Casio America, Inc. and its parent company, Casio
Computer Co., Ltd., today unveiled the world’s first Hybrid GPS enabled digital camera, the
EXILIM® EX-H20G. The latest model to join Casio’s EXILIM Hi-Zoom lineup, the EX-H20G
offers an impressive feature set as well as Casio’s state-of-the-art Hybrid GPS technology, which
makes the camera perfect for traveling. Thanks to Casio’s Hybrid GPS system, the EX-H20G
offers ultra-precise location data for the geotagging of photos and videos and is also the first
camera able to geotag indoors. Additionally, the EX-H20G can display the user’s current location
- as well as geotagged photos and videos – on a map which can be viewed right on the camera
itself.
“Geotagging has increased in popularity, especially with the advent of photo-sharing Web sites
and as consumers look to do more with their images,” said Toshi Iguchi, Senior General
Manager, Digital Imaging Division, Casio America Inc. “With the new Exilim EX-H20G, Casio
is taking the geotagging experience to a new level by incorporating exciting technologies which
consumers can now leverage to make the process fun, easy and completely seamless. No matter
where in the world you take an image, whether it is indoors or out, the EX-H20G will know
exactly where it was taken.”
The EX-H20G’s Hybrid GPS system sets a new standard for geotagging and offers exciting new
ways to use a digital camera. Casio’s Hybrid GPS system combines GPS with autonomic
positioning, which is made possible by an internal motion sensor. This enables the EX-H20G to
track a user’s last known satellite-acquired position against map data stored in the camera’s
internal memory, even while the user is indoors. In addition to these features, the camera is
preloaded with information regarding 10,000 sightseeing photo spots around the globe. When in
the vicinity of one of these photo spots, the EX-H20G will automatically alert the user,
identifying the locations as points-of-interest.
The industry-leading GPS and geotagging capabilities of the EX-H20G will dramatically change
how people use their digital camera when traveling. The EX-H20G’s on-screen map allows users
to plan their travels before departing as they can view destinations, points-of-interest and photo
locations. While on-the-go, users can then confirm their present location and utilize the
EXH20G’s digital compass to determine the best route to their next destination. After returning
home, users can manage and share their geotagged photos and videos captured with the EXH20G
using popular photo-sharing Web sites and software which offer geotagging functionality, such
as Picasa, Panoramio, Google Earth, Flickr and iPhoto. These platforms will utilize the precise
location data embedded into each image’s EXIF file to plot exactly where they were captured on
a world map, giving the photographer, as well as their friends and family, the ability to vividly
imagine their travels by making the connection with the locations visited and images. By
integrating camera and map as well as location data and photos, the EX-H20G creates a whole
new way to enjoy traveling.
Equipped with the new EXILIM Engine HS, the EX-H20G features all of the essential
capabilities expected from a camera. When used with Casio’s Single Frame SR Zoom function,
the 24mm wide-angle, 10x optical zoom lens actually offers a 15x zoom range that maintains the
image quality needed for 14.1-megapixel high-resolution photography. This represents 1.5 times
the range of the optical zoom, with virtually no loss in quality. Other features include 720p HD
video recording (30fps), as well as a three-inch, high-resolution 460K super clear LCD that is
easy to view even when outdoors. The EX-H20G also comes with Casio’s advanced, fully
automatic Premium Auto function for taking beautiful shots of scenery and people with just a
press of the shutter button, and various useful functions for traveling such as Panorama Photo
mode, which can take 360-degree photos, as well as auto-time adjustment which will
automatically synchronize the camera’s date and time with that of the user’s current location and
time zone.
Starting with the EX-H20G, Casio is positioning the EXILIM brand as “Amazing Gear” — a
brand that never fails to deliver new surprises and excitement. Casio intends to revolutionize
photography, creating new value by developing digital cameras that go beyond the limits of
cameras in the past.