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Just when you thought that digital cameras couldn't get any slimmer, along comes Casio's EX-S100--the world's smallest digital camera with an optical zoom (at press time). With a profile of only 0.7 inches, it's amazing that this 3.2-megapixel camera also features a 2.8x optical zoom.
Like its Exilim siblings, the S100 is solidly built with a stainless steel body, so you don't sacrifice quality for size. External controls are kept to a minimum but are well-placed for easy access, adjoining the 2" LCD.
Inside, this little camera is packed with features, some standard, and others that are uniquely Casio, such as its 23 Best Shot options, including a new Business Shot, which compensates for taking pictures at an angle (for things such as business cards). Manual white balance, adjustments for contrast, sharpness and saturation, as well as automatic flash and macro features are only a few options that make the S100 more than just a mini snapshot camera. There's much more, including a host of unique playback options. Best of all, Casio keeps the camera simple to use.
Although the camera only comes with 9.3MB of internal memory, it also includes a cradle that does multiple duty for charging the proprietary battery, transferring images and a photo stand for playing back slideshows.
Start-up is quick, as is autofocus given the right amount of contrast and light. Save time was a little slower than some of its competitors, but we never felt frustrated with the shot-to-shot time.
At 3.2 megapixels, the S-100 is best for prints no larger than 8"x10", but its image quality is good, with well-saturated and accurate colors. Not surprisingly, we noticed some image noise at higher ISO's. The S-100 is great for snapshooters who want to move beyond pointing and shooting with style and the greatest of ease, but who also don't mind paying a little more to do so.
–THEANO NIKITAS
Exilim EX-S100 
Casio | www.casio.com | 800-836-8580 | $400
Pros: Tiny body with optical zoom, 2" LCD, icon help, great feature set designed to help snapshooters take great pictures, 23 Best Shot (scene) modes, incamera sizing for emailing, HTML album creation, good picture quality, fast start-up, USB cradle included.
Cons: Pricey for 3.2 megapixels, no SD card bundled, no optical viewfinder.
Requires: USB port, OS 9 or OS 10.3.x
macHOME recommends: A high-capacity SD card
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