Duel of the Compact Zooms: Canon SX710 HS vs Casio EX-FH100 Deep Dive

If you’re in the market for a compact camera that promises zoom versatility and decent image quality without stretching the bank, the Canon PowerShot SX710 HS and the Casio Exilim EX-FH100 are two nameplates that might pop up on your radar. Both hail from the small sensor compact realm, have fixed lenses with wide zoom ranges, and serve a similar audience: casual shooters craving pocket portability plus a sprinkle of creative control. But how do they hold up to rigorous scrutiny from an experienced eye? I’ve logged extensive hours with both cameras, twisting their dials, trailing through shoots, and observing how their technology translates into real-world photos and usability.

In this article, we’ll unpack every nook and cranny - from sensor nitty-gritty to ergonomics, autofocus prowess to battery endurance - and place these two contenders into practical contexts across the major photography disciplines. By the end, whether you’re a street snapper, a landscape lunatic, or a budding videographer, you’ll have a crystal-clear sense of which compact zoom best fits your bag and budget.

A Tale of Two Cameras: Introducing the SX710 HS and EX-FH100

Launched five years apart - the Canon SX710 HS in early 2015, and the Casio EX-FH100 back in mid-2010 - these little champs come from different generations yet share the same compact size ideology. Both employ a 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor - standard fare for pocket-sized cameras - but pack wildly different pixel counts: the Canon boasts an ambitious 20 megapixels while the Casio sticks with 10. While megapixels are often overblown as a singular image quality measure, they do influence resolution and cropping freedom (more on that soon).

Both cameras feature fixed lenses, which means no swapping glass, but encompassing substantial zoom ranges: the Canon offers an incredible 25-750mm equivalent (30x zoom), while Casio covers 24-240mm (10x zoom) - a notably narrower range but still flexible. F-stop tops out around f/3.2 on the wide end on both, though the Canon's telephoto end drops to f/6.9, a little slower than Casio's f/5.7. Sensor stabilization exists in both models, but via slightly different approaches: Canon uses optical image stabilization whereas Casio's system is sensor-shift based, a subtle nuance that can affect shake compensation depending on the situation.

Weight and body dimensions reveal the Casio as the lighter, slightly smaller option, but neither camera pushes the boundaries of ultra-portability. On paper, the Canon is a bit chunkier, but both are easy fits into a coat pocket or small bag.

They lack electronic viewfinders (EVFs), relying solely on LCD screens for composing shots - a consideration that will be important for bright outdoor conditions. Their screens are fixed type rather than tilting or touch-sensitive, which is somewhat expected in this class but worth flagging for those who rely heavily on live view.

Build Quality and User Interface: Hands-on Feelings

First impressions matter, and here the Canon SX710 HS exudes a slightly more solid build quality with a more contemporary design flair. Although both have plastic bodies (a necessity to keep weight down), Canon’s contours and rubberized grip give it a reassuring heft. The Casio, while lighter, feels a touch more plasticky and utilitarian, missing that slightly premium feel.

Looking at the control layouts from the top down, the Canon gains points with a more intuitive button arrangement and a mode dial that’s easy to manipulate quickly. The Casio’s controls are more minimalistic, which might please beginners but frustrate those wanting faster access to custom settings (which don’t abound here anyway). Notably, neither camera boasts illuminated buttons - a minor inconvenience in dim lighting.

I appreciate Canon's decision to include dedicated zoom and video buttons, giving your fingers familiar spots to reach without fumbling through menus. Casio, attempting some extra portability, sacrifices some ergonomics in the process.

On-screen interfaces are decidedly simple on both. The Canon’s 3-inch LCD with 922k-dot resolution presents images and menus with sharpness and clarity far above the Casio’s considerably lower 230k-dot panel, which looked somewhat outdated and washed out even after aggressive tweaking.

This difference matters, especially when reviewing images or attempting manual focus adjustments in the field. Canon’s screen offers a more pleasant palette and visible detail, enhancing the shooting experience noticeably.

Sensor and Image Quality: Pixels Versus Noise

Delving beneath the bodywork, both cameras share a 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor - a diminutive but common size in compact cameras. This sensor dimension equates to a physical area around 6.17 x 4.55mm, tiny compared to APS-C or full-frame sensors familiar in enthusiast models. This inherently limits light-gathering capability and dynamic range but keeps the cameras compact.

Canon’s sensor sports 20 megapixels - double Casio’s 10MP - suggesting potential advantages in image resolution and cropping versatility. But higher pixel density on a small sensor can sometimes worsen noise performance if pixel well sizes shrink too much. I fired both cameras at various ISO settings and lighting conditions to see which one strikes a better balance.

In well-lit environments, Canon unsurprisingly offers tighter, sharper images with more detail - its 20MP giving it an edge in resolving fine textures, subtle gradients, and printed enlargements. Colors have a pleasing vibrance but stay mostly true to life, thanks to Canon's DIGIC 6 image processor applying well-calibrated noise reduction and sharpening algorithms. The lower ISO floor of 80 versus Casio’s 100 is a minor bonus for better highlight retention in bright scenes.

Casio’s 10MP sensor produces softer images with less apparent detail, but with a more contrasty, punchy look. Its colors tend to drift a little toward warmer hues, which some users might find pleasing in portraits but less accurate overall. Notably, Casio supports RAW capture, a surprising feature in this category and vintage, which theoretically offers more leeway in post-processing. Canon, perplexingly, omits RAW altogether here - limiting advanced editing flexibility unless you shoot JPEG with meticulous in-camera settings.

When pushing higher ISOs (above 800), the Canon maintains cleaner images with less chroma noise, while Casio’s images become noticeably grainy and lose color fidelity. Overall, Canon’s image quality surpasses Casio’s in both resolution and noise control, giving it a distinct practical advantage for most photography needs.

Autofocus and Performance: Speed and Tracking

One of the most critical specs for many is autofocus accuracy and speed, especially for dynamic genres like sports, wildlife, or casual handheld shooting.

The Canon SX710 HS employs a 9-point autofocus system with contrast detection and face detection capabilities, including continuous AF and tracking. In real life, I found the Canon’s autofocus snappy and reliable under typical daylight scenarios. When focusing on faces or central subjects, it identified eyes competently and tracked fairly well even as subjects moved moderately. However, it struggled slightly in low light and didn’t perform as crisply with fast-moving objects, showing minor hunting. Still, for a compact superzoom, this is decent performance.

The Casio EX-FH100 uses contrast-detection only with no face or subject detection and does not support continuous autofocus tracking. Its AF locks reasonably well on still subjects in good light but falters once action picks up or lighting dims. I found it slower and prone to searching, increasing the chances of missed shots. Since it lacks tracking, sports or wildlife photographers will find it frustrating.

Burst shooting rates differ as well: Canon offers a faster 6 fps continuous shooting rate, helping seize fleeting moments, compared to Casio’s 4 fps. Neither is blazing by DSLR or mirrorless standards but adequate for typical casual shoots.

Versatility Across Photography Genres

What kind of photographer are you, and how do these cameras stack up in those real-world contexts?

Portrait Photography

The Canon’s higher resolution and face/eye detection features promise superior portraits with cleaner skin tones and pleasant bokeh from its 30x zoom lens. Although the aperture isn’t especially fast, at long focal lengths, the SX710 HS creates more background blur potential. The Casio, with its shorter zoom and fewer AF assists, struggles to isolate subjects well but can still generate decent snapshots.

Landscape Photography

Landscape lovers look for dynamic range, resolution, and weather resistance. Neither camera offers weather sealing, limiting outdoor ruggedness. Canon’s 20MP sensor shines here for capturing detail-rich sweeping vistas and finer texture in foliage. Unfortunately, limited ISO range and the small sensor limit dynamic range versus larger-sensor cameras. Casio’s lower resolution and weaker screen make composing and checking details harder but it's still decent for casual scenic shots.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

Canon’s 30x zoom (25-750mm equivalent) is a massive advantage over Casio’s 10x for distant wildlife and sports. Faster burst rate and AF tracking seal the deal for Canon as the better option for capturing action, though expect some AF lag and challenges with fast-moving subjects. Casio lacks tracking and has a slower burst, so it's more suited for static or slow-moving subjects.

Street Photography

Both cameras lack a viewfinder and have non-intrusive designs, handy for discreet street shooting. However, Casio’s lighter weight and smaller footprint favor portability and subtlety. Still, the slow, sometimes hesitant AF and slower shutter speeds under low light conditions can hamper candid captures. Canon’s better image quality wins out here if you can live with the slightly bigger body.

Macro Photography

Both cameras support macro focusing at close distances, Canon reaching as close as 1 cm, Casio about 7 cm. Canon’s longer focal length coupled with image stabilization gives an edge in handholding macro shots. However, fixed lens designs limit close-up creativity and fine focusing precision compared to dedicated macros or mirrorless cameras.

Night and Astro Photography

Given their sensor sizes and ISO limits (max 3200), both cameras face challenges in low light and astrophotography. Canon offers slightly lower base ISO and better noise performance. Neither support bulb mode or advanced long exposure features, but Canon’s longer maximum shutter speed (15 seconds versus Casio's 4 seconds) helps in night exposure. Don’t expect star trails or deep-sky shots without external help here.

Video Capabilities: More Than Just Stills?

While they’re primarily still cameras, video remains a significant consideration.

Canon supports Full HD 1080p video recording up to 60fps, offering smooth, high-res footage suitable for casual filming. It records in standard MPEG-4 or H.264 formats but lacks microphone or headphone jacks, limiting audio control. Optical image stabilization aids handheld shooting, though wind noise can be audible.

The Casio falls behind here with a maximum video resolution of 720p and a top frame rate of 30fps in that mode. However, Casio’s unique selling point is extremely high-speed shooting (up to 1000fps in lower resolutions), appealing to those fascinated by slow-motion sequences - rare in this category. Still, video quality is mediocre compared to Canon’s.

Battery Life, Connectivity, and Storage

Canon SX710 HS uses a rechargeable NB-6LH battery, delivering around 230 shots per charge - a modest endurance for day-long shoots, so packing spares is wise. Casio’s battery info is sparse but likely offers similar shot counts; its lighter weight suggests smaller capacity but less power demand.

On connectivity, Canon includes built-in Wi-Fi and NFC, enabling easy wireless image transfer and remote control via smartphone apps - a neat, contemporary feature. In contrast, Casio supports Eye-Fi card compatibility for wireless transfers but lacks built-in Wi-Fi or NFC, which now feels dated.

Both cameras accommodate SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards with single card slots, standard fare.

Value and Price: What’s Your Investment?

At launch, Canon SX710 HS came in slightly higher priced around $349, with Casio EX-FH100 closer to $299. Both are budget-friendly, though somewhat old models by today’s standards and typically found second-hand or clearance.

The extra $50 for the Canon brings meaningful hardware, autofocus, and image quality improvements. Casio’s niche is arguably its high-speed video capture and slightly smaller footprint but costs come in image and performance compromises.

Side-by-Side Image Quality Examples

Seeing is believing, so I compared real images taken with both cameras in varied scenarios: daylight landscapes, portraits under mixed lighting, and distant wildlife shots. The Canon clearly delivers crisper, more vibrant pictures retaining finer details. Casio’s photos show more softness and occasionally overexposed highlights.

Canon SX710 HS front Canon SX710 HS screen back Casio EX FH100 front Casio EX FH100 screen back

If large prints or cropping flexibility matter to you, Canon's superior resolution sways the choice decidedly.

Overall Performance Snapshot

Combining all tested factors, Canon SX710 HS outperforms the Casio EX-FH100 in every category except portability and ultra-high-speed video capture, where Casio owns a niche.

Specialized Use Case Scores: Which Fits Your Passion?

Looking deeper into genre performances highlights the varied suitability of these cameras.

• Portraits & Landscapes: Canon wins easily
• Wildlife & Sports: Canon for range & AF speed
• Street & Macro: Slight nod to Casio for street portability, Canon for macro finesse
• Night & Astro: Canon for longer exposure support
• Video: Canon for quality; Casio if slow-motion is a priority
• Travel & Professional Use: Canon for versatility; neither especially pro level

Final Thoughts: Picking Your Pocket Zoom Sidekick

When it comes down to the Canon PowerShot SX710 HS versus Casio Exilim EX-FH100, the decision hinges heavily on what you value most.

If you crave high-resolution images, a huge 30x telephoto zoom, faster and smarter autofocus, modern connectivity, and decent Full HD video, Canon’s SX710 HS is your clear choice. Its sensor and processor combo deliver respectable image quality and shooting performance that belies its compact dimensions.

On the flip side, if ultra-slow-motion video fascinates you, you prize pocket-friendly size above all else, and you’re more of a casual snapper accepting softer image quality and slower AF, the Casio EX-FH100 might still dance to your tune. It’s a camera with quirks and distinctiveness albeit now a bit long in the tooth.

Personally, while the Canon SX710 HS isn’t a powerhouse by any means, it’s the more balanced, versatile camera in today’s small sensor compact arena. Consider it a trusty Swiss Army knife - ready for most photographic challenges with few compromises. The Casio is a niche oddity best suited for those intrigued by its quirks and unique slow-motion modes.

So, before you commit, evaluate what photography means to you. Both cameras represent decent entry points into the world of zoom-rich compacts but excel for different reasons. Hopefully, this deep dive has cleared away the marketing fog and put you on a path to picking the compact companion that earns a genuine spot in your gear list.

Happy shooting, and may your zooms always find their mark!

Appendix: Quick Camera Spec Comparison

If you want more detailed test charts or sample galleries, drop me a line - happy to share further insights!