Casio Exilim EX-ZR20 Casio - Review 🏆

The Casio Exilim EX-ZR20 is a 16-megapixel compact digital camera with an 8x optical zoom lens and a 3-inch LCD display. Released in 2012, this Exilim model stands out for its high-speed burst shooting and video recording capabilities, making it well-suited for action photography.

Key features of the EX-ZR20 include rapid-fire burst shooting at up to 30 frames per second, 1080p full HD movie recording, and sensor-shift image stabilization to minimize blur. The camera has a CMOS sensor and EXILIM Engine HS image processor for fast performance. In terms of design, the EX-ZR20 has a slim, portable body with a comfortable handgrip and easy-to-reach controls.

Design

The Casio Exilim EX-ZR20 has a stylish and compact design. It measures 4.05 x 2.29 x 1.13 inches and weighs only 5.17 ounces, making it highly portable to take anywhere. Despite its light weight, the EX-ZR20 feels sturdy thanks to its metal body. It comes in a sleek black color that gives it a sophisticated look.

The EX-ZR20 fits nicely in your hand with an ergonomic grip design. The mostly flat front surface keeps the camera slim when stored in your pocket or bag. Overall, the EX-ZR20 has a smart and travel-friendly design perfect for everyday shooting.

In addition to the EX-ZR20, the Casio EX-ZR300GDECB offers enhanced features with similar compactness. This model boasts a larger sensor and improved image stabilization, which ensures clearer shots in various conditions. Its sleek design and advanced functionalities make it an excellent choice for hobbyists and enthusiasts alike. Notably, the EX-ZR300GDECB includes a stylish color scheme and further ergonomic improvements for a comfortable grip. If you appreciate compact and high-performing cameras, this model is definitely worth considering.

Image Quality

The Casio Exilim EX-ZR20 features a 16 megapixel CMOS sensor, which allows for capturing high-resolution photos with excellent detail. With 16 megapixels, the camera can produce large prints without losing image quality.

The sensor works together with Casio's Premium Auto Pro technology to automatically analyze the scene and adjust camera settings for optimal results. This helps produce crisp, clear images in various shooting conditions.

For reducing blur from camera shake, the EX-ZR20 utilizes sensor-shift image stabilization. This optical stabilization system detects and corrects for hand movements, enabling sharp handheld shots even at slower shutter speeds or full telephoto zoom. With a maximum ISO of 3200, the camera can capture images in low light situations while keeping noise to a minimum.

Overall, the EX-ZR20 delivers excellent image quality for a compact point-and-shoot camera. The combination of a 16MP sensor, intelligent auto modes, and sensor-shift stabilization allow users to easily capture stunning, share-worthy photos.

In addition to the EX-ZR20, the Casio EXILIM EX-Z8 BK is another impressive model in Casio's lineup. This camera features a 12.1 megapixel sensor and a 3-inch LCD screen, making it user-friendly for all levels of photography enthusiasts. With its stylish design and intuitive interface, the EX-Z8 BK is perfect for capturing spontaneous moments with ease. Equipped with various scene modes and a powerful zoom, it ensures versatility in shooting various subjects, from landscapes to portraits. The combination of portability and performance makes the EX-Z8 BK an excellent choice for consumers seeking great image quality in a compact form factor.

Zoom

The Casio Exilim EX-ZR20 has a powerful 8x optical zoom lens, which provides a 35mm focal length equivalent of 25-200mm. This versatile zoom range lets you capture wide-angle landscapes and group shots, as well as get much closer to distant subjects for telephoto shots. The lens performs very well across the zoom range, producing sharp and detailed images without any major distortion or chromatic aberration.

Close-up macro shots are also possible, allowing you to focus as near as 5cm from your subject. The intelligent zoom feature can further extend the reach up to 21x, though image quality does start to degrade at the extreme telephoto end. Overall the generous 8x optical zoom gives you great compositional flexibility.

Video Recording

The Casio Exilim EX-ZR20 can record full HD 1920 x 1080p video at 30fps. It also offers 720p HD video recording at 60fps. Lower resolution options are also available, such as 640 x 480 VGA at 30fps.

The Exilim supports the H.264 video compression format, which helps produce high quality video in a compressed file size. Videos are recorded in the MOV file format.

The camera has stereo sound recording capabilities via its built-in microphone. There is also a microphone input jack for connecting an external mic.

Some additional video features include time-lapse recording, high-speed video, and YouTube video capture mode. The time-lapse function lets you set intervals ranging from 10 seconds to 1 hour. High-speed video can be shot at up to 1000fps.

Autofocus

The Casio Exilim EX-ZR20 digital camera features a fast and accurate autofocus system. It utilizes contrast detection autofocus with up to 9 focus areas. There are several autofocus modes to choose from including Multi AF, Spot AF, Tracking AF, and Face Detection.

The autofocus speed is quite fast, able to achieve focus in about 0.2 seconds in good lighting conditions. Even in low light situations, the autofocus is reasonably fast and accurate. The tracking autofocus works reliably to maintain focus on moving subjects. Overall, the autofocus capabilities allow you to capture sharp images of still or moving subjects.

The face detection autofocus is also very effective. It can detect up to 10 faces in a scene and prioritize focus on them. This is great for portraits and group shots. Even when people are moving around, the face detection tracking works well to keep them in focus.

Display

The Casio Exilim EX-ZR20 has a 3-inch LCD display with 460,000 dots resolution. The screen is bright and vibrant, making it easy to view photos and videos. Though not a touchscreen, the display is still responsive and smooth when navigating menus and settings.

The 3-inch size is fairly standard for point-and-shoot cameras in this price range. It's large enough for composing shots and reviewing images, without being overly bulky. The resolution of 460,000 dots results in sharp details and colors on the screen. Icons and text are also clear and legible.

Though a touchscreen could offer more intuitive controls, the lack of one helps keep the cost down. The display still allows for easy menu navigation with the directional buttons. Overall, the screen is high quality and offers a great viewing experience.

Connectivity

The Casio Exilim EX-ZR20 offers several wired and wireless connectivity options for transferring photos and videos from the camera.

For wired transfer, the EX-ZR20 has a micro HDMI port to connect to an HDTV and a micro USB 2.0 port to connect to a computer. The micro USB port can be used with the included USB cable to transfer media to your computer or charge the camera battery.

For wireless transfer, the EX-ZR20 has built-in wireless LAN connectivity. This allows you to wirelessly connect the camera to a compatible smartphone, tablet, or computer to view and transfer images. The camera uses Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) for easy one-touch setup without needing to enter a password.

The Casio Exilim EX-ZR20 also supports Eye-Fi wireless SD cards if you choose to use one. This gives you another wireless option for automatically transferring photos from the camera to your device or the web.

Overall, the EX-ZR20 provides flexible wired and wireless options for getting your photos off the camera and onto your other devices. The wireless connectivity makes it easy to quickly share photos while on the go.

Battery

The Casio Exilim EX-ZR20 comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that provides enough power for around 325 shots per charge, according to CIPA standards. This is decent battery life for a compact camera.

The battery charges via the included USB cable by connecting the camera to a computer or USB charger. A full charge takes around 2-3 hours. There is no separate battery charger included, so charging has to be done in-camera.

The battery life allows you to shoot all day or multiple days on a single charge, making the EX-ZR20 good for vacations or travel where recharging opportunities may be limited. Just be sure to charge fully before any long outings.

Overall the battery performance is good for this class of camera. The only downside is the lack of an external charger, but charging via USB is simple enough.

Pros and Cons

The Casio Exilim EX-ZR20 has its share of pros and cons that are worth considering.

Pros

• Good image quality with 16MP resolution
• Versatile 8x optical zoom lens
• Effective image stabilization
• Large 3-inch LCD display
• Full HD video recording
• Good range of shooting modes
• Compact and lightweight body

Cons

• No viewfinder
• Mediocre battery life
• Sluggish autofocus in low light
• Minimal manual controls
• No RAW shooting mode
• No hotshoe for external flash

Overall, the EX-ZR20 is a solid point-and-shoot camera that produces pleasing images and video. It offers a nice zoom range in a compact body. However, more advanced users may be frustrated by the limited manual controls and performance issues in low light. Still, for casual photographers looking for an easy-to-use, feature-packed camera, the EX-ZR20 is a good choice.