Casio's slim 7MP Exilim compact of 2006 — 1/2.5in CCD, 38-114mm zoom, 2.5in LCD, SD storage
The Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z70 was a slim 7-megapixel digital compact announced in June 2006, part of Casio's card-sized Exilim Zoom series that competed on thinness and battery life in the crowded mid-2000s pocket-camera market. It slotted into the range as an affordable everyday model beneath higher-resolution Exilims such as the EX-Z1200.
It pairs a 1/2.5-inch 7-megapixel CCD with a 3x optical zoom covering a 38-114mm equivalent range, framed on a 2.5-inch, 115,200-pixel rear LCD with no optical viewfinder. Images store to SD or MMC cards on top of 8.3MB of internal memory, and Casio's Best Shot system supplies 33 scene modes including movie recording. The body measures under 20mm thick with the lens retracted and runs on Casio's proprietary NP-20 lithium-ion battery. An Anti-Shake DSP function works digitally rather than through optical stabilisation.
This is a shirt-pocket snapshot camera for casual and travel use, with the CCD-era colour rendering that now draws digicam collectors. The 38mm wide end is unremarkable by later standards and low-light ability is limited, but daylight results and the simple Best Shot operation made it an easy carry-everywhere camera.
Used buyers should confirm the NP-20 battery still holds charge — cells of this age often need replacing, though third-party NP-20s and BC-11L-compatible chargers remain available cheaply. Check the lens extends without grinding or error messages, inspect the LCD for bright spots or bleed, and test SD card recognition; the camera predates SDHC, so cards over 2GB may not work. Sensor dust shows as fixed dark spots in sky areas.