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Casio just announced an action camera that it claims is drop-, water- and freeze-proof, and comes with a 13mm f/2.8 equivalent lens. It’s called the GZE-1, and it’s the first of a new line of Gz EYE models that are aimed at extreme sports enthusiasts.
The camera is said to use G-Shock technology borrowed from the Casio’s sports watch brand, and can be controlled either by a Casio Pro Trek watch, a smart phone or the dedicated (and optional) remote controllers, one of which has a LCD screen that allows users to see the action live. The camera itself doesn’t have a viewing screen.
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| CD controller “GEC-10” | PRO TREK Smart “WSD-F20” |
Despite having a 21.14-million-pixel 1/2.3-type backlit CMOS sensor, the GZE-1 turns out only 6.9MP still images and FullHD video. It can, however, record frame rates of up to 240fps, and allows users to vary the frame rate during a clip to mix slow-motion with normal motion in the same sequence. This allows action moments to be shown in slow-motion without users having to record the whole sequence at a high frame rate, or having to combined multiple clips of different speeds in post-processing.
Three-axis electronic image stabilization helps to keep movie footage smooth (though it does nothing for stills) and over-sized buttons make the camera easy to control with gloves on. A resin body coating and a urethane bumper helps the camera withstand drops from 4 meters, high pressure blasts from waves, and water in general to depths of up to 50 meters. The body is also IP 6X dust-proof and can operate in temperatures as low as -10°C.
No price has been released yet but the Casio GZE-1 is due to go on sale at the end of the month in Japan… we’re still waiting to see if it becomes available elsewhere in the world.
For more information, see this translated version of the Casio GZE-1 product page.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)