Farther down, there's an unseen grip sensor that's supposed to detect when you're holding onto the RE so it doesn't snap shots by accident. The second button, located on the backside, is a toggle allowing you to switch to slow-mo video capture. Pressing this button takes a picture, while holding it down for two seconds prompts the device to start recording video (there's an LED light to indicate when the shutter goes off or when you're recording). The shutter button sits near the corner of the device, which feels like a natural fit when I place my thumb there.

The RE, which comes in white, orange, blue and teal, has a simple design with just two buttons. Can this tiny camera take the place of my father's camcorder? What else is it good for? And is it worth paying $200 even if you already have a smartphone camera? Keep Reading to find out.īy subscribing, you are agreeing to Engadget's Terms and Privacy Policy. HTC is one of the companies rushing to get into this space with the RE camera (pronounced 'Ree'), an awkwardly named gadget that's shaped like a tube, packs a 16-megapixel camera and 1080p HD video capture and features cross-platform support so Android and iOS users alike can take advantage of it. With the exception of the GoPro, this genre is now seeing an influx of small, hand-held devices that are small enough to put in your pocket or bag and can still take decent photos and videos. We have quick and easy access to cameras at a moment's notice, thanks to smartphones and tablets, and now another form factor is starting to gain momentum: personal cameras. I'm lucky to have grown up in an era where this technology was available, but today these memories can be captured more easily and with less sophisticated (read: less expensive) equipment. Trips to Mount Rainier, the Oregon Coast, Disneyland, skiing, weddings - you name it, there's video evidence of my siblings and I enjoying time together. My father's camcorder was a common sight on childhood vacations.

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