Missing from the menu structure is an option to adjust the brightness of the LCD. We found this no easier to view in bright sunlight than any other camera display we've seen, but my own personal Sony Cyber-shot at least has an optical viewfinder for such occasions. Not so with the EX-Z75, and when on traveling overseas this particular feature was very much missed.
Casio expects you to spend most of your time in Auto - semi-auto really - or in one of the pre-set shooting modes, accessed through the Best Shot key and menu. There are 33 of them, all presented as an array of photos, each one appropriate to the mode, so you know exactly what it does. Press the Zoom key Right at the end is an icon which saves you're current settings as a new Best Shot mode for fast access in future. Second in line is the Movie mode, which it shoots at 640 x 480 and 30fps, as per pretty much every digital camera these days.
The slim base of the EX-Z75 is home to the tripod screw; a covered proprietary I/O port that connects to either the bundled TV cable or a USB link for a computer; and the cover the protects the camera's removable battery and SD card slot. All to often the cover was accidentally knocked open, but since both the memory card and the battery lock in place, they never fell out inadvertently, so ultimately this was more of an inconvenience than a problem.
The camera can take SDHC cards - we used a 4GB SanDisk card - and a good thing too. The Casio has a measly 8MB of on-board memory, big enough for three seven-megapixel shots at the Normal quality setting, or just one if you select Fine.
We took a series of shots to take a look at what difference the quality setting makes. The images below are both seven-megapixel images at full size but cropped, the first an Economy shot, the second a Fine picture. The originals are, respectively, 1.3MB and 4MB in size, but there's not a lot in the picture quality.
EX-Z75: Cropped Economy Quality image at 100%
EX-Z75: Cropped Fine Quality image at 100%
COMMENTS
I just got...
...a canon IXUS 850 IS, this is 7.1mpix too and you can get a water proof case that goes down 40 Meters, and this camera has an optical view finder. (lovely camera btw :) )
A little different?
"How do you sell a seven-megapixel camera when so many rivals are doing the same? You can't rely on the usual features - big LCD, anti-blur tech, slimline metal casing, etc - because everyone else has those too. No, you need something a little different, and in Casio's case that means offering your latest compact camera with an optional underwater kit."
Pentax and Olympus already sell p&s cameras that are waterproof down to a couple of meters, and you can get casings for many other p&s's. Nothing new here then...
How deep does it go?
There's no mention of how deep the waterproof case will go, despite you giving a page of the article to this accessory. There's nothing on the makers website either (not helpful, but not your fault). Is it for pool use, or suitable for diving? Its also helpful if you can confirm any waterproof rating for guarantee purposes as opposed to the legally useless "water-resistant"
I've had three of these...
On one, the flash failed within the first week. On the second, the flash failed after a month and it had a poor USB connection, so half way through importing photos, it would just disconnect. The third one is going okay, but I don't know how long that will last.
