The Casio Exilim EX-V7 offers a tremendous amount of features in a small compact package while continuing the tradition of a durable, lightweight model that can be tucked away just about anywhere, while still capturing great photos and offering outstanding performance. It has loads of user-friendly exposure modes, and with an MSRP of around $399, we feel it offers a good value. The camera itself is a pleasure to use; it’s fast, is feature-packed, easy to use, has very reliable exposure, and an excellent movie mode.

The Casio EX-V7 is fast to get going, swift to capture an image, and speedy to commit it to memory. It also feels substantial in the palm, with a well-blended mix of metal and plastic, while it wouldn’t cause you grief if you carry it around in a top pocket all day for those spur-of-the-moment snaps. The styling is attractive, and the slide-open faceplate that powers up or down the Casio EX-V7 ensures that it’s easy enough for the kids to use too.

Still image quality tests revealed reliable colours in a wide range of conditions, despite a tendency towards under-saturation, and reasonably low noise at ISO 400. Other 7-megapixel cameras manage sharper detail and more flattering colours, but nothing here gave us serious cause for concern.

The reality is that the EX-V7 is a disappointing camera, and one that fails to deliver on its promise, even allowing for the compromises inevitably involved in squeezing this much stuff into such a small body. Of course we expect there to be such compromises, but there has to be a limit to what is acceptable; being able to fit a camera in a shirt pocket surely should not come ‘at any cost’.

The Casio Exilim EX-V7 is a very unusual camera with a unique combination of features. Its combination of compact size, fast performance, wide zoom range, excellent video mode and manual exposure options will appeal to some, but its average picture quality and poor flash range are significant disadvantages. The relatively high price may also put some people off.

Although there were a few issues with the Casio Exilim EX-V7, this versatile ultracompact point-and-shoot definitely ups the feature-set ante for cameras its size.

With all things outside of image quality considered, I’d give the Casio an easy “A.” I like the zoom ability while shooting video, the redundant anti-shake technology, the much improved zoom magnification and the innovative approach to the various scenes in the camera. But, if the image quality is thrown into that mix, the camera earns only an average “C.” And when you consider that for only $100 or so more you can get a DSLR with a lens, the Casio then starts to fade off into the forgotten.

The Casio Exilim EX-V7 is a nice compact, and certainly has the best optical zoom we’ve seen on such a small camera, but we’re wondering if the zoom makes the camera a worthwhile pick. Even with image stabilization, which caused a degradation in quality, holding a 7X zoom steady practically requires a tripod, and for the extra bulk, you’d be better off with a larger camera, and a higher-quality lens. Images were good, but not fantastic, and some color problems around bright edges added to the problematic noise issues. We also had some control issues, thanks to a dial that liked to spin on its own. Still, video quality was above average, and the battery life was also good.

This camera has the potential to be amazing. It is bursting with features and has technology on it that is ground-breaking. The distinct lack of basic photographic requirements like a decent flash, consistent focusing and a good macro facility seemed to have eluded Casio on this one. I cannot help but feel that the camera has been pushed out as quick as possible and the functions have not been thought through properly.

The Casio Exilim EX-V7 suffers from nearly every possible image quality problem. Although it produces images with good color and white-balance, its images are soft with blurry corners and show both strong distortion and strong vignetting. These problems cannot be overlooked. So, even though this ultra-compact digital camera packs a 7X optical zoom and full manual-controls in a sturdy shell, it is nevertheless a poor camera.