Casio Exilim EX-S880 Review

Posted by Jenny Lewis Categories: Cameras, Product Reviews

The market for point and shoot digital cameras gets crowded.  Casio’s Exilim EX-S880 is a standout.  The EX-S880 comes in at a diminutive 2.4 x 3.7 x .7 inches and weighs 7 ounces, making it perfect to slip into a pocket or purse for the evening.  Despite the small size, the EX-S880 packs 8.1 megapixels, 3x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom, H.264 MPEG 4 video capability, face detection and anti shake technology. Read on to get our full thoughts on the Exilim EX-S880.

The beautiful 2.8” LCD takes up almost the entire backside of the camera.  The screen is really begging for some screen protection before you put the camera in said pocket or purse, though.

The EX-S880 has face detection AND face recognition.  In the normal setting, the camera will detect faces in the shot and automatically adjust the focus and exposure, then maintain itself until the shot is taken.  Facial recognition will store photos of family members and those near and dear to you in the camera, then automatically shift priority to those faces within the shot when the Family First option is turned on.

The anti-shake capability, which uses a faster shutter speed to get the sharpest possible picture, does a decent job at taking photos in situations where there’s lot of activity in the foreground.  It’s available in the main menu or the best shot menu.

The Exilim has a one touch video recording button.  Within the Best Shot menu, there’s a YouTube option that will record videos optimized for YouTube, and the included software allows users to upload the videos directly to YouTube.  The YouTube option allows for shooting at up to 30 frames per second at a resolution of 640x480.

One of the best features of the Exilim is Casio’s Best Shot menu.  There are 39 different settings, with multiple portrait options, nighttime photo options, a setting specifically for taking photos of your old destined-for-eBay gadgets, and even a food setting for the foodbloggers among us.  Most of these settings boil down to preset macro, flash or exposure options, but if your highest priority is actually getting the photo of your awesome dinner or the view from your 20th floor hotel room instead of the challenge of setting up the camera yourself, the Best Shot menu is a great feature.

There’s nothing groundbreaking in the box.  Camera, cradle, power cord, USB cord, AV cord, strap, manual, quick start guide, driver CDs and Casio’s editing and YouTube uploading software are all in there - no big surprises.

The cradle is a convenient option for recharging and image transfer without having to remove the battery or keep track of another loose cord.  However, the camera won’t charge unless the AC adapter is plugged into the dock, and the USB cord won’t plug directly into the camera.  This isn’t a big issue if you have an empty socket near your computer and can plug both the AC adapter and the USB cord in, but if your empty socket is not close to your computer, moving the dock could become a minor annoyance.

All in all, the Exilim EX-S880 is a great buy.  The EX-S880 is available in black and red and retails for $249.99.  Casio offers both Exilim specific and EX-S880 specific accessories (all the better to keep that beautiful LCD intact).