Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

I used to be a sony/panasonic/canon user on AV products. After my 3-year-old sony Mini DV cam decided to quit, I was looking for a next-gen video cam that doesn't use those ultra-annoying tapes. (I cannot believe any people out there will still buy a tape-driven-camcorder in this century.)

There are basically 3 options on the market: DVD based, hard disk based and flash memory based. I think among these three options, flash memory based is the true future solution for all the camcorder products out there since it the smallest, lightest, and fastest to load. You don't have to hook up you camcorder to the computer to download the clips like what you would do with a hard disk based camcorder. And with a 2GB, you can shoot high quality video for 1.25 hr. Which is essentially more than a mini DV tape can offer. Plus, you can get 8GB SD HC card these days. Means you can shoot 5 hrs of video without swapping. (Of course swapping in additional cards is no-brainer anyway.) I appreciate the large storage of a hard disk camcorder. But hey, who is going to shoot over 5 hours of boring family video on a single trip?? Beside, even if you need to shoot over 5 hours, you can always buy/bring more SD cards. But that's not the case for a hard disk camcorder. Once it ran out of space, you are doomed. Also don't forget that you are putting all the eggs in one basket if you think storing all the clips in a 40GB in-camera-hard-drive is a convenience. I think majority of us have experienced the capital punishment of hard drive crashes.

Enough words with the reason to buy, let's talk about my experience with this product after using it for one week. First of all the color of this product is blue on the side you see from all the pictures you can find on the web. However, on the opposite side, it is actually plastic-white. I kind of dislike this color combination. But it's not a big issue.

The build quality is quite solid. The flip screen is even more solid than the sony I used. The button feels a bit "spongee" to touch. It doesn't give you a firm feeling. I think it's due to the reason that it's a water proof camcorder and the buttons are actually pressing on a gasket instead of a solid circuit board. Again, once you get used to it, it's no big deal.

The handling is quite comfortable for a vertical-holding camcorder. The tilted angle of the lens and slim body let you hold the camera without too much stress. But since I'm coming from a horizontal-holding world, it took me some time to get use to it. I found that the best way to hold it is putting your index finger above the top of the lens and your midde finger below the bottom of the lens. That way you use these two fingers to firmly hold the camcorder while you use your thumb to control the shutter and zoom. The down side is you will have some camera shake when you push the zoom since the key is "gasketed" and it takes stronger than normal force to push.

The video quality may be many people's concern since it's a "Sanyo". That was my biggest concern too. But to my surprise, I can truely say that it is very good. It's much better than my 3-year-old sony which always give wrong white balance and grany picture when shooting in low light condition. I didn't compare it to the latest generation of sony/canon. But I think it is very acceptable for family videos. The still photo function is so so. The shutter is kind of hard to control since you need to half-press it to focus. But then again the button is not very firm so you need to get used to the half-pressed-spongee-button feel.

One more good thing about this cam is the fast startup time. Remember the time when your wife screaming at you to shoot the babie's once-in-a-life-time moment and you missed it because it took 10 seconds plus to turn on your tape driven camcorder? This camcorder can be put in sleep mode. As soon as your flip open the screen, it will be ready to shoot in about 3-4 seconds. A small difference in seconds, a giant leap for mankind.

I didn't have a chance to test the under water capability. But I guess it will be okay for pool parties, etc. It's either water-proof or water-leak. There isn't much to talk about.

I did compare this product to the latest Canon TX-1 before I bought the E1. But the awkward handling and inefficient data compression ratio have pushed me back.

I would have given it 4 stars because of the spongee buttons. But since it's a Sanyo and it is forgiven and rewarded for a extra star.

DT

This is a great little camera is many ways. It also has some shortcomings, but they are few and minor, so I am very happy with my purchase. I'll review both my likes and dislikes about the camera.

Let me state first that I work as a film editor (using Final Cut Pro), videographer, compositor, photographer and anything multimedia related for the largest county in the US. I am fortunate to have access to the latest and greatest equipment and have a ton of fun doing my job! On occasion, though, I have wished I had a camera like the Xacti with me - particularly when I wanted to take some personal photos or video during an event I was covering, or if I had some kind of video or photographic equipment failure and needed a quick stand-in. The Xacti is not a pro-series camera, but in a pinch it can do a pretty good job of standing-in. It is a 6-megapixal camera, so the photos are clear and sharp, you will find many adjustments, filters, focusing options available in its easy-to-use menu. Same goes for the video. Easy to adjust, set it the way you want, and it's ready when you are. It is incredibly easy to use - can't say this enough - there are only three buttons - one to take a picture, one to start video and one for zoom. Because the Xacti uses flash media, all you have to do is open the viewfinder and the camera is ready to shoot. There is no tape to spool, nothing to wait for - instant shooting, and no shot to miss. Transferring to your computer for editing is just as easy - either use the included USB cable and attach the Xacti to your computer, or use a card adapter. I purchased two 4GB flash cards and have been pretty amazed by how much they will hold. The flash cards came with a USB card adapter, and I remove the flash card from the camera, insert it into the card adapter and plug the adapter into my Mac. The batteries, however, are not as robust. I ordered a couple from a vendor here on Amazon and paid about $10 each - a great deal for camcorder batteries. Don't worry about finding batteries to mach the VPC-E1 - I think the camera is too new to cross reference - any battery for any Sanyo Xacti will do just fine. Sanyo has a steady-cam feature - be sure to use it while videotaping. While it does a pretty good job, you'll probably want to come beck home and run it through your smoothcam editor if you have one to really make your video shine. Of course, there is the waterproof feature of this Xacti. I have seen footage shot underwater with this cam, but have not actually had the opportunity to do so myself. However, in my job we do end up in some pretty dusty, dirty, abusive situations for our cameras. This is why I was excited about the Xacti VPC-E1 6MP Waterproof. I probably won't get a chance to try it in the pool until next summer, but i have already washed it off several times in the sink after days of filming in the desert. So it is not just the underwater feature, but the easy-clean feature I enjoy as well. On last note: I really like its size - it is really small, as in "easy to fit in your pocket" small. For me this is great because when I am called to shoot I have to leave very quickly, and I can easily grab my Sanyo and pop it in to my pocket and head out the door.

What do I dislike? Not much. I'm not crazy about the MPEG4 codec that Sanyo uses. I tend to use Apple's Macs more than PCs in my editing at work and probably would have preferred a more robust codec. I have read, after purchasing my Xacti, that Sanyo is coming out with an HD Xacti, which would be nice - but the model I read about is not waterproof. Would it be worth the tradeoff? Not for me right now. I also find the zoom extremely touchy. I have looked relentlessly for settings to adjust this and cannot seem to find any. If you use a feather-light touch it gets better, but this is an issue with me. Another minor issue is that the camera does not give much warning as to when you will be running out of memory while you are shooting. There is some warning, I would just like more. And finally, if I was in Sanyo's design department, I think I would make this underwater camera less slippery. The black strip down the center of the camera is ridged with a zigzag pattern, but the rest of the camera is very slick and slippery. I would think that for any underwater camera, additional rubberized or grip zones might be in order.

As you can see, I am very pleased with my Sanyo Xacti VPC-E1 6MP Waterproof MPEG4 Camcorder. When Sanyo's HD model comes out in the near future I may look at that model as well. The few minor gripes I have with the camera are minor in comparison with the outstanding features and performance.

This is not your average camcorder. We recently purchased a new Canon Digital Rebel XT 8MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 Lens (Black) to replace our old point and shoot and realized that we missed the "Video" features of the point and shoot. We have owned an older Canon camcorder but really hate lugging around tapes and getting the video to the computer is not fun. So we purchased the Sanyo Xacti VPC-E1 and have been very impressed. I have never seen such a small lightweight waterproof camera anywhere. If you are looking for a great easy to use camcorder and you aren't worried as much about video quality, the Xacti VPC-E1 is the way to go.

Good:
small
light
Easy to use.
Very nice zoom for a small design.
Convenient waterproof design.
Creating video starts very quickly so you won't miss that shot.
Seems to be well constructed. Some people seemed to be worried that the buttons where mushy, but that is just so they can make it waterproof.

Bad:
The menu can be a little bit confusing at times.
You have to have the screen open and the battery hatch open to sync to your computer.
No matter which front color you get the back is white, don't be fooled.
I read that you need to replace the "seals" on the camera after around a year of use, but I can't figure out how to order them.

I recently visited the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and took a whirlpool jet boat tour. If you want more details on the tour then google it. Basically, the tour involves a high speed / open air jet boat that takes you through category 5 rapids of Niagara Falls. You don't just get soaked or drenched...you get hit with 8 to 10 ft waves. I was shooting for almost 45 mins of non stop water spray and this unit held up flawlessly. If you film in wet conditions then this is a very inexpensive unit. OK, enough about the waterproofing. What about the rest?

Pros:

1. Waterproofing- I don't know of any other camcorders that compare or even exist in this price range.

2. Overall good pic quality- Overall quality is roughly mini dv quality. Sometimes slightly worse / slightly better. Very impressive considering the small footprint of this unit.

3. Very easy to use. I don't know why other reviews over the web knock the usability. This this is super simple to use. Just point and record.

4. Build quality- Compares favorably with Sony, Panasonic, etc. This is very well built and even though it is made in Indonesia it has typical "Japanese" fit and finish.

5. Lightning quick boot times.

Cons

1. Seems to be incompatible with Apple tv. I will have to try and reencode the stock videos. I think the bit rate is simply too high at the highest quality setting for Apple TV to support. However, the videos play perfectly using Quicktime.

2. Slippery when wet. My advice to Sanyo...the included wrist lanyard should offer the ability to be velcroed. However this is an easy fix with an after market lanyard.

3. It would be nice if an extended life battery were offered. However, aftermarket batteries are dirt cheap (around $10 per battery).

Bottom Line

It is very easy to over look this product because of the lack of pizzaz about the Sanyo name. If you can get over that then you will have one heck of a camcorder. It is up to you: Would you rather have good video quality and shoot a ton of video or would you have HD quality, but shoot much less video because you don't want to lug around a bulky cam corder. Heck, I like this camcorder so much that I will now use it for most of my shooting and use my Sony HD cam only for very special events.

I purchased the camera right before leaving on a family cruise. It was used for taking stills as well as video. There was plenty of water activity such as snorkling and swimming with dolphins and the waterproof camera came along for all the activities. The underwater video came out great..although it was challenging to see the view screen under water. I also liked the feature of not having to switch modes, being able to take a still while continuing to video.

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.

I purchase this camera a couple couple months ago (July 07) and all in all it's worked out well. I've spent a lot of time with it under water and I've been pleased with it's performance.

Pros:
1)Pretty good video resolution, even on my 32 inch TV.
2)It's passed several underwater video tests without any problems. The seal has held and the images were surprisingly clear.
3)Very portable, fits easily in my front trouser pocket.
4)Battery holds a decent charge, though a back up battery is probably a good idea.
5) The menu is easy to navigate.
6) Seems to be fairly durable.

Cons:
1) The buttons are awkward to use. I attribute this to the "pistol grip" nature of the design which requires you to use your thumb to press the buttons while trying to hold the camera in some fashion with your fingers. Difficult to master.
2) As another reviewer mentioned, the fact that the lens is not perpendicular to the grip takes a little getting used to. You find that you have a tendency to aim too high.
3) Audio is only mediocre. Though I've never owned a video camera that had what I would regard as good audio so it wasn't a surprise.
4) The 6 mp sill images are OK but not great. I think my old 3.2 mp Canon Elf takes better looking pictures. Proof that good images aren't just about how many mega pixels you have.

Bottom Line:
None of the cons were problematic enough for me to regret buying this camera. I was looking for small, weather proof video camera that took at least decent stills and the E1 has, thus far, satisfied or exceeded those requirements.

Length:: 1:34 Mins

A video review done by Chris Christensen of the Amateur Traveler podcast for the PodShow Christmas gift ideas series of videos

Build quality is crisp and precise and the unit is attractive. Screen picture quality is average. Controls are surprisingly limited. But the biggest problem is the video quality. Connected to a TV, I was surprised to see that for shots taken both indoors and outdoors on a sunny day, greens looked oversaturated, outlines were blurry, and very noticeable digital artifacting occurred in images of a running child. Overall I was reminded of my first VHS camera circa 1983.

For shooting underwater it's affordable and brilliantly small. Unfortunately I won't get that far as I'm returning it for picture quality reasons.

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. This camera integrates extremely well with my Apple Macbook as the H.264 ( Quicktime ) video imports right into iTunes and can be viewed on my Mac, iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV. The video also imports right into iMovie for quick editing and export using iDVD to DVD's.

Getting video online is quick and flawless too. I just pop out the SD card from the camera and put it into an SD card reader which I plug into my Macbook and up the video goes straight to YouTube. So cool !

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. No other camera is so versatile. People really looked at me funny when they saw me taking my camera from the beach right into the ocean. They thought I was crazy !

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.