Canon has announced that the PowerShot PICK, an active-tracking PTZ camera originally launched in Japan, is coming to the United States. Mobile cameras provide a hands-free solution to automatically capture realistic photos and videos.
PowerShot PICK is built on face detection and tracking technology that allows it to track and automatically capture events based on what it “sees”. The camera detects smiles and can be programmed to take pictures or record videos without any interaction from the user.
The camera was first launched in Japan in January 2021 through a crowdfunding campaign, where it was extremely successful. In October, PICK received an international release to Europe.
The PICK is capable of panning about 340 degrees and tilting from -20 to 90 degrees. It has 3x optical zoom (via 19-57mm lens also with auto image stabilization) accompanied by 4x digital zoom which allows it to track subjects with auto tracking and automatic photography. The PICK is battery-powered, supports voice commands, produces 11.7-megapixel photos, and can record Full HD 1080p video with 59.94, 29.97, and 23.98 fps (FPS) capture support.
When the camera was first announced, Canon argued that letting AI handle the photography had a few advantages. For example, in addition to freeing up the parents, who are often responsible for taking pictures, the nature of the camera is small and neglected, resulting in more “real” photos rather than pose ones. This mimics the advantages of hiring a photographer to document a day, but brings that advantage to any situation.
PowerShot PICK requires the MiniPTZ mobile app for compatible iOS, iPadOS, and Android devices. The app includes features like profile settings, manual remote control of the camera, automatically generated highlight videos (iOS only), and the ability to browse and select favorite photos and videos to download.
“PowerShot PICK is also a great way to capture your next social media post or home video. Whether you want to shoot cooking tutorial videos or dance videos, PICK can easily record them,” says Canon.
The PowerShot PICK will be available in the market “late summer 2022” for $500.
