General DC evaluation of Casio Z3000 with 8 times zoom and touch screen

IT 168 Evaluation Casio released the first touch-screen camera EX-Z3000 in April. As a new member of Z series, this DC has also improved its zoom factor to 8 times optical zoom for the first time. Through super-resolution zoom, it can achieve the effect of 12 times optical zoom, and the 25mm wide-angle end also makes it one of the super wide-angle DC. In addition, the HDR art, panoramic scanning, wit mode and full HD video recording of EX-Z3000 are also highlights worthy of attention. Just two months before the release date, we received the official commercial version of the Z3000 camera. Today, let's take a look at the design, functions and proofs of Casio Z3000.

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As its first touch screen DC, the screen configuration and touch function of EX-Z3000 naturally attract much attention. It is equipped with a 3.2-inch high-definition touch LCD screen and a 460,000-pixel high-definition display screen, which further strengthens the tradition of simple operation of EXILIM series cameras. The user interface is simple and generous, and anyone can simply operate various functions by smoothly scrolling the on-screen menu and clicking the colored icons: taking photos by touching the touch screen; Freely choose various scene modes; Easily adjust the effect level of HDR art; High-speed playback of photos taken; Touch to enlarge the photo; Fast retrieval of multiple images.

▲Z3000 uses a 3.2-inch touch screen with 460,000 pixels.

On Casio EX-ZR 100 released before EX-Z3000, everyone is already familiar with HDR, HDR art, extreme mode and 360? Panoramic shooting, this EX-Z3000 also has these functions. Through Casio HDR (wide dynamic range) technology, every time you press the shutter, you actually take several photos with different exposures, and they are combined into a perfect photo at the same time. This technology ensures that the bright and dark areas can be vividly reproduced in the final photo, minimizing the generation of waste films and dark areas, and effectively ensuring the best effect while achieving high contrast. Casio's unique HDR art mode, as long as the shutter is gently pressed, HDR art will combine photos with different exposures taken continuously at the same time, carry out high-precision image analysis, and change the local contrast and color scale of photos. This makes it easy for every user to create artistic photos completely different from traditional digital cameras. However, in panoramic shooting, the EX-Z3000 narrowed the shooting range to 240? This is enough to meet most panoramic shooting needs.

▲ The screen moves from left to right during panoramic scanning shooting.

In addition, Casio EX-Z3000 not only supports HD high-definition camera shooting, but also realizes zoom and continuous autofocus in imagination; Silent mode can prevent any sound and flash of the camera from affecting others around. Standard large-capacity battery, battery life up to 560. Next, let's take a concrete look at the appearance details of Casio EX-Z3000.

24mm ultra-thin body, can accommodate 8 times zoom lens.

Casio EX-Z3000 is designed in four colors: brown, pink, burgundy and silver. This is the silver version. EX-Z3000 still maintains the slim figure of Casio card machine, and the thinnest part of the camera is nearly 24 mm It is the first time to get this camera. If the left side of the lens is marked with 8 times optical zoom, I don't believe there is room for 8 times optical zoom lens in such an ultra-thin and compact body. After careful observation, it is found that the EX-Z3000 also uses the most common three-stage lens, but the middle lens barrel is much thinner than the inner and outer lens barrels, and the thickness is only about 1/3. This design can effectively reduce the maximum outer diameter of the whole lens barrel, thus making the height of the fuselage controllable and reducing the weight of the fuselage.

▲ Casio Z3000 fuselage frosted surface is rich in metal texture.

▲ Eye-catching pixels and optical zoom signs

▲ lens parameters

Casio EX-Z3000 uses a 3.2-inch touch screen, and there are no extra buttons on both sides of the screen. In addition to the buttons built into the touch screen menu, there is also a physical play button above the fuselage. A noteworthy detail is that there are two rubber strip protruding screens on both sides of the screen, which can make the thumb hold more firmly when shooting with one hand, and on the other hand, when placing the camera, the screen can be placed down on the desktop without rubbing against the touch screen.

▲ Casio EX-Z3000 adopts a 3.2-inch touch screen.

In terms of fuselage interface layout, there is a USB/AV interface on the right side and a rope hole next to it. There is a 6-hole speaker, a tripod mounting plate screw hole and a battery compartment at the bottom of the fuselage, next to the SD card slot.

▲ USB/AV interface and lanyard hole on the right side of the fuselage.

▲ Bottom of the fuselage

The battery capacity of Casio EX-Z3000 is 1.200 mAh, even higher than some flagship quasi-professional DC. Officials say 560 photos can be taken. At present, the battery capacity of most card cameras on the market is only 700 mAh, and the number of shots is between 230 and 300.

▲ The battery is very powerful.

HDR art and 240-degree panoramic scanning.

In the shooting mode of Casio Z3000, there are many special functions: in addition to HDR and extreme mode, there are HDR art and 240-degree panoramic scanning, and there are more shooting modes familiar to Casio cameras in the best shooting menu. The first four modes are mainly introduced here.

▲ shooting mode selection

▲ Scene mode in the best shooting.

Casio HDR (wide dynamic range) technology actually takes several photos with different exposures every time you press the shutter, and combines them into a perfect photo at the same time. This technology ensures that the bright and dark areas can be vividly reproduced in the final photo, minimizing the generation of waste films and dark areas, and effectively ensuring the best effect while achieving high contrast. Z3000 also has Casio's unique HDR art mode. As long as you press the shutter gently, everyone can take a unique artistic photo. HDR art combines photos with different exposures taken continuously at the same time, carries out high-precision image analysis, and changes the local contrast and color scale of photos. This makes it easy for users to create artistic photos completely different from traditional digital cameras. Users can adjust the levels of the three arts and choose the artistic effect that best suits their preferences.

▲HDR artistic effect has three levels. The main body displayed on the screen in this picture is normal color.

▲HDR Art+Level 2 Preview Effect

▲ Normal color

▲HDR Art +2 Effect

▲HDR yisu +3 effect

From the comparison of the proofs of different levels of HDR art above, it can be seen that with the improvement of HDR art intensity, the color saturation and contrast of photos are also improved, the local color scale changes, the line boundaries in the picture are more obvious, the outline is clear, and the contrast is increased.

Using the panoramic photography mode of Casio Z3000, you can take 240-degree panoramic photos. Even if the camera moves when shooting, the panoramic photography mode can automatically detect moving objects and faces, and easily take panoramic photos with minimum ambiguity.

▲ Move from left to right

▲ Move from bottom to top

▲ When shooting, pedestrians and cars are moving, which can quickly capture the subject with high definition.

▲ Panoramic proofs

Using the 25mm wide-angle 8 times optical zoom lens of Casio Z3000, you can easily enlarge the distant scenery. When using super-resolution zoom, the effect equivalent to 12 times of optical zoom can be achieved without affecting the image quality.

▲ You can turn on super-resolution zoom in the menu.

▲ Super resolution zoom

▲25mm wide-angle shooting

▲8 x optical zoom

▲ Super-resolution zoom is equivalent to 12 times optical zoom, and the picture is still clear and sharp.

Using the extreme mode of Casio Z3000, shooting can be very simple. In this mode, the camera will automatically detect and switch to the most suitable shooting scene, and also detect whether there is a face in the picture, whether the subject moves, the position of the subject and whether a tripod is used. At the same time, the camera will automatically optimize exposure settings, ISO sensitivity, focus position, blur correction, tone range, color balance and noise suppression.

▲ Extreme mode has been selected.

▲ Automatic macro detection

▲ Automatic face recognition is not interfered by other nearby subjects.

▲ Automatic face recognition is not interfered by other nearby subjects.

▲ When taking a portrait, the camera will automatically process the beauty effect.

Let's take a look at some menu options of Casio Z3000.

▲ISO minimum 80

▲ Up to ISO 3200

▲ With EV setting.

▲EV setting can be adjusted at 1/3 level.

▲ Multiple focusing methods

▲ camera information

More samples

▲ Casio Z3000 real shot proofs

▲ Casio Z3000 real shot sample macro

▲ Casio Z3000 real shot proof 25mm wide angle

▲ Casio Z3000 real shot proofs

▲ Casio Z3000 real shot proof normal color

▲ HDR artistic effect of Casio Z3000 real shot proofs

▲ Casio Z3000 real shot proof normal color

▲ HDR artistic effect of Casio Z3000 real shot proofs

▲ Casio Z3000 real shot proofs

▲ Casio Z3000 real shot proofs

▲ Casio Z3000 real shot proofs

▲ Casio Z3000 real shot proofs wide-angle end

▲ Casio Z3000 real shot proofs 8 times optical zoom

▲ Super-resolution image is equivalent to 12 times optical zoom.

▲ Casio Z3000 real shot sample HDR

Evaluation summary: Small body and large zoom function are rich and fun.

As Casio's first touch screen DC, EX-Z3000 did not deliberately emphasize its new touch function, because there are many bright spots on Z3000: 24mm ultra-thin body contains 8 times optical zoom lens, and 25mm ultra-wide angle super-resolution zoom technology with almost no loss of image quality can achieve the equivalent effect of 12 times optical zoom. From a practical point of view, it is a 65438. In addition, its HDR, HDR art, 240? Panoramic scanning, extreme mode, autofocus tracking, beauty function, 1080p HD video recording, etc. It can be said that it is widely praised at present, and every aspect is worth mentioning. These functions are enough to meet the daily shooting needs of most users, so the author calls it all-round DC.

▲ Casio EX-Z3000

In terms of experience and image quality, let's talk about its touch screen first. The 3.2-inch 460,000-pixel touch screen has nothing to say about the display effect, but it is still slightly insufficient in the response time and accuracy of touch control. I believe Casio will be able to optimize this through firmware upgrade or subsequent touch screen camera. In terms of focusing speed, Casio EX-Z3000 is very fast, even if it is macro focusing, it does not hesitate, and its sharpness is good. The super-resolution zoom of EX-Z3000 is also worthy of recognition. First, the image quality and sharpness are excellent when it is equivalent to 12 times optical zoom. Second, you can get clear and sharp photos by hand. Then, its HDR art mode and panoramic scanning are very fun, and the wit mode can make shooting simple, so even a novice camera can easily take good photos.

Finally, let's talk about its price: Casio digital camera in recent years is characterized by fashionable and light appearance, rich and practical functions, and its price is close to that of ordinary consumers, so is EX-Z3000. For the current price around 1750 yuan, if you are satisfied with the performance of EX-Z3000 in all aspects, I believe this price is also relatively acceptable.