22 Jul, 2009
Sanyo VPC-CA9ER HD Waterproof Dual Video & Photo Camera
Posted by: ReelDots.com In: Camcorders
Sanyo VPC-CA9ER HD Waterproof Dual Video & Photo Camera – Red With a conventional digital camera or camcorder, many users are understandably reluctant to film or shoot in the rain or other wet environments, for the obvious fear of causing water damage to the camera. The VPC-CA9, however, has earned the highest possible IEC 60529 waterproof rating—IPX8—allowing users to capture high-definition (1280 x 720-pixel) 30 fps footage without worrying about the effects of water or snow. The VPC-CA9 is operable down to a water depth of 1.5 meters (5 feet).With SANYO’s advanced waterproofing technology, this camera can be used without thinking twice in the rain;for marine sports such as surfing or snorkeling;or for winter sports such as skiing or snowboarding*2. The VPC-CA9 keeps up with active lifestyles, expanding the scope of shooting opportunities. It offers the enhanced functionality of 9-megapixel still images—a world-first for a waterproof HD Dual Camera. The waterproof SANYO Xacti VPC-CA9 Dual Camera is usable year-round and is perfect for activities on the go, regardless of whether users are in the city, by the sea, or in the mountains.
Helpful consumer’s review
I was looking for a camera for a recent trip home, where trips to the beach, swims in the river and much general trekking about were expected. Because of this I was looking for something small enough to carry almost anywhere that was also waterproof and could shoot HD. This did all that impressively: the video footage is awesome with crisp, rich colour and not nearly as much ‘compression-artifact’ as you’d expect. While it does get noisy in low-light and can become ‘wavy’ with quick motion shots, this is expected of any sub-£1,000 camera and even a few over that sum.
That said, I do have a few gripes:
1] The start-up time is a bit too long, for both video and photo and led to me missing a few off-the-cuff shots.
2] The battery doesn’t last as long as you’d like. To compensate for this I bought an extra battery, but every time you swap batteries you have to reset the date and time and all shortcuts and preferred settings.
3] While Sanyo sell this as a dual camera, the still-camera features, and indeed the quality of the shots, are not as good as stand-alone cameras, with lots of compression evident in some lighting conditions. despite that, it is considerably better than mobile-phone cameras and a fair few lower spec point-&-shoot cameras.
When all is said and done it is an amazing product for it’s price: something so beautifully styled you struggle to believe it is waterproof with the sort of video quality I only wish I could have had at my own wedding.
