Casio Shows New and Improved Digicam

Casio Computer has given its best-selling Exilim Zoom digital still camera an update with the addition of a higher quality image sensor. The camera was announced in Tokyo just a day after Sony launched a new model aimed directly at stealing sales from the Exilim range.

The new camera, the Exilim EX-Z4, is the first in the Exilim family to feature a 4-megapixel class image sensor. Like the EX-Z3, which was launched in April this year and on which it is based, the camera also features a 3X optical zoom lens, according to a statement.

Other features are largely unchanged from the EX-Z3 but the lack of update is not necessarily a bad thing because Casio appears to be on to a winning format. Since April this year through to August, the latest month for which data is available, the EX-Z3 has been the best-selling digital still camera in Japan, according to data from market analysis company GfK Japan.

Sony's Shot

It is directly against this camera that Sony launched a new model, the DSC-T1, earlier this week.

The Sony camera has a higher resolution 5-megapixel image sensor but for most applications, including printing out images, the 4-megapixel sensor offers sufficient quality. In terms of pixels, the Casio can deliver a maximum resolution shot of 2,304 pixels by 1,728 pixels against the Sony's 2,592 pixels by 1,944 pixels.

The Sony camera also has a 3X optical zoom lens and Sony has managed to cram the lens into the body of the camera so it sits sideways and capture images through a prism that redirects light from in front of the camera. Casio's camera has a conventional zoom which extends in front of the camera and that means a slightly longer start-up time, as the zoom is extended, and a little more noise.

Weighty Issues

In terms of size, there is almost nothing between the two cameras. The Exilim measures 3.4 inches by 2.2 inches by .9 inches making it slightly narrower and shorter than the Exilim but also a little thicker. The volume of each camera is almost identical at approximately 6.9 cubic inches.

The Exilim is lighter at 4.6 ounces, compared to the DSC-T1 at 5.5 ounces, but users are unlikely to notice a big difference in the weight between the models.

The biggest difference between the two in the eyes of consumers could be price and here Casio has the advantage. The EX-Z4 will go on sale in Japan from November 7 for around $460 while the DSC-T1 will be available from November 27 for $552. Casio said the new Exilim has recently gone on sale in some international markets and will go on sale in others soon.