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With so many digital cameras on the market, the manufacturers have been wracking their brains trying to figure out ways to get their cameras noticed. Casio just might have found a way with the EXILIM EX-V8. It’s the only camera that is partnered with YouTube and boasts features that specifically work with YouTube. That’s some pretty savvy marketing, but it’s still early in the game so we’ll have to stay focused to see how this all works out… after all, a picture is worth a thousand words.
The YouTube connection is the EXILIM EX-V8’s claim to fame, but the camera is more than that. It has 8.1 megapixels, more than enough for any purpose. The optical zoom is 7X which nicely fills the gap between the 3X and the newer 18X optical zoom cameras. The EX-V8 is one of a few cameras that keeps its optical zoom internal, so there is no telescopic effect. That in itself is a pretty neat feat of engineering. Another benefit of that feature is that the EX-V8 zoom runs quietly. I should point out that while the internal optical zoom is not a new feature, it’s not common and usually appears as a 3x optical zoom.
The EX-V8 utilizes a CCD-shift image stabilization mechanism which reduces blur when there’s movement or when the flash is off. This technology works better than the electronically stabilized systems found in other digital cameras. Enhancing the stabilization function is motion analysis technology which will set the appropriate ISO sensitivity and shutter speed.
The EXILIM EX-V8 also makes movies. Using an engine 2.05 performance image processing module, you can record movies at the high compression rate of the next-generation H.264 standard. The movie mode has an electronic image stabilization function. There is also an assist light and the movie resolution is 848×480 UHQ wide/HQ wide and 640x480UHQ/HQ normal: for lower quality (almost unwatchable) videos there is LP mode 320×240. The handy YouTube Capture Mode allows you to upload and share video clips on YouTube with Casio’s Uploader software application, which is included.
The screen is a 2.5-inch LCD and covers most of the back of the camera. There is a face recognition system which is rapidly becoming a standard feature on new cameras. For memory, the EX-V8 uses SD cards.
Out of the box, the camera has a nice sliding door that turns the camera, on and it responds well. There are 34 scene modes; over time I’ve come to appreciate scene modes in any camera, and they really help. I’m especially impressed with the zoom function and the image stabilization, although the focus on zoom isn’t as robust as I’d like. The face detection technology helps big-time, keeping the exposure and focus on target. I printed out the pictures and they are a bit soft, but not terrible. When taking videos, the movie mode is very good. The colors are rich and the exposure is right-on. There is an extensive selection of movie modes and editing features. Two stereo microphones record the subject and environment/background sound.
Nice and small (under 6 oz), the battery gave me over 200 shots on one charge. It has intuitive functions, except for the zoom lever, which takes a bit of getting used to. The 7X internal optical zoom is an elegant touch for such a small camera. For an 8.1-megapixel camera, I feel that the still pictures could be sharper. To be fair, megapixel count is a little overrated and there are other factors such as lens quality (glass) and mechanics that are involved in producing sharp pictures. Where this camera excels is in the movies, which are excellent.
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