A remarkable little camera.
Admit it; we’ve all done it.
Taking a selfie on your smartphone is as common as sending a text message and it seems like everyone with a smartphone is also a photographer. It’s impossible to go to a concert, sporting event, or even a coffee shop without seeing someone pull out their phone to document the moment. And, quite frankly, it’s a huge distraction – both for the picture-taker and for the person who has their view obstructed by a glowing screen. But we do it anyway.
Soon, however; taking pictures with our smartphone won’t be so distracting thanks to HTC’s RE Camera.
The RE Camera Lets You Focus on the Moment, Not the Screen
HTC unveiled a new camera yesterday that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Resembling a tiny periscope, the RE Camera allows you to shoot photos and videos without the aid of a viewfinder or your phone. Instead, this little hand-held gadget lets you capture everything you point it at and streams everything to your phone without it having to be on.
The RE Camera has very few controls to fiddle with – only one button to be exact – and HTC is promising it will make picture-taking both easy and fun. But don’t be fooled by its simplicity, this little camera also has some impressive specs.
RE Camera Specs
- Camera 16MP CMOS Sensor
- Video 1080p, 30fps FHD Video Recording
- Lens 146° Ultra-Wide Angle Lens (f2.8)
- Grip Sensor Built-in Instant-on Grip Detection
- Waterproof IPX7 (Waterproof Cap Enhances to IPX8)
- Battery 820 mAh
- Wireless BLE, Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) with Wi-Fi Direct, microUSB up to 128GB
- Intuitive Design
- Designed to fit your hand seamlessly and the moment naturally, RE provides distraction-free video and photo capture. Its waterproof construction enables more shooting options than ever before, and its one-button operation won’t leave you fumbling between modes.
- Cinematic Features
- Explore different views with RE’s cinematic features. Capture time-lapse videos at the push of a button, or watch the action you’ve recorded in slow motion. RE’s only limitation is your imagination.
- Instant Streaming and Cloud Backup
- RE pairs seamlessly with your phone, and instantly streams everything. Edit your photos and videos at the push of a button. Coming soon, RE will also back up your photos and videos to the cloud, so you can access them from anywhere.
To call HTC’s RE Camera an innovation in digital photography would be an understatement. This odd-shaped device is an entirely new way to capture footage and has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with our phones. It could also be the end of being overwhelmed with bright displays when we’re trying to enjoy a special occasion
But will it succeed?
Say Cheese!
At $199.99, it won’t be easy for HTC to convince people they need a secondary device to take pictures on their smartphone. Even with its high-quality specs and variety in color options; the RE Camera will have stiff completion from the likes of GoPro and even point-and-shoots. But the RE Camera is very different for one reason: It’s simpler.
Other cameras may have more features but they also cost more and have a steeper learning curve. The RE Camera, on the other hand, only has one button and doesn’t even require you turn it on. It’s ready to go whenever you pick it up and because there’s not much to do other than press a button; it allows you to preserve memories while still enjoying them.
The RE Camera also has a plethora of accessories that let you do things like mount it onto your bike’s handlebars or strap it onto your head. It may not be as robust as a GoPro, but that’s exactly the point HTC is trying to get across with the RE Camera.
This is the GoPro for “regular people.”
Smartphones have replaced cameras for many of us and popular apps like Instagram have made it easy to share our photos with the world. Unfortunately, this also means we’re more focused on framing the perfect shot than enjoying the actual thing we’re trying to record. The convenience of always having a camera available has caused many of us to forget how to “live in the moment.”
While the RE Camera still requires you to briefly focus on something else, it seems like it will allow many users to rediscover what they’ve been missing. And with over 50 million Instagram users forecasted to be active by the year 2016, we can only expect to see more selfies, #ThrowbackThursday’s, and snapshots of people’s food. Thankfully, taking these photos will be a lot less distracting because of the RE Camera.
