Reviews for Casio Exilim EX-Z55 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

2.5" LCD - 3x Optical Zoom - 2560 x 1920 Image - 320 x 240 Video - MPN: EXZ55DBA

  • 5
  By member: verdant - May 19, 2005

Casio Exilim EX-Z55 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: Compact and light with good image quality. Large LCD. Many scene modes. Excellent battery life.

Weakness: Not found yet.

This is my 2nd digital camera. After my first bulky, out-of-date 2MB Kodak DC3400, I just want a point-and-shot camera which is light and compact, so I can bring it with me all the time when I go out with friends and family or on business trip. I also want a 5MB model with decent image quality. And most important, I want a camera which will not drain the battery like SUV consuming the gas. I'm glad that I give Casio EX-Z55 a try after I read many good professional and customer reviews online. Casio EX-Z55 exceeds my expectation.

Design: It is very compact, as large as a credit card. It is very light, too. But it has a large 2.5-inch LCD also a small view window. I like this better than EX-Z57. Although Z57's even larger 2.7-inch LCD is very impressive, I think having both LCD and view window is a big plus when you take photo in dark or want to save the battery life.

Image quality: I'm no professional, so I don't really comment on the 'excessive sharpness" or "color too saturated in portray mode" or anything like that. I just want to say that to me overall image quality is very good. I tried the night scene (with tripod support to avoid blurs), and it turns out to be terrific. Very few noise that I can see. I also tried to take several pictures on dandelions blooming on the grass, and the clear and sharp images of these 'large' yellows flowers surprised my colleagues when I put the photo on the 19-inch LCD screen in the office. Other more usual shots are also good; some interesting "best shot" modes are fun to play with and the results are impressive. I'm totally satisfied with the image quality.

Battery life: After I took more than 70 photo and the battery indicator still showed full-charged. Very impressive comparing to my old one with LCD and flash on. I guess I haven't pushed it to the limit, so at this moment I can't really say its battery really lasts much longer than other camera. But I feel that it won't disappoint me.

Easy to use: With the large LCD, many settings and parameters can be shown clearly on screen. The menu design is very straight-forward. I don't even really need to read the manual (full menu only on the CD) that I can figure out most of the settings.

Conclusion: This camera meets all I want and exceeds my expectation. I bought it online less than $290 and I also obtained a 512MB SD card ~$40. With the price and good quality of this camera, I can't be happier.

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  • 5
  By member: fridgeravager - Aug 31, 2005

excellent everyday camera

Strengths: tiny, amazing battery life, large lcd

Weakness: moving cradle around is a pain, low resolution of lcd

i bought this camera a month ago after 6months of research. and took it for my 1.5 week trip to yellowstone. i took lots of pictures, edited them in the camera, did not recharge it once and still have 2/3 of battery life.
the camera takes amazing pictures. if you want to do long-exposure shots, you might want to consider investing in a small tripod (sakar makes one that fits in your pocket).
a 1gB sD card is a must for this camera. internal memory is completely insufficient.

if you are going away for just a couple of weeks, you won't need to recharge the camera, but for longer adventures, you might need to get a charger. instead of lugging the cradle around, i got a casio plug-in battery charger, which also works in 50Hz/240V system. also, for image transfer, you could get sD -> USB converter, which is the size of a memory stick for $6.

overall, i am very thrilled with this purchase, and the problem now is that i take way too many pictures.

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  • 5
  By member: tofutodd - Jun 13, 2005

Casio Exilim EX-Z55 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: quick shutter, quick bootup. very easy to use & great for all situations.

Weakness: get a large sd card because you can't stop taking pictures with it.

this is really a great little camera. it offers many different solutions to all situations. it is simple and easy to use, but your creativity isn't limited with the cameras function. change settings and f-stops/exposures to try your artistic talent.

pretty much, just get ready to love taking pictures with a sweet little camera.

and as napoleon dynamite would say, "its freakin awesome, it has skills!"

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  • 5
  By member: dduck52862 - Jan 2, 2006

By far the best........2 thumbs up

Strengths: compact,lightweight,easy to use,got it for a great price.

Weakness: None at all, this camera has it all!!!!!!!!

This is my 2nd digital camera and let me tell you it just might be my last.

This camera has all the features that anyone could ask for on a digital camera. It is as far as I am concerned the best 5mp camera on the market today. My brother in-law just purchased 2 digital cameras for his daughters for christmas(Kodak and Canon). There is no comparison whatsoever between those two and my casio.I wish he had asked me before he bought them because he threw his money out the window.

I take quite a lot of pictures so i will be purchasing a 512 mb card very soon, as the 128 mb card I bought with the camera just does not cut it any longer.

In summary,don't bother shopping around for a digital camera, just find a EXZ55 and buy it, I promise you will not be dissatisfied.

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  • 5
  By member: scherza - Mar 1, 2005

Casio Exilim EX-Z55 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: compact size, large 2.5" LCD screen, battery life, best shot scene modes, value (features comparitive to price)

Weakness: no reference manual (more of a nuisance than weakness) none others noted yet

This is my first digital camera. As I set out to research models, my initial priorities were:
-size/weight of camera
-ease of ease
-quality of photographs
-and reputation of brand.
I asked friends, sales clerks, anyone I thought would have an opinion and read tons of user and expert reviews. It came down to a few models including the Canon SD300 as well as a few other Canon models, Pentax Coolpix 4100 and the Casio Exilim Z50. The Casio Exilim wasnt going to be included in the mix until a few sales clerks pointed out that Exilims have the Pentax lens, which was thought of to be one of the better ones out there. And I had not even thought about getting a 5mp camera, believing that 4mp was more than adequate for my needs, but the Z50's price was less than most other brand's 4mp models (Major plus there!!) It seems like everything was going toward "bigger and better" and I didnt want to have a camera that I felt was going to be obsolete too quickly.


Then at the last moment I opted for Z55 over the Z50 because of the larger LCD screen and placement of operational buttons. The extra $40 didnt seem worth it at first, but then I felt that anything that would help me take better pictures (bigger LCD helps to line up photos) and help me to operate the camera better (better placement of buttons) was going to be worth it in the long term. Also, although not a big difference was that the Z55 had longer battery life that other Exilim models.


A few of the factors that finally swayed my decision away from the other models were these:
a) LONG BATTERY LIFE. Every review I read talked about how the Exilim models smoked all the other cameras in its class in terms of battery and charge longevity by around 3 TIMES the amount
b) BEST SHOT SCENE MODES. Since I am a novice digicam user, I felt this was going to be important feature for me to taking better pictures without fussing with adjustments.
c) VALUE and bottom line LOWER PRICE. This came in a few forms. Docking station meant no extra charger/battery, universal SD memory cards rather than more expensive memory sticks, or other formats and a 5mp larger screen LCD camera that was less than other 4mp models with just as many features as most other cameras had in same price range.

Once I made my decision I was quite excited about it. Upon receiving my camera (I ordered online), I spent about 20 minutes skimming the manuals- paper and online versions- and getting appropriate programs loaded into my computer. From that point on, I spent the next 3 days almost solidly taking pictures. I experimented with the scene modes, different lighting conditions, different objects all to familiarize myself with my new digicam. I found the camera to be easy to operate. Although I didnt initially read the manual so thoroughly, it wasnt very difficult to figure out the camers's functions. The LCD turned out to be way more of an asset than I thought it would be, really helping to frame my subjects properly to aid in taking high quality shots. And of course, the scene mode!! What fun this was. For a novice like me, this was perfect. No trying to figure out when to use flash, macro modes, focus, etc...the camera does this for you. I even took a great picture of a sushi chef (and self-proclaimed inventor of the "California Roll") holding a beautiful platter of sashimi. For anyone of you who eat sushi, you know how many colors and details can be represented on a platter prepared by a very skillful, proud sushi chef. I quickly put the camera into food mode and the picture turned out awesome. So much so that the chef insisted I get him a copy of the 2 pics I took. And I would have missed the opportunity had the camera not been easy to stuff into my purse for the evening.

The camera didnt give me a low battery warning till the end of the 3rd day since the initial charge. I took my camera out of the box on a Friday and I didnt get the low battery signal till sometime Monday. So Exilim definitely lived up here.
One of the things I heard more than once as a negatives, turned out not to be for me. The docking station proved to be so simple to hook up, and the download program automatically transfered the pictures once it recognized the camera was there. The concept of always having to have charged batteries did not appeal to me.
I really believe that as Casio catches on with the consumer and becomes better branded for their cameras, they will have the similar type of reputation for cameras that others such as Sony, Canon, Nikon and Pentax.
Overall, I feel like I made an excellent purchase. Of course, the Z55 did not top in all areas as I read reviews, but I wouldn't expect any camera to do that. The Exilim fit all of the criteria that was important to me, and all for a price that in the range I wanted. If your criteria is similar to mine, then the Z55 is tops.

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Reply by member: jfinite
Apr 1, 2005

Very good review, thanks!

  • 5
  By member: tommylamb - Apr 25, 2005

Casio Exilim EX-Z55 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: Great display, programmable feature, very short shutter lag, long battery life, many options. SD memory cards, and generic NP-40 battery available at low cost on the net. Internal memory.

Weakness: None that I can think of.

This is my second Z55, and my 7th digicam. I like this one the best. So easy to use, takes great pictures, and of course very small. I carry it everyplace. The SD memory cards, and generic NP-40 batteries are available on the net. I use the Macro setting often and the Z55 does not require an extra step for Macro mode. The audio recorder and the movie mode work exceptionally well. The manual could be a bit more clear, does not cover all of the features!! You won't go wrong with this camera.

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  • 5
  By member: carebearbread - May 16, 2005

Casio Exilim EX-Z55 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: Great shutter speed, battery life, features, weight, user friendliness, LCD screen.

Weakness: None

Got the recommendation from a friend. The camera is light and nice looking. It's very easy to use. It is a great camera for every need. The battery life is great. There are over 15 different settings to play with. It's a light and small camera to fit in any pocket. The LCD screen is big and clear. I love the shutter speed. All my friends love it too! I have had a lot of cameras like Sony and Minolta, but this has got to be the best one I've ever used.

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  • 5
  By member: adervaes - Jan 12, 2005

Casio Exilim EX-Z55 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: compact size quality of pictures easy of set up and use battery operating time quality of design and construction

Weakness: propritary battery lack of significant built in memory for photos no "burst" mode for taking rapid multiple pictures

This is the handiest digital camera I have owned. Its compact size makes it very easy to use, especially for people who are doing active things, like skiing, mountain biking, etc. The camera fits into pockets, packs, jackets, or whatever making it readily available whenever photo ops appear. While there may be cameras which produce higher quality images, the difference to the average user would be lost and the advantages of this camera far outweigh any technical disadvantages. I love the camera and would highly recommend i to anyone.

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  • 5
  By member: natwoo12 - May 5, 2005

Casio Exilim EX-Z55 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: Quick Shutter Speed, Large LCD,

Weakness: "Delete all button". Makes for easy accidental deletion of pictures.

I've been using Canon's for quite some time until I purchased this Casio. To my surprise, it has many useful and effcient features. I found the shutter speed is extremely quick, great for taking snapshots. The LCD is 2.5 inches large which makes for great viewability. I'd highly recomment the EX-Z55.

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  • 5
  By member: draar - Oct 10, 2005

Great little camera, excellent pictures

Strengths: High pixel density allows cropping, long battery life, large LCD for aiming an review.

Weakness: Proprietary battery, charging station required (not just plug)

Our group is very impressed with the output from this camera. We take a lot of pictures inside manufacturing facilities and the built-in flash really makes things look nice. The zoom lens opens quickly and the camera is ready for the first picture without much hassle. Snapping a bunch of pictures was very easy (I do not think that anyone has actually opened the user manual). Not sure that we have used all of the focussing options yet. The pictures we get are great quality and can be cut down easily to send via email.

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  • 5
  By member: x0lliex - Aug 1, 2005

Great camera, Highly recommended

Strengths: Fast startup, large screen, great photos, fast zoom

Weakness: Slow flash, screen resolution could be higher

I've had this camera for a little over a month now. This is my 3rd digital camera. I wanted something small but with similar features to a larger camera. This camera is great, it fits right into your pocket and takes great photos. The screen is very large although the resolution could be slightly higher, you will only notice this if you compare it to another LCD. Having a viewfinder is great for when there it is bright/dim. The zoom is very quick and smooth. The startup speed of this camera is also fantastic, within a second you are ready to take pictures. The dock is great and makes it easy to transfer photos. This camera's small size and great quality makes it a great choice for someone looking for a camera they can take anywhere with them, I highly recommend it!

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  • 4
  By member: schneiderdriver - Dec 28, 2004

Casio Exilim EX-Z55 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: small size SD card Battery life

Weakness: LCD (see note below)

The camera is great... The LCD is good, I probably shouldn't have listed it as a weakness. The only reason I did is because it looks poor when compared side by side with my Sony DSC-T1 LCD. They are both the same size (2.5"), but the Sony has what they call a "hybrid" LCD. I didn't know it was anything special, until I compared it to this Casio (then to my Pentax Optio S4i). The Sony, even when tilted away from you, remains sharp. The others wash out, or light colors turn dark, and vice-versa. Try it with yours, or with your cell phone, etc. This is turning into a review of the Sony.... I don't mean to do that. I bought the Casio to replace the Sony, because I wanted to get back to 100% SD memory cards in everything I use. I wanted to get away from the memory stick. I'm not sure what I will do now, after comparing them side by side.

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  • 3.4
  TopTenREVIEWS.com - Jul 16, 2008

casio exilim ex-z55 digital camera

Casio Exilim Ex-z55 Digital Camera receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS score of 2.69 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #119 standard digital camera of all time. The overall rating represents an intelligent balance of features, value as a function of price to features, and a summary of reviews from a variety of sources. The TopTen REVIEWS' formula gives a picture of important consumer features, market...

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  • 3.5
  DCResource - Dec 1, 2004

DCRP Review: Casio Exilim EX-Z55

Overall, the Casio Exilim EX-Z55 is a good "go-anywhere" point-and-shoot camera that holds up well against the likes of the Canon PowerShot SD300, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX7, and the Sony DSC-T1.

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