Casio developing world's fastest-shooting digital camera

This revolutionary camera of the future will be able to take still images at an astonishing shooting speed, to catch fast-moving subjects at the crucial moment. It will also take movies that capture movement so fast that it cannot even be seen by the human eye. The first prototype will be on display at the IFA, a consumer electronics trade show, in Berlin, Germany, which opens on August 31, 2007.

Casio's digital cameras have been setting the pace since 1995, when the company introduced the QV-10, a digital camera for personal use with an LCD display that played a major role in creating the digital camera market.

In 2002, Casio commenced sales of the card-sized EXILIM series of LCD digital cameras, which feature superb portability and response speeds. Casio is constantly seeking to expand the market by delivering greater ease of use and the kind of innovative functions that only digital cameras can offer.

The prototype of Casio's latest revolutionary camera features a new high speed CMOS sensor and a high speed LSI image processing  chip. This 6.0-megapixel, 12x optical zoom, high-performance digital camera proto type with CMOS-shift image stabilization function offersnot only ultra-high speed burst shooting for still images, but also high speed movie recording.

For still images, the camera achieves ultra-high speed burst shooting of 60 images per second at maximum resolution - the fastest  in the world (1). Moreover, using Pre-shot Burst Mode, (a ultra-high speed con tinuous shooting mode that captures images from the scene prior to the moment when you actually press the shutter button), users can be confident they will never miss the most crucial photographic moment.

The camera can also capture movies at VGA resolution at an incredible 300 frames per second, which means it can record movies for replay in ultra-slow motion, a function that has only been possible so far with a limited range of professional movie equipment.

Main specifications of prototype

Effective pixels: 6.0 million

Imaging element: 1/1.8 inch high speed CMOS sensor (total pixels:6.6 million)

High speed burst shooting: 60 images per second at 6.0 million pixels, JPEG

High speed movie: 300fps, Motion JPEG, AVI format, VGA

Lens/focal distance: 12 lenses in 9 groups, F2.7 to 4.6, equivalent to approximately 35 to 420 mm on a 35 mm film camera

Zoom: 12X optical zoom

Image stabilization mechanism: CMOS-shift image stabilization

Monitor screen: 2.8-inch widescreen TFT color LCD, approx. 230,000 pixels

Viewfinder: Color LCD, approx. 200,000 pixels

Dimension and weight: 127.5 mm (W) x 79.5 mm (H) x 130.0 mm (D). Approx. 650 g (excluding battery and accessories)

The precise product release date, pricing, brand name and specifications remain to be determined. Casio will continue working on the camera to further improve performance and functionality, and is determined to produce an amazing digital camera that offers brand new ways of enjoying photography and creates new applications for digital photography.