June 11 - 7:35am EDT   (Updated with US launch info) Casio on Thursday ventured into compact but high-zoom cameras with the advent of the EX-H10. The 12.1-megapixel point-and-shoot is centered on a 10X, 24-240mm equivalent that both permits long range as well as wide-angle shots up close. Its battery is as much of a strong point: through a combination of increased capacity and power-saving refinements, the H10 can last for about 1,000 shots before it needs a recharge, or almost three times longer than a typical compact. [full story]

June 10 - 9:40am EDT   Verizon today officially launched the Casio Exilim. As the first camera phone from Casio for the provider, the Exilim has a 5.1-megapixel sensor like some rivals but also a real 3X optical zoom that lets it crop the shot without losing detail. Its clamshell display also swivels around to give photographers a large display for previewing the shot while still holding the phone like it was a dedicated camera. [full story]

June 10 - 9:05am EDT   Eye-Fi this morning launched the Eye-Fi Pro, its first SDHC card geared towards owners of entry- to mid-range DSLRs and semi-pro compacts. The 4GB card can now transfer RAW files over Wi-Fi directly to a computer or to one of the multiple photo websites the company already supports. It also adds a unique ad hoc mode that creates a peer-to-peer connection directly between the card-equipped camera and a Mac or Windows PC, bypassing the need for a network router that might not be available at a live photo shoot. [full story]

May 28 - 5:05pm EDT   Pricing and full specs of the rugged Casio Exilim C721 handset, first spotted early in April, were leaked on Thursday. The device will come to wireless provider Verizon on June 10th, and is equipped with a 5.1-megapixel autofocus camera with video recording capabilities, flash, image stabilization and 3x optical zoom. The phone is also rugged, meeting 810F military specifications for resistance to water, fog, shock, salt, dust, altitude and temperature extremes. [full story]

April 10 - 1:55pm EDT   An upcoming Casio cameraphone for Verizon has been teased through a pair of videos [since pulled] posted to YouTube and promoted by PR reps. The Exilim C721 should be one of Verizon's first phones from Casio that isn't designed solely for ruggedness and, matching the Exilim camera name, would have a 5.1-megapixel sensor. Little else is known, though the clamshell design has a semi-hidden external display for calls. [full story]

March 3 - 9:00am EST   Casio this morning gave the Exilim Zoom a new entry-level model in the EX-Z29. The camera has a now standard 10-megapixel sensor with a 3X zoom lens but is designed to both be easier to carry and now comes with 23 presets (dubbed Best Shot modes) to simplify shooting under specific conditions. Casio relies solely on DSP-based stabilization to reduce blurring but adds face detection, 16:9 video recording and a full-auto mode for absolute beginners. [full story]

January 7 - 4:35pm EST   Casio today upgraded its Exilim cameras with the first two point-and-shoot cameras ever to shoot at extremely high frame rates. The EX-FC100 and EX-FS10 both take conventional pictures at 9 megapixels but have a new imaging engine that can record lower-resolution videos at up to 1,000 frames per second, allowing extremely slow motion footage despite the cameras' compact footprints. They can also step down to 6 megapixels to burst shoot at 30 frames per second and will record 720p movies at the same speed. [full story]

December 12 - 4:20pm EST   A recent series of FCC preliminary filing reports hints at the upcoming release of a Casio handset, the Exilim NX-9250, for the North American market. Little is known about the handset apart from its use of a CDMA 800/1900 with EVDO Rev A radio along with Bluetooth support. The Exilim name is used on Casio's digital cameras and camera-equipped handsets in Japan, along with the recently introduced W63CA handset which sports an 8.1-megapixel camera, leading many to believe the NX-9250 will likewise sport a multi-featured and high megapixel count shooter. [full story]

September 16 - 9:40am EDT   Casio on Tuesday unveiled the Exilim EX-FH20, a lower-end alternative for the Pro EX-F1. It offers users a higher-resolution 9.1 Megapixel, 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor focused through a 20x lens but also makes a slight degradation in continuous frame rate, dropping from 60 frames per second for the F1 to 40 (at seven megapixels) in the FH20. The ultra-quick burst movie mode has likewise dropped from 1200 frames per second to 1000. The EX-FH20 nonetheless keeps sensor-shift image stabilization and a pre-shot buffering ability to capture the moment just before the shutter press. [full story]

August 20 - 8:00am EDT   Casio today began its prelude to the Photokina show with three new Exilim cameras for the US and elsewhere, two of which introduce a new automatic image tuning feature. The Zoom series tops out with the 10.1-megapixel EX-Z300 and the 9.1-megapixel EX-Z250, both of which include a new Makeup feature: the optional setting can dynamically improve the look of faces in portrait shots by either eliminating blemishes or reducing the impact of long shadows. They can also automatically correct overly dark faces or stitch together three shots to simulate a long exposure time. [full story]

July 14 - 7:55am EDT   (Updated with US launch info) Casio on Monday unveiled the Exilim Zoom Z-150. Although relatively low resolution at 8.1 megapixels, the camera compensates for this with a 28mm, 4X zoom wide-angle lens that both shoots further and captures more of the subject. Image stabilization is onboard, as is Casio's frequent YouTube video mode that captures video that can easily be uploaded to the video website. [full story]

July 7 - 4:05pm EDT   Casio America announced today it will make its Firmware Ver. 1.10 available on July 8 for its EXILIM Pro EX-F1 digital camera. Among the features unlocked by the update will be a unique Prerecord Movie function that will enable video recordings to start five seconds before users press the record button. The Prerecord function will work with all of the camera's movie modes, including 30 fps Standard, 300, 600 and 1200 fps High Speed and High Definition modes. Casio did not reveal how the Prerecord Movie function works. [full story]

March 6 - 10:00am EST   Casio today took advantage of the quiet camera market for the launch of the EX-Z9, a new entry model for its Exilim Zoom series. The 8.1-megapixel camera is said to be more portable than previous Exilims in the category and now has 23 separate Best Shot presets that fine-tune the settings without requiring an experienced user; as with past models, the Z9 also has a fully automatic Easy Mode that takes control of all settings except for flash use, resolution, and the timer. [full story]

January 6 - 3:45pm EST   Helping to kick off CES, Casio today released a sweeping change to its Exilim cameras aimed alternately at budding professionals and home users invested in the iTunes and iPod ecosystems. Previewed in early form at German's IFA last year, the Exilim Pro EX-F1 is not only the company's first semi-professional camera but also the fastest in the world, according to the camera maker. In still photo mode, the EX-F1 can shoot at an unprecedented 60 frames per second; though it cannot hold this rate, it can adjust the frame rate on the fly, extending shooting time while still offering a frame rate as good or better than more expensive pro models. It also offers a 1,200 ... [full story]