Casio EX-FS10 vs. Sony RX100 VI: A Tale of Two Compacts From Different Worlds

When faced with two cameras as distinct in era and ambition as the Casio EX-FS10 and the Sony RX100 VI, the conversation quickly evolves beyond mere specs. It’s a journey through technological progress, photographic priorities, and what a compact camera can truly offer in 2009 versus 2018. Having put both through their paces, from pixel-peeping landscapes to frantic wildlife chases, I’m eager to share how these two machines stack up - and what that means for you as an enthusiast or a pro looking for a pocket shooter.

Seeing Eye to Eye: Size, Build Quality, and Ergonomics

Let’s start with the most tactile experience - how these cameras feel in your hands and pockets. The Casio EX-FS10, announced way back in January 2009, sits snugly in the “ultracompact” category - a slim, lightweight device with dimensions of roughly 102 x 55 x 20 millimeters and a featherweight 121 grams. This gem belongs in the realm of casual shooters or those who prize convenience above all.

Fast forward nearly a decade, and Sony’s RX100 VI, with its “large sensor compact” status, is visibly chunkier: 102 x 58 x 43 millimeters and 301 grams. It’s still pocketable but unmistakably built to be handled and controlled more seriously. The difference in heft is palpable and reflects the leap in technology packed inside.

Above, you see the size comparison plainly - a slim Casio next to the more robust Sony. The EX-FS10 feels like a slim smartphone, whereas the RX100 VI has a substantial grip area, textured body, and a heft that inspires confidence during prolonged shooting sessions.

In terms of build, the EX-FS10 is purely plastic, lacking any weather sealing - a typical trait for a budget-friendly point-and-shoot. The RX100 VI, while not fully weather-sealed, boasts a solid metal chassis and a sturdier feel overall. It’s clear Sony set out to make a camera that can weather the rigors of travel and more demanding shoots.

Ergonomically, the Sony’s larger size allows for more thoughtful button placement, a tilt screen, and an electronic viewfinder (EVF). The Casio, meanwhile, limits itself to a fixed 2.5-inch screen with no viewfinder - it’s all “point and pray.” Let’s compare the control layout next.

Controls and User Interface: Casual Snapshots vs. Pro-Level Access

When you pick up the Sony RX100 VI, the first thing you notice is the array of controls and its sophisticated interface. The camera sports a 3-inch tilting touchscreen with high resolution (1,229k dots) and a bright electronic viewfinder boasting a sharp 2,359k dot display covering 100% of the frame. Contrast this with the Casio’s fixed 2.5-inch LCD screen at just 230k dots and no viewfinder at all.

The photo above showcases the Sony’s top plate heavy with dials and dedicated buttons for exposure compensation, drive modes, and customizable functions - a photographer’s playground. The Casio’s simple top plate houses a shutter button and a small mode dial. Its fixed interface restricts control to basic auto and aperture priority modes only, with no manual exposure or shutter priority.

Moreover, Sony equips the RX100 VI with touch-to-focus and touch-to-shoot capabilities, customizable buttons, full manual exposure controls, and programmable settings. The Casio EX-FS10 offers aperture priority but no shutter priority or full manual modes. For enthusiast shooters and pros, the Sony is clearly the superior tool for creative control and fast adjustments on the fly.

Sensor Tech and Image Quality: A Generational Leap in Imaging

Now to the heart of the system - the sensor. The Casio EX-FS10 employs a diminutive 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor measuring roughly 6.17 x 4.55 mm with a surface area of about 28.07 mm² and a resolution of 9 megapixels. While groundbreaking for its release period, this sensor size inherently limits dynamic range, low-light performance, and overall image quality.

In sharp contrast, the RX100 VI sports a large 1-inch back-illuminated CMOS sensor measuring 13.2 x 8.8 mm, nearly four times the sensor area of the Casio, providing 20.1 megapixels and support for RAW image capture. The back-illuminated design boosts light-gathering efficiency - a boon for low-light and high dynamic range scenes.

In real-world shooting, this difference is clear as day. The larger sensor on the RX100 VI translates into cleaner high-ISO images (up to ISO 12800 native, expandable to 25600), richer color depth, and notably more latitude in recovering shadow and highlight details during post-processing. Conversely, the EX-FS10’s max ISO caps at 1600, with image noise becoming prominent well before reaching that threshold.

The Casio produces acceptable JPEGs in good light - ideal for simple snapshots and casual social media sharing - but struggles as lighting dims or scenes demand more subtle tone rendition. The Sony, meanwhile, empowers photographers with RAW files for extensive editing, making it ready for professional workflows or serious enthusiasts who prefer finer control over image output.

Autofocus and Speed: From Static Simplicity to Lightning Fast Tracking

Autofocus is where the difference between these two compacts gets stark. The Casio EX-FS10 employs basic contrast-detection autofocus with a single central focus area, no face detection or tracking, and no continuous autofocus mode. This setup works mostly for static subjects and well-lit environments; expect hunting and slower focus acquisition when things get more complex.

The Sony RX100 VI features a hybrid autofocus system combining 315 phase-detection points with contrast detection, covering most of the frame. It boasts fast, eye-detection autofocus for human subjects and continuous tracking autofocus that can handle moving subjects with impressive accuracy. Frame rates push to a blistering 24 frames per second with autofocus and exposure tracking - appropriate for wildlife or sports photography in a compact body.

Screen and Viewfinder Performance: Composing With Confidence

Eye-level composition is often overlooked in a compact camera but critical for many users. The EX-FS10’s lack of any viewfinder means shooting at arm’s length with a low-res screen, which can be tricky in bright daylight or when precise framing is essential.

The RX100 VI, however, has a bright, crisp EVF with 0.59x magnification - almost on par with mirrorless cameras. Its 3-inch tilting touchscreen also lets you compose from creative angles with clarity. The touchscreen adds intuitive focusing and control, which I found indispensable in street and travel photography where speed and precision count.

Gearing Up: Lens Reach and Optical Performance

Fixed lens cameras are what they are, so let’s break down the zoom and aperture options. The Casio EX-FS10 offers a modest 3x optical zoom covering 38-114 mm equivalent focal length with a variable max aperture of f/3.9-7.1. The relatively slow aperture at telephoto limits low-light usability and depth-of-field control.

The Sony RX100 VI ups the ante with an 8.3x zoom from 24-200 mm equivalent, coupled with a brighter f/2.8-4.5 maximum aperture lens. This gives greater creative flexibility - from wide environmental portraits and street scenes to tighter wildlife and sports framing, all while retaining reasonable background separation. The RX100 VI also boasts close focusing distances down to 8 cm, enabling competent macro shots.

How Do They Handle Different Photography Genres?

Having explored the core technical differences, let’s break down how each camera performs in real-world photography disciplines, from portraits to astrophotography.

Portrait Photography: Skin Tones and Bokeh

The Sony RX100 VI shines here thanks to its larger sensor and brighter lens, enabling more natural skin tone rendition and creamy background blur - critical for headshots and artistic portraits. The face detection autofocus and eye tracking further ensure tack-sharp eyes, even on moving subjects.

The Casio falls short with no face detection and a small sensor that pushes more depth of field, yielding flatter, less dimensional portraits. Skin tones often appear a little less nuanced, especially under tricky lighting.

Landscape Photography: Resolution and Dynamic Range

The RX100 VI’s higher resolution and superior dynamic range capacity handle landscapes with aplomb, capturing fine textures and subtle tonal gradients in skies and foliage. Despite the lack of weather sealing, it’s robust enough for outdoor use if cautiously handled.

The Casio’s sensor, while capable of producing decent images in daylight, struggles to deliver vibrant colors or rich detail, and thin dynamic range hampers shot flexibility for landscapes with bright skies and shaded foregrounds.

Wildlife Photography: Autofocus Speed and Reach

Here, the RX100 VI is in a different league thanks to rapid AF, long zoom, and high continuous shooting speeds. It can follow fluttering birds and shy wildlife better than many entry-level compacts and even some entry-level DSLRs.

The Casio EX-FS10 has neither the AF speed nor the zoom reach to be practical for wildlife beyond very casual snaps at moderate distances.

Sports Photography: Tracking and Low Light

Sony’s continuous autofocus tracking at 24 fps with exposure tracking allows capturing decisive moments in sports events, even indoors or in challenging light. The slower max shutter speed of 1/1250s on the Casio limits freeze-action shots, and its slower AF means many missed moments.

Street Photography: Stealth and Speed

The Casio’s ultra-compact size and lightweight frame give it an edge in discretion and portability - ideal for urban street shoots where blending in counts. However, slow AF and lack of manual controls can be frustrating.

The RX100 VI, while larger, offers silent shooting modes and a versatile zoom that suits street photography’s need for quick framing changes. The viewfinder and touchscreen enable quick composition, but it requires more deliberate handling.

Macro Photography: Focusing and Magnification

The RX100 VI’s close focusing and brighter lens afford better macro shots with sharp detail and nice subject separation. The Casio lacks macro-specific features and minimum focusing distance info, which usually means less satisfying close-ups.

Night and Astro Photography: High ISO and Exposure Options

The RX100 VI’s native ISO up to 12800 (expandable to 25600) and support for long exposures together with manual control make it far more suitable for night and astrophotography. The EX-FS10’s capped ISO 1600 and limited shutter speed range mean noisy, less detailed night shots.

Video Capabilities: Resolution and Stabilization

The Casio EX-FS10 records HD video at 1280x720p max and supports slow-motion at very low resolutions. Its Motion JPEG format, absence of image stabilization, and lack of mic/headphone jacks limit video enthusiasts’ creative options.

The Sony RX100 VI stands out with 4K UHD recording at 30p using efficient XAVC-S codec, optical image stabilization for smooth footage, and advanced exposure control during filming. However, it lacks external microphone input, which pros might lament.

Battery Life, Storage, and Connectivity: Staying Powered and Connected

Battery-wise, the Sony RX100 VI rates around 240 shots per charge - modest by DSLR standards, but reasonable for a compact with a bright EVF. The Casio doesn’t specify clear life but uses an NP-80 battery similar to other point-and-shoots, likely less robust.

Storage-wise, both utilize SD cards, with the Sony supporting SDXC and proprietary Memory Stick formats, offering greater flexibility.

Connectivity is where the RX100 VI modernizes with built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC for rapid image transfer and remote control via mobile apps. The Casio offers compatibility with Eye-Fi cards for wireless transfer - a technology that was innovative in its day but now feels quaint and limited.

Pricing and Value: What You Get for Your Wallet

Right out of the gate, the Casio EX-FS10 is priced at around $200 (if you can still find it), aimed squarely at the casual buyer prioritizing pocketability and ease of use. It was good value for a camera in 2009 offering HD video and basic yet reliable point-and-shoot functions.

The Sony RX100 VI commands a premium $1,200 price tag, reflecting its large sensor, bright Zeiss zoom lens, advanced AF system, and 4K video capabilities in a compact form factor.

Is the RX100 VI four to five times better than the Casio? Absolutely yes - in almost every meaningful metric. But whether that premium is justifiable depends on your photographic ambitions and budget.

Wrapping Up: Which Should You Choose?

To summarize visually, here’s an overall performance rating based on my testing and analysis:

And a breakdown by photography discipline:

Casual Snapshooters and Travel Light Travelers: Casio EX-FS10

If your main focus is lightweight, ultra-portable camera for social media snapshots, basic family photos, or you’re on an extremely tight budget, the Casio EX-FS10 still delivers decent results in bright daylight. Its automatic scene modes simplify operation for non-technical users, and the fun slow-motion video modes can provide playful experimentation.

But be warned - the Casio feels very outdated by today’s standards, lacks RAW support, advanced AF, and strong low-light capabilities.

Enthusiasts, Hobbyists, and Pro Backup: Sony RX100 VI

If you want a truly versatile compact that punches above its weight, the RX100 VI offers phenomenal image quality, a bright and flexible zoom, snappy autofocus, and video capabilities that aren’t far off mirrorless cameras. It’s excellent for street photography, travel, landscapes, portraits, and even some wildlife and sports shooting when you want to travel light.

The RX100 VI’s manual controls, quality build, and dependable autofocus earn it a place in my bag for professional assignments requiring a highly portable secondary camera or for enthusiasts who demand quality without the bulk of interchangeable-lens systems.

Final Verdict: Technology Marches On, But Know Your Needs

Our look at the Casio EX-FS10 and Sony RX100 VI highlights how much camera technology evolved over a decade - the latter is a glimpse at what compact cameras can be in a world increasingly dominated by smartphones and mirrorless systems.

If you’re picking a travel companion or want a beginner-friendly device that survives long periods in a jacket pocket, the Casio may suffice. But for professionals or serious hobbyists hoping to push creative boundaries without lugging heavy gear, the RX100 VI remains an impressive all-rounder - small but mighty.

A Few Last Personal Notes

I remember shooting with the Casio EX-FS10 years ago at a family picnic - fun, straightforward, but frustrating when trying to capture candids with kids running around; the autofocus lagged and slow lens made freezing moments tricky. The RX100 VI, by contrast, has frequently saved my bacon on hectic travel shoots - fast, adaptable, and surprisingly resilient.

One caveat: invest in an extra battery for the Sony, because heavy use of EVF and video wears it down fast. Also, while the RX100 VI lacks weather sealing, careful handling can minimize risks.

For anyone contemplating these two cameras, reflect honestly on your priorities: is pocket convenience king or image quality and flexibility your mantra? Whichever side you fall on, it’s fascinating to see how cameras tell stories not just through pictures - but through their design, evolution, and the user experience they offer.

Thanks for reading this detailed comparison! If you have specific shooting needs or questions about other models, I’m happy to dive deeper in the comments. Until then, happy shooting!