

0 upvotes

By kevinschoenmakers (Jan 12, 2012 at 18:28:29 GMT)

Francis, I'm sure you think of a reason or two yourself why that comparison just doesn't fly.

0 upvotes

By Neeraj123 (Jan 18, 2012 at 04:57:11 GMT)

test test ...

0 upvotes

By IchiroCameraGuy (Jan 12, 2012 at 02:52:38 GMT)

Stereo microphone, mono speaker

0 upvotes

By jcmarfilph (Jan 12, 2012 at 00:44:44 GMT)

Is this even a flagship at all?

Cmon Casio! Show us something that will not raise your white flag.

0 upvotes

By Mr Fartleberry (Jan 11, 2012 at 23:54:47 GMT)

I thought Nikon just announced a flagship. The Yamato was a flagship wasn't it?

0 upvotes

By keeponkeepingon (Jan 11, 2012 at 23:04:34 GMT)

Casio is the Rodney danger field of the computer world and they deserve it.

At one time they released fairly well made high end cameras, that had a premium price and were built like a tank with class leading inovative features.

These days they are a joke. Look at the ZR100 image samples here and compare against the similar Canon or Nikon. Incredibly bad. I was so disappointed in my ZR100 I returned it after a week.

If all you need is a few happy snaps for email or an occasional 4x6 for your great aunt Meg. OK fine you won't care how bad it is. But if you ever need to crop an image, even a little, youll be suprised at how quickly the images fall apart.

Now the dpreview and my ZR100 may have been bad copies (mine actually had a scary rattle) The IR samples were MUCH better. But that's another big issue with Casio..... QC. So good luck if you go with this camera.

And the FH100? Perhaps the last decent camera made by casio and that had it's share of issues.

1 upvote

By Solarcoaster (Jan 11, 2012 at 21:27:47 GMT)

What exactly is wrong with this camera? Not exactly groundbreaking but it seems comparable to some travel zoom compacts offered by other brands. The zoom range is ideal imo. Aperture is a little slow but the premium auto mode might be interesting. Overall it could be a decent competitor if it's priced right.

0 upvotes

By spidermoon (Jan 11, 2012 at 21:40:06 GMT)

Me too, i don't known what's wrong with this Casio. Life is not only made of FF and RF camera :) Compact camera can produce good photo too
Here some shots with an ExZ300
http://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffroy65/3468076683/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffroy65/3356929995/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffroy65/3356893803/
And remenber, the best camera is the one you have always with you

This casio also offer unique high speed mode, like 240fps

Comment edited 59 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

By ngc4565adam (Jan 11, 2012 at 22:41:57 GMT)

At the 'new age' of quasi-nano sized pixels, there are more noise in these pixels than photon, even at base ISO settings.
High speed and such extras cannot be enjoyed, while even ISO 200 pictures are detail-less smudges, I think.

0 upvotes

By spidermoon (Jan 11, 2012 at 22:56:39 GMT)

That why HS multi-shot exists, camera try to extract picture from noise :)))

0 upvotes

By Ergo607 (Jan 11, 2012 at 20:34:52 GMT)

Boring.......

0 upvotes

By kevinschoenmakers (Jan 11, 2012 at 20:00:52 GMT)

Casio, just give up already. This businessplan is dying.

0 upvotes

By Francis Carver (Jan 11, 2012 at 20:23:46 GMT)

I dunno. The $800 Canon G1 X cannot even record 1920x1080 30p video, and this cheap little thing from Casio can, and do a lot more.

The $800 Canon has a 4x zoom lens -- the Casio has a 12.5x zoom.

Canon's zoom starts at 28mm -- Casio's at 24mm.

Stuff like that, see?

Comment edited 45 seconds after posting

1 upvote

By framboulatos (Jan 11, 2012 at 20:30:21 GMT)

If Casio had made a large sensor compact like Canon did, I would be with you. As it is they made another piece of crappity crap crapola.

1 upvote

By ngc4565adam (Jan 11, 2012 at 22:34:55 GMT)

With these specs, it would be far better:
- 8 megapixel
- sensor size like 10.4×7.8mm
- 8× optical zoom from 24mm eq. focus
- f/2,7-f/4,5 instead of f/3,0-f/5,9

These don't require much more bulk to accomplish, I think.

1 upvote

By spidermoon (Jan 11, 2012 at 22:47:26 GMT)

Those camera are targeted to mass market, wich know nothing to sensor size and aperture, only megapixel, zoom range and some cool letter letter matter :) (EX-ZR200 sounds like a kawasaki sport bike)

0 upvotes

By Alika (Jan 11, 2012 at 22:48:07 GMT)

I'm really impressed with the features and also surprised about some bad comments. I've also read carefully the manually Certain features are really worthwhile to consider: Non of the other compact camera competitors have

-blurred background.
-14 mm and 21 mm and keeping the aspect ratio the same is amazing. Resulting inot a 14mm - 300mm compact canmera !
- Shooting pictures while video is a nice addon.
- slow motion (canon implemented it now)

I own the FH 100 and for me it is the best compact for sport photography.

and I really inic, nikgroundbreaking

0 upvotes

By Bruce Finley (Jan 12, 2012 at 02:46:27 GMT)

I agree with Alika. Casio cameras with the various multishot and high frame rate modes are unique. There may or may not be some faults in technical image quality compared to other compact cameras. However, many of my favorite images have come from my EX-FH100 because of the shooting modes for handling action subjects, high dynamic range, low light, and ultra-slow motion. I love it. Thanks, Casio for being innovators. Now where is my digital strip camera mode?

0 upvotes

Total comments: 23