Casio Exilim EX-Z1080

There’s nothing like taking a camera on holiday to really put it through its paces, so we decided to treat the Casio Exilim EX-Z1080 to a long weekend in Barcelona. Being the happy-snappers we are, the camera was in for some heavy-duty usage. This little camera was in use from the very start of the journey in the airport departure lounge right through to the return plane journey back home again.

In terms of build and size, this model is the perfect travel companion. It’s nice and compact for slipping into a shirt pocket or small bag – perfect for whipping out at a moment’s notice. The outer shell is mode up of a tough plastic, which is hardwearing, scratch resistant and ready to cope with being pulled in and out of a bag repeatedly for all those tourist shots. Aesthetically, the plastic body does look a little cheap (especially on the blue model), but practically speaking, it’s a winner. The weight is substantial enough to feel like you’ve got hold of something, yet it doesn’t weigh you down when you’re out and about on that sightseeing tour.

The layout of the camera is pretty standard; LCD positioned to the left, with controls laid out down the right-hand side. The zoom control sits on the top panel, with the shutter button positioned within the zoom ring. All the controls are silver-coloured and look smart against the camera body.

Our first challenge for this compact was a rather chilly open-top bus tour around the city. From the top deck the views were fantastic, but with the obstacle of motion from the moving bus and extremely numb, cold fingers, the hope for steady shots was not high. Surprisingly we were proved wrong. The shots were smooth and pin-sharp, with the only soft photo occurring from a rather unattractive self-portrait taken at arms length, which was swiftly deleted anyhow!

The camera copes well in the bright sunshine too, even at midday. One of its best qualities is the control it exerts over highlights, keeping them under control. A visit to the rooftop of Gaudi’s famous apartment in the midday sun was great proof of this. Not a single highlight was blown and the shadows had plenty of detail. We adore the colours this camera produces too. Gorgeous azure blue skies are definitely its forte.

Due to the fantastic architecture in Barcelona, many of our shots were taken looking upwards at impressive buildings and features. This is often where you can find signs of distortion and fringing, but we were quite amazed to find very little indeed. There was a very faint degree of purple fringing found in some of the backlit shots, where the darkest part of the image overlapped with the brightness of the sky, but we can honestly say that was it. Things like barrel distortion and pin-cushion distortion in which objects appear warped were nowhere to be seen.

The Ex-Z1080 also really benefits from the 10.1 megapixel resolution. The detail in the shots is remarkable, with the camera even picking up the woven texture in a sweatshirt with acute crispness. In all honesty this does make those close-up portrait shots a little hard to look at, especially when every line and blemish is as clear as day, but it is seriously impressive.

The other brilliant aspect of this model is its scene modes or ‘Best Shot’ modes as Casio refers to them. There are 41 in total, although some of these include things like voice recording and movie mode. One of our favourites is the ‘Sundown’ mode, which transforms a very pleasant sunset shot into a stunning firery scene. In some instances the effect can be a little too OTT, but for on most counts it produces really vibrant, impressive pictures. After sunset, however, the nighttime mode was not as impressive, but not altogether awful either. As with all cameras this mode requires the camera to be on a tripod or a steady surface. We opted for a wall, but our shots of the city were not as good as we had hoped. The crispness wasn’t bad, the main problem was the camera’s inability to cope with the stronger lights in the scene, therefore producing a  rather imbalanced shot. It’s a shame the camera’s longest shutter speed setting is limited to just half a second, as a longer exposure would have been better to achieve a more evenly lit shot.

It’s not all bad though, other ‘Best Shot’ modes that are particularly handy are the Black and White mode and the Retro mode (aka sepia). These are brilliant for those who enjoy the effects but do not have the time or the desire to edit their images in a separate programme after you’ve captured them on camera. The Black and White mode produced shots with great tonality, displaying a dynamic range of jet-blacks, soft greys through to crisp whites.

This camera really is a joy to use. It’s so fast in performance and so versatile too. Whether you’re after a travel companion for holiday photos or a snapper for frequent use, this model will certainly please. Overall it’s a fantastic package and well worth the money.