The ultracompact Casio EXILIM G EX-G1 is the first in the company's new G-series lineup, whose naming and aggressive styling both provide a link to the company's iconic, ruggedized G-Shock watch series. Offering protection not only against bumps and drops but also against water, dust and cold, the Casio EX-G1 is a camera's that's designed to take whatever the elements have to dish up. Despite this, Casio has managed to retain a svelte 0.8-inch (20mm) thick body that the company claims to be the slimmest of any shock-resistant digital camera.

The Casio G1 has a two-layer construction, with a buckle-locked fiberglass-reinforced polycarbonate inner body that reduces the number of screws needed for the design, wrapped inside a stainless steel outer casing available in a choice of either red or black finishes. Inside the body, both the G1's lens and LCD displays are mounted on resin dampers that help reduce the opportunity for shock damage. Outside, a multi-coated reinforced glass lens cover and an acrylic LCD cover plate said to be 1.5 times the standard thickness provide another layer of protection for these tradionally rather delicate components. A final line of shock protection comes courtesy of polycarbonate resin shock absorbers located on the right side of the camera body and surrounding the lens, while either of two included shock protectors can be attached to the other end of the camera's body if desired. There's also a die-cast zinc wrist strap holder.

Casio rates the EXILIM G1 as good for a drop from seven feet, and while it doesn't claim compliance with any particular shock resistance standard, it does state that its own internal testing is similar to the US MIL-STD-810F standard and involved 26 drops from a height of seven feet onto a lauan plywood surface. The company does note that the camera isn't guaranteed to withstand all such shocks however, and notes that it is possible for the waterproofing to be adversely affected by a shock. Likewise, there's no specific standard listed for coldproofing, but Casio lists the EX-G1 as capable of withstanding temperatures as low as 14°F / -10°C, with company representatives noting that they're basically limited by current LCD technology in this area. Of course, at such low temperatures, battery life is likely to be significantly reduced. On the plus side, the shutter button has been designed to cater for use when wearing gloves, which is something you're very likely to appreciate in such cold conditions!

Casio does list compatibility with specific standards for the EXILIM EX-G1's water and dust proofing. The memory card door can be locked when closed, courtesy of a rotating knob on the right side of the camera body. The built-in speaker and microphone are also both sealed to protect against ingress of water and dust. The inner body is said to be waterproof to a depth of ten feet, for as long as one hour's usage, meeting the IEC/JIS Class 8 (IPX8) specification. The EX-G1 can also be washed under a tap, and indeed is said to be able to sustain water jets from all angles. This capability along with the camera's dustproofing allow it to meet the IEC/JIS Class 6 (IPX 6) standard.

In other areas, the Casio EXILIM EX-G1 is a relatively straightforward design. The G1 is is based around a 1/2.3"-type 12.1 effective megapixel CCD image sensor and an EXILIM-branded 3x internal optical zoom lens with a rather tight 38mm wide-angle, and a not-so-bright f/3.9 to f/5.4 across the zoom range. The Casio G1 doesn't provide any true mechanical image stabilization, or an optical viewfinder. Images and movies are instead framed on a 2.7-inch LCD display with fairly standard 230,400 dot resolution. The Casio EX-G1 records its twelve megapixel still images as JPEG files, and also captures movies at up to 848 x 480 pixel resolution with audio in MotionJPEG-compressed AVI files. Data is stored in 35.7MB of available internal memory, or on the tiny MicroSD / MicroSDHC flash card form factor. The G1 also offers both USB 2.0 High Speed and standard-definition video output connectivity. Power comes from a proprietary NP-80 Lithium Ion battery.

The Casio EX-G1 is available from December 2009, with pricing of about $300.