I’m not much of a cam whore. While I do love snapping the occasion photo of food with my phone like every other Singaporean, it’s been a long time since I’ve actually taken a camera with me when I’m out and about or even on holiday. For those moments when I do have a pressing need to take a picture, my smartphone usually suffices.
Well, that’s until the Casio Exilim EX-ZR1200 came along. The camera arrived on my table with strict orders from the boss to try it out on an overseas press trip but when I opened the box, all gripes disappeared.
What's not to love about a pretty pink camera?
Let’s talk about appearances, shall we? I love colour so the magenta Ex-Zr1200 scored points straightaway. I had no qualms swinging its long strap across my shoulder, like an accessory. I definitely was able to capture moments quicker with the camera handy – even though carrying it this way was initially for aesthetic purposes.
The EX-ZR1200 is no heavy DSLR – it weighs a mere 256 grams. Plus, the 16.1-megapixel camera is small enough to slip into a pochette along with my essentials like my phone, cards, lippie and keys.
I’m not much of a photography buff but even I could tell the difference when I had to snap pictures of some celebrities at an event. Even with my shaky hands, the Five-axis High Speed Anti Shake function saved the day. The camera merges consecutive shots in five directions – simply put, hand jitter is eliminated for crystal-clear pictures.
A six-second time-lapse video of a one minute recording
My man, however, was more impressed with the time lapse function of the EX-ZR1200. With stop-motion videos popular these days, he was obsessed with capturing the sunset on our Bali holiday – yes, I even took the super light and compact camera on vacation! He set the camera on an outdoor table and by the time we were on the plane home, the camera had recorded four 30 second movies of the sun setting on various evenings – the time lapse function compresses the time sequence of changes shot over an extended period for an accelerated version of events. I experimented with the function myself - the result was a six-second time-lapse video of a one minute recording.
The 180-degree tilt-type screen allows you to take selfies easily
Believe it or not, I’m not inclined to take pictures of myself but the EX-ZR1200 may have changed that. The 180 degrees tilt-type high-definition LCD display means one can take a self portrait easily without chopping a head or limb off or having to contort your body. With the Brightening Mode – there’s no need to master Photoshop anymore. Believe it or not, the mode gives skin a lighter and smoother texture, on screen. My friends were actually happy with just one selfie shot – we normally take tonnes before they are satisfied.
The top picture is more vivd when taken with the HDR-ART function - see bottom picture
Our photography-inclined intern also showed me how to use the HDR-ART function. Ordinary images are transformed into dramatic scenes with this function – details are richer with bursts of artistic effects. We tested this out during Christmas with all the light displays in town. True enough, when the function was used – the colour was more vivid.
The Casio Exilim EX-ZR1200 is available in yellow, pink, white and black and retails for $549 at all authorised retailers and electronic stores. For more information about Casio products, go to www.casio-intl.com/asia-mea/en/.