All About the Casio Tryx
The Casio Tryx (pronounced “tricks”) is a point and shoot digital camera that is designed to let you take pictures from almost any angle. The Tryx was released in January of 2011 and is the first camera with a rotating, swiveling lens. Although it is a digital camera, the Tryx also shoots brief snippets of high-definition (HD) video.
Design
One of the most noticeable aspects of the Tryx is its innovative design. The camera frame swings open 360 degrees and the lens itself rotates. The LCD screen also rotates 270 degrees, so you can take pictures of yourself and objects behind you.
The Tryx also offers a combination of traditional and innovative functions and features:
Touchscreen
A touchscreen-based interface lets you input commands into your camera by tapping. You can tap to focus, set up a timer or shoot with the press of a button. The touchscreen also serves as an LCD monitor to view pictures and video both during and after shooting.
Speed
The Tryx’s sensor uses a dual-core processor, so the camera can make rapid adjustments. It also includes what Casio dubs the “EXILIM® ENGINE HS.” By incorporating this technology, the Tryx can shoot High dynamic range photos (HDR), and slow motion video. It also has a high-speed digital zoom made possible by the speed enhancing technology.
Effects
The Tryx incorporates some cool shooting effects. A motion sensor lets you take pictures by waving at the camera. A panoramic feature pieces together series of photos to form a single long image. The HDR art feature lets you select from three different combinations of color and saturation to give your photos a personal artistic touch.
Sharing
The Tryx incorporates software that uploads photos and videos directly to the Internet once the camera is plugged into a computer. For example, you can select the option to add a photo to Facebook from your camera, and the picture will automatically be uploaded to the site when you connect your Tryx to a computer with Internet.
Technical Specifications
The Tryx is a 12.1 megapixel camera with a 2.3 inch CMOS sensor. The lens focal length is 3.8mm and the aperture is 2.8. It shoots pictures in JPEG and DCF 2.0 formats and 1080P HD video in .mov, H.264 and IMA-ADPCM formats with mono sound. The camera provides auto focus, auto exposure, auto shutter speed, and both auto and manual white balance. It includes an SDHX compatible SD slot and USB and HDMI connectivity. The three-inch LCD color touchscreen has dimensions of 960 x 480, while the overall camera dimensions are 4.83 W x 2.32 H x .59 D. with a weight of 5.47 ounces.
Reviews
The reviews for the Casio Tryx are mixed. It won both CNET’s CES best design award for 2011 and Popular Mechanic’s Editors choice award for 2011. Despite the cool design, however, the Tryx has received some flack for incorporating only digital and not standard zoom. Additionally, tests revealed that the camera often underexposes photos. Because of the novel design, it also requires time to master the technique of shooting with this camera.
Purchasing
The Casio Try is available in black and white and is packaged with an adapter, power cable, shoulder strap, and USB cord. Additional accessories such as cases, SD cards, and HDMI cables are available separately. You can purchase the camera online and at electronic retail stores for $249.
