The Casio Exilim Hi-Zoom EX-V7 is a 7.2 megapixel camera with a 7x optical zoom. Features include four blur reduction technologies with new CCD shift system, the Exilim Engine 2.0 image processor, and H.264 video encoding.

Casio, Inc. and its parent company Casio Computer Co., Ltd., announced today the release of the 7.2-megapixel EXILIM Hi-ZOOM EX-V7, the most powerful zoom in the stylish EXILIM® series of compact digital cameras. This new model is the world’s slimmest digital camera with a 7X optical zoom lens*. Thinness is a defining quality in the EXILIM line, and the EX-V7 is no different as it easily fits in a shirt pocket or small purse.

In recent years, a number of compact, high-performance digital cameras have appeared on the market, but the trade-off between zoom power and camera size was evident in those models. Users who wanted to capture subjects at a distance were forced to buy bulkier cameras while other consumers sacrificed zoom for portability.

“The newest edition to the EXILIM line, the EX-V7, solves this problem, giving users the best of both worlds,” said Bill Heuer, Senior Vice President of Casio’s Digital Imaging Division. “It’s an exceptionally portable, great-looking digital camera with a powerful zoom lens — just what the world has been waiting for.”

The new camera also introduces an innovative function for reducing photo blur, made possible by Casio’s mechanical CCD shift technology. It also combines Casio’s well-received Anti Shake DSP, which reduces blur due to shaky hands or a moving subject by using higher ISO sensitivity and faster shutter speeds, with new motion analysis technology that uses the most appropriate ISO sensitivity and shutter speed to capture a moving photo subject. Even at high zoom settings, the EX-V7 reduces most occurrences of image blur. Everyone from first-time photographers to seasoned professionals will love this latest photographic marvel from Casio.

* As of January 8, 2007, for digital cameras with a zoom ration of 7x or above. Based on a Casio survey.

Main features

The world’s slimmest* digital camera with a 7X optical zoom lens, as stylish as any EXILIM

* 59.8 mm high, 95.5 mm wide, and 25.1 mm thin (20.8 mm at the thinnest part)
* Incorporates a cutting-edge, non-protruding 7X internal optical zoom lens.
* Offers 10X-equivalent zoom without loss of picture quality (in 3.0-megapixel mode).

Four blur reduction technologies with new CCD shift system

* New CCD shift system actually mechanically compensates for camera shake.
* Automatically analyzes the velocity and vector of a moving subject and sets the most appropriate ISO sensitivity and shutter speed.
* Anti Shake DSP reduces blur due to shaky hands and subject movement, using high shutter speeds and high sensitivity settings.
* Electronic camera shake compensation function eliminates blur when shooting in movie mode.

Newly designed EXILIM Engine 2.0 image processor

* “Auto Tracking AF” function follows moving subjects, keeping them continuously in focus until the photo is taken.
* Tonal control lets users keep bright areas of the scene bright by limiting the occurrence of dark pixels.
* Offers ability to selectively eliminate noise in designated color regions, such as the sky.
* Boasts faster image processing functions that enable instantaneous color correction or angle adjustment.

High-quality movies using next-generation H.264 video encoding method

* Creates movies at high compression ratios that save storage space.
* Records about 1.5 times longer, with the same capacity and same picture quality as conventional MPEG-4.**
* Silent lens motion enables optical zooming while recording movies in stereo sound.
* Records 16:9 wide-aspect movies compatible with wide-screen TVs.

* As of January 8, 2007, for digital cameras with a zoom ratio of 7x or above. Based on a Casio survey.
** Casio comparison, at Normal picture quality setting.

Casio Exlim Hi-Zoom EX-V7 Reviews

DigitalCameraInfo has a first impressions review of the Casio Exilim EX-V7 and writes, "Crowned with the title of “the world’s thinnest” digital camera with a 7x optical zoom lens, the Casio Exilim Hi-Zoom EX-V7 sounds a little too cool for what it actually is. The lens stays within the camera body at all times, which makes it sturdy and portable. But the zoom lens doesn’t provide nice, sharp pictures. The soft lens is helped by the optical image stabilization system but hindered by the ineffective auto focus system. The V7 does have manual exposure modes and controls, which is more than what can be said of most of its competitors, but the selection isn’t that great. The shutter speed and aperture ranges are quite disappointing. Because this is only a first impression of the camera, this isn’t the final word. But it looks like Casio has created another gimmicky digital camera that doesn’t perform as well as its advertisements claim - unless its image quality can ultimately prove otherwise."

PhotographyPress has a first look review of the Casio EX-V7 and writes, "Strangely the zoom controls are tucked further in to the camera than we would have expected and the end result is that you have to stretch your thumb to get to them rather than being just there at the tip. ... On a first look, the Casio EX-V7 looks to offer a good feature set in a compact case. The sliding lens does add to the bulk of the model and the zoom toggle a tiny bit of discomfort when using it, however the picture quality is good, and the H.264 recording option for video a welcomed inclusion."

Ken Rockwell has a review of the Casio EX-V7 and writes, "This tiny camera does what it claims. If you want one, get one! It has the biggest zoom range of any camera I want to put in my pocket and carry everywhere. The movies with stereo sound are a great bonus. I use these for landscape shots. No compact camera works well for sports, even with the long zoom. ... This EX-V7 has great color if you crank it up. I wish I had had more time with clear weather to play with it and make some decent example images. The good news is that it's only $399. It's a bargain; I wouldn't bother going any cheaper in Casio's line."

CNET has a review of the Casio Exilim EX-V7 and writes, "We give Casio credit for trying to push the limits of the compact camera market, but ultimately found this model's interface made it annoyingly awkward to use. Add its mediocre image quality to that and we find it hard to recommend this camera. ... Casio tries to make a statement with the EX-V7's 7x optical zoom and sensor-shift image stabilization, but awkward controls and ho-hum image quality make this camera merely mediocre."

PopPhoto has a review of the Casio Exilim Hi-Zoom EX-V7 and writes, "there are many things to like about the EX-V7, but like many cameras in this category, its Achilles heel is image quality. Like many manufacturers, Casio has chosen to up the mega-pixel count and consider the image degradation issues as an afterthought. Unfortunately, the EX-V7 is quite noisy. Even at low ISO speeds, I can enlarge the full resolution image to 200 percent and see what I can only describe as "Noise blobs" throughout the image. It's pitiful, really. And at $400 a copy, this becomes a camera that's on the expensive side of the pocket-sized market and because of that high price tag, better image quality should be a given. With all things outside of image quality considered, I'd give the Casio an easy "A." I like the zoom ability while shooting video, the redundant anti-shake technology, the much improved zoom magnification and the innovative approach to the various scenes in the camera. But, if the image quality is thrown into that mix, the camera earns only an average "C." And when you consider that for only $100 or so more you can get a DSLR with a lens, the Casio then starts to fade off into the forgotten."

Digital Reviews Network has a first look review of the Casio Exilim Hi-Zoom EX-V7 and writes, "The Casio EX-V7 is a powerful digicam, structured around a unique zoom system. It’s clearly designed for people who love to have the latest in the point-and-shoot market.
It’s a pity that the picture quality doesn’t quite match up with the expectations one should have from this top of the range Casio model. Having said that, most people in this market will be quite happy with the overall quality and feature-set of this camera. You know you’ll have a sturdy camera and access to a high powered zoom. And it is a great looking camera."

DPReview has a review of the Casio Exilim EX-V7 and writes, "The reality is that the EX-V7 is a disappointing camera, and one that fails to deliver on its promise, even allowing for the compromises inevitably involved in squeezing this much stuff into such a small body. ... It's not all bad news: the camera itself is a real pleasure to use; it's fast, feature-packed and easy to use, has very reliable exposure and an excellent movie mode. Like all recent Casios it has a real wealth of shooting modes, effects and parameters to tweak, and the excellent user interface does a great job of putting a friendly face on the extensive feature set. It produces decent (though not great) results at the wide end of the zoom, but is much less impressive as you move up the focal range; at the longest focal lengths the output is soft and - thanks to the almost pointless image stabilization - usually blurred too."

PCMag has a review of the Casio Exilim EX-V7 and writes, "During my hands-on testing, daylight shots contained some noise, and the flash revealed a bit more colored noise than I'd like to see. Color was accurate and vibrant, though. I did see a smidgen of noticeable purple fringing in my test images. Still, the dynamic range was quite good, with strong contrast that didn't block up details. In my flash test shots, I found that the Exilim's strobe delivered just the right amount of illumination without blowing out the images. You could also adjust the flash, which comes in handy when the lens is zoomed in all the way."

ThinkCamera has a review of the Casio Exilim EX-V7 and writes, "The EXILIM EX-7 is a lovely compact it looks great (it's available in black as well as silver) and it's positively jam packed with features and the sliding panel makes it very very fast to operate. The LCD is lovely and bright and the quality of the zoom is astounding but the results were good, although noisy at the higher ISOs. Sadly the focusing lets it down a little! I just couldn't get a consistent result as the window of 'focusing opportunity' is just too small and the auto-tracking wasn't as good as I had hoped. Perhaps with persistence and a tad more patience the results could improve."

Steve's Digicams has a review of the Casio EXILIM Hi-ZOOM EX-V7 and writes, "The Casio Exilim EX-V7 offers a tremendous amount of features in a small compact package while continuing the tradition of a durable, lightweight model that can be tucked away just about anywhere, while still capturing great photos and offering outstanding performance. It has loads of user-friendly exposure modes, and with an MSRP of around $399, we feel it offers a good value. The camera itself is a pleasure to use; it's fast, is feature-packed, easy to use, has very reliable exposure, and an excellent movie mode. The decision is yours."

Trusted Reviews has a review of the Casio Exilim EX-V7 and writes, "Overall image quality is about average for a 7MP camera with a 1/2.5-in sensor, with the lens providing plenty of fine detail in the centre of the frame, although the edge sharpness at wide angle could be better. There is also significant barrel distortion at the wider end of the zoom range. Exposure and colour reproduction are both good, but as with many Casio cameras I’ve reviewed previously, noise is a problem at all but the lowest ISO setting. ... The Casio Exilim EX-V7 is a very unusual camera with a unique combination of features. Its combination of compact size, fast performance, wide zoom range, excellent video mode and manual exposure options will appeal to some, but its average picture quality and poor flash range are significant disadvantages. The relatively high price may also put some people off."

PhotographyBLOG has a review of the Casio EX-V7 and writes, "The likelihood is that if you hand the camera to someone new on holiday for a shot of yourself and the missus, you'll get an image back with a finger sized blob in one corner. Watch out for such possibilities yourself however and you'll be rewarded with sharp, colourful images for the most part – with green foliage coming out particularly vivid, and skin tones embodied with a healthy hue. To be picky I did notice some softness towards the edges of the frame at maximum wide-angle setting, and again, at maximum telephoto images would benefit from some additional sharpening."

Cameras.co.uk has a review of the Casio Exilim EX-V7 and writes, "Although this camera is not perfect my test results produced a series of above average photos. Looking at the first outdoor photo there are a number of checkpoints that the camera handled well. In this photo I like the colours and I felt the camera handled the glare from the sun better than a number of other models I have tested recently. One area where it is less than perfect is in the levels of sharpness in the photo. They are not bad, but looking at areas such as the brick work on the building the overall sharpness does not quite match up to many other digital cameras. ... Although not perfect the test photos I took with the Casio Exilim EX-V7 were above average and if you are looking for a simple enough camera with some extra zoom I can see no harm in taking a look at this one."

ePhotoZine has a review of the Casio Exilim EX-V7 and writes, "This camera has the potential to be amazing. It is bursting with features and has technology on it that is ground-breaking. The distinct lack of basic photographic requirements like a decent flash, consistent focusing and a good macro facility seemed to have eluded Casio on this one. I cannot help but feel that the camera has been pushed out as quick as possible and the functions have not been thought through properly. I want to give the camera a really good mark and if it wasn't for the problems just mentioned, I would do. Having a large zoom in such a small body would have warranted a Cutting Edge Design award if the performance had been better."

Lets Go Digital reviews the Casio EXILIM EX-V7 and writes - 'Let it be clear, the Casio EX-V7 is a finely designed camera, easy to operate and has a lot of creative application possibilities. It is a great camera for snapshots and is easy to use, but the demanding user will soon discover its limitations. This is not the group Casio wishes to target, however. The specifications, the extensive automatic programmes and internal image editing are impressive, and ensure that the Casio Exilim EX-V7 is a very attractive digital camera. When Casio improves the quality of the internal optical lens, the Casio Exilim EX-V7 will have a guaranteed share of the market. Now the Casio Exilim EX-V7 is a stylish digital jewel, which is not too bad, either.'