Casio Exilim EX-H15

Among travel zoom cameras, the Casio Exilim EX-H15 "boasts some very appealing specs," say editors at Steves-Digicams.com, while Gavin Stoker at PhotographyBlog.com considers it "one of the more reasonably-priced options in its class." As the follow-up to the Casio Exilim EX-H10 (*Est. $220), the EX-H15 has a newer processor that boosts operational speed by 30 percent, says Stoker, plus art filters and a dynamic photo tool that lets you cut and paste from one image to another. In addition to the 10x zoom lens and 3-inch LCD, the EX-H15 has 42 scene selections, four continuous shooting modes for nabbing fast-action shots, HD video (720p) and a huge 1,000-shot battery life. However, the zoom, which doesn't work in video mode, is "much noisier" than the Canon PowerShot SX210 IS (*Est. $300), according to Stoker, and the EX-H15 also lacks the HDMI output found on the Nikon Coolpix L110 (*Est. $210).

Performance also isn't the fastest, say editors at Steves-Digicams.com, and Stoker notes that the four-second shutter in night-shooting mode "isn't good news if you're seriously interested in night photography." Still, both critics praise crisp and colorful image quality despite noise creeping in at ISO 800, and although indoor video is grainy in tests at Steves-Digicams.com, editors say the six hours of recording time is a "big selling point." As Stoker sums up, the Casio Exilim EX-H15 "may not be the prettiest or coolest device out there, but it's practical and sometimes that's all that matters." For a cheaper travel-zoom alternative, the FujiFilm FinePix JZ500 (*Est. $200) has a 10x zoom, HD video and an unbeatable price but earns lukewarm ratings for image quality.

PhotographyBlog.com and Steves-Digicams.com provide meticulous, test-based reviews of the Casio Exilim EX-H15, albeit with little comparison to market rivals. PhotographyBlog.com, however, provides a list of competitors with links to standalone reviews.