7.2 Megapixels In Your Pocket
When I think of Casio, I think mainly of the dorky calculator watches which kept all women a safe distance from me during my teenage years. “Kryptomack” watches are what we call them now.
So when I first heard about the Casio EX-Z750 digital camera, I naturally assumed it was some low-end throwaway device trying to fill the void between the VGA cameraphone and the high-end digital SLR.
Oh my was I wrong. Casio is back, baby. In a big way.
I picked up one of these babies for $379 about a week ago after reading reviews here, here, and here, and I have to say that in my opinion, this is the best all-around camera on the market. I won’t go over every single aspect of the camera since the reviews above are quite comprehensive in that regard, but allow me to spell out my top five raves:
- There is no perceptible shutter lag whatsoever. Official tests have it rated anywhere from 0.0017 seconds to 0.18 seconds, but in reality, it feels like zero. One of the major reasons a lot of people shy away from digital ultracompacts is that they can’t stand pushing the shutter button and having the camera take a second or so to actually take the shot, but this Casio is the first device to completely eliminate that issue. Other new cameras like the Canon SD500 are getting faster now too, but the Casio is the fastest.
- This camera is the size of an Altoids tin. My previous camera, the Pentax Optio S4, actually fit snugly inside of an Altoids tin, which was nice, but this one isn’t much bigger. Taking great photos these days is all about having a camera in the right place at the right time, and at this size, you really have no excuse not to have it with you at all times.
- Unlike most ultracompacts, the EX-Z750 allows you to enter shutter priority mode, aperture priority mode, or full manual mode. Want to keep the shutter open for 60 seconds? No problem. Although the F-stop range obviously isn’t quite as wide as a huge DSLR, it certainly offers almost as much overall configurability.
- This camera amazingly takes crystal-clear 640×480 MPEG4 video. At the highest quality setting, I can take 34 minutes of full-frame 29.97 fps video. At the next setting, about an hour. And at the lowest setting, over 3 hours! The quality is really quite shocking, as you’ll see from the sample video below. One of the coolest things about the video capabilities, however, is what people have been calling “Tivo-mode”. In this mode, I can keep pointing the camera for however long I wish and when I hit the shutter button, the camera begins recording from 5 seconds in the past. You can imagine how useful this is when you’re at an event and you want to catch the action but you’re not sure exactly when that may be. Why waste recording time when nothing is happening? Probably the only downside of the Casio’s movie recording capabilities is that the files come out as .avi files which you must then convert to QuickTime with something like ffmpegx. Or if you use a PC, you probably don’t care.
- Interface, interface, interface. This is the easiest-to-use camera I’ve ever operated.
Talk is cheap, so I’ll close with a photo sample and a video sample, taken yesterday on a bike ride to Pike Place Market. Pardon the shaky hands on the video please… I just had a mocha and was holding the camera with one hand.
 View 1024×768 View Full Resolution |
 View Quicktime (10MB) View AVI (21MB) |
Those are some great photos! That definitely seems like one awesome camera. I’m assuming the $379 is in USD? That’s one great camera for that value.
I’m almost compelled myself to get one! That looks like one hell of a nice camera for $379. My current digital Camera is some Sony, I can’t be bothered to remember what kind… the shutter lag annoys me beyond belief and for some reason the colors with mine aren’t very vibrant either.
If I had $379 I wasn’t using, this looks like something I might consider. Good find.
You’ve just saved me days of reading reviews, as from what you say, this meets my needs exactly, and you’re moving from the same camera I have now. Must find the best price for this beauty out there and get going. Thanks.
It is absolutely, bar-none the best camera for the price. (I think I paid a little more than you, however.) I bought mine — just like you — a few weeks ago, after hearing about it and doing some comparison shopping.
I use mine in my classroom of preschoolers — I can’t tell you how nice it is to have a camera so small, yet so readily available and so high-quality. It makes candid documentation so easy — and still, the camera is versatile enough to satisfy my hobbyist perfectionary tendencies.
Glad you like it, too!
Now, you have me confused. I was actually saving money for buying digital SLR but I can’t help but agree with the fact that taking great photo is about being at right place at right time. By the time my SLR will boot up, the great moment might have passed. Hm…can someone gift it to me please? ;)
JD
I was looking for digital cameras, and this Casio was one of them. I read good reviews too, but I had several others that I liked to. But this one seems like a good choice.
Mike: Are you a fan of the “burst mode” (sometimes called continuous shooting mode) function of the camera? I find myself always missing that perfect shot because I was a second too late or because I am waiting for the image to be written before I can snap the next picture. From what I’ve read about this camera the start-up time is fast, so that’s not an issue. I’m interested to hear your opinion on the usefullness of the burst mode.
On a side note, did you try the Canon SD500 or the new FujiFilm Z1 before purchasing your Casio?
May I take a second to say “Damn you, Mike! Why couldn’t you have said this a few weeks ago?”… I bought a direct competitor just about a week or two ago, a Nikon Coolpix 7900, and just about all of the notable features you listed are almost exactly the problems I have with it. I mean, the 7900 is a nice camera, but going from the absolute champion that was my (ancient) Olympus C-2000 Z, I’m more than a bit disappointed. I actually saw the Casio when I was scanning through comparable cameras, and did just what you mentioned at the start: balked at the Casio name.
One question, though… how does it perform in low-light situations? Probably my biggest problem with my Nikon is it’s low-light handling. Yeah, I know… it’s just a wee point and shoot, so I shouldn’t expect brilliance, but when I have to fire a flash almost constantly (unless I’m outside on a sunny day), there’s a bit of a problem.
Mike if you don’t mind me asking where did you buy it from for $379?
Wow, lovely quality Mike, I had no idea digi’s had come this far. No reason not to switch now.
JD: Yep… startup time on this thing is 1.8 seconds. Fassssssssst.
Vladimir: Yeah, Sony cameras aren’t even on my map anymore. As long as they won’t let me use an SD card, I’m not buying one. I bought a 1GB SD card for the Casio for $69.
Chris: Yeah, I always have my camera in burst mode, just in case. The performance is fast. 1.5 shots a second at the highest resolution. File writes are superquick. By the way, there’s also a super-burst mode where it takes something like 25 shots in one second (albeit at 640×480) and lays them out as a grid of photos. Perfect for making your own Zapruder film. :) Also, yeah I looked at the Canon and the Fuji ahead of time. The Fuji didn’t get the greatest reviews, and although the Canon reviewed well, the feature set just isn’t the same as the Casio. The shutter lag thing is really priority one for me.
gb: Yeah, I looked at that Nikon initially, but there was something about it which turned me off… can’t remember what now. As for low-light performance, the Casio is pretty decent, but with all little cameras, it has its limits. I rarely use the Flash in any of my shots so this is pretty important to me. One nice thing about the Casio is that you can still use ISO 100 or so in low light as long as you have a steady hand or a tripod. Not much noise to speak of.
Dave: I usually begin every electronics purchase at Shopper.com. I ended up getting mine at DataVision but it looks like Abe’s of Maine and 42 Street Photo are the lowest today. Interestingly, a lot of times, the price will show up as lower on the site if you come in through a meta-service like Shopper.com. Go directly to the site and you’ll get ripped off.
Hey man. I’m in the market for a new camera and this sounds good. Can you tell me how it does with low light photos? The Optio I got is terrible.
Keith: Low-light performance is pretty good. From what I’ve read, low-light performance is not really a weak spot of this camera, but Flash intensity is. So if you take a lot of Flash photography, you may notice this. I rarely use Flash mode though.
I hardly ever use the flash. Not unless I have to. The thing with the optio is it was really bad at anything low light, flash or no…anyway, thanks for the info, I may pick one of these up.
Hey Mike, how often do you use the Best Shots mode?
Sadly, it seems like my Z750 is nearly permanently always in the ‘Children’ best shot mode, because of work. I just love the versatility of creating your own modes, though! Truly an innovative and robust camera.
Wow. You make my Sony Cybershot (5.1 megapixels) sounds so inferior. Thanks :P
But that’s really impressive. You forget that it’s not just 7.2 megapixels in your pocket, you need to multiply it by the number of photos it’ll take ;)
(Editor’s Note: True, true. My 1GB SD card holds 220 7.2 megapixel pictures so that’s 1.56 billion pixels in my pocket. :) )
Re point 1 – I must disagree – although not in the same market (or price range), several of the newer digital SLRs have ‘zero perceptible’ lag, in shutter response, or startup time. The startup time for the EOS 20D is 0.2 seconds, and shutter response time ranges from 0.08 seconds (pre-focus), through to no more than 0.16 seconds – and it’s been around for a year (although at a slightly higher price!)
(Editor’s Note: Impressive times! In point #1 though, I meant “of ultracompacts only”.)
Great, I was going to pick one of these up the other week for my girlfriend. I am still really fond on my Panasonic FX7 with a Leica lens and is one of the only Ultra Slims with Optical Image Stabilization.
Enjoy.
1) I SO want this camera.
2) I miss Seattle ***cry*** ;-)
I was also considering this camera, but will be getting the new Casio EX-S500 instead. It’s ULTRA slim, even compared to the EX-Z750. It has many of the same features (“Best Shot” mode, 30fps 640×480 video, etc.), plus image stabilization. It’s only 5MP, which for me makes not one bit of difference. I’ve never made a print larger than 8×10, an I’m not usually cropping down huge portions of a shot…so I don’t need 7MP. The extra bit of “thinness” is the big selling point for me. Both are very, very nice, though.
Tony: Yep, that new thin one is very very nice. No full manual mode though… :(
Mike: Yeah, I thought about the lack of full manual mode…then decided this would be a camera I keep with me for everyday life type shots…out with friends, etc. Before my next vacation I’ll get a prosumer camera (not sure which model yet), and will use that for any time I know ahead of time I’ll be taking lots of pictures (vacations, trips to the mountains, beach, etc.)
ahem… anyone want to buy a brand new nikon 7900… with two batteries and a three year extended warranty? ah, well… I guess it’ll do until I get myself a decent dSLR next year. Then I won’t have to worry so much about it.
If “shutter lag” is what I think it is (the time elapsed starting from when you press the shutter button to when the camera takes the picture) you can reduce this time greatly. Holding down the shutter button half-way on most cameras will pre-focus the camera, leaving only the image-capturing part of the process left. =) This also means you don’t have to steady your hands for as long, reducing the risk of a blurred shot.
I received my new Canon PowerShot SD500 a few days ago and I am very much happy with it. It is about $100 more expensive then the Casio EX-Z750 but it is well worth the price.
The main problem I find with small, light cameras is the movement when pressing the release. Stabilisation is probably worth considering as I’m fed up with finding slightly blurred shots which I thought were perfect…
Ever considered a giveaway for this? ;)
Hey Mike, i am in trouble seeking a camera as much all around as that.. i really liked it but i worry about low light/flash, pic quality and most of all the screen. It is HUGE (sooo cool!!!) but the pixels aren’t that many (about 115.000 i think)
does this end up in giving a “grainy” look at close inspection? or it can’t be noticed even when you try hard…?
please i’m in big dilemma . . .
thanks
Mike, can you tell me – was the AVI video compressed later, or is it an indication of the actual quality directly from the camera? (I noticed the Quicktime version was blockier.)
Also, I notice what I’d call slight noise in the green background areas of the high-resolution flower image. Was the picture taken using a compressed JPG mode?
Lastly, does the camera support RAW files with no compression?
This camera does not use RAW files.
Awesome camera, I took one look at the features and your movie mode and instantly fell in love, so much so that I went to town yesterday to get a feel for this camera and get a hold of it.
When I had this small yet sophisticated camera in my hands i fell in love, i started instantly twiddling that rotational mode shifter straight away and then switched the camera to batch move and then took some shots of the camera showroom, I was amazed at how quickly it just felt “Right” to purchase….
Great review and awesome run down, I’m now the proud owner of this little camera and delivery will be here sometime on wednesday or thursday so I’ll keep you guys posted on how I’m getting on with it and I’ll probably upload a few images!
Hey Mike, how annoying have you found using the dock in order for I/O? Is there a solution to this? Does it suck to lug around the dock in order to charge or transfer files?
Chris: Yep, the AVI is slightly better quality because it is first generation, but also note that the Quicktime file is half the size. The only complaint I have about the Casio is its lack of native QT support, but oh well… not a huge deal.
Andrew: Yeah, I only use the dock for charging really. When I want to transfer data, I just pop the SD card out and put it in my Cruzer. I think the only time I’d actually carry the dock with me would be on a long trip as the battery lasts a very long time.
Panayiotes: The resolution of the LCD screen is not noticeable whatsoever. Of course it’s not going to look like a Powerbook LCD screen, but it’s plenty clear for a camera.
Thanks, Mike. By the way, have you seen or heard anything regarding that cable purported to allow for dock-free transfer of files? I think it’s mentioned in one of the reviews @ $24.99. Looks like just a crappy analog video cable to me though.
Pretty nice gadget, so small and I see that it takes good quality photos, or at least that’s my conclusion form the high_pinkflower.jpg image. Nice camera but I would choose a SLR.
My wife’s been looking for a replacement for her old Fuji digital camera, which is now showing its age. Not in features though – its the best camera we’ve ever had, and one thing lacking in many potential replacements is that they’re all lightweight plastic (her Fuji is small, but metal so its very sturdy).
Can’t see if this Casio is metal (you’d think material would be an obvious thing for Casio’s tech specs page) – if it is then its ideal. Can anybody please tell me?
thanks…
Andrew: Interesting. Nope, I haven’t checked that cable out yet.
Nice Paul: Yep, it’s study aluminum. Feels solid.
Congrats with your new camera!
I’ve downloaded and seen your samples as you show.
The effect of your video is very great! So I almost needn’t to consider to buy a DV any more. I just need a digital camera to shoot the video.
The effect of the photo is great. But I’d like to give you a small suggestion, the file size of the 1024×768 as you show that I think it was the primal photo in your camera’s card, when you copy it to your computer, you can open it with Photoshop, then select “File — Save Web Format — JEPG high”.
The file size of the 1024×768 primal photo is 209.9KB, when you process with Photoshop, it will become 154.9KB. The quality of the photo almost will be the same as before.
Here’s a link to the “dock-free” cable, which it seems is strictly meant for A/V. The product description probably couldn’t be any worse: “Connect the camera directly to the approriate camera without the cradle.“
Andrew: That cable already comes with the Casio and yeah, it’s just for A/V. Not still images. It does seem possible for a company to make the cable you’re looking for though. I’ll keep an eye out.
I don’t have a digital camera. I’ve wanted one for a long time (for web design, mainly) but haven’t gotten around to doing the research to know which to get (don’t know a thing about them). It looks like I could just follow your lead by getting the same model and it would be a good choice. You sure you aren’t getting any referral credits? ;-) Thanks for the info.
Hmm.. Looks like a really nice cam, this one. If I happen to stumble over 400 bucks sometime soon, this will be something to consider. Of course it’ll have to wait until I’ve finished playing with my brand new Canon 350D which I will be picking up next week. YAY!!
Back on topic, it’s great to finally see a compact digital with a decent manual mode! That’s been the only reason why I haven’t bought one. Ever. It’s true!
I’m in the market for a new digital, since mine is an old Toshiba PDR-M70, anyhow.. Casio should be thanking you for this review, it’s awesome. I’m using this camera as a base to compare other cameras to, and I may very well pick it up unless I find something better. Thanks.
I just made the purchase and would recommend anyone who is wanting this camera to precision-camera where they have a $100 off coupon available until this Wednesday (June 29th), making it $347 total… can’t wait to get it!
Whoa, I didn’t even see this post before. I feel happier by the minute with this camera. I bought it approx. 2 weeks ago and enjoyed it ever since. Most photos on my Flickr account were shot using this camera.
The more I surf the internet, the more reviews I read (including this one) which all conclude how great this camera is :)
For Dutch future buyers, try topvisionshop.com, got it there for EUR 344,0 including shipping costs!
Bought the EX-Z750 camera, a decent carrying case, and a 256 MB memory module at Costco for $399. about 3 weeks ago. It’s the deal of the century for the best non-DSLR in the world. My other camera IS a Nikon D70.
After 30 days of getting to know Tthe EX-Z750 I am truly grateful
for your review which steered me towards this outstanding, little
machine. The features set, performance and quality photos and
movies are a combination as yet unmatched in the P&S area.
Many thanks.
Received the camera 2 weeks ago, picked it up out of the box and started going through all the modes straight away – one of the easiest cameras for its size I have ever used, all the menu’s are just “There” without needing to think too much about where to adjust the zoom, how to lower the quality, how to reduce lighting and how to get into “Best Shot” mode……. everything was perfect.
All in all I would recommend this camera before anyone thinks of purchasing another, you need to get it into your hand to truely believe its power, I went to my local camera dealer (Fotosound, Jersey) and instantly fell in love with it once I had it in my grasps, you MUST buy one if you need a camera that will follow you everywhere, you’ll hardly notice its on your person!
Mike, thanks for the review, you really steered me into purchasing this little camera, what a powerful influence :)
Just ordered this camera and a 512mb card from Dell with some great coupons. I’m psyched!
I believe in the deal “to own a consumer, pro-consumer & DSLR will cover all your digital photographic needs”.
I already own a number of digitals but was on the lookout for a couple of replacements.
Now I can look forward to getting hold of the Casio EXZ750 to complete my ‘three-line-whip’ of models.
Casio EXZ750, Sony F828 & Nikon D70s
Thanks Mike… A lot of people owe you much more than you could imagine…..
Casio’s marketing department owe you a lot more than they could imagine! My wife wants this camera for her birthday, except that it being Casio she’s a little worried about it’s build quality/lifespan. Might be the best camera around at the moment, but is it a workhorse that’ll still be functioning properly in 4 years, as with her current Fuji camera?
Nice Paul: To be honest, the Casio is the most solid feeling camera I’ve ever owned. When I bought my Pentax Optio S4 a couple of years ago, it was nice but felt like one minor jolt and it might be toast. The Casio, on the other hand, is a solid brick of aluminum that really feels pretty indestructible. Obviously, I have no idea how it will hold up in four years, but if we’re going on feel alone, I’d say it will be fine.
But then again, in four years, a 7.2 megapixel camera will be the size of an iPod Shuffle.
I’ve tried transferring DV onto my Mac before using USB and had a hell of a time doing so… you mentioned that you just pop out the SD card and transfer the files with that… how do you do it? Will iMovie pull the video off the camera via USB?
Thanks for the review!
I am still not sure what to buy: The casio ex-z750 or the x-s500, what do you think is best? I really like the anti-shake-system which is on the x-s500, this is not included in the z750, is it?
Well I did go ahead as planned and bought the Casio Z750..
What a fantastic buy that was.
It is everything that I was hoping it to be and more.
I took some shots today using my Nikon D70s and the Z750.
To be honest, there was very, very little difference between the two and the Casio makes taking shots unbelievably quicker and easier.
DOn’t get me wrong, I’m not saying everyone go out and sell your DSLR’s.
What I am saying though, is if you want something that is as portable as this baby, that takes some extremely good shots and then has the added bonus of being a damn good half-decent camcorder to boot, look no further than the Z750.
And if that’s not enough to convince you, I’m having a ball of a time playing with all the other functions that it offers..
NICE….. VERY NICE…..
Just ordered the Z750 along with a 1GB Sandisk Ultra card for 379 total from Dell…Am very much looking forward to exploiting all the features this camera has to offer…Currently I have a Canon Powershot A80 which I do like (am gonna miss that articulating screen), but going through the menus is cumbersome besides not really being the kind of camera that I want to take with me at all times…Am also considering a Dslr, but will see how much this fulfills my needs first.
I bought this camera on Ebay a few months ago ( for more than you paid) but still thought it was a deal. I lost it or it was stolen before I even was able to use it. I have been looking at the brand new box it came in, empty on my desk, and have put off replacing it and had considered a cheaper model, but after your reviews and demo’s I’m definitely going to get the same camera. The upside is I’ll have two chargers now!! I’d order it from Dell, but I leave for DC in the a.m and so I’ll pay the extra and go to Circuit City, $404 and no disk.
Thanks!
Becky,
Have you not tried your insurance to get the money back?
If you have a Costco near you they have it for $399 and it comes with the carrying pouch and a 256mb card.
i bought the camera eventually
it’s superb exept that “lens error”
(Editor’s Note: Eh?)
Es mi 6ª cámara digital en algo más de 2 años y, con diferencia, la mejor. No entiendo cómo no sale mejor calificada en dpreview y sitios asÃ, casi cometo el error de comprar la SD-500, ¿Quizá porque se apellida “Casio” y no “Canon” o “Nikon”?
I’d really love to see some ubergeek out there hack one end of a USB cable so that it’d work plug straight into the base of this camera.
After reading and article in this month’s Make magazine about converting a single-use camera into a reusable digital camera (w/ USB), it seems like there must be some way to accomplish the feat.
I mean, this camera rocks and all, but if I could plug it straight into my computer for file transfers (and recharging!) it would be perfect.
Charlie: The movie clips will show up in iPhoto and you can just drag them to the desktop from there. They will open up in the open source VLC Player (you must download it), or you can convert them to QuickTime with a program like FFMpegX.
Just FYI: Casio recently released an offical video codec for QuickTime.
(Editor’s Note: Sweeeeeeeeeet! I just updated the entry to reflect this. Very nice.)
Mike: You sure are selling a bunch of these cameras for Casio!
I would never have considered the brand without your review.
I purchased one from Costco on Wednesday and I’m thrilled with it. I love the features and the pics. The lack of shutter lag is fantastic.
Thanks for letting us know about this great camera.
How does the Casio EX-Z750 measure up against the Canon SD500? The Canon is more expensive, but is it worth it? I really need to choose b/t these two cameras. Thanks.
Do you drive an AUTOMATIC transmission car or prefer a MANUAL? Nobody likes them both equally. You drive one or the other. Same thing to consider when choosing between the Casio and the Canon SD500.
The Canon offers no manual adjustments whatsoever. For this reason, I excluded the SD500 from my search.
I’ve used (and been happy with) my Canon PowerShot S30 for three years. During that time, I used the automatic setting maybe five times. The manual controls were easy to use and produced great results. (The ability for the LCD to gain-up or down in response to manual inputs was a great feature that I admittedly miss from the Casio). However the Casio has many more (useful) features than my Canon and after three weeks I am still discover new ones. The ease and usefulness of the manual WB setting alone makes this camera worth the price.
Here is a tip for those who already have this Casio: I leave the REC/PLAY auto-on/off setting to Disable (so that the camera doesn’t turn on inadvertently in my pocket) and have found that if I want to simply view my images without cycling the lens on (out) and off (in), I leave the function mode set to Voice REC. Simply press ON, and then playback and you can view your images without unnecessarily turning on the lens.
That’s a very worthwhile tip.
Thanks Dick.
I bought this camera last week from Adorama for ~$379 … great price, but imagine my chagrin when the DAY after I got the camera I see a coupon deal on cheap.typepad.com (from Dell) for the camera + inkjet printer for $326 w/free shipping! dohDohDOH!!
Anyway, here’s the deal for anyone else who may be on the fence; but it expires today, so you’d have to act fast :)
http://cheap.typepad.com/cheapster/2005/08/casio_exilim_ex.html
I have to disagree with this … the default flash mode for the camera really surprised me (at least, when compared with my previous Canon A80), in that it rarely ended up in a “washed out” picture; even better, one can bump down (or up) the flash intensity … I usually bump it down to -2 when taking indoor pix, and find that it works out quite well.
About the only thing I miss with this camera is the hinged/articulating LCD screen from the A80 ;)
Incidentally, you can find the EX-Z750 manual in PDF format at their site, or at this link:
http://ftp.casio.co.jp/pub/world_manual/qv/en/EXZ750_e.pdf
I didn’t notice in the (rather extensive) list of comments whether or not someone has already recommended a screen protector for the huge LCD on this Casio. This is the one I bought — it was cheap, comes with 15 protectors and a squeegee and it works just great (after cutting it down to size).
[url=www.screenguardz.com/pocketpc/imate-pda2k]Screen Protector[/url]
SCREEN PROTECTOR for CASIO EX-Z750
BELKIN @ http://www.belkin.com or 310-898-1100 makes an outstanding
little kit containing 12 clear, thin, adhesive backed protectors along
with a screen cleaning cloth and a card to remove any possible
wrinkles in a protector upon application. Should the protector
become damaged or dirty, just peel it off and put on another. The
only other step required is cutting the protector to screen size. This
system works very well.
I’ve bought a EX-S100 a few months ago; that’s only 3.2 megapixels, but it’s about the size of a credit card and ultra thin. I saw it in a Casio shop in London and hunted one down when I got home.
If I look at the flower photograph, I see the same kind of “unsharpeness” that’s also the feauture of my Casio; does this one also have a ceramic lense? I like the picture quality of my old Nikon 4500 better, but the ease of use and the size of the Casio makes it a joy to use.
The EX-S100 is no match for your cam though.
http://cheap.typepad.com is a notorious SPAMMER.
Makes money by links that he post on the blog and spamms around the web.
Do a google search and you will find all his spams
Mike, that “lens error” mentioned earlier is what’s holding me back from getting one of these. Basically, I believe what happens is that the on/off button is easy to push when in your pocket, and then the lens breaks itself trying to extend inside your pocket (is that a camera in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?).
Do a search for “casio lens error” for more information.
Go to this link at dpreview.com in the Casio Talk forum and you can read all about the lens error problem with the Z750. I, too, have not purchased it for this reason. I’d appreciate feedback about it, though.
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1015&message=14467243
Was surprised to read this, as all the deals I’ve found on this fellow’s site seem legit (and many are mirrored on techbargains & bensbargains); a google search on his sitename (as well as “cheapstingybastard.com”) didn’t reveal anything, either.
I’m not suggesting anyone sign up for his letter, but I’ve done so myself (and free/throwaway email acct, natch!) and haven’t seen any addt’l signs of spam.
Interesting Theory on the Lens error problem from a Casio repair tech, go to:
http://www.stevesforums.com/forums/view_forum.php?id=14&show=popular
Look for and click on: Casio z750 lens error and focus problem
Go down the page toward the bottom and you’ll see remarks from “Casio tech support 4”
“Make sure you’re not using a High Speed Memory Card. Despite the extreme push of using these memory cards, the Casio cameras aren’t compatible with them. I’ve been told that the EX-P600,P700, and P505 are the only ones that can use them, but I wouldn’t hold my breathe on that.
Usually I would suggest just a standard Secure Digital card in all Casio Cameras, just to avoid any problems. Though I’ve found cases where the cards work just fine, but I wouldn’t take any chances!”
Mike, are you using a high speed SD card?
Patrick: Interesting. Nope, I’m not using a high speed SD card, but then again, I’m not having a lens error problem (or any other problems).
Everyone: It has been suggested that the lens error could be caused by the camera being inadvertently turned on while in a pocket or something. There are two options for powering on this camera: either press the power button (hard to do accidentally) or press the record or playback buttons (easy to do accidentally). The latter options for powering on are turned off by default so to avoid any problems with automatic turn on, just don’t change this setting.
Doesn’t video require a high-speed card?
Has anyone had any problems with playing back in Quicktime after installing the new Casio codec? I’ve unzipped it and put it in the Library/Quicktime folder and my video is still all green with some digitized chunks every now and then.
Any ideas?
Purchased this back this July and brought it while I vacationed in Hawaii, thought I was all cool, then it was Crash and BURN!! All of a sudden in my group photo attempt showing off this little beauty…they had the last laugh on me. As then the thing jams up after 3 days of NORMAL AND CAUTIOUS USE, with the big ole “LENS ERROR” issue for me, althogh I wasn’t really surprised, for I was warned on many Forums regarding this “Lens Error Issue”. It begin as presenting it’s head sporadicallly but then full on lock up, and lens out as mentioned. Picture quality suffered in default mode, really wasn’t impressed intially as well. And also I must said while it worked the first few days as well, video was impressive, but just wasn’t as crystal clear in quality as I would have thought, tried to tweak to no avail, obviously a lemon here.
Do not feel it is right that I should have to manipulate a NEW CAMERA to have it work right with all these “TIPS” on here, I mean come on. Casio Tech Support as most, SUCKS!! They are mostly reading a script barely able to grasp ANY SORT of Tech Jargon, and don’t try to approach WHY they tout MPEG4 Video and it ending up a big ole fat .AVI File, they haven’t a clue of what .mpeg4 or .avi files even are, seriously!! Had no idea about a “Lens Error”, hmmm.
AND now I have sent the trashy bugger off to their West Coast Warranty Repair Facilty “Time Machine”, which ends up being a CLOCK REPAIR SHOP???, they lead me on for over a month now with delay tactics and excuses and charge me for shipping it, I am ready to through in the towel.
I feel the CASIO should honor their customers with a FULL EXCHANGE for these defective cameras, for it is obvious it is a manufacturing defect and common problem for many who put trust in an offhand Manufacturer such as Casio htting up the Digicam Market are. And if they do not send mine back soon, I am hitting them up with a big ole nasty BBB Complaint and force em into admitting…THey are shameless to put out half-baked technology, and then act all oblivious to it and make us have to search these dam Forums for some sort of support, but I am bitter of course and so enjoy my banter…Good Day to you all and Buggery Bullocks to Casio and your feeble attempts at wow>??
Holy crap Russ. Well that’s a pretty bad experience. I’ve heard from plenty of people who have bought this camera (some because of this blog entry) and everyone seems to really love it. I guess the true test of a great company though is how they handle things when stuff goes wrong and it sounds like Casio isn’t handling your situation well.
Interesting about the lens error thing… I wonder if it’s a bad batch or something. Costco just began carrying these cameras and I doubt they would do that if there were widespread manufacturing problems.
Return it once and for all and buy some other brand that does not have these issues. To put out all that money and then suffer the dreaded LENS ERROR is unacceptable. Casio should acknowledge that they have a problem here and fix it pronto. It is a shame, too because it sounds like a great camera, if they would only fix this lens error problem.
Well Costco no longer carries this camera due to excessive returns of this model, so states the Electronics Guy at my local Costco. So there must be some upcoming problems for a lot of people or isolated batches of the dreaded “Chinese” assembled model.
Well not going to run on about his, just wanted to let all you people know the other side….
Two weeks ago I purchased this camera from our local Target. For the first two weeks, it worked great. Today I went to take a picture and now I get “lens error” and it shuts down. The lens cover does not always close. It works about every 5th time I turn it on. Unfortuntly, I did not keep the box and have to return it to Casio. I can not find the address for warranty/repairs in the manual.
All the great features of the camera that motivated me to buy it seem worhtless if I am going to have problems with it. Now I see why Costco and Best Buy stoped carrying Casio cameras.
I’m really very surprised to hear about all of these lens errors and “excessive returns” … to pipe in with my own .02, I’ve had this camera for nearly a month and not run into any issues remotely like this!
In fact, about the only problem I’m having with my EX-Z750 is that it periodically won’t take a picture when the shutter button is depressed, even if the camera was prefocused (by pressing in shutter 1/2-way) … this happens more often than not in low-light situations, it seems. Generally, releasing the shutter and depressing it again will result the shot in being taken, but it’s annoying, nonetheless.
Any ideas what’s going on with that?
Wow. I did most of my research in early August and didn’t hear about this lens issue. I just purchased the EXZ750 yesterday (Sept 5) and bam, today I had this “lens error” come up. I live in Thailand and purchased from a local store. The camera was “made in Japan” but a majority of the markings are in Chinese, so my guess is that it has something to do with the Chinese market. I get the error now when I zoon in, then try to zoom out, it locks up. Crap!
[i]The camera was “made in Japan” but a majority of the markings are in Chinese[/i]
Which markings are you referring to? I’m curious to check my 750 and see where it was made … what should I be looking for?
Over 3000 frames plus a number of short movies on my Casio
EX-Z750 without the slightest problem. One possible cause of the
“lens problem” is pocketing the camera in a pocket with other
items which might press one of the three buttons which turn the
unit on and try to extend the lens. If the lens meets resistance, a “lens error” will occur. Try turning off the START function of the
PLAY and RECORD buttons…so that only the ON/OFF button can
activate the lens. Chances are the camera will operate perfectly.
I see that by my recent comment about my “lens error” problem that [unfortunately], I am not the only one experiencing it. Yes, I realize that the problem revolves around the EX-Z750 accidentally being turned on while in a confined area like your pocket. There is a major design flaw that allows the camera to be turned on very easily in three different ways. Even with all but the main/off switch disabled, it can easily be accidentally turned on. This forces the lens to try to open in your pocket and breaks the lens opening mechanism. This only has to happen once to break the mechanism. The problem is that the main on/off button is raised above the body of the camera and is activated by pushing it down. If the camera switch had a different design, like being activated sideways, or be recessed slightly below the camera, this could eliminate the problem. The camera does not come with a case. As I later found out, Casio sells a hard case for this camera. Maybe if the camera was sold with the hard case, they may have greatly reduced lens error problem from occurring. But for me, the size of the camera was the main reason I purchased the camera. The camera just begs to be carried in the pocket.
……..and this is why I went out and purchased a belt-clip pouch so I could carry my Casio camera with me and without fear of pressing any buttons or doing any damage to the lens mechanism.
I see what you’re saying though, the camera just begs to be carried in a shirt pocket or trouser pocket and you should be able to do so rightly but in this world not much is perfect.
I have heard that the casio z750 has a plastic lens. Because of this others have said to go with canon. Can this be verified or denied?
I always leave the mode dial in Voice Record as the lens can not open in this mode:
Here is a tip for those who already have this Casio: I leave the REC/PLAY auto-on/off setting to Disable (so that the camera doesn’t turn on inadvertently in my pocket) and have found that if I want to simply view my images without cycling the lens on (out) and off (in), I leave the function mode set to Voice REC. Simply press ON, and then playback and you can view your images without unnecessarily turning on the lens.
Alan: Not sure about that, but the lens quality on the Casio is second-to-none in my opinion. I like this camera a lot more than the Canon. However, that said, some people have reported “lens error” problems, and I think that’s enough to perhaps wait for Casio to release a new version.
So moving away from the “lens error” problem for a while … I’d like to report some weird issues with my 750, and whether this may be due to some config setting I can change?
One of the reasons I bought this camera was because one of the reviews I’d read said that the camera was one of the few that would *always* take the shot when the shutter was depressed, regardless of whether there was enough light, the focus had locked, etc.
Well, I’m not finding this to be the case … in fact, of late the camera will frequently not take the shot when the shutter’s depressed, even if the flash is enabled (making ambient light issues irrelevant) and I’d pre-focused (i.e., 1/2-way depressed the shutter).
I’ll set the shot up, depress the shutter 1/2-way (at which point sometimes the center square turns red, sometimes greed), then depress it fully a few moments later … and the camera will seem to “work” at something, but then stop a few moments later, and no shot is taken! At this point I repeat the procedure, and typically the next time it’ll work! At first this just happened occassionally, but recently it seems to be happening more frequently!
Has anyone else run into this issue? (BTW, I’m running the most recent firmware, as of 2 weeks ago)
Ali: The reason it isn’t taking the picture during low light would be the flash charging. If you see that red light blinking while you are ready to take the picture, that means the flash isn’t ready to discharge.
This problem annoyed me to no end, until I looked up what the blinking red light meant. To help this situation slightly, turn on quick shutter.
The reason it isn’t taking the picture during low light would be the flash charging. If you see that red light blinking while you are ready to take the picture, that means the flash isn’t ready to discharge.
This problem annoyed me to no end, until I looked up what the blinking red light meant. To help this situation slightly, turn on quick shutter.
Aha…come to think of it, I do recall reading that the flash takes a while to recharge – doh! Thanks for letting me know!
What does “quick shutter” do?
I got this camera a while back. Love the still shots it takes. My issue is with the video. When I got the camera, I noticed that all of my videos that I took had a high pitch whine to them. It captures all the audio, it just adds in some whining sound.
I returned the camera thinking it was a defect and got a replacement.
The replacement camera has the exact same whine to it. :( I listen to the audio in Mike’s Pike Place clip and in the Blue Angels clip and I don’t hear the same audio whine. Chances are slim to none that I’d get a replacement camera and it’d have the same whine in it, right? I’m sure it was a replacement and not just a return of the same camera because all the cables and such were back in bags and wrapped up.
Any thoughts on what to do? I installed the 1.01 update too, just in case that would fix it.
@Ali: It forces the camera to take the shot as fast as possible when the shutter is depressed. If the flash isn’t charged all the way, it will take the picture regardless. The camera will also forgo waiting on the auto focus to be finished.
@Jared: I get this as well in my videos, what you are hearing is the lens moving to focus. It is VERY irritating. If you want to hear it more, turn on auto focus in video mode and you can hear the lens moving a ton!
How would I know if Casio has released a “new version” fixing the “lens error” problem? Is this still an issue?
Derek, I don’t think that this is a lens focusing squeel/whine. It’s constant, it doesn’t change pitch or anything. Just one long continuous whine. If it were a lens focusing, wouldn’t the whine stop and start through out the clip?
@Jared: Wow, you have a differnet problem than I. When I am recording video I can hear the lense move with a high pitched noise. The noise isn’t constant like you are stating. Definitely a different issue. If you find out what the problem is, I’d love to hear your findings.
I loved my Casio camera — I bought the older model, an EX-P600 last May, and we got my wife a Z750 a couple months later.
I can’t get my hands on hers, but even the P600 was great. Until the lens stopped retracting one day. Casio wants $371 to repair the P600, and won’t honor the warranty on the basis that it was puchased on eBay. Despite being my favorite cameras, I’m kinda soured on Casio now.
I just bought this camera, but can’t get the AVIs to convert to .mov with ffmpegx- just get a white screen with audio. You seemed to have managed the trick, any advice?
(Editor’s Note: Download the codec in the “update” box of this page and the clips will open up automatically in Quicktime. No need for ffmpegx anymore.)
You know, I ordered my camera several weeks ago, and I’ve yet to have any problems with it. The only little quirk is that I can’t take a picture whilst the flash is charging. But I’ve yet to encounter a “lens-error” as many other people have.
My 2GB SD card is just fine :-)
Well, I’ve now had this camera for three months and all I have is nothing but praise.
It has served me very well as a micro consumer camera, complementing my pro-sumer and DSLR nicely.
As my DLSR Nikon does not obviously take any video, this camera has been used quite extensively in this mode.
I have done a lot of very low light shotting and if I had not taken the video’s myself I believe I would have found it difficult to believe in the quality of the low light movie files.
So whilst some have complained (understood), all I can say is, get it use it and be happy.
Nice………………….
i’ve had this camera for the past couple of weeks and love it. everything has worked smoothly until yesterday, when i shot about 40 minutes of video and then tried to import it into iphoto. it didn’t do a thing…just sat there. i’ve taken much shorter videos and have had no trouble importing them. i’m wondering if the file is just too big to import or the camera is broken or it’s the software. any suggestions? thanks.
When you plug your camera into the docking bay the camera should appear as an external device (removable drive if you may) have you tried to open the files directly and say drag and drop onto your desktop rather than trying to let iPhoto import the files? I haven’t tried any large movies as of such but that seems to be an easy approach, hopefully you should have no problems retrieving the file then.
You could always import the file afterwards into iPhoto if you would need to keep record of it :)
Hopefully the above will be somewhat useful to you, other than that I’m unaware of why iPhoto isn’t letting you import large movies.
I have a Casio QV-R40 and have used it for 2 1/2 years with no problems. I really like its ease of use and want to upgrade to the Casio EX-Z750. My concerns are the lens error and the fact that it’s only 3X optical zoom. Does anyone know if Casio is working on a fix (rather than the workarounds discussed here) for the lens problem? Also, for those who have used other digitals, do you feel that 3X optical zoom is enough? Last question: Has anyone had any experience with the Best Shot anti-shake feature? Thanks.
Just noticed Casio has a new 7.2 MP EX-Z120 with True Anti-shake. Anybody know anything about it?
Is it possible to upload images from my computer to the camera using the cradle?
I purchased this camera 2 days ago and I got that awful Lens Error message. I simply shut off the camera and powered it back and everything seemed fine. Then I zoomed in and the message appearaed……..everytime I zoomed beyond 45. It would automatically shut off. I twisted the Lens a bit and it works fine now, but who knows for how long? For this reaosn, I will more than likely return the camera………If I was sure it would keep working, I’d keep it because the picture quality (after some minor playing around) isn’t bad. I personally like a point and shoot camera, and the canon sd400 is a great camera. It’s smaller and you don’t need that annoying docking station. If Casio had addressed this issue or if I was sure the lens wouldn’t lock up again then I would have def. kept this cam.
I actually have 1 question……..When you turn on the Camera and the LENS Extends out………does it make a clicking sound at the very end? My canon camera doesn’t do this. You power it on, the lens opens and bam you’re set. With this one, I notice…………you power it on, the lens zooms out and then it makes a CLICK while the lens moves ever so little to lock in place…….is this normal?? Someone let me know, thanks.
Hi Ahmed,
I once considered the Z750, but after reading so many reports about the lens error, the clicking you describe in your previous post, and how customers have returned the camera in exchange for a new one, only to encounter the very same problems – FORGET ABOUT IT!
The Canon SD550 is receiving great reviews. I am also eager to read some reviews for the new Olympus SP310 or 350 model. It looks very much like the Casio Z750 (with the same movie mode), and the price is right: $349.00 for the SP310 and $399.99 for the SP350.
Donato, you are 100% right. I should never have even bothered trying this camera out. In the past 2 hours since my original post, the lens is now broken. It wouldn’t shut and the camera is now officially DEAD! The canon sd400 is an amazing little machine and you won’t have problems of this nature. I also am interested in the sd500 or 550. The whole Canon line is quality, as is Nikon I think. Casio is pure junk……..To anyone who’s considering this camera STAY AWAY! EVERYTHING NEGATIVE YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT THIS CAMERA IS TRUE! A lot of us want simple cameras so that when we power them on we are able to start shooting our family and scenes instantly………..this is the worst camera I’ve seen yet. Junk!!!
So what will you do with the camera now, Ahmed? Can you return it for a refund? If they give you any grief, file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and get your hard earned money back. Let us know how you make out. All the best with your next camera decision. This time, I plan to read the reviews and pay close attention to the slightest whiff of any serious problems. I love the Canon SD series, and the new S80 looks great too (but very expensive for a P&S). That Olympus SP310 is wooing me with its stylish good looks and ton of great features and the price too. I don’t like xD memory cards, but the prices are coming down, and if this Oly is as good in fact as it appears on paper, I just might go for it. Keep in touch now!
Well I’ve only had it for 4 days so I can’t see the Future Shop refusing to refund me the 449 I paid for it. I’m in Canada by the way. And honestly, Casio made junky watches and their cameras are worse……….Casio was always junk. I’m telling everyone keep away from this unit.
I got this camera after reading Mikes review. I think it’s a great camera. I have had it about 2 weeks so far and it’s been wonderful. There are always a couple lemons in any gear. Can’t let those spoil the potential of a great camera.
I beg to differ, this camera is a piece of junk. Look at all the negative reports from people…….these people are just like you and I. People who want a decent compact digital camera. This has the worst reviews from people I’ve seen yet…………Honestly, don’t let 1 person who has probably only used it a handful of times sway you. Stay away from ex-z750 and more importantly, CASIO!
I just realized (after 4 months) that I don’t have to use the Photo Loader software at all in order to download or upload files – just windows explorer to copy/paste from the removable disk drive. I will uninstall that terrible Photo Loader program immediatley.
As far as the camera performace goes – I am still very happy with it. I have taken 1186 images so far and have not had any problems whatsoever. I previously had a canon s30 and while that camera took decent photos, the controls and menus were poorly designed and of low quality.
The Casio is a great camera in my opinion, I especially like the manual focus and manual white balance control.
Ahmed: No need to get militant about your camera. You bought it four days ago… just return it. As I said in my “update” at the top of this entry, there appear to be some manufacturing problems with *some* of these cameras. For that reason, I would wait to purchase until the issue has been addressed by Casio (if it hasn’t already).
I’ve had mine for a few months now, taken over 1000 shots, and have had no problems whatsoever. The same is true for a few of my friends who also purchased this camera. In my opinion, this is a much better camera than any of the Canons, but of course, only *if it works*. If you got a lemon, return it. If you got a good one, you’re probably loving it.
My only gripe is that there seems to be several ‘lemons’ out there. And yes your warning is right, it’s not a good idea to buy this unit at the present time. And just out of curiousity, in what way do you find it better than say the Canon sd400 or 500? Picture quality? Structure, speed or what? Because from what I’ve tested, the canons are faster, structure is sturdier. THe only thing I will say is that with the Casio (after much tweaking and FLASH………you always need FLASH with Casio)……..the picture colors are a little more vibrant. I find Canon’s are more washed-out. Not to say they are bad and you probably would never notice unless you did a comparison. Bottom line is —> there is no camera that is perfect. You are going to give up something for another so I guess you have to just suck it up.
Stupid^
who’s stupid?
Well, I’ve just notched up my 2000th. shot and I believe my 277th. video file.
This camera has not given me any problems whatsoever…
It still perform and looks just like the day I first picked it up.
I know certain users are finding some serious issue’s with this camera but I am a great believer in “if you look after your equipment, it in turn will look after you”.
Now that’s bound to cause a few disgruntled users to snap (pun intended) back an answer….. as yes, there is an underlying problem with some of the cameras out there, of which I understand..
However, whether you have a problem one or not… If it’s mistreated, it’s going to flash (again intended) back at you…
To anyone who has this camera–You mean you don’t see anything wrong with the actual LENS? You don’t notice how it is very loose and not secure looking. Honestly, take a look now. ANd if u dont have a canon or nikon or something else to compare it to, go back to the camera store and compare. That’s all I am asking. I don’t care if you’re saying it’s problem-free! Just tell me how you feel about the lens construction………….
I’m gonna have to weigh in on the positive side of the ledger here. I’ve had this camera since it came out and have had absolutely zilch problems with it — save [i]one[/i] Lens Error message.
And now I’m going to tell you a story which you’re free to disbelieve. I called a professional photographer friend of mine to accompany me to the recent opening here of the Apple Store at The Shops at La Cantera. He took along an over-the-shoulder bag containing his Nikon dSLR and various lenses. I took along my Casio.
It’s too bad we can’t post pictures here, but I gotta tell you that many of my Casio pictures were just as good as the Nikon’s — better in some instances, worse in others (mainly telephoto).
If you got a bad Casio 750, there’s nothing that can be said to defend it. Send it back for an exchange or ask for your money back.
If you got a good one, then you already know it’s one swelluva carry ’round camera.
I rate its build and feel as good as anything in its class. Battery life probably better.
Oh, what the heck, look here…
http://homepage.mac.com/dairyair/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2005-10-15%2021.26.46%20-0700/Image-FC45B3BE3DFC11DA.jpg
Apart from the obvious, I don’t know what problem you have Ahmed Z but I only post my findings the way I (and a number of others I note) see how the camera has performed.
..and now to answer your post:-
Q1. “You mean you don’t see anything wrong with the actual LENS?”
Ans. No.. No Problems whatsoever.
Q2. “You don’t notice how it is very loose and not secure looking”.
Ans. Mine is not loose at all and is fine in the security area.
Q3. “Honestly, take a look now”.
Ans. Just have….. can’t find an underlying problem.
Q4. “ANd if u dont have a canon or nikon or something else to compare it to, go back to the camera store and compare”.
Ans. I have several cameras, from consumer, pro-consumer and DSLR’s.
I have been in photography for quite a number of years.
I have compared this camera to the likes of a Canon, Olympus, Fuji and a few other big names… It fairs very well.
Okay, it’s not going to stand up in your face and say “Hey, I’m all you need”, because that would be utter foolish…
However, for a daily use camera that is not to be taken as anything other than ‘family, daily shoot’, it fit’s the bill very nicely.
It sits in the glove compartment of my 4×4 and when I see something that could well be worth a shot for a later visit, I take the camera out, take a few shots and then go back if I want armed with my pro cameras.
As has been said before… If your Casio is playing up, take it back and either ask for a refund or change it for a different camera.
Either way, if someone says they have not had a problem with it… accept what they are saying… After all, if we are posting material here, it’s because we are passionate enough to have done our homework first on this camera.
I purchased my casio about a week or two after Mike wrote this article and I had a slight problem with mine, the lens covers would only open halfway (the two little metal sliders) but then I very carefully pushed them both into their hiding positions and the camera has worked a treat every since, I did inform Mike of this but I only did the above not so long ago.
I’ve personally never had a major problem with this camera and I’m glad because I’m usually the first person to complain about anything, the camera holds up very well for me, I’m a point and shoot kinda person and if I see a woman (hey hey) or an object thats begging to be captured then I do so.
I even took this little beauty to a festival and got in 4 rows from the front and switched it to video mode, needless to say I was a very happy bunny now because I have pictures AND video of some of the biggest bands such as Kasabian, The Bravery, The ordinary boys and many more, not just a camera but a camcorder too…. what can I say, truely magnificent.
Hopefully everyone that is having difficulties with their camera can get the problems resolved via refund or replacement, I hate seeing people without.
I’m going to exchange this camera tomorrow and give it one more try for the hell of it……….I’ll let you all know how it goes……if it doesn’t work out, back to canon digital elph series I go.
For what it’s worth, I’ll chime in and add some + comments about the 750 – have had mine for ~4 months now, and have not experienced any serious problems; about the only issue I ran into was ~2 weeks ago when I was snapping pix from the top of Twin Peaks on a *very* windy day … powered off the camera, and the lens stuck 1/2 way in to the retracted position – gave the lens a gently tap, and it whirred back and shut. This happened twice more immediately aftewards (no problems on extending the lens at power up, surprisingly!), but then hasn’t happened since. I can only presume that dust granule(s) got blown into the lens housing, causing the lens to stick upon closing – if so, then they must’ve been knocked loose soon afterwards as the problem hasn’t recurred.
OTOH, the comment above about telephoto shots being inferior to “normal” shots prompts me to add one negative issue w/the camera – I’ve found that just about ALL my telephoto shots (when zoomed past 2x magnification) are extremely grainy, particularly indoors w/the flash. Has anyone else experienced this issue, or could it just be that I’ve one of the camera’s parameters wrong?
Ali,
Off-Topic but when you mention ‘Twin Peaks’, which one are you referring to?
Hi folks….I just wanted to update you all on my trip to the Future Shop today. The Future Shop is the brother of BEST BUY. Anyways, my unit was totally dead with the zoom fully extended out. I took it to the return counter and I had planned on exchanging it, but the clerk who came over recommended I try something else. On the way in to take it back, I thought about the fact that I’ve Sony, Canon and Fuji digital cameras. Though the image quality wasn’t always A1, I never had problems with lenses falling off or breaking. And I’ve had many many many cameras. Well, it’s no surprise that I did not bring another Casio home today. Everyone has a different taste when it comes to a camera and I can’t condemn you for like this camera. I just wanted to share that the store employee at the return counter didn’t recommend me taking another. And when I went to look at the CANON lineup, the clerk himself said that he would never recommend a Casio. So I went with the CANON sd500 and let me tell you, it’s the same price but tough……anyways that’s all I had to share.
AhmedZ – if the clerk at Best Buy told you the Canon is better then it must be…
Camera Stores
Salespeople are paid on commission. Even worse, the craftier ones could have a vested financial interest in hoping that you are NOT satisfied with your photographs a year later and come back a year later and buy more. Just like the tobacco, coffee and caffeinated soft drink companies trying to get you addicted for their personal gains, foreign camera companies may not really want you to learn photography and get fantastic results with the camera you already have. They tend to prefer that you are never quite stoked about your results, so that you think that a new feature, like a few more alphabet letters on your lens, will somehow help you create more insightful photographs.
To be fair, your local camera store doesn’t make much selling cameras. What keeps their lights on are sales of accessories, batteries, film and especially processing. Therefore the main reason to ignore what they try to sell you is simply that the guys behind the counter probably shoot less than your other photographer friends, so you could get better information from your friends who don’t have any financial involvement in your purchase.
Kickbacks, Spiffs and Commissions
What you should ask the guy behind the glass counter is what his commission structure is and what spiffs (“incentives” or kickbacks) he’s getting on different products. Also ask what’s selling well and what people who have bought it say. Also ask what comes back as returns. Hey, he’ll ask you personal questions, so you have a right to know what his financial interests are in selling you brand A over brand B.
Ignore anyone who tells you that they dropped some brand because they got too many returns. That’s what every store says when they lose the right to sell a certain brand. The manufacturers determine which stores are good enough to carry their products. For instance, there are some camera stores that may sell Canon or Nikon, but not both. Of course they’ll say bad things about the one they don’t sell, or at least don’t sell profitably.
In the photo industry one maker often will often offer a special “incentive” or spiff or direct kickback for selling that product over another. Not only is it legal, it’s the way salespeople make their livings. We just don’t usually use the word “kickback.” Just ask, because the salesman may push whatever has a spiff on it that month over what doesn’t. That’s the whole point of the spiff.
These incentive structures get complex and change from month to month. You have a right to know, so be wary if the guy tells you it’s confidential if you ask. IT IS YOUR BUSINESS to know, it’s your money. You’ll certainly catch them off guard if you ask because people who have never been salespeople have no idea what goes on behind the glass counter, much less have the guts to ask. Find out if you’re making a major purchase from people you don’t know.
Most salespeople get paid on gross profit dollars, not the selling price. Discount non-camera maker brands of lenses may give the dealer a higher markup (margin or “points”) than the camera makers’ brands. Therefore the store and the salesman could make more money selling you a $500 off-brand lens instead of selling you a $500 lens from the people who made your camera. The camera maker may give the dealer 18% discount (“points’) for the superior camera maker’s lenses, while the non-camera brand may give 24% discount as an extra incentive to sell the non-camera maker brands lenses that you probably don’t want as much.
Therefore the store might be paying $380 for the off brand lens and $420 for the camera brand lens. Therefore if you buy the $500 off-brand lens not only are you not only getting less lens, but you are helping line the pockets of the dealer and his salespeople who had a financial interest in recommending you buy the other “just as good” non-camera brand lens that probably offered wider zoom range or silly features you won’t use in exchange for poorer overall optical performance. Hey, if you’re shooting print film don’t worry, you will never see the difference, but if you shoot slides or make huge enlargements you should pay attention.
Here are just a few reasons why this Casio is so superior for use by serious photographers:
1.) SHADE white balance setting critical as a professional secret to getting great color outdoors. Most compact cameras lack this, so unless you dedicate a manual setting on other compact cameras you simply can’t get the warm, delicious colors I and most people prefer for many kinds of outdoor photography.
2.) 999 user presets to recall camera settings! Each preset stores your settings of ISO, AF mode, White Balance, exposure compensation, flash mode, flash exposure compensation, flash underexposure correction, contrast, saturation, sharpening and the presence or absence of various viewfinder grids. You usually have to spend at least $5,000 to get this on a DSLR which then only stores four sets, each less complete. This Casio also stores a reference image with each preset for easy recall, while an $8,000 DSLR only knows them as presets A, B and C. I’ll get to the user presets later here.
3.) To recall these presets just press the SET button and click left or right; no menus needed!
4 .) Ability to assign the left/right navigation keys for immediate alteration of any of your choice of white balance, ISO, exposure compensation, recording mode or the self timer. That’s right, ONE PRESS ability to change these critical shot-to-shot adjustments. DSLRs at best require two hands: one on a button and one on a dial.
5.) Your choice of two different compositional grids, or none.
6.) Best Manual White Balance ability I’ve ever used for gray cards. It balances fast, easily and accurately under almost any weird light. It’s easy enough to set it with the “EX” button to use for each shot.
7.) Instant response to menu inputs; no waiting for response as on most Canon compacts.
8.) You never need to read the manual. All the menus are obvious and easy to find.
9.) Easy to configure the camera any way you want it. No need for confusing “custom functions.” Huge flexibility to adjust what you need, and then easy to save as a preset as explained above in #2.
10 .) Ample and easy to adjust contrast, color and sharpness settings. DSLRs hide this deep in menus.
11.) 8.3 MB of permanent built-in memory instead of including a throwaway card. This allows all sorts of tricks like the 999 user presets and making photos even when forces of evil have confiscated all your memory cards.
12.) Autofocus is pretty good and generally the same as other fixed-lens cameras, however it’s also smart enough NOT to lock the camera if you press the shutter all the way before the camera is done focusing. Maybe the focus will be a little off in this case, but you’ll get the shot you’d miss with other cameras. You can defeat this feature to make the camera lock up until perfect focus happens. So long as you wait for the AF lights to turn green you’ll get perfect focus regardless of this setting.
13.) Live four-channel YRGB histograms. This is much better than the useless single color histograms of most digital cameras. You see it in real time before making an exposure, as well as on recorded images. I’ll get to this later here.
14.) Fast playback speed. You can scroll through your images at ten per second, and they all come up sharp, not blurry at first as on Canon.
15.) New “EX” button that gives instant access to the critical shot-to-shot settings. More here.
How did Casio come up with this and not one of the camera companies we all think of first? Beats me, but for all I know it’s just like 25 years ago when typewriters were slowly replaced by computers. Typewriter companies thought people still wanted typewriters, so typewriter companies like Brother and Smith-Corona invented typewriters with floppy drives to record keystrokes. They called these contraptions “word processors.” Needless to say those companies and contraptions have long since been forgotten in favor of today’s computers, email and printers. Back in the days of the typewriter we had never heard of brands like Apple and Dell which today have long replaced typewriter companies like Royal and Underwood. Thus I wonder if companies like Casio will eclipse the film camera companies we think of today. Let’s face it, we want photos, not cameras or typewriters.
…taken from http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/otherrvw.htm
Thanks for your indepth reply. Let me state that Future Shop did not lose the rights to sell Casio. Very few camera stores with higher-end product sell Casio. In Canada for example……..you would some Casio at Future Shop and Walmart or Zellers. You won’t find it at BLACK’s for example or any other highend camera shops. Secondly, they have no reason to boycott the line, they are selling it and in fact the Casio cost more than the Canon. So the buddy at the glass counter would have made more on the Casio. Lastly and more importantly, the guy at the return counter has no vested interest in what I buy. He’s just doing the refund and he personally told me that a lot of them are returned. But to let you know my friend, I did not base my decision on the Future Shop clerks. I personally read all the negative comments on this particular model and I still went out and bought it anyways and it failed for me. It’s a shame that because of this camera and the luck I DID NOT HAVE with it, I will more than likely never look at Casio again. And maybe I had a lemon, who knows. But I will not take the chance again with another one of their products. You could say the same for any other brand I’m sure. But putting Canon and Casio side by side, the actual workmanship is evident……you can see which one is superior. If you tell me that the Casio is as tough and feels as good in the hand, then you clearly need some glasses. Anyone else agree with me?
Ahmed: I am definitely of the opinion that the Casio is of better build quality. The lens opened in my camera case (before I switched off the auto-power-on) and it’s perfectly fine. I dropped it from about three feet onto concrete and it’s perfectly fine… not even a scratch. If there is any problem whatsoever with this model of Casio, it appears to be a quality control problem that affects a small, but significant percentage of the units sold. This is definitely cause for concern, but to me, as Dick pointed out, a good one of these Casios is head and shoulders above any Canon on the market. It’s really not even close in my opinion.
Isn’t this why we have return policies? Just buy the damn thing, keep the receipt, and return it if it’s defective. That doesn’t seem so complicated. Even Costco sells the Casio and their return policy is almost as good as Nordstrom’s. You can return it like a year later if you have to.
I must get down to ‘Specsavers’ and have my eye’s tested as that is clearly what Ahmed Z tells me to do…
You certainly have an opinion only your good self is right and everyone be damned.
Being opinionated has severe draw-backs ~ you become a target for those that you insult.
Whether this is unintentional does not serve to give approval to your comments.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion but it is how we convey those remarks that count.
Being sarcastic/arrogant/conceited is not what I would expect as giving an opinion.
Quite a few posters here have put their views accross (including mine) whereupon you have not only dismissed the claims but done so in an arrogant manner.
I for one can not take your comments seriously when you subject the readers to your dominant views.
Quite obviously, the many years in photography count to zilch in your interests.
As as strong as I didn’t particularly care for this camera, you loved it. So you can sit here and praise this camera as if it’s the only camera on the market and if I don’t like it, you want to condemn me. I’m posting my views on this unit as honestly as I can. I am not insulting you or anyone. I posted that you or others may not prefer Canon for example. It’s simply a preference. Read my comments over if you have troubling understanding them. It appears you are simply angry because I am NOT singing praises for the ex-z750. I am giving an opinion, just as you are.
I’m not going to drawn into this with you Ahmed.. but you could not be more wrong in what you say.
It appears you also need to read my comments as well……
I own many cameras and never have I said the Casio is the answer to all cameras.
It has nothing to do with whether you like the camera or not, it’s the way you express your comments that causes friction.
You do insult and quite often; which maybe to you it does not appear to be the case.
I do not know you to insult you or anyone else on this message board. The only thing I may have attacked was the Casio lineup, with just cause. Furthermore, this is an expression board where I can express my displeasure from this camera, as you can express your gratitude to Casio for releasing it. Relax my friend and be open to freedom of speech.
Ahmed: You said “As as strong as I didn’t particularly care for this camera, you loved it.”
… and that’s the problem.
You owned this camera for 4 days and used it for what appears to almost zero shots (before it acted up on you). You are most clearly not an expert on digital photography and you most clearly have *not* spent anywhere close to the amount of time with this camera as many others here have.
For that reason, the only valid opinion you can have on this camera (in my opinion) is that you bought it, and it broke almost immediately. Fine, we all accept that, and as we’ve all said, it appears to be an unfortunate quality control issue. That sucks. It really does. And it goes rightly into the pool of praise and non-praise about this product.
The problem, however, is when you go beyond that… extrapolating all sorts of other things about this subject which are unwarranted and completely discounting the opinions of people who know a lot more about photography than you do. People love to fall back on the axiom that “everyone is entitled to their opinion”. Well yes, everyone does have an opinion. But the truth of the matter is that not everyone’s opinion matters. Sorry, it doesn’t. If I redesign a website and someone who has no training in design tells me to start shifting my layout around, I will not give too much credence to that opinion. If an expert tells me this, however, I will.
And so that is where we are with this discussion, it seems. We have a lot of people (many who know a *ton* more about photography than either you or I), clearly spelling out that the good units of this camera are superior to all competitors’ units. And then we have you saying you got a lemon. And that’s all we have.
I never said anything beyond what I know to be a fact. I got the camera Thursday and by Saturday it was dead. So in fact I had it 2 days. Secondly, in my previos posts I did mention clearly that the image quality was very nice and sharp with FLASH ON. I didn’t say anything negative about the quality of pictures the unit delivered during it’s 24 hours of usage. I’m sure my friend if this was Canon or Sony or Fuji and with this much backlash on the product…..and say you bought one anyways despite what you heard……..and lets say it was a lemon, you would be saying the exact same things I did. I even said that if it did operate, it would probably have been nice a unit and I may have ended up keeping it. And no I am not a photographer nor do I have any training. That doesn’t really have anything to do with the issue of many lemons being sold and the failure of CASIO to address such issues. Anyways I am happy with canon you are happy with casio.
“Anyways I am happy with canon you are happy with casio.”
….. In that case, simply leave it at that.
I am happy with my canon.
Having watched this post intently for the past 4 weeks, weighed up the pros and cons, read the review and competitive reviews on dpreview.com, I bought the casio this evening. It is charging as we speak and tomorrow the wife (it’s a term of endearment!) flies off to Vegas for the weekend. I hope for high quality video and pics.
On a general note – I sympathize with Ahmed and the others that suffered problems with their casios. I cannot think of one product on this planet that 100% of the consumers said worked correctly. Whether it is cars, furnaces, laptops, frying pans, or whatever. Our only hope as consumers is that the seller/vendor makes it easy for us to return duff stuff and either get 100% money back or a working product.
I’ll be sure to post on how well, or badly, the camera performs.
Very true that no one single appliance is ‘bullet-proof’ towards failure.
We must also not be so judgemental to the stance that if one unit is faulty, all units by the same name are as well.
Canon, Casio or whomever make decent equipment. Each deserves the praise as does each warrant rebuff when things are not correct.
My Casio works a treat, some other posters here have not been so fortunate.
If the roles were reversed, I would have bought another and even if that too had failed, I would not paint the entire Casio product line with the same brush.
Note: This is a long post but it may be valuable to you.
I came across this thread while searching for software info on the Casio Z750. I believe I can offer my comments which would directly support this thread. May I say that I have had several cameras and although I’m no professional, I’m not new to photography. I have owned Nikon, Pentax, Kodak, and Canon cameras. In past years I went as far as to process my own film to include enlargements, etc. I currently own a Canon EOS, a Kodak Digital, a Canon miniDV with picture mode … and a Casio Exilim Z750.
I purchased my original Z750 from Costco. I took roughly 250 pictures and about 9 videos in about 5 days or so and then the camera locked up with lens error. Tapped the lens and the lens went in and all was well for a day or so. Then the lens hung in the extened state with lens error and would no longer power up completely. Of note was the fact that the lens did seem to be slightly “loose” as has been reported in this thread. The next day I powered the camera on and it worked perfectly the rest of the day. Since this concerned me, I returned the camera the following day and Costco was out of stock on the camera so I got a refund. I inquired with management as if there were any other returns on this camera and they mentioned that this was the first return with a malfunction for this model. Although, he said another very well known brand, that I will not mention, has had many returns. Since I had some fears, I then set off to purchase another brand camera. One that did not share the same brand name of my portable piano keyboard which is an amazing keyboard I might add. I tested many cameras to include Sony and Canon which seems to be rated the best. I tested “best quality” and “top buys” rated cameras. Money was not a concern. Size, features and bottom line P&S output quality were the things I was looking for. The Casio had performed so well that everything that I took home or tested in store could not compare. I went back to Costco 2 weeks later and bought another Casio Z750. I have had this camera for 5 months now. Took it with my Canon to the Grand Canyon this summer. I have thousands of shots and many videos. Now my Canon EOS and my Canon MiniDV sits in the cabinet collecting dust until I need a truely professional shot which is seldom since the Casio gives me everything I need without the hassle of the big camera, case and multiple lenses and settings. I have had not one problem with this new casio and note that the lens does not seem loose on this new one. So bottom line, the Casio wins hands down. Definitely buy a Sandisk Ultra II 1GB or larger card and you will be most happy. I did have the chance to purchase any camera I wanted and I did test the competitors. I also tested each with prints to my Canon photo printer as well. Buy the Casio and make sure they have a good return policy, if you get one of the lemons then return it and get another. Like myself, I have heard from others that most of the lens problems occur shortly after purchase so you will know if you have a good one in time before the return policy time runs out.
Wow, Shane, you just posted one of the largest comments I’ve seen on this website (apart from my own of course!) and with such detailed information it’s hard not to take heed.
I personally think things spiralled out of control a little bit on a few of the posts but then again Mike opened this topic with comments so, as with any opinion, it was destined to be critisised.
For those people (like ourselves) that use the Casio, it is an excellent slimline SLR (thats my own definition, not anyone elses, so fire some abuse my direction if you’re a photography buff) unless of course you prefer another manufacturer then you are completely free to have that opinion.
Now, I have a question :)
I have a 256mb Sandisc SD card in my Casio camera. If I were to purchase the Sandisc Ultra II 1gb card, what would I see any (if any) improvements on? … Apart from the obvious fact I would get more storage for photographs, video and voice recording. Is there any great deal in the time it takes to shoot photographs? please, I’d like some opinions.
John,
The only main area where you will find an improvement is in speed of taking continuous shots.
Burst mode does have an improvement where you will easily get more shots per second and for longer use.
Its a great digital camera! Its been on the market for a long time now and newer cameras that are coming out are a copy of what the Z750 features have. And since its in the market longer its price have depreciated.
Bought it here in the Philippines for 385 dollars (converted) and it is the most decently priced compared to well known Sony, Canon and Olympus.
I won’t be bragging about its features and quality because it’s my first digital camera and your website Mike kept me inspired working overtime. hehehe =P
Now that I have this little baby, I can take pictures and video and keep memories of my family, friends and officemates specially during teambuilding outings. Keep up the good work Mike! Thanks.
Yea, verily, I, too, rue the day I bought the Casio Z750.
Wait a minute, that’s not right. What I really regret is not buying two, which I aim to rectify by getting my wife one for Christmas.
A couple of macros taken today for your perusal:
http://homepage.mac.com/dairyair/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2005-10-29%2016.08.13%20-0700/Image-D94B1F5A48D011DA.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/dairyair/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2005-10-29%2016.07.01%20-0700/Image-A877042948D011DA.jpg
Heck, I may even buy a third one and mothball it in case they stop making this sucker.
First, a belated thanks to John Patrick who suggested that I drag photos directly onto my desktop instead of going through iPhoto. It worked!
Next, has anyone had trouble with using the viewfinder and the zoom?
I’ve been using the large screen to frame the images, but yesterday my father tried to use the viewfinder and noticed that what he saw in the viewfinder was totally different from the resulting photo, especially when he zoomed in. The photo was not zoomed in at all. Is my camera broken? Or is it a setting that I am unaware of?
I wouldn’t recommend dragging every photo or file to your desktop if you’re taking large and multiple shots, only the files that don’t seem to be transferring directly to iPhoto in a fashionly manner, could you imagine, you’d have no desktop space!
Glad my little suggestion helped you out, usually things I remark on are wrong but it seems the tides of chance are with me today :)
I have been looking at buying an ultra-compact camera that has both a 2.5″ LCD and an optical viewfinder since September.
The only 2 cameras that fit my description (as far as I know) are the Canon Ixus 55 (Powershot SD450 in North America, (I think)) and this Casio Z750, my budget being £250 (roughly $450) I would love to buy the Casio but at this moment I am 95% sure of buying the Canon.
It is because I am buying the camera as a gift (very late birthday present), I’d rather give something that works, as opposed to something of better technical specification/reviews but seemingly with a persistent error.
If those of you who still have the Z750 could please read this review here, http://www.cameras.co.uk/details/casio-exilim-ex-z750.cfm – this reviews paints a negative picture on points that are not based on the lens error.
I have seen Ken Rockwell’s review and the one by Andy Needham, they are poles apart in terms of opinion.
Love to hear what you guys/girls think!
I’ve had this the Z750 for a few months now and it is hand’s down the best “consumer” grade camera I have owned. Small enough to stick in a jeans pocket, as well as powerful and fast! Btw, not to plug, but for people who know and don’t know, Costco carries the Z750…so if you do have a problem, no worries as their return policy can’t be beat. It’s $399 there and they include a soft case for it as well.
Mine has been great as well. When you buy from Costco it also comes with a 256 mb card.
Mike, What do you know about the 750mg? Has Casio corrected the lens error issue?
I just paid $443.00 including expedited shipping and no tax for a Canon S80 which has a wide angle lens and tons of great features. I would not pay $399.99 plus tax for the Casio Z750, not unless and until they repair the lens error issue once and for all – and not when I was able to purchase either the SD550 or S80 for almost the same price. Of course, to each his own way to spend hard-earned cash.
On another note, I would love to see Mike review the S80 and begin a nice long thread about a different camera model. This one has gone on since June 2005, which I admit, is a statement about the level of interest in the Casio. But it would be nice to receive feedback about other models too, and since the S80 is the flagship of the Canon S series, it would be a good place to start – or with the ever popular SD series – 450 or 550. JM2C. Thanks.
Hi Don: Thanks for the post. The Canon S80 is a nice little camera, but unfortunately it’s just too big and slow for me for give up my Casio at this time. If a camera doesn’t fit easily into a shirt pocket, I will just never take it anywhere. This probably doesn’t apply to everyone, but to me it does. A camera must be virtually unnoticeable for me to take it everywhere. Furthermore, the speed of operation on the S80 would probably cause me to miss a lot of shots.
The Canon really does seem like a great camera from an optical standpoint, but for me, that’s only half the qualifications of a “must-have” camera.
I just bought this camera for my wife and she loves it. It’s ultra-compact and takes great pictures and decent video (pretty good for a digital camera of this size). This is our first digital camera so I can’t compare it to others but we’re completely satisfied with our purchase after having taken 500 pictures and 10 videos. Our other camera is a regular film SLR.
We bought the Casio Exilim business card style case (EXCASE1CPZ) which compliments the size of the camera and 2GB flash card (regular speed Sandisk) so that she can snap pictures and record videos whenever she feels like it. Got it at NewEgg.com for $550 (camera, 2GB flash, and spare battery made by Lenmar). The battery works fine but is a tight fit and is hard to get out. I would stick to the Casio brand thought it costs twice as much.
You can’t go wrong with this camera if looks and size (and quick snapshots) are your priority. We’ve already received positive comments from our friends about the size of the screen (big), size of the camera (small), and the pictures we’ve passed around (wows). The camera is ready to take pictures within seconds which is excellent for quick snapshots and the controls are very easy to understand.
We’ve had no lens issues that some people are mentioning. The best advice was seen on this post by Dick Jagger. It is to set the camera to the “Voice Record” mode after turning it off. That’ll prevent the lens from jutting out when the camera is accidentally turned on. I will say that the lens angle is not very wide, but I wouldn’t expect that much from such a small digital camera. What we wanted was a ultra-compact digital camera that can take great looking snapshots quickly and that’s what we got.
I’ve tried this camera.
If you keep the flash set at +2 strength, and then reduce sharpness and saturation to -1 while setting contrast to -2, you can get some AWESOME pics from this. It’s got the best 7mp sensor I’ve seen, particularly for the price. (other 7mp cameras in this price range have visible chroma (color) noise at even 100ISO and the noise is so severe that noise removal leaves behind a lot of blobs…)
The flash mechanism is lacking, so use a slow ISO with large aperture along with the flash rate being forced +2 in strength. As I do landscape shots, indoor shots of humans doing their humany things is not a concern for me. :-) But it would for the camera’s primary target audience, that of people who want to take pics of their friends at parties and things.
It’s a sturdy camera too. A nice feel.
I will say that the anti-shake system is a DSP (Digital Signal Processor); a real anti-shake system is mechanical in nature and won’t affect picture quality (sharpness/detail at higher print sizes). Depending on how well this DSP is, and I’ve not yet tried it, there would be a trade-off by using it.
This camera produces no purple fringing either, or none even remotely visible, at telephoto or wide-angle settings. Very impressive.
A pity that the settings I prefer for realistic looking images with decent shadow detail always reset themselves at poweroff, but it is overall a worthy successor to my Sony Mavica CD500 (which, for 2002, really had the least amount of noise in a digital camera that I’ve ever seen. Pity it kept breaking… :-( )
1:6.6 jpeg compression is a tad much for the “fine” compression level, but I can still get very good 13×19″ prints, particularly after noise removal and thanks to the noise levels being so low in the first place. A 1:4 ratio, or TIFF, would have been better to have – but I won’t complain too much. (maybe Casio will release a firmware fix? Pleeeeeeeeeease! :-D )
The images come out a tad on the ‘cool’ side; slightly bluish and burgundy comes out as purple. Easily corrected and I’d rather fix that problem than manually correct lots of uncorrected noise problems.
The other model I was interested in was the Canon A620, but its barrel distortion and lack of jpeg settings annoyed me too much. And at $400, I’d expect more.
And compared to the remaining models I’ve tried, this one is a keeper; the Olympus SP-310 being a HUGE disappointment, particularly for the noise and propriatery and expensive xD card. Blech.
I have this camera in part; due to this review!!! The main problem I was having was FLASH! YUCK! Anyway, I did some testing today and if I set the flash to -2 and tape some tissue over it my slave fires!!!! Bounced from the ceiling in is AWESOME in low light!!!!! This will be my MAIN SPY BODY for the upcoming holidays!!!! HaHa!!!! My family had better behave!!!! I’ll either get great photos or BLACKMAIL!!!! :0)
The DESPISE my big honkin’ D-SLR!!!!! :0)
Great little camera (although I still like my Canon A95 and love my D70 and Nikon lenses!)
What I wish is that Casio had included a manual (besides the pdf link) and also that it a stronger telephoto.
Also: I’ve been trying to find if there is any way to do black and white — and see black and white on the superb monitor. (I can do so on the Canon, but the screen is so small.) Does anyone know if it is possible to have the screen display black and white – and how to do it? (I played around with the saturation settings.)
Does anyone know if it is possible to have the screen display black and white – and how to do it? (I played around with the saturation settings.)
Use BestShot mode setting 25 – Monochrome
Tremendous! Thank you!!! Next wish is to be able to view the already taken shots in black and white on the camera.
This little camera has so many options and possibilities I am tempted to print the pdf manual….
does anyone know how to get the voice recordings off of the camera and onto the computer?
I bought my 12-year-old daughter an EX-Z750 for her birthday back in May 2005. A week later I took it back to Future Shop because the lens had frozen in the open position (perhaps they tried to resell me Ahmed’s return)… anyway the replacement has worked flawlessly for her, has survived at least one major fall – judging by the dent on the front of the camera which she of course denies ever happened!!! – and since downloading Casio’s AVI Converter software for Mac OS X she’s been happily producing wonderful movies and stills galore. She’s so happy with the 750, which makes me happy. I love Casio products – they’re well built and give great value for the dollar, and the 750 delivers on both counts in spades.
I bought this camera online back in august and it has been defective from day one. It had green streaks on the pictures including vertical black lines on whites. The online store (a famous site that is named after a product of chicken ovaries), refused to replace it and I had no choice but to send it back to casio repair center. Finally, in a month and a half, my camera was returned to me. The green streaks were gone but- lo and behold- the white striped remained. Dont you guys check what u have fixed? OKay, fine, so I send it back. A month later it comes back and it seems to be working fine. Finally I can use my “new” camera. 2 days pass and I turn it on…. NO!! The lens is now stuck in the open position and the camera is DEAD!!! Now I am deciding on just tossing the $400 piece of trash out the window or sending it back (ONCE AGAIN!). I am so angry. I should’ve just stuck to the “real” camera brands! Stick to watches Casio!
Man, this sures seems to be a love/hate product, don’t it? Not much middle ground out there.
Now I’m expecting mine to break any day — from a worn out shutter button!
Anyway, all the pictures posted here were taken with the Casio z750:
http://bootzblog.blogspot.com/
Viewed best on a 20-inch iMac, of course.
MIke,
Am ready to purchase this little gem but am worried about the Lens problem. Has Casio fixed the problem or even mentioned that they have a problem?
I bought this camera in August and had the LENS ERROR problem after about three days of use. I might have triggered it the same way others did — by accidentally powering on in my pocket.
Costco exchanged it for a new one (I didn’t know at the time that this was a common problem for this model). My new one worked perfectly with no lens error… for over 2,000 shots!
BUT NOW… I had a little too much to drink last night and was playing air hockey while it was in the front pocket of my jeans. I must have really banged it against the side of the air hockey table a few times, because the whole front of the camera is dented in! The camera is destroyed because it will no longer power on. It looks like something heavy was dropped on the face of the camera next to the lens (where it says “7.2 megapixels.”
So I guess this is a Costco question more than a Casio question: Does anybody know if Costco’s liberal return policy covers items that clearly were damaged by abnormal use? I’m wondering if they will exchange/return a camera that looks like it was used to prop a door open?
Otherwise, it took great shots for such a little camera!
I am very interested in purchasing this camera as it has all the options and features that I am looking for, however like most I am wary of the whole “lens error” problems. I have a few questions that, if someone could help me out with, would make me feel more at ease about going ahead and purchasing one.
1) From what I have seen and heard, it seems like the whole lens error problem shows up within the first few weeks of use. Has anyone had this problem show up after a month or two of use? It would be nice to know that after a certain period, I am in the clear.
2)Has Casio ever officially acknowledged or dealt with this problem? It seems like they have come up with an explanation for why it happens (one that conveniently puts the blame on the consumer), but haven’t really acknowledged that there might be something inherently wrong in a select number of cameras. It just makes me nervous for potential warranty dealings if the company can just blame any problems on me.
3)There seems to be a newer line of Casio cameras that was released just recently. Does anyone know if this line fixes these potential lens error problems? It makes me wonder why they would release such similar models 6 months later.
Anyway, if anyone could shed some light on these things for me it would be greatly appreciated. I am very excited about the potential of this camera, and it would be nice to be rid of any lingering doubts. Thanks.
Ali said:
… powered off the camera, and the lens stuck 1/2 way in to the retracted position – gave the lens a gently tap, and it whirred back and shut. This happened twice more immediately aftewards (no problems on extending the lens at power up, surprisingly!), but then hasn’t happened since. I can only presume that dust granule(s) got blown into the lens housing, causing the lens to stick upon closing – if so, then they must’ve been knocked loose soon afterwards as the problem hasn’t recurred.
I have had this problem on cameras with retractible zoom lenses (film one – I don’t own a digital camera) Of course taking your camera into caves every weekend is bound to get it coated in mud…
I have a question. In many reviews I see that they say that the color saturation is way too high by default. But nobody here has mentioned it. Do you all have the saturation set to -1 like the reviews recomend?
EX-Z750 Owner = Yes
Made in = China
Purchsed = Nov 26 2005 Canada
Major problems = No
Annoyances = Yes
Annoyance issue search terms = Audio Sound Hiss Whine Pitch Noise
Annoyance issue resolved/answered (as of Nov 27 2005) = No
I just bought this camera. No major problems so far. Only annoyance is the high pitched whine/hiss when listening to video playback. This was mentioned in an earlier post, but no answer was given, so I am bringing it up again.
Is this noise normal for this camera and is everyone experiencing the same thing? When resolved I will update my post with the answer/resolution so that others can search the many posts on here and perhaps find the answer more easily.
Many people have commented on how informative this forum has been, and I agree with them. Thanks to Mike, and credits to him for being objective, and trying to stick to empirical evidence.
Just having a forum like this is great, though it would be nice if specific questions could be grouped with answers. For example, all “lens error” or “audio hiss” etc questions grouped, followed by resolutions/suggestions/fixes.
Thanks again Mike,
Adrian
A rather comprehensive list of available reviews of the EX-Z750 for those still shopping around.
http://livingroom.org.au/photolog/reviews/casio/casio_exilim_zoom_exz750.php
Regards,
Adrian
Here’s a site that is not on that list and and which is what convinced me to buy the Casio. (I’ve relied on the information he provides on Nikons.)
thanks for this helpful forum!
Betsy
(haven’t used the video so can’t comment on a hiss.)
Hi Adrian, I’m the guy that posted about the audio hiss previously. Even after I returned my camera and got a new one, I still noticed the hiss, as I mentioned before. I got to thinking about it, and thought that maybe it had to do with my sound settings.
I don’t seem to get the hiss anymore, so maybe if you try using the same audio settings as me, it might work for you.
In Play/Preview Mode press Menu, go to the Set Up tab, go down to Sounds and press right, on this screen, I have the first 4 items set to off, and the Operation sound level set to nothing, and Play turned all the way up.
If you do this and record a video and then listen to it, do you still hear your hiss?
By the way, is your hiss very high pitched or a air-type hiss? My hiss was very high pitched.
Jared,
The hiss is very high pitched. I tried the settings you suggested but there is no change in the hiss sound. I also tried turning off all sound options as well as every other option in the camera (i.e. all the “auto” features etc). Definitely no improvement. Interestingly, when I use the audio only feature for voice recording, the audio is perfectly clean with absolutely no high pitched hiss, and almost no noise. I really wish the movies sounded this good!
I’ve tested the camera in several distinct environements in order to rule out the possibility of noise pollution in my home, but the high pitched hiss is identical in each environment. It seems to clearly be an artifact of the camera itself.
Also, it is not an artifact of the camera’s speaker, as the high pitched hiss remains the same when the videos are tranferred and listened to on my computer. Thus, the noise must be embedded in the file. Also, as the voice only option of the camera records perfectly clear, I can rule out a physical problem with the microphone. Therefore, the problem is likley electrical and the microphone is probably detecting electrical noise resulting from normal operation of the camera in video capture mode, or the microphone is operating differently in video capture mode.
Adrian
Adrian writes:
EX-Z750 Owner = Yes
Made in = China
Purchsed = Nov 26 2005 Canada
Major problems = No
Annoyances = Resolved
Annoyance issue search terms = Audio Sound Hiss Whine Pitch Noise
Annoyance issue resolved/answered (as of Nov 27 2005) = YES
Annoyance issue resolution = Upgrade firmware from 1.00 to 1.01
It looks as though I can’t edit my previous posts, so I apologise for so many separate ones.
The high pitch hiss sound issue has aparently been resolved in my camera. After further searching I discovered that a firmware upgrade is available which brings the camera’s firmware from version 1.00 to 1.01. The link to this firmware is found directly through the link that Betsy recommended in a previous post. Thank you Betsy! I have added that link again here due to it’s apparent importance in resolving this particular audio issue.
(apologies to Mike if forcing the link is unacceptable)
Though the upgrade information states nothing about resolving any sound issues, it nontheless has resolved mine. The videos still have a very minor ambient hiss to them, but in my experience, this is quite normal with devices such as these. I’m just happy that the high pitched noise is gone!
Cheers everyone, and I hope this helps some of you out there.
Adrian
PS FYI In my exhausting search for a camera I too seriously considered the SD series cameras (SD400, 500, 550, etc). It seems that these are great cameras too. However, people should be aware that those cameras may have serious issues just like the Casio EX-Z750’s “Lens defect” problem. Apparently, some of the SD series cameras have problems with the LCD cracking. I found one review site which had numerous people complaining about the LCD in those cameras just spontaneously cracking! Also, I many people have complained about audio noise with those cameras when recording video. Interesting… hehe.
Just like Mike said earlier, and like we all know… there are going to be lemons in any product you buy. Good luck to everyone, no matter which camera you choose!
Been a while since my last post (Oct25)…
Where is this firmware link that has been supplied by Betsy & Adrian???
I can’t find it anywhere…..
…In the meantime.. I’m off to Google & Casio’s site.
Wondering if anyone can detail how to view the current firmware on the Casio 750?
Press and hold the menu button in while turning the power on. Release menu button when version is displayed.
These details are provided where you download the firmware upgrade (i.e. the link that Betsy provided)
Adrian
I tried to provide the link but your site filters it out. I tried forcing the link by putting spaces beteen letters etc… but your site is too smart for that :).
Alternatively, anyone can get the link if they select to be notified by email when posting here. The links are not filtered out in the email notifications.
Adrian
Adrian: My site doesn’t filter out links. Just construct them as you would a standard HTML link and they show up just fine:
<a href=”http://url”>title</a>
or just:
http://url
It’s been just over a week since my last post and I thought I’d give an update to those looking at this camera. First of all, BUY IT AT COSTCO or Sam’s Club! I took the damaged camera back which looked like I smashed it with a brick (see above post). This thing was obviously abused. But because Costco has such a liberal “no questions asked” policy, they simply looked at it, looked at my receipt, and said “do you want cash back or a gift card?” THAT’S how good their policy is!
I really liked the camera (even though I had the “lens error” problem with Casio #1). So I bought an exact replacement — Costco still carries it. (for $30 less I might add!) This is Casio #3 and haven’t had any problems with it after one week and 420 photos. I’ve been careful to keep it in audio recording mode when not shooting as a genius suggested in an earlier post, and this will keep the lense from ever opening accidentally in my pocket.
I haven’t had any audio hiss or loose barrel problems as stated above, nor do I notice any color saturation problems. But it does take sharper, brighter pics than previous cameras… I like their look.
You can see some photos I’ve taken with my three Casios in my Flickr gallery:
http://flickr.com/photos/radiospike/
All of the photos on the first 7 pages or so — including the U2 concert and Miami pics — were taken with the Casio. Basically every shot from August through today. Overall, I’m happy with it — great shots!!!
http://world.casio.com/qv/download/en/ex_z750_firmup/
Well the link for the firmware actually posted this time! Interesting as it didn’t before, and I might add… it didn’t show up in Betsy’s earlier post either.
No matter, it is there now.
Nor did the link I provided to the Ken Rockwell site. Because it is such a good site, especially for Nikons, the Casio review is an extended sidenote, I’ll try again: http://kenrockwell.com/casio/exz750.htm
So, uh, what’s the dealio with the lens issue?
i searched high and low for a camera that captured great pictures and great video, i almost compromised on a xactia c5 by sanyo.. DONT get that one, the pictures are horrible…. this camera is a gift in itslef for all the quick moments you will capture before most ppl are even set up for a pic… vid is crisp and only a slight compromise from a camcorder. wish it had a mic input for sone great sound BUT im GLAD its small , and u cant have it all for that size i suppose., maybe when my 2 year warantee is close , i’ll crack the screen and get a newer verson, (with an mic input hopefully)
This afternoon, after 17 shots (or 60MB on a 460 MB) card, I got the message MEMORY FULL. If I deleted one picture, I could take another, etc. Obviously, the card, a 512 MB Lexar, was not full.
I can find nothing in the manual about this (and btw, is it possible to get a hard copy of the manual;printing the 250 pages is a daunting idea? And it would be nice to carry the manual with me.
When I emptied the card yesterday, I erased but did not reformat because I wanted to keep one image. Would that have been the cause?
thanks,
Betsy
I ordered the Casio Z750 yesterday before reading of the lens error issue. I called today and the Rep at Abe’s of Maine told me that Casio has addressed the issue with the lense and that the issue didn’t involve the lense but “a glitch in a chip.” As a result, I did not cancel the order and will hope that the information I received is correct.
http://www.zlk.com/casiolenserror.html
“I called today and the Rep at Abe’s of Maine told me that Casio has addressed the issue with the lense and that the issue didn’t involve the lense but “a glitch in a chip.” As a result, I did not cancel the order and will hope that the information I received is correct. ”
This is what I have been looking for; an explanation of, and solution to, the whole “lens error” issue before I go out and drop several hundred dollars on a great, but possibly defective, camera. I have to admit though, that I wouldn’t give a whole lot of merit to what the Rep said. I have spent the past two weeks searching the net for such an explanation and to see if this potential “defect” was fixed on later models. So far, I have been unable to find anything. As far as I can tell, Casio has never officially addressed the issue. The most telling clue to this is that no where on the Casio web site is there a mention of “lens error.” Go ahead and type it in their search bar, you will come back with zero results. I find this rather strange, as this appears to be a rather well known and somewhat common problem. You would think that at the very least it would warrant a mention under the FAQ, if not a full out press release reassuring the public that they are aware of any problems and have dealt with them. Maybe I’m just a cynic, but this does not appear to be a good sign to me. After two weeks of searching the net, posting on this forum, and trying to contact Casio, I have come to a conclusion: this is a fantastic camera that has a slim, but very real chance of being defective. If it stopped there, I could live with that and would rush out to purchase this camera today. However, I have also learned that Casio is terrible when it comes to customer support, and as far as I can tell they have tried to side-step this issue entirely. If you run into troubles, you may get lucky and get a replacement camera or free fix from them (if you are wiling to go through the hassle and wait), or you may get the runaround or be blamed for the damge and get nothing. Either way, if you purchase this camera you had better do so from a pretty forgiving retailer (e.g. Costco) so that should any troubles arise in the future you can deal directly with them instead of Casio. Unfortunately, I for one am going to have to pass on what could have, and should have, been a great little camera.
I, too, have been reading about this camera and finally decided to purchase one. I’ll be putting it to the test the next few days, and if it breaks (ie Lens Error) I’ll just return it. So far so good.
btw, anyone know how to get the “Double Exposure” shot in the Z-750? I have an earlier Exilim model (4 megapixel), and we had fun with this feature; but I don’t see it in the Z-750.
Gee, gimmie a shameless grub!
What we’ve got here is a camera that was highly touted by, for want of a better word, certain web/digital cognoscenti, word of which then filtered down to us, well, whatever you call us. Posters?
Those touts, if you will, have been matched if not exceeded by my own experience with this camera. It simply takes high quality pictures, period.
It was inevitable that anything so touted would ineluctably elicit complaints and criticisms — some justified and maybe some not so — according to certain Hegelian principles having to do with Thesis, Antithesis, and Synthesis. Whatever.
I have no compelling reason to believe that the so-called failure rate of this camera is significantly higher than that of any other popular electronic product in the market place today.
Mine has performed flawlessly.
That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.
Gawd… who writes like that in a public forum concerning a digital camera? lol
Good points to be made for sure… though I’m not sure how his reference to hegelianism applies (esp. since his stated it as it is defined) lol
I’m not sure which year in university I heard all that before… but jesus dude… not many people here are going to understand you… and if your objective is to add information/help others… I got to tell you, that most people are just going to pass over your post.
Some advice… treat your words like tools dude… use the appropriate ones for the job at hand (and your audience)… anything else is just wasteful (assuming your objective wasn’t to confuse people :P).
Cheers,
Adrian
PS. hundreds of pics so far and no probs with the camera.
Haha… I actually liked Bootz’ comment quite a bit.
Same here Bootz,
I’ve had this camera now for just over 5 months.. It’s taken several thousand shots and many hundreds of video samples and it has never let me down once.
Damn fine performance if you ask me.
…and if this did ever get broke…. simple answer really, I wouls rush out and buy another.
Last july I got my first casio z750 but I was getting lots of lens error .
I put up with the lens error for a few months then I went back to costco and told them that the camera never work since I bought it.
They exchange it with another one last week and this one is perfect!!!
I even tested the lens and put my hand in front of the lenst to stop it, never got any lens error at all. The older one was sensitive. Once you accidentally touch the lens with very minimal force it will give you a lens error right away. This new one no matter how much force you put on the lens it never get the lens error. As soon as you release your hand in front of the lens, it will just continue tocome out with no error at all. So, tha t said I think tha casio fix the problem with the newer version. It has the latest firmware when I got it as well.
Back on 11/29, I noted that the camera showed the message MEMORY FULL when the card, 512, wasn’t full. It stopped and I thought no more of it — until a couple of days ago when it reoccurred.
I checked with Amazon where I had bought the camera on 11/4, filled out their return refund/replacement form, chose to get another because of the quality of the pictures. The next day (!) the replacement arrived. I’ve had it now a couple of days – it seems to be a slightly updated model (or perhaps I simply didn’t took as closely at all the menu options!)
Never did have a “lens error”, but the “memory full” is something to look out for. So… CostCo is great on returns but so is Amazon, I learned.
I’m new here, but had the EX-Z750 camera since it came out many months ago. I don’t recall having the lens error, if it did, it’s probably just once and has not appeared since.
I’m glad I did not come across this site when I was shopping the EX-Z750 as the skeptic/cynic in me would read and might have the negative comments posted here outweigh the positives, and thus MISS OUT on the best* camera I’d owned to date (Nikon F2E, Minoltas, Konicas, Olympus).
best* being a combination of features (not neccessary the best in class in each of them, but for being the best overall):
1. best teaching/hands-on experience camera: read the Ken Rockwell sites for tips, and experiment with it.
2. best replacement for my multiple Sony camcorders. I don’t use my mini-DV anymore, as they’re bulky compared with the Z750. It’s also easier to save video files from the camera compared to converting a DV tape.
3. best travel camera: I travel widely and sometimes to places where it’s not safe to advertise that you’re a tourist. With the inconspicuous Z750, I got both camera/camcorder ready to take any shots/recordings whenever, where-ever.
tip: travel with a ultra mini-harddisk (cigarette-pack size) and download via usb/cradle, without needing the laptop.
Gripes about the camera (since nothing is perfect in this world):
1. need to carry the cradle around i.e. no direct USB cable from camera
(I heard there’s a EM-2A cable from Casio, but still, I’d prefer the standard (mini) USB cable over a proprietary one.) Casio’s probably just following other companies here in making money from proprietary connectors e.g. Dell, Sony etc. Also, a DV out from camera directly would be nice.
2. No head-phone jack
Since it’s apparently possible to push DVDs to it ( http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1015&message=13550797 ), the “last mile” is getting a headphone jack to
listen to the soundtrack while watching a movie.
Casio, hopefully you’re reading this:
Fixing the above 2 gripes in Z750 or newer model, makes it a camera/DVrecorder and DV player… opening up possibilities of being a PVR (personal video recorder).
or don’t fix them and wait for other convergent products e.g. smartphones like the Treo (650 can do all the above, but the camera sucks in comparison) to boost their camera quality and
lose market share.
Is there any way to tell whether you have a new version or an old one of this camera? (Assuming a new version has the updated firmware and no lens error problems.) Or are Casio bringing out an updated model?
Ok – so we got this camera three weeks ago as a carry-along to complement our D70 after a lot of comparison, and its closest competition was the Canon A620, which, when tested, had a noticeable hiss in video (motor noise?) and noticeable vignetting in wide angle images. The 750 had neither!
Got a case to protect it a bit.
Took it do Disney, and it performed wonderfully. It felt like one of the family. Really, I got used to the small size, and got quick at the manual settings.
Then, last night, we took it to a cousin’s house for dinner – I had used it earlier in the day, and I was the only one who had it – and when I turned it on to use it, found that the LCD was fatally cracked.
Now, if it were not for this, I’d be really loving this camera. But I’ve found mentions of this problem everywhere now, and also found many skeptics who can’t seem to believe the LCD would just crack “on its own”.
Well, it didn’t. It cracked under careful, normal use. That’s pretty unacceptable considering we bought it 3 weeks ago and it hasn’t experienced and “impacts” or “drops” or “gunshots” or anything that would obviously cause this cracking.
Therefore I cannot recommend this camera – I’ve taken pains to assure it’s been carefully treated and I seem to have joined the club of mystery-screen-crackers anyway.
My biggest hope now is that Circuit City just simply lets us return it.
Andrew
Andrew: There are 208 comments on this thread now (jesus!) and yours is the first to mention the screen cracking, so I’m not sure what the “club of mystery-screen-crackers” is. Perhaps it’s an issue, but I’ve never heard it reported. Are we talking about the same camera here?
Hi Mike –
Yeah, sure thing – as long as you’re talking aboiut the EX-Z750 ;)
Take a look over at dpreview (feel free to ignore my posts) and search for “cracking” in the Casio forum.
FWIW, Circuit City – actually, the first two guys we dealt with basically said that the camera was damaged, or had been dropped, or crushed, or whatever – but then they got the manager, who, surprisingly, said he was familiar with the issue, albeit in Sony cams.
He showed the others that the case and screen were mint and that was enough to rule out abuse for their purposes.
They actually exchanged it for another, but also gave us the option to bring it back within 14 day to exchange for another camera. We’re seriously considering the A620, though the video whine in that camera is making me balk.
I’m a little broken hearted because I really like the 750. (tears well up in eyes…)
Andrew
Andrew: I just searched over at dpreview and it seems like every single brand of digital camera returns a lot of hits for the term “crack”. Didn’t feel like investigating further but I think we’re looking at another case of every single tiny electronic device in the world having a few lemons. I’ve had my Casio for several months now, carried it in my pocket without a case, dropped it onto rocks from three feet, and it doesn’t even have a scratch.
Again, the only thing to learn from this entire thread is buy all of your electronics from a place with a good return policy. Costco immediately comes to mind. There’s no messing with shipping things back to manufacturers. You just take the item in, and they give you a new one or a refund. Doesn’t matter if you buy a Casio, a Canon, a Pentax, or a Sony… they can all go bad.
Has Casio officially acknowledged that there was a “lens error” problem with the Z750 and have they announced the release of a new version that has repaired this problem? I have not heard anything about this, but to be honest I have been enjoying my Canon SD550 and Panasonic FZ5 too much to worry about it. Nevertheless, I am still interested in the Z750 if and when Casio announces that the lens error problem has been repaired in a newer version. Thanks
Hi Mike & Donato –
Mike – I’m sure every type of camera has its problems… unfortunately, I had one that has a problem which seems kind of mysterious to those it happens to.
As far as returns go, I didn’t really know about Costco – but I bought online from Circuit City and picked up locally, which saved about $50!
I’m seriously debating whether to keep the 750, but will keep Costco in mind for the future.
Donato – Mine never had the lens error, and I can tell you my fingers got in the way a few times it opened :)
Andrew
I bought this camera and I like it so far… However, I’m having a hard time getting a nightscene nice shot while you’re in a moving vehicle… I kept getting a blurred result. Any suggestions what setting do you recommed for this? I set it to best shot night scene… thanks guys!
“I bought this camera and I like it so far… However, I’m having a hard time getting a nightscene nice shot while you’re in a moving vehicle…”
Two suggestions:
1) set focus (pressing “up” on the disc) to Infinity
2) set aperture to 2.8
3) set shutter speed to no less than 1/20th, and around 1/30th
4) take LOTS of pictures ;)
Andrew
Are you seriously asking how to get a blur-free image while taking a picture in the dark from a moving car?
LOL
Now that you ask it is kind of funny. It can be done, though.
Usually, I take shots from a moving car at night specifically for the effect, though.
:)
Andrew
If it makes you feel any better Andrew, I too have heard of the “phantom cracking” LCD. It actually happened to my mother’s camera, but she returned it and got a new one that seems to be working fine (thankgoodness for Costco!). From what I have seen and heard, it sounds like it occurs slightly more often in this model of camera as opposed to others, but no where near often enough to be considered a major flaw. Basically, the whole lens error issue has overshadowed it.
So, the other day I noticed advertised in a holiday flyer “Casio EX-750GY”. As far as I can tell, it’s the exact same camera as the EX-750 in terms of features and everything, except that the camera body is dark gray in colour (the lens is still silver). I googled it and couldn’t really find anything. Does anyone know if this is could be the long awaited update to the EX-750 that fixes the nagging lens error issue? I don’t yet own an EX-750 (my mother does and loves it, so I have been tempted), but I think I might hold off and get this new EX-750GY if it fixes the few problems the EX-750 had (even if the gray colour is butt ugly).
Hi Jeb, I am the proud owner of a grey EX-750. After reading about the lens-problem I ordered the “newer” grey version. Call me supersticious but I also happened to like this color ;-)
And yes, I haven’t had any lens problems so far…
For those wanting another confirmation of the high quality of this camera, see Steves-digi-cam’s listing of it as one of the best digital cameras. It’s at http://www.steves-digicams.com/2005_reviews/ex-z750.html
I’ll be interested to hear about the new one. The only lens problem I have had, and it wasn’t a problem, was a lens error when I was careless in taking it out of its case and the lens tried to extend in the case. Turning it off and trying to remember to put the setting at audio rather than automatic takes care of any problems.
Hey Stef,
Where did you get your new “grey” 750 from?
Also, I checked both Sams Club and Costco and could not find any Casio’s for sale. Do they not sell them anymore??
Just ordered this one with a 2GB SD Ultra II card. Holidays with one card! Shooting movies and pictures without the need of switching cards…
I tell what it is like, when I get it. It was 309 euro. The SD card was 145 euro and 20 euro for the “bag”
Total 490 euro including shipping.
“Hi Jeb, I am the proud owner of a grey EX-750. After reading about the lens-problem I ordered the “newer” grey version. Call me supersticious but I also happened to like this color ;-)”
Lol, you took the words right out of my mouth :) (Well, except for liking the grey colour…to each their own I guess :P Although to be fair, I have yet to see the camera in person, only in a flyer or online, so maybe I will have to trust you on this one.) I’ve been thinking about getting this camera for a while and I too have convinced myself that this newer grey version will somehow be better, even though I have no information to support that. Any excuse to make a purchase I guess :)
A side note I forgot to mention…has anyone bothered in investing in one of those extended warranty plans for this? I have never bothered getting one for any other of my electronic purchases as they have always seemed more like an easy money making venture for the store rather than something I really needed. However, my local electronics store will add 3 years onto the warranty for $100. It seems like a bargain to me to ensure that this great camera works for the next 4 years or else will be fixed or replaced for free, howevere I’m worried that if I do get the lens error problem they will deem it to be my fault and not covered by the warranty. Does anyone have any experience with this or any help? Thanks.
For all those traveling with the Z750:
I bought a compact SD card to USB converter (looks like a standard USB memory stick) and a 20 GB FotoChute by SmartDisk (3.1inx2.7inx0.9in). Now all I do is pull the SD card from the camera, plug it into the converter and plug that into the PhotoChute. The pictures are transferred automatically to the PhotoChute. The nice thing about it, is you get 20Gig of memory without having to lug a laptop or the camera cradel and you can take pictures or video almost forever.
I recently got an EX-Z120 for Christmas and it had the lens error of getting stuck on power-off. I finally just pushed really hard on the lens while pressing the power button and it finally popped back into place and turned all the way off. Now there doesn’t seem to be any problems.
I just bought a Z750 from Walmart.com. I bought a 2 yr warranty (which starts after the one year warranty that comes with the camera) for 16 dollars. As for the Grey Z750, it is the same exact model except for the color. Sorry people but no difference. I will let you know if there is any Lens Error with mine. I think that most of the cameras are probably just fine but there seems to be some assembly quality issues. EVERY camera store I spoke with about the lens error tells me the same thing, that they have had NO problems with people returing them. By the way, Circuit City is selling 1 GB SD cards for 59 dollars until Saturday December 31, 2005.
To clear out any misunderstanding, the grey model is of course exactly the same as the silver one. CASIO only decided to bring out an extra colour. For anyone interested, I bought mine @ http://www.pixmania.com
I think that’s a “Europe-only” shop…
Hi to all fellow Casio EX-Z750 owners, I have read all the reviews I could find all seem to be of the same opinion that this is a great camera with the exception of a weak flash unit and a possible sticking lens problem.
I purchased mine from Jessops Photo store in the UK it is a gunmetal colour made in China, I could have bought one from Costco but I have a friend who works at Jessops who also sell a 3 year no quibble guarantee, this also covers accidental damage, worked out at about $436 US this included the 3 year guarantee plus a genuine Casio Exilim leather case. While I may have paid a little more I have peace of mind for the next 3 years as regards any mishaps or problems with the camera.
I am very happy with the camera but it is still early days, I keep it in the case with the Rec/Play buttons disabled and when I remember set the mode switch to audio recording. I would like to know what you guys have set your sharpness, saturation, contrast & flash intensity settings to as I cant make up my mind what is the best settings.
Thanks for all the input it was a real help in my choosing this camera.
Graham… kenrockwell.com has another take on this camera. Actually his site linked me here. Eesh so much to read…don’t go full on the saturation says he. Click “How to” link and do some hunting, you can read more.
As a proud peacock I’ve decided to trade the Nikon 995 for some tilework. Today I ordered this Casio, and two days ago I got on the backorder list for a Nikon D200/18-200 lens. Big and little made more sense. Looking at life as art is justification for me.
Great new year to ya’ll, B
Essentially new camera — pictures I took yesterday were fine, but today, I was about to use it and the monitor is not cracked or anything and the camera was snug in its little LowePro case… and instead of showing whatever it is pointed at, there is a black oval, white dotted, about one half inch long, in the lower left corner-side, and three vertical lines, magenta and yellow, from the black oval to the top, and the rest of the monitor is white – only very faintly showing whatever it is pointed at. Despite this, it does take pcitures. The camera was not dropped and nothing done to it!
Oh, woe! Any ideas?
i want buy this camera but i am in colombia ,i like that camera hasn´t problem error lens
some shop store where do i buy this ?
yo deseo comprar esta camara parece que es excelente al menos asi lo dicen sus usuarios en los reviews pero aqui en colombia no se consigue asi que hay que comprarla por internet ustedes me recomiendan algun tienda en especial que la venda por internet y que la testeen que no traiga el error lens,espero alguien me responda lo mas pronto posible
Hi all
Just bought my z750 from Dixons at the Airport UK. In Belfast for £195 with printed voucher! Great deal you can buy on internal flights. http://www.dixonstaxfree.co.uk/index.cfmfuseaction=imaging.view§ion=imaging&group=11&pro_id=702533
I have no SD card as yet. A friend of mine is going to Singapore very soon so I should get a very good price on one.
Any advice on the SD? should I get a 1gb 2gb 4gn? Fast card? what make of card do you recommend? How fast does it need to be? I’ll be using the movie mode in HQ a lot I have two small kids! ;o)
Thanks.
I’ve enjoyed reading these comments.
A great little camera case for this little beauty is the SWORDFISH SF50 AMAZON, £9.99 UK. It’s very compact and doesn’t add very much in relation to size in your pocket.
Is it possible to connect this camera to another unit, such as a PC, and record longer videos than would be possible using a slot-in card? I have looked recently at the specs for the Fuji S9500 which has a similar movie mode, but it says the video length is dependent on the card memory.
I like this camera, but would rather open it directly into photoshop CS . I think I need to use something other than the cradle. Any suggestions? Also I would like to burn my video to a DVD. Do I order unlead videostudio 8.0 or 9.0. or other? I have tried Pinnacle studio plus 10 without sucess. It crashes shortly after launch.
My local camera shop catalogue lists a Casio USB lead that does away with the cradle. Not sure if it works with this camera or not.
If you don’t want to use the cradle, why not just pop out the SD card and use an external card reader.
BTW, the Casio AVI codec doesn’t work on my new Intel iMac. Given how long it took them to release the first one, I don’t think I’ll hold my breath for an Intel compatible one–darn!
Woo Hoo! Count me among the happy owners. Okay, I’ve only had it 20 hours, but I love it!! I wanted something that was not a Kodak (bad Kodak, BAD). This little camera met all of my picky little requirements (in addition to not being a bad, bad Kodak). I can’t believe how fast it powers up and takes a shot. I have already placed a screen protector on the LCD as mentioned in an earlier post. I bought the camera at Dell for $302. They had a 20% off coupon for Casio cameras (expired) and I had $50 off $400 coupon for EA. I had to add a small item to my order to get it over $400 since the camera is usually $399. A good deal for a great camera.
Hi All,
Have had my z750 for about 4 months now and am pretty happy with it. As always there are a few nits to pick…
One annoyance which has cost me several missed pictures, is that it is very easy for the “function” wheel dial to get fliped into a random position when the camera is withdrawn from a pocket or pouch. It kind of negates the purpose of a point and shoot camera if you have to check all the buttons every time you take it out and turn it on. I’m going to try taping the wheel in place. Anybody else have any suggestions?
Also the display is virtually unusable in the sunlight like at the beach, but that’s not unusual for any other brand as well.
The image “review” function is not designed well, in my opinion. This is the ability to review a image on the LCD immediately after it is snapped. My Canon Elph does this nicely by holding the image on the screen as long as the shoot button is held down after taking a shot. The z750 will only hold the image on the screen for a second or two and then dissapears which is pretty useless.
Of course the image can be reviewed by flipping into the playback mode, but again, this is an extra step which defeats the purpose of a point and shoot camera.
I do like the camera and the picture quality very much, but I wish they would improve a few more things. Are you listening Casio?
Hello. I’ve been following this blog for a while. This blog actually convinced me to go out there and pick up photography. And I did pick up the Casio EX Z750. Thanks for that. I’m a novice at taking digital pictures. Could you possibly tell me how to set the shutter speed on this camera. I hate reading manuals. So far I am having a great time with this camera.
Read the manual. What else can I say?
There’s a vague clue on page E-12 of the printed manual that came with your camera. There’s a longer version on the CD, which probably has an Index that will easily answer your question(s).
And why do you want to change the shutter speed in the first place?
The camera does a perfectly good job of exposing pictures in the overwhelming majority of circumstances.
But if you don’t want to read the manual and you want slower or faster shutter speeds than the ones the camera’s automatic program mode emposes, check out some of the Best Shot modes for quick fixes.
If you don’t know where the Best Shot mode is, read the manual.
“And why do you want to change the shutter speed in the first place?
The camera does a perfectly good job of exposing pictures in the overwhelming majority of circumstances.”–Bootz
I would like to change the shutter speed so that I can take still pictures of a focused object but a moving background. There are some cool shots I would like to take with some of my friends in front of a moving train. I would also like to speed up the shutter speeds in some instances so I don’t get light streaks on my images.
“And why do you want to change the shutter speed in the first place?”
Lol… good one.
Wait… you’re not kidding, are you.
Based on this nonsense I’d take Bootz’s comments with a grain of salt..
Just choose shutter priority mode. That should to everything you want with shots of moving items. There’s even full manual control if you need it.
In case anyone wants a deal on a new Casio EX-Z750, Dell has a new coupon. Casio EX-Z750 7Mpixel digital camera $399 – 25% off coupon
Code: KF?Q43WM89WG4Q Exp 2/4 5:59am CT or 250 uses = $299.25 shipped free.
(thanks FatWallet!)
do any owners of the z750 GREY model experience a difference in performace (namely, lack of LENS ERROR problems that seems to be the main problem with these cameras)? I was just wondering if the idea that these might be the new, updated version with a fixed LENS ERROR problem seemed to be true or not.
thanks
New Casio z850 is out, a click better than 750, really good
check it out at http://www.exilim.com
It’s not listed on the exilim.com website as of today, but I found a description at PMA-show.com It sounds very good, 8.1 MP, essentially no lag and, especially, an anti shake. No mention of lens error.
Betsy
This post is directed at anyone considering buying the 750. Buy it now (or the new Z850) and thank Casio later. Ken Rockwell is right-on about this camera; and if you dig into the features of this camera, any intermediate user like myself can learn a lot by using it. The four color histogram is just one good example. It is fascinating.
No Lens Problems:
I have had a 750 for 4 months of almost daily use and abuse. In terms of physical reliability, I carry it uncovered in my soft briefcease. I have no problem with lens sticking. Even so, I did follow the advise of the genious poster and I keep the dial in voice record; thus disabling the lens. Once I dropped the camera and the outer lens ring jammed in asymmetrically at about 30 degrees. I forced it straight and powered down-up. No problem.
Less is More:
IMHO this camera has the best performance-per-unit-cost of anything except it’s replacement, the Z850, which I will buy in April. My old olympus C740 was a little to big to always carry, so I missed some shots. The 750 is small enough to always carry. But more importantly, it always gets the shot if you know how to use it. For example, the ‘past movie’ mode seems like magic the first time you use it. You will wonder how you ever did without it.
Casio, Improve This:
Like any camera made by humans, there are some problems which could be fixed in the next firmware upgrade (currently 1.02). 1. in red-eye flash mode, the pupil-contracting first flash is too distant in time from the picture flash, so pupils have time to re-dilate; causing frequent red-eye problems. 2. There is no force-red-eye flash function; you can force a flash, but can not force a red-eye flash.
I have taken a few pictures with this camera that make people say “wow..did you take that?”, and that is a good feeling. To sum it up in one sentence; I enjoy photography even more with the versitility and avaliability of this small camera. I got mine at Costco, just in case it EVER in my lifetime goes bad on me.
Get a wide angle lens (camcorder type), a tripod, and a folded up sheet of white paper (as a reflector) for much more versatility; but that’s another post..
Bye now.. I’m taking my 750 snow hiking this weekend..
-Brett
Brett wrote: “…Get a wide angle lens (camcorder type), a tripod, and a folded up sheet of white paper (as a reflector) for much more versatility; but that’s another post..”
I’d like to know about the wide angle lens – which do you recommend? (And I look forward to a comparison of the 850 to the 750.) :::hint::: :::hint::: :)
thanks,
Betsy
Betsy,
The 750 lens barrel is not threaded for a wide angle lens, so you might want something small you can hold in front of the lens during the shot. It sounds awkward, but it works for me, until I can find a lens which actually attaches.
I use a Raynox 0.7x, designed for video cameras. It is the size of a walnut, so I usually carry it with the camera. If I want to attach it to the camera for a tripod shot, I disable the auto-off (so the lens never retracts), and use an inch of medical tape to tape the edge of the W.A. lens to the camera lens. Unprofessional maybe, but I get the shot..
I also have the old wide angle lens and adapter from my Olympus C-740 (I miss typed ‘750’ in my previous post). This second wide-angle lens is a Raynox 0.66x at 72mm diameter, on a 52mm to 54.6mm adapter tube. I hold it with the adapter tube over the lens, touching the 750 body. It is bigger than the camera! It is the size of half a can of soda, so I only carry it for special purposes, when I really need .66.
The number used on wide angle lenses refers to the “wideness” of the lens, .7 is wide, but .66 is “wider”. The effect of putting a wide angle lens in front of the camera, is that the image it sees appears closer (in the focal plane). If you were to try a .5 or .4 lens, the focal plane would be too close to the camera lens, and it could not focus! (on our Casio) So, when you go shopping for lenses, you should bring your camera and take a picture with the lens in front; then switch to ‘playback’, and zoom in all the way to check the quality of the autofocus attempt.. could the camera focus? If not, choose a “less wide” (larger number) lens, or here is a trick.. switch the camera to macro mode; allowing the camera to focus a little closer. On my Casio 750 I can use .7 in normal mode, and .66 in macro mode.
Having a wide angle lens in your bag allows some dramatic shots. You will not get much distortion at .7, but the area of the shot is about doubled! For example, not that you would do this, but for illustrative purposes, if you were taking a picture of a tile floor, you would now see about twice as many tiles.
As for a comparison of the 750 vs. the 850; the companies web site does a great job of that; I’ll send a link later..
Thank you for reading my post Betsy! Take care..
Brett
So–Can anyone tell me–Is the new 850 model Casio’s “fixed” and improved 750 model? Is there something added to it to fix this Lens error? Is it worth waiting to buy this model?
Thanks
Patti
Hi I just wanted to say thanks. I just bought my new Casio Ex-Z750 and it is awesome. I haven’t had a single problem with it, i only have praises to give. The picture quality is far better than most and with all the options you have to customize the shot you want to take, you can always get exactly the picture you’re going for. Another huge plus for getting this camera is the Video Quality. You saw the sample posted here and it was no fluke. My image quality of the video’s i’ve taken have been VERY impressive. And whats not mentioned here is that the Normal Quality setting for taking videos is also 640×480. And I have got to say there is barely any difference in image quality between the two. I spent a half hour comparing shots i took of the same scene but with different settings High vs Normal. And if I hadn’t been the one to take the shots i might not be able to tell which is which. The only difference that is somewhat noticeable is the audio. On high the microphone is clearer and seems a bit louder. But other than that its pretty equal. If you’re wondering why i’m telling you this, its because you can get nearly TWICE the amount of recording time on Normal Mode. I have a 2 gig card which holds about an hour of HQ Video, but holds over 2 HOURS of Normal video. Seeing how the quality difference is so minute, i will opt to use the normal mode. Plus it saves hard drive space and dvd space. I think maybe if i were at a concert or something where audio is important then i would use the HQ Video mode. Anyways, I have no regrets about this buying this camera. Casio has come a long way and they deserve to be recognized as one of the better companies out there making digital cameras. If you get the Casio Ex-Z750 you’ll know why.
Hi there, Ed here from the philippines
Bought mine 4wks ago, and i love it. Lens error never happened (and i hope it wouldn’t).
I love the manual settings it offered, unlike other PS cams.
I’m no professional in photography, but this cam made me want to be one..
The picture quality is best. (for me)
I always bring it along with me, who knows.. anything can happen so easily and sometimes you’d just think that “i hope i’d bring my cam with me”..
I need advise on how to clean the lenses though..
Somebody who’s still asking if it’s worth it.. I’d say yes..
Capturing those special moments for me is worth a lot..
But with my casio ex750, now it’s priceless..
I just checked the specs for the new EX-Z850 and was horrified to read:
Can anyone confirm this is a limit with the Z750 as well? It seems really dumb. Why can’t you record continuously, until the memory card runs out?
no limit on the z750, as long as there’s space on the mem card..
If it’s true that the 850 has this limitation I won’t be upgrading. What good is a 10 minute movie limit even if you can record more than one?
Jerry
Casio should watch there back – certainly if this movie limit is true – because apparantly we are not the only fans of our beloved Z750.
Look how SONY is reacting with there W100: http://www.dcviews.com/press/Sony-W100-W70.htm
Optical viewfinder, manual settings (the back of the camera looks very familiar), better display resolution, better ISO, no movie-limit,…
For the moment I’ll stick with my Z750 ’till it crashes on me, but after that?
I’d like to post an excerpt from something written regarding this camera on another forum, where I asked about the video limit on the Z850:
UK folk interested in buying it, check out ebuyer who are selling the Z750 for just £178.59, inc VAT! It’s £240 in the high street. My guess is Casio are selling it off.
Guys: I’m pretty sure this is a misunderstanding. If Casio put a 10-minute limit on video, that would be ridiculous. Most likely, the 10 minutes refers to the limit if you use internal memory or something.
Mike,
how is the z750 holding up? Seems like with all its use it would be a good indicator of long the camera is going to last. I was just wondering if there had been any problems.
thanks
ryan: no problems whatsoever… still easily the best camera i’ve ever had. I still like it so much that I’m not even considering the 850. I’d buy the 850 if I didn’t already have this one though.
I’ve been following the 10-minute movie limitation “controversy” over at dpreview and other digital camera sites and I’m almost certain that it stems from a European review in which the 850 reviewed had only a 256MB SD card installed. In other words, the limit was that of the memory card, not the camera firmware itself.
In even more words, then, it’s one of those Internet “things” in which a single datum gets picked up and widely dispersed w/o the complete context.
As for dependability, the one the wife got me is still humming fine, ditto the one I got her in return. The latter just got back from a 550-mile helicopter ride to witness a condor release at Vermillion Cliffs in Arizona.
Her 750 is still fine, but the resulting video suffers from severe h-h-e-e-l-l-i-i-c-c-o-o-p-p-t-t-e-e-r-r v-v-i-i-b-b-r-r-a-a-t-t-i-i-o-o-n-n.
Perhaps the vibration stabilizer in the Z850 would be effective in a helicopter?
How lucky you are to witness the condor release — and how envious I am!!!!!!!!!!!!
First, thanks to everyone for this awsome debate/discussion which has been going on. It has proved very educational! My question may deviate a little however.
In looking for a camera which can handle both video (good video) and stills, I have eneded up with these two options:
1) the Z850
2) Sony DSC-M2
Cost aside, could someone who knows their stuff give me their opinion on which would be the better purchase?
Much appreciated!!
Memory Full message! — I get this on 1GB card after just a few shots and after I formatted the card — and also after I have taken the previous pix into the trash. I’ve just been testing it – and the message comes on, preventing any other shots, after 4 shots!
Luckily (this being the 3rd z750) I bought it at CostCo about 3 months ago. It’s always in a little case (and carried around) and never been dropped, etc. Any ideas?
thanks,
Did you -empty- the trash, or just drag the pictures there?
Just a hunch.
Andrew
I’ve done both — just tried again, with different settings (the best shot) and same thing, except after 3, Memory Full. I also reformat the card in the camera.
Before, I had this problem when I had not emptied the trash so that was a good suggestion.
Betsy
Just had a thought that I had the original (unused) 250 card it came with. I tried that — and NO PROBLEM!
It also reformatted very quickly ( the 1 GB was taking a long time.) Both of these cards are San Disk — so the problem is the card, not the (sweet) z750. I wonder if San Disk will do anything – I no longer have the receipt.
Betsy
If anyone’s interested and has read this far. Costco.com has this camera for $299.
I’m ordering mine tonight or tomorrow! So excited.
Great review Mike!
without google, i dont think i would of ever landed up here….
First thing, i would like to thank Mike and everyone else who left a post about the z750 and z850…
Looking for a camera became an overwhelming ordeal, especially since it would be my first digital camera i would purchase, so many options to think about, size, price, features… and then that narrowed it down to the Sony T9, Canon sd700 is, Casio ex-s600, ex-z750 and the ex-z850… it took a lot of thought… the casio ex-s600 had the look and small/thin size, (but probably be too thin and small for my big hands), the image stabilzation became an issues, and then that knocked out the z750 even though it was the cheapest out of all of them, and now price… i hate to do this, but had to knock out the sony t9 and the canon cause it was out of my price range (above 400)…. which left me with the casio ex-z850, which has the MP, the image stabilization, and was in my price range and had all the extra features that the s600 didnt have…
I got an awesome deal for it, at buy.com 339 and if you use their 15 dollar coupon (http://www.buy.com/retail/coupon.asp?prid=88301879&adid=17662), it will come out to 324… and shipping is free on buy.com anything over 200 dollars…. my camera should be in by next week…. only problem i face now is that, there is a rumor about the z850 and the video quality, going to keep searching and talk to casio directly to find out if this true, and then decide if i should keep it and wait for the new firmware, or if its a hardware problem, ill probably have to return it, but the snapshot quality is amazing….
Thanks again to everyone who left a post and helped me make a decision…
Thanks, Mike, for your comments on the Z750. I just ordered a z850 from a NY camera house (Prestige, I think) for $312.
This will be my 4th digital (and 2nd Casio, tho the first was a 1st generation version). I’m looking forward to a small size, long(er) battery life, no perceptible shutter lag & a raft of other mid-range features in a tiny package.
Yippee!
Cheers,
stk
http://www.randsco.com
Scott – here’s an interesting article about NY camera houses which gained quite a lot of interest recently (including an article in the NY Times). I hope your order was with a reputable dealer…
Thomas Hawk’s blog
Those thinking about buying onine should check out this site: http://donwiss.com/pictures/BrooklynStores/. He has links there to Manhattan and other locations. It’s a true public service, written up in the NYTimes which is how I found it.
Just a note to say that I just found a new Intel Mac compatible codec available here:
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/27349codex
After digging a bit more I found that Casio has just released an Intel compatible version of their codec at:
http://world.casio.com/qv/download/en/avi/dl.html
Super G,
That is an interesting link and yes, I suppose that it’s possible that I’ll be fleeced. However, I have two things working in my favor.
1) I’ve ordered many items through reputable dealers in NY and found them to be delivered promptly and in good order.
2) I have a $50 maximum liability on my credit card so that, on the off-chance of an order-gone-bad, that’s the max I will lose. (I’ll let the NY credit card company duke it out with the NY camera house.)
Frankly, I’m more concerned about the video capability of our new camera (compared to the EX-Z750). I’ve heard that it yields less-than-superior quality, no matter if it’s on HQ or NQ settings. This is particularly disturbing for us, as we’ve come to love the video capture features on our HP-735 camera, often posting the results to our webpages.
Thanks for your concern and we’ll keep you posted on the results.
Cheers,
-stk
Dell has the new EX-Z850 for $319.20 until April 12. Shipping is free, but sales tax may apply in some states (like Ohio).
Well, apparently, there’s a significant video problem (jittery video) with the 850 and according to one poster at dpreview.com, after speaking with Casio, there was no solid evidence that Casio was planning a firmware update that would correct the problem.
I’m hoping they do.
Andrew
Andrew: Interesting. Well my 850 just arrived yesterday so I’ll have to check. :)
Mike, do let us know how the video on the new 850, um, er, pans out.
Mathew Lu, thanks for the link to the Casio Mac Intel video codec! (Post #278)
Works perfectly on the wife’s new MacBook Pro.
Ummmmmm, video on the 850? Not so good. As early reports have indicated, something’s wrong. I’m happy to report that there is no 10-minute limit (apparently this happened with European versions only), but the quality is pretty bad.
I’m waiting to do a writeup on this camera until the video issue is addressed with, hopefully, a firmware fix. If it’s not addressed within a few weeks, I may go ahead with the review anyway. Other than the video issue, it appears to be an even further improvement on an almost-perfect camera. Really great so far.
I’m really, really, really hoping they fix the video.
As I mentioned, we had the 750 and it performed like a champion on our trip to Disney World; aside from no zooming during video, it became part of the family, and using a little knowledge of manual settings, I was able to get some really great shots – in addition, we used the video a LOT.
(We brought a Casio P-2000 and filled up our cards! Yeah!)
But we got the mysterious lens crack one night after returning, and, fortunately, was able to work out a refund.
I’ve been waiting for the 850, and am worried they won’t -quickly- fix the video issue; we’re going to Jamaica soon and I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to buy the camera if it weren’t for the video issue.
Here’s keeping my fingers crossed-
Andrew
Mike – Thanks for reporting. Darn, that’s not what I was hoping for (my camera is now in CA, according to the UPS tracking #). :|
Any differences in quality between HQ and NQ modes? (I’ve heard both … that NQ is OKAY and HQ has got “artifacts” and “streaking” … and the BOTH are bad). Also heard that it’s exacerbated by low light situations.
Bummer. Sure hope that there’s a firmware fix! My camera is taking the long-way ’round to get here and while a return isn’t impossible, it’s not desirous.
Thanks for the recommend Mike, I got mine yesterday and so far I’ve been very pleased.
I downloaded the Quicktime component and dropped it in the proper folder but was still having trouble playing the file. I deleted a 3ivx file that I no longer needed and the movie played fine. This could be of help to some people.
Mike,
Would you be so kind as to post a sample video from the 850 for those of us who really do not know what exactly everyone is referring to as a “video problem” with this camera.
Just an FYI. My 750 consistently got the Lens Error every time I turned it on about a week ago. Just sort of happened randomly. I’ve had the camera for almost a year, but still under the year mark. Soon after getting this camera (it was a replacement to my previous 750 that had audio problems), I dropped it and it had a VERY faint indent on one of the corners, the screen still looks perfect tho, as I bought some screen protectors and have been using them since the beginning.
ANYWAY, so I figured I was still under the year warrantee, boy was I wrong. The official Casio service center charged me $169 for them to fix my camera! Because there were visible marks that showed it had been dropped, my warrantee was void.
So the point of this was just to let you know that they’ll charge $169 to fix a camera with a lens error.
it`s been fun following this thread and I now find myself wanting to buy a z750, but with reservations. A camera and a 1gb sd card would be approx $700 + in australia. An importer on ebay is selling a camera -1gb sd- case- spare battery- tripod- lcd covers- cleaning cloth- neck strap- 12 mth warranty for $460. A great deal, but getting warranty, if needed, worries me. I`ve called a couple of shops who carry casio`s and asked about lens problems etc, and they say – there is no problem that they`re aware of. I`m still nervous about the purchase
Dan: It’s not worth posting, really. The 850 video is pretty bad. Cmon firmware upgrade!
Periodically, I have get the message “Memory full” after just a couple of shots — on a 512 card. I’ve reformatted the card but this doesn’t make any difference. (It happened with another card as well.) Anyone else have this problem and how did you resolve it? (Of course, it would happen tonight when I am supposed to do a project tomorrow and Saturday with the camera!- and all it will allow is one shot!)
I resolved the problem by reloading to the card some 12 pictures/jpegs that I had removed this evening. That allowed 39 more, it said; I then reformatted the camera, erasing those 12, having them saved on my Mac. That, then, allows a total of 111 zt the largest size on the 512 card. …I don’t pretend to understand….
Betsy,
Thats a Mac issue. It has been experienced on MANY mp3 players and cameras. Has to do with the memory. What I do know of it, when you delete files from your camera/mp3 through MacOS, it put garbage files in the memory. Then the device figures that space is legitimatly being used…. something like that ;-)
There are some fixes out there for mp3 players. Hope this helps!
Thanks, Mike!
Odd. I had noticed it on a SanDisk 1 GB card as well as the 512 Lexar. I thought at first it was a card error and then, when it reoccurred this evening with the Lexar, assumed it was a Casio problem. Never thought that my fine PowerBook had a role. That would explain why loading the images back onto the card and then reformatting would resolve the problem.
Thanks for your reply – and thanks a lot for this blog. I look forward to reading your review of the 850.
Mike,
I found this video created with the 850 on http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1015&message=17865547
http://www.thelovecenter.com/Tours/1015_VMC_Video_Tour.mpg
The video seems to be fairly good quality for what I would expect from a digital camera. Is this about the same quality you have noticed from your 850?
Also it seems that the issue might be a hardware problem not resolved by a firmware unfortunately :(
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1015&message=18128756
Dan: Thanks for posting. That video is at half-size so it’s a little tough to judge. You can take a crappy video at 640×480 and then reduce it down to that size and it should look fine.
Hmmm, I’m not sure if I’m reading the review wrong, but DPReview.com seems to be saying that the 750 is just as good as the 850! The conclusion states:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/casioz850/
From page 13 of the review:
“No matter how many times we re-tested the EX-Z850 it produced marginally lower resolution than its predecessor, the EX-Z750. Given both cameras have the same lens (which is probably the limiting factor, resolution-wise) we might have expected the results to be the same, but there is no denying that there is a little more very high frequency detail in the 7MP image.”
And their NOT referring to the video in that excerpt above.
Huh… that’s interesting. Thanks for posting.
So, if it comes down to it, and Costco actually accepts returns of defective products, I’m going to buy the 750 again (which, again, was part of the family on our Disney trip) and keep my fingers crossed that the lens error doesn’t happen, and that the LCD doesn’t mysteriously crack again.
Casio really blew it this time. Too bad, I was thrilled to find out the 850 was coming…
Andrew
Now there’s the EX-Z1000 to think about. 10 megapixels already…
http://www.casio.co.uk/news/press_results.asp?itemID=198
Except (from what I’ve read) the Z1000 doesn’t have manual controls and has a motion-jpeg movie mode…
According to some folks at dpreview, it’s not a continuation from the 750 and 850 but rather of one of their other models.
Andrew
Mike is righ on the money with his views/opinions on Casio camera’s.
I just bought a Z750 and I can’t put the darn thing down. I take it EVERYWHERE. Yes, everywhere!!! The pictures and movies that come out of this little camera will blow you and those that see them away. Don’t believe Mike or me? Go to Ken Rockwell’s site and read what he has to say. He has the strait goods too!
Great site Mike!
Take care all.
If the EX-Z1000 improves the 850 in the same way that the 850 improved the 750 then I won’t be buying it until someone does a favourable review… Of course if it is unrelated to the 850 and 850 then why would they confuse us with such a similar model number?
Jerry
I purchased the EX-S500 about 2 months ago and it will be sent to the repair shop that casio owns in Dover NJ. I will publish any issues with this process. Please be informed that this camara is very sensitive to small amounts of shock. EXP Dont use strap and push a baby stroller as it could swing from neck and tap the stroller causing no visable damage to the camara. But the gears in side the zoom get some how off track and the camara will no longer take any pictures.
We will see if Casio stands behind there product.
Thanks,
Doug Ray
NYEXTREMESERVICE@AOL.COM
Forgive me for this daft question, but it’s been bugging me for too long: Does taking videos require the shutter button to be kept depressed by your finger? Or is there a mode with the z750 that allows you to start recording, then walk away from the camera? I’d imagine holding down the button for a whole hour or more could get very tiring!
Yep, the 1000 is indeed *not* a successor to the 850… it’s a different product line with an unfortunate naming convention.
Also, Chris, yeah, you don’t have to hold the button down. :)
Well, I thought I had my next camera just about sorted, having narrowed it down the the Fuji F10 (for its low-light ability) or Canon A610 (for everything else), and now you’ve gone and confused me :-)
The main thing I would like (as I already have several older digicams) is a good movie mode, and I’m not clear what advantages the Casio’s MPEG-4 format has. I used to think they took up less space, but the data rates quoted (2.1Mb/s and 4Mb/s for the two qualities) are both higher than the 1.8Mb/s I believe normal AVI’s take. I’m quite prepared to believe that the Casio makes a better job of them, especially in HQ, but just what are the differences?
Something else I would like is a stitch-assist mode to help line up panorama shots, but despite the plethora of other modes, I don’t see one for the Casio. Is there one buried in there somewhere?
Nonetheless, I’m very tempted. Picture quality and response speed are the big things, and the Casio seems to do very well there…
TIA
Sorry – I’ve just realised that I’m mixing up my bits and Bytes. The Canon uses 1.8MB/sec, which is a lot more than the Casio’s 4Mb/s (=0.5MB/s) and is also why the Casio doesn’t need a high-speed card, presumably.
Oh, what the Hell – I’ve ordered one anyway. Can’t find anything with the speed, picture quality, operational modes, battery life or MPEG-4 movies.
I’m amazed that the movie mode isn’t shouted from the rooftops in reviews, but perhaps it’s not done for still photographers to make a big fuss about a camera that can fit four times as much film onto a memory card!
You’d think it would be universal by now – why would anyone want a camera that uses a Gigabyte in 8 minutes, when they could have one that makes it last half an hour? Or, more importantly, lets you record 10 or 15 minutes and leaves plenty of room for a load of stills?
Well, my Z850 arrived. Compared to my old HP, it’s a dream and the controls are amazingly well thought out.
Video? There’s the rub. HQ or NQ both seemed to cause a lot of jaggies.
But, what to compare it against? (So I decided to test-drive a Z750, just to see).
Wouldn’t you know … the Z750 is a discontinued model (makes sense, as the 10MP version is now in the wings). But, I did find an EX-Z750GY – grey body – locally.
Will follow up with a video comparison, when I get a chance.
-stk
PS – Anybody know what Casio’s official position is on the video issue?
“Riso, Maria” wrote:
Thank you for contacting Casio, Inc. I have read and understand what the internet is saying about the new Z850 camera. We are currently still waiting for official word from Japan as to what the issue is. Please note that the Z850 is an excellent Point and Shoot Camera. If this is what you are looking to buy, then this would be the camera for you since the Best Shot mode and other features are currently unparalled. The movie mode is just an extra feature. If you are thinking of buying the camera only to use the movie mode, then this is not the camera for you.
I will be happy to keep your email address on file and let you know what is going to happen with the Z850 Movie mode just as soon as we get official word about what is going to be done (if anything). Unfortunately I cannot tell you when this will be or if it is going to be a software or hardware issue, but will definitely let you know as soon as I hear.
Thank you for considering purchasing the Z850. I can tell you that if you want to take great, easy pictures. This camera is hard to beat.
I hope to get back to you soon with any news that I receive.
Maria Riso
Customer Help Center
Casio, Inc.
I strongly recommend that anyone buying the z750, which is still available, to buy it from someplace that has an excellent return policy, such as CostCo and that you keep all the purchase paperwork, etc.
I returned the most recent, bought in January, yesterday. This time, the problem was that the plastic sliding door that keeps the SD card in broke. Normal usage and part of the end snapped off so it woud not close.
(Another time was that the screen went totally off, weird colors.) After reading the reviews on the z850, steves digi-cams, dpreview, more, I decided to wait until the z950 or a major upgrade of the 850, although the slide at the bottom seemed a bit stronger on the new model that is available here at CostCo. (Fwiw, the 1000 is very different, having no viewfinder which I would miss.)
Anyway, good luck, all; I miss the Casio – when it worked, it was great, but it needs to be better built, of the quality of the rest of the camera, but just my opinion. I’ve got a Canon Powershot A700 on order to take place of point/shoot plus, backup to the D70.
http://www.casio.com/news/content/8A647A07-44C4-4ED9-BFFC-440C1D0B756F/
Just bought one. Looking forward to taking it for a test drive on Martha’s Vineyard Memorial Day weekend.
I bough the 750 at the end of April just before my trip to China (twice yearly). And I must report back about how wonderful this camera is! Over the last two weeks I have taken it into the bush were it was rained on (though not a downpour), then stuck in my wet trousers, bumped against rocks, and to top it all off dropped onto the muddy ground. To my surprise, after all this, I just wiped it down and it functioned perfectly!! Afterwards, I had it in the dusty countryside (crop fields). Used it flawlessly over a few days. And as if this wasn’t enough, I even had it turn on in a confied space (due to my stupidity)… twice!! All the lens did was stop and wind back in, no further errors!
Is this indicitive of every 750… probably not. Was a very lucky… most likely! Though I would still recomend caution, I feel this camera is more rugged than most think.
Shame about the video mode on the 850, especially when it was so right on the 750! The picture quality doesn’t seem to be any better, either (according to dpreview at least) which just shows that more pixels ain’t necessarily better.
Moral – get a Z750 while they’re still available!
I basically know nothing about camera’s and what kind to get. but this camera looks good from the reviews… i want a small camera that i can carry in my purse. however i was concerned about night time pics and videos’. im going to be doing most of my picture/video taking at night at clubs …so i was wondering if this was a good camera for that or not…..if not what camera do u any of u suggest.
The 750 performed fantastically at Disney over the five days we were there – the reason I want manual control is precisely for things like you mention – night and dark.
Mind you, one must still brace the camera against something solid, but that’s the same with any camera. We found the pictures to be spectacular for what might be expected from the little tiny thing!
We used video a LOT. In fact, though we had our mini-DV camera, we never used it!
This is why I am sorely disappointed about the 850, but I will buy another 750 as Costco if they have them; we’re going to Jamaica next week and want to supplement my D70 again.
BTW I find Casio’s dismissal disturbing. It’s obvious even to the layperson that their engineering has become messed up. For them to suggest it’s just an extra, unnecessary feature is mildly insulting.
Andrew
Quite agree with Andrew. Casio need to do something about the 850, and fast! Just hope it’s a firmware fix…
FWIW, holding the camera is a lot easier with one of those little bendy-legged mini-tripods screwed into the bottom. Squeeze the legs together and it makes an excellent grip (as well as giving you something to stand it on, if necessary).
I endorse everything Mike Davidson says about the camera, which is almost totally wonderful. My only gripe (and surprise) is this:
http://static.flickr.com/51/144118898_fa56fb9f85_o.jpg
which I take to be dust on the CCD. Can anyone confirm this? It’s not always in the same place, and is only really noticeable against blue sky. I don’t really know whether to make a fuss while the camera is new, or hope it will go away. It does seem to be getting slightly better…
Can someone help me please? I just purchased my Exilim EX-Z750 last week and have loved it so far, except for one thing: the video. I have a Windows XP system and have been unable to play my movies on anything. I have tried Windows Media Player 10, Quicktime, RealPlayer, Divx and Movie Maker and everything says “Cannot play the file. The Player might not support the file type or might not support the codec that was used to compress the file.” Some also say the file might be corrupted. Is something wrong with my camera or is this normal? I hope it is normal because I love this camera and everything else is perfect. Thank you all for your help.
– Travis
Not sure what’s going on there. The main complaint levelled at Casio is that it ONLY plays on Windows! My ‘old’ Media Player 9 works OK, but mostly I use VLC, which is free here (and works on OS-X if you’re a frustrated Mac user):
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/
It may be worth updating your Media Player with the version on the CD supplied with the camera – I haven’t needed it yet.
EX-Z850 | EX-Z750 Video Comparison
“the EX-Z850 isn’t as good as the EX-Z750” – see for yourself. It’s true. ( HQ and NQ modes are compared on the two cameras of the same subject and same lighting conditions. The only difference is the camera. )
http://randsco.com/index.php/2006/05/11/casio_ex_z850_video_problems
Hope this helps.
Scott – I read your piece with interest. I tried to add a comment, but it didn’t work for me, so I’ll put it here.
I’d say the 850 is ‘not fit for purpose’ or whatever your local legal wording is. After all, Casio *have* acknowledged a problem (although they’re reluctant to define it clearly) and you have proof, as you also own the 750. The matter is also supported by other reviews.
I’d say you want your money back!
James,
I really appreciate your comment. I have downloaded the VLC and it worked great. That as very relieving. However, I still have not found a program that can edit the movies, such as Movie Maker or Adobe Premier. Is the only way to use these movie files to convert them to another file type? And it if so, what software would you recommend for a Windows system?
Thanks,
Travis
I’ve not tried editing movies yet, so I’m not really the best person to ask. The Ulead program supplied should do some of it, and there are basic editing facilities in the camera. As MPEG-4 becomes more mainstream (Samsung already have it in one of their cameras), the problem will go away, but I think there are public domain conversion programs available.
I am also torn between the 750 and 850… I know I would do the 850, but for the bad video quality… and update on that problem?
Read dpreview’s comparison. The 750 wins on picture quality, too!
More pixels don’t always translate into better resolution, but nearly always do translate into more noise. Not to mention the video problem…
I’ve posted here quite a few times in the past (when I first received my Casio).
Anyway, ‘Off Topic’ but do you realise this page is now running at
88.16 kB (90,279 bytes) length and has 875 Links
With all that info, it’s the only useless information you will read here.
Well done Mike for keeping this page going so long.
Okay… okay…. We’re back ‘On Topic’
Hey everyone, I must say I have really enjoyed owning the z750. I’ve had it for 2 or 3 months now and zero problems. No lens errors or anything. I disabled the play/rec power on feature the moment i got my camera. 1gb SD card and just loving it (metallic grey too by the way!)
Prior to my z750, was a panasonic lumix FX7. That too, in its own right, is a great camera but had zero essential manual controls besides WB and some in camera filters. The major drawback to the fx7 was battery life (80 shots or so), small 320×240 QT movies, and no manual controls….
The only complaints that “I” have about the z750 is the “play” button should turn the camera on to view pictures without extending the lens and then retracting after a few seconds. “rec” button shouldnt power the camera on….what is casio thinking cause the on/off button is 3mm away.
NEXT, i wish casio would impose an auto exposure bracketing mode. This function would be great for HDR shots. This is not hard to do because my fx7 had it and i really miss it!
These all could be addressed in new firmware updates. Who needs BESTSHOT of “old pictures?” damn….
I’m sorry to hear that a lot of people are having lens errors. I really do think the z750 is the best ultracompact out there…better than the z850 or canon products. Not perfect, but really damn good.
cheers for readin
thomas
http://www.flickr.com/photos/notegra
here are a few pics ive taken with the fx7 and z750.
First, it there a different site for the z-120, which is a lot like the z-750 except that it uses AA batteries and has a slightly smaller LCD? My problem is audio with the .avi movie files. The version of Quicktime I have plays the movies but the audio is distorted. All other players I have tried play the video only, no sound. More importantly to me is the fact that other video programs that I use don’t recognize the sound either, which is a major bummer, because one of the reasons I got the camera is to make DVDs from the longer videos clips. Casio tech support has been no help at all. By the way I did download the AVI codec from this site and it made no difference in how Quicktime worked. The instructions on what to do with the file after one d/l and unzips it could be more explicit, I think.
I was quite taken with the Z120, as I like AA’s and I could live with a smaller LCD, but it doesn’t have quite the same feature set as the 750, nor the MPEG-4 video compression.
I can only suggest you try the VLC program I mentioned earlier (post 322) as I haven’t found anything yet that it won’t play!
First off, thanks very much for taking the time to respond. However, your response does raise some questions:
1. What does “post 322” refer to? There are no numbers in the listing of messages I see. I thought it might be the date, but there is not a posting for 3/22/06.
2. I obviously was not aware that the 750 made .mpg files directly; however, why did Mike Davidson post a .avi file supposedly shot with the 750? Is there a menu option for either type?
3. I did read your post on the VLC program earlier (but could not find it again just now); I will see if I can locate the file on the web. However, playing the .avi files on my computer is not a major issue.
4. My real issue is how to deal with the non-standard .avi files made by my camera. I guess Casio uses a non-standard codec, probably to reduce the file sizes. I would hope there is a way to decode their files and save them in a “standard” .avi format (what the “standard” codec that would be I have no idea, Microsoft?).
5. The primary reason I like the AA batteries is the ability to have spares readily available, worldwide. Based on my experience, and especially that obtained travelling overseas with my 3 previous digital cameras, I’m wondering if everybody that travels with a 750 or any other LiOH camera carries a charged spare battery at all times? My impression, after looking at at least one such camera, a Sony, is that it was not designed for easy battery changeout. As Steve of Steve’s Digicams sez: he wouldn’t go out in the field without a spare battery.
Hello,
AVI files are like zip files for audio and video – any
kind of compressed audio or video can be stored in
them. That is why you never know what codec you need
for an AVI. Mpeg-4 can be stored in an AVI file just
like any other video format. I imagine it could be
stored separately as an .mpg as well.
The post numbers are visible on the wrb site. But I don’t see them in the emails, so maybe you have to visit the web site to find a particular post number…
Jerry
Al Harper (and anyone else for that matter), I’d TOTALLY suggest that you get the MP4cam2AVI program available at
http://sourceforge.net/projects/mp4cam2avi/
It’s free, and it will convert your camera’s non-standard video file to the standard format. It doesn’t recompress the file or anything (if I recall correctly) it just changes the header information in the file so that it’ll work properly on your computer.
I’m almost 100% positive that the file isnt’ recompressed, because if the file was recompressed it would take forever on my 866 Mhz computer. I remember the conversion to the standard header to be quite fast.
Anyway, after you do that your file should play fine in any player (at least that was my experience).
To anyone that tries this converter, let us know if it works for you.
Jared,
That’s the sweetest bit of advice I’ve found yet, for a painless conversion of the z850/z750 native M4S2 video format.
Thanks for posting that link. :D
I changed it to a DIV3 and had no problems playing it on a PC Windows Media Player or pulling it into VirtualDub.
Best of all? It’s a lightweight, open source program.
Three Cheers!!
-stk
Do you all own macs? I dont understand why everyone is having so many problems with the z750’s video playback. I have no issues with playback. It works wonderfully……If you have problems with playback and have a PC…
I offer the following advice…….
1.) download codec pack. “codec pack” has everything you need.
http://www.free-codecs.com
I am currently using “Codec pack all in 1” but have also heard
k-lite codec pack working great as well…it has a lot more
flex… “codec back all in 1” has the basics…..go with default install
2.) install….
3.) restart your comp
4.) watch your movies.
I’ve never owned a mac….but have heard that casio has an avi importer for macs here… http://world.casio.com/qv/download/en/avi/
** Keep in mind, this is what works for me. It may not work for you but I would suggest you try it…if it doesnt work, you can always uninstall it and you’d be back at square one…and you wouldnt have lost anything. I’ve been converting divx files to watch on my z750 screen! Movies, TV shows…….what ever! No waves at the beach? No problem…just bust out the camera! It is a truly unique camera!
I dont mean to be an ass but I think sometimes people gotta hear it straight…me included.
*if you are unhappy with your camera….sell it. do some research and buy something else. Why keep something if you feel it sucks?
*if its not working properly, do some internet research…most likely you aren’t the only one with the same problem. There are tons of forums around that have loads of people willing to help and share knowledge. :)
*if you get lens error bc of casio quality control……. its unfortunate and Im sorry to hear about it…but we all know sh*t happens. Do what you can…try and get a free replacement because the z750 is a great “pocket cam”.
My apologies to everyone for being a rude ass…..just want everyone to complain less and enjoy shooting more movies/pics. Thats why we all bought the camera in the first place right?
cheers for hearing me out, hope the advice works….
thomas
A big thank you to all who responded for your interest and time. Most of all thanks to Jared Lyon, the MP4cam2AVI program was exactly what I needed to be able to utilize my z120 .avi files. I did find it necessary to resample to 24kHz under the advanced tab, why I have no idea. So thanks again, I’m in business.
A puzzlement: the camera .avi files played on my version of Quick Time but with distorted sound. On Media Player they played with no sound. After the fix, the modied files had no sound when played on Quick Time but played perfectly on Media Player.
Also, this proves what Thomas wrote, to wit: *if its not working properly, do some internet research…most likely you aren’t the only one with the same problem. There are tons of forums around that have loads of people willing to help and share knowledge.
Again it is obvious that this site is super well represented in the loads of helpers willing to donate their time and expertise, many thanks.
The interesting thing? – How Mike’s comments have become a forum!!
Congrats to Mike on relevant content, comment subscription (a WP thing) and a scratch on the head to communication in the 21st centry.
Maybe there should be a hybrid blog/forum proggy out there … a “super blog”?
Hello,
I am considering the EX-Z750 and the EX-S600. I’ve read a lot of reviews, but I’m still torn between them. The good news is that the EX-Z750 is at Costco, which means if I ever do have lens problems, I can easily return it. I would love feedback regarding which is the better camera to get. I don’t care about video (I have a camcorder for that). I just want the best still pictures (including flash, low light, no redeye and no shaking). I am also considering the Pentax Optio A10. I have the Optio S6, but it just broke (back to Costco!)
Recommendations?
-Renee
One more question: I have seen a lot of reviews online that state that there is a “lens error” problem with the Z750. The posts are from January, 2006. Has this problem been resolved by Casio? I would hate to get to Europe and have the camera dysfunction on me!
Ken Rockwell, who is a serious photographer, reviews the S600 here:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/casio/exs600.htm
which contains links to his reviews of the 750 and 850.
I bought the 750 partly on the strength of his enthusiasm (and this column) and I am not disappointed. The 750 has more manual modes and is about as small as I want to go, as holding tiny cameras still can be a problem.
No lens errors yet, and the lens stops dead in its tracks if it senses any resistance. Switching off and on sorts this out.
I keep mine in a case, as it’s still small enough for a pocket, and I don’t like the idea of mixing it up with keys and fluff!
I meant to add that the clincher for me is the viewfinder. Although I do use the LCD, I like holding a camera up to the eye, and there are times (e.g. when tracking children running about) when it is simply easier to follow the subject through an eyepiece. The Z750 finder is very basic, but it’s there, and is one reason I didn’t buy a Fuji F11.
Me again,
I’ve done a little more research. My final decision lies between the EX-Z750 and the Canon SD-600. From what I’ve read online, the cons are:
EX-Z750 – lens error, poor flash and weird color saturation
Canon SD-600 – LCD cracking
I do not plan on using the video feature. I am not a professional photographer and don’t want to have to make a bunch of manual changes. I want the pictures to look good out of the box.
It looks like they are about the same size, with the same size LCD and both have a viewfinder. Both are available at Costco (so I can return either if a problem arises) and are about the same price. In terms of picture quality, which is the better choice?
Also, does anyone know if one anti-shake system is better than the other (Casio’s “anti-shake” Canon’s ISO 800). I read that the Casio uses a simulated image stabilizer, which is supposedly not as good as optical stabilization.
Thanks! -Renee
Me again,
I’ve done a little more research. My final decision lies between the EX-Z750 and the Canon SD-600. From what I’ve read online, the cons are:
EX-Z750 – lens error, poor flash and weird color saturation
Canon SD-600 – LCD cracking
I do not plan on using the video feature. I am not a professional photographer and don’t want to have to make a bunch of manual changes. I want the pictures to look good out of the box.
It looks like they are about the same size, with the same size LCD and both have a viewfinder. Both are available at Costco (so I can return either if a problem arises) and are about the same price. In terms of picture quality, which is the better choice?
Also, does anyone know if one anti-shake system is better than the other (Casio’s “anti-shake” Canon’s ISO 800). I read that the Casio uses a simulated image stabilizer, which is supposedly not as good as optical stabilization.
Thanks! -Renee
The Casio has ‘flash assist’ which gains up dark areas (like HP’s digital flash) and the best menu system on the planet. I take ‘anti-shake’ claims with a pinch of salt, unless they’re true moving lens/CCD systems like Panasonic’s Lumix. Canon’s ISO800 is probably more marketing than technical – the only small(ish) camera with really good ISO’s is Fuji’s F10/F11, which has Fuji’s own sensor. Their new F30 goes to 3200, allegedly…
Back in the real world, I find the Casio’s ISO400 quite usable, and the resultant grain is very even, so responds well to programs like Neat Image.
I’ve no experience of any lens error (perhaps sorted in recent production) and the saturation (and sharpness) can be set to what you want, and remembered
Renee, go with the canon. Yes i do own a z750, but i own it because i like to play with the manual settings to tweak pictures. If you dont care for movie or manual settings, then the canon will take a better picture hands down. The color/contrast/sharpness will have a slight edge with canon. At iso 400, James is right…the casio is usable, but mainly in sunlight. I find it quite noisy at iso400 and in low light or in shade.
Canon makes a great point and shoot camera. People who own them love em. I would probably switch to canon if they had manual settings. Since they dont, the z750 is the best choice for what i want to use it for. Movies, size/build, manual settings…..are the strengths of the casio…take that away and you get a mere 7/10. With it, 9/10.
About image stabez…. casio’s is just a boost in iso and a reduction in Megapixel size + faster shutter speed. Why do they do this? Boosting ISO will cause more noise but less blur…reducing the MP size will cause less noise canceling the affect of higher ISO so the image will look cleaner…faster shutter also helps negate blur…= Casio Digital Image Stabilization…
Optical stabilization is much better because you can shoot at Iso 50 or 100 at full size….and still have a clean, blur free (most of the time) picture…
hope this helps
cheers for reading
thomas
How funny, because I had just decided on the Casio! I went and saw the Canon at a local Best Buy today. Looking at it made me like the 630 even more (it is a huge LCD!). But then it made me think of the battery time and after checking it out, it looks like both Canons have half the battery time of the Casio. So now you have me wondering again :) I actually ordered the Casio online at Costco today, but of course I can always return it. Is the difference in picture quality enough to offset the shorter battery time? I don’t see how the battery time can be the same for the 600 and 630 Canon, since I would think that the larger LCD would eat up more juice, but then, what do I know?!
I plan on getting a second battery, regardless of the camera I choose, since I will be going to Europe and I want to be able to have a back-up in case I need 2 in 1 day (can only charge it at night).
Sorry to be such a pain. I just hate to pick the wrong one!
Hi Renee,
Why not get them both at CostCo – try them both and then return the one you don’t like? (CostCo must have these returns built into their somewhat higher prices.)
I have had several z750s; liked the model very much for its size and also its picture quality. I did have quality problems, however, and did return each to CostCo. (One problem was the LCD suddenly went haywire; another was a continuing lens error.) I decided not to try again and got a Canon Powershot A700, wanting the larger zoom and also liking the A95. However, although faster than the A95 and with better picture quality, it was not as small as the Casio …. so I sent it back to Amazon and now am wondering about trying another z750 before they completely disappear – and getting an extended Mack warranty.
It reallly is a very nice little pocket camera but so is the Canon A700 — I don’t know the two others you mentioned.
Good luck with your indecision with which I can empathize.
Renee,
Geez. BUY BOTH
Take them both to Europe (which, I presume, will be less than 30 days) and try them both. Keep the one you like best and return the other to Costco.
Problem solved.
“I just hate to pick the wrong one”
I know what you mean, but there isn’t really a ‘right’ or a ‘wrong’ one – it’s just what suits you. I was all set to get a Canon A610 or a Fuji F11, but finally decided in favour of the Casio. If I’d bought one of the others, I’d be happy with it, but for different reasons.
WRT the SD-600, it has a smaller sensor than the Casio, so all things being equal, it won’t have quite the noise performance or resolution.
Check the sample pictures on Steve’s Digicams – the Casio ones are very impressive.
I’ve posted here before have been reading all the notifications in my e-mails. This should have been a forum. Anyways, I’ve been using my Z750 for almost a year now, and I just noticed yesterday that when I press the Play Button, EX Button, and Multi Shoot Button, the buttons show up the other button’s function. eg. I push the Play Button to view pictures, the EX functions shows up, I push the EX button, the Multi function shows up. The battery is fully charged and the memory card isn’t in it. Does anyone experience this? Do you think it is a sofware or hardware issue?
renee: true, the canon will not have the battery life of the casio….probably half as less. My old Lumix fx7 had about 80 shots worth of battery. When I went to thailand, i would have to charge that camera everytime i came back to the hotel. It was a pain in the anus…that is another reason why i made the switch to casio.
James is right, “If I’d bought one of the others, I’d be happy with it, but for different reasons”……. you wont be disappointed with either. I think they are both top notch cameras since they release and still top in class even now. You wont be disappointed with the casio what so ever, (unless it breaks on you, but any camera that malfunctions would be shite)….good luck with the casio!
Fred: you can try a few things, but sounds like the camera’s internal software is messed up. Do you remember something happening to your camera? ….drop? …..get wet? …insert or eject the SD card when the camera was still on?
Anyways, sorry to hear bout it, but you can try a few things….try taking out the battery leaving the camera alone for a few minutes then putting the batter back in and powering it on. If that doesnt work, i would suggest reformatting the SD card, reformatting the internal memory w/o SD card and then resetting the menu system back to default…power down the power back on.
if that doest work still, you coud do a firmware update to the newest? Maybe that will fix the software error…..these are all free solutions and shouldnt take a lot of time…..hope it works for ya.
cheers
thomas
“in case I need 2 in 1 day”
Unlikely in the case of the Casio, unless you plan to take over 300 shots a day. I charge mine up about once a week, but that’s only because I need to transfer the pictures! The battery life is astounding, especially when you see the size of it, but then Casio are the masters of packaging.
Hello everyone. This has turned into a very helpful forum. I am looking at the EX-Z750 for not only it’s photo ability, but also it’s video quality.
I know this isn’t a camcorder, but realistically, what level of quality may I expect? Could it come close? What about when viewed on a TV? What makes the video QUALITY superior on this camera than another?
Sorry for all of the questions–I really appreciate any help…Thank you!
“I know this isn’t a camcorder, but realistically, what level of quality may I expect?”
You can’t zoom; other than that, it’s excellent.
I’m most likely going to buy another one – the LCD cracked on my first.
Andrew
I’m not sure that the quality is markedly different from other recent digicams with 640×480 30fps recording, but the MPEG-4 compression allows you to get far more on a memory card (at least four times as much, in fact). Why the other camera makers are so far behind on this, I’ve no idea.
It’s equivalent to a good analogue camcorder, I would say, slightly less good than a DV camera, maybe. The point is that none of those can take remotely comparable stills, and all take up more space, so the Casio wins on most counts. I don’t have a camcorder, and now I don’t feel I need one.
BTW, you can zoom before you start recording – just not during (this is intentional, because the motor noise would be very apparent).
Hi, thank you very much Andrew and James, I appreciate it!
Sorry to hear about your LCD cracking Andrew, did you drop/hit it or was it just a Casio quality issue?
Interesting James that you feel you don’t need a camcorder because of this camera. I was actually looking for a small mini dv camcorder, but the small ones seem too bulky for me to carry around comfortably–even then I’d still need to bring a camera. How does the video look when seen on a TV? I’ve seen a couple of small size clips and they look good on the computer screen, just wondering if they still hold up when enlarged.
Are there any other cameras beside this (with great MPEG-4 video and excellent photo quality) I should be considering?
Thanks again everyone!
Thanks Thomas, it works! I guess my z750 got used to using a memory card, it forgot how to use its own internal memory. lol. =D
Lens errors and lcd cracks, wow! never happened to me. Hope it never will.
In my opinion, you just need a large GIG sized memory card for your Z750 and ditch your dv cams. I use 30fps and my friends thought I have a camcorder connected to the tv. When I showed them the z750, they wanted to get one. =)
Wow! Thants great Fred–is the quality that good??? Which is the best card to use in this camera? How large can I go? I have an Apple computer–is there any problem viewing movies or burning dvd’s? Thanks!
“Sorry to hear about your LCD cracking Andrew, did you drop/hit it or was it just a Casio quality issue?”
Hi JP –
We used it (and it was FLAWLESS!) for our trip to Disney; shortly after returning, and keeping in mind I keep my camera equipment WELL PROTECTED (ie I don’t “bang it around” or drop it, etc.), we went to a cousin’s house for dinner, took it out to use it, and the LCD was kaput.
After some research, I found there was some “mysterious” problem with the LCD cracking for apparently no reason.
That said, I’ll most likely order another; I’ve been looking and haven’t found a camera with the features, esp. (limited) manual control, great video, and size, as the 750.
I never had the lens issue. Were it not for the LCD issue, I’d say the camera is an absolute GEM.
BTW, we also took our relatively small JVC camcorder to Disney… to attest to the quality and compactness of the 750, we never even used the JVC.
No, it doesn’t zoom – but to be able to pull it out and film in about 3 seconds, while on a ride… with relatively great video quality… well, it’s hard to beat. I guess I could post a Disney video or two if someone wants.
The 850’s video quality issues is really disappointing!
And big KUDOS to Mike and all thread-posters here – this is undoubtedly one of the most civil, even-tempered and useful threads I’ve ever seen.
Andrew
Has anyone here used both the z750 and the z850? I am dithering between the two — or the Canon S80. I’ve read all the reviews and did have quality issues with the z750, the cam itself, not the pictures — but the video on the 850 is next to useless.
However, I would not use it much for video – but if at all, I’d want better. The dpreview review indicates it has quite a few improved features over the 750 and I am wondering if it is built stronger. (I didn’t drop mine and used a case – and have used cameras without these problems for years!)
Otoh, the Canon sounds great, especially the wider angle, but is bigger (and more expensive.) What I am looking for is a true pocket cam that I’d have with me all the time, which is how I used the 750.
So, if anyone has used both the 850 and 750 and could post a note about the non-video image quality and other features, I’d appreciate it.
thanks!
Thanks Andrew for the very helpful post. I would love to see a video or two of your Disney trip–it sounds like you guys had a great time!!
Regarding the photo quality of the 750, I’ve read issues about white balance problems. Is this a concern? How does the image quality compare with that of the Canon cameras? In the July 2006 issue of Consumer Reports, the 750 is listed second–just behind the Canon SD500– in the subcompact cameras. The 850 came out too late to make the ratings, but that’s a great showing for the 750. Just wondering how the pictures compare in “real world” photos….Thanks again!
Hi JP!
The 750 had no significant issues with white balance in my opinion – yeah, my Nikon D70 does a bit better. But the fact is, in nearly every shot, the color balance, if not real close, can be easily corrected overall.
Generally with my D70, if I run “Auto Levels” in Photoshop, not much happens; with the 750, you notice the difference, but it’s not drastic, e.g. everything being “green” when set to auto and shooting in fluorescent. Things may be just a little off.
Tell you what – I’ll post some vids and also some pictures. The pictures will mostly be non-flash; I’ll post some with flash too, but I like natural light, perhaps to a fault..
Granted, I ‘cheated’ a bit by using manual modes sometimes, but even on auto – which is where I usually left it while in-pocket – it’s really good.
If it were not for the few issues (lens & lcd cracks) I’d consider it to be a “classic” consumer digital cam, along with my first, which was a Minolta Dimage 7.
I’ll post in here when I get the sample pics up!
cheers
Andrew
Thanks Andrew, I’ll enjoy seeing them. How do the photos from the 750 hold up (noise, color) vs Canon and some of the other 7MP cameras?
Thanks again!
For camera/photo comparisons, I’d check the review links that Mike Davidson provides at the top of this page. Ken Rockwell’s are particularly useful, as he speaks as a user (who bought his own cameras) rather than just a reviewer.
Betsy – I was also tempted by the S80 (and the S70, which is now more affordable) especially for the wider angle lens, but it’s quite a chunky piece of kit, and although it would fit in your pocket, you’d certainly know it was there! I generally prefer stills to video, but it’s still a nice feature to have, especially when you know that a few video clips are not going to eat up all your memory! I get over the wide-angle issue by taking two photos side by side and stitching them together on the computer (this is pretty easy if you leave the compositional grid on the screen) although I would still like a wide-angle camera. Kodak V570 anyone?
I think there is a perceptual problem with little cameras like the Casio – most photographers can’t really believe that something that small can be that good. I know I had to wrestle with my prejudices a bit before placing the order!
James, thank you! Yesterday I went to a local camera shop to see, hold, etc. the S80. They told me that, although they have most of the Canons they don’t carry that one. The owner of the store got one in and first thing trying it out, the door across the lens broke. He sent it back and got another. Same thing. He won’t carry it but will special order it. Hearing that ended my interest — I had enough quality problems with the z750 to not try with the Canon.
And that’s my problem: I know that the z750 is a great little cam, but lens problem, lcd problem and, final straw, the door holding the card broke. Sure, I sent them all back and replaced, except the last, but it’s more than a nuisance. I’ve never had that quality problem before with any camera, let alone three of the same brand! Could be just bad luck, but I am now wondering about the z850 — and my attention (since yesterday) turned towards the Canon A620. But it is not so wonderfully small as the Casio.
Ken Rockwell’s site is great – it pointed me originally to the z750 and even before yesterday gave me pause on the S80. But he doesn’t say anything about actual use of the z850, video aside. (From the samples I’ve seen, the video is bad, and although that’s very secondary to me, still….)
Good point about using a grid! …reading now about the Kodak but put off by one comment on lag and see that it is 38-117, with the fixed 23mm; Steves-digicams does not give it a good review, except for indoor shooting. My interests are outdoors…..
Samples posted!
Keep in mind… these are sort of randomly selected, and one or two show similar scenes with and without flash.
There are a few vids… WATCH OUT! One is 97 megs :)
Best to download rather than gag your browser.
These aren’t necessarily the “best” shots but show some varied lighting conditions as well as how the 750 handles exposure control during video recording.
If anyone has any questions, just ask away.
Andrew
Whoops… DUH…
http://www.turnerdesign.com/750/
Hi Andrew, thanks so much for posting the photos/videos. You certainly have a wonderful family!
The photos look great but for some reason my computer (Powerbook G4) won’t let me see the videos. I have no idea why–it just says Quicktime is missing certain applications or something….
Anyway, the camera seemed to do very well under difficult lighting conditions-impressive!
Thanks again Andrew!
Thanks for the kind words!
Ah yes… I forgot – to view these on a Mac you need ah… something…
hold on, I’ll dig around in the attic –
I believe it’s here:
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-macosx.html
Let me know if that works.
Andrew
JP – you probably need this to read the videos on a Mac:
http://world.casio.com/qv/download/en/avi/
Betsy – you seem to be going through the same agonies as me, a few weeks ago! I shortlisted the A610 (A620 originally, but 610 has better low-light performance and general speed), the Fuji F11 for its overall picture quality and sensitivity and (briefly) the S70. I did also consider the V570, because I would love a 23mm lens, but the samples I saw seemed a bit lacking and I do prefer a viewfinder for some shots. Then I found Ken Rockwell’s site and this one, and I got persuaded!
I’ve read a lot of reviews and owner experiences, and just about every camera has love it/hate it opinions, usually based on the battery door breaking off. Everyone speaks as they find, of course, and although HP cameras come in for more stick than most, I have a three-year old one that works perfectly after 3000 photos.
The Casio seems to me to be very well made – the fit and finish is excellent, but that’s no consolation to those who have had problems. I guess digicams are still pretty high-level technology, and of course they have to be made in volume, for the right price…
Hi, Thanks Andrew and James. I’ve tried those links and when I download what I’m supposed to, I keep getting this message:
“An error occurred attempting to expand CASIO AVI Importer.component. A folder was secified when a file was required.”
I have no idea what this is or what it means……Anyone? Thanks.
James, thanks. I just checked the A 610, 5MP, you mentioned. I am surprised it has better speed/low light than the 7.1 MP A620. I really loved the z750 but thrice-burned, I really hesitate to buy another. I hope someone will report in here on the picture qualities of the z850. I did read the dpreview.com on it – and it sounds better. Ken Rockwell indicates it probably is better than the z850. Apologies for wasting space here on my dithering.
I was able to see those videos (nice!) on my Mac Powerbook G4 – with QuickTime 7.1.
Besty, did you download anything special (like the ones Andrew and James emailed) to view the videos–or did they just come up in Quicktime? Thanks!
I downloaded nothing – they came right up, well, they took a bit before they got going, especially the larger videos (I didn’t try the 97 MB, though.)
I have OS 10.4.4. Hope that helps.
Thanks Betsy, I have OS 10.4.3. I wonder if I should update my Quicktime version to a better one? I wonder if that would help……….
I don’t have QuickTime Pro, just the ordinary (free) version, 7.1. Maybe the difference is in the OS, rather than QT?
Hi Betsy, I’m not sure what’s going on. I’m not really sure what I’m doing wrong. I know it works, you can see it, so who knows……It is frustrating though. Thanks for the reply…..Did you decide on a camera?
Sometimes just restarting can clear up whatever is the problem, along with running disk utility> repair permissions. Good luck! (Just curious, I’ll send a note to the local Mac user group to see if anyone there has any thoughts.)
As for the camera, no, I am still indecisive. I like everything I’ve read about the Canon powershot A620 – (I’ve got an A95 and so am familiar with the model — but because that is so (relatively) big is why I got the z750! …I begin to think I am waiting for the z950. Thanks for asking!
Hi Betsy. Thanks for your help. It is frustrating. I need the original disk to run that correct?
As far as your camera situation, you could always buy the z750 again from Costco and return it should any problems occur–Costco seems to be the best insurance policy for any electronics….
Hi JP,
I think it (10.4.4) is a free upgrade/download from Apple.com – as is version 7 of QuickTime. (I am not sure what you mean by that you need the original disk to run it.)
Costco stocks the z850 in the store; the z750 is available online from Costco; I am thinking about it, but the disappointment of another broken cam…!
Sorry, but can you guys please find a room? :)
Ha Ha–Sorry Mike! This has been very helpful to me, thanks again!
Betsy – Don’t apologise for dithering – it’s an occupational hazard for photographers out shopping!
WRT the A610/620 debate, there is endless discussion, but I found this the most helpful:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1010&message=15426218
The continuous shooting speed of the 610 is usefully quicker (2.4fps) and the general impression I get is that it’s just a shade more nimble. Mind you, as someone else pointed out, these cameras are way more alike then they are different…
I love the pocketability of the Casio, though, and since having a camera to hand is a lot more important that its specification, that is a key point. However, you may not have too many pockets, but you probably carry a bag, so the Canon may be just as easy for you to carry, in which case the longer lens, swivel LCD and AA batteries may well tip the balance…
If you want to discuss further, email me on fjp ‘at’ chessell.plus.com
Don’t want to abuse Mike’s hospitality too much!
turn Z750 into media player
http://swf.com.tw/?p=31
@Andrew:
Those videos were great! Especially the one in the tunnel with the animated characters (not sure how to describe it, but there was a wedding, and scenes representing India). Like something out of Willy Wonka.
In the longest one from the rollercoaster ride, which was well worth the hefty download, I noticed a couple or more times it stuttered for a fraction of a second. Is that Windows Media Player or the camera itself buffering such a large file? And did you use a fast-speed memory card?
Your son didn’t seem to be enjoying the ride though!
Hard to believe these videos came from such a small camera. My only concerns after seeing these sample videos would be a) the sound seemed to pick up a lot of noise from the wind in the last video, which could be a problem, and b) the picture went slightly fuzzier when turning round in the first video. Even so, jaw-dropping quality really! Casio should promote this camera on the video quality alone.
I work at Target, and they started clearancing these babies out. I bought our stores display (which had only been up for 2 months and never used) for less than $200. It rocks. Full price, in the box, they are $290 or something around there. I have to agree. It rocks.
Ok, so I bought one. I can store 4 hi-res photos or 17 seconds of video on the internal memory. I need an SD card! What do I ask for?
Jerry
Others may correct me, but any SD card should do – it doesn’t seem to need a high-speed one (although I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt).
A 1 Gigabyte card will hold 32 minutes of best-quality video, or around 400 ‘normal’ quality 7Mb pictures. Best (‘fine’) quality halves that, but the difference in compression isn’t really noticeable unless you’re either very fussy, or enlarging to more than 10×8, IMHO.
Don’t feel short-changed by the lack of a card with the camera. People grumble about this, but camera makers who do supply them always skimp on the size, so you’d end up replacing it anyway!
In the UK, memory cards are very variable in price. Camera shops tend to use them to claw back some profit, so usually better on-line. Worth shopping around for, anyway.
Hi everyone, it’s looks as though Costco has stopped selling the EX-Z750–I should have purchased last week but didn’t. Anyone know of another retailer (like Costco) with a liberal, no-questions-asked return policy? I know there have been quality issues (potentially large ones) and don’t want to have to buy some huge extended warranty to protect myself.
Thanks.
“Hi everyone, it’s looks as though Costco has stopped selling the EX-Z750–I should have purchased last week but didn’t. ”
Drat. I’m in the same boat as you are.
Well, here’s to hoping the 950 works out better…
Andrew
Amazon’s return policy is very good, best (exc. for CostCo) that I have seen. It’s 30 days, no questions asked, so long as the item was bought from Amazon and not one of the affiliated merchants.
Amazon has the z750 for $306. Given my past problems with the z750, I did a lot of searching before re-ordering, deciding against the z850. There are many places with lower prices, but none that I found with better return policies; quite a few have 10% restocking fees, so check carefully.
Betsy (ended dithering just before CostCo ended selling the z750.)
Thanks Betsy for the reply. Andrew, the EX-Z750 is back at Costco!!! Order now before it goes away again!
never mind, they’re gone.
FWIW, eBuyer in the UK have a few left…
http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/85794
Betsy – glad you made it under the wire! :-)
I’m having a problem when loading my pictures from the camera. The software is bad enough (it looks like an old dos type of software!). But the problem I’m having is that when I click on the individual photos to view them, an empty window opens up (with a jpeg title). THe photos load fine. But the only way I am able to see them is as a thumbnail or in slideshow mode. Has anyone else had this problem?
I’ve not used the software that comes with it (apart from the driver for the cradle) as nearly all camera software is clunky and horrible. I normally use a card reader, but as the Casio cradle is needed for recharging and has a button that effectively turns it into a disc drive, it’s easy to drag and drop the pictures to where you want without any additional software.
Or use a photo organiser like Google’s Picasa that also has a download facility. This will also allow you to view the pictures (and movies) and make minor adjustments. I also use Irfanview, which has more powerful editor and is a very quick way of viewing pictures in almost any format. These programs are both free and work as well as any commercial software, IMHO. Not sure how much of this applies to Macs, I’m afraid.
Just too soon to be post 400…
i just bought the 850.
The undersized (too much even for its category of ultracompact) flash of the 750 has turned me to the 850.
Concerning the video, i find the NQ video of the 850 quite ok.
Oh dear. Reliability seems an issue according to this guy:
Broken Camera (PigPog)
He also links to this about Casio’s alleged poor service, and several different models having broken:
Casio: cool cameras, terrible service — buy something else (Boing Boing)
To play Devil’s Advocate for a moment, I’m not sure that Casio are worse than anyone else. Their build quality seems excellent, as you might expect from a watchmaker.
Every camera I’ve had has given trouble to someone when I’ve read the associated forums. Not surprising, really, when these are mostly used to exchange information about the cameras and are the first places people with a problem turn to.
If you look at dpreview’s or Steve Sanders’ forums, you will find grumbles about every camera, including Nikon, Canon, Olympus etc. This is not to excuse the manufacturers, as there’s always room for improvement, but to try to restore perspective. Battery doors are regularly broken and complained about, but then some people are ham-fisted!
FWIW, the Z750 is my eighth digicam, and the only problem with any of them (so far!) has been the failure of the flash unit on a Kodak DX7630 that I bought cheaply from a lost property office…
Hey guys n gals? has anyone tried doing the firmware upgrade from 1.01 to 1.02? I’m still having the button functions mix up problem, I’m afraid that it would not upgrade successfully when I press SET and the DISPLAY function is the one that it does. thanks in advance.
i just bought the waterproof case for my new 850. I expect to make nice pictures in my next holiday :)
this is the wp
http://www.dicapac.com/eng/menual-02-02.htm
on ebay at 39€ + (3.90€ shipping Germany)
Hi everyone. I have been using my new 750 camera and had a question maybe someone could help me with.
The short movies I’ve recorded with this camera have a very annoying mechanical noise whenever the camera focuses in/out. Is this common or is there a problem with this? Any way to get rid of it?
Thanks!
JP: That’s the autofocus system working. Most of the time you don’t really need it to be on, so switch the camera to Pan Focus (PF) mode using the “up” button (marked with a macro symbol). This puts the camera into fixed-focus mode and eliminates the sound.
Good luck!
-Charlie T
jyeah! Charlie T hit the nail on the head. Thats how you do it! =]
Hi Charlie and thomas–thanks for the info. I’m finding the Pan Focus not to be as crisp….is this the case for you? Does increasing the sharpness do the trick? Do you guys have any special settings for movies you use? Thanks!
JP: Pan Focus is a bit softer and doing a sharpness increase to +2 in the menu system will definately do the trick :) Have you played with infinity focus? I havent =]
thomas
That’s interesting – I’d rather assumed that those settings only affected stills, as I have the saturation turned down a notch, but the videos still seem very intense. I haven’t fiddled, as the stills are about right, but I’ll certainly try it the next time I use the video.
Hmmm, well I have had no problems with PF mode. It tells you what your in-focus range is when you zoom: 1.5m to infinity on wide angle, and 3.4m to infinity on full zoom. Stay within these limits and everything would be in focus.
Another option is to use manual focus, and prefocus before you shoot. If you have something close to the camera that is moving, then autofocus is probably necessary, though it usually has a hard time keeping up.
I like a bit of blurriness when things get close: it’s a limitation of the cam, but it is kind of reminiscent of the old days of cine cameras.
Thanks again Thomas and Charlie for the help.
I also seem to be getting a hint of a greenish/blue tint to the video….maybe it’s not on the right BS mode…Would you guys suggest using the BS for video or the reg. movie mode?
Take care!
Hello James, yah i thought the same thing too, but i tried it and with a +2 sharpness in the menu I got a little bit sharper result. Surprise surprise =]……… try making a video with -2 and then shooting the same video with +2 and you can check out the difference. You will notice some interesting things about video image quality at +2 =]
JP: Hows it going JP? I rarely ever use BS video. I tend to shoot in normal video mode and set all the EX settings manually (WB and ISO)
The greenish/blue tint could be related to the WB set in BS mode. Most of the video BS mode has pre-selected WhiteBalance and focus modes that may not fit the shooting conditions. Try shooting it normal video mode and change up the WB and see if you still get a green/blue tint. Oddly, ISO affects video…..check out the BestShot Night scene description…..goodluck to ya!
Charlie T: cine camera ownz my bonez
I am pleased with my replacement 750 and am using the video. Problem, though: i have transferred the (.AVI) files to my Mac and can see the video either via RealPlayer or QT (7.1) Player, but I would like to convert it to a smaller size so I can post to a web site.
With Google I’ve searched and can not find a converter. I can’t get that AVI file into iPhoto (iPhoto 5) to edit it. Someone suggested to import into Flash, but I am wondering if anyone here knows of a way to convert to a MPEG file. Would QT Pro, which I don’t have but would get, do it?
thanks!
Hi Betty
What about the freeware program virtualdub ? That would be able to do it through the file resize option. There are plenty of tutorials on how to do it on web.
Hi Patrick,
Thanks, but VirtualDub seems to be for Windows; there are indeed plenty of programs and tutorials …for Windows, but not for Macs!
Betsy
Oh, sorry about that, I’m not sure about Macs then.. best of luck in your search. Could I say that reading about your experiences was quite useful – I decided to get a 750 partly because of them. I have to say that I love the camera, it way surpasses my expectations.
Many thanks.
Patrick
Betsy,
You might wanna try the Mac forums and read to see what other people are doing about mpeg compression on Mac computers.
If that doesnt work, you will have to manually set the size, fps, quality, to get a smaller file for internet viewing pleasure….pain in the ass, i know…
Weird, i always heard macs were great for audio/video editing…gotta be something out there that you dont have to pay an arms and legs for.
cheers,
thomas
I just wanted to say that i did a ton of researching for months trying to find the best pocket sized digital camera. I had it narrowed down to a few until i found this page and it sold me on the Z750. The 850 was already out and i had seen it at Costco but the reviews weren’t so great but this page made me consider the 750 and man am i glad i did. I have had my camera for 4 months now and i have taken thousands of photos and dozens of videos and all of them are perfect and way better than i imagined possible from such a compact camera. So to the man who started this page i want to say thanks.
Is anyone using a High-Speed card? I am about to get a 1 Gb SanDisk Ultra card… is it true that it’s not compatible with this camera? Meaning I won’t be able to store any picture/video on it?
I have used the SanDisk Ultra 1 GB and it was/is excellent. I am presently using an ATP 2.0 GB (more than I need but with video and lowered prices, why not, I thought!) That card has very good reviews but I can’t tell the difference in speed from the Ultra — except it is very slow in reformatting.
Very much enjoying my replacement z750! Having had the problem of the broken card holder cover, I now transfer images mostly via USB. Still no solution to the Mac and getting the video to a Web posting size (but I haven’t had time to search much the last couple of days.)
I just got back from the World Cup. I took almost 300 pictures on my 2G card. This is what I learned:
– I need a tripod to do the manual exposures at night (your mileage may vary)
– I had my finger in the way once or twice when I turned on the camera. This resulted in the dreaded lens error. Turning the camera off and on a couple times fixed it right up (good thing too!)
– The pictures came out really good but, as suggested in the article, I had set the saturation to -1 immediately upon buying the camera.
Nice camera. Worked perfectly. Buy one if you still can. Here is what I want to know:
I took all the pictures on the high size setting. The camera can make resized copies of these pictures to 640×480 for email purposes. I know how to do that one at a time but with 300 pictures it would be a lot of effort. How do I make it do that to a selection of the pictures (or to all of them?)
Jerry
“I need a tripod”
I put off buying a really small camera for a long time because they are so difficult to hold steady. I then found that a cheap bendy pocket tripod makes an excellent hand grip, and now use this most of the time. Good for self-portraits, too!
Here it is:
http://static.flickr.com/77/189324713_afa67889b7_o.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/71/189324714_5f7bc15872_o.jpg
“How do I make it do that to a selection of the pictures?”
I meant to add that batch conversion of size, compression, file type, gamma and just about everything else can be done using a free utility called Irfanview. This was written by a Bosnian student, and is just about the best image viewer/converter on the planet.
http://www.irfanview.com/
PC’s only though. Sorry Betsy…
OK, so the SanDisk Ultra Card doesn’t work for video mode. All the video recorded on that card is choppy and looks awful. Writing the video directly on the camera is ok. Bummer.
UP
This problem is as annoying as it is weird…
James, I have a utility that can do batch changes on the PC and the one you mention looks excellent, but I was asking how to do multiple conversions on the camera. The reason I was asking is that most internet cafes will not let you install software, but you can access web based email, so if I could create reduced sized copies on the camera that would solve this problem. I know how to do it to one picture at a time, but I took about 300 pictures and it would be very helpful to be able to reduce the size of multiple pictures at the same time. I have seen cameras that let you select the pictures you want to change, but I couldn’t figure out how to do it with the 750. Maybe it just isn’t possible?
Is there a batch converter that does not need installing so that I can put the program on the camera and run it from there without installing anything?
Jerry
Regarding the buttons getting mixed up, its moisture according to Compex, a casio distributor in the philippines. Moisture got in to the strap holder. They said the warranty is void due to it.
Guys make sure to keep your cameras dry. Its 30 bucks to have it repaired here. I guess they will be replacing the button circuits near the strap holder.
Jerry, I think the utility wont run in the camera. I guess better contact casio regarding 3rd party softwares. Maybe they would release an updated version to do that.
Javier, what does the video look like? Can you describe the condition when you took the pictures. For example low light really does ruin the video quality even at high quality settings.
Has someone found a good case for the Exilim Z750? one that’s going to protect the camera well, but is slim enough to still fit in a pocket? (I know this issue may have been covered before, but I don’t have time to search through all the postings.)
In Disney, I used a tiny Case Logic one… I don’t know which one, but it has a little pocket on the front with a few handy (tiny) compartments for the cards..
Andrew
Casio’s own leather slip case is pretty good, too. I got one bundled with mine, so I don’t know details, but there can’t be a huge choice!
It has a bit of padding in addition to the leather, which is good for protection, but there are probably slimmer ones that don’t. I still don’t like the idea of putting it straight in my pocket…
“Javier, what does the video look like? Can you describe the condition when you took the pictures. For example low light really does ruin the video quality even at high quality settings.”
I confirmed that the card is corrupted, having used it on a different camera :(
I am getting a new one, but it would be a regular SanDisk… Ive heard it’s good enough, even for HQ video.
Has anyone had lens trouble with the Casio EX-S500? The lense on mine keeps getting stuck open or 1/2 way open. I’m wondering if there’s a way to resolve the problem. Please let me know if you have any suggestions!
Thank you
Just got my z750 from the store after I returned it due to the intermittent buttons errors.Found out that moisture gets in easily on the camera by the wrist strap area. You can see that the aluminim case is not that well fitted so I guess that’s what I get from sweaty hands. Guys keep your cameras dry ok.
If you guys have any suggestions on how to keep cameras dry on your cases or when using it, free to post.
Luaren, I guess it is same as the z750. Usually the upgraded firmware resolved the z750 lens errors. You can google some forums regarding the s500. Or have it checked where you bought it. =)
When I was in the market to buy a digital camera, I went to the process of reading the reviews of the different cameras available then which were being offered in the Philippines. I study the reviews of dpreview and dcrp. I was impressed by the review of Casio EX-Z750 and decided to buy it. I bought my unit on June 16, 2005 and was happy with it until I had a problem with the focusing. I had the unit serviced on August 22, 2005 and the main complaint I had was “Auto focusing not working”. I received the unit back and was informed that they had to “reset video settings. Again, on March 24, 2006, I returned the camera for servicing with the problem of focusing and a “lens error” coming out from the display. After waiting for two (2) weeks, I received the unit and was informed that they had to change the lens. I mentioned to them that maybe my unit is a lemon since even after I received the unit after the first repair, I was not getting clear pictures from my Casio Z750. On August 22,2006, I had to bring the camera again for service with the problem of the unit shutting off when I zoom it up to AF45 cm. On August 30, I was informed of the problem with the lens but unfortunately, it was already beyond the one (1) year warranty period. I was shocked and told them of my disappointment with the quality of their product. I said that they should have replaced it with a new unit after the second time I had it serviced. I still don’t know the cost of having it serviced but I think I made a big mistake of buying this casio camera. Can you give me the email address of Casio Japan so I can personally complain to them about it. Thank you.
@Jose Carlos: Sorry to hear that, maybe you just were unlucky, because my camera has been flawless so far.
But they should have replaced it, I agree. Cheers.
My casio EX-S500 has been a good camera (had it since christmas) but now is stuck like the other people experienced. (Lens is deployed)
When I playback videos (using Windows Media Player) from my Z850, the picture and sound are not in sync. I’ve found the same happens to videos downloaded from the web which were recorded by either a Z750 or Z850. Any suggestions?
I just bought my Casio EX-S770, and I’m trying to install the Casio AVI Importer.component and it is downloading as an unidentifiable file. I went to the casio download website to download it and after it unzipped it was the same unidentified file. I realize I need this in order for quicktime to play the videos on my Mac Powerbook G4, and have all system requirements as far as I can tell, so I am not sure why I’m having such a problem. I am recording videos but quicktime is only playing the sound and not the video. Can someone please help me?
Thanks,
Tiffany
There’s this really cool, extensive, thorough manual for the 750:
http://media-server.amazon.com/exec/drm/digital/moleproxy.cgi?name=Q2FzaW8gRXhpbGltIEVYWjc1MCA3TVAgRGlnaXRhbCBDYW1lcmEgd2l0aCAzeCBNYW51YWw=&file=TUFOVUFMMDAwMDcyMjg4LnBkZg==
But all I got with my camera was some crappy overview in multiple languages.
Is there any way to get a hard copy of this manual (without printing a 250 page pdf)?
I think that’s the same one that comes with the camera, on CD. Not quite the same as a paper one, I grant you, but printing that in 11 languages would be a bit wasteful!
If your printer has the facility, you might be able to print it as an A5 book, which would only use 63 sheets of paper…
What about 10.1 Mega Pixels in your pocket? Does the Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z1000 match up to the EX-Z750 in quality? The z1000 goes for about $349.99 these days.
Also, it looks like the ex-z750 is discontinued:
http://www.casio.com/products/Cameras/Exilim_Zoom/
I’ll say this –
The 750 may go down as one of the classics; if it weren’t for the LCD cracking issues and the “lens error” issues (I never had one of those) it would probably be my favorite camera I’ve ever owned – more than my fully manual FM2, more than my current Nikon D70.
Note: I’m not saying it took better pictures; however, its quality of image, great video mode, tiny size, and generally quick operation would have made it the camera I always had with me.
The 850 was a botch job and sure – the video is fine if you don’t mind it zoomed way in. That’s not a fix as far as I’m concerned.
No, I’m waiting for the true successor to the 750, which obviously isn’t the 850, though the 850 may have made great improvements in some areas.
Here’s hoping for the 950 to fix the 750, include the goodness of the 850, and keep it just that way…
:)
Andrew
Thanks, that’s good to know. I’m about to (finally) buy my first digital camera and would have chosen the z850 if I’d decided to buy a Casio.
But it sounds like the best pocket camera these days is Canon’s SD800 – at least according to ken rockwell. It has IS (Image Stabilization) for one:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/2006-camera-guide.htm
http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/sd800.htm
Or you could go for the Fuji F30, which must be the best natural light compact available at present. It wasn’t out when I bought the Z750, which I love for all the reasons that Andrew states (and still seems to be one of the few that can take MP4 video) but I would like a bit more sensitivity…
What this means, of course, is that there is no ‘best’ camera – you have to find what suits you. Casio certainly know how to package a camera (as befits a maker of watches) and their menu system is an object lesson to the rest.
Ooops… forgot to mention another feature of the Casio that kept me from the Fuji –
(C’mon, everybody:)
VIEWFINDER….
I’m really not interested in a camera that doesn’t really “let me look” for my shot… :)
Andrew
“VIEWFINDER…”
As it happens, I agree, and it’s a major point in the Casio’s favour. Very annoying that so many camera makers who should know better omit them to save a few pence.
Still, if low light is more important to you, then it might swing it the other way – as I said, there is no ideal camera, apart from the perfect one you wish for, containing the best bits of all of them.. :-)
Hi, I am intersted in this camera and had only heard good things, such as your opening comments, and then read downa dn found all the lens problems, and then noticed the dates, and am wondering what the current status is regarding any flaws with this camera? Thanks, -Jud
I can only speak as I find, and I’ve had no problems at all in 8 months. Others may differ, but it’s probably fair to say that you don’t get to hear so much when things are going right. I notice from other forums (such as dpreview) that all makes have some negative feedback – small digicams are fabulously complex combinations of engineering, electronics and packaging, and the marvel is that they work at all! People who shove them in their back pocket (tempting as it may be) are asking for trouble, IMHO.
A bigger problem now will be finding a Z750, as they were thin on the ground when I bought mine. Ebay I suppose, but check the feedback!
BTW, my son has a 3-year old Casio QV-60 which hasn’t missed a beat.
Casio EX-850 and Casio EX-750
I bought both of these cameras and BOTH of the lenses cracked, making the camera completely useless. The first time, I had my camera in my purse on my lap in the back seat of a car. The driver stopped quickly and my purse dropped to the floorboard of the car. Completely shattered lens. It was a brand new camera and my VISA card replaced it for free. I have now had the EX-850 for two months, and once again the lens cracked. I have no idea how. I did not drop it or anything else. It was in my purse, and when I tried to use it, ruined.
I’ve had over 10 digital cameras over the years and dropped them plenty, among other things, and I’ve never had any problems with them. I’m going to try to reach Casio tomorrow. The lens shouldn’t shatter so easily.
Hi James and Tracy,
James, would ahve responded earlier, but never received notice of your reply.
Tracy, I did recieve notice of your post and thus checked in and read both, and I thank you both!
I am a bit cautious now, which is a shame as eithre of these cameras really take me back to what I used to enjoy most about shooting- the candid shot and always aremed and ready! Old Kodak Pocket 40! Loved that camera! Then I got an SLR and it was a major production to take a picture.
The feature I most liked about the Casio, from actually using it at one pint courtesy fo a stranger in the crowd, was the absence of lag time between pushing that shutter button and the pciutre being done- none! And it was night! Not sure if the Cannon has the same great improvement in this over my current Olympus super zoom, which I love, but the lag time! Oye!
:)
Jud
I gave back my Z-850 for a full refund 3 months after I bought it (I had a three months refund guarantee, regardless of whether I used it or not). I just could no longer be bothered with the problems (narrow field in the video, picture res crap when you cropping/zooming). Real shame, I really, really liked the camera otherwise.
Will be looking for a new one soon. If Casio came up with a revised model which sorted these problems out, with great video, I would definitely buy it.
welllll…I’ve had my z750 since first reading mike’s positive reviw. i’ve loved it dearly. until now, now that the screen busted. And i’;ve always had the damn lens error prob, and….
I have had the EX-Z750 for a few months. When I take still shots it works well when outside. When I shoot inside in low light or when subjects move the photos are very very blurry. Not the great quality that others report. I keep thinking perhaps there is something wrong with my unit. Do others experience this? Should I try to get it repaired before the warranty runs out??
— David
I’m somewhat new to the digital camera scene in that I only had the z-850 (before returning it last month). I was wondering if many other cameras have problems and huge threads with dozens of posts from disgruntled consumers. Is this the norm???
“I was wondering if many other cameras have problems and huge threads with dozens of posts from disgruntled consumers. Is this the norm???”
Sure is!
:)
Andrew
CASIO EX-Z 850, European version HAS a 10 minute limit. I have a 4gig card and it shows that I can record up to 2hours and more, but when you start recording you’re limited to 10 minted. That sucks big time.
David Sokolic: Shooting in low light and getting blurry pictures? Well thats normal. Low light = slow shutter speed. All cameras will do this naturally. Either your hands will move or the subject will move. Try changing the ISO to 200 and taking the same shot. You can do that or try using flash…..that will light things up and allow the camera to take the picture at higher shutter speed….which then allows you to probably shoot at ISO 50 again :) Confused? Well its the basics…….learn the basics and you will start to take better pictures :) I dont recommend shooting ISO 400 with the z750. Its pretty grainy……. :(
Hope that helps! Oh and HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!
Thomas
Hi! Guys,
I recently got a Casio Ex Z-1000. I hope someone can give me some suggestions regarding how to properly adjust/tweak the settings.
Before I got this particular camera I read reviews online. But to my surprise, the pictures that I took with my Z1000 did not come out great! It’s grainy, blurry and has purplish effect/background on each photos. Is there anything I can do to adjust and improve the image quality? Am I doing something wrong? Or did I get a defect. camera?
Comments will be greatly appreciated.
-Thanks!
I had an EXZ 850 camera and had a problem with the flashing red light for the flash. I can’t used the flash. I sent already three times for repair in the Dover,NJ Casio repair center, and ended up the same problem. I will just returned it and want my money back.
I recently bought a camera from casio back in May. I started having small problems with it until one day in August the lens would no longer go out, making it impossible to take any pictures. Facing this problem i called casio asking what would be the next best step. They had me send my camera to casio, leaving me without picture until they figured out what was wrong with it. They sent me a e-mail THREE weeks after getting my camera saying that it need repairs that would cost 137 dollars, even though i had just bought the camera three months before. I was so mad that i wrote a letter to casio explaining that whatever was wrong was not my fault and that it should still be covered. They refused to even send the camera back to me the way it was because they had already fixed the camera. so i was forced to pay to 137 dollars to get my camera back. They had both my mailing address and my house address. Casio wasn’t sure what address to send it to so they just help my camera. I called asking why my camera wasn’t to me yet and they said that it had been sent out. I called three days later because i had yet to get my camera, when one lady told me that they weren’t sure what address to send it to so they were holding it. I NEVER got an e-mail from them stating the problem they just pushed it aside. once i got my camera i took a few pictures and then charged. Once it was charged i turned the camera to be faced with another problem. The screan was all white and i couldn’t look at my pictures or take an. I am writing this blog so that anyone that is looking into a Casio should go with another company like Kodak. Casio’s customer service was horrible and they treated me like i meant nothing, and that my problems didn’t matter.
DON’T EVER BUY A CAMERA FROM CASIO. YOU WILL WISH YOU NEVER HAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hi ,when I transfer my photos and video from my z750 to my computer, I get the “Microsoft has encounted a problem and needs to close” message, which is being caused by the video. I delete the video and the message doesn’t appear again. Until I realised this, everytime I opened my photos folder that had video in it, the microsoft warning would appear. There seems to be contamination in the video content. Help!
That’s really weird shane. Did you try with different SD cards, or saving a small vid to the camera’s internal memory? I had a bad SD card that gave me this kind of trouble.
Another option is that you may need to update the video codecs on your PC to access the videos.
thanks for the reply javier. I can drag the error message aside and still open and play the video. No, I haven’t tried another card
I forgot to mention,I installed VLC player yesterday but that hasn’t made any diff
made a small vid as javier suggested using internal memory , but same problem. I can drag the message aside and continue to play the vid using vlc player, from both the sd card and internal memory
Maybe it’s not the video drivers, but the USB drivers instead. I really don’t know how to reinstall them :p
Somewhere in device manager, heh. I’ll check it on my PC.
I have a z850, it has a ten minute limited while recording, I have updated this with several different firmwares and none of these remove the limit.
Does anyone have a firmware update or a hack to remove this limit. I have 4gb and 8gb SD cards and cannot untilize these while recording.
Thanks
“I have 4gb and 8gb SD cards”
That may be the problem. There is a 2Gb limit for FAT16 (the normal filing system) that is only dealt with on recent cameras. No idea if this affects recording time, though. It’s not present on the Z750…
This is the fourth Casio EX camera I’ve owned, I would consider myself a faithful Casio camera user. However, within a month of purchasing the EXZ1000, the LCD screen cracked under no different circumstances than the previous 3 EX cameras were under. Cost to repair the screen, more than 1/3 of the cost to replace the camera. Customer service with Casio has a reputation of being less than helpful, and unfortunately, this has been my experience. I’m heartbroken to say that because of this issue, I’m currently researching a new camera manufacturer. Beware of this problem if you are looking for a new camera….
Wow! The thread that lives on forever…
Becky, sorry to hear about your camera.
I’m also sorry to say that after a year of waiting, Casio has not released a camera that outperforms the 750 (in my opinion).
Still waiting….
Andrew
Does anyone have any comments about the Casio Exilim Z75? Is this any upgrade (or downgrade) in your opinion? I’ve been a Kodak gal to this point, but got one as a gift. Any thoughts?
The Z75 looks very nice (and slightly smaller than the 750) but I doubt it performs any better. That’s not a criticism – I just think the Z750 was a high point in Casio’s development process. It small enough to be pocketable, but has all the options that photographers like. I’m sure you’ll enjoy your Z75, but look after that screen.. :-)
I’ve created a survey for the fans of the Z750 who might want to see Casio reconsider this jewel:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/MySurvey_EditorPage.aspx?sm=XgOYnBNNzbVe06l9OwCr%2bnmu4rOV%2fX0MrnrAvO0WuqA%3d
If you think you’d like to see Casio fix the few problems it had and maybe upgrade it, please do participate.
Thanks!
Andrew
That’s a nice thought, but I can’t see Casio backtracking like that. They probably don’t even have the case tooling anymore. Japanese companies (and most others, to be fair) hardly ever recognise when they’ve made something special* or if they do, are unable to reproduce it on succeeding models, which they insist on making, whether or not the world needs them! Rather like Microsoft, they are caught in this spiral of needing to update and ‘improve’ everything, which is probably why I keep using Windows 98 and some very old cameras!
*The Yashica ML 50mm f2 lens and the Pioneer PL12-D turntable come to mind. The irony is that some things are successful because they stay the same (like the Beetle) but it seems to take a lot of corporate nerve to do that.
Yeah, that’s probably true, but hey – if I didn’t do something, I’d always think I should be anyway ;)
And, XP is way better than 98! But I prefer my Mac, and no, I’m not running System 7!
cheers
Andrew
I wasn’t trying to criticise – no harm in reminding Casio that they did something right!
WRT XP, it’s OK on modern kit, but I don’t see why I should replace my computer just because MS has raised the stakes. Vista is ten times worse, of course.
I have Linux, too, and it gets more attractive with every new version of Windows… :-)
Just picked up a brand new 750 made in japan for under 200usd…been looking for a brand new one for ages!!!
yooohooo!
May we know where?
Okay, now I want it too.
Damn it Mike! But this would be the pocket camera I’d get….
Countdown to Florence
In a little over a month, I will be moving to Florence, Italy for several months. I’ve never been out of the country, so I’m very excited. You can imagine how happy I was to see that new Gridskipper editor…
It’s Arrived!
Much to my delight, my brand new Casio EX-Z750 7.2 Megapixel digital camera arrived a few days ago. I picked one up after reading Mike’s review and doing a little bit of internet research. I picked it up for $325…
I have been using an EXZ750 for about a year and getting excellent results. After reading about difficulties with made-in-China versions, looked closer for manufacturing country and there it is “Made in China”
Obviously this oesn’t prove that some or even most of the China models are defective but apparently there are exceptions to the rule. By the way,
can anyone recomment a site to go to for a good deal on a Kingston memory card?
RB
[…] I bought my first truly great ultracompact a few years ago, the Casio EX-Z750, I was in this boat. 7.2 megapixels in your pocket… what more could one possibly need? After eventually moving up to the excellent 7x zoom Casio […]
ok well i have a smalll problem i bought a sony digital camera in 2007
and im trying to figer out how to get sound on it for the video..
it does not say on the insturtion with the paer it came with..
from cheyannr thankxs
I’ve had the EX-Z750 for a bit over 3 years, but the lens error cropped up finally, last summer. I did nothing to cause it, I’ve always taken immaculate care of it. So disappointing, as I’ve loved this camera. But what I really don’t understand is that after this much time, with this problem effecting so many people, there aren’t some technical instructions posted somewhere on the web for people who are willing to tear into an out-of-warranty camera and take their chances fixing it. It must be the only thing that does NOT exist on the Internet.
[…] out on the Lake to snap some nice shots of the Boys in Blue and even shoot a bit of video. This little Casio EX-Z750 continues to amaze me. The video quality is stellar, especially for something that fits in your […]
I’m not sure if anyone else is having this problem, but my SET button is no longer working. To make matters worse I took out my battery to try to fix it and now it asks me for the date every time I turn it on. Is anyone else’s SET button not working?
Thanks!
Hi,
I have the same problem with the SET button AND the ZOOM lever. Eventually they stopped working, which makes operating the camera quite hard :-) I cannot even install the new firmware (1.02) because that requires a working SET button. Obviously that happens quite a few times as I can read on other sites, but no solution to it yet. Please help if you can.
Thanks !
I have the same problem with the SET and Zoom buttoms not working. I sent it back to Casio (in England) and they want to charge me £82.99 to fix it. Hate them. I will sell it faulty on ebay and will never come near casio rubbish again. They are quoting me to replace the optical lensunit and optical stobe and the exterior case.
Good luck
I forgot to say the camera is still under guarantee but they claim damage has been sustained. Goofers. The fault it has is independent to a small tend on the case.
Hi, please can you tell me whether this Casio Z750 camera is able to stay in the “Shutter Priority” mode, even when you power off and power back on, or do you have to go back into the menu system when you power back on because it forgets? I would really appreciate an answer to this. Same question for the Z850 if you get your hands on one.
Many Thanks,
Alistair G.
Alistair: Yes, it does. Both cameras.
i bought the casio ex-z1000 at costco a couple years ago – and it worked fine until now – it goes into set date time and location mode every time it’s powered on – do you know of a fix for this problem? i have tried reset and reformat to no avail – is there a master reset trick? i would rather not have to send it in if there is a quick fix – let me kknow if you can help – thanks!
To Wayne above, you probably already know this but when you change the battery and leave it more than a minute or something between batteries, it forgets the time since the internal capacitor discharges. Swap the batteries reasonably fast and it doesn’t forget the time. Maybe your original battery is dying and causing the camera to forget the time?
Well I bought this EX-Z750 camera for 50 GBP from Ebay a few months ago and I love it. You can set the shutter speed to shutter priority and like Mike says above it remembers the shutter speeed that you set, next time you go to switch it on! So you only need to ever set it once!
Only the Z750 and Z850 and the Fuji F31FD and latest 14MP Nikon can do this, that I am aware of.
Also it can be run in Aperture Priority but you can only choose between 2 apertures, which are F2.8 or F4 at min. zoom, these 2 apertures go smaller as you zoom but max. out at F5.1 and F7.4 at the long end of the zoom. It has full manual controls and an optical viewfinder that zooms at the same time as the main zoom lens!, plus I wear glasses and can still see the whole frame of the viewfinder! Battery life is very good, low light noise performance is OK but quite a bit better when you reduce resolution. As usual ISO 400 is close to unusable except at very low resolutions.
It won’t focus very close even on min. zoom which bugs me a bit, and on max. zoom it has to be a silly distance away, but it’s auto focus is actually pretty good. Pic’s are reasonably sharp and colourful with good contrast. The 3 limiting factors to this camera’s performance are the noise above ISO 100, the aperture that can’t be closed (slight softness to pic’s) and the lens won’t focus close.
I find that the macro setting mode makes no difference to close focussing which I thought was odd. Screen is quite bright, replacement batteries are cheap, and it’s a reliable camera and very easy to use. The auto settings are very good. I use a mixture of auto and manual. I like that you have 5 settings for flash intensity, useful for close up’s in detail work. Screen is quite bright but the 850 is quite a bit brighter. So I use a 2.5″ Delkin DU2.5″-M pop up screen shield (shade).
It takes good quality SD movies at 29.97 Frames / sec. with good sound with good frequency response at bass and treble ends BUT you can’t hold it steady enough as the camera is way too light for this function so everything shakes no matter how steady your hands. My Sony PC120E camcorder produces WAY better movies since it has a mass of around 600g which absorbs the shakes of my hand (my hands are actually quite steady compared to a lot of people) due to having much greater momemtum. Also the optical steady shot on the Sony makes quite a difference. There is NO steady shot of any kind on the EX-Z750. I use a Sandisk Extreme III 2GB SD card and it’s fine. You need outdoors conditions with reasonable light to use the full resolution on stills and see no noise in the pic’s. The screen picture magnification goes up to 8x. The lens zoom is 3x (optical). Digital zoom on the movies really sucks bad so never use it. There is NO optical zoom on movies while recording, which really SUCKS bad. The Sony kills it since it has 10x optical zoom for movies. So for movies it’s just about passable in a pinch, but for stills it’s a really great very flexible camera.
Recommended.
If I wanted a better camera I would want better low light (noise) performance (I DON’T WANT OR NEED MORE MEGAPIXELS), I would want the ability to CLOSE the cursed aperture to smaller than F4 (preferably to F8 or F10) on min. zoom, which would increase pix. sharpness greatly and increase depth of field, and I would want a quite a lot brighter screen because in daylight most of what you see is yourself reflected in the screen! (screen not bright enough). For movie mode I would want an almost miracle like optical image stabiliser, and the camera to be thinner, but HEAVIER to make movies stop shaking. All of these would be much more beneficial to the final image than giving me 1 more megapixels of noisy output…
Cheers,
Alistair G.
Hi Mike, it’s a voice from the past. When you wrote this review and posted sample images and video, you probably didn’t think you’d propel a fair number of people to buy the Z750. I was one of the folks marveling at the quality of the Pike Place video you posted above, and that video was one of the things which convinced me that the Z750 was the ultracompact stills and video camera that would satisfy me.
The Z750 was on my hip from 2006 to 2009, collecting images, video and audio throughout Australia, China and Hong Kong. Other cameras surpassed it over time, but the Z750 was with me everywhere because of the sheer convenience.
Thanks for the review all those years ago, and for showing us a glimpse of Pike Place Market. Seeing that guy throw a huge fish across the stalls surprised the heck out of me.