Casio Digital Still Cameras in Kurts Homepage in the World Wide Internet


Contents

Contents
Introduction
Examples
How to get the software
Casio Configuration Parameters
JPEG-Files
JPEG-EXIF-Files
Casio Maker Notes
Preview Files
Best Shot Scene Files
USB Port
Serial Port
Bibliography
Summary

Introduction

Sorry, this is only an alpha release. Some chapters are missing, and some others are incomplete.

In this article I am describing the results of the used file formats, their proprietary extensions, and the possibility of using this know how of the files and communication ports of the digital camera QV-3500EX from Casio.

Many of these facts also apply to some other digital still cameras from Casio. Evel less facts even apply to other cameras of other manufacturers.

The information given in this article is based on own research and on own experiments. Some data and ideas are from other people (see the bibliographiy). All the data is only "guessed", these informations are not confirmed by Casio or their developers, and they may be wrong or changed with other releases of the camera.

Examples

This chapter may be written in the future.

So how to get the software?

Which software? I have written a small tool for scanning JPEG files and dumping the non-picture informations in it. But that is not worth publishing it.

Anyway, most of the work has been done using an hex-editor.

Casio Configuration Parameters

The camera uses configuration parameters and stores them in different places. Most of them can be configuered by the user in the record mode before taking a photo. Some of these parameters are stored in the EXIF-Informations in the generated jpeg files. Some parameters are stored in the scene files, and can be modified by an binary file editor.

The following table numerates all the known configuration parameters and gives a brief description. Numbers 0xnnnn are given in hex and nnnn are given in decimal. If not noted otherwise, the values are stored as signed or unsigned 16 bit integers.

NumberNameValuesDescription
0x0001Recording Modeto be completedsee 0x010e
0x0002JPEG Quality1 = Economy
2 = Normal
3 = Fine
Compression mode for storing JPEG files
0x0003Focus Mode2 = Macro
3 = Auto (default)
4 = Manual
5 = Infinity
Mode for adjusting focus
0x0004Flash Mode1 = Auto (default)
2 = On
4 = Off
5 = Red Eye Reduction
Flash mode
0x0005Flash Intensityto be completedsee 0x0019
0x0006Distance32 bit integer
distance in mm
default is 2000 (2 meters)
Distance between objective and focused object
0x0007White Balance1 = Auto (AWB)(default)
2 = Tungsten
3 = Daylight
4 = Fluorescent
5 = Shade
0x0081 = Manual
Mode for adjusting white balance
0x0008??????unknown
0x0009??????unknown
0x000ADigital Zoomto be completedMode for digital zoom
0x000BSharpness0 = Normal (default)
1 = Soft
2 = Hard
Sharpness
0x000CContrast0 = Normal (default)
1 = Low
2 = High
Contrast
0x000DSaturation0 = Normal (default)
1 = Low
2 = High
Saturation
0x000E??????unknown
0x000F??????unknown
0x0010??????unknown
0x0011???32 bit decimal
???
unknown
0x0012??????unknown
0x0013??????unknown
0x0014Sensitivity100 = ISO 100 (default)
180 = ISO 180
300 = ISO 300
500 = ISO 500
ISO-Number of sensitivity
0x0015???18 bytes ascii
???
unknown
0x0016Enhancement1 = Off (default)
2 = Red
3 = Green
4 = Blue
5 = Flesh Tones
Enhancement
0x0017Filter1 = Off (default)
2 = Black and White
3 = Sepia
4 = Red
5 = Green
6 = Blue
7 = Yellow
8 = Pink
9 = Purple
Filter
0x0018Focus Frame Location1 = Center (default)
2 ... 17 = different locations (see note [1])
Location of the frame uses for auto focus and for auto exposure
0x0019Flash Intensity1 = Normal (default)
2 = Weak
3 = Strong
Intensity of Flash.
This value is only used, when flash is switched on.
0x001A???20 bytes binary
???
unknown
0x0E00???20 bytes binary
???
unknown
0x0100Metering Mode2 = Center
3 = Spot
5 = Multi (default)
Mode for adjusting focus in the auto focus (AF) mode
0x0101EV Shift-6 (0xFFFA) = -2 EV
-5 = -5/3 EV
...
0 = no modification (default)
1 = +1/3 EV
...
6 = +6/3 EV = +2 EV
Modification of the exposure value in auto exposure (AE) mode
0x0102Shutter Speed1 = BULB
5 = 1/1000 s (default)
6 = 1/800 s
... (in steps of 1/3 EV)
53 = 60 s
Shutter Speed
0x0103Aperture1 = F2.0
2 = F2.3
3 = F2.8
4 = F4.0
5 = F5.6
6 = F8.0 (???)
15 = F8.0 (probably: "the smallest possible aperture")
F-Number
0x0104Recording Mode0 = Normal (default)
1 = Portrait
2 = Landscape
3 = Night Scene
7 = ??? (used for "Slow Shutter Speed" in scenes S18, S39, S58)
The recording mode has chooses probaly the algorithm for AE-Mode (automatic exposure).
0x0105Composition Frame1 = Off (default)
2...10 = different outlines (see note [2])
The composition frame is the outline of a person in the lcd used by some built in scenes.
0x0106Exposure Mode1 = M, Manual Exposure
2 = P, Program Automatic Exposure (default)
3 = A, Aperture Priority Automatic Exposure
4 = S, Shutter Speed Priority Automatic Exposure
Exposure Mode
0x0107??????unknown
NumberNameValuesDescription

Note [1]:
The focus frame is the small rectangle in the center of the lcd image. The location can be changed to one of nine positions by pressing the shift key and the cursor keys. Other positions are available by selecting some of the built in scene files.
NumberNameValues
0x0018Focus Frame Location 1 = center (default)
10 = top left
11 = top middle
12 = top right
13 = middle left
14 = middle right
15 = bottom left
16 = bottom middle
17 = bottom right

2 = a little top left of 13, for portrait in landscape, person left, like scene S1.
3 = a little top right of 14, for portrait in landscape, person right, like scene S2.
4 = rotated a little left/right of center, for portrait in portrait, toggles, like scene S3.
5 = rotated far left/right of center, for protrait in portrait, toggles, like scene S4.
6 = rotated far left/right of 14/15, for protrait in portrait, toggles, like scene S5.
7 = between 10/11/13/1, for two portraits in landscape, like scene S8.
8 = a little below 7, for face in landscape, person left, like scene S6.
9 = between 11/12, for portrait in landscape, like scene S7.
The values 2 to 9 are used by some built in scene files. If one of these locations is configuered, but no composition frame activated, there is a harmless bug if you try to move the location. At least in sofware revision 1.001 there are some dirty fragments in the lcd. This combination cannot be activated with the tools from casio, but only with help of an binary file editor to edit a scene file.

Note [2]:
The composition frame can be activated to show the outline a person in the lcd. This may help the user to composite the image. The values 2 to 9 correspondends to the respective values of the configuration parameter 0x0018, focus frame location. If the composition frame is activated, it is no more possible to change the focus frame location by pressing the shift and cursor keys.

JPEG-Files

JPEG-EXIF-Files

Casio Maker Notes

Preview Files

Best Shot Scene Files

USB Port

Serial Port

Bibliography

I used the following documentations for developing this article.
  • Casio: "LCD Digital Camera QV-3500EX, Users Guide"
    The manual of the camera. The PDF-File has some 5.5 MB, but of cource copyrighted by Casio. So I can't give here a copy.
  • Japan Electronic Industry Development Association (JEIDA):
    Digital Still Camera Image File Format Standard
    (Exchangeable image file format for Digital Still Cameras: Exif)
    Version 2.1, June 12, 1998.
    See www.pima.net/standards/it10/PIMA15740/exif.htm
    This is the official JPEG-EXIF specification. It specifies not only the EXIF-Tags in JPEG files, but additional the complete JPEG files for use in digital still cameras. (exif_2-1.pdf)
  • Japan Electronic Industry Development Association (JEIDA):
    Design rule for Camera File system, Version 1.0
    See www.pima.net/standards/iso/tc42/wg18/ISO12234_all/N4522_CD12234-3_Item189-3.PDF
    This is the official DCF specification. It specifies how to store the EXIF-JPEG-Files onto the memory medium (file name conventions, directory structures, file system). (jeida_dcf_v1.pdf)
  • Aldus/Adobe: TIFF(tm), Revision 6.0, Final - June 3, 1992\br> See partners.adobe.com/asn/developer/PDFS/TN/TIFF6.pdf.
    This is the official TIFF-Documentation.
  • Anonymous: "DiCaInfo, Digital Camera Information - for Casio models QV-3000EX, QV-2000UX and QV-8000SX, Version 1.4.0 - Freeware"
    See www.dicasoft.de.
    DiCaInfo is a small but good tool with an excellent documentation for viewing the EXIF file informations in JPEG files, especially the proprietary extensions of Casio.
  • Anonymous: "DiCaControl for Windows, Remote control for Casio QV digital cameras, Version 1.3 - Freeware"
    See www.dicasoft.de.
    DiCaControl is a small but good tool with an excellent documentation for remote controlling Casio cameras via serial port from the Windows PC. Another version of the softwar for Palm is available.
  • Eckhard Henkel (?): "MakerNote" Exif tag of Casio digital cameras.
    Version 1.3 (August 24, 2000)
    See www.dicasoft.de and home.t-online.de/home/eckhard.henkel/casiomn.htm.
  • Summary

    This article gives an overview about different types of jpeg files, describes the undocumented proprietary extensions used by casio for the digital still camera QV-3500EX and describes parts of the communication protocol used by the serial communication port.

    With this knowledge it is possible to read the complete EXIF-information in the generated jpeg files, to generate own scene files, to configure some new undocumented features and to build a remote control for the camera.


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    © 2001-2001 Kurt Stege

    Stand: 23.06.2001