Casio Exilim EX-V7SR 7.2MP Digital Camera with 7x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
By: Casio Average Rating: 3.0 Total Reviews: 45
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 On: 2008-06-01
Same problem. Great pictures and features, but it up and died in Bangkok for no good reason. Too many of us have had the same problem. Also the case Amazon suggests doesnt fit.
 On: 2008-05-08
i have had 0 major problems so far, ive been using the EX-V7 for about 10 months now. it has come with my on 2 trips to Las Vegas, 1 trip to the Everglades, and many other excursions. i find the camera dependable and the images are generally sharp. 7x zoom pictures may lose sharpness, but are generally acceptable. i did not buy my Casio from amazon or their vendor.
i am shocked to hear so many people having technical difficulties with this camera.
 On: 2008-05-01
We are on our second camera. The first one we bought right before we left on vacation. The camera broke at Grand Canyon National Park. Screen just went blank. Luckily we were traveling with friends who took pictures for us. We returned the camera at the end of our vacation and were given a new camera. One year later, with many good pictures during that year, we are again on vacation. Great Smokey Mountain national park this time. And the same thing happens. This time no friends to take pictures. Still going through the process of getting it fixed. This camera is not dependable. I would not recommend it!
 On: 2008-04-27
Great camera for the price - good zoom and picture quality
The only fault I have is that the usb connection and charging connecton is though a dock (small) a little bit more cumbersome than just plugging directly into the camera if you do a lot of travelling
On: 2008-01-18
after i clicked "buy now" I read the reviews and hoped for the best.
Opened up my brand new camera and it said "image stabilization not available" and powerd down. Thats all my new camera would ever do, just like some of the reviews said. Returned it b4 xmas. Not a one star review, I just didnt know how to leave 0.
On: 2008-01-08
Wow, 7x optical zoom, 7MP, on sale for $169 on a Boxing day deal down from $349 regular. Whats not to love, right?
Well, after about 3 days of regular use, I was presented with the Stabilizer Not Available message and it would not even turn on. I would recommend NO ONE EVER BUY A CASIO CAMERA. Based on the reviews on amazon and elsewhere, I dont know how a company like CASIO can get away with releasing a paperweight and calling it a camera. I wouldnt by another one if it were 20 cents. I hope people from Casio read this review and are ashamed to show their faces in public. Im giving this one star because it is the lowest rating you are allowed and still have a review.
Buy one if you want a new hockey puck and have $200 lying around.
On: 2008-01-07
Wow, 7x optical zoom, 7MP, on sale for $169 on a Boxing day deal down from $349 regular. Whats not to love, right?
Well, after about 3 days of regular use, I was presented with the Stabilizer Not Available message and it would not even turn on. I would recommend NO ONE EVER BUY A CASIO CAMERA. Based on the reviews on amazon and elsewhere, I dont know how a company like CASIO can get away with releasing a paperweight and calling it a camera. I wouldnt by another one if it were 20 cents. I hope people from Casio read this review and are ashamed to show their faces in public. Im giving this one star because it is the lowest rating you are allowed and still have a review.
Buy one if you want a new hockey puck and have $200 lying around.
On: 2008-01-02
Had for a little over a month. Camera broke on trip to Costa Rica. Not at all durable. Met someone with same broken camera. Buy at your own risk.
On: 2008-01-01
Had for a little over a month. Camera broke on trip to Costa Rica. Not at all durable. Met someone with same broken camera. Buy at your own risk.
On: 2007-12-29
I got this for my daughter, who has figured out all the different ways it can be used (and shown most of them to me). Its really a gem. The only downside (a small one) is that the camera cannot be directly connected (by USB cable) to your computer. You have to place the camera in its charging/USB cradle, and connect the cradle to your computer.
PS The battery life is phenomenal.
On: 2007-12-02
I was reading the reviews and had to add mine. I got this camera back in april and have had nothen but good luck with it. Mine is the Ex-V7, this is my 3rd digital camera, the last being a Kodak, that went to the bottem of Lake Erie, and still worked after 3 days of drying out.. The Kodak died when I droped it in the mosh pit of a Hank 3 show. So Im a bit rough on my cameras. Also Im a point and shoot person, I dont mess around with alot of the extras. When I bought it, I also got the Casio case that you can put on your belt, it snaps itself shut and is great too.. I took this to the racetrack, shot concert video with it all summer, had it out on the boat, and used it outside alot. Took 1000s of pics, hours of video and love this camera.. Im no expert, and I think I might have got one of the first ones(it is just a Ex-V7) but I love this thing.. Its easy to use, love the zoom(the reason it was bought) really theres nothen about this I dont like.. It hasnt been dropped yet, which always seems to happen. I friend turned me on to Casio, after having a older model for a few years and working great.. Now that Im learn about all this camera can do, I like it even more...
On: 2007-11-13
Excellent camera, small and portable. Only two minor problems: The autofocus aid light remains always on, and the wrist strap is way too short. This leads to put your finger on the lens, or not using the strap at all.
The lens cover is perfect to protect the camera!
On: 2007-10-22
I thought this was going to be the "end all be all" of pocket cameras. Long battery life. Decent photo quality. Super fast shutter lag. And a SEVEN times zoom that also works with video (not to mention having wide screen format for video).
However, after only a month, a slight bump rendered the camera worthless. Whenever I power on I get a "Camera Stablizer not available" message. You cannot override or bypass this error (who cares if I cant use the stabilizer while taking pics in direct sunlight?!). I cant believe you cant bypass this.
I was in another state for a wedding when this happened and was simply SOL for a camera.
Boo to you Casio for this huge design flaw on your part. How can you make a pocket camera so unbelievably fragile? Judging from forums and reviews across the web, this problem plagues a LOT of EX-V7 owners.
DONT BUY THIS CAMERA.
On: 2007-10-18
I bought two of these cameras for my daughters less than a month ago. Now, after less than 100 pictures taken on each, BOTH camaeras exhibit the "camera stabilizer not available" error. So far, Casio customer support has been less than stellar. I am returning both cameras for "repair". Take my advice and look elsewhere. This camera has a major flaw, as evidenced by all the similar problems in these Amazon reviews.
On: 2007-10-15
I do like this camera a lot. It takes great photos, the flash charges quickly and the battery lasts a long time.
The only thing I dont like is that if the light is low a lot of "dots" show up in the photo?
I would recommend this camera
On: 2007-10-13
My camera stopped working after three weeks of light use and mabbe 200 photos. An error message "camera stabilization not available " pooped up and that was the end of this camera. Customer service was no help. Returning the camera to the manufacturer was a waste of effort. It came back in the same condition. Casio camera is a rip off. Take my advice and try another manufactures camera.
On: 2007-10-11
The Casio Exilim I received was broken upon delivery. I was unable to take a single picture and as I had purchased it to take on a cruise and paid extra to have it mailed in two days, it was a complete disaster.
To add to the difficulty, when we called the company to return it, they said there would be a 20% restocking fee.
Needless to say, as a person who purchases many items from Amazon, I was terribly disappointed in the purchase and the poor customer service by Expo Electronics. a company that Amazon utilizes as a vendor.
On: 2007-10-10
I purchased this camera when it initially was offered and loved the 7x optical as well as the stereo widescreen movie mode. I loved it so much I bought my daughter the same one as well a few months later.
Well after 6 months of casual use I recieve the "Camera Stabilizer is not available" error message. The camera is dead after that. Calling customer center was a good experience; I returned the camera (at my expense) and they returned the camera with a service report indicating there were scratches on the camera (there were none) and that the lense assembly was replaced. Also the warranty would only be honored for 90 days. The turnaround time was very good - I think 2 weeks total.
Well, next trip I took with the camera I took about 100 shots and now have the same error message. To boot, my daughters camera now has the same error message. So now I have two to return.
This camera is very independable and I have been sickened by the fantastic pics I have missed when this thing decides to quit.
I take very good care of this camera - ensuring it is always in its case and it has never been dropped or mishandled.
STAY AWAY FROM THIS CAMERA!!
On: 2007-10-09
I purchased this camera when it initially was offered and loved the 7x optical as well as the stereo widescreen movie mode. I loved it so much I bought my daughter the same one as well a few months later.
Well after 6 months of casual use I recieve the "Camera Stabilizer is not available" error message. The camera is dead after that. Calling customer center was a good experience; I returned the camera (at my expense) and they returned the camera with a service report indicating there were scratches on the camera (there were none) and that the lense assembly was replaced. Also the warranty would only be honored for 90 days. The turnaround time was very good - I think 2 weeks total.
Well, next trip I took with the camera I took about 100 shots and now have the same error message. To boot, my daughters camera now has the same error message. So now I have two to return.
This camera is very independable and I have been sickened by the fantastic pics I have missed when this thing decides to quit.
I take very good care of this camera - ensuring it is always in its case and it has never been dropped or mishandled.
STAY AWAY FROM THIS CAMERA!!
On: 2007-09-14
I was almost prepared to give a 5 star rating for this camera owing its size and zooming capacity. Within a month of using this camera, I started getting this message "Camera stabilizer is not available", which completely halts the camera operation. Intially, after switching it off and on for some time, I could make it work. But not any more. I called Casio camera repair center and they asked me to mail it to their repair center in Dover, NJ. On my insistence that the similar problem is encountered by other customers too (I cited amazon reviews), they obliged me with prepaid shipping, although, I still paid for the insurance (they normally recommend). Further, being too optimistic, I asked the customer care representative if they would replace it with a brand new camera. They said that only if the problem recurs will they will get into that part of the business. So one star for covering my shipping fee. Another one for high zoom, average picture quality and small size of camera. The camera price has plummeted phenomenonally from $400 (the price at which I purchased this camera from best buy) to $200 something. This normally does not happen to Canon cameras. I chose Casio over Canon because Casio could manage to reduce canon high zoom size. The sad part is, all this, at the cost of picture quality. And, there is where you loose the essence of a camera. I DO NOT RECOMMEND BUYING THIS CAMERA. If Casio team can come up with a variation of the same product with high picture quality and uninterrupted functioning, that would be the one of its kind.
On: 2007-09-13
Few Days after purchase it developed malfunction. After turning on it displays a message and screen shuts off.
Do not buy this camera
On: 2007-09-05
I bought this 6 weeks ago from bestbuy for 300. I am having the same problem as many other are having. It worked ok for 4 weeks. After that it started saying "camera stabilizer not available".
Having said that, when it worked image quality was ok but video quality was horrible. May be I need to change some settings but out of the box video is horrible.
I have used other casio cameras which were pretty good but this is one poor camera.
 On: 2007-08-27
The camera is not working from the moment i open the box.
Appear a problems that sai (camera stabilizer is not available).
so i had to send the camera to a tecnical support
On: 2007-08-19
The camera is quite powerful when play with the menu settings. Quality of the camera is very good. I would give more than three stars if price was near $200.
Pros: Battery life very good, the 7x zoom very nice, plenty of options but need to play with them to perfect pictures you take. Especially cool is the feature to have a light while making a video.
Cons: the charger is external and quite cumbersome. Hope Casio will make it internal for their next model. Have to be careful with your left hand fingers when taking pictures to not get them in the lens area.
Would recommend the camera especially once price drops to less than $200.
On: 2007-08-14
Upon receipt of my new camera, trying to set it up it failed. After calling Casio after many calls, they said it was faulty and to send it to The Time Machine in Montrose, Ca. for repair, which I did at my expense of $7.63 certified mail. After 5 days, I called Time Machine and they said it was a faulty lens part and they were waiting on the part which would be about another week. The young lady at Time Machine was very friendly and helpful. The people I talked to at Casio were not friendly and kind of gave me the run-around. I received my camera on Julu 25th and still havent taken a picture. I am going on vacation the first part of September and wanted to get used to the camera since this is my first digital camera befoe vacation. I am very disatified. Bernie Boyer
On: 2007-08-10
I purchased this as a gift for my sons 13th. birthday. He has shown some interest in doing simple video projects. It was also time to upgrade him from my very old 2MB Kodak hand me down camera. I wanted an inexpensive camera/camcorder that would be simple to use. It was particularly important that it be easy to import the videos and photos into his laptop. I did not want my son to have to deal with the complexity of DVD or DV tape solutions. The EX-V7 generally meets these criteria.
I am rather disappointed in the low build quality of the camera. It is made of cheap plastic that looks like it will break rather easily. The access door to the battery and SD card is so poorly constructed that I will instruct my son to not open it unless absolutely necessary. He will have to transfer his images via the docking stations USB connector. The plastic sliding door which uncovers the lens and activates the camera also seems very flimsy.
Still photos are surprisingly good. Not Canon good, but certainly more than passable and much better than that with a Sanyo Xacti C6. Video, on the other hand, has a rather washed out look and is not a good as with the Sanyo. It is much worse than the Sanyo HD1 / HD2. What is particularly disappointing is the compression ratios produced by Casios implementation of H.264 are much worse than the supposedly inferior non-H.264 compression provided by Sanyos cameras. The highest quality video setting on the EX-V7 produces images that are much smaller and much less sharp than the Sanyo HD1 / HD2 but consumes about the same amount of memory. Low light video performance is much worse than that of the HD1 and is no where close to that of the HD2.
This may be OK for a 13 year old, but I would never consider buying one for myself.
On: 2007-08-10
Update:
Our second camera has failed with the "camera stabilization not available" problem that so many other users have reported. We have only shot a handful of photos between the two cameras. This camera is stunningly badly made or designed. If you buy one, you can be all but sure that yours will fail too.
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I purchased this as a gift for my sons 13th. birthday. He has shown some interest in doing simple video projects. It was also time to upgrade him from my very old 2MB Kodak hand me down camera. I wanted an inexpensive camera/camcorder that would be simple to use. It was particularly important that it be easy to import the videos and photos into his laptop. I did not want my son to have to deal with the complexity of DVD or DV tape solutions. The EX-V7 generally meets these criteria.
I am rather disappointed in the low build quality of the camera. It is made of cheap plastic that looks like it will break rather easily. The access door to the battery and SD card is so poorly constructed that I will instruct my son to not open it unless absolutely necessary. He will have to transfer his images via the docking stations USB connector. The plastic sliding door which uncovers the lens and activates the camera also seems very flimsy.
Still photos are surprisingly good. Not Canon good, but certainly more than passable and much better than that with a Sanyo Xacti C6. Video, on the other hand, has a rather washed out look and is not a good as with the Sanyo. It is much worse than the Sanyo HD1 / HD2. What is particularly disappointing is the compression ratios produced by Casios implementation of H.264 are much worse than the supposedly inferior non-H.264 compression provided by Sanyos cameras. The highest quality video setting on the EX-V7 produces images that are much smaller and much less sharp than the Sanyo HD1 / HD2 but consumes about the same amount of memory. Low light video performance is much worse than that of the HD1 and is no where close to that of the HD2.
This may be OK for a 13 year old, but I would never consider buying one for myself.
On: 2007-08-02
I absolutely loved my Casio Exilim EX-Z750 camera for both its photo and video quality. All the hype around the EX-V7 had me believe I could get a camera I would love even more. How dissapointed I am!
Maybe there are many defective cameras out there and mine is one of them because photo image quality is well below average and video quality is unbelievably bad.
I am so sorry for selling my EX-Z750. I have purchased a used EX-Z750 (yes, even a used EX-Z750 is better than a new EX-V7)and am getting rid of this EX-V7 as soon as possible. I will only miss the brightness of the screen.
On: 2007-07-26
It took a little bit to figure out the features of this camera but once that was done, we have been able to take some extraordinary pictures. Love the ease of the camera when using it.
This camera was bought specifically for the 7X optical and it does a good job.
On: 2007-07-20
A little thick and heavy for a pocket digicam but the 7x zoom was nice though I needed to brace against something to keep pics from blurring. Ultimatly the newest quicktime video format it used just wasnt compatable with windows 98 so I had to return it.
On: 2007-07-14
Small enough to keep handy and takes generally first-rate pictures. 7X zoom greatly enhances use. SD card enables easy uploading to computer. Macro setting lets camera serve as scanner / note taker. Recorder mode can capture lectures. Large screen good for sharing pictures or slide shows while built-in software permits cropping, resizing and other edits. Amazing battery life. Internal lens and front slide protects lens. Starts up quickly.
Areas for improvement: pictures taken in low light or at high magnification can be blurred. A well-designed, inexpensive case would help portability.
On: 2007-07-02
With its new 7x zoom in both video mode and photo mode you can throw away your old video camera. This is all you need. I had the previous version of this Exilim and loved it. This is the newer version with extra features and smaller with slightly smaller screen (so what). But a large screen is easier to break when you think about "man-handling" it.
OK, lets see I tried it and love it. I like the new 7x zoom. Lets face it, those 3x zooms on digital cameras are virtually useless anyhow. This has a real zoom that does not pop and extend out; which is great. It can zoom while youre shooting videos. The videos are great and I like the new wide screen mode for you HDTV format screens.
I like the new anti-shake mode too.
Its easy to learn. Some people dont like having to use the cradle it sits in when you upload pictures; but listen, its charging the batteries while its uploading - no need to pull out a charger and plug it in to another outlet. It has a nice little button on that cradle; plug in the video cable to a TV and it plays back with fades and, get this, music for a quick TV show before you upload the pictures and videos on your computer and edit your movie later with video editing software like Adobe Premier or the baby free "Lead" video editing software included.
On: 2007-07-01
With its new 7x zoom in both video mode and photo mode you can throw away your old video camera. This is all you need. I had the previous version of this Exilim and loved it. This is the newer version with extra features and smaller with slightly smaller screen (so what). But a large screen is easier to break when you think about "man-handling" the camera.
OK, lets see I tried it and love it. I like the new 7x zoom. Lets face it, those 3x zooms on digital cameras are virtually useless anyhow. This has a real zoom that the lens does not pop out; which is great. It can zoom while youre shooting videos. The videos are great and I like the new wide screen mode for you HDTV format screens. I like the wide screen mode for any TV because it is better resolution.
I like the new anti-shake mode too.
Its easy to learn. Some people dont like having to use the cradle the camera sits in when you upload pictures; but listen, its charging the batteries while its uploading at the same time- no need to pull out a charger and plug it in to another outlet. It also has a nice little button on that cradle; plug in the video cable to a TV and it plays back with fades and, get this with music for a quick TV show before you upload the pictures and videos on your computer and edit your movie later with video editing software like Adobe Premier or the baby free "Lead" video editing software included.
OK how about video editing. OK with the new wide screen video mode at the higher resolution (.MOV Quick Time file) it will eat up more memory on you chip than using the LP mode. With the regular LP mode it makes a .AVI video file. Thats good for using your Premier Elements 2.0 family version video editing software for faster imports. Now if you shoot in the wide screen mode it then makes a .MOV video file which means your Premier Elements 2.0 family version video editing software software will take a longer time to import the MOV file in. Thats OK, be patient. Its worth the time for a great higher resolution video with wide screen. So cool. Will fit nice if you have a wide screen HDTV.
Here is a tip about shooting and importing the .mov video files. If you decide to shoot in wide screen higher resolution mode (fine), then bring the video files one at a time. Yes bring only one .mov video file into your video editing software (at a time) and let it take more time to bring it it. Then render it save your project (in the video editing software) and then bring in another.MOV video file.
You can bring in several video files if you shoot your video in LP Mode, because it makes a slight lower, but acceptable, resolution .AVI video file.
But this camera and you will love it.
On: 2007-06-29
2 cameras in 3 months. A stabilizer error appeared in both instances. Now, it looks as if I cant get my money back and Im stuck with an unreliable camera. If you like calling 800 numbers to check the status of your repair, this is the camera for you.
On: 2007-06-28
I bought this camera for my Daughter. In college she took a photography class. She wanted a camera (digital) that she could manually control. She is very happy with this camera.
On: 2007-06-27
Having owned a Casio "credit card" cam for the last 3 years, I decided to upgrade. The old camera was only 2.0 mpxl, and was kind of beat up. But I liked the Casio menues, and its size. This camera is bigger, yes, but it has several features that I needed:
A lens that does not protrude out from the body. Still zooms, but stays out of the way.
The ability to shoot uninterupted video.
A large, bright LCD viewfinder.
I would still like a thinner camera (this one is too big to wear on a laniard around ones neck), but it is really a solid camera and takes great shots. Ill just keep it in my pocket.
On: 2007-06-11
As a satisfied owner of an Exilim M1 camera that has performed great for years, I felt it was finally time to upgrade my point-and-shoot to something with a higher resolution.
Horrible, Horrible redeye. Like 2 glowing stopsigns on the front of everyones face. I tried setting the flash to Auto, Redeye Reduction, and even going into the manual settings and turning the flash intensity to negative 2. Nothing made the slightest inkling of difference. I tried taking test shots side by side with my M1 and also a Cannon Powershot a520 ($175 camera). The M1 had no redeye, the a520 had to zoom in to maximum on the LCD to see the slightest tinge of maroon, and the EX-V7SR displayed its bright glowing red eyes in every shot, even shots where the subject wasnt looking directly at the camera. I sent it back thinking there must have been something wrong with the flash intensity in my camera, because if this problem happened to everyone I cant imagine anyone keeping it.
The redeye problem simply made this camera unusable indoors, to bad too, as I liked the scene modes, the size, the self contained lens, the huge lcd, I loved the 16:9 movie mode, and I loved how easy it was to play a professional looking slide show on my HDTV.
On: 2007-06-09
I have had several of the Exilim cameras and this latest version is a lower resolution but has some advantages that outweigh the lower res. It has no lens that protrudes from the body of the camera which makes it a perfect camera to always have around. As a professional Photographer Im always aware that the occasional shots I see when I dont have my equipment with me are missed, ever since Ive carried an Exilim with me thats less likely to happen. No its not as good as my more expensive gear, but its much more portable and always with me.
On: 2007-06-03
Returned mine right away!
Older models seem to be much better!
Either get an older model or wait for a new model to come out!
On: 2007-05-13
This is the best Casio camera I have had so far. It is very easy to use. The pictures are outstanding. The videos are just as good as a camcorder. The ability to zoom while taking a video is very convenient. Image stabilization worked well for me. I took some 1500 pictures on a recent trip and I am pleased with what I got. I used a two 2 gig high speed (150x) cards. I took one picture of two row boats tied up in the shadows of a tree lined pond and they came out just like they were in day light. Amazing! The order/delivery process was great.
On: 2007-05-07
I bought this camera a few weeks ago and have visited a bit around Europe to test it out. This camera is even worse than the most critical review I have read. If I could I would return it, but its too late. Im stuck with a camera that takes poor photos. And this wasnt a cheap camera.
Here are the problems with it:
-Anti-shake reduction works very poorly (compared to Sony T-series). Even moderate, normal hand shaking resulted in blurred photos despite the anti-shake reduction mode.
-Colors are TERRIBLE. They are too dark on auto settings, but when I increase the EV, the colors are poor/washed out. Again, I have been taking photos side-by-side with a Sony T-10, and the color difference is amazing (poor on the Casio).
-Menu navigation is TERRIBLE. It can take a long time to change basic things such as ISO, Macro, timer, etc. Basically the auto mode only lets you adjust the flash mode (which is at least user-friendly).
-The manual modes are ok, but hardly intuitive to even a relatively experienced user (used to the auto settings in any case).
-Annoying camera cradle. The camera docking station/voltage converter is the size of two or three rechargers. And it really doesnt offer any real advantages.
Pros (not that many):
-7 power zoom works great.... but how necessary is it?
-SD card. A stupid point, but one of my complaints about the generally excellent Sony cameras is their memory sticks (when I have only SDs).
-Nice, white light that can be used for indoor shoots and the camera.
-Great size, especially considering the 7X zoom.
In sum, despite some nice features and possibilities, the poor photo quality makes this camera a terrible buy. I give this product one of the lowest Amazon ratings I have ever given.
On: 2007-05-06
I bought this camera a few weeks ago and have visited a bit around Europe to test it out. This camera is even worse than the most critical review I have read. If I could I would return it, but its too late. Im stuck with a camera that takes poor photos. And this wasnt a cheap camera.
Here are the problems with it:
-Anti-shake reduction works very poorly (compared to Sony T-series). Even moderate, normal hand shaking resulted in blurred photos despite the anti-shake reduction mode.
-Colors are TERRIBLE. They are too dark on auto settings, but when I increase the EV, the colors are poor/washed out. Again, I have been taking photos side-by-side with a Sony T-10, and the color difference is amazing (poor on the Casio).
-Menu navigation is TERRIBLE. It can take a long time to change basic things such as ISO, Macro, timer, etc. Basically the auto mode only lets you adjust the flash mode (which is at least user-friendly).
-The manual modes are ok, but hardly intuitive to even a relatively experienced user (used to the auto settings in any case).
-Annoying camera cradle. The camera docking station/voltage converter is the size of two or three rechargers. And it really doesnt offer any real advantages.
Pros (not that many):
-7 power zoom works great.... but how necessary is it?
-SD card. A stupid point, but one of my complaints about the generally excellent Sony cameras is their memory sticks (when I have only SDs).
-Nice, white light that can be used for indoor shoots and the camera.
-Great size, especially considering the 7X zoom.
In sum, despite some nice features and possibilities, the poor photo quality makes this camera a terrible buy. I give this product one of the lowest Amazon ratings I have ever given.
On: 2007-05-03
Having owned other Casio cameras in the past, and having been happy with all of them, I jumped on this camera. Picture quality was very good and I liked the fact this camera allowed a date imprint. I was particulary interested in using the stepless zoom. I figured this would be a great video camera in addition to a great still camera because of this zoom feature. Well, the video was absolutely horrible no matter which quality setting I used. Having used my old Casio EX-Z750 and been very pleased with the video, this was a huge dissapointment on the EX-V7. After some additional experimentation, I noticed video quality improved with the image stabilizer off. I had also tried all the various image stabilizer options, and only OFF made the quality improve. After reading another reviewers post about 2 defect cameras, I decided to return this camera for a refund and not deal with this. When Casio comes out with a newer version of a camera with image stabilization, I would give them another shot. At this point, I can only conclude from my experience that theyve not perfected their implmentation, or they just have quality control issues with their manufacturing process. It seems that when the camera works, as other reviewers with better luck noted, it is fabulous.
On: 2007-04-21
I really wanted to like this camera. Got the first one and as soon as I powered it up I got the "Camera stabilization not available" message. Since there is no printed manual I looked it up on the included CD and it says "return the camera" Bummer. But its new and there may be some manufacturing issues... There is a slip of paper that says "DO NOT RETURN THE CAMERA IT HAS TO BE FIXED BY A REPAIR SHOP" I called the 800# and it was 8-12 weeks. Back to amazon for a replacement... The new camera arrived in 2 days (kudos to amazon, again) and I started taking pictures. The quality was average, Macro would be a 4 out of 5 stars, portrait distances a 3 out of 5 and long range would be 4 again only because of the 7x zoom. 5 days later Im getting the same error message and returned the camera for a refund. I wont be replacing it with the same thing.
On: 2007-04-20
I really wanted to like this camera. Got the first one and as soon as I powered it up I got the "Camera stabilization not available" message. Since there is no printed manual I looked it up on the included CD and it says "return the camera" Bummer. But its new and there may be some manufacturing issues... There is a slip of paper that says "DO NOT RETURN THE CAMERA IT HAS TO BE FIXED BY A REPAIR SHOP" I called the 800# and it was 8-12 weeks. Back to amazon for a replacement... The new camera arrived in 2 days (kudos to amazon, again) and I started taking pictures. The quality was average, Macro would be a 4 out of 5 stars, portrait distances a 3 out of 5 and long range would be 4 again only because of the 7x zoom. 5 days later Im getting the same error message and returned the camera for a refund. I wont be replacing it with the same thing.
On: 2007-04-11
I agree with the points of the other reviewers. Note the manual mentions to store the battery in the drained state for extended periods. I plan to order a second battery, but will probably have it charged all the time. An extra docking station will make things easier while on holiday. There is also a mention to edit or delete photos through the photo software not while connected to a PC. I used to "cut" the photos from my old camera using Windows, but for this one it looks like Ill just format the media in the camera to erase them once they are "copied" to the PC hard disk. The dock station does make it easy to charge, view, and access the media, so no need to get an SDHC reader for new 4 and 8 GB SD cards. The camera is a little heavy for a pants pocket with the battery. Heading to Disney in a week, so looking forward to some real-world results.
After a few days in Disney, this camera is growing on me. I can see the need to pre-focus (wait for green) on this camera compared to my last because the default depth of field is more narrow. Pressing the button down all at once will (according to the manual), focus to infinity and not give great results in some cases. Battery life has been very good. Will comment more then I upload the photos and movies.
Im back from Disney, and I have uploaded my pix. I took pictures on a 4 GB SD card and at the 7 megapixel and 2 megapixel modes using the best picture quality setting. I also took a few movies at the medium movie quality. Im not a professional (at all), and had the camera in full auto mode the whole time (no time to stop the action for a manual camera setting! And who would listen to me?). The only thing I did was turn on and off the flash to suit the setting and use the built-in 2 second timer to rest the camera for some night shots. I kept image-stablization set to the hardware-setting, not the one that includes both hardware and software. I read that somewhere.
I took some pictures of the thunder mountain ride - standing on the sidelines, and of the tea cups thing, and of a foutain at night, and then some.
Im not someone to tweak pictures after I upload them. This camera produced some great shots after pressing the button that were razor sharp and full of color (think Gold film if you remember) when looking at them on Windows XP default picture viewer thing zoomed to 400%. I have to stress again the need to pre-focus - required. Wearing the camera in the front pocket of my jeans did cause the twirl-dial to change settings, so once I took a movie instead of a picture (Humpff). I recommend checking the setting when taking the camera out (I dont use a case, will probably never buy one, Im point and shoot). I took a movie of the Disney band on mainstreet and the sound quality and stereo was great - and the picture spot on (Quicktime 7 required for playback). On a roller coaster (I filmed the entire ride - while remaining quiet!), the wind noise was terrible, but I was going 60 mph. The coaster was at night and the camera did better than some of those "Cops" videos we see from professional camera feeds.
This camera promises a lot with its price-point and manual settings, but I would absolutely not expect to get SLR (do people still own these?) quality with 7x zoom out of the front pocket of my jeans (at least for now - technology marches on). What I did get was a point-and-shoot camera (that has many manual settings) that does two amazing things in one package (albeit slightly weighty), zoom-point-shoot and take great (leading edge) videos. Ideal vacation campanion, and therefore part of my travel kit. I would think there are less expensive cameras for point and shoot people (with less zoom or more pixels), and other $400+ cameras for the professionals. Choose wisely.
On: 2007-04-10
I agree with the points of the other reviewers. Note the manual mentions to store the battery in the drained state for extended periods. I plan to order a second battery, but will probably have it charged all the time. An extra docking station will make things easier while on holiday. There is also a mention to edit or delete photos through the photo software not while connected to a PC. I used to "cut" the photos from my old camera using Windows, but for this one it looks like Ill just format the media in the camera to erase them once they are "copied" to the PC hard disk. The dock station does make it easy to charge, view, and access the media, so no need to get an SDHC reader for new 4 and 8 GB SD cards. The camera is a little heavy for a pants pocket with the battery. Heading to Disney in a week, so looking forward to some real-world results.
After a few days in Disney, this camera is growing on me. I can see the need to pre-focus (wait for green) on this camera compared to my last because the default depth of field is more narrow. Pressing the button down all at once will (according to the manual), focus to infinity and not give great results in some cases. Battery life has been very good. Will comment more then I upload the photos and movies.
Im back from Disney, and I have uploaded my pix. I took pictures on a 4 GB SD card and at the 7 megapixel and 2 megapixel modes using the best picture quality setting. I also took a few movies at the medium movie quality. Im not a professional (at all), and had the camera in full auto mode the whole time (no time to stop the action for a manual camera setting! And who would listen to me?). The only thing I did was turn on and off the flash to suit the setting and use the built-in 2 second timer to rest the camera for some night shots. I kept image-stablization set to the hardware-setting, not the one that includes both hardware and software. I read that somewhere.
I took some pictures of the thunder mountain ride - standing on the sidelines, and of the tea cups thing, and of a foutain at night, and then some.
Im not someone to tweak pictures after I upload them. This camera produced some great shots after pressing the button that were razor sharp and full of color (think Gold film if you remember) when looking at them on Windows XP default picture viewer thing zoomed to 400%. I have to stress again the need to pre-focus - required. Wearing the camera in the front pocket of my jeans did cause the twirl-dial to change settings, so once I took a movie instead of a picture (Humpff). I recommend checking the setting when taking the camera out (I dont use a case, will probably never buy one, Im point and shoot). I took a movie of the Disney band on mainstreet and the sound quality and stereo was great - and the picture spot on (Quicktime 7 required for playback). On a roller coaster (I filmed the entire ride - while remaining quiet!), the wind noise was terrible, but I was going 60 mph. The coaster was at night and the camera did better than some of those "Cops" videos we see from professional camera feeds.
This camera promises a lot with its price-point and manual settings, but I would absolutely not expect to get SLR (do people still own these?) quality with 7x zoom out of the front pocket of my jeans (at least for now - technology marches on). What I did get was a point-and-shoot camera (that has many manual settings) that does two amazing things in one package (albeit slightly weighty), zoom-point-shoot and take great (leading edge) videos. Ideal vacation campanion, and therefore part of my travel kit. I would think there are less expensive cameras for point and shoot people (with less zoom or more pixels), and other $400+ cameras for the professionals. Choose wisely.
On: 2007-04-09
I have been waiting forever for a digital camera with decent quality that allowed optical zoom when capturing video so I didnt need to carry a separate video camera. Finally Casio delivers with this model that lets you silently zoom upto 7x (wow!) when using the camera. Previous models disabled optical zoom during video capture to prevent the lens mechanism noise from being captured, but this one is almost silent. To give some context I have been using Casios EX-Z750, and I can say this is a much better camera, especially in terms of video capture.
Pros:
- 7x optical zoom. Note this lens is completely internal so nothing protrudes out. Not sure how Casio managed to do this but kudos to them.
- Use of the full 7x optical zoom during video capture.
- The new H.264 video encoding codec produces extremely good video compared to older models. Previous models tended to produce more grainy video, especially in low light. Also includes stereo audio recording!
- Fairly small size. Not quite as small as the Optio but still very small. Anything smaller is really too small to hold comfortably for me.
- Retains ability to use manual aperture and other controls including histograms
- Very good best-shot modes including new high-sensitivity modes for low light situations.
- The flash can be kept continuously on for use as a video light.
- Support for the new SDHC cards, the bigger capacities are certainly useful for capturing video.
- New optional widescreen modes for video
- First Casio model to incorporate mechanical image stabilization in addition to digital for both stills and video.
- As opposed to older Casio models, allows imprinting date and time on photos.
- Allows users to customize use of buttons
- Whole bunch of other features too numerous to mention. Take a look at their website. Casio is an old name in the electronics business and knows how to make user-friendly gadgets.
Ok, now for some things NOT done right:
- My biggest complaint is that the only way to charge battery is through the docking station. This means you need to carry a docking station with you when travelling. Previous models had after-market external battery chargers you could buy, but I havent seen one for this model yet. And no, old chargers dont work since this is a different battery form factor.
- The docking station is also the only way to connect the camera to a PC, though I got around this by using the SD card reader on my PC.
- On the subject of batteries, this one has about half the life as compared to the EX-Z750, 850 or 1000 models. Given the docking station requirement to charge, you will need to buy a spare battery eventually.
- The image stabilization mechanism is a little noisy. Scared me the first time till I found out that was normal.
- The autofocus mechanism tends to "hunt" a bit especially zoomed in.
Overall, many more positives than negatives. Definitely recommend this camera. Note its also available in black, though not everywhere.
On: 2007-04-02
I just purchased this camera last night. I was thrilled to finally get my hands on this because I absolutely loved my Casio Z750. Ive been using a Fuji Finepix F30 in the interrim time since my Casio kicked the bucket. Now that I have both cameras side by side, I must say that the F30 image quality is so much better that it makes me sad that I just spent a bundle on this Casio product. The EX-V7 is better in some respects. I will compare the two cameras a bit, since I currently have both.
Zooming while taking video on the EX-V7 is great and it even has a variable speed zoom, but the camera cant hold a decent focus whether Im zooming or not. The image is so washed out without the sharpness turned up a couple of notches, it appears blurry. Filming in widescreen format is fun, too, but even though it is filming in HQ I dont notice great image quality. The images from an indoor scene are grainy and not even old-school camcorder quality. In fact, when I play the HQ video on my computer monitor I consistently get distortion lines flickering across the image anytime there is camera or subject movement. This might have something to do with the compatibility of my system with the camera, but it is unpleasant nevertheless, and may happen to other people.
The color tones on skin, and the indoor range of the flash are very poor in comparison to the F30.
The location of the lense is a bit problematic as my left hand typically uses that space on the camera for stabilization.
Start up and cycle time on this Casio is as wonderful as on my z750.
Image playback, magnification and moving, and file deletion on the EX-V7 is amazingly speedy in comparison to the F30.
The autofocus works much more consistently on the EX-V7. The F30 gets the focus wrong on occasion and the EX-V7 is nailing it pretty consistently so far. I have notice, however, that once I magnify my Casio images, they seem to lose a bit of detail. This could be related to the image stabilization.
One of the biggest things I miss in the EX-V7 is the EX button. For every tweak you want to make to the adjustments, you have to cycle through the menu. Granted, Casio has one of the best and most intuitive menu systems out there, but it is not cool to have to scroll through many options just to find your white balance or your EV shift. Casio definitely blew it on this one. It is a big downgrade.
It is also sad that there is no macro button to quickly select. This must be done through the focus selection menu.
This camera still has a great set of selections to choose from and is still very speedy, but it doesnt measure up to the Casio Z750 in video quality or ease of use. The video and image quality of the Fuji FinePix F30 is markedly better in an indoor setting and slightly better in an outdoor setting. It is a little easier to see that the video is of higher quality on the EX-V7 when video is taken in bright outdoor light, but I still cant stand the horizontal lines across my screen throughout the movie.
Overall, Im more pleased with my F30 because the image and video quality is more pleasing to the eyes. The V7 is a good product and doesnt ruin the Casio name. If I didnt have a camera to compare side-by-side, I wouldnt have known as much about what I did not like in the image quality. If you already have this camera, enjoy its many features once you get used to working your way through the menu system. If you havent purchased it yet, weigh the options and figure out if you want a camera that will take better pictures indoors and in low light. If so, I would recommend the F30.
On: 2007-04-01
I just purchased this camera last night. I was thrilled to finally get my hands on this because I absolutely loved my Casio Z750. Ive been using a Fuji Finepix F30 in the interrim time since my Casio kicked the bucket. Now that I have both cameras side by side, I must say that the F30 image quality is so much better that it makes me sad that I just spent a bundle on this Casio product. The EX-V7 is better in some respects. I will compare the two cameras a bit, since I currently have both.
Zooming while taking video on the EX-V7 is great and it even has a variable speed zoom, but the camera cant hold a decent focus whether Im zooming or not. The image is so washed out without the sharpness turned up a couple of notches, it appears blurry. Filming in widescreen format is fun, too, but even though it is filming in HQ I dont notice great image quality. The images from an indoor scene are grainy and not even old-school camcorder quality. In fact, when I play the HQ video on my computer monitor I consistently get distortion lines flickering across the image anytime there is camera or subject movement. This might have something to do with the compatibility of my system with the camera, but it is unpleasant nevertheless, and may happen to other people.
The color tones on skin, and the indoor range of the flash are very poor in comparison to the F30.
The location of the lense is a bit problematic as my left hand typically uses that space on the camera for stabilization.
Start up and cycle time on this Casio is as wonderful as on my z750.
Image playback, magnification and moving, and file deletion on the EX-V7 is amazingly speedy in comparison to the F30.
The autofocus works much more consistently on the EX-V7. The F30 gets the focus wrong on occasion and the EX-V7 is nailing it pretty consistently so far. I have notice, however, that once I magnify my Casio images, they seem to lose a bit of detail. This could be related to the image stabilization.
One of the biggest things I miss in the EX-V7 is the EX button. For every tweak you want to make to the adjustments, you have to cycle through the menu. Granted, Casio has one of the best and most intuitive menu systems out there, but it is not cool to have to scroll through many options just to find your white balance or your EV shift. Casio definitely blew it on this one. It is a big downgrade.
It is also sad that there is no macro button to quickly select. This must be done through the focus selection menu.
This camera still has a great set of selections to choose from and is still very speedy, but it doesnt measure up to the Casio Z750 in video quality or ease of use. The video and image quality of the Fuji FinePix F30 is markedly better in an indoor setting and slightly better in an outdoor setting. It is a little easier to see that the video is of higher quality on the EX-V7 when video is taken in bright outdoor light, but I still cant stand the horizontal lines across my screen throughout the movie.
Overall, Im more pleased with my F30 because the image and video quality is more pleasing to the eyes. The V7 is a good product and doesnt ruin the Casio name. If I didnt have a camera to compare side-by-side, I wouldnt have known as much about what I did not like in the image quality. If you already have this camera, enjoy its many features once you get used to working your way through the menu system. If you havent purchased it yet, weigh the options and figure out if you want a camera that will take better pictures indoors and in low light. If so, I would recommend the F30.
On: 2007-03-28
This is my second digital camera and this time I wanted one with more zoom and power. I love "almost" everything about this one.
Pros.
1. Great zoom.
2. Love the Anti Shake.
3. Compact size, great for travel.
4. I have only printed out 4x6 inch prints so far, very sharp.
5. 7.2 mega pixels.
Cons.
1. Price.
2. Hard to hold if you have large hands.
3. NO MANUAL!!! Only a CD.
I called Casio and they are sending me a "real" manual. Yes, I would buy this again. It meets almost all my needs. I do miss being able to use AA batteries though.
On: 2007-03-26
This camera does quite a lot in a small package. 7 megapixel, and movie capability along with a 7X optical zoom. The main item missing is a case. I found one that fits perfectly as well as keeping the camera "pocketable". I recommend the Case Logic UNZ2.
On: 2007-03-25
This is the greatest cammera I have EVER seen! Its perfect! I agree with the first review that the lack of a printed manual is a problem. They send the manual on CD rom. But this baby is still the best cammera for the money you can buy! Its features are crystal clear images even fast movement comes clear! and the movies????? DONT GET ME STARTED! The movie quality is BETTER than the Sony hard drive camcorders! Im not joking! The mvoies record crystal clear with tons of options including night mode and records sound in stereo!
Would I make any changes????? YES 3!!!!!
1) Printed Manual
2) earphone Jack. Since it uses an SD card you should have had MP3 functions.
3) Mini USB plug on the cammera to charge the battery. At this time you have to set the cammera on the cradle base and plug into the wall. But when I go overseas this will prove a pain where as if it had a mini USB I could have charged over the compute instead of waging and worring about plug converstion.
Well thats it. This cammera will tickle you pink! And dont forget the awsome feature that there are no moving zoom parts! It was teh retractable cameera lens that broke on my old cammera. And wih 7 times OPTICAL zoon, and NO retractble lens. I think this cammera will last many more years than my last! ENJOY!
On: 2007-03-24
Ive had this sexy little beast for about two weeks. Its got incredible muscle for its size, and loads of options. The image quality is great. Drawbacks: price and the lack of a printed manual. I wanted to print out the PDF manual so I could read it on a plane, but its 270 pages long! With as many options as this little guy has I would like to review the instructions in detail. Luckily the internal menus are clearly laid out and not too deep. Im looking forward to using this for a long time!
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