Casio Exilim EX-S3 3MP Digital Camera and Docking Station
By: Casio Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 39
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 On: 2007-08-12
Ive had this camera for 3 years. Im not a professional photographer, so its great for me. Once I learned the settings, the pictures came out great. I especially love the compact size. My only wish is for a faster shutter speed. I recommend this to anyone.
On: 2006-05-24
After reading some of the negative reviews on this little technological gem, I felt obligated to write my own review.
Ive owned the EX-S3 since 2003 and still take it with me everywhere I go in 2006. I hang in around my neck on a small chain and carry it in my hand at other times. Ive taken photos in the rain and its been with me in 113 degree weather in the Mojave desert. It has never missed a step! As far as optical zoom is concerned, I dont use it. I take the photos into Photoshop and crop them there, no problem. By the way, that photo at the top of the page of the outdoor mall, is mine. It was taken while I was walking. The result is exactly the way it came out of the camera ... no Photoshop, no adjustments. Judge for yourself!
Finally, Im always suspicious of people who write negative camera reviews and then, in the same breath, mention other cameras and brands they like better. No, I dont work for Casio. Yes, I own other digital camera brands.
 On: 2006-03-04
I bought this camera because, like a lot of people, I hate being burdened by a camera when taking a trip/vacation/outing. And, for that purpose it works great.
So far, this camera has been to Austin, San Antonio, New Orleans (pre-flood), London, New York, Galveston, South Padre Island, San Francisco, Dallas, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Acapulco and on a cruise to destinations like Jamaica and Grand Cayman. Lets face it, this things been around! And through all of that, it has worked flawlessly giving me image after image of wonderful photos, some which even grace my home as photos and many of which are in photo albums.
I challenge those who say their pictures arent clear or come out terrible. With proper usage, the camera can take excellent pictures. But, if youre looking for something to take wonderful nature photos of beautiful vistas, this isnt the camera for you. This one is for quick pictures, close up, not requiring excessive zoom. This is your "I just spotted someone famous camera and need to take a quick picture".
So, why only 4 stars you ask? Only because its digital zoom sucks and is probably the single negative trait which is contributing to reviewers claiming it takes bad pictures of poor quality.
On: 2005-01-20
The Casio Exilim EX-S3 3MP Digital Camera is a masterpiece.
Consistently awesome photographs when set on the "fine" setting (no pixelated images).
Operating it is a no-brainer even though it has a lot of high-end user adjustable features. The "best shot" feature takes any quesswork out of the picture-taking process.
You will need an additional mmc card (256 Megs recommended).
[...]
This camera rocks!
On: 2005-01-17
My overall rating of this tiny digital camera has been positive so far. When buying a digital camera, I basically wanted to focus on shutter speed since my last digital camera, Kodak LS 443s shutter speed was so slow compared to Casio Exilim. I also wanted a lightweight digital camera. I also had a budget in which I didnt want to spend tons of money on a gadget in which will be replaced by a newer higher-tech gadget later on. And wanted a user-friendly digital camera in which I didnt need to carry their manual with me. Here were my reasons for buying this digital camera:
First of all, I bought this camera after my x-bf got his Exilim M2 which I fell in love and had to get my own Casio Exilim. It is such a small digital camera in which I take with me in purse and can snap a quick picture anywhere and anytime.
Second of all, it has a HUGE LCD display which makes it easier to see what your picture will look like when you are trying to center the picture.
Third of all, price of this digital camera was very reasonable compared to other high-end digital camera, like Sony.
Fourt of all, it is such an user-friendly digital camera that I didnt need to read the manual at all.
Lastly, I set my picture resolution to FINE in order to see the best picture quality and I love the fast shutter-speed. Keep up the great work @ Casio. I cant wait for S100 price to go down since that will be my next gadget purchase. Its too bad that Casio is not being sold in a lot of the bigger electronics store but more available online in which case, I bought it from Amazon.com site. I bought this camera last 5/2004 and it still takes excellent pictures. I take a lot of events pictures.
 On: 2004-08-20
Lovely camera, great photos while it lasts. Fits wonderfully in your pocket. But thats exactly the problem--the camera seems to be extremely heat or moisture sensitive. Though I was careful not to carry it with anything else that might scratch it, small "blooms" or spots gradually form on the LCD display and inside the lens, ruining both the viewfinder and the pictures. Perhaps this is the reason they have discontinued this model.
On: 2004-07-23
Ive owned this little camera for about 5 months now and I cant say enough good things about it. First off, there are no malfunctions or irritating complications that I can speak of. This camera takes GREAT pictures! Dont get me wrong its not a 6+ mega pixel, but its definetly all you need if your not a professional photographer. If youre someone that likes quality photographs, photos that arent blurry but crisp and clear, and like to be able to print them out with the same crisp results. Then this is a camera you should seriously take into consideration. Another great thing about it is its size. Its in no way a nuisance, ever! Its very lite and fits into any pocket. It gives you lots of options on the camera and they are easy to access and use,(not meaning to be sexest) but for the guys as well as the ladies. It gives you the ability to fix any not so greatly taken pictures by letting you zoom in and center vertically and horizontally any picture. Not on your computer when you get home, but immediately after you take it(on the camera itself). If you cant tell, Ive been impressed with this camera. I think you would be too!
by: krej On: 2004-07-09
I have several Olympus Digitals that are excellent (5050 in particilar). But this Casio goes with me wherever I go. Consequently, I have taken many more pictures with this camera than with all the others combined (over 2500 in a years time).As for the case issue, I slip mine into an eyeglass case - the kind that is felt lined and has a pocket/belt clip attached. It fits nicely in my shirt pocket, dosent fall out when I bend and
can be removed (and put back) in an instant. Also, it is somewhat wide angle so it is great in small rooms. Try it, youll love it.
 On: 2004-06-29
Great small size, picture quality good for its size, but not for the price. You can get better pics from disposable cameras.LCD is poorly designed. There is no case, and no protection. The frame is thin and weak and flexes easily so the LCD is designed to break, it is just a matter of how often you use it. The LCD on mine cracked when I pressed the MENU button, which is too close to the LCD. Not worth repairing -$200 to repair. What a joke.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-15
So thin...so many resources...fits my front pocket.
Great Lcd screen...great resolution!
On: 2004-03-06
Pros:- Great design. Very sleek. Large LCD is an attention grabber. - Portability. Very light and thin. The actual size is not as small as youd think. But the lightness of the camera and its thinness makes this maybe the most portable camera. You can just put it in your front shirt pocket and not feel like anythings in there. - Lots of cool functions. The best shot mode is awesome. It allows you to make your own settings, and use it at ease. ISO levels are pretty decent too, considering its such a small cam. - I thought that the quality of the pics were very good. Im merely a beginner, so this may not mean much, but I really thought this cam took some nice pictures, and I didnt even set it at the highest resolution. Perhaps, if you are really into photography, you may notice, but if you are, you probably would want to go with the SLRs anyway. Cons: - Too small? Well, this is actualy a good thing, but because its so portable, its really easy to lose. I actually lost my first Ex-3 on my first week, then bought another one, only to lose it again! Luckliy, I found it the second time around, but it just shows u, how easy it is to misplace it. - Lack of a good case. First, it doesnt come with a case. You have to buy it. But even the ones that are out in the market, are not that great IMO. The cases make the camera bulkier, kind of beating the purpose of having this camera. - No Zoom. Yes, theres digital zoom, but like everyoneelse in this site has mentioned, is practically useless. You mind as well just take the picture normally, then zoom it up in photoshop. Itll give you pretty much the same effect. I found zoom to be quite a necessary feature in photography, after i played around with my friends zoomable camera. - No burst mode. yes, its really fast and easy to turn it on and take a picture, but you still have to hold the camera steady for like a second or two, before it actually takes the picture. For example, if you wanted to take a picture of someone who didnt want to (hehe), you would probably take a picture of them on a surprise, but by the time the camera actually takes the picture, theyll have their hands on their face. So its not instant, as I thought it would be. I think for it to be instant, it needs burst mode. Comparable Kyocera cam has this. - The recharger/USB port is cumbersome. Its nice when u have it at home, but if you were travelling, youd have to carry that whole cradle with u, just so u can recharge ur batteries. Conclusion: Suffice it to say, I bought the camera again for the second time, after I lost it the first time. This should tell you how much I like the camera. Its really the most portable camera out there, outside of those 1 mega pixel spy cams, and its features and sleek look, make it a true winner. But for my next cam, Im going to make sure that it has zoom capability and burst mode.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-02-10
I bought this camera in a pinch. I was about to get on a cruise and my Fuji digital busted. I paid way too much for it but I expected that I was in Times Square. I took several pictures with the camera prior to getting on the boat. I was pleased with the size and weight. I was not pleased with ummmmm the rest of it. The picture quality is terrible at best in most situations. I took several different types of pictures as we ran into several types of weather/lighting conditions. The camera just performed poorly. My 1.5 mp camera took better pictures than this. It is sad when you realize that you could have bought a disposable camera for way less money and better results. I have recently purchased the Minolta Dimage G500 and I am absolutely THRILLED with it. If you are looking for a great small footprint point and shoot look no further. As for the Casio Exilim EX-S3 the only advice I can give is: If you are looking for a conversation starter you have found it. Other than that I found it keeps my 6-year-old cousin entertained.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-01-19
If you are looking for a digital replacement for your point and shoot 35mm, this is it. If you dont want to click 100 buttons and figure out 50 menus, this is it. If however, you are looking for the prints that you can oooh and ahhh about every detail in a closeup of nosehairs, this may not be the camera for you.So far Ive been stuck inside with the Boston temperatures, but Ive managed to take about 150 pictures in the week or so Ive had it. To get good closeups, the flash is somewhat harsh, but if you use the red-eye mode, it seems much better. You can assign functions to the main control, so you can click from flash to red eye mode, to force no flash in a couple of clicks. Also, the other mode dial can control another feature of your choosing. Its a better UI for all of the controls than my Olympus C5050 (my photographer in me digital camera). Overall the quality of shots is good, not excellent, but I dont think they were meant to be excellent. The reason I bought the camera was for the fixed focus lens believe it or not. I didnt want to mess with a zoom, and this makes picture taking very fast as well. You click the button, it takes the picture. No lag as with other digital cameras trying to figure out what to focus on. Also, the movies are more useful than I first thought, good enough to send to grandparents and archive for future moments. I cant wait to take this outside when it warms up! I would recommend this as a 2nd digital, or as a primary digital for someone wanting a very portable, easy camera to use.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-01-15
I bought this camera to take with me when I went on a military deployment. Often, I need a camera that is not obvious and that can be switched on, and a picture taken quickly, then stowed. This camera fits in my pocket (with Casios case for cover) and I can pull it out, point and shoot in a matter of ten seconds. The pictures are fine if all you want are snapshots, and I have also had luck with 8 x 10s. The camera will take great pictures in low light situations. It has a powerful flash that I liken to a blast of light - sometimes I wish there could be a happy medium between natural light (when its a little dark) and the flash (too bright). But if you need to throw some light at a distance it wont let you down. Setting the various modes for the type of shot you want (landscape, portrait, night scene, sepia, black and white and others) is intuitive. It even has a mode that will take a picture of a background, then on the next shot will place a subject in that shot. However, its easy to confuse the on and the shutter buttons, and I have had a really hard time getting the mode to switch out of "record" and back to snapshot. That is my biggest frustration with this camera, and it isnt that bad. All in all, if you want an easy, portable camera with great battery life, this is the right one. If you are an "artiste" with a camera, look into a Canon or an Olympus. Incidentally, buy the recharger case from Casio and forget the docking station if you dont have much space when traveling. The tiny recharger fits the battery (so its smaller than the camera itself). I bought an additional battery but I have never had the one run down. The SD card that I purchased for extra memory can be read by any standard card reader, so if you dont want any more photo software on you home computer, dont worry, just download the photos from the card and bypass the Kodak software disk. Either way, Casio has made this camera so easy to use that even if all you buy is a case and an SD card, you will be just fine. Highly recommended.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-01-13
THIS IS THE CAMERA MARKETED TO PUT IN A POCKET OR BAG BUT BUILT TO BREAK IF YOU DO SO. I POCKETED MY CAMERA OVER NEW YEARS AND ENDED UP WITH A BROKEN LCD. THERE WAS NOT ANY GREAT PRESSURE ON THE CAMERA BUT SOMEHOW THE PRESSURE BETWEEN MY LEG AND THE CAMERA BROKE THE SCREEN. THE CAMERA WAS IN A CASE. THIS IS MY WORD TO THE WISE. IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT BUYING THIS CAMERA BECAUSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A POCKETABLE OR PURSEABLE CAMERA PLEASE BEWARE. THIS THING BUSTS EASY. COST FOR MY REPAIR BY CASIO $180! AND THEY NEED 4-6 WEEKS! I WOULD DEFINITELY NOT BUY THIS AGAIN GIVEN THE CHANCE. MY $.02
On: 2004-01-11
If you even know me for just one day, youd know that I love taking pictures. I have 2 other digicams (Olympus D450 and Canon S30, plus the Verizon vx6000 camera phone) and 7 or so film cameras. Having kids, I needed a camera that I will *always* have with me, regardless of the ocassion or what Im wearing. I was very excited when the S3 became available and snapped up this camera about 8 months ago. 8,000 pictures later, Im confident that I can give it a pretty much fair assessment.THE ROLE: The role for this camera for me is to be always available for group and family shots, indoors or outdoors. With its size and speed, it fits that role perfectly. Its inexpensive enough that its almost disposable, in a sense that if I lose it I would definately miss the pictures in it more than the camera itself. PORTABILITY: The reason I bought this camera is the convenience. As you know, Its very small. I carry it everywhere, including at home. You never know when the baby is going to do something cute! In that front the S3 is excellent. Very portable and always available. IMAGE QUALITY: Get real. With a tiny fixed focus, fixed focal-length lens, I didnt expect the S3 to have the same image quality as the $1000 Canon 300D DSLR or even my Canon S30. However, I was pleasently surprised. The image quality, especially for what I use it for, is excellent. For family, friends group shots, its more than just okay. 8x10 enlargements is no problem. As I found it, fix focus can acually be a benefit (speed, huge depth-of-field). Having a video mode is essential for me, but read in pro/con section about the video. PRODUCT QUALITY: However, there are some serious quality problems witht this camera. First of all, over the length of 6 months, the lens got dirty internally, and small grey spots shows up in the same location of every picture. I could shake the camera and got the dust to move around, but I couldnt get rid of it. Then, the flash stops firing reliabily. Then, the case turns yellow in the front, where I rest my middle finger when holding the camera. Not wanting to part with it, I hesitantly sent it back to Casio. EIGHT LONG WEEKS and many phone calls later, I finally got the camera back. The dust is gone, the flash problem is fixed, and they even replaced the camera case. But the amount of time it took was no excuse - I missed the entire holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas) on this camera (I had others cameras to work with). So when I said that Ive had it for 8 months, its actually 6 months, plus 2 in the shop. Pros:
- The size is great
- Image quality is excellent for a fix-lens, fix-focal-length camera
- Fast (start-up, shotting, navigating through pictures)
- Conversation piece
- The most excellent www.exilim.jp site, especially the Exilim Avenue web magazine (in Japanese language)
- Movie mode which Casio eliminated in ther Z4U and S20U models. But see cons.
- Spare battery is cheap on eBay for about seven bucks each. I have 4 spares but rarely use it because the battery life is excellent (much better than my Canon S30)
- Inexpensive Cons:
- My camera lens got dirty internally. Until I sent it back to Casio, it had small grey spots in each picture and was very annoying.
- Over time, the camera case tarnished and turns yellow
- Repair services, if you ever needed, is SLLOOW. Took them 8 weeks to fix my camera
- No true thumbnail view of every picture (only calendar-view)
- Casio-branded cases not widely available in the US
- The video quality is quite low compare to the other digicams. The Motion JPEG artifacts is more apparent than with my Canon S30. However, once you convert it from AVI (MJPEG) to MPG (MPEG-1) with VirtualDub, the quality dramatically improves. It became VCD / NTSC quality and the JPEG artifacts actually went away. Most amazing. Overall, its an excellent camera that I still carry with me daily. However, I would only recommend this as being your secondary, almost-disposable, take-along camera considering its shortcomings. Im personally looking forward to the next batchs of Canon cameras in 2004 to add another one to my collection.
On: 2004-01-05
I bought 2 of these cameras for my daughters. One camera failed about an hour after being opened on Christmas Day, with the dreaded "SYSTEM ERROR" display (this means that the internal software is corrupted). We were on vacation and I had my guarantee, but without the original receipt (which I hadnt brought) this isnt accepted by the service department and is effectively useless on its own. In any event, with this type of failure I was advised that it had to be returned to the factory.The second one is still working(!), but has been disappointing in terms of quality. Obviously compromises have to be made to achieve the small size, but the lens quality is abysmal. Zoom-less cameras still perform - but only if the fixed lens is of sufficient quality to allow cropping to take place. Not the case here. In terms of build quality, the battery cover pops open when you dont want it to, and it is too easy to hit the on-off switch when wanting to take a picture. In addition, the strap hook is tiny and is next to impossible to get a cord through. Makes the "wearable" tag difficult to achieve. As an additional point, with the "surviving" camera, the official Casio leather case I purchased came apart within a day. The lack of any form of additional memory is astonishing. There is 10 mbs of built-in memory, but its only accessible via the USB link and you lose anything on it if you get the "SYSTEM ERROR" above. It also only holds 3 or 4 pictures at the highest quality level. At least using the additional card I purchased I managed to get the pictures my daughter had already taken before the camera failed completely. Overall, the "size" and "wow" factors are hopelessly outweighed by the lack of actual picture taking ability of this camera.
On: 2004-01-01
I have had this camera for six months. I have taken thousands of pictures. Most of these I have been very happy showing to others. The little palm size camera is great for traveling and taking point and shoot pictures. The digital zoom lacks resolution but is fine with natural sunlight or flash. If you want natural lighting pictures - opt for something with a better lens and optics. I use the camera for my youth activies I direct. It makes great PowerPoint photos. It does not compete with my SLR film camera or Minolta, but is great to have in the shirt pocket for its readiness.My Sony Mavica has more versatility in different light situations but is bulky. I like the Exilim for all the things I bought it to do. Buy with confidence.
On: 2003-12-30
I have had this camera for about 6 months and its great. The camera is very easy to use, everything is automatic (so you dont have to waste time adjusting settings) and best of all it takes little to no time to turn the camera on and take a picture (some digi-cams take ages to turn on).The camera has many advanced features as well such as being able to select the enivronment in which you are taking a picutre (e.g. night shots, fireworks, close up pictures). The camera spans the range between novice camera user and a user who desires more sophisticated touches. Overall the size, portability and ease of downloading pictures and recharging makes it a great buy. (This is my 2nd casio camera after giving my dad my first one after he saw it)
On: 2003-12-29
This camera is my first camera and I certainly had high expectations and the EX-S3 didnt let me down. Its size is amazing, making it portable and easy to take candid shots. Plus, its makes taking snapshots a whole lot easier. The only thing its really missing is an optical zoom. That was the biggest setback, but all of its other features make up for it. Suprisingly, the pictures using the digital zoom are not that bad quality compared to the photos of other cameras using a digital zoom.
A few other things that would be nice would be if it charged quicker, had sound in its 30 second videos, and a place attach the camera to a tripod.
Nevertheless, this camera is truly worth the $350. Just remeber to be aware if the cameras in your pockets because you could easily forget its there and sit on it!
On: 2003-12-19
great camera, the best feature that I found out about this camera which set it way above other 3MP digital camera is the Night Portrait Flash mode, it makes your night photos almost perfect
On: 2003-12-19
This camera has an incredible size and is very easy to use. Having the quick usb docking station with rechargable battery is definitely a plus. The color on the photographs is slightly washed out, in my opinion, and leans a bit too far toward the blue/grey color scheme. However, this cannot outway its portability, slick look, and otherwise positive features. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a very compact, attractive digital camera.
On: 2003-12-16
I think this is the best camera Ive ever had. It has almost everything. It takes excellent pictures. It is very very easy to use. The 4X zoom is powerful enough. This is the perfect camera for the traveler or user that needs something convenient. You can carry it ANYWHERE.
I am not giving 5 stars because it has two slight defects:
1. Lack of "hole" to screw a tripod. Eventhough it has a selftimer from 2 to 10 seconds, you wont be able to use it very much because there is no way to screw a tripod.
2. Dont use it in the back pocket of your jeans (as shown in the ad), the screen may break easily and a new one costs 100 bucks.
If you can live without this, BUY IT, you wont regret.
Enrique Sevilla
MEXICO
On: 2003-12-01
GOOD NEWS for backpackers I didnt believe this camera would be able to capture the quality I wanted in a 4 oz package... Boy was I wrong--I carried this camera in my shorts pockets on more than 3000 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail for two years and the camera did wonderfully!
HITCH NUMBER ONE You can ship spare batteries to yourself but the INTERNAL (not the removable one) battery goes dead in about a month and the camera shuts down even with a fresh rechargeable inserted (which means you have to ship the charger to yourself every three weeks).
HITCH NUMBER TWO After two years the on-off switch went bad and Casios repair folks wanted more than $150 to fix it. Typical Casio-great on innovation and invention, short of marketing and long term support. --Keith Drury
by: Anonymous On: 2003-11-07
The Exilim is the best toy Ive every bought myself. No other digital camera is slim and light enough to be carried in your pocket without even being noticed. On the other hand,the display (2")is the largest of any digital camera - making it handy for displaying pictures without even needing to print them. Highly recommended.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-11-04
I carry this little camera everyday. Its my new best friend. It fits so easily in a handbag or jacket pocket. Photos come out sharp, clear, and pick up incredible detail. From the top of the Empire State Building, I could read Macys in the photo!
Uploading pictures is a snap, viewing them as a slideshow as your screensaver is a treat.
On: 2003-10-22
I have one of the earlier models of this camera and I love it. It is so thin and easy to work. It is great for the recreational photographer. My family loves it so much that 5 of them have also purchased it.
On: 2003-10-15
Before I bought this camera I never took pictures. Now I take photos all the time. The camera is so small I keep it in my pocket all the time. I read some of the other reviews where the picture quality is criticized but I and my friends have been suprised how good the photos look. When I first showed this camera to people they thought it incredibly cool and at least 3 of my friends also bought it. The cradle the camera comes with makes it easy to transfer photos to your computer. I love this camera.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-09-27
This is my third digital camera, and is far yet the best one. If you were ever thinking of buying one just think of this senerio. "No honey you bring the camera. Im not gonna bring the camera its to big" Well needless to say you will never have this conversation again when you buy this camera. It takes great pictures and great 30 sec movies. Go out and buy a 256mb SD card and youll have enough memory for at least 40/ 30 sec clips. I can not say enough about this camera. I have a MAC and when these two connect its like an apple on an apple tree.
On: 2003-09-26
pros:
- amazingly small and light - truly pocketable at 3.5 x 2.2 x 0.5 inches, weighing in at 2.5 oz!
- all-metal body.
- 3MP resolution.
- full 2" LCD.
- fast startup.
- virtually no shutter lag since lens has fixed focal length.
- fast shot to shot times.
- allows a surprising amount of control, including manual white balance
- plenty of preprogrammed scene modes.
- handy dock for photo transfer / battery charging.cons:
- no optical zoom.
- mediocre picture quality - lots of noise, plus some blurriness and vignetting.
- high redeye occurrence.
- no macro mode.
- RAW and TIFF formats not supported.
- the LCD is a full 2", but is low resolution.
- no tripod mount.
- longest shutter setting is 1/4 second - with no tripod mount, it didnt make sense to have longer shutter settings.
- average movie mode.
- 10MB of on-board memory is definitely not enough - add $$ to your budget for more memory.
- so-so battery life.
- proprietary battery - again, a few more bucks for a spare.
- body easily scratched.
- manual is on CD. im very impressed with this camera because of the engineering that went into this miniaturization marvel. but the small size forces the user to accept mediocre picture quality. in the end, portability is only half the story. if you end up not being happy with the pictures you take because of poor quality, then the camera has failed in its mission. if you can find room in your pocket for a camera that will be half an inch thicker and weigh 2 to 3 ounces more, i would recommend the pentax optio S, casios ex-z3, or canons sd100. these options will deliver much better pictures and have optical zoom. i hope this helps you with your buying decision. peace.
On: 2003-09-20
Pros:
Smallest high-res camera on the market
Great USB cradle for simple transfer of pictures
Takes nice close-up photos in good lighting
Crowd pleaser - sure to elicit oohs and ahhs, if that is what you are seeking
Very fast power up - turn it on and start shooting
Pretty good battery life
Nice 2" LCD
Very convienentCons:
Lenses could be better for the price
Lack of controls (may be a plus for the beginner)
Battery takes longer than average to charge
Could be easy to lose from pocket Conclusion - there are many better quality 3 megapixel cameras at this price level, but you are paying for the size. If you are less concerned about absolute picture quality and want something that you might enjoy taking with you for a night on the town, this just may be your camera.
On: 2003-09-07
Ladies and gentlemen:I have owned numerous digital cameras. One brand broke after 6 months. Another stopped being able to focus. Another took [bad] photos. One was too big. One only took 15 pictures on a set of batteries... In my eternal quest to find "the" digital camera, I purchased this one. WOW! I had been looking originally for a 4 MP camera, but settled for this 3.2 MP camera because of the features. I was NOT disappointed! This baby is SMALL! Really small! Yet, it has a large picture preview screen! It has a flash. It has a rechargeable battery. It takes LOTS of pictures on a charge. It makes AVI files! The photos are of good quality! It links with Windows XP without having to install any software. It kicks ...! Get this one!
by: Anonymous On: 2003-08-11
This camera is so small and so easy to use. Great features and unbelievable quality!!
by: Anonymous On: 2003-06-26
I cant get over all of the fun and useful features packed into this tiny camera...seriously, it weighs 2.5 ounces! Before I bought the Casio Exilim , I had a bulky and basic 2mp Kodak EasyShare Camera. My Kodak took nice pictures, but didnt offer much more. And it was way too big to tuck into my purse. The Casio can fit in my smallest evening bag & has tons of extras, like sepia and black and white pix, the ability to take two pictures and merge them into one, take short video clip with audio and the list goes on! If only it had optical zoom....but with all the other features this camera has, it is great anyway!!!
by: Anonymous On: 2003-06-25
I would never take pics if this camera wasnt so small and light. Easy downloads, and takes fabulous pics on high definition. Im less pleased with pics on Medium or Low definition. They come out blurry and grainy -- moreso than other cameras. Also, because its so light, you have to be extremely careful not to move when taking pics -- tons of them come out blurred, even when the viewer doesnt show it. It also has trouble figuring out what to focus on. If theres depth (e.g., people closer & farther away that you want focus on), it always seems to choose the wrong level of focus. And, no matter what I try, red eye is terrible. Since its so tiny and thus unstable when resting on its side, it takes quite a bit of maneuvering to use the self-timer.On the plus side, when you get a clear photo they are amazing. I get clarity at poster size. Its easy to use & figure out, even for less technologically advanced users. The software is nice, the dock works without effort, and it is just so tiny that I take more photos than I otherwise would. That, in and of itself, makes the other issues worthwhile.
On: 2003-06-14
when I first bought the camera, I didnt know anything about digital or optical zooming. casio has a digital zoom feature, but it produces grainy and very bad pictures. i stopped using this feature.but, the good thing is that its very compact and you can just buy a cord, hang it on your neck, and place it on your breast pocket. its for tourists. it has a big lcd display. it produces good pictures when its bright. basically, its a good camera, except for the digital zoom, and sometimes, pictures become grainy because it adjust the ISO settings automatically. but you manually set it anyway.
 On: 2003-06-13
1) when you know its going to be special and you have your camera with you
2) when it happens on the spot and you dont!I bought this camera because my nikon coolpix 880, while it takes great pictures, is too bulky for me to carry everywhere. The ZX-S3 is smaller than my wallet and fits comfortably in the back pocket of my jeans. It is definitely "wearable", as Casio calls it. HOWEVER it takes terrible photos, and my assessment is that their 3.2M pixel rating is a bald-faced lie. Not having optical zoom in a camera of this size is to be expected, but I figured that the high resoltion would make up for it because I could zoom and crop later. WRONG. Take a photo with the ZX-S3, open it in photoshop, and set zoom to 100% (i.e. 1 screen pixel per file pixel). It is PIXELATED (about 4:1) AT 1:1 ZOOM!! The image is not merely bad, but terrible. Even when just viewing them on-screen the quality is unacceptable. The image was SO bad using the cameras default settings that I was sure Id done something wrong, so I spent some more time fiddling with it to see if there were any tweaks I should make. It was already at max resolution - I tried changing the quality from "normal" to "fine" but it made no difference. Im willing to compromise on picture quality to get a smaller camera, but not this much!! Im going to return it tomorrow and order a Canon S400 instead. A friend of mine has one of their older elph models, and while not quite as tiny as the casio, it takes great pics.
On: 2003-06-05
This camera is the best I have ever seen and owned. It does record sound with the video clips and the quickness that it stores the pics and video is very impressive. I had a Nikon 775 Coolpix and thought that was good till I bought this. THe size of the camera is incredible. It is tiny. I love it. You can crop and resize images on the camera. I bought a 256MB SD Card and now can record up to 65 30-second video clips with sound. This camera is the BEST!
On: 2003-05-20
...though it has no audio playback on the camera, the clips have audio once downloaded to your computer. The review above incorrectly states that there is no sound.Best camera that you will always have with you because it is so small and shoots quickly.
On: 2003-05-08
I was the owner of an EX-S2 and upgraded to the new EX-S3. This camera is simply the easiest digital camera to use for the non-professional photographer. Sure you other cameras out there can take better pictures, but for those of use who arent Ansel Adams this is the one you want to buy. The 3.2MP quality is more than enough for the portrait shots and candid shots we all love to take. No mess with disposable cameras, developing, etc. Simply point and click and capture that special moment. I personally wanted a camera that I could carry with me everywhere without bulky attachments, or cases, something you could keep in your pocket or in briefcase or glovebox for instant pictures. Life is fun, share your spontaneous moments! The SD card is a great plus, its durable case is lightweight (Less heavy than the EX-S3 which seems sturdier) but still durable. The LCD screen is lighter too, now made with high-impact plastic instead of glass. Battery life is great and recharging/downloading is a snap! The coupling shot works great and with a 256MB card, you can store over 2100 pictures in Economy mode or 200 in Fine Large Format mode. I highly recommend!
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