Earlier this year, CASIO introduced the 4-megapixel EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z40, a thin-body digital camera with a large 2.0-inch TFT LCD screen. This model offered high picture quality, high-speed response and energy saving circuitry in a compact unit. Thanks to the incorporation of CASIO's proprietary compact image processing module, the EXILIM Engine, the model also offered superior portability and exceptional performance, providing 2.5 times longer battery life, and representing a significant improvement over what remains a common drawback with conventional digital cameras. This attention to the needs of consumers in terms of features and usability ensured the EX-Z40's extraordinary popularity.

The two new models being announced, the EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z55 and EX-Z50, both incorporate the EXILIM Engine, but now feature circuitry enabling even lower power consumption. The EX-Z55 is equipped with a high resolution 5-megapixel CCD, a 3X optical zoom lens and a larger 2.5-inch LCD screen incorporating an optical viewfinder. With its compact and stylish design, the EX-Z55 can take approximately 400 pictures (based on CIPA* standards) on a single charge, while the EX-Z50 can take approximately 390. Both models offer extended battery life, making them ideal for use during long vacations and business travel, in fact any occasion requiring the amazing stamina that these cameras now offer.

Like all models in the EXILIM series, they offer superior portability and excellent picture quality, along with extremely high-speed operation for quick response in a variety of shooting situations. One example is the Best Shot function that allows the user to select settings automatically by choosing from sample scenes. In addition, several new functions have been incorporated to assure a higher level of performance, such as the "Business Shot" function which provides automatic correction for photos taken at an angle, and records these shots as though they were taken from a straight front position; the "Auto Macro" function which automatically switches between macro mode and AF mode; "Flash Assist" which operates during flash photography to compensate for brightness levels in darker areas not reached by the flash; and "Icon Help" which uses an on-screen display to guide the user during the switching of settings.