Our editor Philip Berne takes the Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1 out for Memorial Day weekend, and captures life at super-slow speeds.
For Chris Coleman's complete, in-depth review of the Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1, click here.
As a camera user, I fall dead-center in the "Prosumer" category. I'm not a professional photographer, but I do take pictures for my job as a technology journalist. I'm also within the niche market for the Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1. Not quite a science teacher or sports parent, I'm enough of an enthusiast that the special capabilities of the Casio EX-F1 appeal to me, even while the price is almost enough to scare me off.
Our Associate Editor for our camera section, Chris Coleman, is a bona fide professional photographer, so his review is the most thorough and qualified review of the Casio EX-F1 we'll post. Instead, for Memorial Day weekend, I decided to have some fun with the camera, to see if a prosumer like myself could create some interesting footage with the high-speed video recording modes.
Life at 300 fps
For my video tests, I first tried some fireworks, which looked great outside on this bright, sunny day. The camera didn't do a great job with details, like the sparks flying off this spinner, but it did catch that spinning action as the firework flew out of view. Stick with this one, the payoff comes at about the 25 second mark.
Spinner at 300 fps
I also tried filming my dog, Cholmondeley, doing some popcorn catches. She's not great at catching popcorn, so it's even better when she misses, as she does in this clip. I liked seeing the popcorn piece tumble through the air, but the best part is the look on her face as the ears flop up and down. The Casio EX-F1's 300 fps recording does a great job with faces, especially on animals.
Chum misses at 300 fps
Life at 600 fps
At 600 fps, the dog learns how to catch popcorn. Unfortunately, I can't quite keep up with the action. Remember, at that speed this entire toss takes just over a second, but the video stretches this to 20 times that length. Still, after a few attempts, Chum and I both caught this one, and again her floppiness is worth the effort.
Chum catches at 600 fps
This was also the perfect speed to capture the sparkler. I filmed this at 1200 fps, but it didn't work as well, mostly due to the very small resolution. In that tiny window, the sparks were barely visible, and fuzzy when blown up to full screen. At 600 fps, the sparks and the smoke look good, and the window is large enough to enjoy at full size, if not expanded a little.
Sparkler at 600 fps
Life at 1200 fps
At this speed, I got scientific. First, I tried a firecracker. Close up, it looked pretty cool, but the more distant shot got a better view of the explosion. Even at this speed, I felt like I wasn't seeing everything, but it's a great video that definitely shows an event normally invisible to the naked eye.
Firecracker at 1200 fps
Then, I moved into the kitchen to film popcorn popping. This was a difficult video. I had to rearrange my overhead lighting and bring down a desk light from my office to get enough light on the kernels that they are visible. Then, I had to shoot in a shallow pan to allow enough natural light to come in from the sides, which is why I'm not popping a bowl full. Then, to protect the Casio EX-F1 (which is on loan, of course), I wrapped the front end tightly in clear plastic wrap; a good idea, I thought, especially once I saw the hot oil on the wrap when I was done. In the end, I was satisfied with the videos, and I almost melted my desk lamp.
Popcorn at 1200 fps
So, would I buy one?
I had a great time playing with the Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1. It was the first product I have ever reviewed that had me saying "Wow" within five minutes of opening the box. I had a great time filming every video you see, and watching them afterwards was thrilling. Unfortunately, the thrill wore off a bit as I saw them over and over. The low quality of the images bothered me more. Friends and family weren't as excited as I was. I would love to see these features appear on point and shoot cameras, because I think that the size and price point are a better match to the functions. But, if you're not in the target audience, this might be a better camera to borrow for the weekend than it is to own. So, um, Casio . . . can I borrow it for another weekend?
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