Rugged, heavily armoured cameras are nothing new, but the new Casio EX-G1 has the advantage of being slimmer and lighter than most, while still being able to take the sort of punishment that would leave lesser snappers lying in a pool of their own circuitry on the floor – or at least that what the manufacturer claims. So is this point-and-shoot tough enough? Check out our full Casio EX-G1 review for the definitive answer.
Design-wise, the Casio EX-G1 comes from the same stable as Casio’s G-Shock watches: it’s chunky, angular and perhaps a little too high on the testosterone count for metrosexuals who value elegance over manliness. Still, Casio has kept it lightweight and slim, traits which should appeal to those taking it down the pub as much as those taking it along for a finger-blistering trip up a sheer rock face.
Seals on the battery and microSD card slot flaps are designed to protect the Casio EX-G1’s delicate innards from dust and water (it’s able to be dunked to a depth of 3m), while the camera is clad in a rigid plastic shell that allows you to drop it from up to 2.13m without incident.
Read our Sigma DP2 review now
Read our VholdR Contour HD 1080p review now<hr>
We dropped the Casio EX-G1 on a variety of floors (no, really) and every time it started straight back up, with no dings or dents on the casing. Likewise, giving it a good soaking resulting in no ill effects, although we did notice that a tiny amount of H20 managed to get past the seal and onto the memory card – not that it caused any problems.
So it’s definitely a tough cookie, but how about its photo skills? Well, sadly they’re not quite up to the standards we’d expect from a 12.1-megapixel snapper. The Casio EX-G1 isn’t a bad compact digital by any means, and if the lighting is good you can capture some very nice photos, but in general the colours lack vibrancy and there isn’t a great deal of punchy contrast on show. The camera is also prone to flare, which can leave shots almost useless and totally washed out.
The optical zoom is 3x (its limited because it has to be fitted into the body, to ensure it doesn’t get knocked off or smashed if and when you drop it), which is fine, but the minimum focus distance of 10cm means uber-close up macros aren’t really possible. Video capture is available, at a maximum quality of 848 x 480.
There’s a 2.5-inch screen at the back, but it’s not particularly great. The fuzziness makes reviewing your snaps quite difficult, as you can’t tell if they’re sharp or not until you zoom right in.
All in all the Casio EX-G1 feels like an average compact camera with above average ruggedness. If you need a photographic companion to take on extreme sports jaunts or an active holiday, this just about fits the bill – just don’t expect the pictures you take to really blow you away when you get home.
