Feb 06, 2009 by simonp

Best buddies know when to be there when you need them. Better buddies know how to make you look your best all the time, in every picture, every frame.

The Z300 is the latter. It has a Make-Up mode feature which smooths out pimples, freckles or other embarrassing impurities in the picture ensuring more flattering shots without the need for post editing on a PC. Then there’s an intelligent Lighting feature where it controls underexposure and overexposure of shots, ensuring that both foreground and background subjects are well lit, which worked pretty well. Other camera features like Smile Shot, Multi-Motion Image, Self Portrait Shutter and auto Best Shot mode makes snapping away even easier.

Verdict
Casio has made the Z300 a very user-friendly, really fun camera. Its just so easy to get shots right.

FEATURES
01 One touch simplicity
Camera controls are brilliantly placed. Buttons for video recording, Make-Up mode, Best Shot scene modes, picture playback and camera mode are one-touch, instantly activating the feature needed.

02 Picture Quality
Pictures that have the Make-Up mode activated look softer, but that’s not a bad thing as it smoothes out blemishes. Otherwise, regular pictures are sharp without overzealous colours.

03 Low light fight
Its high ISO range (64 to 3,200) allow shots taken in low light situations, albeit noisier at high ISOs. Then there’s special night scene mode where it automatically detects if it’s on a tripod for night shots so that it can have a slow shutter release, making better shots.

QUICK SPECS
SIZE/WEIGHT: 96.9 x 57.6 x 23mm. 131g.
OPTICS: 10.1MP. 28-112 lens. f/ 4.9 – 19.6. 4x zoom.
SCREN: 3-inch.
MEMORY: 38.5MB internal. SDHC/MMC External
FEATURES: Image Stabilisation, Scene Modes, Multi-Motion Image, Auto Shutter, Face Detection, Smile Shot, Low power consumption

Price: SGD499
Website: www.exilim.com

Photography Tip - How to combat blurry shots
1: Turn on Image Stabilisation
2: Use a tripod
3: Use the camera’s flash, better bright than blurry

This review was first published in Gadget3 Magazine November 2008