Casio WQV-1CR Wristwatch Camera

Casio's wristwatch camera, the WQV-1CR, lets you stealthily sneak shots from your wrist while you appear to be checking the time. The 0.8-by-0.8-inch screen displays only 14,400 pixels, so it's hard to view photos on it, but we still had fun playing secret agent with this watch-camera.Casio's wristwatch camera, the WQV-1CR, lets you stealthily sneak shots from your wrist while you appear to be checking the time. The 0.8-by-0.8-inch screen displays only 14,400 pixels, so it's hard to view photos on it, but we still had fun playing secret agent with this watch-camera.

Shoot From the Wrist
The pictures from the WQV-1CR are black-and-white, with a 16-step grayscale and a resolution of 25,355 pixels (which is 0.025 megapixel, to put it in perspective). Our first shots with the camera were pretty disappointing. Yet as with any camera, our results improved as we learned how best to use the device. With soft, directional, even lighting, you can get pretty good, if grainy, shots. This watch won't help would-be cheaters trying to photograph tests, though--the resolution is just too low.

Although the exposure is automatic, the brightness can be adjusted to any of 15 levels. The lens's short focal length yields a tremendous depth of field, from 12 inches to infinity. It also has a very wide field of view, which is ideal for a fixed-focus camera. However, in order to fill the frame with a close-up of a face, we had to move in so near that the perspective became somewhat grotesque. However, the resolution is too low to capture enough detail on group shots.

Our inner 10-year-old exulted at three special features: merge, art, and photo sharing. The Merge mode lets you combine two separate shots: one taken on the left side of the frame and one on the right. Want to turn a friend into twins? Or turn a disparate pair of people into a couple? Now you can. The Art mode allows you to shoot high-contrast abstractions in a two- or three-step grayscale. And you can exchange photos via infrared between camera watches. Hide Review