First things first: Casio’s Exilim EX-F1 is not a digital SLR. Although it looks like one, it’s for people who love filming as much as capturing photos. In addition to snapping 6-megapixel still photos, the EX-F1 can fire off up to 60 shots per second, record movies in full HD, and make slow-motion videos using high-speed shooting up to 1,200 frames per second. The EX-F1 was built for people who love action photography or want a camera that can do double duty as a camcorder, and based on our tests, it’s certainly a breakthrough.

Looks Like a DSLR

Three things make the EX-F1 look like a DSLR: its electronic view finder, its chunky shape—complete with a rubbery ergonomic hand grip—and the long 12X lens. Compared with a DSLR, though, it’s much lighter. At 1.5 pounds, it weighs less than many DSLRs once you factor in their removable lenses. The EX-F1’s nonremovable lens has a rotating ring that you can program to control the focus, burst rate, and zoom factor.

For not-so-advanced shooters, the 2.8-inch LCD has Live View, just like any other digital point-and-shoot, and you can enable it by pressing the dedicated EVF/LCD button on the back. We had no problem viewing images on the LCD outside on a sunny day.

Unlike simpler point-and-shoots, whose few buttons are self-explanatory, the EX-F1 requires you to read the instruction manual. On the top are two dials: one for camera modes and another for continuous shooting options. Also on top are the Power button and the shutter, with a rotating toggle for adjusting the zoom.

On the left side are focus, backlight correction, and AE-L/AF-L buttons (the latter locks exposure and focus). On the back is another button for recording video; it has a rotating toggle for selecting high-speed shooting, high-definition shooting (1920 x 1080), or standard-def shooting (640 x 480). The EX-F1 also has a four-way touchpad with a scroll wheel surrounding it, as well as dedicated Menu, Display, Playback, and Record buttons.

User-Friendly Interface

Fortunately, the on-screen menus are less complicated. The settings you’re most likely to adjust—ISO and white balance, for example—have corresponding icons lining the right side of the LCD. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to highlight them, and the right and left to make adjustments. We like that when you press the Menu button, highlighted settings appear red, and all others gray; it makes navigating all the manual options easy.