Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1

Prosumer camera captures 60 photos per second, HD video



THE 6-MEGAPIXEL Casio Exilim Pro Ex-F1 is a groundbreaking camera. It can snap 60 full-resolution photos in just one second and capture video at a staggering 1,200 frames per second (fps), albeit at a reduced resolution. Throw in HD-resolution video recording and a 12x optical zoom, and you have a truly one-of-a-kind camera. But it's also expensive ($999) and bulky, with less-than-inspiring image quality-which doesn't make it an ideal everyday single-shot shooter.
Most of the new photo capabilities are handled by a dedicated continuous Shutter (CS) mode dial. In Prerecord mode, you can rapidly snap a set umber of images just by pressing the sutter down halfway; this continually refreshes the buffer with new imagesand makes it easy to capture critical events even after they've started. The High-Speed CS mode similarly captures up to 60 images for as long as you press the shutter button.
The Exilim records video in standard, high-definition, and high-speed (up to 1,200fps) modes. There's also a Prerecord Movie function that lets you prerecord five seconds. Unfortunately, the high-speed videos has a serious drawback-as the frame rate increases, the resolution decreases.
Startup time was a below-average 3.62 seconds, and the single-shot shutter lag time was a moderate 0.65 second. The biggest frustation was waiting for the camera to transfer to 60 burst-mode photos from the memory buffer to a memory card. Even with a fast SanDisk Extreme III 8GB SD card, it took 17.25 seconds to save the photos.
Image quality was mixed. The sharpest photos weren't as sharp as we've seen with other small-sensor cameras. Color fidelity and shadow detail, on the other hand, were very good. The main problem was visual noise, which wa clearly noticable on many ISo 400 shots; at ISO 800, it was often a significant distraction, and at ISO 1600, darker objects were frequently obscured in a snowstorm of color flecks.
although its individual shots could be better, the Exilim's ability to take 60 images per second was impressive. Sports action, children playing, and a dog chasing a ball became studies in motion. Remarkably, the time-lapse images were equal in quality to the camera's single-shot images, and while the H.264-saved video recordings did have some compression artifacts, the quality was superior to footage from other hybrid cameras we've evaluated.



As a single-shot camera, the EX-F1 is overpriced, oversize, and a subfar performer. As a rapid-fire, time-twisting hybrid, however, it's head-and-shoulders above the competition. This model is particularly wellsuited for sports and wildlife enthusiasts, parents of active children, and YouTube devotees. - David English

source: Computer Shopper October 2008.