By Patrick Avenell
SYDNEY, NSW: Casio will use a targeted and strategic retail channel for its new range of Exilim digital compact cameras. At the launch today in Sydney, distributor Shriro said that rather than use the general consumer electronics channel, Casio cameras will be sold only through dedicated camera stores, most notable Camera House and affiliates, and through Duty Free outlets.
Tim Hargreaves, the general manager of sales and marketing for Casio, said the new cameras incorporated specialist features that were hard to communicate to consumers through packaging or without specialist retail assistance. These features include high speed, 40 frames per second image capture and Casio’s own long life technology, which enables the cameras to take a reported 1,000 images on a single full charge.
Being sold exclusively through the Duty Free channel is the EX-H20G (RRP $599), which Casio describes as being the “world’s first camera combining GPS with motion-sensor driven autonomic positioning”.
Essentially, this means the camera can geotag photos, both indoors and outdoors, and can also provide photography suggestions when the user is near of 10,000 sightseeing locations. Furthermore, users can pre-program their trip details into the camera, so that it has pre-awareness of where it will be. This is a 14.1-megapixel camera with 15x zoom (10x optical).
Also new to the Casio range is a new rugged camera, the EX-G1 (RRP $399), the EX-FH100 (RRP $549) and the EX-H15 (RRP $399).
Also announced today was the appointment of Paul Beaton as the new national sales manager for Casio’s digital camera division.