Labs

A table of all the full digital images taken with the cameras

If you're after a compact digital camera, nothing beats Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-U20. But it doesn't have a zoom lens. Casio's new Exilim EX-Z3, however, measures just 87 x 57 x 23mm (W x H x D) - slipping easily into a pocket - yet has a 3x optical zoom lens against the 2x of the thicker IXUS.

With its 3.34-megapixel sensor, the EX-Z3 has a maximum resolution of 2,048 x 1,536 and saves images as JPEG, EXIF 2.2. Just five of these can be stored in the 10MB of integrated memory, but there's an SD/MMC card slot for extra storage.

In spite of the diminutive dimensions, Casio has made room for a large 2in LCD on the rear. The only disappointment is its low resolution compared with others on test, but it's quick to update when framing and is bright enough outdoors. External buttons are kept to a minimum, but the four-way direction pad makes menu navigation simple.

Although the EX-Z3 is packed with features, there aren't many

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manual photographic controls. You can't alter much aside from ISO and EV adjustment, plus a basic manual focus. There's no continuous shooting either. Movies are supported at 320 x 240 with audio and limited to 30 seconds in length, but we were disappointed with both the picture and sound quality.

Still, there's plenty to like about the EX-Z3. It starts up in a mere 2.6 seconds and the 21 preset scene modes enable you to get the best results in varying situations. The metal tripod mount is a welcome inclusion and the generously bundled docking cradle charges the lithium ion battery and allows one-touch picture downloading.

Being compact and feature-laden is nothing without decent image quality and the EX-Z3 turned in a mixed bag of test shots. Macro ability was good, with a captured area of just 33 x 25mm, but indoor performance was marred by the poor auto white balance. Using the manual setting fixed the problem, but other cameras didn't require this interaction.

Outdoors, images were better. Our portrait shot showed good exposure, realistic skin tones, superbly accurate colours and good flash performance. Zooming in on the BT Tower shot revealed noticeable JPEG artefacts (due to the high compression) but resolution and detail capture were respectable overall. Our main gripe was the Casio's tendency to produce blurred shots with a narrow depth of field as well as constantly burning out highlights.

While we can't recommend the EX-Z3, it's a good choice if you want a camera you can take anywhere.

A table of all the full digital images taken with the cameras