Casio Exilim EX-F1

When rumours began circulating camera that would shoot 60 frames per second, we were sure that figure had to be a mistake. But no: I'm Richard Trenholm of CNET.co.uk, and this is the Casio Exilim Ex-F1, the fastest digital camera ever made. It's a 6-megapixel 'bridge' camera, that puts the power of a dSLR in a body with the user-friendliness of a compact, with the ultra-high speed CMOS sensor of a camcorder. Although the Ex-F1 qualifies as a superzoom with its 12x zoom lens, that's isn't its distinguishing factor. The Ex-F1 takes 60 pictures in 1 second -- and all at full 6 megapixel resolution. 60 snaps in 1 second give an insanely detailed breakdown of split-second movement, such as when shooting sports. A lower frame rate can be specified, which spreads the images over a longer time; for example, at 20fps the camera will snap for a hair under 3 seconds. Fast burst modes are often useless in the dark, because the flash can't cycle quick enough, but the F1's flash has no problem in low light, strobing 7 flashes a second. But getting past the initial excitement of this ground-breaking speed, we quickly wondered if this camera was just a one-trick pony. 6 megapixels isn't a lot when Casio and other manufacturers all have consumer compacts with twice that. It's also pretty bulky. Features include optical image stabilisation, fully manual or fully automatic modes, or aperture and shutter priority. The screen is a large 71mm (2.8-inch) LCD, with an electronic viewfinder, which is OK, but could be a bit brighter and shows a lot of motion blur when you swing the camera around. So what are the results like? Image quality impressed us with its decent colour reproduction and good exposure. So as a camera, it's certainly capable. But Casio hasn't stopped there: the Ex-F1 not only straddles the line between dSLR and compact camera, it also blurs the distinction between camera and camcorder. Watching full high definition1,920x1,080 footage is possible thanks to an HDMI port. And of course, speed is the watchword here too. The Ex-F1 will shoot an amazing 1200fps at the lowest resolution. While this is gobsmackingly fast, outpacing all the but the most highly-specced camcorders, it's worth thinking how often you'll use this feature before you part with your hard-earned cash. Everyday motion becomes stunningly detailed in surreal slo-mo videos which look gorgeous. But is this just a party trick? If it is, it's certainly an expensive one. Yes, the big stumbling block is the price, but this is an enormously clever and innovative camera that certainly packs in the wow factor. I'm Richard Trenholm of CNET.co.uk, and this is the Casio Exilim Ex-F1.