Check out the following video for a demonstration of the powerful little Casio EX-FC100 that I captured at PMA of the UNLV Cheerleading Squad, which was performing routines in Casio’s booth area. The cheerleaders proved to be great models to demo the capabilities of the EX-FC100.

The Casio EX-FC100 is the miniature follow-up to the EX-F1 and EX-FH20, which were geared toward a prosumer audience.  The EX-FC100, however, is a compact point and shoot camera that packs in the same high speed capture technology as the EX-F1 and EX-FH20 – albeit a slightly reduced frame rate.  It’s still a feature that stands alone in the Casio brand in terms of execution.

Casio EX-FC100 Key Features

• 9.1 megapixels
• 720p HD video recording
• 1000 frames per second max video speed
• 30 frames per second burst still image capture
• 5x optical zoom
• ISO 1600 max sensitivity
• Sensor-shift image stabilization
• 2.7″ LCD
• MSRP $399.99

Casio EX-FC100 Performance and Handling

The great thing about the FC100 is that you can carry it and treat it like a normal point and shoot pocket camera.  The FC100 is perfectly capable of capturing single frame images at 9.1 megapixels and 720p video.  Whenever you are ready, you can turn Dr. Jeckyll into Mr. Hyde with the push of a button for 30 fps still image captures, or the flick of switch for up to 1000 fps video capture.

The inclusion of two separate shutter buttons, one for still images and one for video, is a welcome addition.  This seems to be a trend among cameras that focus on producing quality video along with images.  The video record button is on the back in the top right so that it is accessible with your thumb.  The still image shutter button is in the traditional location atop the camera so you can press it with your index finger.

In normal shooting, I found the flash to be a little weak.  The FC100 also had a poor ambient light balance with the flash.  Granted, I had only a handful of shots from which to judge; however, the FC100 just wasn’t on par with the flash and ambient light balance that I got from the Sony W290.

The high speed capture for both still and video, however, works as advertised.  For still images, you get 6MP images at a rate up to 30fps and you can set the camera to keep a buffer running while you survey your scene so that you don’t miss the moment.  It will actually capture the scene for a predetermined about of frames before you press the shutter and then continue on with the remainder of frames until you capture your burst amount.

Casio EX-FC100 High Speed Still Image Samples

The video mode works equally well in high speed mode.  You can shoot in designated high-speed mode, or you can set it to variable, like I did in the video above.  In the variable mode, you start out in 30fps, then you can jump to 210fps (as above) by pressing the Set button mid-stream.  Press the Set button again and you are back to 30fps.

Additionally, when shooting HD video, you can press the shutter button for still images and capture a 6MP image without interrupting your video recording – no missed frames or pausing the video to snap a pic.

Conclusion

With the EX-FC100, Casio takes what was formerly a novel feature in much larger, prosumer-oriented cameras and puts it in a small, relatively affordable package for consumers.  One practical use, which the folks at Casio pointed out to me, is the demand for the high-speed video and image capture in a variety of sports; particularly in learning environments.  I know that I could use a little help with my golf swing and can see easily see the benefits that this camera would produce by analyzing every point of my swing.  Club pros will really be able to put this camera to use.  Now, imagine how it can benefit just about any other sport.  So, yeah, there’s a big demand for this type of camera.  What’s more is that it’s just plain fun.

The EX-FC100 finally puts a big feature into a small form factor and smaller price.  It’s available at Amazon.com.