Casio Promises World's Fastest Shooting Digital Camera

Casio Computer Co., Ltd has announced that it is currently developing a digital camera that has high speed performance and image capture functions that is not available on most digital cameras today. According to Casio, this revolutionary camera will be able to capture photos at a very fast speed and will be able to capture the even the fastest moving subjects at the very crucial moment. Casio further adds that the digital camera will also be able to take movies that capture movement so fast that not even the human eye can see. Casio's prototype of this camera is currently on display at the IFA, a consumer electronics show that is currently ongoing at Berlin, Germany.

The main specifications of the prototype include: 6 mega pixels, 1/1.8 inch high speed CMOS sensor, high speed burst shooting of 60 images per second at 6 mega pixels, video capture at 300fps in motion JPEG, AVI, or VGA format, 12x optical zoom, 12 lenses in 9 groups, F2.7 to 4.6 which is equivalent to approximately 35 to 420 mm on a 35 mm film camera, CMOS-shift image stabilization, and 2.8 inch widescreen TFT color LCD. Casio's prototype also has dimensions of 5.01" (W) x 3.13" (H) x 5.12" (D) and weighs 22.93 ounce without the battery and accessories.

Though Casio is known for making watches, the company has been in the digital camera business since 1995. According to the company's press release, their introduction of the QV-10 digital camera has played a major role in creating the digital camera market. Casio's prototype also has a high speed LSI image processing chip to complement the camera's high speed shooting and video recording capabilities. Casio's press release stated that their camera can achieve ultra-high speed burst shooting of 60 images per second at its maximum resolution.

This, according to Casio, is the fastest shooting speed for a consumer digital camera as of August 31, 2007, making Casio's prototype, the fastest shooting digital camera in the world. The prototype also uses a Pre-burst mode which is an ultra-high speed shooting mode that can capture images from the scene prior to the moment that the user actually presses the shutter button. Casio also claims that the camera can capture 300 frames per second and can replay captured movies in ultra-slow motion, a function which, according to Casio, is only available with a limited range of professional movie equipment.

The prototype is still currently being further developed to improve its performance and functionality so a product release date, pricing, brand name, and specifications are not yet available as of writing.

SOURCE:

Casio press release, Casio Developing World's Fastest-Shooting Digital Camera.