By Truth “in Yeshua” (Colorado)

I recently purchased a Casio EX-Z1080, as well as a Canon PowerShot SD750 and a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX55K. I wanted to get the best camera available for the money in a small form factor.

I put all three cameras through very extensive testing, and was surprised by what I learned. First, I’ll provide a brief rundown on the strengths versus weaknesses of the camera I chose versus the others. Then I’ll provide a list of pros and cons for the particular camera I found to be the overall winner.

Oh, yes, the winner, surprisingly, was the Casio EX-Z1080. Moreover, this was also the cheapest camera of the bunch by far!

The Casio EX-Z1080 had sharper images across the board and reproduced greater detail than either the Canon SD750 or the Panasonic FX55K. Color accuracy, etc., was also just as good on the Casio as its competitors. I took dozens of photos of small objects, including objects with fine text, from varying distances. So long as the focus lamp was enabled, the Casio always took sharper photos with far greater detail. When the focus lamp was turned off, both cameras took blurry photos. I suspect the Casio came out on top for two reasons: first, it has a higher megapixel CCD, and second, its digital image stabilization actually outperforms the optical image stabilization of the Panasonic, which was a BIG surprise to me. Both the Casio and the Panasonic outshined the Canon SD750 on photos; each were sharper and produced greater detail than the Canon. (My Canon SD750 also had an area of dead pixels in the CCD right out of the box, so it was defective in that regard.)

In terms of video, the Casio and the Panasonic take the most compact, high-resolution videos, and the Casio offers superb audio (the best of the bunch). However, the color balance of the videos taken with the Casio EX-Z1080 is sadly inferior to that of the Canon SD750 and the Panasonic DMC-FX55K. I found that I could compensate for this a bit with the Casio by increasing the EV value to +0.3, though doing so left my videos looking too bright in places. (Casio could really use a smaller stepping, such as +0.1.) Additionally, the Casio EX-Z1080 exhibited considerable pixelation in videos taken in low-light — much more than the Canon SD750. (The Casio EX-Z1080’s video was higher-resolution and better focused, with superior audio, but otherwise inferior in terms of color balance, brightness and contrast, and pixelation.) If taking videos in low-light situations (e.g., indoors) is something that would be important to you, then your best choice would be the Canon or Panasonic. Otherwise, if you have good lighting, the Casio might suit your needs. (Regardless, the Casio produces much better photos than either of its competitors.) One more thing: due to the fact that it uses the latest MPEG 4 code (i.e., H.264), the size of the video files, even though they are higher resolution with superior audio, is smaller with the Casio than with the Canon SD750. (This is also true of the Panasonic.)

Both the Panasonic and the Canon have nicer battery chargers, in that each has a rotating plug, rather than a long cord that has to be attached to the charger, which is a downfall of the Casio. (Due to the cord, the Casio’s charger is bulkier and not as portable.) The Casio EX-Z1080 does, however, have the best battery life of any digital camera of its size, to include the Canon SD750 and the Panasonic DMC-FX55K, though the Canon SD750’s battery life is pretty good.

So, the Casio is best all around where photos are concerned, and it is the cheapest of the bunch. Besides this, the Casio also gives you more for your money: a 1GB SD card and a nice case are both included. The Canon SD750 only comes with a measly 32MB SD card, which is ridiculous (!), and NO case. While the Panasonic DMC-FX55K also includes a 1GB SD card and a case (not as nice as that of the Casio, I don’t think), you pay MUCH MORE for the Panasonic than for the Casio.

OK, to the pros and cons of the Casio EX-Z1080. Pros:
- the very best battery life, and a useful electronic in-built battery meter (not found on the Canon SD750)
- highest resolution CCD (10 megapixels)
- takes superior photos that exhibit both sharper focus and greater detail
- outstanding video compression (like the Panasonic I bought)
- superior audio quality in videos
- generous extras (very nice case and a 1GB SD card included)
- the best price of all three cameras I purchased

Cons:
- inferior color balance, brightness and contrast, and pixelation in low-light situation videos; Casio could learn a great deal from Canon in this particular area, and were Casio to collaborate with Canon on a future version of its camera, Casio could flat out take the digital camera market by storm
- wrist strap is a bit small; would fit most women well, but a significant number of men will find it a bit tight to put on
- poor plug design on the battery charger, which makes it overly bulky for travel (i.e., it uses a separate electrical cord rather than a rotating plug)
- inferior LCD display; both the Panasonic and the Canon offered much nicer LCD displays (larger, clearer and higher resolution, though brightness was not a problem for any of them)
- the included printed manual and other reference material is next to USELESS!!! One has to consult the electronic guide, which is on an included CD, for any truly useful information regarding the camera and its settings, etc.

On the whole, I feel one gets a great deal for the money with the Casio EX-Z1080; I got mine at Costco. Most of us who purchase a digital camera do so for the photos, and here the Casio EX-Z1080 shines. While the LCD display could be better, as could the battery charger’s design, and while Casio could really improve on the color balance, etc., of its video processing engine, the camera is otherwise head and shoulders above the competition–at any price! You also get a much better package with the Casio for the money (i.e., nice case and decent SD card). However, if video is what matters most to you in a digital camera, look elsewhere. Personally, I have decided to return both the Panasonic and the Canon. I’d rather have a dedicated video camera for those situations where the best video really matters to me anyway.

• Read more about Casio Exilim EX-Z1080

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