Gizmodo: ex-fh20

Casio EX-FH20 Budget Super Slow-Mo Camera Lightning Review

Benny Goldman — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST

The Gadget: The Casio EX-FH20 camera, bargain brother to the popular EX-F1. It features 1000 fps slow-mo video, a 40 fps burst mode for still shooting and a 9.1-megapixel sensor, as well as good ol' 720p at regular speeds, all for just over half the price of the original slow-mo star. The Price: $600 The Verdict: Casio did a great job of bringing the power of the EX-F1 down to a beginner's level for the EX-FH20. The functions on the new camera are more streamlined than its bulkier predecessor: missing are the dedicated shooting mode switch dial, the multi-use focus/zoom ring and separate buttons for video and still capture from the F1. But on the other hand, the FH20 bests the F1 in a couple places, with its 9.1MP sensor and 20X optical zoom, compared to 6MP and 12X in the original. The on-board video editor is still there and simple to use for cutting down lengthy slow-mo clips. And whaddya know, it takes decent (albeit more point-and-shoot than DSLR quality) pictures too, as seen in the gallery below. But we know what you really want to see: how the slow motion video compares to the original exploding Mentos-capturing beast. As seen in the clip above, it does the job much like the original. You give up some video frames when opting for the budget cam—it records 210, 420 and 1000 fps instead of 300, 600 and 1200 fps—but that's not a huge difference. And while 1000 fps video shrinks is at a paltry resolution of 224x56 pixels—even measlier than the original—it doesn't get as dark as the F1's output tended to, so you'll have slightly more clarity in the crazy slow but still mostly novelty setting. It also shoots other types of video well. The 30 fps-210 fps "She Walked in the Room" mode is still there, and is a fun way to make otherwise typical activities look extremely epic. Also, 720p HD video is crisp and clean, and doesn't have the nasty "jello effect" when panning that cheaper camcorders designed specifically for this purpose often suffer from. If you choose an FH20 over the F1, you sacrifice more than just not-as-slow-mo video. Without separate buttons for video and stills, you lose the ability to capture images while you record video, a great feature in the last model and the hardest thing to lose. Also gone is ultra-fast 60 fps LED strobe flash option, but it can still fire off 5 fps with the standard flash firing (vs. the F1's 7 fps). Most of the other features remain, though slightly dialed down: 40fps high-speed burst shooting (with resolution dropped to 7MP) instead of 60fps on the F1, and smaller sizes for slow-mo video as mentioned earlier. And you better bring some rechargeable batteries—gone is the rechargeable Li-ion, and this camera eats four AAs like they were a delicious piece of cake. But with the steep discount over the F1 and the more direct, easier to use interface, for those who mostly want to shoot slow-mo video while taking a few pictures on the side it's not a hard sacrifice to make. [Casio] What you gain with the EX-FH20 over the EX-F1: • 9.1MP camera sensor over 6MP • 20X optical zoom over 12X • Easier interface for beginners • $400 in your pocket (vs. the EX-F1's $1000 price tag) What you lose: • Slow-motion video size and frames (EX-FH20 records in 210, 420 and 1000fps at 480×360 224×168 and 224×56 respectively—EX-F1 records in 300, 600 and 1200fps) • Taking still shots while shooting HD video • 60fps LED flash strobe mode • 20 fps of burst still shooting (down to 40 fps compared to 60 before) Once again, if you can't get Giz's slow-mo song du jour out of your head, here's the Amazon MP3 link. [Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap] And if you're still humming the song made famous by the Harlem Globetrotters, here's an Amazon MP3 link to that too. [Sweet Georgia Brown by Brother Bones]

Hands On Casio's EX-FH20, the "Budget" Super-Slow-Mo Cam

Benny Goldman — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:30:00 EDT

Maybe you didn't even realize that the hallowed Exilim EX-F1 super-slow-mo cam got a little brother, the new $600 EX-FH20. We finally got to check it out today and it's definitely a winner. Slightly slimmer than it's pricier counterpart, it also has a cleaner UI making it easier for a novice to use. 1000fps slo-mo video looked great, and the 40fps burst mode worked well, prerecording images in order to capture the perfect moment, even if you have a slow trigger finger. It even has a slight bump in the megapixel department, 9.1MP to the EX-F1's 6.0MP. The EX-FH20 is just hitting stores, so check the gallery to see how it measures up to the EX-F1. And of course stay tuned for our full review.

Exilim EX-FH20: The Next Casio Slo-Mo Shooting Camera Hits 1000 FPS

Kit Eaton — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 04:41:00 EDT

Back in March we raved about Casio's EX-F1, and it's just six months later and now Casio's got another super-fast frame rate camera for us: the EX-FH20. It's a smaller and lighter beast than its predecessor, but it has 9.1-megapixels, can still shoot ultra-high-speed bursts at 40 fps and high speed movies at "up to 1,000 fps" and has a 20x optical zoom, anti-shake, night-scene mode and standard 720p video option. It's intended to appeal to a broader bunch of users, rather than just camera enthusiasts, so it's a little simpler than the EX-1, with all the shooting modes on a single dial. It'll be available in black in stores from October for $600. Press release below.

DOVER, NJ, SEPTEMBER 16, 2008 — Casio America, Inc., in conjunction with its parent company, Casio Computer Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, today announced the release of its newest EXILIM® digital camera, the HIGH SPEED EXILIM EX-FH20. This remarkable new camera is capable of ultra high-speed burst shooting at 40 fps and can record high speed movies at up to 1,000 fps.

In March of this year, Casio released the EXILIM Pro EX-F1, the world’s fastest digital camera*. The EX-F1 is capable of ultra-high speed burst shooting at 60 fps and can record high speed movies at up to 1,200 fps, helping users catch each decisive moment, and even capturing motion that the human eye cannot ordinarily perceive. These features have created a totally new genre of digital photography and won the respect and admiration of camera enthusiasts and professional photographers alike.

*As of September 16, 2008, based on a Casio survey for consumer market digital cameras.

While maintaining the ability to perform at speeds unmatched by the world’s top digital SLRs, the new HIGH SPEED EXILIM EX-FH20 is designed to appeal to a broader range of users. In addition to simplifying controls by placing all shooting mode settings on a single dial, Casio also gave the EX-FH20 a 20X optical zoom on a surprisingly compact body, 27% smaller and 28% lighter than the EX-F1. Its speed and ease of use truly puts this camera in a class of its own. In recognition of these unique characteristics, with today’s release of the new

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Casio Announces New High Speed Exilim Digital Camera…add one

EX-FH20, Casio has launched the new HIGH SPEED EXILIM series, which includes this camera and the even faster EX-F1. Casio expects the revolutionary capabilities of its HIGH SPEED EXILIM cameras to generate entirely new applications for digital photography.

“Casio continues to create a new digital camera market focusing on high speed capabilities with the introduction of the innovative HIGH SPEED EXILIM EX-FH20,” said Bill Heuer, Vice President of Sales for Casio’s Digital Imaging Division. “The new HIGH SPEED EXILIM series allows for images to be captured faster than ever before without compromising image quality.”

The EX-FH20, MSRP $599.99, will be available in black at retail stores in October.

9.1 effective megapixels and a high power, wide angle zoom lens
The EX-FH20 is equipped with a 26 mm-equivalent wide angle zoom lens that can close in on subjects with a powerful 20X optical zoom. The camera also features a CMOS shift anti-shake function to support power-zoom shots.

Never miss a photographic opportunity, with high speed burst shooting up to 40 fps
The EX-FH20 can capture action in high definition, 7 megapixel (3072 x 2304 pixel) images with ultra-high speed burst shooting at up to 40 fps. Users can select from seven burst settings, allowing them to capture from 1 fps up to 40 fps in a single burst. Further, users can prerecord up to 40 still images not just at the instant they press the shutter button, but before! Even if they press the shutter a little late, they will still catch that vital moment.

High speed movie recording at up to 1,000 fps
The EX-FH20 can record high speed movie footage of motion too fast for the human eye, for ultra slow motion playback. Users can select from recording speeds of 1,000 fps, 420 fps or 210 fps and can also switch from the standard speed of 30 fps to high speed recording at 210 fps during recording at the touch of a button. The EX-FH20 makes it easy to capture critical moments on video.

High Speed Anti-Shake function
This function corrects images by automatically synthesizing multiple images captured during high speed burst shooting.

High Speed Night Scene setting
With or without a tripod, this feature ensures that high speed night shots come out clear and beautiful.

HD Movie function
The EX-FH20’s HD Movie function records at 1280 x 720 pixels, at 30 fps.