Sony UK has just introduced its latest Handycam, the GW55VE, which is waterproof in up to five meters (16.4 feet) of water. It can also withstand drops from 1.5 meters (nearly five feet) and resists dust. As a camcorder, the design runs on an Exmor R CMOS sensor capable of 1080p at a Europe-standard 50 frames per second.
The G Lens has a 10x optical zoom and 17x digital zoom when needed, while offering a 29.8mm wide angle at its nearest zoom. It can also take still photos up to 20.4 megapixels. Users frame subjects with a three-inch, swiveling LCD touchscreen.
A new-for-Handycam Intelligent Sweep Panorama is coming and allows for capturing an extra-wide scene with a correspondingly large field of view. The Self Portrait Timer uses Face Detection to capture arm’s-length photos of the camera’s user. An Underwater mode enhances colors when users are in pools or shallow areas of water.
GPS is built in to geotag both photos and videos, as well as show off a user’s current position.
While prices weren’t yet listed, the camera arrives in Europe in mid-May. A North American release hasn’t been disclosed.
