Casio EXILIM EX-H5 review

This super-zoom compact packs a lot for the money

Ever find you can’t get close enough to the subject to fill the frame? If so, you need a super-zoom compact like the Casio Exilim EX-H5. This has a 10x optical zoom coupled with a 4x digital zoom which, in total, give a whopping 40x zoom capability. The optical zoom alone has a range equivalent to 24-240mm in 35mm-speak. That’s better than most DSLR lenses. Factor in the digital zoom and you can zoom all the way to the equivalent of a 960mm DSLR lens.

To squeeze in the uber-optics, something had to give and the EX-H5 isn’t the most compact of compact cameras. Indeed, by modern standards it’s positively chunky. It’s a good-looking camera, though, with a hint of retro about its shape. It also feels pleasant, with a metallised finish that belies the low price.

The camera powers up quickly when you press the button on the top panel; an experience that is marred by the slightly rough mechanical feel of the lens moving out (and retracting when you switch off). Once activated, though, the actual zoom is smooth and fast, controlled as it is by an easy-to-use ring around the shutter button.

Other controls are concentrated on the back of the camera and consist of the ubiquitous five-way toggle plus four other buttons. We particularly like the Movie button that lets you switch quickly to video mode without having to delve into hidden menus. You can also scroll through the flash modes at the touch of a button which, again, is refreshingly handy. Oddly, though, the large Stills button seems redundant, as you can’t use it to switch out of Video mode (you press the Movie button again for that), but only to come out of playback mode; it would be more logical to press the Playback button a second time to do that! We’d like to be able to use the Still button to access the shooting modes but, as it is, you have to enter an onscreen menu for this, which is fiddly.

Speaking of modes, the EX-H5 offers the usual Auto mode but no other program settings. There are, though, no less than 28 Best Shot modes, including some surprisingly specific ones (Auction or Autumn Leaves, anyone?). The problem is, with no quick access to these modes, most people are simply going to leave the camera in Auto.

An interesting option is Multi-motion which allows you to capture an action sequence (such as a gymnast or golfer) on one frame – essentially a multiple exposure. You need to keep the camera still (ideally on a tripod) and be prepared for some experimentation for this to work successfully.

Also novel is Dynamic Photo, which allows you to cut a subject out from its background. Again, the camera has to remain still, and you make two exposures; the first with the subject in place, and a second without it. Depending on the subject (and its background) it can be reasonably effective.

However, most of the time people use compacts to take straightforward photos, so how does the EX-H5 perform? The autofocus is snappy and works well in the default Intelligent mode (there’s also Multipoint, Single and Tracking). Usually, after then taking a photograph, the review image appears almost immediately in the LCD. You do have to wait a couple of seconds before being able to take another photograph, though, which can be a nuisance. Occasionally, and for apparent reason, that lag increases to over three seconds.

The metering copes admirably with a range of lighting conditions, giving well-exposed images without problem. An exposure compensation control with a nifty onscreen scale is spoiled by the fact you have to hunt through menus to activate it. Also, we found some apparently straightforward exposures came out almost completely black, for no reason we could determine.

Picture quality is good, with the lens producing sharp images across the optical zoom range, and the image stabiliser helps stop camera shake at telephoto settings. Head into digital zoom territory, though, and the quality drops to a level that is barely acceptable, so this is a feature to only use if you really have to. The 12Mb sensor ensures well-defined images at lower ISO speeds although, as one would expect, noise does increase with ISO.

On the whole, the EX-H5 is an admirable performer, especially in light of its competitive price.