Sanyo Xacti VPC-CA6OR 6MP MPEG4 Weatherproof Digital Camcorder w/5x Optical Zoom
 |   Publisher : SANYO Company : Sanyo |
Features
- Digital media camera takes combines the functionality of a digital camera with a digital camcorder
- Weather-resistant design
- Records MPEG-4 movies and 6.0-megapixel stills simultaneously
- Clear 2.0-inch color TFT LCD display; rotates up to 285 degrees
- Highly-efficient 5x optical zoom lens and 12x digital zoom
Product Description
The Sanyo VPC-CA6 Xacti digital media camera combines the functionality of a digital camera and digital camcorder in a compact, weather-resistant design, and records both 6-megapixel still images and 640 x 480 resolution digital video.This Digital Camera and Camcorder requires no tape, all images are stored on an optional SD Memory Card. Amongst the smallest and lightest camera to carry with you where ever you travel, the VPC-CA6 has a 2 inch LCD monitor, built-in electronic-flash, Optical and Digital zoom modes. Take remarkable still pictures at up to 6 megapixels and video images at up to 480p VGA resolution with digital Stereo sound. Images can easily be transferred, edited and stored on either a PC or Macintosh with the included software and through the High-Speed USB 2.0 port. View images on your TV through an S-Video Output Port. Print without a computer using the Integrated PictBridge and compatible PictBridge printers. White balance - Auto, Full Auto TTL, Manual, Sunny, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent, Sampling 2.0 inch Amorphous Silicon Color TFT LCD monitor Interface AV output ( Composite Video, NTSC & PAL, Stereo Audio) High-Speed USB 2.0 High-speed Languages - Japanese, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Russian, Korean, Traditional or Simplified Chinese Power source - Lithium-ion battery (DB-L20 included), Battery Charger (VAR-L20NI included) Dimensions - Width 77mm x Height 100mm x Depth 36mm ( When LCD is closed ) Weight - 174 grams (including battery and SD card) Webcam capability Talking navigation guide for first-time users Super-fast 1.3-second camera start-up PictBridge and Exif Print compatible Easy connection to TV, VCR, DVD recorder or computer
Customer reviews
Not comfortable for large hands 
by .. Payerman54 (florida United States)
This thing is a bit small for large hands and the controls are not 'finger friendly". The camera works OK as I didn't intend it to be anything more than just casual use. Battery life is good- will easily go all day with normal use. image quality is acceptable and in most instances good. Sound is weak but that is to be expected with this type of unit. The still camera mode is probably the weakest as it takes a long time to take a picture and at times I can't tell if its in the right mode yet to take a picture. The biggest plus is the overall size and weatherproof-ness. A small camera bag attached to a your belt doesn't feel like an anchor by the end ot the day and will hold the camera,extra SD cards and a battery. For the $ its reasonable as a grab n go.
A Spectacular Digital Camcorder 
by .. Francis Andrew Seidman (Los Angeles, CA. U.S.A.)
This camcorder is unquestionably the best piece of digital hardware I've purchased in recent memory, and I would very highly recommend it to any other customer - as long as he/she is willing to work with the options menu and learn to tune settings appropriate to the recording/photo situation. This brings out the best in the camera, which is superb.
After reading the rest of the reviews on the site, I'm a bit surprised at those which mention poor image quality. The images I've taken have been crystal clear at all but the highest resolutions. This camera particularly excels at photography of light and reflection, catching light halos and metallic glints with exceptional brilliance - one of the most creative and fun ways I've found to use it has been to purposefully take photos of fast-moving light sources, which leave spectacular and intense trails in an artistic effect. Conventional photos are also very, very clear, with great emphasis on color. Image quality is particularly crisp if one uses the 10MB setting (yes, it goes higher than 6 megapixels) and then downsizes the photos in an image editor. At the full 10MB setting with no downsizing, grain can definitely be seen, but this corresponds to a resolution of 3680x2760 pixels - unlikely to be used for less than high-level professional editing, which is usually the domain of much more expensive equipment.
Video is sharp and distinct, with videos appearing in the MP4 format - not necessarily the widest-distributed format to convert and work with, as others have noted, but the positive tradeoff is improved quality and smaller file sizes. QuickTime and Adobe Premiere have no problems at all with this format and are good choices for video editing. A 2GB memory card provides 1hr20min of 640x480 video, or plus-5-hours of 320x240 video. I used this camera to record several live performances of my roommate's band in dimly lit clubs, with the resulting footage good enough to make an underground DVD from - which they did.
I generally don't use this camera for audio recording, however, it should be noted that the above-mentioned band performances were recorded with this camera and came out quite listenable.
As far as ergonomics and usability are concerned, some have mentioned the lack of a true tripod mount - this is probably the biggest ergonomic flaw the camera has, but a good camera store (or simply some ingenuity - I used an adjustable nylon strap, resting the camera on a spare videogame controller, to rig the camera to my own tripod with quite fine results) should be able to provide a brace or other solution. In addition, the buttons on the control panel are very small, even for my fine-boned fingers, and might be very awkward for those with large hands. However, the camera is a joy to hold and use - I strongly disagree with the comment saying that this camera feels "cheap", and suspect that this person may simply be comparing it to a heavy metal-casing traditional camcorder (apples and oranges there). The screen is large, well-lit, and exceptionally crisp. After using it for nearly a year and a half, the screen has no serious scratches at all, so it's quite durable when properly cared for. The camera is also LIGHT, and can really be taken everywhere with no arm fatigue at all. I routinely take walks around whatever town I'm in, camera in hand, and snap close-up photos to use as textures in my digital artwork. And personally, I've found the handstrap to be ergonomic, comfortable, and it really does secure the camera well - at least for me! (Battery life, however, can tend to be somewhat short, usually giving me about two hours of continuous use, and it's easy to drain the battery if one forgets to disconnect after uploading to a PC, as the PC connection keeps the camera on.)
I can't speak to the water-resistance much, though I have used it in very heavy rain with no problems at all - though it is important to note that it's water-resistant, not waterproof, so it's not suitable for underwater use.
After pondering the other negative experiences in the reviews on this site with regard to image quality, I really have to believe that these people may be failing to make use of appropriate focus and color settings in the options menu. Any photographer knows that the best photos and videos result from proper focus and color calibration (or film in older cameras); this one is no different and can quite easily produce uninspiring images if the focus is set, for example, to wide-range for a close-up photo or vice versa, or if the white balance is set for indoor lights on an outdoor photo. In addition, it's easy to blur the image with a shaky hand, and I had this problem for about two days, which is really all the practice that's necessary to learn to keep a steady hand when taking pictures - there is also an image stabilizer in the options menu that works somewhat decently. For those willing to really learn the camera's ins and outs, the directional pad on the controls acts as a multi-shortcut controller that can change focus, lighting, and self-timing options on the fly for optimal pictures, though the options menu can be used as well. The only things I'd add would be a real tripod mount and a setting to use the self-timer on multiple pictures, though this last is very easy to do with the above-mentioned direction pad. I suspect those who've had poor experiences with the camera are not using it to its fullest capacity, though I don't know for sure.
To recap, pros and cons:
Pro:
-Exceptional capture of light and reflection
-Great image quality at all but 10 megapixel setting
-Well-lit and highly readable screen
-Extremely lightweight and snug in the hand
-Can be used in the rain or near heavy spray
-Greatly rewards users willing to learn the ins and outs of the camera settings and controls
Con:
-No standard tripod mount
-Battery life is not exceptional
-Buttons are small and require finesse to operate
-Not exceptionally suitable for those wanting a "one-touch" or "idiot-proof" experience
Overall, easily five stars. My personal experience has been more like five and a half; this is due to my willingness to fine-tune the camera and work with it to bring out the sharpest, correct-color pictures. I can say this camera really has enhanced my life and become a vital part of my work in computer design. But it might not be the best choice for those looking for the disposable-camera-like, one-touch experience. You'll have to decide for yourself - it's definitely worth a test drive in any case.
Falls out of your hand by .. Asanga H. Perera (Fishkill, NY)
Overall, while it is certainly provides one with a very small Camcorder we found it quite difficult to hold and operate. The strap and main unit is not very ergonomically designed for a one-hand operation and it is very small to hold with two hands. Software is not very straight forward to make DVDs. Overall, I would not buy if I had manually tested it at a shop.
Brilliant !!!!! by .. Frankie (NJ)
This camcorder was the best purchase we have made for yonks!
It was much much smaller that expected, even smaller that our current 3 megapixel camera (which will probably be thrown in the trash now.) It was much better filming quality than we expected, and much better picture quality than expected. The difference in our 3.2 megapixel to the 6 megapixel is worlds apart.
I checked out the filming quality on the Sanyo web site as they have samples. I thought the samples were good, but I really think the actual quality is better that the Sanyo web site.
I can't put this thing down.
I haven't got the hang of taking shots with one hand yet because it seems a bit too small for my hands.....is that good or bad?
Really good Camcorder/Camera...../Toy
Awesome Camcorder by .. G. OHara (San Diego, CA USA)
Unlike the rest of the reviewers here, I bought this camcorder at a STORE in Singapore. This gave me a HUGE advantage to try out the camera BEFORE I bought it! I paid about US$450.00 for the CA6 [which included all the required cables, 2 CD-ROMs of software, carrying case, 2 batteries {one 1.5-hour and one 3-hour battery}, 4GB Ultra High-Speed SD card, 2 tripod mounts {no charge}, Multi-port USB hub for 4 different types of SD cards, power cords and adapter for U.S. and Singapore voltages].
After reading all the reviews here I can agree with SOME of the "Cons" comments.
Yes, it does NOT come with a tripod mount hole. However, the salesperson gave me two black plastic tripod mounts for FREE. It fits like a glove--no problems. Sorry, I don't know where to find these in the U.S. but I'm sure they're out there somewhere.
Yes, the hand strap is useless. Seriously, throw it away! It's not worth the effort. My wife gave me her camera strap to use and it can be fed through the bottom ring and that works much better.
The only way to protect the LCD screen and camera lens is to keep it in the carrying case when not in use. This case was a real convenience with the metal ring that could attach to the belt loop of my shorts or pants.
A lot of people are complaining about low light situations. I haven't noticed too much of this. The salesperson told me that this was a "Sports" model version. I was shown several other models by Sanyo that were similar to the CA6. This gave me the impression that the CA6 was geared more towards outdoor use and it has proved itself worthy.
It IS a small camcorder so it took a few days to get used to filming with it. PLUS, I'm LEFT-HANDED and used it like a stubborn left-hander in my left hand--but I finally got used to it. I know it wasn't designed with this in mind. However, I think it gave me an advantage over right-handers with bigger fingers. I didn't have to worry about using all the buttons and hold the camcorder at the same time. I know this sounds funny but if you're a left-hander you might appreciate this info. Yes, I AM one of those who has to use TWO hands to dial a phone number or play games on my little cellphone, hehe.
Oh, and using the highest quality DVD setting for video gives you about 2 hours and 45 minutes with the 4GB SD card.
Be sure to get some type of camera strap for this device--not the one provided [I think this was an Sanyo afterthought]. I realized this one day as I was 100 feet up in a skyride in Singapore. As I was dangling my feet, I wondered how awful it would be for the CA6 to slip out of my hand and watch it shatter into a 1,000 pieces below me.