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Casio EX-S200 and EX-Z800 point-and-shoots spontaneously appear with 'super resolution' zoom
We're not quite sure when they'll arrive or for how much -- we haven't heard a peep out of Casio -- but Digital Photography Review is reporting a pair of new pocket shooters from the Japanese company. Both the Casio EX-S200 (pictured) and the EX-Z800 are your standard 14.1 megapixel compacts with 720p video recording and 4x optical zoom, as well as the Exilim Engine 5.0 processing the company introduced this year and the supposedly fire-and-forget Premium Auto mode. We doubt you'll find any surprises in the spec sheet or even figure out a good reason to choose between the two, but the S200 is slightly thinner, has an autofocus assist lamp and an instant-on Quick Mode. Meanwhile, the Z800 is slightly lighter and shorter in both directions. Oh, and in case you're curious, that "super resolution zoom" is just marketing speak for a 6x digital zoom plus algorithms that will hopefully reduce image degradation -- you're still blowing up those pixels. PR after the break.
Casio's slim XJ-A projectors repurposed for gaming, we take a gander
Casio's XJ-A series projectors wowed us in January with an ultra-slim 43mm design, but at E3 2010 we got the chance to see whether image quality was equally bright -- the watchmaker was there with some economical models to attract the portable gaming crowd. Sure enough, it's an interesting choice if you want to play Xbox 360 in the field. Though hefty, the projector's small enough to fit into a messenger bag, and can throw a pretty decent-sized screen; using the company's 2,500 lumen, XJ-A240 model ($1,000), we emulated a 70-something-inch, 720p HDTV. At that size and resolution, colors were a little washed out, but impressive nonetheless -- though we did note that when attempting to play 1080p content on the same projector, the result was quite fuzzy. Casio claims that image's good for 20,000 hours, as the projector doesn't use a bulb, relying instead on a proprietary combo of laser and LED. The PJ accepts all standard TV resolutions through VGA or HDMI and has optional composite and component video breakout cables, though sadly no audio passthrough -- only a 1W integrated speaker. Starting at $800, the true bargain models sport only 2,000 lumens and a 1,024 x 768 resolution, but we could still see some snapping them up for split-screen Halo on a giant, portable TV.%Gallery-95581%
Casio's Dee and Ricky G-Shock is all business
G-Shockin' all the way from the country club to the nightclub takes finesse. Of course, it also helps if you've got Lego-obsessed designers Dee and Ricky Jackson looking after you, and they've worked their magic on Casio's latest GA110 wristwatch to craft this glorious clash of technology, water resistance, and primary colors. It might seem wild, yes -- but bear in mind these are the same guys that sell wearable Lego bowties. Interested? It'll hit stores next month for $130.
Casio's solar-powered Pathfinder watch plays the green card twice
Plotting their latest spread of watches this spring, Casio executives decided it was time to "go green." Some poor schmuck in R&D took them at their word. Thankfully for mother nature, the Casio Pathfinder PRG110C-3 is more than meets the eye; the watch -- suited for argonauts needing an altimeter, barometer, thermometer and digital compass -- also has a miniature solar cell built into its face to automatically recharge the battery. Though Casio's claim that this last will cut down on the three billion batteries Americans trash each year seems a little reaching -- watch batteries last a lot longer than a AA -- the timepiece does help the planet some merely by being packaged in recyclables. The $250 device will be available exclusively from Amazon, and yeah, the color you see here is the color you'll get.
Casio G'zOne Brigade now officially available on Verizon
It's no mere coincidence that folks have been able to pick up Brigades this week, because Verizon's chosen today to officially light up retail availability of its latest in the long-running G'zOne series from Casio. The landscape QWERTY clamshell features a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera with video capture, microSD expansion, EV-DO Rev. A data, mil-spec 810F compliance for resistance to just about all the bad stuff you could possibly come in contact with during an average day, and a pair of displays: WQVGA on the inside paired with a 128 x 96 monochrome OLED up front. It runs $249.99 on contract after $50 rebate and it's available today, so start planning your next dusty, wet, cold, rocky activity where you can put this thing to the ultimate test.
Casio Exilim G EX-G1 review
Casio's Exilim G EX-G1 camera made a solid enough first impression with us when we got our hands on it in January, but we've now had a chance to use it a fair bit more both indoors and out, and reach some firmer conclusions about it. The short verdict is that the camera, like any other rugged device, comes with its fair share of compromises. If you value ruggedness over everything else, the Exilim G definitely deserves some serious consideration (especially in this price range). On the other hand, if you're looking for an all-around, everyday point-and-shoot that just so happens to be a bit more durable than the rest, you may well find yourself disappointed. Read on for our full review.%Gallery-81346%
Verizon selling Casio Brigade on the downlow?
It feels like the Brigade's been in the public conscience for forever and a day (and let's be honest, November is forever and a day ago by phone standards), but amazingly, Casio's latest rugged G'zOne for Verizon still isn't being offered -- at least, not in any official capacity. It seems some HowardForums posters have managed to order and receive their Brigades by calling the carrier's telesales directly, and a few uploaded shots of the boxed QWERTY clamshell is enough to have us believing it's the real deal. For what it's worth, this tends to happen pretty frequently with Verizon -- they'll start selling and shipping new devices over the phone a couple weeks before announcing availability or offering them via the web -- so it doesn't come as much of a surprise that we're going down the same road again here, and a few brick and mortar locations have apparently started to take delivery, too. Expect to pay $249 after $50 rebate -- in other words, enough cash so that you'd better really need a messaging-centric dumbphone with a tough shell.
PMA 2010... and that's a wrap, folks
We had a great time in Anaheim this past weekend checking out the Photo Marketing Association's trade show spectacle. Hundreds of cameras and thousands of pictures later, we're finally back and getting settled. Let's take a look back at all that we saw this week, and then kind of wrap up a few loose ends. GE's 'Create by Jason Wu' camera collection unveiled, we go hands on Joby Gorillapod Magnetic flexible tripod hands-on Nikon CoolPix 'Style' and 'Life' series hands-on Pentax's rugged W90, ultra-zoom X90 now all but official Samsung TL500 and TL350 hands-on Samsung PMA roundup: hands on HMX-U20, eyes on AQ100 and SL605 Sony Alpha ultra-compact concept hands-off: leaves much to the imagination Sony's ultra-durable DSC-TX5 hands-on: ice, ice, baby Sigma trio espied at PMA, COO expresses interest in supporting 'mirrorless camera systems' %Gallery-86335% %Gallery-86558% %Gallery-86556%
Casio rolls out Exilim EX-S7 and EX-Z35 point-and-shoots at PMA
It's a beautiful day in Anaheim, which makes it a perfect day to introduce a couple of compact shooters. Regardless of the fact that we just made that up, Casio's in full agreement, as it has just pushed out the new Exilim EX-S7 (shown above) and EX-Z35 (shown after the break) at PMA 2010. The pair of low-end cameras offer up 12.1 megapixel sensors, 3x optical zooms and direct-to-web upload options; the S7 ships with a 720p HD video mode and a 2.7-inch rear LCD, while the Z35 gets a VGA movie mode and a 2.5-inch LCD. Neither option will blow any minds, but the relatively low $139.99 / $109.99 (in order of mention) price points just might generate some interest from the novices in attendance.
Casio EX-10HG 'hybrid GPS' prototype taps into accelerometers for pinpoint accuracy
It's not a completely new idea, accelerometers have been enhancing GPS devices for a while now with additional velocity and directional information when the GPS signal is weak, but now Casio is giving it a shot in its new Exilim EX-H10 prototype camera. The "hybrid GPS" shooter does the regular geotagging thing with its onboard GPS, but when signal is weak (like when indoors, for instance), the camera augments the location data with guesstimates gleaned from its onboard accelerometers. The camera also has pretty detailed maps, so you could almost use the device for navigation, though the "pushpin" view is a good start. Hit up the source link for some more shots.
Casio Exilim EX-FH100 hands-on in super-slow-mo
We're suckers for slow motion video, and Casio's clearly tapped into a vast supply of FPS to feed our cravings. The latest in its series of high speed cameras is the Exilim EX-FH100 point and shoot. It does 10 megapixel stills, high speed burst capture and up to 1,000 FPS video. Like with other Casio models, the higher the frame rate, the lower the resolution, but you can get a full VGA image at 120 FPS. At $349 it's practically a bargain if you absolutely need to do slow motion, and while it's a bit chubby and heavy in comparison to "fashionable" point and shoots, it's plenty capable as a stills camera to keep this from being a one trick pony. Check out the slow-motion capabilities after the break. %Gallery-82363%
Casio's XJ-A series portable projectors are both attractive and environmentally conscious
Here's something you don't see everyday: a projector with some sex appeal behind it. Casio's XJ-A Series is quite the looker by design. It's pretty slim, too, measuring 43 mm in height. Your green friends can enjoy knowing it's Merucury-free, and you can take solace in up to 3,000 lumens. Of the seven models in the lineup, two have WXGA and five XGA, and depending on your choice you'll get USB or WiFi connectivity and a price tag between ¥148,000 and ¥318,000, or $1,518 and $3,399 if converted to stateside currency. See? Not everything exciting has to come from CES this week.
Casio busts out updated Exilim point and shoots
Casio's just outed four new Exilim point and shoots. The High Speed Exilim EX-FH100 is a 10.1 megapixel, high speed affair with a wide-angle 24 mm 10x optical zoom, and it can shoot at 40 shots per second for still images, and up to 1,000 fps video recording. The other three, the 14.1 megapixel Exilim EX-H15, EX-Z2000, and EX-Z550 all boast Casio's new Exilim Engine 5.0 and the Dynamic Photo function, which allows you to cut images of a moving subject out and paste them into a different background -- sounds like some hijinks are in store for owners of these bad boys! The EX-H15 features a 3-inch, high resolution LCD, a wide-angle, 24 mm 10x optical zoom, and a 1,000 shot battery life. The EX-Z2000 has a 26 mm, 5x optical zoom and the EX-Z550 has the same, with a 2.7-inch LCD. All four models will be available this spring. The FH100 will run $349, the Z550 will be $169, the Z2000 will be $199.99, and the H15 will be $299.99. The full run down of specs on all four cams is in the press release after the break. %Gallery-81380%
Casio's Digital Art Frame will help you get creative
Casio's just announced a new digital photo frame -- the Digital Art Frame. This one, unlike most others, is meant to put a little spark of creativity into your photo-boasting sessions. The 10.2-inch, WSVGA color LCD frame boasts 2GB of internal memory, two SD cards slots, a USB output, and Wireless LAN connectivity. In addition, it boasts about seven "effects," including painting techniques of the masters such as pointillism, gothic, and pastel. Hey, scoff if you must, but making our photos from college parties we went to look like oll paintings sounds a bit fun to us, now that we're... older. The Casio Digital Art Frame will be available in the spring of 2010, but we don't have any pricing information yet -- we'll let you know when we do. Check out the gallery for the full array of effects, and if that's still not enough for you, hit the press release after the break. %Gallery-81377%
Casio Exilim G EX-G1 hands-on
Casio's Exlim G EX-G1 certainly managed to turn a few heads when it was announced back in November, with it introducing a new angular design to complement its status as the "world's thinnest shock-resistant camera." Add to that the promise of being freezeproof, waterproof and dustproof, and you just know this is one we had to check out first hand. As we're happy to report, the $299 Exlim G definitely feels solid and substantial from the moment you pull it from its packaging, although all that shock-proofing and weather-proofing does come with a few minor inconveniences compared to a standard point-and-shoot. The first of those is that the battery compartment requires a special tool and some pretty nimble fingers to open and, secondly, the two extra side protectors that provide even more ruggedness require that you first remove some very tiny screws from the camera and then attach the protector with some slightly longer screws (Casio thankfully provides a few spares). Once you've got things set, however, the camera should easily survive life in a pocket or backpack during even your most arduous travels -- and take some decent pictures and YouTube-ready video, to boot. Be sure to check out the gallery below for our extensive hands-on look at the camera, and check back later for some sample shots and additional impressions once we've had a chance to really put the Exilim G through its paces. %Gallery-81346%
Hello Kitty gets another 12.1 meowgapixel camera to celebrate her 35th anniversary
Can you believe that Hello Kitty's turning 35? She sure does look great for her age! Surprisingly this is not the first 12.1 megapixeled Casio digicam we've seen outed to commemorate this most special of occasions -- but it certainly comes in some of the hottest pinks we've seen thus far. This limited edition, Korea-only Casio EX-Z90 boasts all the same features as the regular one -- 3X optical zoom, auto-detect and "Intelligent" autofocus -- plus those megapixels we already mentioned. Really, the biggest selling point here is the blinged up branding, and we'd assume that makes it worth the KRW 350,000 (around $300) price tag.
Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: Digital Cameras
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. Digital cameras are the bread-and-butter of holiday gadget giving -- everyone wants one, and everyone wants a better one. But you can't just dole out any shooter you can find -- you need to find the right balance of image quality, features, and usability for your intended recipient, and hold the line on your bank account as well. Sounds daunting, but we've pulled up a few of the more interesting models out there to help you out. %Gallery-80285%
Verizon launches hardcore Casio G'zOne Rock
It doesn't sound as hardcore as its predecessor, the Boulder -- but Verizon's just-introduced Rock is actually the company's most functional Casio G'zOne model to date. Though it looks quite similar to the outgoing model, the Rock's headlining addition is the so-called Triple Sensor -- something certain G-Shock owners might already be familiar with -- which allows the phone to offer an integrated thermometer, compass, and pedometer. It also features touch-sensitive music controls, a 2 megapixel cam, and -- you guessed it -- mil-spec 810F compliance for resistance to the everyday ails of the world like water, dust, and sun exposure. It'll be available online starting tomorrow for $199.99 on contract after rebate, while stores pick it up a few days later on the 30th.
Casio trots out world's slimmest shock-resistant digicam: EX-G1 (video)
Generally speaking, having something "ruggedized" ruins the aesthetic appeal. You trade style for function, and that's been perfectly acceptable until today. The EX-G1, which becomes the first camera in the new EXILIM G line, takes a few cues from Casio's G-SHOCK line while being the planet's thinnest shock-resistant camera. Furthermore, this thing is freezeproof, waterproof and dustproof, and at just 0.78-inches thick, you'll hardly notice it shoved in your left rear pocket. As for specs, you're looking at a 12.1 megapixel sensor, intelligent AF, a dedicated movie mode (848 x 480), 35.7MB of inbuilt memory (yeah, we know), a microSD / microSDHC expansion slot, 3x optical zoom and a 2.5-inch rear LCD with a 960 x 240 resolution. We're told that the rechargeable battery should last for around 300 shots on a full charge, and the Interval Shooting function enables the camera to automatically fire at fixed points when shooting action sports. If you're foaming at the mouth right now, your cure can be found this December in black or red for $299.99. The full release and a promo video is just past the break. %Gallery-77625%
Casio stuffs backlit CMOS sensors in Exilim EX-FC150 and EX-FH25 superzoom
Casio's usual Exilim fare might struggle to engender a second look from the weary-eyed camera cognoscenti, but a few of the company's models do feature an attention-grabbing 1,000fps shooting mode (albeit at a relatively useless 224 x 64 resolution). A pair of those speedy shooters, the EX-FC100 and EX-FH20, have today been ever so gently upgraded with a set of new name badges and mildly improved performance. The EX-FC150 ups the pixel count to ten million while adding a backlit CMOS sensor, but retains the 5x optical zoom, sensor-shift image stabilization, and general performance of the previous generation. The EX-FH25 20x superzoomer (pictured above) has a similar (if not identical) ten megapixel CMOS sensor, which upgrades the camera's 40fps burst mode from seven to nine megapixel stills, and retains the 720p video recording at 30fps, something the FC150 can also boast. Both are coming out on November 27, though prices have yet to be announced. Hit the read link for the full dish.
