Home > Consumer Reviews > Casio Exilim EX-FC100 Digital Camera - White (9.1MP, 5x Optical Zoom) 2.7 inch LCD

Had the black version of this camera for a short while now and I have found that it does everything and more than Mr or Mrs Average would want or require. The list of this cameras functions are, quite frankly, endless and far to complicated to highlight in full detail here. Any setting that anyone could or would require can be achieved, be it either in it's auto or to be manually set-up. As an example the very detailed manual, which arrives on the supplied CD, has 191 pages. Don't be put off. All the functions are explained here in precise and clear detail. The supplied basic set-up booklet is Ok (if you can even read the minute text in its umpteen languages) so the CD manual is the one to go for.... for me.

I suppose what initially interested me in this compact camera was the initial 5x optical zoom and the 9m pixel single shot mode together with the 30 shots per second picture function (auto taken at 6m pixels per pic) After the unit arrived I immediately positioned it on a tripod and shot some really great stuff of birds arriving and leaving our bird table. Of the initial 30 shots (which are all grouped together in a CS file on the memory card, ie: a Continuous Shot file) you keep perhaps 3 pics and discard the other 27. It gets very addictive seeing birds with wings & feathers outstretched in a flying or landing posture. 2 of the `best shot' modes allow the user to highlight (as an example) birds arriving either into or out of the frame. Sensing movement the camera then auto takes 30 shots which can be saved or immediately discarded. Good stuff eh? and all this in a pocket camera. Video can be taken at 210, 420 or 1000 frames per second, yes that's right.. per second! The default setting (and best as far as I'm concerned) is 210fps. The faster the video the smaller the actual movie picture is when viewing. 210fps gives the best overall effect. All these various speeds and settings can be achieved in either slow motion or normal modes. The video recording format being .avi . Not the best but adequate for home movies I think. The camera can edit itself with either pics or video but I use an external software for isolating video frames or for pictures. Personal preference I suppose. It also comes with some 20 odd `best shot' pre-programmed stuff for getting the maximum best picture shot according to conditions. ie: best shot. You can insert your own settings if you prefer, but these are lost when the memory card is re-formatted. You will need a SDHC Ultra II card for maximum effect. I have an 8gb card in mine, which will give me approx 20min of video or huge amounts of pictures. When the camera is on for some time the body does get rather warm, almost hot, which apparently is normal, according to the manual. It is light and fits snuggly into a top shirt pocket as not to be obtrusive. The lense cover folds over when in the `off' position and therefore auto protects the actual glass lense from excess dust etc. There is much much more to say on this camera but to sum up.... I'm very pleased with mine and that's the best recommendation I can give as far as I'm concerned. Just wish I had it when our children were growing up or before we lost our brilliant little dog who was the best friend I ever had.

Finally a moan... there has to be one doesn't there? The battery. Battery life, especially on video, is very short and takes 2-3hrs to recharge. You will need a spare battery believe me. It's one of those square NP-40 things. 3.7v x 1300mAps. The camera would have been perfect had it had a supplied mains type charger that you could plug into the camera when it is mounted on a tripod and you are waiting for `that perfect shot' which never appears to happen in my case. That's my main moan but I suppose I always have to remember that this Casio FC-100 is a digi camera and is not supposed to be a camcorder. All IMHO of coarse.

Owning two excellent cameras the compact Pentax S5N and the Bridging camera Fuji FD6500 I already owned two great cameras that took great pictures.

The reason I bought this Casio was for the continous speed shooting for action shots this is where the others don't compare no more need to miss action shots of the kids and the dogs.

Night mode is also excellent no need for a tripod incredible.

Normal picture taking Fantastic with little noise at low speeds below 800.

Everyone I've shown off to wants one this is a work of genius.

I've had this camera for a few weeks and absolutely LOVE it! It's pretty dinky, so easy to carry around, but PACKED with great features....sooooo much better than my old camera (it's amazing how quickly the technology changes!). It does all the basic stuff you expect a digital camera to do - 9MP high resolution, brilliant 5x optical zoom (actually it's 20x total zoom if you include the digital zoom as well) and loads of scene modes ("best shot") to help you out in tricky situations....BUT the best thing about this camera is the high speed shooting. 30FPS is on a par with an SLR, but in a much easier to handle package. It's absolutely perfect if you take lots of pics of your kids or pets - you KNOW you'll get the right shot, and some pretty funny alternatives as well. There's also a high-speed movie setting as well, which actually delivers slow motion video files (if you can get your head around that!). I haven't used it all that much yet, but it's good fun - reckon I'll get more use of it on nights out with my mates over the next few months! Most importantly, it's really easy to use. I'm not particularly techie, but having had a digi cam before I was able to set up and get started really easily. There is a pretty hefty manual on the CD for those who want to get to grips with everything, but I liked the fact that I could get cracking ASAP without wading through loads of paperwork. Result.

Would thoroughly recommend this to anyone looking to upgrade their existing camera, but don't want a bulky black ugly thing or the hassle of an SLR. It does the job!

As a parent, I've had more fun with this camera over the last few weeks than I ever thought possible. For capturing almost any type of action, this camera is absolutely stunning. In terms of absolute image quality and zoom range, there are better compacts,but for me, the image quality is fine and certainly bears comparison with my wife's Lumix TZ3. The real joy of this camera is that it can shoot at 30 frames per second and so you capture all the details that you would usually miss. (See the photos of my daughter bursting a water filled balloon)It is also incredibly versatile - so that by half depressing the shutter the camera is constantly storing images in its buffer so you never have to miss that critical moment due to slow reaction times. For capturing wildlife, the motion triggered shutter release is absolutely awesome.

The other amazing feature of this camera is its slow motion video. (See weavster123 on Youtube for some clips of my kids jumping off swings and bouncing on trampolines in glorious slow motion)My children now frequently plead with me to record them doing anything that involves jumping and leaping.At 1000 fps I've been able to capture the wing beats of a hover fly! although the quality at this speed is very poor. At 210 fps the quality is fine and the ability to slow down time Matrix style is incredibly entertaining.

In summary, this camera has breathed a new lease of life into my family photography both in terms of its rapid stills ability and its phenomenal time slowing video. This camera has no direct competition because no other compact except other Casio's can capture motion so completely. I can't recommend this little bundle of joy highly enough!

I have had the camera for a little while and have been waiting to take it somewhere worth while to test it out, so what better than a holiday to Cyprus!
I took many pics and a few vids and found that i was taking the same pics and trying out all the different options that the camera offers, I'm not the best photographer but love to have what i consider a good piece of kit, and with the added option of the slow motion video capturing i was in my elements!! I was very happy when i returned and viewed the shots on my computer as the quality of the photos are fantastic (as I've said I'm not an expert so i wouldn't know the ins and outs of what a good camera should be able to do but hey I'm very happy with what came out if i do say so myself!! I would recommend this camera very highly.