Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue)
Sanyo
- VPC-E2BL
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Reviews
(19)
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I purchased one of these cameras 3 weeks ahead in preparation for my son's two year birthday party. While I did not get it through Amazon (my mistake, as it was far cheaper here), it promptly arrived within two days. Upon opening and reading the manual first, I proceeded to plug in the battery carefully following the instructions. According to the manual, I should see the charger's red light go out when the battery is fully charged. Several hours later the red light was still on (it should have gone out no more than 2 hours after an initial charge) so I gave it some more time. After 5 hours, I decided to let the thing charge overnight. I wake up and the light is STILL on, so I called the vendor from where I purchased it from. They said that this was a warranty issue and they are simply a 3rd party vendor but asked me if I either wanted to return it, or suggested that I call Sanyo. I said most likely the battery or charger is defective so I called Sanyo's Warranty Department and after
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I'm an aquatic biologist and I specifically bought this camera for the purpose of taking pictures and video while on the job. I had the camera a couple weeks and the pictures it took were wonderful until I took it snorkeling. We were in water less than 2 feet deep and the camera was shut properly. I took roughly 5 minutes of video and was replaying the video on shore when the camera shut down. I figured it was the battery. The next morning I pick up the camera and it had water behind the lens. It took SEVERAL weeks of emailing and phoning Sanyo before I was able to talk to someone about having the camera repaired or replaced (under warranty#. I sent it to one of their 2 authorized repair shops who had it for several weeks. Finally they came to the conclusion that it was user error and that the camera was waterproof. I followed all of the instructions in the manual. I ensured that the camera was sealed tight before use and it still got water in it. I know it was not user error.
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I love almost everything about this camera. I have taken it into the surf, to water parks, and in our pool. I have dropped it in the sand (while putting boggie board fins on), and it holds up like a champ. The only issue I have with it, is that if you close the screen while recording, it is easy to bump the record button, and it stops recording. At first I thought the camera was defective, but after experimenting, I discovered that I must be bumping the button. After one day at the water park, I had messed up about 20 out of 25 clips. The battery life is only about 1 hour of recording, but I wouldn't want to make it bigger to make that longer. I just bought a spare. I just wish that there was a waterproof holder for a spare battery. Also, you can't tell from the picture, but one side of the camera is white. I have no clue why Sanyo did that. Other than that one issue of stopping recording (which you could say is my problem), this is an awesome camera. I highly recommend it.
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I purchased the Xacti E2 for my wife on her birthday. She is an accomplished diver and admitted sun bunney, as are our 2 daughters. I was amazed to see this item and read of its capabilities...not to mention suspicious. Now this will NOT replace a $300.00 Ikelite case on a $500.00 machine, but short of that comparo it shines like a Diamond in the morning sun. While we have not yet tested it at or near its max depth, it sure 'meets the bell' all the way there. Still photos are easy and quick, and the audio overlay is excellent. It is important here to remember how economical this item really is. for any on-the-go mom of any age kid(s)owning this is an affordable and viable option to do double duty; still and video camera that is durable enough for all the beach trips, sailing, fishing, soccer, etc. Obviously if you want to print 24" X 36" photos you will need 13+ MP, but for the average 'Joe' who rarely prints above 4" X 6" this is a STEAL! The Video is simply excellent and the same for
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I loved this camera when I first got it. I brought it on a tubing trip down a river with a load of friends (there were like 12 of us that day I guess?), and got some great pictures and video with it. The closeups were awesome, the zoom was nice. I did take a few underwater pictures, but not many. I love the way it fits in your hand! Very easy to hold in action situations. But then.. I brought it home and was playing around in the pool we have with it, following this little wind-up toy we have that swims around. I was going from above water to underwater every couple minutes, and not leaving it under for more than 30 seconds at a time. The pool was only 3.5 ft deep, and it never touched the bottom, but after about 20 minutes, it died, while underwater. Fearing the worst, I quickly picked it up and checked to make sure the battery cover tab was pushed down (which creates the seal with the gasket). It was, so I got out and toweled it off, and pulled the battery compartment open. There were
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I purchased 3 of these, 1 from Amazon and 2 from the Apple Store. Not one of the 3 would work, even after calling tech support. Great concept for a camera, just too bad they don't work.
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I purchased this camera for my son who has gotten to be quite good and making short films, etc. Within 2 months it malfunctioned. It took several e-mails to Sanyo to figure out where to send it to get assessed and fixed and we have not seen it since. I have made several phone calls to the servicing center who stated they were waiting on a part from Sanyo but they had no idea when it would be coming and they noted their recurrent issues with the company. I TRIED to contact Sanyo's "customer service" department and got multiple voice numbers. I even tried putting in random extensions in an effort to get a live person. When I finally got to someone he said he would call the servicing center and call me "right back". 5 hours later a got a message and when I called him back, he told me that the part was going to be shipped but he had no idea how long it was going to take. When I asked hime to just send me a new camera and keep the one "waiting for the part", he told me he couldn't do that. When
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I purchased this camera to shoot video from my boat. I've been very satisfied with it's compact size, the video quality, and the audio quality. The camera is easy to use and has a wide variety of scene settings to handle most uses. I'm quite impressed at how the fireworks modes captures fireworks videos. Unfortunately after owning the camera for five weeks, well within the warranty period, the microphones stopped working correctly. After contacting Sanyo I found there are only two repair centers in the US that are qualified to repair Sanyo products. I shipped the camera to one of them for repair, but the part they need to repair the camera is on back-order leaving me without my new camera for an upcoming vacation and quite disappointed with Sanyo.
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Trying to decide between the Xacti CG10 and the Waterproof E2? Read on. I was trying to decide between the Sanyo Xacti VPC-CG10 and the E2. The CG-10 simulates HD and this camera does not. The E2 is what I bought, for a couple of reasons. My last cheaper pistol-grip cam was a Aiptek G0-HD and it lasted about 13 months. Why? I remember shooting some video outside and it started to rain, I thought it was light rain and continued to shoot. When I got home, the video markedly degraded and lost color (flickered green). It went in the trash literally. I fear the CG10 would suffer the same fate. The CG10 has a 10 megapixel CMOS chip and the E2 has a "8" so there's some loss of video and still image quality. But, you know I shoot mostly in the "2" range anyway so 8 megapixels is fine for me. Do I ever intend to dip this in water? No. Not the pool, not the ocean, not anything. But, I think it will do fine if I ever get caught in the rain. As for widescreen - no simulated HD here. The camera does
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I am very happy with this little camera. This is my first primarily video camera to use something other than tape to record. The problem with tape cameras is they are too bulky to carry (thus you never have them when you want to have them) and it's too difficult to transfer the tapes to your computer to edit them. This camera is just about small enough to fit into your pocket (will fit in the pocket of cargo pants). The fact that is uses secure SD memory cards makes the memory interchangeable with my other digital cameras. So, I did't have to buy dedicated memory for it. The battery is rechargeable (nice). There are trade offs to rechargeable batteries. The nice thing is you can carry a charger with you and it's a tiny form factor. The recharger itself is tiny and easy to carry with you. The bad thing is if you're out shooting and run out of juice, you can't pick up a pack of batteries at the drug store. The camera feels sturdy and is easy enough to operate that you can pretty
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There is something TERRIBLY wrong with this camcorder. Should I tell you more? I got this Sanyo Xacti camcorder in January 2009. The price was low and it had good features. However... I only used it a few times over the next few months and the videos looked bad. I thought it was my poor lighting, or technique, or something. Recently I took a bunch of still photos with it, transferred it to my PC and suddenly realized why the videos looked bad. Looking at the still photos it was obvious. THEY ARE ALL BLUE! That's right. Every photo & video shot with this comes out BLUE. Ugly, carbon copy ink blue. I tried to color correct the photos in Windows on my PC, and some of them look ok (Others were beyond redemption - the trees are green but so is the sky, or the sky is purple & trees blue) , but this is not good. My little cell phone takes WAY BETTER looking photos and videos. Even my old 1 megapixel phone takes better vids & photos. The service warranty is only 90 days, so I'm stuck with a very
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While looking for an entry level and highly portable camcorder to record the meyhem on our weekend off-road motercyle excursions, I targeted the Xacti VPC E2 versus other comparable brands because of reviews and its features.
Recieved the package on time and in perfect condition. For the price, I was impressed with the ruggedness of the unit and its relatively compact and light form factor. The very first video/pics I shot were in a snow storm, which turned out well considering I have no experience shooting video and spent no time at all setting up the camera. Over the next few days I shot various videos and pics indoors, this is where I realized the camera's video limitations. Similar to some other folks, I found the indoor video quality to be less than perfect and interestingly worse @ 60 fps (indoor). However, with a little tweaking on the settings, the indoor photos I captured were better than my point and shoot 5MP HP R707.
The camera ergonomics take a little getting used to as do
Recieved the package on time and in perfect condition. For the price, I was impressed with the ruggedness of the unit and its relatively compact and light form factor. The very first video/pics I shot were in a snow storm, which turned out well considering I have no experience shooting video and spent no time at all setting up the camera. Over the next few days I shot various videos and pics indoors, this is where I realized the camera's video limitations. Similar to some other folks, I found the indoor video quality to be less than perfect and interestingly worse @ 60 fps (indoor). However, with a little tweaking on the settings, the indoor photos I captured were better than my point and shoot 5MP HP R707.
The camera ergonomics take a little getting used to as do
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This is a great little camcorder. It has an adjustable ISO to deal with the noise that digi-cams are prone to. It also functions as an 8mp still camera, it's waterproof up to 5 feet deep for 60 minutes... perfect for videos in the pool, snorkeling, or shooting the baby's bathtime splashing. Perfect for parents... it's small and portable with great picture quality. Much better than the $99 camcorders out there by far. It focuses very close as well. The biggest plus, for me anyway, is that it shoots in Quicktime format, so it's instantly compatible with Mac OS X and iMovie.
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This little gem does all it claims to do. Works just fine with Macs, though - as usual - you may have to invest some time to figure out how. Hint: no Mac-friendly software included. Build quality seems very good, but it's so tiny I suspect the useful life will be short relative to bigger, more robust units. (Handle with care.) On the other hand, the waterproof factor will provide a wealth of opportunities not generally offered. Tripod is helpful for including yourself in the action - also handy for hook-ups to tv & computer since this unit is small and unstable on a table top. I had no trouble getting movement-free shots hand-held, either. Picture quality on a big-screen plasma, while not HD, is better than acceptable. Auto focus & aperture fast enough for general purpose, and, while it's only been a couple of days since it arrived, I've had a chance to play with a few of the manual settings, which are accurate and intuitive.
Having a grasp of basic photographic concepts
Having a grasp of basic photographic concepts
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Where has this been all my life???
I think of all the cool trips I've been on and I would've killed to have one of these at that time. I didn't even know such a thing existed until I found this. Who knew that these were being made for average everyday consumers and at an affordable price?
Got water? No problema! This camcorder can handle the water and anything else you can throw at it. In an effort to give the most precise review possible, I did don my wetsuit and dove into my 60 degree pool. Brrrr. I even dropped this camcorder to the bottom of the pool a couple of times and when I played back the recording, no skips or anything and no problems with the camera. This gadget is wicked cool! The battery did poop out on me a little quick, but that could be from the cold water. I recommend getting an additional battery, but I do that will all my gizmos. Nothing more frustrating than having the battery loss at a critical moment in filming.
Did I mention that this takes still
I think of all the cool trips I've been on and I would've killed to have one of these at that time. I didn't even know such a thing existed until I found this. Who knew that these were being made for average everyday consumers and at an affordable price?
Got water? No problema! This camcorder can handle the water and anything else you can throw at it. In an effort to give the most precise review possible, I did don my wetsuit and dove into my 60 degree pool. Brrrr. I even dropped this camcorder to the bottom of the pool a couple of times and when I played back the recording, no skips or anything and no problems with the camera. This gadget is wicked cool! The battery did poop out on me a little quick, but that could be from the cold water. I recommend getting an additional battery, but I do that will all my gizmos. Nothing more frustrating than having the battery loss at a critical moment in filming.
Did I mention that this takes still
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I love toys, so I was very happy when my new VPC-E2 arrived yesterday. The first thing I noticed when holding the E2, is how well it fits in your hand. It's lightweight, and the simple controls are very well laid out. After skimming through manual, and charging the battery, I loaded it up with an 8GB SD card. I then went out to see what it can do. First off was taking still photos in various lighting conditions. Then I took several different videos. The VPC-E2 is very simple to use, and I didn't need to refer back to the manual for anything. After putting it through various tests, I discovered what is my first minor disappointment. Batterty life isn't great. If you plan on using it for a good part of the day, a second battery is going to be a must. All the pictures and videos looked good on the E2's screen, but the real test was when I got home and downloaded them to my computer. The still photos were very good. I was especially surprised how well the photos taken in low light at ISO 800
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Before I start, let me mention that I am a professional photographer and I teach photography for our local college. When I look at a new camera, that background plays a role. You may be looking for something completely different in a camera than I am.
My first impression of the Sanyo Xacti VCP E2 was all about its size. It slips right into my shirt pocket. Once I got over the size (and got the battery charged up) I was ready to go. Oh, and install a memory card. The E2 takes the popular SD cards, and it does not come with one. That's probably not a bad thing. Most people who have had a camera or two have a few of these cards lying around. If you don't, get one with the camera. I installed an 8gig card.
I was first trying to hold the camera in one hand. That didn't work very well for me. Your hands may vary. The best hold for me turned out to be with the camera in my right hand, and my left thumb and index finger on the top and bottom of the LCD, which steadies things nicely.
My first impression of the Sanyo Xacti VCP E2 was all about its size. It slips right into my shirt pocket. Once I got over the size (and got the battery charged up) I was ready to go. Oh, and install a memory card. The E2 takes the popular SD cards, and it does not come with one. That's probably not a bad thing. Most people who have had a camera or two have a few of these cards lying around. If you don't, get one with the camera. I installed an 8gig card.
I was first trying to hold the camera in one hand. That didn't work very well for me. Your hands may vary. The best hold for me turned out to be with the camera in my right hand, and my left thumb and index finger on the top and bottom of the LCD, which steadies things nicely.
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The Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder is ideal for all kinds of environmets. It handled the desert without a hitch. It captured great photos and video during our trip to India. I suggest getting the wrist strap as it keeps the camera from falling when riding a camel and navigating through the crowded markets. I have recommended this model to family and friends.
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Before purchasing E2 I was torn between E1 and E2 but decided to go with a new model. There were no reviews on E2 other than a single one for Euro/Japanese/Canadian version of E2 called CA8 and that review blasted the camera's new sensor. Nevertheless, with Amazon's liberal return policy, I decided to take my chance and to get E2 instead of E1. After all, it is a second generation of this waterproof camera, and I thought the second generation is typically better.
If you are trying to decide between E1 and E2, here are the major differences:
The most obvious is a change of sensor.
E1 uses 6MP CCD 1/2.5 sensor
E2 uses 8MP CMOS 1/2.5 sensor.
E2 adds a 60 frames per second movie option (E1 was limited to 30 frames per second)
E2 adds face recognition mode. E1 has no such face detection mode
E2 adds a dedicated 'underwater' mode among several others. E1 did not have a specific 'underwater' mode.
First, I tried both the new 60 frames per second mode and the old 30 frames per second
If you are trying to decide between E1 and E2, here are the major differences:
The most obvious is a change of sensor.
E1 uses 6MP CCD 1/2.5 sensor
E2 uses 8MP CMOS 1/2.5 sensor.
E2 adds a 60 frames per second movie option (E1 was limited to 30 frames per second)
E2 adds face recognition mode. E1 has no such face detection mode
E2 adds a dedicated 'underwater' mode among several others. E1 did not have a specific 'underwater' mode.
First, I tried both the new 60 frames per second mode and the old 30 frames per second
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