Casio Tryx: The Shape-Shifting Pocket Cam

Casio Tryx: The Shape-Shifting Pocket Cam

Some pocket cams are big. Some are small. Some are waterproof. But they’re basically the same. At least when you compare with the Casio Tryx, a 1080p cam with a fairly ingenious new design. Er, several designs.

Take your average camcorder and replace everything that’s not the display with a super thin plastic frame, one that fits perfectly outside the display itself and can be swivelled 360 degrees. That’s the Tryx. If you’re confused, that’s because it’s a pretty novel take on the pocket cam. But also a very good one. You can pull that frame out and grip the Tryx as though it were a regular camcorder. Or you can fold it back and use it as a kickstand to prop the Tryx upright. Or you can extend it lengthwise and hang the camera from a door handle. I imagine people will be able to come up with all sorts of crazy ways to use the thing, which is pretty much the point.

Oh, and that picture taking bit! It has a 12.1MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor, shoots 1080p video, and it’s got a wide 21mm lens so you’ll be able to get everything in the frame even when you’re up close and personal. The Tryx has features for shooting slow-mo videos, 360-degree panoramas, and a slew of HDR shots, too. The folding frame means that most operations are left to the 3-inch, 460k pixel touch screen, including touch focus and touch shutter, and a built-in motion sensor can be activated for self-shots or some amateur surveilling for those so inclined.

It’s definitely different, and that’s why we like it. It’ll be available in April in the USA for $US250. [Casio]

The Casio TRYX® Boasts Radically New Form Factor and Raises Bar for Style and Innovation

LAS VEGAS, NV, January 5, 2011 ― Casio America, Inc. and its parent company, Casio Computer Co., Ltd., today unveiled TRYX®, a revolutionary new camera that will allow consumers to stand out and be noticed. Strikingly different than any other camera or camcorder on the market today, TRYX impresses with a distinctive, variable frame design which knows no bounds. With TRYX, consumers can do more and be prepared to capture their photographic lives in ways they were never able to before.

“TRYX truly is a remarkable camera and its announcement is a defining moment for Casio,” said Toshi Iguchi, Senior General Manager, Digital Imaging Division, Casio America Inc. “Unlike anything the industry has ever seen, TRYX brings unparalleled innovation and versatility straight to consumers’ hands with a radical new design. This is a camera which was designed specifically to meet the needs of the creative and connected consumer, looking for a unique digital imaging experience and a camera to compliment their lifestyle and personality.”

Tricked-Out Design

Thanks to its super thin (.59-inches thick), variable frame design, TRYX can adapt to fit the user’s preferred shooting style or to help them capture an image from just about any angle or in any environment. Users can hold the camera horizontally, in a traditional point-and-shoot style to capture still images or flip out the rotating, three-inch, touch-screen LCD and swivel the body to experience countless other positions. The frame rotates 360-degrees and can be adjusted so that the body can act as a tripod, allowing TRYX to stand on its own, or the LCD screen can be rotated up to 270-degrees so that users can perfect their own self portrait and see themselves in the frame. Users can even flip out and rotate the body so that the camera can hang from a hook, doorknob or other surface. The Casio TRYX’s body can also be adjusted so that users can record full-HD, 1080 video (30fps) with the traditional feel of a dedicated camcorder, either in a left or right-handed grip or use it vertically, like a pocket camcorder.

High-Speed and High-Performance

In addition to its good looks, the Casio TRYX also boasts an equally impressive feature set. At the heart of the camera is a 12.1 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor which will help capture stunning images thanks to its enhanced sensitivity and low-light performance. The TRYX’s CMOS sensor is also coupled with dual core processors as well as Casio’s state of the art EXILIM® ENGINE HS, which add significant processing speed and enhance the overall imaging experience. Together, they power many of the camera’s unique creative functions, including High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging, High-Speed SR Zoom, and slow motion video.

Expressing One’s Creativity

TRYX is fully-loaded and packed to the brim with a full range of functions, such as Slide Panorama and slow-motion video recording, which users can take advantage of to boost their creativity and truly express themselves through images. With Slide Panorama, users can effortlessly capture 360-degree panoramic images, and with slow-motion video, users can record events that are ordinarily too fast for the eye to see, at speeds up to 240 fps (432×320). TRYX also incorporates Casio’s revolutionary HDR-ART technology, which gives users the ability to effortlessly transform any photo from ordinary to extraordinary, all with just the touch of a button. HDR-ART works by combining continuous shots with differing exposures and performing highly-precise image analysis to locally change the contrast and level of colour saturation. Users can select from three different processing levels to suit their artistic tastes and produce results that are guaranteed to impress.

Empowering the Fingertip

Housed within TRYX’s rotating, three-inch LCD screen (460K pixels / 3:2 aspect ratio) is the camera’s intuitive touch-screen interface which puts all camera controls right at the user’s fingertip. Through the touch-screen LCD, users can activate TRYX’s touch-shutter, which can focus on an area or subject in the frame and capture the photo, just by touching the screen. TRYX’s advanced self-timer can also be activated using the touch-screen LCD. Featuring a clever little twist, the self-timer can be triggered using the camera’s built-in motion sensor. Users can configure the self-timer using their finger to designate an area in the frame on the LCD where TRYX needs to monitor for motion. When motion is detected in the specified area, the self-timer will be triggered, enabling users to take pictures of themselves or allowing them time to get in the photo with a group of friends after placing the camera in just about any location, whether it be hanging it from a wall or setting it on a tabletop.

Ultra-Wide Angle Lens Makes it Easy

Taking a self-portrait, group shot, or an image of a landscape is typically a hassle with a standard lens and narrow focal length. With a standard lens, consumers are forced to sacrifice what they can actually capture, as they can’t fit exactly what they want in the frame. That’s no longer an issue with TRYX, as the camera offers an impressive, ultra-wide-angle, 21mm lens. With such a wide-angle lens, users can fit more of their desired scene into the frame, ensuring that they’ll be able to capture their own image as well as the background they’re in front of, or even a large group of family and friends.

TRYX’s 21mm ultra-wide-angle lens is also outfitted with Casio’s state-of-the-art High-Speed SR Zoom technology. Significantly more advanced than traditional digital zooms, High-Speed SR Zoom captures multiple still images at high-speed and combines them to produce sharp and clear photos. Image quality can be maintained up to two times the range of the focal length.

Social Media Simplified

Casio also preloaded the TRYX with software that facilitates the uploading of images and video directly to the Internet, including many of today’s most popular social networking platforms such as Facebook, Flickr and YouTube. Users can simply select which photos and videos they would like uploaded from the camera beforehand, and upon connecting it to a computer, the files will automatically be sent to each specified destination.

The Casio TRYX will be available April 2011 for $US249.99.


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