Casio Exilim EXP-505 Pro Digital Camera (5.25MP, 2560x1920, 5x Opt,)

Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505

Exilim EXP-505 Pro Digital Camera (5.25MP, 2560x1920, 5x Opt,) Review, by Narasu Rebbapragada May 3, 2005

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• Reviewed by: liuli

  Strengths: clear guide line for the use, easy to operate, pictures are good.

  Weaknesses: it takes sometimes to install the lens hood and it is hard to put it up precisely.

  Overall: If the design of the lens hood can be installed easily on the camera that would be great. I prefer not to use spiral cords. If the design of the lens cap can be fit onto the lens hood that would be great and save much time when taking off and putting up the lens cap to the camera.

• Reviewed by: dhakaia

  Strengths: VIDEO is Amazing, Tight little package, "SLR" look, 5x Optical Zoom, Made in Japan.

  Weaknesses: Stills could be better.

  Overall: You don't really know how small this camera is, until u hold it in your hands. As soon as I saw it at the store, I immediately got attracted by it's looks. It has limitless features for an amateure like me, most of which I will never explore =).The video feature on this is waay better than I expected. I used it to record a 10 min clip from an office outing and, it played really well under VGA (800 x 600) format... no choppiness or distortion. The stills are as well as could be expected for a 5 MP camera, and the optical zoom really helps out (works during video too!).

• Reviewed by: hypj

  Strengths: Great design, good feature set, picture quality, awesome charger

  Weaknesses: feels too plasticy, screen doesn't latch

  Overall: First of all, great design and amazingly tiny. I knew it was going to be small, but it was pretty surprising. Overall great camera and I think I made the best decision considering what is out on the market, but a few complaints. I don't see a seperate slot for the lens and hand strap, so that means you can't use both at the same time. Also the screen concerns me a little bit. It doesn't latch closed. there's not snap or latch or anything, thus it maybe isn't as sturdy as it could be. The whole camera is a little too plastic feeling, but I still love the overall camera. Highly recommended.

• Reviewed by: PriceGKeng

  Strengths: Small. Great battery life: Over 200 picures taken on one charge. Great pivoting LCD monitor. Great MPEG4 movies.

  Weaknesses: Difficult to take pictures in low light: Cannot see subjects with View Finder. No image stablizer.

  Overall: The Casio Exilim EXP-505 is a great little camera: 5x zoom in a compact package. You can even zoom when "filming" a movie. While there are now a handful of cameras that can take MPEG4 movies, few can zoom while in Movie-mode like the Exilim EXP-505. The LCD is very usable but framing is difficult when there is low-light: I cannot see my subjects. This is when an optical viewfinder is helpful. My only wish is that CASIO incorporate image stabilization so that camera shake can be lessened.

• Reviewed by: Warp9Tenor

  Strengths: Small enough to carry all the time; good battery life; very good still and video quality; "cool" factor off the charts.

  Weaknesses: Longish flash delay; no case included.

  Overall: I've just moved outside the US, and I wanted a camera that would be small enough to carry around with me all the time, as well as one that would take high-quality still pictures. I'm not a professional photographer, so I wanted a camera that would prove simple to use, with a wide variety of automatic settings that would ensure results I could be proud of. I found all those things, and more, in the EXP-505 Pro. I've got fairly large hands, so most pocket-sized cameras feel too tiny for me; this camera feels just right. It fits pretty much in the palm of my hand, and it's light enough to be barely noticed in a briefcase or backpack. Some might object to the SLR-style body; a matter of taste, I suppose. What I can say is that every time I've taken it out of the (non-included - ugh) case, it has generated almost nonstop oohs and ahhs. This unit is a guaranteed conversation starter - it looks WAY hipper, in my opinion, than the standard credit-card-on-steroids design that has befallen most consumer digitals. Now then, how are the pictures? For the most part, more than good enough for my needs. There are 23 Scene settings, which provide differing combinations of filtering, shutter speeds, sharpness, contrast, and other factors.This is where the EXP-505 really shines - just set it and forget it. So far I've found the Scenery setting to be absolutely outstanding for night shots, and Party provides fast enough shutter speed to capture most everyday shots with crystal-clear focus. I wish the flash recharged faster, but since I don't shoot much professional sports, I'll live. And the best part is, I can also go full-manual on all settings - so there's plenty of opportunity for me to experiment and be creative. So far, I have taken over 200 pictures at Fine quality level, and still had plenty of battery power left. The EXP-505 also has a Video mode, for shooting MPEG-4 movies. I must admit that I didn't pay much attention to this feature when making my buying decision, figuring that if I wanted video, I'd buy a separate camcorder. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the video quality is very good, with a reasonable degree of anti-shake technology built in. A 1GB SD Media card (a 32MB is included, but I recommend the upgrade) will record about 4 minutes of video on HQ setting. One other word: if you've absolutely, positively GOT to have a viewfinder, look elsewhere. But if you're willing to try doing without it, the pivoting, full-color LCD will soon help you forget why you needed a viewfinder after all. The bottom line? I've owned several other brands of consumer digital cameras in the past; for my money, this stacks up well against any I've used. I recommend it for anyone who wants a low-fuss, high-quality, ultra-COOL digital date magnet.