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Sanyo Xacti VPC-E1 6MP Waterproof MPEG4 Camcorder with 5x Optical Zoom (Blue)
SANYO
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$829.46
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$419.99 |
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$409.47
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Waterproof digital camcorder. Shoot 640 x 480-pixel video clips and 6-megapixel still images simultaneously. 5x optical zoom; 2.5-inch LCD screen. Built-in image stabilization. Up to 80 minutes recording time per 1GB memory card (not included).
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Customer Reviews
for Sanyo Xacti VPC-E1 6MP Waterproof MPEG4 Camcorder with 5x Optical Zoom (Blue) --- SANYO
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Bum Battery
Camera had a bad battery. Never worked. Clearly, it wasn't tested before it was shipped. Very poor quality control. I think this will be my last Sanyo purchase.
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Very nice price-quality relation
A very good buy IMHO, with a some caveats though.
One pretty well advertised feature of this camera is its capability for shooting pictures while recording. This feature has some less advertised drawbacks, however. First, it's quality is automatically set to 6M, which in most cases will not bother you. Also the flash will not shoot, which can make this feature unusable in some cases. However, as the camera doesn't have a lamp or low-light mode, in most situations you aren't able to shoot without the aid of the flash you won't be able to record decent video either anyway. What makes this feature really unusable in my opinion however is that while the camera records the picture to the memory card it will stop recording video, so your video ends up with annoying cuts in the moments you took pictures. I'm using a [[ASIN:B000P9ZBFA Transcend 8GB SDHC Class 6 card]], which as far as I could figure out is the fastest type of card on the SDHC realm, and the clipping is still too noticeable for my liking. In my opinion it's much better to stop recording and take the pictures or extracting the stills from the video, using the camera's own edition features even. All these peculiarities are not advertised, but they are detailed on page 53 of the camera's instruction manual.
The autonomy is 80 minutes, which is ok, but I recommend buying at least a couple extra batteries. Just today I used the camera at a family reunion and I went through two batteries. I must add however that even if it wasn't used continuously, it wasn't given much rest either between playback and recording. Personally I bought and recommend [[ASIN:B000COZ43C Lenmar DLSAL20 Lithium-ion Batteries]]. Onlyne I found discrepancies about the capacity of the original battery, but in the end I found both the original and the Lenmar "replacement" have the same 720 mAh capacity and hence the same autonomy and can be used with the same charger. The Lenmar ones cost about one-third the price of the official ones though, so even if they have lower lifetime (which I'm not sure is the case, but can't be sure because I still haven't had time to exhaust one) they are still worth it.
As for recording space, the 8GB card mentioned earlier allows me to record over 5 hours of video at the maximum possible quality (TV-SHQ, 640x480, 30 fps, 3 Mbps = aprox. 1.26 GB per hour) and also over 300 pictures at the maximum possible quality (10M = 3680x2760). Lowering the quality one step or two almost doubles the quantity of video and images. In my case that's more than enough. In the manual it warns that the video will stop recording after reaching a file size of 4 GB. I think this might be a restriction imposed by the FAT file system the memory cards use. This is a pointless warning though, as you need over 3 hours of continuous recording at maximum quality to reach that file size and the battery lasts only about 80 minutes and the camera has no socket for an external power source.
I was a bit surprised at the small size of the camera, and a little afraid as my hands are big (and clumsy too, yeah). After using it however I found it quite easy to handle and practical. It is very light and adapts fine to the hand, providing a decent grip. The display is comfortable, clear and reasonably big. It does have a socket for fitting on a tripod, and I mention this in hopes it helps someone because I couldn't find this specific detail mentioned anywhere when I was researching information on this camera prior to buying.
To be honest, I haven't had the necessity or the heart to test its underwater resistance yet.
The soft case included is barely enough to protect it. I would strongly recommend buying a better case along with it.
My most firm complains about this camera are related to the picture shooting, and being it a camcorder I consider picture shooting an incidental plus, so I wouldn't take that much into account. The only recording-related thing I would change is the autonomy, but I'm not sure I would trade it's compact size and light weight for some extra battery time, so I'm not going to complain about that either.
Overall, I think it's a pretty good camera, and although I agree there are better ones on the market, I'm not sure there is one as good as this one for a similar price.
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Easy and great quality
We recently had a baby and everyone tells you to get a video camera to record the moments. I have hated video because people always have these tapes all over the place and you never end up watching them. I am however always on my Macbook Pro. This allows me to download directly into iPhoto and iTunes to put on my iPod. The photos are great quality and the video is great (for the price) even when viewed on a big screen. It comes with a USB cord to connect to my computer and also one to connect to the TV. Very easy to upload to youtube or onto a blog. Instead of sending out annoying e-mails with photos of our child I post everything to the blog and let people go there on their own.
The only thing I wish it did is hold the photo for a few seconds after the shot. Not a big deal but I would recommend purchasing an 8 gig sd card and an extra battery. All are on Amazon for less the $20 each. The large card lets you shoot more pictures and video then weed them out later. I also recommend the underwater hand strap. We have not used it underwater yet but we have only had it a few months.
If you are a Mac user I can not stress how easy it interfaces with iTunes, iPhoto and iMovie. Not sure with PC but still very cool and small. I carry it with me always. It fits in my pocket and is quick to use.
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not bad
I took this product to Australia to film my little surf trip. The main intention was to film some water shots. I was able to do so but it was actually pretty hard. Not because of the camera but the surf kept pounding me. I figure with practice I will get better. I also found this camera quite good at taking stills. My girlfriends digi camera busted half way through the trip so we used the xacti for the rest of the time and it was great. The buttons are not as hard to use as people have been saying. My only qualm is that you have to open up the screen to film. I wish you could just force it to record without opening it. It feels somewhat flimsy and easy to break underwater or in the waves. But it didn't. I would suggest buying it if you are just looking for a camera to get yours ears wet and are going on a trip. Its size is perfect.
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Sweet Camcorder
Well this is a pretty sweet camcorder. But It does not soot very good video in dark settings, it loses focus alot when your shooting video in dark settings. The pictures are great during the day, basiclly everything is shoot fantastic during the day. Night pictures get blury easy. I really like the E-1 over all.
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Great video quality, extremely versatile camera
Just got back from a trip to Antarctica, and this video camera was fantastic. When we were cruising around in the small Zodiac boats, everyone else had to put their cameras away because of the water spray, but this camera was always out, taking both very good quality videos and reasonable still photos. Lots of examples at http://leler.com/video/
The only improvement I could think of would be a water repellant coating for the lens, so that water drops don't form on it. Oh, and it does have a rather small battery, but I bought a 3-pack of spare batteries and just pop in a new one when it needs it.
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Nice camera
I like the camera. The video gets jittery when you try to pan a scene. Also, the stabilizer is not real effective. The camera has trouble figuring out the light level but that is remedied by half clicking the shutter on an area with medium light for the picture.
I've had it underwater. That is a great feature in itself for the price.
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Excellent camcorder/camera for underwater and beyond
I wanted to buy an underwater camera to take on our recent vacation and was delighted to find this one which happened to be a camcorder too! Big bonus! On vacation we snorkeled twice per day, for 8 days and had no problems whatsoever with the camera. I did as instructed and rinsed the camera in fresh water each time and then dried it. I'd bought a spare battery because of the reviews stating that the battery life was poor, but I really didn't need it. There was no problem at all with battery life! I also bought the underwater wrist strap and would recommend it for the peace of mind it gave us as we swam around. The velcro strap ensures that there was no way you can drop the camera.
I was so impressed with the ease of use, quality of the stills and video, and with the ease of downloading the images to my laptop that I used it out of the water too. It's small size means that I can slip it in my bag in it's light, but protective case. I think I will get a lot of use from this camcorder!
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It's actually 3.5
I fell in love with this camcorder the moment I saw it. Its design is sleek and it looks so cool. Knowing that looks isn't everything I did lots of searching before buying it. It surprised me that there was no consistent opinion about it. People either loved it or hated it.. and I was REALLY concerned about the reasons why they didn't like it.
Those who complained basically nagged about the too-short battery life, and the low-picture-quality. Some mentioned that the gadget suddenly refused to work.. this didn't happen with me till now :)
Regarding the batteries: They are OK! They don't run out after 20 minutes as some complained - unless you are shooting in very low temperatures. I took with me while skiing at Mont. Tremblant in February and still could get many good videos.
As for the low image quality: Give me a break! The thing is still fine. Please remember that this is an adventure-trip-cam. You don't expect an oscar-winning performance using a cam like this. The still images -though- could be a little bit better.
I deducted 1.5 stars off my rating for the not-so-great still images, and for the case which is not so resistant against occasional scratches (my camera is white)
If you are the type of person who is adventurous and on the run.. this could be just your type of camcorder. It may NOT be the best, but it is really a good choice.
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Great! :) ...but one issue
The one thing that bugs me is that on the sheet inside the box (i forgot which one-i think it was the warnings), it said you have to replace the waterproof seal after one year! To me thats ridiculous cause they said we have to pay for it. I could understand that you would need to replace it, but come on, it should be free, (but of course, nothing is free these days)!
But besides that one issue...
I got this camera for my birthday and I like it alot! On the video review on here that that lady and guy made showed that the video quality was not very good; this made me almost change my mind because the video looked so crappy; but as you see I decided to go with it and just take the leap; and it turned out to be so much better than that crappy video review on here. Alot of the reviews on here said that the video quality was like the videocameras in the 80s. I agree on that one video review on here. But I disagree besides that. I think that it is not the best quality in the world for making fancy movies, which you shouldn't expect from this kind of camera, but its good for the every day regular person. Its not very good quality in low light though, but its not like I expected it to be. The buttons may be a bit small for guys fingers, but it works for me. I also like the design and the shape of the camera. The voice-recording quality is very, very good. Its really clear. The camera can have up to 60 minutes of recording/using, but I reccomend getting a SanDisk 4.0 Ultra II memory card, because you just take the memory card out of the camera, then it comes with a little thing that you put the memory card into, then you stick the whole thing into your USB opening in your computer. Then your movies/pictures just come up. This way is much easier than hooking up your camera with all those cords. Overall, I think the Sanyo Xacti E1 is great! I have tried it outside and it works great also. I have not tried it in the water yet, but I'm looking forward to it when I go surfing this weekend! :)
This is a great camera for someone who wants something very easy to use, small, and waterproof! But I really recommend it to everyone!
To sum it up, GREAT CAMERA! DON'T LISTEN TO THE BAD-REVIEW-ERS ON HERE! ;D
--Brianna, age 14, and yes, just because I am fourteen, doesn't mean that I'm stupid.
;D
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I have the Grey market version of this cam.
I got this camera on the net from the asia/europe market. Its called the VPC-Ca65. Its the same exact camera..
It is a fantastic camera, it works great, even underwater. I was VERY impressed with the audio and the camera works great except it is more of an outdoors camera for use in good lighting. It doesn't work that well in dark situations. I would say it is comparable to other cameras without a night shot mode.
If you shop around you can get them for much cheaper. I got mine shipped for $286 from a site online. It is a great deal, i would recommend it to anyone looking for a good, small, weatherproof camera that does it all.
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Handy but poor quality stills
This camera is uncomfortable to hold, making it hard to hold still. The still photos are okay (and only okay) out in the sunlight but in any other surrounding the photos are pretty rotten. Changing settings didn't help much. Red eye is the worst I've ever seen in any camera. Still, it is fun to jump in the rapids while filming and the super macro focus is handy. The small size and dual use are the main attraction for this camera. It serves a purpose but keep another camera for the still photos that really matter.
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Exactly what I wanted
I gave this camera to my husband for Christmas. He is a total camera buff, so he turned up his nose quite a bit, especially with the Sanyo name.
We went on vacation to Costa Rica and he refused to even take it with us, so, I took it anyway.
The video I took in and out of the water of my girls surfing and the accidental run-in with jelly fish was excellent. The picture looks a little blue, but after running it back at the house with the quick hook up, everyone was oohing and awing. Now he won't let me use it, like it was all his idea.
So, the zoom was great, still pictures, awesome and all and all, a fun, easy to port little camera. I will take it with me anywhere. It was a no brainer.
When the kids went down the waterslide, the camera was able to film the above and below portion of the dive seemlessly. There was no light adjustment time. I had to guess a lot at where I was filming underwater as you cannot use the screen at all under there, but after one trial, I was getting all of the action, no problem at all.
For the price and convenience, I would say an amazing success story.
Highly recommended for my family and all families out there.
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SIMPLY WOW!
Simply wow! Very nice product. I hope SANYO would make HD waterproof camcorder that can go deeper.
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Great Camera
Pros: compact, great video quality, waterproof
Cons: poor audio quality, low battery life
Other thoughts: I bought 5 additional batteries on eBay (for $20). The camera died while I was snorkeling, be very careful when you are using controls under the water. Anyway I'm very glad I bought this camera.
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Sanyo Xacti
This was a Christmas gift for my son. Ordering was easy, Delivery was fast. He's experimenting, but so far is very satisfied. He's in the military so the compact size is a huge bonus as he has limited space and it's a great way for him to stay in touch with us at home, since it came with computer software to send still pictures and video.
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A great go-anywhere camera with no worries about the elements!
Have you ever been in a situation where it'd be great to have a camera, but you didn't want to risk the wind, the rain, or the water on your pricey electronic equipment? This camera fills the gap and gives you the opportunity to take good images in places where other cameras would stay covered in the camera bag.
Let's start with the obvious. This camera works great underwater! You can take underwater stills or video, and the camera handles them all with ease. The buttons are big and easy to operate. Taking video in the water opens up a whole new world of fun photo opportunities! But it's more than just snorkeling or swimming in the pool. You can take this camera kayaking, boating, in the rainforest, skiing, you name it, places where you'd probably never dare take a traditional digital camera or video. That's the beauty of this camera. You have no fear taking it virtually anywhere.
I got better photo results from this camera than I did with the Xacti HD700. The video output of the E1 is not HD, but its perfectly fine for everyday family and fun use. If I were making a serious movie with top quality video, I wouldn't be using any of the Xactis. This camera has virtually no startup time. As fast as you can flip open the viewing screen, it's ready to take images.
Another great feature of this camera for traveling is that you only need to bring the camera and a small portable wall charger to pop the battery into. If you upgrade to an HD700 or similar, you will the triple the weight in your charging accessories. Those devices require two long cords (one with a heavy brick) and then an additional charging base station. Those three cords and bases can take up an entire sandwich size ziplock in your suitcase, vs. the E1's wall charger which is the size of a few sticks of gum.
Battery life on this device did seem pretty short. I would highly recommend a few additional batteries if you'll be traveling or using this for extended periods of time. I also wish the device came with a lens cap to protect the lens.
Bottom line, you'll take this camera places you'd never take other cameras. Recently I was on a pontoon boat trip along the Napali Coast in Kauai. It was the most beautiful scenery on earth, and no one else could photograph it because everyone was petrified of getting salt water spray on their camera equipment. Not me! It's not perfect, you might get better pictures with a Canon or Panasonic camera, but if you'd never use those cameras in a wet spot, what's the point! I am very pleased with this camera.
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Video Review for the Sanyo Xacti form the Amateur Traveler
[[VIDEOID:16671641]]A video review done by Chris Christensen of the Amateur Traveler podcast for the PodShow Christmas gift ideas series of videos
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Excellent Video Camera for Travelers
The E1 is a great little camera for travelers. It is compact, durable ( no moving parts ) weather, and water proof and very easy to use. The video quality is good and it is extremely easy to upload video to my Macbook from the camera.
We took it on our recent trip to Cancun Mexico and it was so useful on land, in the pool and in the ocean during snorkeling.
Sure it does not take video with the quality of more expensive cameras, nor is it as feature rich, however the compact size, durability, simplicity, and weather/water proof make for an unbeatable travel video camera. I highly recommend it.
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defected image
It is a nice camcorder. But for $400, I expected a reasonable quality. There is a white spot in all images or videos I took. I remembered one previous review mentioned about this issue. He did an exchange, and still have the same issue.
Also, the navigation button is too small. It is hard not to accidentally hit the wrong button. Another previous review also mentioned this problem.
The image is ok if the light is good. Otherwise, the 6m (10m as claimed) is worse than my 3m Olympus.
Also, the focus is also kind of slow. If the subject has a sudden move, it takes a noticeable time to focus. Again, for $400, it should have issues like this.
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