That doesn't mean this new Casio is not a remarkable achievement or that there isn't a place for it in Casio's lineup. In essence, you get the Z100/200's very useful 4X zoom in a camera that has a larger LCD display (as of its introduction the largest in any Casio cameras) and includes the Z200's CCD-shift anti-shake function, and you get it all for US$199 list, quite a bit less than the 10 megapixel Z100/Z200 models.

As far as the display goes, it measures a full three inches diagonally, versus the already generous 2.7 inches of the Z100/200. Resolution stays the same at about 230,000 pixels (959 x 240 pixels). A larger screen is always better, enabling you to better see whether a picture is sharp or not, and making reviewing pictures or slide shows on the camera much more pleasant. The larger display alone would be a good reason to buy this camera.

Casio's choice of a 28-112mm zoom is also a good one. Your standard 3X zoom has a 36-108mm focal length. This means that the Z150's zoom won't get you closer, but it adds wide angle capability at the low end. This means you get more into a picture indoors or when you're close, and you can still do it without any noticeable distortion. Outdoors, you can get full panoramas. In short, the 4X zoom of this camera adds flexibility.

The EX-Z150 has optical, or "active," anti-blur technology. A CCD-Shift Stablizer compensates for camera movements and can thus reduce blur. We've in the past tested otherwise identical cameras where one had optical image stabilization and the other did not. Zoom and low-light pictures were markedly better with optical stabilization. Having it in the Z150 is a definite plus.

As far as the thinness claim goes, the Z150 is indeed a tenth of an inch thinner than the Z100/Z200. Its thickness varies between 0.74 and 0.79 inches. That's thicker than some of Casio's ultra-thins that measure barely more than half an inch in thickness.

How did Casio do it?0

However, according to the specs included in the press release, there is no high-res wide-format 848 x 480 pixel video mode and you must do with standard 640 x 480 vidclips. Missing seems to be MPEG-4 H.264 video format/compression that reduces MPEG-4 file sizes more without any perceptible image degradation to the eye and means you can record longer videos while still essentially getting MPEG-4 video quality. Macro photographers will notice they can get no closer than six inches to a subject. No big deal, but the Z100/Z200 let you shoot macro at four inches. And those who delight in bunches of scene modes will note that the new model "only" has 22 scene modes, and not the almost 40 available in the Z100/200.

Bottomline

We like:

• 28-112mm 4X optical zoom allows wide angle photography
• Very small and light
• Large high-res 3-inch display
• CCD-Shift image stabilization

• Fewer scene modes
• No 848 x 480 movies