Casio EX-MR1 Selfie Camera Review

Last time, I reviewed my Casio Exilim ZR3500 Selfie Camera. Now, I'll be reviewing my Casio EX-MR1 Selfie Camera. I LOVE Casio cameras because they are perfect for people like me-SELFIE lovers! 

I discovered Casio through my favorite blogger, Cheseerland. She raved about how perfect the camera is and has been using it since then until now. I don't regret getting my Casio ZR3500 Flip Screen Camera. Please CLICK HERE if you want to read my review on that camera.

The difference between the Casio ZR3500 and this CASIO EX-MR1 is that the ZR3500 is flip screen while the EX-MR1 has a unique "mirror" that is covering the lens. Flip screen is not needed anymore because what you see in the mirror is also the exact same image that the camera will take. The ZR3500 is quite pricey while the EX-MR1 is super affordable!

PRICE: Php 6.995

WHERE TO GET IT: Camerahaus Outlets (Or check their Facebook Page HERE)

COLORS: White, Pink, Mint Green


This Casio EX-MR1 has a 14MP compact camera with an extra wide angle zoom that starts at 21mm. According to Casio, this feature is optimal for taking self-portraits, or SELFIEs!

Most "Selfie" cameras use flip screens to let the user see how she would appear in the picture. But if there is a disadvantage to that, it's that it only encourages the shooter to look away from the lens when capturing the image. Casio's idea in placing the lens directly in the center of the mirror is to ensure eye-contact and to allow the photos to look more natual. You can now check out your reflection while taking pictures! User can use it like a hand mirror and see how easy and convenient taking selfies has become!

You are probably wondering where the flash is. I also asked that question when I first held this camera. But to my amazement, this camera does not have a flash rather it has a LED light! How cool?? So you can either turn it off, turn it on or leave it to Auto. You can also use the LED light when you take videos! It's so cool, OMG!

I love taking selfies using this camera! And you know what?It's also perfect for taking photos secretly. Hehe Because it doesn't look like a camera, people wont know you are actually already taking a photo. So, even if you are a tourist in the middle of Times Square or in Shibuya, you can be alone in the street and take selfies using this. People will just think you are checking yourself in the mirror. So, no more weird stares from locals. hehe


Here are some sample photos I took using this Casio EX-MR1 Camera.

Since it is a Selfie camera, here are sample Selfies!

Outdoor Selfie

Outdoor is the most advisable place to take photos using this camera as the image would appear sharper and brighter. In this photo, the Makeup Effects Filter was not turned on so you seen some spots on my cheek. YES, it also has the amazing Makeup Effects feature!


Indoor Selfie

This image was taken indoor but it was inside a mall so it was still bright. Though, you would notice that the image is now grainy. But the Makeup Effects was turned on so you can see that my skin appears smoother! Yay!

Outdoor Scene

Taking photos of sceneries or places is also perfect outdoor as the colors appear more lively and vivid. It also has wide angle lens so it takes a photo of the whole view without having to step back.

Indoor Scene

This is an example photo taken indoor. As you can see, the colors are still vivid and the picture is still quite sharp! It was also able to capture the whole view even though I did not go too far back.


FOOD

Taking food photos using this camera is also nice because the colors are real and the lens also blurs out the background so the focus of the image is all given to the subject!


Macro

Just like with the food shot, it also blurs out the background when taking macro objects such as flowers. I love how it was able to capture the details of the petals!

ART Shot

It also has my favorite feature of the Casio ZR3500, the Art Shot.

Here is how the photo looks when taken under normal conditions and normal settings.

(Normal Photo)

After selecting the Art Shot filer, here's how the image looks.

(with ART Photo Filter)

This effect creates dark edges and alters the hues to make the image look like they were shot by a toy camera. This effect is perfect for arty Instagram photos.

Speaking of Instagram, this camera also has WIFI features that would let you transfer your photos straight from your camera to your phone. This will allow easy sharing and updating on your SNS accounts like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! How convenient?!

Here is a sample photo that I took using my EX-MR1, transfered to my phone and then uploaded right away on my Instagram account! (Follow @RealAsianBeauty on Instagram!)

Instagram Photo

Went to church alone today. Going to church alone somehow makes me feel like I am off to a date with God, an intimate and private time with Him. I always feel lighter after! The Pastor talked about LOVE... I am Single so after the service, I went to the store and bought myself some sweets. Hehe #Sweets #SugarRush #Chocolate #Red #RedandBlack #Victory #TeamJesus #February #FebIbig #ForeverAlone #WalangForever #SoSoonDiNaAkoALone #Snickers #HelloPanda #YanYan

A photo posted by Kristine Roces (@realasianbeauty) on Feb 7, 2016 at 9:39am PST

And those are just some of the reasons why this camera is a nice selfie camera! The mirror design is so sleek and unique! The makeup effects is a blessing to people with flawed skin like mine. And the WIFI feature is perfect to allow you to update your followers with your newest SELFIE! Hehe

I am so excited to tell you guys that CASIO cameras are NOW available here in the Philippines. No need to order online anymore! Get your own Casio camera only at CAMERAHAUS branches. There's one in every mall so be sure to check them out and check out Casio cameras. 

Check out Casio Exilim's Facebook Page HERE for more information and promos.

I swear to you that you will not regret buying a Casio camera, EVER! Thank you for reading our blog today!

♥

Kristine

Casio ZR3500 Selfie Camera Review

One of the things a Blogger and a YouTuber must have is a camera. Today, I will be reviewing my current favorite! 
It's the Casio Exilim ZR3500 Selfie Camera.

I am not a very techy person and have limited knowledge in camera specs but I will still try to review this camera comprehensively.
So, why is it called a Selfie Camera? Because it has features that any selfie-lover would like. First, it comes with a 180 Degrees flip screen so you could better see your angle when taking selfies. It is also perfect for taking group photos so you could see that no one gets cut in the photo. The flip screen is also perfect for YouTubers and Vloggers as you could perfectly see yourself while filming makeup tutorials or your daily life vlogs.
Another thing that you will surely love is it's Makeup Effects! It's a high-end photo filter that smoothens skin and eliminates acne, spots, wrinkles and pores! So now you could snap a photo and upload it on your SNS without having to edit or retouch anything.
And talking about uploading, it also has WIFI that lets you connect the camera to your phone for easy collaging, editing and uploading! Perfect for on-the-go people and also perfect when traveling as one does not need laptop or computer to be able to transfer the photos from the camera! You will get it on your phone in an instant!
Convinced yet? Now, let's go to the proper camera review!

Casio Exilim ZR3500 is a product of Japan but it is raved in most parts of Asia like Singapore, Hong-Kong, Malaysia, etc. I found out about this great camera through my favorite blogger, Cheeserland. It was not available yet in the Philippines when I purchased it so I had to buy it online. It was delivered straight to my home directly from Japan. Though I love that my camera came straight from Japan, I did not like the idea of ordering a gadget online. Whenever I buy gadgets, I make sure that I test it out first and see that it is not damaged before I actually pay for it. But since I just got it online, I had to trust that I would not get scammed and that the camera would not be damaged nor broken when I get it.

For in depth review, I also filmed a video review and demonstration of the Casio Exilim ZR3500. 
Watch the video for the full specs and demonstration.

PRICE: Php20,995

WHERE TO GET IT: Get your own Casio Exilim ZR3500 only at Camerahaus branches.


MAKEUP EFFECTS

The main feature of this camera is the Makeup Effects that filters skin to remove acne, dark spots, wrinkles and pores. It gives super smooth and lighter skin tone, without using Photoshop! However, you can still choose from Level 0 to Level 12, depending on how flawless you want to appear in the picture.

To let you see the drastic change, I collaged my photos and tried 5 different Makeup Effect levels. Take note, though, that I was not wearing any face/skin products in the pictures.

I went from Level 0 to Level 12. My skin broke out recently so I thought this would be the perfect time to try the filter levels as I wanted to test if it can eliminate the big spots on my face.

 Using Level 0, you can see that my skin seems dark. You can also see the acne marks on my cheeks and the active spots on my forehead. As the filter gets more intense, the smoothness of my skin also gets intense. In the last photo, Level 12 Filter, you can see that my skin is lighter and it is also so much smoother. The acne marks on my cheek were not visible anymore as well as the active pimples on my forehead. 

After trying out the Makeup Effects with no product on my face, I then went ahead and applied full coverage foundation and powder then snapped some photos. Below is a comparison of how my skin looks Without Filter and With Filter.

AMAZING, right?! This is the secret of some famous bloggers like Cheeserland and Xiaue! Now you know why they look so flawless and smooth in their photos! And yes, I am spilling my secret, too! This is also the reason why I look flawless in my selfie photos recently! Hehehe

(However, for Acne Posts and Product Reviews, I make sure that I use Level 0 Filter to show you the real appearance of my skin. So you can still trust me when it comes to Acne Posts and Product reviews!)

Here is a sample Selfie I took back in January using my Casio Exilim ZR3500. I set the filter to Level 7 so as not to make myself look overly plastic and fake. :)

If that is not yet enough reason why I love and why you should also get this camera, it also has other effects that you will also like!


ART SHOT

Soft Focus

This photo effect softens the focus of the camera. It also gives a whitish filter to make the photo look sweet and romantic.

Fisheye

I seldom use this effect as I am not really a fan of distorting pretty pictures. But it can be used on times when you want to take cute and funny photos.

HDR ART

This is my next favorite after the MakeUp Effect. This photo effect enhances the color of the picture to make it look like a work of art; a painting. I love using this effect for taking photos of nature, colorful things, beautiful structures and architectures and a whole lot more! It has different Levels to choose from, too. Here are some photo examples.

HDR Art Level 1

HDR Art Level 2

HDR Art Level 3

See how amazing the effect is? It instanly transforms even a plain scenery to a really artsy photo! However, I noticed that it is not quite advisable to be used when taking portrait photos as it tends to make the person look darker and...dirty! Hehe Here is a sample photo I took using HDR Art Level 2.

Casio Exilim ZR3500 is also perfect for taking Panorama Shots, Food photos and pictures of Flowers, Pets and other things that you could think of!

BS Best Shot

Slide Panorama

Food 

Flowers 

But, just like with other things or gadgets, nothing can be perfect. Here are some things that I really like and some things that I don't like about this camera.


LIKES

• Can take photos while taking a video.

Above is a sample video that I took using this feature. I took this video of my favorite K-pop group, INFINITE, last November 7, 2015 at the Infinite Effect Concert here in Manila. (Oh, did you want to read more about that concert? CLICK HERE to open a new tab and read my IE Concert experience!)

As I was saying, this camera can take photos WHILE you are taking a video. That is so you NEVER miss to capture a moment! Just like how I was able to film a video of WooHyun and Sunggyu and then take photos of them while WooHyun points at me and Sunggyu looks in my camera! Yay!

• Connect camera to phone to instantly get photos and upload on your SNS.

If you are both a photo and travel lover, then you will surely appreciate this feature! It allows you to instantly transfer photos that you took with the Exilim ZR3500 to your smart phone,without the use of a cord or laptop! You can connect your camera to your phone through Wi-Fi connection.

After you have gotten the photos that you need, you can then upload it on your SNS such as Facebook or Instagram! This is so convenient because you can upload a photo that you took even when you are in the middle of a vacation in Boracay or Japan!

• Can be charged using Power Bank.

At first, I didn't like the idea of having to charge the entire unit. I used to own only Canon cameras and was used to having to remove the battery and to charge it solely. It was convenient for me because I can always have a spare battery and still use the camera while the other battery is charging. So, when I learned that I would have to charge my camera and not be able to use it for a few hours, the idea turned me off. But when I came to use it, I learned that I could charge it using my Power bank because it uses USB connection! I came to love the feature because I realized that I can charge it anywhere, anytime! Say I am on the road and my camera dies, I could charge it on my power bank even without plugging it on direct electricity! I love this feature as well!

If there are things that I like, of course there are also features that I don't like. Here are some of them:

DON'T LIKES

• It is not touch screen!

In a world where almost everything is touch screen, I can't believe this unit is not. It would have been perfect if I could just swipe left and right to look at photos and pinch in or pinch out when I want to zoom in my photos. But, it's not also a great inconvenience that the screen can not be touched. People move on, you'd survive without a touch screen camera!hehe

• The flash is positioned in an awkward area.

I hate that the flash was positioned right where the hand would go when one takes a photo! It's okay when I take photos because I am already aware of it and never place my finger near the flash. But whenever I ask other people to take my photos, I always have to remind them not to place their finger near the flash or else, the photo would come out with a dark area because of the finger's shadow. I wish they just moved the flash to the right side! It's so inconvenient.

• It's not as compact as other compact cameras.

It's not really a great issue but I wish the camera was slimmer and more handy. I also wish they made it more sleek and more girlish. The structure and appearance of the camera is not very stylish nor girlish. But just like with other things, people move on and one would survive even with a somehow bulky camera. :)

* * *

And that is why I am so inlove with this camera! My DSLR broke recently so I had no choice but to use this camera for my YouTube videos. I was impressed with the video quality. I also love taking photos using this camera for my Instagram. The photos are clear, vivid and sharp! The flip screen is also convenient, perfect for Selfies and for taking group photos! I really recommend this camera, especially to people that are into taking selfies, want sharp photos and clear videos but still want a compact camera. It was made for the new generation selfie-lover so go ahead and enjoy it's features!

I had to order mine online because it was not yet available here in the Philippines back in July 2015. So, I was one of the first few owners of this camera here in the Philippines.

But did you know that CASIO cameras are now available here in the Philippines?Camerahaus now has Casio cameras such as this Casio Exilim ZR3500, Casio MR1 and the CasioTR60, which is my dream camera! OMG! I'm so happy they are finally here in the Philippines, If you want to know more about this Casio Exilim ZR3500 and other Casio cameras, go and visit Camerahaus at your favorite mall. You may also go to their Facebook page HERE for more information.

I am so inlove with this camera! Go ahead and try it! I am sure you will LOOOOVE it, too!

♥

Kristine