The 12.1 megapixel EXILIM Zoom EX-Z280, likes its name leads, has a wide-angle 26 mm 4X optical zoom lens. From the pictures it looks to have a nice compact body and comes with standard features including a CCD-shift image stabilization mechanism and face detection function. Casio is also touting its high-speed image processing CPU, which allows it to run its EXILIM Engine 4.0 on the camera itself (that includes editing abilities, etc.). It can also shoot 720p. All in all, not too bad for under $200.

A bit more basic, the 10.1 megapixel EXILIM EX-Z33 has a 3X optical zoom lens. Meant for the beginner, it features an easy mode and though it won't shoot 720p you can record some YouTube friendly 640 x 480 resolution video. You can snatch this guy up in the colors of the rainbow, including black, light pink, darker pink, silver and blue. [Casio]

Exilim is Casio's digital camera line, so when they've branded a phone with the name, you know the lens is going to get some attention. Who knows if the pictures look good (the camera line is not particularly well-reviewed) but it's got autofocus, an image stabilizer, and video recording, so it's likely one of the better phone cameras out there. Otherwise, you've got the standard Verizon features (VZ Navigator, visual voicemail, V Cast Music) in a rotating flip phone package that just happens to meet military standards for durability.

It's available today online, though at the very steep price of $279, and that's after a mail-in rebate and with a 2-year contract. That's more expensive than every one of Verizon's BlackBerry offerings and, in fact, the third-most-expensive phone in Big Red's lineup. Press release below. [Verizon]

RUGGEDIZED CASIO EXILIM WITH 5.1 MEGAPIXEL CAMERA NOW AVAILABLE FROM VERIZON WIRELESS

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and NEW YORK – Verizon Wireless and Casio introduce the Casio® EXILIM, a picture perfect blend of digital camera functionality and entertainment features for the adventure seeker. The Casio EXILIM boasts a 180-degree rotating display, professional 5.1 megapixel camera and access to instant messaging, Visual Voice Mail and V CAST Music with Rhapsody.

Available color: Black and champagne

Key features:

· Meets military specifications 810F standards for: water (immersion and rain), humidity, salt-fog, shock, vibration, dust, solar radiation, altitude, and low and high temperature storage

· Camera and video capabilities –

o 5.1 megapixel auto focus camera with flash and optical 3x zoom

o Resolution adjustment: 2560 x 1920, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 640 x 480, 320 x 240, 160 x 120

o Dedicated camera/video key

o Video capture and playback

o Best shot mode: off, person, scenery, night view, person and scenery, twilight, food, character, sports, party, monotone, sepia, reverse, high sharpness, high contrast and vivid

o Image stabilizer

o Auto focus: off, single point AF or 9 point AF

o Perspective adjustment

o Self timer: off, three, five or 10 seconds

o White balance: auto, sunny, shade, tungsten and fluorescent

· Supports up to 8 GB of optional removable memory (microSD™ card sold separately)

· Bluetooth® profiles supported: headset, hands-free, dial up networking, stereo, phonebook access and object push (for vCard/vCal)

Lifestyle features:

· VZ NavigatorSM-capable – customers can get audible turn-by-turn directions to more than 15 million points of interest and share the directions with others

· Visual Voice Mail – customers can delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions

· V CAST Music with Rhapsody – customers can choose from more than 4 million songs to download over the air; get the master copy of the songs on their PCs; and sync favorite tracks, albums and playlists from their PCs to their phones using a USB cable

Price and availability:

· The Casio EXILIM is available for $279.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.

· VZ Navigator is available for $2.99 daily access, and Visual Voice Mail is available for $2.99 monthly access. Other charges may apply when downloading or using applications.

· Customers can purchase the Casio EXILIM beginning today online at www.verizonwireless.com or in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores. For additional information on any Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go online to www.verizonwireless.com.

Something you won't see in the press release: this isn't a real SLR since no mirror is used. So internally it resembles a point-and-click more than its dSLR competition. Prototype spec dump after the jump.

Effective pixels: 6.0 million
Imaging element: 1/1.8 inch high speed CMOS sensor
High speed burst: 60 images per second at 6 million pixels (JPEG)
High speed movie: 300fps, Motion JPEG, AVI format, VGA
Lens/focal distance: 12 lenses in 9 groups, F2.7-4.6, approx 35mm to 420mm
Zoom: 12X optical
Image stabilization: CMOS-shift
Screen: 2.8-inch widescreen TFT color LCD, approx 230,000 pixels
Viewfinder: Color LCD, approx 200,000 pixels
Dimensions: 127.5mm x 79.5mm x 130m (650g minus battery, etc)

Hmm, I thought. Is this just a chance for Casio to perk up an already-launched camera and inject some new sales whoomph into an old product? It seems that the pink camera is the same old same old, but the camera case is "embossed with the pink ribbon and a pink lanyard." Great, I've always wanted a pink lanyard. Hasn't everyone?

But that's just me being Princess Cranky-Pants on a Friday morning. If repackaging a oldish product for charity means that money will be raised for a shitty little disease ("a portion of the proceeds will be going towards the NBCF" said the nice PR person without specifying exactly how much) then one should suspend one's cynicism and applaud Casio for doing something a bit nice.

Hopefully the money is going toward research, rather than the awareness side of the NBCF, but I'll shut up now. The NBCT Exilim costs $179.99 and you could make a breast very happy indeed.

CASIO, INC. THINKS PINK IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER Casio Partners with the National Breast Cancer Foundation to Offer Special-Edition EXILIM Digital Camera Bundle DOVER, NJ, JULY 20, 2007 - Breast cancer affects hundreds of thousands of women and their families each year. It's a disease that can strike any one at any time - no one - man or woman is exempt. National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is devoted to building awareness and finding a cure while sharing stories and information about breast cancer. This October, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Casio, Inc. will release a special-edition camera bundle, featuring a pink EX-Z75, a camera case embossed with the pink ribbon and a pink ribbon-clad lanyard to show their proud support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF). The EX-Z75, a 7.2 megapixel digital camera which is part of Casio's highly-regarded zoom line of EXILIM cameras, will be available as a special bundle in the month of October to help raise awareness of NBCF's mission - Help for Today...Hope for Tomorrow. "The National Breast Cancer Foundation was founded to give help, support and hope to those facing breast cancer," said Janelle Hail, Founder and President of the National Breast Cancer Foundation. "We thank Casio, Inc. for joining us in helping save lives through education and early detection." The EX-Z75 is packed with a 2.6-inch wide LCD display, Anti-Shake DSP for reducing photo blur due to shaky hands or moving subjects and eBay mode which allows for photographs to be easily uploaded at the appropriate size for selling on eBay or for personal web use. "We are proud to be a sponsor of the National Breast Cancer Foundation," said Bill Heuer, Vice President of Casio's Digital Imaging Division. "We hope that by purchasing the EX-Z75 in honor of breast cancer patients and survivors, users will capture every valuable moment with their friends and family." The special-edition pink EX-Z75 will be available beginning October 2007 and can be purchased at Staples, Sears, Adir, Fred Meyer, BJ's, Nexcom and AAFES. The bundle package will have an MSRP of $179.99, and will proudly sponsor the National Breast Cancer Foundation. For more information, please visit www.casiousa.com.

Casio Introduces Two Stylish New EXILIM® Digital Cameras with YouTube™ Capture™ Mode

Agreement with Popular Video Sharing Site, YouTube™ Connects Casio with Video Enthusiasts

DOVER, NJ, JULY 10, 2007 - Casio, Inc. and its parent company, Casio Computer Co., Ltd., announced today the release of two new digital cameras with the cutting-edge EXILIM Engine 2.0 image processing module. In conjunction with the release of these cameras, Casio, Inc. announced today their agreement with YouTube to include a unique YouTube Capture mode and bundle software to provide ideal settings for recording, storing and uploading video on the company's newest EXILIM digital cameras - EX-S880 and EX-Z77. This agreement represents an effort by Casio, Inc. to directly engage the YouTube community by simplifying the process of creating and sharing videos.

"The increased popularity of video sharing Web sites such as YouTube offers a great opportunity for innovation," said John Homlish, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Casio, Inc. "We recognized that there was a demand for an easier way to upload high-quality video and are thrilled to be the first digital camera company to be able to offer a solution for consumers."

Casio's YouTube Capture mode records in next-generation MPEG-4 H.264 high quality video format; this provides an ideal compression ratio that allows users to record longer without having to sacrifice the quality of their movies. This mode also provides sharp resolution (640 x 480) and a frame rate of up to 30 frames per second. Casio is providing consumers with a groundbreaking tool to get videos recorded and uploaded directly to YouTube in as few as two steps! Casio has also included an exclusive software application that makes it seamless to upload movies to YouTube. This technology will also allow users to upload multiple videos at once, making it easier than ever before to share original content online.

"We are constantly looking for ways to make it simpler for our community to create and share videos," said Hunter Walk, YouTube product management. "The YouTube Capture mode featured on these Casio EXILIM cameras is remarkably innovative and easy to use, and will further expand and diversify the incredible range of originally-created content for which YouTube is known."

The stylish 8.1 megapixel EXILIM Card EX-S880 is the latest addition to the popular EXILIM Card series, known for its sophisticated design in a thin card size. The sophisticated 7.2 megapixel EXILIM Zoom EX-Z77 joins Casio's successful EXILIM Zoom series, whose excellent balance of superior functionality and stylish, compact look characterize the EXILIM brand. Both models add enhanced movie functionality and are the first within the line to feature YouTube Capture mode.

The new cameras also feature a blur reduction function that uses motion analysis technology, an auto-tracking AF system, and face detection technology. The combination of face detection technology and the auto-tracking AF system ensures that, once the focus locks on to a person's face, it will stay sharp and maintain the right exposure, even if the person moves. Casio has made it much easier to capture beautiful portraits.

Exclusive to the Casio EXILIM line of digital cameras in the U.S., and featured in the EX-S880 and the EX-Z77 is the eBay Best Shot Mode. eBay Best Shot takes photos at a size that is image optimized for display on eBay, allowing picture takers to more quickly and easily create photos for selling items on eBay. For ease of use, eBay photos are stored in a special eBay directory.

The EX-S880 is available in red and black with an MSRP of $299.99. The EX-Z77 is available in black, blue, pink and silver with an MSRP of $229.99. Both cameras will be available at retail in August.

Casio will have the marketing exclusivity for the YouTube feature during the Holiday '07 season. All cameras that feature YouTube Capture mode will feature a custom YouTube sticker logo, licensed by YouTube. YouTube Capture mode will be included in Casio's 2007 Holiday line-up of EXILIM digital cameras. The cameras with YouTube Capture mode and the upload functionality software will be available in a bundle package to be sold during the holiday season, allowing users to receive all the hardware and software necessary for upload for one price.

Main Features of EXILIM Card EX-S880 & EXILIM Zoom EX-Z77

• High-quality movies using the H.264 standard

• YouTube Capture Mode allows users to shoot movies at the optimum size, quality and other settings for uploading to YouTubeTM.

• Comes with unique "YouTube Uploader for CASIO" software that enables users to upload movies to YouTubeTM in three easy steps.

• The combination of face detection*1 technology and the auto-tracking AF system using motion analysis technology maintains both sharp focus and correct exposure for a human face.

• Blur reduction technologies driven by the EXILIM Engine 2.0 image processing module

• Based on motion analysis technology, sets the most appropriate ISO sensitivity and shutter speed.

• Anti Shake DSP reduces blur due to shaky hands and subject movement, using high shutter speeds and high sensitivity settings.

• Movie mode with electronic image stabilization function.

Other Features of the EXILIM Card EX-S880

• 8.1 million effective pixels, 3X optical zoom

• Wide viewing angle, 2.8-inch Bright wide screen LCD display (maximum brightness of 1000 cd/m2 at the center of the screen)

• Maximum 4 shot/second*2 high-speed continuous shutter (only at 2.0 megapixel image size)

• Data Storage function enables users to carry data transferred to the camera from a computer

• Choice of two body colors: black and red

Other Features of the EXILIM Zoom EX-Z77

• 7.2 million effective pixels, 3X optical zoom

• 2.6-inch widescreen LCD display

• Easy Mode, which displays simple shooting menus on the right side of the monitor.

• Maximum 5 shot/second*2 high-speed continuous shutter (only at 2.0 megapixel image size)

• Choice of four body colors: silver, black, blue and pink