Casio Inc. has announced a new EX-S3 digital camera that boasts 3.2 million effective pixels and a 2.0-inch LCD screen.
Unveiled at this week’s PMA (Photo Marketing Association) Show in Las Vegas, the EX-S3’s case is made of magnesium alloy, weighing just 72 grams and measuring 89.5 x 57 x 11.7 mm.
A Photo Stand feature lets you view images while the camera is on its cradle; placing the EX-S3 onto its USB cradle and pressing the Photo button starts a slideshow of images currently in image memory. You can set up the camera to display the images you want whenever it’s placed on the cradle. The EX-SE’s Calendar function shows a full-month calendar with a thumbnail of the first image recorded on each date.
The Best Shot Mode provides optimum camera setups in an instant, according to the folks at Casio. You can choose the sample scene that’s similar to the image you want to record, and the camera’s exposure compensation, white balance, and other settings are configured accordingly. There are a total of 15 sample scenes built in, including “Coupling Shot” (for pics with only two people in the frame) and “Pre Shot.”
With Pre Shot, you can compose the background you want and press the shutter release. This freezes the background image on the screen. Then you can ask someone to record your image, using the frozen background as a composition guide. The final recorded image shows you against the background you want.
The EX-SE’s Triple Self-timer records three consecutive shots with a single shutter release button operation. The camera also has World Time and Alarm functions. The former lets you select one of 162 cities in 32 time zones around the world as your home time. When traveling to another time zone, select the applicable city, and time and date settings are adjusted automatically. The Alarm function offers a total of three independent alarms; you can even have a specific image appear when an alarm time is reached.
The EX-S3 stores images in a Web browser-viewable format that lets you browse images in an album format. The album feature uses HTML format, allowing you to incorporate an album directly into a Web site or print directly from the album.
In addition to 10MB of built-in Flash Memory, the EX-S3 supports SD memory cards and MMC cards. The camera also offers a movie mode; 4x digital zoom; a rechargeable lithium-ion battery; AC adapter; and carrying strap. Availability and pricing haven’t been announced.
The EX-S3 will be available in April for $349.99.