Sanyo VPC-C1EX Review
Sanyo VPC-C1EX is designed as both a still and a movie camera, saving both onto the 128MB SD card supplied with the camera. Movie modes are common enough on still digital cameras, of course, but generally only as a low-res, jerky novelty. The VPC-C1EX is different because it offers movie quality to rival that you’d get from a conventional digital camcorder. With a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels and a frame rate of 30fps, it can produce footage that looks as good as anything taken on a digital camcorder when you play it back on your TV.
What’s more, because it’s a solid state device with a removable memory card, movie transfer and editing is simpler. You don’t need the FireWire ports and digital capture cards reguired for conventional camcorders. You simply copy the movie file across in just the same way as you would a still image and double-click on it to play it back in your default movie player – typically Windows Media Player or Apple’s QuickTime Player. What’s more, Sanyo VPC-C1EX comes with all the software you need to edit clips, join them and produce your own professional looking movies.
But if you want movies, why don’t you just buy a digital camcorder? We’ve mentioned the fact that movie file transfer and editing is so much easier with this camera, but there are other reasons for choosing it, too. First, there’s its size. It’s small even for a digital camera, and way smaller than even the most compact mini-DV sized digital camcorders. It’s inexpensive, too. Now most digital cameras have a still shot facility, but they don’t yield anything like the picture quality you’ll get from Sanyo VPC-C1EX.
Many people want both a still camera and a movie camera, so why buy two devices when you can get one that does both jobs? Sanyo VPC-C1EX may not be a serious photographic tool, but as a carry-anywhere do-it-all snapshot device, there’s surely nothing like it.
Well, there is, actually. Fujifilm launched its hybrid M603 model a couple of years back, but it was so far ahead of its time that it didn’t really catch on. Like the Sanyo VPC-C1EX, the M603 offers 640 x 480 movie resolution at a frame rate of 30fps. The main differences are that the Sanyo records sound in stereo, just like a ‘proper’ camcorder. It has a much wider zoom range, too -5.8x rather than the M603’s 2x optical range.
Sanyo VPC-C1EX Key Points
The VPC-C1EX is a smart little device, then, that meets two important needs in one. But will it catch on? And, small as it is, what’s it like to actually use?
The first job is to get the lens cap off. Not normally something that would defeat an experienced photographer, but this one does fit rather tightly, with barely enough room beneath it to slide in a fingernail and flip it off. You start the Sanyo up by flipping out its LCD. This releases the Power button beneath. When you close the LCD, a small lug presses down on the button again, switching a camera off – a bit like the lamp in your fridge. The start-up time is just one or two seconds, so you won’t miss too many sudden picture-taking opportunities. All you’ve got to do is point the camera and press a button on the left to take a still image, and one on the right to start recording a movie (press it again to stop recording).
The multi-point AF system seems to work reliably enough in still photography mode, though it’s not especially quick. Focus confirmation takes around a second, maybe a fraction less, at the wide-angle end of the zoom range, and rather longer at the telephoto end. In dim indoor lighting, longer focal lengths can leave the AF hunting for a couple of seconds or more.
There’s aiso a rather disconcerting ’shutter’ sound after you take a still photo. What’s disconcerting about it is that you hear it around half a second or so after you’ve pressed the shutter release. This isn’t shutter lag – it happens even when you’ve waited for focus confirmation. The shutter sound just seems to be slow to react, and it leaves you unsure as to the exact moment the picture has been taken.
The design of the camera isn’t perfect, either. It fits really snugly into the palm of your hand, but only until the moment when you actually want to take a shot. Then, in order to move your thumb over the shutter release, you’ve got to slacken and distort your grip. This, and the upright design of the camcorder, means that it’s more prone to camera shake than conventional designs.
All the main controls are at least clustered in one area. This includes a good-sized zoom control and. beneath that, a tiny thumbs!ick navigator and a button for activating the menu system.
Sanyo VPC-C1EX – Built for beginners
Everything here is designed for novices. The menus work in Basic and Expert modes and a female voice helpfully describes each option you select (yes, really – you can turn this off via the Setup options, if you prefer).
In Basic mode, you can choose the video and still quality, scene mode, flash and self-timer. Switch to Expert mode, and you’ll also be able to adjust the ISO and white balance. You’ll find you can adjust EV compensation now, and not via the menus but simply by pushing the little thumbstick controller left and right while you’re framing the shot.
The camcorder’s size, finish and ergonomics let it down. The slippery little thumbstick is bad enough, but you have to shift your grip so much to perch your thumb on it that you’re in real danger of having the camera slip out of your hands. The VPC-C1EX is pretty, sure, but it’s not that great to use.
The LCD is small, but very sharp and clear. The Sanyo’s playback mode is pretty speedy, and there’s no denying the novelty of playing back movies on this tiny handheld device.
Photographically it’s a competent snapshot camera rather than an enthusiasts’ model. In addition to the standard program AF mode, there’s a selection of scene modes, including Portrait, Landscape, Nightview and Lamp modes. You can also apply various filter functions: flattering ‘Cosmetic’ and ‘Slim’ options, Sepia, Mono and ‘Ghost’ effects.
The built-in flash is a bit of a surprise: specifically, how weak it Is. It’s powerful enough to illuminate someone standing in front of you facing you, but not much else. You do get a good selection of extras, though. In addition to an impressive software bundle, the VPC-C1EX comes with a docking station for recharging and image transfer, plus a good-quality case.
And, of course, there’s that 128MB SD memory card. It’s the minimum you need for shooting video footage, and indeed this card can only accommodate between five and seven minutes of full-resolution footage, depending on the quality setting. If you want camcorder-style capacity a 1GB SD card will let you shoot for up to 60 minutes.
All of which is really rather relevant. While the Sanyo’s 128MB card is great for shooting stills -hundreds of them – it’s limited to short video clips only and a memory card to substantially boost its capacity is going to represent a considerable additional investment.
It’s also the point at which we have to bring back a potential rival – the Fujifilm FinePix M603 mentioned at the start. The FinePix may have been a comparative flop, commercially, and it doesn’t have the zooming range or the stereo sound of the Sanyo, but it’s a much better camera for still photography and the movie quality is just as good. What’s more it takes far less expensive CF cards or MicroDrives. The real point is, that until stocks are finally exhausted, you can pick up an M603.
And picture quality is relevant. The Sanyo’s still images are okay for a 3.2-megapixel camera, and far better than a camcorder with a still shot facility can produce, but if stills are your main interest you can get similar or better image quality than this for half the price.
All in all, Sanyo VPC-C1EX is a clever little hybrid device that really does deserve to find a home with snapshotters who don’t know whether they want to shoot stills or movies or – more to the point – want to be able to do both. If anything, it’s digital camcorders that should feel threatened by this device. It’s far smaller than even mini-DV camcorders and the solid-state storage is far more convenient.
Tagged with: AF system • built-in flash • EV compensation • ISO • removable memory card • white balance • wide-angle • Zoom
Filed under: Sanyo
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