Thanko’s APOLLO2 is a Tiny Camera that Packs a 30x Optical Zoom

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We’ve seen some interesting gimmicky cameras come out of Japan in the past — from Japanese anime special editions to a donut camera — but this latest one might come in handy a bit more often. Dubbed the APOLLO2 and created by the company Thanko, it’s a compact camera strapped to a whopping 30x telephoto lens.

A cross between interesting and potentially creepy, the camera looks pretty funny with that massive lens hanging off the front — a better model name might have been Pinocchio. But given that it’s meant for one thing and one thing only, you can excuse the appearance.

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Inside it packs a 12-megapixel sensor (no word on size) that can also record video, which maxes out at 480p. Since the widest you can go on the attached f/3.0 lens is 10x, both the lens and the camera come equipped with tripod holes for stability’s sake. The good folks at Thanko even include a small tripod in the box.

As you’ve probably already surmised, it’s a gimmick like the ones we mentioned above, but just like those it will probably still find a market to sell to. With 30x optical and an additional 8x digital to work with, however, we just hope that market’s not too creepy.

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Currently, there’s no word on any kind of US release, but as the Phoblographer points out, Thanko products often make their way onto eBay — in other words: if you want one, you can find a way. MSRP of the camera in Japan is set at ¥19,800, or about $200 U.S.

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