It cannot only survive falls, but works underwater too

Mar 2, 2012 14:40 GMT  ·  By

Tough consumer electronics devices are a trend that Sony all too eagerly chose to stick by when it created the Handycam GW55VE.

The press photos of the Handycam GW55VE camcorder don't really do a great job of conveying just what makes this thing special.

Though the shape is practical and sleek, and the screen can almost detach from the main body completely, those are just a small part of its assets.

For one, the product is dust-resistant and can survive falls of up to 1.5 meters.

Secondly, the sturdy construction extends to defense against another element: water.

By Sony's reckoning, people should be able to keep the item submerged underwater at a depth of up to 5 meters (15 feet) without it being affected in any negative way.

As if this was not enough on its own, the actual performance parameters are enough to make anyone knowledgeable about such things shed tears of admiration (we guess).

The 20.4-megapixel capable Exmor R sensor would be enough to instill such a reaction on its own, but Sony also tossed in a 10x optical zoom and image stabilization.

Furthermore, the integrated GPS is good for geotagging whatever photos one takes with the new product.

Things get downright absurd when the list reaches the part where an intelligent auto mode chooses from 99 scene presets.

Even further, Sony implemented the Intelligent Sweep Panorama mode, which lets owners take large photos by holding down the mouse button and padding the Handycam around (face and motion detection prevents blurring or doubled objects).

We can't say what price this gadget will have, since Sony has yet to reveal it. Sales will only start in April, so we might have to wait for a few weeks before anything on this matter is disclosed. Until then, prospective buyers can look for a suitable MicroSD or SDHC card, or a Memory Stick Micro.

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Sony Handycam GW55VE
Sony Handycam GW55VE
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