As someone who’s often asked to take photos, there are two ways I live my life: actually experiencing an event, or trying to figure out how I’m going to line up a camera shot. That’s why HTC created the “Re,” a new handheld camera for people who want to easily and quickly capture their lives.
The Re resembles a very small, handheld periscope, without a viewfinder. In order to keep users from missing a shot, it’s built with a 146-degree wide angle lens, so that people can fire away with the device’s shutter button without having to worry about the exact composition of what it is that they’re looking at. It features a f/2.8, 16 megapixel sensor, which is fairly average for these sorts of general purpose action cameras, but higher end than what people find in most smartphones.
Rather than require a user to switch the Re on with a hardware button, it includes capacitive sensors in its body that switch the camera on as soon as someone wraps their hand around it. Users can then tap the camera’s shutter button to take a still photo, or press and hold the button to start recording video in either 1080p or 720p.
Like a periscope, the device is waterproof up to 1 meter, so it can easily be used in the shallow end of a pool. Users also don’t have to worry about dropping it into a sink like they would with a smartphone. The device will come with an 8 GB MicroSD card to store all of the images and photos users take with it, but people who want more storage can purchase additional cards up to 128 GB in size.
Re doesn’t come with a desktop app for syncing content. Instead, users can manage the photos and videos that they take through an app that’s available for Android devices and iPhones. People who want more fine-tuned control over what images they take can also use their phone as a viewfinder thanks to the app.
The Re can be pre-ordered for $199.99 from recamera.com. The device will come in four colors – white, orange, teal and navy blue – and will be available from a wide variety of retailers including Amazon and Best Buy in time for the holidays.
Today’s new hardware is a part of HTC’s push to try and differentiate itself by doubling down on cameras. The company also announced the Desire Eye today, a new low-end smartphone with two 13 megapixel cameras.
