Casio Exilim SX-Z70 review

A 7-megapixel camera for £140 isn't that unusual, but they're not usually as slender as the SX-Z70, which measures just 22mm from front to back.

This instantly elevates the SX-Z70 to the status of desirable gadget, but it's also really handy for slipping into a small handbag or trouser pocket. It's available in black, silver or red, and the 2in screen keeps up appearances, even though its resolution is a meagre 115,000 pixels.

Ultra-compact cameras are perfect for carrying with you at all times for impromptu snapping, but not if they're so slow that the moment has passed by the time they're ready to shoot. The SX-Z70 gets sensitive timing spot on, with just 1.3 seconds between pressing the power button and capturing a photo, and around 1.6 seconds between subsequent shots, which are amazing achievements for a budget camera. Casio has addressed the flash recycle issues of previous models, and the SX-Z70 takes just over two seconds between shots when using the flash.

Pretty much all the controls are accessed via the menu system, but at least it's quick to navigate. The left and right buttons can be assigned to one of a range of options when they're not navigating the menu, but you can't set them separately for access to two different options. Fully pressing the shutter button without half-pressing first for focus captured an out-of-focus picture, but turning off the innocent-looking Quick Shutter option solved the problem. It's a bit odd this is on by default, though. Another menu option worth investigating is Anti Shake. This enables ISO speeds of up to 800 to combat blur from camera shake in low light, although heavy noise means pictures aren't pretty at this setting. Without it, the camera sticks to ISO values from 50 to 200 unless you tell it otherwise with the manual ISO control. Noise is reasonably understated at these settings, but by no means eliminated.

Image quality suffered other problems, too. Focus was a little soft throughout our tests, and with hints of noise even when shooting in bright light and ineffective noise-reduction processing, pictures looked grubby. Exposures were generally well balanced, though, and colour reproduction managed a fine balance between vibrant, flattering tones and faithful accuracy. All-important skin tones were particularly well handled, but the problems with detail and noise were never more evident than when attempting to capture subtle skin textures.

This camera would make a great present. It's well specified, looks beautiful and performs well, and its images are unlikely to disappoint the average casual user. However, Sony's W30 and FujiFilm's F20, while not quite as compact, offer vastly superior image quality for around £10 less.