Review: A smartphone and SLR-owning mountain enthusiast finds new joy in Casio's new freestyle camera, the CASIO EX-FR200

Backpacks & Gear

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Gear Review , Camera , CASIO , Offer

Written by Yasushi Hisatomi

table of contents

Point 4: Multi-camera mode allows you to capture amazing 360° videos and shoot with two cameras at the same time
Point 5: Photos taken are automatically sent to your smartphone, making SNS integration a breeze

Points of concern
Overall Review: Depending on how you use it, this is definitely a one-of-a-kind camera that can capture the excitement of outdoor activities and the atmosphere of the location

Point 4: Multi-camera mode allows you to capture amazing 360° videos and shoot with two cameras at the same time

This is where the true power of this camera comes into play. Next, let's get two cameras recognized and see what kind of spherical video we can capture in multi-camera mode. There is an original multi-camera mount for positioning two cameras front and back, but there is no original mount for fixing that mount to the body, so we used a GoPro helmet mount instead

I attached it to my helmet as a multi-camera setup. The mount was a little high, so it felt a little heavier than I expected

a multi-camera (with a multi-camera mount and a helmet mount for GoPro) mounted on a helmet

a multi-camera (with a multi-camera mount and a GoPro base mount) mounted on skis

What do you think?! The 360° video captures the excitement of the downhill and the friends skiing with you. By the way, it seems that there is inevitably some misalignment at the joints between the front and rear cameras, and unfortunately, in the scope of this test, it does not seem to be as good as a fully fixed THETA. Also, some people may have noticed a slight blur in a few places in the footage, but please understand that this is due to scratches on the lens cover used

I glued a GoPro base mount to the front of the skis, and placed a multi-camera mount on top of it (charging). Since the impact from shaking is large, it might actually be safer to place it a little further back

However, just to be safe, gluing a GoPro base mount to a ski poses a significant risk of the mount coming off due to ski vibrations, making it a risky installation method that is not even acknowledged by the manufacturer, let alone GoPro. There have been various trial and error attempts online, and our editorial team has yet to find a mounting method that is "absolutely safe." While this experiment was conducted on a gentle, clear, fresh snow slope, please exercise caution and proceed at your own risk if you decide to try it. Avoid hard slopes and speeds, maximize adhesion, and install a flow stopper in case the mount comes off

multi-camera (with multi-camera mount and GoPro helmet mount) (passing through rocky terrain)

I tilted the camera a little too much, so the seams were noticeable, so I added lines to mark the boundaries when exporting. This level of rock gives a sense of height, so I'm sure you could get some pretty amazing footage on the rock faces of the Alps or on a variation route. Incidentally, YouTube and Facebook support the publishing of 360° videos, but because the screen's aspect ratio is 16:9, it's disappointing that even though the video is actually on a large, square screen, it's completely cropped at the top and bottom when you upload it

In addition, in multi-camera mode, not only can you create 360-degree images by placing cameras in front and behind each other, but you can also freely position the cameras and shoot from completely different angles at the same time. For example, if two people are skiing and each holds a camera, they can take pictures while skiing together, one in front and one behind. Then, using a dedicated smartphone app, you can play back and view the footage shot at the same time on one screen, as shown in the photo above. It's a refreshing experience to share the same moment from different perspectives

Point 5: Photos taken are automatically sent to your smartphone, making SNS integration a breeze

With photos and videos this impressive, you'll definitely want to post them to social media right away. Another appealing feature of the FR200 is its ability to share photos immediately after taking them, without any special operations. Images taken in panoramic mode are saved directly as 3888 x 3888 pixel panoramic photos, and if the camera and smartphone are connected via Wi-Fi, the camera has a function that automatically sends the captured images to the smartphone immediately. Basically, once you've set it up, you can post individual photos to various social media platforms without using a dedicated app (Wi-Fi connection requires the dedicated app "EXILIM CONNECT"). Below are the photos I uploaded when I took the obligatory 360° photo at the peak of Sugadaira the other day

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A post shared by Outdoor Gearzine (@outdoorgearzine) on Mar 7, 2017 at 8:02pm PST

In addition, by using the dedicated app "EXILIM ALBUM" to select the photos and videos you have taken that day from the photos transferred to your smartphone, you can create a slideshow-style video that can be shared on social media

Points of concern

The FR200 offered a variety of new experiences, but it is also true that as I used it more, I began to see a number of flaws

There is a lack of a system for sharing the 360° photos and videos you have taken

When viewed using a dedicated viewer on a PC, you can enjoy the original 360° images and videos, but there is currently no way to share them directly on the web

This is what I was most interested in

While 360° photos can be posted as still images to various social media platforms via smartphone, Casio does not provide a way to easily share VR images or videos that can be moved around with a mouse or finger via smartphone, which is a real shame

Currently, the only way to do this is to edit and export using a dedicated app and then upload to Facebook (still images and videos) or YouTube (videos), which currently requires the use of a PC. In this respect, THETA has a more comprehensive smartphone app that covers everything from shooting to editing and sharing. I have no doubt that the system and ease of sharing will be essential for future cameras, especially those that are used to take photos that look good on social media, so I would love to see more effort put into this

The battery life is not long enough to fully enjoy skiing, and the rechargeable battery cannot be replaced

The camera and controller batteries are originally separate, so when taking interval shots or videos, the camera's battery gradually drains

The battery drains significantly faster in winter, and after shooting just a few minutes of video, the camera's battery ran out quickly. However, I think this is probably the same for cameras from any manufacturer, so I can accept that this is unavoidable. However, the problem is that this model's battery is not replaceable. Normally, when shooting with an SLR in winter, I carry about four spare batteries and swap them out as they die, which is how I get through cold environments. But now that I can't do that, I'm honestly at a loss. Incidentally, even on a day when the temperature was relatively high (just under 10°C), using interval shooting and video on a full-day hike barely lasted until the finish line, so I really wish they'd do something about it. (On those days, there's nothing I can do, so I use a mobile battery whenever I can to charge the camera.)

The usability and stability of apps and software are poor

In reality, this is common with products from many hardware manufacturers, but this time too, I was bothered by the fact that the application and LCD screens were a little difficult to use, and that some of the functions I wanted were missing

For example, when shooting, the current camera mode display is hidden, so in multi-camera mode, even though I wanted to shoot in "spherical mode," it ended up in "circular mode." Even in normal single-camera mode, the main display is immediately hidden, making the settings difficult to understand and initially challenging to get started with. Also, every time you turn it on (and sometimes when waking it from sleep), you have to pair the two cameras with the controller and connect them to your smartphone's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but frankly, these operations are still confusing and tedious, and the connection is often unstable (sometimes this doesn't work properly and the camera itself freezes, requiring a reset to restore)

I wish the smartphone app had more image and video editing functions. While EXILIM ALBUM claims to be able to split panoramic images and create highlight movies, it honestly doesn't seem to work well with social media, so I'm not yet keen to use it. Also, even if you manage to shoot synchronously from different angles with two cameras, the only way to play them side by side is through the playback function on the controller, so it's disappointing that you can't edit the two synchronized videos side by side into a single video

As for the PC editing software (EXILIM 360 Viewer), I feel like it needs more features to fulfill users' desires, such as the ability to freely trim 360° photos and videos and extract still images

Overall Review: Depending on how you use it, this is definitely a one-of-a-kind camera that can capture the excitement of outdoor activities and the atmosphere of the location

The previous model, the FR100, attracted attention only for its action camera-like tricky angles and ease of use, but the FR200 allows for 360° shooting, and I personally love it as a very interesting camera with a charm that neither smartphones nor SLRs have. Rather than focusing on image quality and settings to take artistic photos, this is the perfect camera for people who simply want to capture the memories of fun they had together, the emotions they encountered on location, and the atmosphere they felt, or even better, to share images with an impact that cannot be captured normally

However, to be honest, to realize the true value of this camera, I would still need two cameras and some attachments, even though the price makes it a little out of reach. Even basic use is interesting, but I think this camera becomes even more interesting when you use your imagination and try out different ways of taking photos. At the same time, since the hardware is so appealing, I'd like to see the surrounding applications and the environment for sharing photos improved as well

EX-FR200

CASIO

Open price

For detailed specifications and accessories, please see the official product page.