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Sanyo Xacti VPC-E1 6MP Waterproof MPEG4 Camcorder with 5x Optical Zoom (Blue)

Sanyo Xacti VPC-E1 6MP Waterproof MPEG4 Camcorder with 5x Optical Zoom (Blue)

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Brand: Sanyo
Category: Photography

List Price: $772.09
Buy New: $395.95
You Save: $376.14 (49%)



New (28) Used (1) Refurbished (1) from $360.00

Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars 43 reviews
Sales Rank: 702

Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Monitor Size: 250
Optical Zoom: 5
Digital Zoom: 12
Display Size: 2.5
Maximum Focal Length: 31.7
Minimum Focal Length: 6.3
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 2.8 x 1.6 x 4.8
Waterproof
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.

MPN: VPC-E1BL
Model: VPC-E1
UPC: 086483067549
EAN: 0086483067549
ASIN: B000QSNQ9S

Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW, SEALED IN ORIGINAL BOX. READY TO SHIP. WE DON'T SHIP P.O. BOXES, APO, FPO ADDRESSES

Features:
  • 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)

Accessories:

  • Corel Ulead VideoStudio 11 Plus [OLD VERSION]
  • Apple Final Cut Studio 2 (Mac)
  • Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Version 11
  • Vegas Movie Studio 8 Platinum Edition
  • Corel Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 Plus [AMAZON.COM EXCLUSIVE]

Similar Items:

  • Sanyo VCP-STB1 Water Leash for Sanyo E1 Waterproof Camcorders
  • Transcend 8GB SDHC CARD (SD 2.0 SPD Class 6)
  • Sanyo DB-L20AU Lithium Ion Battery for Xacti C6 and C40 Camcorders
  • Lenmar DLSAL20 Lithium-ion Digital Camera/Camcorder Battery Equivelent to the Sony DB-L20 Battery
  • SanDisk SDHC Memory Card Bonus MicroMate Reader 4.0 GB SDSDBR-4096-A10

Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
This digital-camera and camcorder is ready to go underwater for a vast new range of photo and video opportunities. The new waterproof Sanyo Xacti E1 camcorder captures stunning digital video and beautiful 6 Megapixel photos on land and even underwater. This powerful little camcorder easily records both full 640x480 resolution videos at 30 frames-per-minute and high-resolution 6-megapixel digital still images. Incorporating a watertight design, the Xacti E1 is capable of recording full motion video five feet underwater for up to 30 minutes. Capture dramatic photos and video footage underwater to share with less adventurous family members and friends. Highly advanced AVC/H.264 video compression makes posting movies on the Internet or e-mailing them to friends and family easier by reducing the file size. Get high-quality video recording up to 10 hours of full motion video with an 8 GB SDHC memory card (TV-HQ mode). The large 2.5-inch LCD flips out from the camera and rotates up to 285 degrees on an axis that allows you to take great video or still images. Auto Focus - 9 groups, 12 elements, (3 aspheric elements 5 aspheric surfaces) lens built-in neutral density filter Still Pictures Shutter Speed - 1/2 - 1/2000 seconds Movies Shutter Speed - 1/30 - 1/10000 seconds 2.5-inch 110k Amorphous Silicon TFT LCD display Low-light sensitivity - 7 lux (AUTO mode, 1/30 seconds) 2 lux (Lamp mode 1/15) Sensitivity - Auto (ISO 50-400), Manual (ISO 50/100/200/400/800/1600) AV output (Video - Composite video, NTSC/PAL, Audio - Stereo sound) AV output for multi-type headphones (3.5mm-compatible with Stereo mini-plug) USB 2.0 (in high-speed mode - PC camera video class mode) Dimensions - Width 70.4 x Depth 40.5 x Height 111.4 mm Weight - 217 grams, 236 grams including battery and SD card


Customer Reviews:   Read 38 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars Great little unit, perfect for vacations   May 15, 2008
Y. Lee (Australia)
A few comments about this camera. I took it with me to India, and the standalone battery recharger was fried by a power surge after a short time. Fortunately, I found a cheap universal charger in a local shop which saved the day. Since the recharger would appear to be easily damaged by power spikes I recommend a good quality surge protector when travelling to countries where fluctuating voltage or power outages are common (e.g. India, China, and other developing countries)

The camera itself is very compact and straightforward to operate. The zoom buttons are tricky to operate with one hand without causing camera shake, so I suggest using a second hand to stabilize the camera when zooming in or out.

You have to be careful to protect the lens because there is no lens cap. So the lens will need to be cleaned regularly.

The camera adapts very well to different lighting environments automatically, even in dim light (e.g. dusk) the image will be quite acceptable.

I have not tested the camera underwater, but I have used it in heavy rainfall and it didn't skip a beat.

The quality of the H264/AVC codec is superb, especially when you record in the highest quality mode (640 x 480 resolution). However, at the moment this codec is not very widely supported by standalone players.

Sony Blu-Ray players and Xbox 360 can play these mp4 video files directly however. Other DVD players claiming "MPEG4" compatibility will NOT work with H264/AVC (i.e. when the mp4's are burned straight to a data DVD/CD or accessed on a memory card).

This means conversion to DVD-VIDEO format will be necessary in most cases. For this purpose, I do not recommend the software that comes bundled with the camera as it is quite poky and the converted quality is not great.

Instead I suggest you download the software "Total Video2DVD Author". This converts the H264/AVC mp4's in very high quality (virtually no pixellation/artefacts) and is no slouch either.

** But be sure to configure the target for NTSC DVD-VIDEO and not PAL, otherwise fast-moving sequences will appear jerky **
(same goes if using the bundled conversion software)

I assume the reason for this is that Xacti's native video format conforms more closely to NTSC standard in terms of framerate, etc. All DVD players can handle NTSC discs anyway so this shouldn't be a big deal.

I tested the Xacti with 8Gb SDHC card and it works perfectly. I also tried inserting a 16Gb Toshiba SDHC card and this was also recognized by the Xacti so I assume it would be compatible (you could record a *lot* of footage onto 16Gb, due to the efficiency of the H264/AVC codec)

By the way, the recorded sound quality is very good. When zooming in/out, some mechanical noise will be picked up, but otherwise is great.

Still image (camera) mode works quite well, sometimes the photos appear over-exposed in broad daylight but you could manually adjust for that. If you try to take a photo in the midst of recording a video, the photo will be limited to 6MP resolution (2816 x 2112). If the photo is taken when no video recording is taking place, the resolution can be up to 10 megapixel (3280 x 2760). Even though it is claimed to be a 6MP camera, somehow it can manage the 10MP resolution, which is a plus.






3 out of 5 stars Great camera flawed by shoddy support.   May 10, 2008
E. Decook (La Palma, CA USA)
The camera itself is great. The large, easily maneuverable and bright display makes setting up shots and picking camera settings a breeze. It's very light and has good ergonomics as well. The images, both still and moving, are excellent. The problem comes if you should go looking for tech support. When you do you'll rapidly find out you're on your own.

I encountered a communication issue between the camera and my desktop. Just finding a tech support phone number on the Sanyo website is a marathon Easter-egg hunt (no number is listed in the documentation that comes with the camera)! Finding the relevant number, I was repeatedly put on hold for 10 to 15 minutes and then dropped. I could not get through despite repeated attempts. As their tech support line is only open during business hours, Monday thru Friday, you'd best hope your boss is an understanding soul. Fortunately, I was eventually able to resolve the issue with my own resources but it took hours to do so.

It's really too bad to see a product this well engineered compromised by thoughtless customer service.



5 out of 5 stars Amazing   April 27, 2008
Casey Bunch (Missouri)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

I recently just bought this item off amazon about a month ago and have been looking around for six months trying to see if it was worth it. Now that I actually have it I absolutely love it. Its very small but very stable and doesnt feel cheep like i was afraid it might. The video quality is very good for what it is and amazing in good lighting. I made a whole short film with this camera alone its just plane fun to have around. Don't hesitate i did for a while but have absolutely no regrets. Just a side note... the fact that its water proof never gets old take it anywhere film for no reason.


4 out of 5 stars LOVE IT!!!   April 25, 2008
Sonomine from Cleveland (Cleveland, OHio)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful

I love the camara/video waterproof capabilites. It took fabulous videos and also 85% pictures. You have to practice to get yur best videos, but once you perfect it the videos are wonderful to have.



4 out of 5 stars Fun Camera for Recreational Use   April 4, 2008
Tim Hagen (Norway)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I've been using this camera regularly for six months, and I'm satisfied. There are good things and bad things about it, though, so I'll start with the highlights.

I bought the camera for it's waterproof feature, which is at the top of my list of good things about the Sanyo Xacti. It has survived the snow and has functioned while being fully submerged.

This camera is comfortable and stylish. It gets compliments wherever I use it. Because of its shape, I can rotate the screen 180 degrees to view when taking self-portraits or group photos.

It takes good quality pictures and videos. I am not a professional, and I use this camera for fun, so I haven't played around with a lot of the settings, but I'm happy with the results.

Now for a couple downsides. The most obvious disadvantage to this camera is that it has no red-eye reduction flash. Almost all of my portrait photos that are taken in low light show everybody with red eyes.

Even though it has a cool shape, it means I had to get used to using the buttons. The power and playback buttons are conveniently located on the side, but the rest of the buttons for capture, recording, and navigation take some practice. I like using this camera in the snow, but it's impossible to do with gloves on.

The battery doesn't last as long as expected, since the camera is always on standby (unless I turn it off manually). I'm used to cameras that turn themselves off after five minutes of not being used. As a result, I've been caught off guard by a dead battery and missed the chance to take some good pictures.

Overall, I recommend this camera if you will use its waterproof feature. Otherwise, there are probably other cameras that have better features for the price. At the time I bought this camera, Amazon had the lowest price I could find online. If you would like to see samples of what I have taken with this camera, visit my blog at http://timmyjimi.wordpress.com/


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