With all the rapid expansion and advancements in digital cameras everyday, it seems the longer the wait the better they get. I previously owned a QV-R40 and it was satisfactory, but the EX-Z55 is much better for my needs!

Portable, lightweight yet durable, this camera posseses everything I want to take amazing pictures and a videoclip here or there.

I recommend reading through the manual so you're not missing out on all the special features/functions it has hidden--like the "flash assistant" which really helps in those nights out w/your friends and outside.

The battery life--omg! I was using it for 8 days straight on Spring break and it only died on me at the airport! Using it constantly and uploading/downloading every other day. The most impressive feature is by far the battery life on this camera.

This was a xmas gift and I've used it ever since. It is the best! Takes excellent photo's both indoors and out. Blows photo's up nicely and clear. Perfect size. All around - the best I've used. I did buy a new memory card because the memory wasn't large enough but that is it. It was a disappointment they don't print the manual though - but it is available online.

Well, I can not hide the good features in the Z55
- Big LCD
- Fast playback
- Fast start up
- MMC/SD (You will enjoy this feature if you have a card reader instead of using the USB base)

But I found two bad things in this camera:

1. Indoor images are bad (opposite of the great images taken outdoor) I mean if you depend on a bulb light you will get bad images, otherwise it is perfect under the sun.

2. Once I make a zoom (after transfering the images to my laptop not in the camera) for the images I dont get the same quality (bad sharpness) - opposite of the SONY T1 models .. everytime you enlarge you get higher quality

Finally, I recommend SONY.

I spent countless hours online searching for the BEST in the ultra-compacts, went to all the non-biased www sites searching out WHICH ultra-compact digital was the best unit, they ALL pointed to the EX-Z55 CASIO. I bought mine a few days ago, its MORE than even i expected, an im pretty darn cynical!

the BEST feature (since i own 2 other digital cameras) on this unit is that it has an instant shot feature which bypasses the half-shutter-then focus-then full shutter and shot,.........you can depress the shutter release full ways without doing a prefocus, which is VERY IMPORTANT for catching those candid shots that WILL NOT WAIT for a time-consuming focus then shot.

built rugged, menu is a breeze, the docking station is wonderful, and GOODNESS! the battery life is beyond beyond!. The hype about this units ultra long battery life is NO HYPE, even with flash on every shot, i still havent been able to kill the battery on this baby yet!.

Good job casio, you really skunked Sony, Olympus and Canon and Nikon in the ultra compact dept.

the only downside to this camera is that its sharpness is less than perfect, but easily adjusted in computer on photo suite software, but heck it IS an ultra-compact, so its lens is tiny.

I agree with PC Magazines digi-cam review about this model which said "this is THE BEST PICTURE weve ever seen from an ultra-compact", i agree.

the Casio EX-Z55 outclasses all comperable models of sony, olympus and canon after extensive research.

This camera is absolutely wonderful. I tried the Z40 and the it was very similar, took great AVI and features were the same, however the quality of the actual digital photo seemed a bit-sub par in my opinion. THis Z55 has a much better picture and really delivers. It takes great AVI footage and clear crisp pictures for such a tiny little camera. It also comes with a cool dock that plugs right into my iMac(or any usb port).

I like the 2" LCD ad the long battery life along with the ZOOM and 5 megapixels.

We take pictures and movies all the time now. Invest in a nice photo printer and say goodbye to the photolab!

http://exilim.casio.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=cameras.features&exp_id=46069DA2-0745-4D09-B7F2-EA3AF30CF6A4

I love this camera and it takes terrific pictures. Have an intermitent problem with lens jamming when extended. Camera 2 months old, problem from beginning. My problem is with Casio. They will only replace the new 2 month old camera with a reconditioned product. I find this unacceptable and would never buy another Casio product because of their customer service and warranty. When you pay a lot of money for a new camera you expect it replaced with a new camera, not a reconditioned camera I never would have bought to begin with. Fortunately for me I was able to have the camera replaced at point of purchase. It is a terrific, easy to use camera with excellent photos, my only complaint is with Casio's cusomter service/warranty, and it will keep me from buying another Casio product.

I bought this camera based on the looks and features and the good reviews on amazon, boy was i dissappointed. Never believe everything ppl say on here. The biggest dissapoinment is the picture quality. I have 3 different digital cameras to compare side by side and this is the worst i've ever seen. the pictures taken indoor turn out grainy and the colors are not as vibrant as the coolpix 4600 or the kodak easyshare. on a bright sunny day it does take good pictures but not as good as the kodak easyshare or the olympus stylus i've used in the past. on a positive note, this camera is one of the best looking and i love the large lcd screen as well as the long battery life but what good does it do if it doesn't take good pictures. i will have to put this one up for sale on the classifieds.

I am not one of these reviewers that is just impressed by the camera look and size...I have had many digital cameras in the past (have used Nikon, Sony, Canon, etc.) and am very experienced with technology products and I only buy the best (hence I do TONS of research, I even contact the companies techincal departments to ask questions...)

Please take this review very seriously when I say the Casio EX Z 55 is the best small size high resolution camera currently on the market, from features to LCD screen to picture quality, to price/value level, to build quality--frankly, it blew me away right out of the box:

1. Size and build: Although not as slim as its little brother, it is quite small (.88 mm deep), yet VERY solid. It is all metal and metal alloy and most importantly, the LCD is protected by a plexi-protector (thank you for not making the same dumb mistake as Canon and sony). Although the battery cover is plastic (like all other digital cameras), unlike others, this one has a sliding lock that is spring loaded with a metal piece and even has a locking battery piece inside--so no worries about anything breaking off or falling out! The camera, although tiny, is easy to hold and control with your hands automatically knowing where to go naturally--very well thought out layout. Button are minimal and VERY well marked. A 10-year old could master the device in less than 20 minutes, and that says alot about ease of use because the camera has TONS of features!!!

LCD Screen: Yes, the pixel count is lower than Sony, Canon or Nikon models...do NOT let that scare you away. The image quality of the LCD, the anti-glare properties and the LCD processor are far superior! You can hold at almost any angle in any light and clearly read the display. Canon models "white out". The LCD does not jitter or delay (like all other digital cameras), the image looks 100% real time--great processor! People mention a bit of grainy-ness...not really, what they are seeing is the decreased resolution and darkening when you use the zoom. the scrren gains up in low light and you can also further adjust it. i am truly impressed w/ the screen and i did not even mention its huge 2.5" size!!!

pic clarity: dont take my word for it...read the professional reviews (steve's digicams, PC world, PC magazine, DP Preview, etc) Pic quality is far superior to the canon SD series and sony. these images blew away my 4 MP Nikon w/ Nikoor lens. 5 megapixel means crisp, clear shots. color is spot on and the "Best shot" scene options are handy and work well! The zoom is an improved Pentax lens, works great up to 3x optical, will stick in their with any Nikkor or Sony lens. When you think Casio, you may not think of cameras...but Casio uses its processor and battery technology and partners with camera companies to produce a device that is best of both worlds!

by the way, camera battery life really is really as long as you've heard...i could not drain it over 3 days of continous use with LCD on.

I came accross this product online and i read reviews from different customers and i was impressed. I decided to give it a try. Among other rivals are sony DSC-T7 at $499.95, nikon and some other like that. Sony DSCT7 was the bottom of the least rated even though it's slim and cute. I have a bad experience with sony handycam dcr-dvd 301. It shoots movies nice, but can't take good pictures. that's when i started shopping for digital cameral. My experiece so far is unimaginable. No regret at all. The pix are excellent, the movie is good and the battery continues to go and go. The foto loader is da bomb men! i will forever recommend this product.

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I've had the camera for about 6 months now. Overall I'm thrilled with it. I like pretty much the same stuff as everyone else - nice big screen, loaded with features, intuitive operation, long battery life, small - all terrific.

I agree with those that complain about some picture quality although I've had quality problems on other expensive digital cameras too so ... The quality problems I have on this one relate to curvature in the corners in some pictures and can be kind of dark for low-light conditions (night time indoors). Most of the pictures turn out great though. Lots of detail and look fantastic when printed. The occasional pic problems are minor nuisances in the overall scheme. It's a terrific camera and I happily recommend it to anyone.

I have researched cameras for a while now, with my own personal experiences in all of the large brands...kodak, sony, canon, nikon... and i have to say all of them are inferior to this camera. the z55 is awesome. below i have listed pros and cons for casio, most of which are great
pros
1)everything the camera states is true, battery life is phenominal, ive taken 450+ pictures and then it dies, it would definately last a weeks trip to the mountains
2)very sturdy its strong and can eaisly be slipped into a purse.there is no need to worry about breaking it because it has a hard coat lcd screen, meaning theres a little peice of plastic on the screen, protecting it from scratches and harm.definate plus for me
3) very handsom and very shique, its a subtle silver (looks like the silver ipod except little lighter) with little peices of polished metal surrounding the edges and lens.. very sophisticated
4) ergonomics were good... i usually take pictures with one hand, i never felt like it would drop, it has a little grip on the front and the back is recessed to fit your hand comfortably. however i highly suggest using the wrist strap just in case it does fall
5) THIN, wow its pretty small, its about the size of a credit card and is about 8/10 of an inch thick, overall its tiny
6) outdoor picture quality is awesome, bright, clear, and macro (close up pictures) are the best ive seen in any compact camera, i can take pictures of a fly and see the hair on it :) wow!
7)lcd is very big, however it is low resolution, but in my oppinion who cares? i dont have to squint and i laugh at all the 1.5 lcds :)
8)menu system i think its the best in the market, lets you control ALMOST everything- saturation, contrast, flash, and 23 preset picture modes, thats crazy (sunset, flowers, food, parties)!!!
9)its fast! it focuses fairly fast one second and takes another second to write to the card
cons :(
1)indoor picture is grainy, i have to set it at 50 iso to get decent quality, still nice but your going to need a lot of light around
2)for best results indoor it requires flash, this is a definite con for me since i like to work with natural light
3)white balance has got issues, you have to adjust it when your inside, or else you get a yellow tint, very minor but kind of annoying
overall i think this is the best camera on the market, its small, cool, great featres, beautiful picture quality, awesome macro mode, built to last and its battery lasts a good 1-3 weeks, at least (with the lcd and flash on too)... most of the issues are for indoor only(although still very nice), so if you take most pictures outside, this is perfect. in my oppinion i was doubtful when i first bought it, wanted a sony or canon for brand but i highly doubt they could contend with the z55, this is an overall good product, although it might not be for everyone, try it out before you buy it. dont think that this reveiw isnt trust worthy just cause im a kid, i know more about cameras than most adults:) seriously... hope this helps :)

I bought this camera for a trip to Brazil with my daughter.. I bought a 1gb card for it. We had the ability to take 500 photos. We actually did take almost 400 and I never had to re-charge the battery--not once. My daughter used three sets of batteries for her own camera and only took 98 photos. I used it under all lighting conditions and the photos are beautiful. Everyone is commenting on how beautiful the photos are-clear and the good color. It is so small and light that I took it everywhere with me and this is something new for me. I never enjoyed carting a camera around before. This is my first digital and it was easy to learn how to use it.

I highly recommend this camera.

My daughter really love this camera I got for her. Compared to other digital cameras we have purchased from the past, I think I made the right choice in purchasing this awesome camera. No regret.

I haven't used a lot of digital camera but this one is, by far, the best I've used. The Casio Exilim has 5.0 megapixels of power mated to a 3X optical zoom that appears far more enhanced than that. It has a large viewfinder that gives an excellent idea of your subject, framed for easy reference.

I don't generally like these little bitty new cameras but this one blew me away when I used it. The ease of operation and ease of transferring outstanding 5.0 images to PC or other media sold me on this.

If you can buy this camera for less than $400 you will be very happy with it for a long time.

The camera is small, but not too small and the huge screen is great to view photos immediately with friends etc. I really like this camera..perfect except that I have a mac and can't play the video back..they need to change this...if they do, it would be a 5 star camera..love it!

The Casio Exilim EXZ55 competes head to head with the Canon SD400 and SD450.

Likes: The Casio zoom control is in a more convenient place than the Canon. It is right where my thumb wants it to be. The Canon zoom is on a ring around the shutter button and I feel like I'm going to drop the camera when I zoom out. The Casio battery life is almost three times as long as the Canon. So long that you should not worry if you forgot your spare battery. The Casio battery can be charged inside the camera using the docking station (the Canon battery must be removed from the camera to charge). The docking station is also a little more convenient than Canon's loose cable if you want to use USB to upload pictures.
Dislikes: I think the Canon does a little better job in low light situations with no flash. The Casio images look a little "blocky" on close inspection. However, with flash, the Casio does a better job. The Casio has very even lighting (I think it has digital compensation to reduce dark corners.

All that the reviewers here and elsewhere have said about this camera is true. It's a good camera. I bought this as a replacement for the no-longer available Pentax Optio S.

Unfortunately, it's not as good as the Optio S. Here are the reasons:

THE IMAGE QUALITY ISN'T AS GOOD as the 3.2 megapixel Optio S. Even when I set the Casio Exilim EXZ55 at +2 sharpness, it still isn't as sharp as the Optio S.

THE SETTINGS IN THE EXZ55 WON'T TAKE: The contrast, saturation, sharpness, and flash on/off can be set, but when you turn the power off and then back on again, the above settings are forgotten....everything's back to zero, and the flash is back on. When it won't keep these settings I mentioned, it to me is THE major flaw in the design.

The EXZ55 is a handsome camera; about equal in the good looks department to the Optio S. It's small, but it's a behemoth next to the classic Optio S. It's too big to fit inside an Altoids tin, though.

Now for the positive attributes of the EXZ55 that the other reviewers perhaps overlooked: The handling is very good. It's not too small that it might be awkward for bigger hands. I have small hands, and this 3.4" x 2.3" camera is just the right size. The controls are layed out much better than the Optio S, and one doesn't need magnifying glasses. The battery/SD card door is metal-hinged, and has a spring tensioner. Much better than the Optio S' plastic hinge! Oh, and the colors from this camera are very lively and vibrant.

Finally, with a 1 gigabyte SD card + internal memory, the shot capacity is 434. Very nice. This camera isn't perfect. The lack of memory for the settings I mentioned, and the so-so image quality is keeping it from becoming a classic like the Optio S. All its other great features that everyone's been raving about is what makes it in my recommendation column.

I've had my Casio Exilim EXZ55 for a year now and I'm quite happy with it. It's small and very sleek looking. I can take it anywhere and everywhere, and not have to worry about it taking too much space in my purse or pocket. The pictures come out great, I love the huge LCD screen, and I've had no problems with the camera whatsoever. It is very user friendly and it makes for a GREAT first camera for those who aren't camera/gadget savvy. Even for someone like me who loves to take pictures and have used many cameras in the past, I am still very impressed with it! I've used the Olympus and Minolta cameras in the past and have been happy with those, however for a small and easy to use, easy to carry around, this camera is really something! It does the job of all the other cameras and takes less space to carry around.

The only thing that's a bit inconvenient is the cradle you have to put it into when charging the battery or when downloading pictures...however, it's a minor detail and it's really not that big of a deal. Speaking of battery, you only have to charge it fully once (I normally do it overnight) and the battery will last you a VERY VERY long time...I can keep it in my purse for 1-2 months taking pictures left and right before it runs out of battery (approx. 600+ pictures). If I'm taking a lot of pictures every day, such as on a vacation, it will last me 3-4 days of taking pictures constantly, before the battery life will go low. It's amazing how much battery life it has!

I highly recommend this camera and for the great price, it's quite a deal! You won't be disappointed.

PS - I normally keep the camera in a camera case when it's in my purse so it doesn't get all scratched up since I carry it EVERYWHERE.

In the game of tennis, there's an area on the face of the racket known as the "sweet spot," where if the ball is hit there it is returned with special power and accuracy. Buying a digital camera is an exercise in compromise, and in the EX-Z55 Casio has found a special balance of features, a digicam sweet spot.

There is no perfect digital camera--it's more like camera X is perfect for situation A, camera Y is perfect for situation B, and camera Z just isn't anywhere near perfect for anything. While we all want perfect pictures, most of us would rather sacrifice some quality for a lower price, a smaller or lighter camera, longer battery life or a larger picture capacity, ease of use, fashion, or whatever. The trick is picking the right compromise. In my case, this includes the compromise between what I want in a camera and what my wife wants, since we just have one. We settled on the Casio EX-Z55 eight months ago, and we aren't sorry.

I like a lot of control over the process of taking a picture, and I don't really get all the control I want in the EX-Z55. It's not a camera that gives you full control over aperature, shutter speed, and film speed. Instead, it relies on its "Best Shot" features, pre-set combinations of such factors. Usually this works pretty good. On our daughter's birthday, I was able to get some nice pictures of her with her birthday cake in the dark, by candlelight alone--using the Best Shot created for this purpose. Unfortunately, there's no Best Shot for sports--for stopping action crisply. The best I could do was set the camera for a very fast film speed (there is limited control over such things). But hey, I was looking for something cheap, and I don't blame the EX-Z55 for not being a professional SLR. I have Best Shot and not full manual control--I'm dealing with it fine, and in some cases my pictures are the better for it. One other feature I miss is the "power winder" setting, that lets me take a series of pictures quickly without lifting my finger from the button. Well, I knew that feature was missing, and if it was something I really needed I would have bought something else.

My wife and technology do not go together. She still needs to ask for help (from me or any grade-school kid) in finding the document on the computer she just saved yesterday (usually named "Document38" or something). This was actually the deciding factor in our choosing the Casio digicam over another brand I had picked out (that gave me more control). My wife needs a camera that she can point and shoot. Amazingly, she gets terrific pictures from this camera just pointing and shooting. We usually leave the camera in Snapshot mode for this reason. What really impresses me, though, is how easy the menu system is for my wife. She occasionally wants to change the flash mode or take a short video clip instead of a picture...and so far she's been able to do what she wanted.

Everything the manufacturer says about this camera above is true; it just works as advertised. The shortcomings of this camera tend to be shortcomings with this TYPE of camera more than with this specific model: It's a small camera, and sometimes when we take pictures, the movement of the camera is reflected in blurry pictures (the camera is not bigger and heavier). It has a built-in flash, and indoor pictures that rely on flash are washed-out or grayish if not close enough (it doesn't have a standalone strobe with its own battery pack). Crop a picture and blow it up to poster size, and quality suffers (no $500 lense, only 5 megapixels). Video is not professional quality (no special microphone, not really a camcorder). And so on. But taken as a cheap point-and-shoot digicam, and it exceeds expectations--because it isn't really JUST a point-and-shoot camera.

I've used this camera to take pictures of colleagues' business cards when I didn't have another way of makins sure I had their contact information. I've used this camera to take pictures of documents to send via e-mail when my scanner was broken. I've used this camera to take pictures of the ancient coins I collect to sell on eBay. I've used this camera to take pictures by birthday candlelight. I've used this camera to take video, and edited that video using Ulead Video Studio 8, and distributed the MPEG result.

My bottom line: This is not the perfect camera--but it's perfect for our family, so I give it 5 stars. It works as advertised, and we haven't wished we would have gotten another model instead. This feature, that feature, yada, yada--at the end of the day we have the pictures we wanted, better pictures that we've been able to get from any of our previous cameras. I still wish I had a more professional camera--but since we're compromising on just one camera for the family, this is a better choice overall.

A note about the Casio brand: I like it. I don't have any experience with their customer relations or service, as I haven't ever had any problems with any of their products until the product was so old I wanted something more up-to-date anyway--so I can't comment on the reviews of Casio service, which I see are unanimously negative here. I've always found their quality:price ratio to my liking.

Great camera, took great pics, everyone loved it. Then one day I went to turn it on and half the screen was black and distorted. The unit was kept in a case and experienced no abuse. I called Casio who said to send it in to an authorized dealer for repair. Six calls and a month later, no repair and a bill for $200 to repair a camera that cost $300 only 6 months from purchase. Neither Casio or the authorized dealer are any help. The LCD display (one of the main reasons for buying) is not covered. As much as I love this camera, I would never buy a Casio again. Terrible customer service and a practically non-existent warranty.

I have really liked this camera so far - it takes high-quality pictures, it is small and fits easily into purse/pocket, etc, and it is very user-friendly (displays, etc). However, three months after I bought it, I had to send it for a repair because the lens cover (retracts automatically) was slow and wouldn't open or close all the way sometimes. I am annoyed, but if everything works out with the repair (under warranty) will be happy with it.

I have this camera for two years and I am very satisfied. As a point and shoot, this camera is flexible enough to let me fine tune settings to adjust to my scene.

Check out the customer photos to see for yourself.

I did LOTS of research before finally purchasing the Casio Exilim EXZ55, my first digital camera. I've now owned it for one year and have been extremely happy with the quality, features, and ease of use of this camera.

The Z55 appealed to me for a few reasons. Besides the obvious reason of desiring high-quality photos, I knew that I wanted a camera with a long battery life. I can easily use the camera for an entire day without worrying about the battery running out. For work, I often photograph special events, requiring the camera to be on and ready, and the Casio performs superbly.

The Z55 is amazingly small. I carry it with me in my purse everywhere. Even in a case, the camera is light and compact. It comfortably fits in the back pocket of my jeans, or in a wristlet. It is tiny.

I especially appreciate that the camera starts up very quickly. It doesn't need long in between shots, and is ready to take a photo as soon as it turns on. I find this convenient and have used other cameras in a similar price range with a long lag time between photos.

Overall, this is a great digital camera. I recommend it for people wishing for a simple to use, long battery life, compact camera.

To be honest when the camera was working it was fantastic. Great features, long batery life, easy to use etc. Then 18 months after purchase it broke. Just will not power up. Casio want $250 + shipping to replace it with a rebuilt one. Bye bye casio

WEBSITE WON'T LET ME CHANGE MY STARS - I GIVE IT ZERO STARS.
I originally wrote a review for this camera (copied below) after owning it for three months. Now it's been 14 months and the camera completely died. It takes pictures that are completely white. I have not used the camera that often, so I am very disappointed that this happenned. For two reasons - after month three, the camera was already showing signs of trouble (lens cover not shutting properly), but now this. Of course, I send the camera to Casio for repair and they charged me shipping, and said they'd be happy to repair my product (by replacing the entire lens) for a modest $119! Of course, that's ridiculous! And conveniently, my camera is no longer under warranty. Crappy product, do not buy casio.

Here is my original review:

I have really liked this camera so far - it takes high-quality pictures, it is small and fits easily into purse/pocket, etc, and it is very user-friendly (displays, etc). However, three months after I bought it, I had to send it for a repair because the lens cover (retracts automatically) was slow and wouldn't open or close all the way sometimes. I am annoyed, but if everything works out with the repair (under warranty) will be happy with it.

I am someone who sets everything to Auto and expects the camera to produce reasonable results. This camera is fine for pure sun, but anything overcast results in photos that are entirely too dark. I have taken enough shots in various conditions to conclude that this camera does not do well with a lack of bright light (vs. other cameras I have owned over the past 15 years). On the positive side, I love the cradle charger/connector, and battery life is great.