Dive into the Sea or Trek into the Rainforest with the Waterproof Digital Video Camera Sanyo Xacti E1
July 7, 2007
Underwater photography is so much fun that every photographer should try it. It opens up a whole new world of images, but also presents a new world of challenges. You need waterproof gear and you need to able to record video while swimming, paddling, or holding something in the hand. The waterproof Sanyo Xacti E1 is a digital camcorder that you can hold in one hand, capture video and take 6 megapixel still photos.
Key Features:
- Waterproof to 5 feet/1.5 meters. The camera can be held in the water for 30 minutes.
- 6.3-megapixel CCD image sensor.
- 5x optical zoom with auto-focus. 6.3-31.7mm lens (equivalent of a 38-190mm lens on a 35mm camera).
- 2.5-inch LCD display.
- Video capture in H.264/MPEG-4 AVC format. Audio recorded in 48kHz 16-bit AAC.
- In addition to ordinary photographs, pictures can be captured in 16:9 wide-screen format in 2816x1584 resolution.
- Movie can be recorded in 640x480 resolution at 30 frames per second, in 320x240 resolution at 30 fps, or in 320x240 at 15 fps.
- ISO settings: auto 50-400 or manual 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, or 1600.
- Shutter speed for still pictures 1/2 - 1/2000 sec.
- Flash modes: auto, forced, off, or slow.
- Stereo microphone.
- Composite video NTSC/PAL output for connecting the camera to a TV, VCR, or DVD recorder/player.
- Stereo sound output. 3.5mm headphone plug.
- USB 2.0 interface for transferring pictures and videos to a PC.
- 18MB of internal memory.
- SD memory card slot that's compatible with SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) cards as well.
- It takes 1.7 seconds from the camera to power on.
- The dimensions of closed unit are: width 2.8, depth 1.6, height 4.4 inches/71 x 40.6 x 111mm. Weight 8.3 oz./235g including battery.
- Battery can provide power for about 160 still photos, approximately 80 minutes of video recording, or about 190 minutes of video playback.
- Products are available in blue, white and yellow.
Shooting videos under the water or in heavy rainfall opens up a whole new world for a photographer. You will find yourself capturing images that you never expected to capture – meaning both excellent and extremely poor pictures. It takes some practice to record anything recognizable in wet conditions, but if the camera is convenient to hold in one hand, and is easy to use, your chances of getting decent images improve considerably.
The Sanyo Xacti E1 allows you to record up to 1 hour 20 minutes of digital video on a 1GB SD memory card. If you acquire a higher capacity card, you can easily double or triple the length of recorded film. The camcorder has a handy feature that lets you snap still photos while you are filming a video. This makes a huge difference because the resolution of a still image in the Xacti E1 is 20 times higher than a single frame in a video.
Other options for taking pictures in wet conditions are, for instance, protecting your existing camera with the waterproof Aquapac case, or getting a waterproof digital camera with video recording, such as the Pentax Optio WPi. Both of these solutions require you to use both hands for holding the camera.
Related stories:
Tips for underwater holiday photography
Aiptek GO-HD: a Small and Affordable High-Def Video Recorder
Flip Video, the Point-and-Shoot, Upload-and-Share Video Camera
Rate the product:
enromoc 07.07.2007 00:54
looks like spare batteries are needed for a full day trip?