This article is published in Simply Her December 2015.
$399, from major electrical stores
WHAT’S HOT
• The little cube was the easiest camera to hold and use.To enter selfie mode, I only had to flip up the LCD screen.
• There is no shutter button. To take a picture, I either touched the screen or pushed the ring around the lens. I shot endless photos easily that way.
• I loved the self-portrait mode, with its smooth-skin function that can be adjusted from low to medium or high, depending on how smooth you want your skin to appear.
• I got good quality – clear and sharp – photos from the 16.1-megapixel camera, and the subtle filter and image adjustments didn’t affect image quality.
WHAT’S NOT
• The camera takes clear, sharp selfies but if I move a little, the image comes out blur.
• The camera takes a while to focus, so I can’t take a shot right away.
VERDICT The perfect selfie camera – handy, looks good and takes high-quality images with just the right touch of filters. 9.5/10
$1,299, from major electrical stores
WHAT’S HOT
• The LCD screen can be flipped out of its frame so the camera stands upright.
• Its shape and touchscreen make it easy to snap selfies.
• There are plenty of preset filters to brighten your skin tone and make you look flawless.The filters were a little strong for my taste.
• Transferring images was really easy. All I needed was the Casio Connect app that links to my smar tphone and sends images to my phone every time I take a photo.
WHAT’S NOT
• The camera’s selfie pad, a sensor pad along the frame, wasn’t easy to use.To get in and out of selfie mode (where all the filters are), I had to tap the side of the phone randomly to find the slight bump of the button.
• With the number of filters offered, and at just 11.1 megapixels, there was little difference between the quality of selfies taken with the Exilim and with my smartphone.
VERDICT Best for those who want to save time editing their photos on their smartphone. 8.5/10
$699, from major electrical stores
WHAT’S HOT
• At 16 megapixels, the images are very clear and sharp. It doesn’t just take good selfies, but macro, outdoor and other shots as well.
• There were no preset filters but the selfie functions were the most comprehensive. It allowed me to slim my face, smooth my skin, and darken or brighten the surrounding area. I could decide how strong I wanted each effect to be.
• It uses a no-touch shutter. Simply wave your hand to trigger a three-second countdown to take a photo.You can also turn it off if you prefer the shutter button.
WHAT’S NOT
• This was the heaviest and bulkiest in the line-up – I got tired from supporting the camera after taking three shots.
• The icons that symbolised the many functions were difficult to understand. I had to play around with the touchscreen to figure out what each symbol could do.
VERDICT It takes great selfies but its heavy, leather-bound body, packed with many functions and a detachable lens, make it more than just a selfie camera. 8/10