Better Concerts and Music

They’ve been making durable watches for years, but the Exilim G1 is Casio’s first foray into the rugged camera category. I like to call this class of snapshooters the tough guys of photography. They’re designed to withstand drops and underwater submersions of a few feet―nothing too extreme, but sturdy enough to take on some outdoor excursions to the beach or up a ski mountain without worrying about breaking the thing.

Unfortunately, picture quality has always been an issue with this type of camera. Even the best of the bunch so far (last year, our favorite was the Olympus TOUGH 8000) took shots with a slightly grainy, flat quality to them―passable, but with plenty of room for improvement.

We’re happy to report that Casio stepped up to the plate and gave us a hardy camera that takes good pictures too. The user interface could really use some extra work, but overall, this is our new favorite rugged camera. Here’s why:

When Casio first sent images of the G1 to the press, my first reaction was that it’s one of the funniest-looking cameras I’ve ever seen. The designers obviously have to think about function over form with these rugged models, but the awkward shock-absorbing lumps on the top and left edges looked pretty, pretty goofy in the promo shots.

In person, it’s actually quite a slick package. It’s surprisingly small – not ultra-compact, but at just 0.78 inches thick, it’s the thinnest, most diminutive of these “tough guy” models so far. I really liked some of the more creative aspects of the design, notably the vault-like compartment with the microSD slot and mini-USB output, opened with a twist of a notched metal knob. Most importantly, it handled all the abuse I put it through with aplomb.

I repeatedly dropped it from shoulder height onto a hardwood floor in a crowded bar, and it auto-focused like nothing had happened. I dunked into my aquarium for a closeup on my goldfish, and the battery and memory card compartments stayed dry as burnt chicken. My boss climbed up a mountain with it, and I ran it over on skis chasing it down a mountain (that part, I didn’t mean to do). Aside from a few tiny scratches in the glossy red paint on the front, the Casio G1 escaped unscathed. I wouldn’t drop it off a building (it’s only shockproof to seven feet) or toss it into the Harbor (only waterproof to 10 feet), but it’s plenty sturdy for regular outdoor use.

The life-proof design has a few disadvantages — the battery compartment was a bitch to open without the wedge included in the packaging, and the buttons are a bit stiff. But those are minor gripes, and overall this is a well-built camera.

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