(Credit:
Akihabara News)
Sanyo has seen the future, and it's apparently underwater.
The company must be finding some kind of demand for submerged videography, because it continues to come out with waterproof camcorders. The latest version, coming to the Japanese market next monthy, is a new model in its Xacti line that can record for an hour in up to 5 feet of water. That's actually the same endurance as Sanyo's previous E1 version, but the new DMX-CA8 has an 8-megapixel sensor instead of its predecessor's 6-megapixel resolution, according to Akihabara News. It also has a 5x optical zoom (also the same) and adds something called a "face chaser" technology, which presumably is just their lingo for face recognition.
That's all well and good if one feels confident in the water to begin with. As swimming isn't exactly second nature to us, we hold out hope for a camcorder version of the "Underwater Digital Camera Mask."
Sanyo Xacti VPC-CG9
(Credit: Sanyo)Sanyo kicks up the number of pixels with the Xacti VPC-CG9. This new pocket camera/camcorder features a 9-megapixel sensor, offering a 150 percent higher pixel count than last year's CG65's 6-megapixel sensor. According to Sanyo, the CG9 can use interpolation to produce 12MP still pictures, much like the CG65 could produce 10MP pictures with its 6MP sensor. This technique can potentially produce larger pictures than the sensor alone would allow, but it can often lead to image artifacts--pixelated blemishes caused by overprocessing. In general, users should stick with the sensor's native resolution, which still presents a solid upgrade over the CG65.
Besides the higher resolution, the CG9 offers a few more improvements from its predecessor. It still uses a 35 to 190mm-equivalent, f/3.5-3.7 5x optical zoom lens, though it's a bit faster in telephoto mode than the CG65's otherwise identical f/3.5-4.9 lens. The CG9 can shoot MPEG-4/h.264 video just like the CG65, though it can now record VGA (640x480) video at 60 frames per second as well as 30. However, it only shoots video at standard definition or lower resolution; users looking for a small high-def camcorder should instead look for one of Sanyo's HD video pocketcams. Besides those upgrades, the CG9 feature a similar flip-out LCD screen, pistol-grip design, and feature set.
The Sanyo Xacti VPC-CG9 ships in April, with a suggested retail price of $280. It will be available in silver and black versions.
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Sanyo just announced its latest pocketcam, the Xacti HD700. Like the Xacti VPC-HD2 we looked at last spring, the HD700 can record 720p video and 7-megapixel still images to SD and SDHC cards, and features the same signature pistol-grip design of the rest of Sanyo's Xacti line.
Despite its many similarities, the HD700 differs greatly from the HD2. The new camera can record AVC/H.264 MPEG-4 video, a format Sanyo claims greatly reduces file size while retaining quality, and will let you fit more video on a card. It also uses Sanyo's new "Face Chaser" feature, a face-detection system that the company says can track up to a dozen faces and adjust focus and exposure accordingly.
The HD700 also uses a larger, 2.7-inch flip-out screen compared to the HD2's 2.2-inch display. Unfortunately (and confusingly), the HD700's lens gets a bit of a downgrade from the HD2. The new pocketcam uses a 38-190mm-equivalent, f/3.5-4.7 lens that only offers 5x zoom power against the HD2's f/3.5, 10x lens. While the smaller lens is a bit of a buzzkill, it helps keep the HD700 small and light; the new camera measures just 4.3 inches tall and 1.4 inches deep and weighs just under half a pound with battery and card, slightly smaller than the HD2.
This new camera comes less than a month after Sanyo announced the Xacti HD1000, a high-def pocketcam that features both a 10x zoom lens and AVC/h.264 MPEG-4 720p recording. Unfortunately, the HD1000 also retails for about $200 more than the HD700, an odd price jump since it only shoots 4-megapixel stills and, at 2.1 inches deep and 11 ounces with battery and card, is much bulkier than the HD700.
The Sanyo Xacti HD700 ships in late October, and will retail for about $600. It will come in silver, red, and brown versions. The black HD1000 ships later this month with a suggested retail price of $800.
(Credit:
Sanyo)
Summer's coming, and that means you're going to see plenty of opportunities to get wet. Whether you're swimming in a pool or surfing at a beach, you're probably going to get soaked in the next few months. Unfortunately, most camcorders simply can't take the moisture. The Olympus Stylus 770SW and the Pentax Optio W30 are two of the few digital cameras you can take swimming with you, but even they're not the best choice for shooting video.
Sanyo just announced the Xacti E1, a waterproof pocket camcorder. This new gadget can handle getting dunked up to five feet for an hour, all while recording video to an SDHC memory card. Like the Xacti VPC-CG65 we reported on a few months ago, the E1 uses MPEG-4 h.264 video compression, and can get up to five hours of 30fps VGA footage onto a 4GB SDHC card. The E1 can also snap 6-megapixel still images, if you want to keep more static memories of your underwater antics.
Because it uses an SD card to store all of its videos and photos, the E1 is very small and light. It measures just 4.4 inches high and 1.6 inches thick, and weighs just 8.3 ounces with battery and an SD or SDHC card. Though you'll have to purchase the SD card separately, the E1 will include a copy of Adobe Premiere Elements 3.0 for Windows XP/Vista. Considering that a 4GB SD card can be found for around $50 and Adobe Premiere Elements retails for about $100, that's a pretty good accessories trade-off.
The Sanyo Xacti E1 is hitting stores and shores in mid-June. It will come in blue, yellow, and white versions, each with a suggested retail price of $500.
Sanyo has announced two new compact digital camcorders, the Xacti CG6 and the Xacti CG65. Like the rest of Sanyo's Xacti cameras, the CG6 and CG65 are portable, catch-all devices that can shoot both video and still photos onto SD cards.
The CG6 and CG65 are nearly identical: both shoot VGA (640x480) video at 30 frames per second; both have 6-megapixel sensors that can interpolate images up to 10 megapixels (not the best strategy for getting big prints, but it technically works); both have flip-out, pivoting 2.5-inch LCD screens; and both have 5x optical zooms. For all intents and purposes, they're the same camcorder, save one important detail.
The CG65 separates itself from the CG6 by being the first Sanyo camcorder to record H.264 MPEG-4 video. According to Sanyo, H.264 encoding produces high-quality video that takes up 25 percent less space. The company claims the CG65 can fit up to 80 minutes of H.264-encoded video onto a 1-gig SD card, compared to 60 minutes on the CG6.
The extra recording time will cost you, though; both camcorders are nearly identical, but the Xacti CG65 has a suggested retail price of $400, while the CG6 is $330. Both cameras hit stores next month.
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