The greatest strengths of this camera, however, are its specialty modes, namely Casio's signature capabilities. Overall, it's a well-rounded camera that, considering its feature set, offers more versatility than a typical $300 camera. And with a CIPA rating of 450 shots per charge of its rechargeable battery, it's a great camera for users who'd rather leave the charger at home.

Like many recent compact cameras, the ZR100 is built around a CMOS sensor that, at 12.1 megapixels, provides plenty of pixel power while keeping image noise relatively low. One of the camera's advantages is its sensor-shift-stabilized 12.5X zoom lens, with a versatile 24mm to 300mm focal range. The lens isn't particularly fast--it has an aperture range of F3.0 (wide-angle) to F5.9 (telephoto)--but that's not uncommon in the realm of high-zoom compact cameras.

A small, raised portion of the front panel with a rubberized strip is the closest the ZR100 comes to having a grip. In addition, the camera's top-mounted physical controls are fairly tiny, including the mode dial, the low-profile power button, and the continuous shutter button (which toggles between single-shot and high-speed capture modes). Photographers with small- to medium-size hands should find the camera comfortable to hold; people with large hands should probably try the camera on for size before buying it.

The rear controls are larger and much easier to operate. The rear panel is home to a red, one-touch movie record button, capture and playback controls, a four-way keypad with an OK/quick menu button at the center, and a dedicated menu button. You can customize the keypad's left/right keys, and the up and down keys make it easy to change the display information and flash settings.