As often happens that we pass by the scene that really want to capture a photo, but no camera with me. Autumn in the park, an old house, a beautiful flower, and other less hackneyed plots are running dry, no matter how hard you try to keep them in memory. But on the other hand, does not carry the same all the time for a bag with a camera, lenses, films. Most digital cameras in this respect is no better - though there is no film and most lenses, but still - the "brick" in a pound of weight. At a dinner outing with a no take. Casio has found an outlet. Output - a miniature digital camera is almost the size of a credit card called the Exilim (there are two models EXILIM EX-S1 and the EXILIM EX-M1, the latter characterized by the presence of the built-in mp3 player).
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| EXILIM with player |
The camera is really tiny, it seems that a sophisticated electronic device can not fit into such a tiny package. It really gets to a medium-sized wallet, generally unnoticed in your shirt pocket and weighs (though without batteries) 86 grams. The battery on the eyes, weighs grams of 30, so that in the "combat-ready" status of the camera is very easy.
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| Here's how tiny! |
In many ways, this miniaturization is achieved by linking various devices into one. For example, a whole represent a lens and sensor CCD (charge coupled device). They are placed in one housing, which made the camera is very thin. A similar principle is used by engineers at Casio and proektirvoanii rest of "stuffing" of the camera. So, it uses the MCM (Multi Chip Module) - a single chip, which housed a new, specially designed for the camera CPU, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), memory SDRAM and Flash-memory, which in this tiny chamber 12 MB that quite a lot, again, given its size. This compact scheme razmeschniya, incidentally, not only saves space (70%), but also reduces power consumption by a third. The third "pillar" of miniaturization - the use of a unique digital interface LCD display on the back of the camera, specially designed for a series of camera Exilim. The digital interface eliminates the need for the converter, which provides space savings of about 10% (compared with control technology TFT-displays in other digital cameras), and also gets rid of many unnecessary details. The very same LCD screen rather large - 1.6 inch (3.84 cm), and perhaps precisely because of the digital interface, shows a very good picture - a clear, bright and contrast (resolution 354x240). As a result of all these innovations, and turned the camera so compact. Moreover, its compactness will not be felt for use. The few controls are well thought out and even a button on / off and shutter release, which are very close to the top panel are made so that turn off the camera instead of a picture, not easy.
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| The few buttons and LCD display - both controlled by the camera |
Basically management is carried out using the OSD menu displayed on the LCD screen. Called it a separate button, and move on it can be (and quite conveniently) using a small joystick (up / down, left or right, select). Buttons to move up one menu level up there, but the special inconvenience this poses, because the menu itself is not too "branched". The camera does not claim the title of "professional", so the settings are not too many. Thus, during smki can toggle between photo and video (the camera can take pictures and short video), to include a night mode, and the model EXILIM EX-M1 also include video recording with sound or voice memo to a photo. Next, select one of the built-in flash (auto, forced off, forced on, removing red-eye "). You can also include a timer for avtosemki (only 10 seconds), turn off the LCD display to slow down battery planted. To choose from, there are three photo size: 640x480, 1280x960 and 1600x1200 pixels, and the CCD-matrix of the 1.2-megapixel, so that the size of 1600x1200 is achieved through interpolation. The quality of JPEG-compression can also be set independently (photo will be saved only in the format *. jpg). There are a number of more professional settings: several preset white balance setting for shooting indoors, outdoors, under floodlights, plus manual adjustment. In addition, manually adjustable exposure compensation (-2EV to +2 EV, in steps of 1/3EV). In the settings you can also turn on / off four-time digital "zoom" (approximation). Photograph is a pleasure - all the settings at hand, the user can select the most variable parameter and adjust it right during the shoot gorizonitalnymi movements of a joystick. Vertical movement controlled "zoom". One move - change - and captured can be immediately viewed on the camera screen.
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| Here's how it is obtained |
Video, even though a maximum of 320x240 pixels, is also very decent quality. Recording speed - about 20 frames per second, which provides quite an acceptable smooth change of image, color saturation, brightness, balanced. In general, the look is quite possible. Is that a microphone and speakers rather weak - sounds are recorded and played back too quietly. Such movies are stored in the format of AVI. What this turns out, can be seen by downloading the file from the link at the end of the paragraph. The camera itself decides where to save the photos - if the inserted memory card SD / MMC, then at her - if not the internal memory. You can then insert the card in card reader or a handheld computer to see what happened, but the camera itself can connect to the PC (USB-cable included). No drivers do not need built-in memory card and the computer itself are identified as Mass Storage Device (though, again, individually - if memory card, the computer sees it, if not - built-in memory). Files with them and they can move as they do with conventional disks. To shoot in the camera can be used already something zapolnennnuyu card, Casio Exilim simply create it on my daddy, and where to store all your photos and audio recordings (model EM1). The only thing 'annoying' when using the camera - a short life battery. When the LCD screen, fully charged, it runs 30-40 minutes. Actually, more expected of him is hard - 630 mAh. Once again, the model EXILIM EX-M1 is an MP3 player.Slider switch between on the rear panel has three divisions instead of two as in the low-end model, but to control playback from the camera itself can not. To do this set comes pultik remote control that connects to the same jack as the docking station for PC. The sound is very good - clear, deep and loud :-). That's what the hardware decoder. In general, EXILIM - a great choice for those who want to always be able to capture something - at home or on the road, on vacation, etc. It is so compact that can constantly be in a shirt pocket or even in your wallet. Yes, there may not have any professional functions inherent in other cameras, but photo quality is quite at a level at least, to be photographed with an old friend, accidentally met on the street is enough. Of course, EXILIM of the photos you print the images in a rug, but the family album was a success. Autofocus, instant start, and second the willingness to work make this tiny camera is ideal for spontaneous, nepostanovochnyh images, namely, they tend to get the most vivid and natural. In addition, the camera - great for younger audiences. What could be better player and easy to manage the camera in a tiny and stylish bottle?
PS Specifications
- Perceived - 1/2.7 inch progressive CCD-square matrix
- Effective pixels - 1.24 million (1.31 million total pixels
- File format recording images - JPEG, compatible with standard DPOF (printing without a PC)
- Information carrier - built-in Flash-memory, about 12 MB card, Secure Digital / MultiMediaCard
- Image - 1600x1200 (interpolated) / 1280x960/640x480 pixels. Video - 320x240 pixels
. - Music player - only in the model M1, the MP3 format
- Deleting pictures - one or all memory (the ability to save individual images
- Lens - F2.5, f = 5.6mm (equivalent to 37 mm in 35 mm format)
- Zoom - a fourfold
- Fokuirovka - fixed
- Exposure - Centre weighted by CCD-matrix
- Compensation Arrangement --2EV to +2 EV
- White Balance - Automatic, plus 4 modes, plus manual adjustment
- Timer for avtosemki - 10 seconds
- PC connection - via the docking station USB
- Sizes - EX-S1: 88h55h11.3 mm (excluding protrusions), about 86 grams (without battery and memory card). EX-M1: 88x55x12.4 mm (excluding protrusions), about 87 grams (without battery and memory card).
PPS - Here's how to shoot with this camera!
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