Casio recycles Exilim in sleek package without much punch

The latest incarnation of Casio's popular card-size digital camera, the Exilim EX-Z4 now shoots at four megapixels with three times optical zoom.

The Z4 features a four-megapixel CCD sensor but is essentially the same camera as the Z3 with a megapixel upgrade, so you probably would not find it a significant improvement over its predecessor.

Curiously, at the glitzy launch of the camera last week in Queen's Club, Central, Casio executives claimed Hong Kong was the site of the Z4 global launch, ahead even of the domestic launch in Japan. However, I found a British press release on the Web of the Z4 dated August 27.

The EX-Z4 is powered by a dedicated lithium-ion battery, which it charges on the supplied cradle stand. Storage is provided by the built-in 10 megabytes of flash memory and an optional Secure Digital card. The Z4, like the Z3, has a two-inch liquid crystal display in which to view images, but the resolution is so-so.

The camera weighs just 129 grams and is so small it will fit in any petite woman's handbag, but you might want to consider competing models such as the Ixus series from Canon and Pentax's Optio series.

Casio Exilim EX-Z4