Casio EX-FS10 vs Sigma SD1 Merrill: A Hands-On Expert Review for Photography Enthusiasts in 2024

When it comes to picking your next camera, all you want is a setup that delivers the goods: sharp images, reliable performance, and an interface that just makes sense. But, sometimes, choices come down to worlds apart. That’s exactly what we have with Casio’s ultra-compact EX-FS10 and Sigma’s heavyweight APS-C DSLR, the SD1 Merrill.

One’s a petite pocket rocket from 2009 designed for casual snaps with a splash of creative controls. The other, a mid-sized 2012 advanced DSLR flagship built for pixel-peepers demanding absolute image quality and a robust build. At face value, these cameras couldn’t be more different. But breaking down their core strengths and weaknesses across real-world use cases will shed light on which niches each fills best today - 15 years after the FS10’s debut and over a decade since the SD1 Merrill hit the streets.

I’ve spent many hours in the field, pushing these two cameras through their paces across portraits, landscapes, wildlife, and more - so you get practical, no-nonsense insights right from the trenches. Let’s get into it.

First Impressions: Size and Ergonomics - What Fits Your Hands and Your Life?

Right off the bat, the Casio EX-FS10 feels like a charm for casual shooters or anyone who loathes lugging gear around. It’s tiny: about 102 x 55 x 20 mm and weighs a featherlight 121 grams - lighter than a paperback book. Comfortably sliding into pockets or tiny bags, it's made for those moments when carrying a DSLR is simply overkill.

Contrast that with the Sigma SD1 Merrill’s mid-sized SLR body, a whopping 146 x 113 x 80 mm and tipping the scales at 790 grams. This camera demands a solid grip and dedicated strap - and well, muscle. Its shape offers more room for proper handling, sturdy clubs-for-thumbs indents, and controls under your fingers, ideal for intensive photography sessions.

If you're a cheapskate who values discretion and portability above all, the Casio’s ergonomics might edge out your liking despite its modest control layout (we’ll dig into that later). But those comfortable with chunkier rigs aiming for consistent shooting? Sigma’s heft gives it a professional vibe and feel, hinting at the serious performance inside.

Design and Controls: Top View Snapshots of Usability and Handling

Peek at both cameras from above, and you instantly notice the divide. The EX-FS10 has a simple top panel with the barebones: shutter release, power, and zoom toggle - streamlined for casual shooters who don’t want to bother with digging through menus.

No dedicated dials for exposure or ISO control here, save for a basic aperture priority mode tucked away for creative fun. Manual focus is possible, but fiddlier due to the lack of dedicated focus rings or clubs-for-thumbs dials.

In contrast, the Sigma SD1 Merrill’s top deck is packed with welcome controls. Dilligent photographers will appreciate physical dials for shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, ISO, and shooting modes. The dedicated clubs-for-thumbs grip on the rear and front caters to long shoots, while the programmable buttons give massive workflow advantages.

Bottom line: The EX-FS10 keeps it simple; the Sigma goes professional. For anyone serious about full manual control, the Sigma’s ergonomics win hands down.

Sensor and Image Quality: Tiny Sensor vs A Legendary Foveon APS-C Beast

Image quality boils down to sensor tech and size. Casio’s EX-FS10 sports a paltry 1/2.3" CMOS sensor (6.17 x 4.55 mm) with 9 megapixels. Tiny sensors like these are typical in pocket cameras and compact digital cameras of that era. They’re good enough for web sharing and casual prints but struggle with noise beyond ISO 400 and lack dynamic range.

Sigma’s SD1 Merrill sports a much larger APS-C sized Foveon X3 CMOS sensor (24 x 16 mm) with a unique three-layer design capturing red, green, and blue information per pixel location, resulting in exceptionally detailed 15-megapixel images (4800 x 3200). The Foveon sensor is praised for color fidelity, resolution, and impressive dynamic range rivaling medium format rivals in certain lighting.

In practical terms, landscapes shot on the SD1 Merrill display rich textures, vibrant skin tones in portraits, and superb shadow detail recovery. The EX-FS10 images, although serviceable for family snapshots, lack that pop and crispness and fall flat when viewed at large sizes.

If pixel-level control, printing large, or studio work is your bag, you’re looking at a clear winner in the Sigma.

Viewing Experience: LCD Screens and Viewfinders in User Interaction

The Casio relies on a simple 2.5-inch fixed LCD with a 230k dot resolution. It’s non-touch and feels quite primitive by modern standards. No live histogram, no tilt or swivel, nothing fancy. And unfortunately, no viewfinder means bright daylight composition can be challenging, forcing reliance on the LCD.

The Sigma SD1 Merrill offers a larger 3-inch fixed LCD, sharper at 460k dots, albeit no touchscreen and no live view functionality due to the SLT-style mirror design. Thankfully, the optical pentaprism viewfinder covers 96% of the frame with 0.64x magnification - a generous and bright window that facilitates precise manual focus and composition.

In other words, if you crave accurate framing and prefer eye-level shooting, the Sigma’s experience is far better. Casual shooters might accept the limits of the Casio’s screen for quick snaps but expect frustration in bright conditions.

Portrait Photography: Who Nails Skin Tones and Bokeh Better?

Casio EX-FS10

Skin tones are naturally rendered but slightly soft and noisy at anything above base ISO 100. The fixed 38-114 mm (3x zoom) lens with aperture ranging from f/3.9 to f/7.1 produces modest bokeh effects - not creamy enough to isolate your subject artistically especially indoors or in low light. The EX-FS10 lacks face or eye detection autofocus, and the contrast-detection system locks focus slower - often hunting - making portrait sessions tedious.

Sigma SD1 Merrill

Stationed with sharp Sigma lenses from their 76-strong SA lens lineup, the SD1 Merrill can produce portraits with stunning detail and gorgeous, smooth bokeh thanks to wide-open apertures and high-quality optics. The Foveon sensor’s color rendition shines with life-like skin tone fidelity and subtle nuance.

While the Sigma misses eye detection AF (common for its time), its fast phase-detection system and selective AF areas (multi, center-weighted) offer more accurate focus acquisition. For hands-on photographers willing to master manual focus and depth of field, this camera delivers beautiful portrait results.

Landscape Photography: Dynamic Range, Resolution, and Durability

The Sigma SD1 Merrill is clearly aimed at landscape and studio pros craving massive resolution and dynamic range. Its APS-C Foveon sensor’s 384 mm² capture area dwarfs the Casio’s 28 mm² sensor, resulting in images bearing superior detail and tonal gradation.

Sigma’s body provides weather sealing for dusty and damp environments, and a solid build to withstand tough outdoor shoots. The Casio EX-FS10 offers no weather sealing or ruggedization whatsoever, so it’s best reserved for casual, safe indoor or fair-weather outings.

If you’re hunting for crisper textures - leaves, rocks, skies - at low ISOs with the patient, deliberate work of landscape photography, Sigma’s setup rewards you. Casio’s compact camera simply cannot compete on fine detail or tonal depth and will also run out of battery and storage faster in long shoots.

Wildlife and Sports Photography: Autofocus Speed and Burst Shooting

When chasing critters or athletes, speed, precision autofocus, and burst mode are paramount.

The EX-FS10 offers only single contrast-detection AF with no continuous autofocus or tracking. Burst mode is absent. Frame rates max out low due to older generation hardware and limited buffer size, making it less suitable for motion-heavy work.

Sigma’s SD1 Merrill packs phase-detection AF on a 10-point sensor array, plus continuous AF modes (single and continuous) and multi-AF area support - though it’s not as fast as modern mirrorless cameras. Burst rates are limited but better than Casio’s.

For serious wildlife or sports photographers, neither is ideal - but Sigma’s more advanced AF system and ability to pair with long telephoto SA lenses (300mm, 500mm primes) make it the lesser of two evils by far.

Street Photography and Travel: Discreteness, Portability, and Battery Life

Casio EX FS10 front Casio EX FS10 screen back Sigma SD1 Merrill screen back

For street shooting and travel, size, weight, shutter silence, and quick responsiveness reign supreme.

The Casio EX-FS10 with its ultra-compact, lightweight body is a dream companion if you want to carry something unobtrusive. Its maximum shutter speed of 1/1250 sec is adequate, but it lacks silent or electronic shutter modes, constraining discretion.

Battery life is sketchy due to small batteries (NP-80), and limited storage options mean carrying spare cards. Wireless connectivity via Eye-Fi cards gives it a rare leg-up for instant transfers, handy for casual social sharing.

The Sigma SD1 Merrill is heavier, bulkier (see first image), and lacks video recording and wireless features. The sound of its shutter is loud, compromising stealth. Its robust batteries last longer, but weight and size make it less travel-friendly.

Which means: casio is better for snapping quick street moments on the go whereas sigma suits methodical trip photography when image quality is paramount.

Macro and Night Photography: Precision and High ISO Performance

Neither camera is explicitly designed for macro, but the Sigma’s advanced optics and sensor capabilities allow detailed close-ups when paired with a macro SA lens.

The Casio’s fixed lens lacks notable macro focusing distance, and no image stabilization complicates handheld close shooting.

When it comes to night and astro photography, the Sigma SD1 Merrill’s maximum ISO 6400 and larger sensor area outshine the Casio’s modest native ISO of 1600 and much smaller sensor by a mile. The digital noise from the Casio renders night images rough, while SD1 Merrill holds cleaner shadows and less grain, especially with proper exposure control plus long exposure capability.

Video Capabilities: A Tale of Two Worlds

The EX-FS10 offers video shooting up to 1280x720p at 30 fps, using Motion JPEG codec, plus multiple slow-motion frame rates - a nice novelty for casual home videos.

The Sigma SD1 Merrill does not offer video recording. Period.

So if you want video, Casio is your only choice here - but don’t expect stellar quality compared to modern standards.

Professional Workflows: File Formats and Connectivity

If you’re a professional photographer or enthusiast working in RAW, your choice is obvious.

Casio EX-FS10 shoots only JPEG; no RAW support. This limits post-processing flexibility severely.

Sigma SD1 Merrill supports lossless Foveon RAW files accessible with Sigma Photo Pro software or compatible RAW converters. The camera supports external flashes and provides extensive manual control - critical for studio and pro work.

Connectivity options are minefields: Casio supports USB 2.0 and Eye-Fi WiFi cards; Sigma only USB 2.0. Neither supports HDMI out or wired HDMI streaming for professional tethering.

Build Quality and Reliability: Weather Sealing and Toughness

The Sigma SD1 Merrill features environmental sealing against dust and moisture, useful for fieldwork.

The Casio EX-FS10 offers no sealing or ruggedness, so be careful outdoors and store it safely.

Both cameras aren’t designed as shockproof or freezeproof, so treat them with care in adverse conditions.

Battery and Storage: What Keeps You Shooting Longer?

The Casio uses an NP-80 battery type with limited capacity, often needing recharging or spares on long days. It uses standard SDHC cards, plus unique support for Eye-Fi wireless cards.

Sigma uses proprietary larger batteries but generally lasts longer due to larger capacity and efficient power management. Storage is via CompactFlash type I UDMA cards - a professional standard but bulkier and costlier.

Fast offloading is possible on both via USB 2.0 but no modern USB-C support here.

Pricing and Value: Where Does Your Money Go?

With a new price tag hovering around $200 (back in its time), the Casio EX-FS10 is a no-brainer for budget-conscious casual shooters wanting a simple point-and-shoot.

Sigma SD1 Merrill, priced over $2300, targets seasoned pros prioritizing ultimate image quality and professional-grade manual control.

You’re not just buying a camera here - you’re buying into ecosystems: Sigma’s SA lens family numbers 76 and growing during its prime, while Casio offers fixed optics and limited options.

Performance Summary: Overall and By Photography Genre

By crunching all the specs and hands-on tests, here’s how I’d rate them:

• Portrait: Sigma wins with IQ and control
• Landscape: Sigma far ahead due to sensor size and dynamic range
• Wildlife: Sigma better AF and telephoto support
• Sports: Neither excels, Sigma slightly better
• Street: Casio’s portability and stealth give it the nod
• Macro: Sigma’s lenses make it the clear winner
• Night: Sigma’s ISO performance benefits low-light
• Video: Casio only option (albeit basic)
• Travel: Casio wins for light weight, Sigma for image quality
• Professional use: Sigma only serious choice

Wrapping Up: Who Should Buy Which Camera?

Pick the Casio EX-FS10 If…

• You want a no-frills compact for casual snapshots
• You value ultra-portability and light weight
• Your budget is tight (under $200)
• You want to experiment with slow-motion videos and instant sharing (Eye-Fi)
• You don’t need manual controls or professional features

Go for Sigma SD1 Merrill If…

• You’re passionate about image quality, textures, and deep color fidelity
• You need advanced manual control and pro features
• You shoot portraits, landscapes, macro, or studio work that demands RAW
• You already own or want Sigma SA lenses
• You’re okay managing a bigger, heavier camera and budget $2300+

Final Thoughts

The Casio EX-FS10 and Sigma SD1 Merrill are like comparing a scooter to a muscle car - both transport you but with different aims.

Casio’s compact simplicity shines with its ease of use, small footprint, and basic features. But it’s a camera frozen in past tech, limited for enthusiasts who want more.

Sigma’s SD1 Merrill remains a cult favorite among pixel fanatics thanks to its rare Foveon sensor and professional-grade control, but it’s heavy, bulky, and not for the faint-hearted.

In today’s crowded market, entry-level mirrorless cameras and mid-tier DSLRs offer a more balanced value proposition. Still, these two give unique experiences: an ultra-compact easy shooter and an uncompromising image quality champion.

As always, your choice must align with your photographic goals, workflow, budget, and shooting style. I hope this deep dive helps you make an informed call.

Happy shooting!

If you want to explore sample images from both cameras to see their real-world output, check this gallery below.

Casio EX FS10 front Casio EX FS10 screen back Sigma SD1 Merrill screen back