Casio Exilim EX-V7 digital camera

It turned out to be a challenge to get very worked up one way or the other about Casio’s Exilim EX-V7 , a camera that balances out to be an almost perfectly average point-and-shoot. On the plus side, the 7x zoom lens covers a lot of territory, and the camera’s battery life of almost 1,195 shots per charge is exceptional for its class. (The Nikon Coolpix S50c [   ] holds the lowest score, with 347 shots per charge; Samsung’s NV11 [   ] performed best, achieving 1,233.) Throw in a few points, too, for a full range of manual exposure controls, a rarity in this category.

On the mildly annoying side, there’s the zoom slider control, which is awkwardly placed adjacent and vertical to the LCD screen. Also, image stabilization proved too ineffective in most situations. And the plastic docking cradle, required to recharge the battery, will take up more room in a suitcase than most folks would care to sacrifice.

Overall, the camera’s image quality was average for its class, with some loss of detail and mild exposure issues.

Color and flash quality were rated as Good, but image quality garnered only a Fair rating in Macworld Lab tests.

Macworld’s buying advice

With some retailers selling the Casio Exilim EX-V7 at heavy discounts, you can get a lot of camera for your money. Just don’t expect to develop a passionate attachment to it.

[ David Becker is a writer and photographer based in San Francisco who regularly writes about personal technology, gadgets, and travel. ]