Sanyo Xacti VPC-C40 4MP MPEG4 Digital Camcorder with 5.8x Optical Zoom

It works ok 4 small video screen views. Options are good but the battery life is short. I also had problems with this camcorder & the charger. Camcorder cap is a joke & dust will get behind the lens that you cannot get out. It's not worth the money. I replaced this with a Canon FS100 which cost me $350.

As others have noted, this little unit falls a little short when compared 2 a MiniDV camcorder. Sound quality is very modest, & the video quality has more artifacts that you expect from a MiniDV unit. Still, it's so tiny, & handy 2 shoot with, you'll likely catch a shot you'd miss with your bigger camcorder, as you left it back home.

The amazing part is the still camera. Fairly quick time 2 shot, & very respectable image quality. It actually does better in low light than my pricey Olympus. The teeny flash has more output that you might expect too.

Purchased this camera 2 replace my old digital camcorder. Still picture quality is above average which is a bonus since you don't need 2 carry both a camcorder & still image camera on trips. The 4 megapixel shots should be just right 4 most casual photographers. Higher resolution just makes it harder 2 manage & share photos since the picture files become too large 2 email & don't really add anything in terms of quality 2 anything smaller than a 5X7 print. Great video performance except in low light conditions. When capturing video in low light, the color fades & turns brownish. Other than that, performance far exceeds what you would expect 4 the price.

Where this camera excels is in value. What most people don't realize is your true cost doesn't stop at what you pay 4 the camera. For my first camcorder (which was also a Sanyo), I had 2 purchase an extra high capacity battery 4 about $40. The standard battery lasted only about 45 minutes & the extended battery lasted about 90 minutes. Plus, countless mini DV tapes which run anywhere from $5-7 each or more 4 60 minutes of recording time. With the xActi, I was able 2 find 2 extra batteries online 4 $30 (for a total recording time of 3 hours), plus cheap & readily available 2Gb SD cards 4 $15 each (each card can hold 2 hours of video or over a thousand stills). So not only do you get a great value with the camera, the add-ons are reasonably priced, & reusable 4 the life of the camera. Total investment was under $300 which you would be hard pressed 2 beat with any other digital camcorder on the market if you included the accessories & tapes.

Picture this....you go on vacation overseas with a full-sized camera bag. In the bag you have your camcorder, still camera, tapes, film or memory media, chargers, & anything else you need 2 take video & stills. All this probably weighs at least a few pounds, plus the headache of packing it with your luggage or carrying it on a plane & 2 your sightseeing destinations. Or, you can carry the xActi, plus batteries & extra memory all in your purse or pocket. Travel light & be ready 2 take the picture at right moment.

So if you fall into the 99% of casual shooters out there, this is definitely the camera 2 buy. First rule of technology, unless you have money 2 burn, never buy the "cutting edge" products. You'll pay through the nose & it will be half the price you paid 4 it within a year or two. For convenience, ease of use, features, & total investment cost, you can't go wrong with this camera.

I own this camera & have 2 say it is a very good with stills & video. It doesn't compare with a 3CCD camera or even 2 a mid-grade MiniDV camera but the portability & ease of use is fantastic! This unit can easily fit in your pocket/purse & within seconds can be turned on 2 capture video. I cannot do this with my regular MiniDV camera as it is too big 2 haul around. In low-light the unit performs okay but not crystal clear. I am able 2 easily capture Christmas lights, etc. with the unit @ night time. There are add-on lights you can purchase. If you are into archiving video, such as converting footage 2 DVD, the MP4 video codec it uses allows 4 easy editing; only if your video editing program supports MP4 format (I use VideoStudio 10). Most important is that when you convert your video 2 DVD the quality is still very good 4 viewing on a TV. I had tried Aipteks, Samsumg, etc. but always during DVD conversion the video quality degraded substantially. Not with this unit. When converting remember – MP4 2 AVI then 2 DVD.

There is the C6 model 2 always consider. I choose this one instead since the difference in price between the two models doesn't justify.

One note, if purchasing this unit, make sure you have no bad pixels on the CCD sensor. A simple test is 2 put the lenses cap on & take a picture. Then examine the picture on your computer screen & look 4 any visible white or pink dots- hint boost zoom up 2 300%. Google this topic if you have any concerns.
Cheers,

This is a great camera & camcorder. The daytime pictures & mp4 clips come out good & is comparable 2 the more expensive Sony. Nighttime/indoor pictures are okay. The MP4 clips indoor & at night is good enough 4 TV viewing unless you are looking 4 high def stuff which will run your at least a thousand bucks at this time.

If you want a camcorder that captures 2 a memory card instead of DVD or tapes, then this is the one with an affordable price & quality. The size is small enough 2 slip into your pocket so you don't need 2 carry a camcorder bag around with you all the time.

Everyone loves 2 take video or still images but often forget 2 bring the camera along. It's likely because cameras tend 2 be bulky. Over the past year, 4 example, more pictures were taken with cell-phones because the feature was there in a product you always remembered 2 take with you. That's essentially the concept behind the Sanyo Xacti C40 but it isn't a cell phone. It's a really compact & lightweight hi-res still & video camera that uses an SD memory card 2 store all images. This remarkably compact digital media camera combines a totally tapeless design with cutting-edge MPEG- 4 image processing. The result is full TV resolution video with full-range stereo sound, which can be played back with clarity & detail at 60 frames per second on any big screen TV. The C40 also puts exceptional 4 megapixel still photo resolution right in the palm of your hand. In fact, you can actually capture a 4 megapixel still photo & full TV resolution video at the same time. It's powerful, flexible, versatile, easy, & light. Take it with you! Long-Life SANYO Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (DB-L20) Capture still & video images simultaneously Built-in electronic image stabilization Built-in 3-mode flash 4 stills High quality stereo recording (AAC-LC) with wind-roar reduction 5.8X optical zoom lens / 10X digital zoom Seven scene select modes (auto, sports, portrait, landscape, night view, fireworks, lamp) / 15 adjustable manual focus settings Super macro shooting (down 2 a distance of 2cm) Self timer (2 seconds/10 seconds) 1.8 trans-reflective LCD screen 4 easier viewing in direct sunlight Talking navigation guide 4 simpler use You can also use this as a webcam with your computer PictBridge Has USB 2.0 & S-Video output PC & Macintosh computer compatibility Requires & uses SD memory cards (sold separately) - We suggest optional 1GB 4 optimal video & still photo

With the innovative Sanyo Xacti VPC-C40, the days of digital tape are over. Pop in an SD card & start recording high-quality MPEG-4 video, or take stunning four megapixel stills--all with a device that fits easily in the palm of your hand & runs on a rechargeable battery.

At the heart of the C40 is a 4.23-megapixel CCD that records MPEG-4 digital video at 30 frames per second. The lens offers a 5.8x optical zoom & a 12x digital zoom, & 2 keep those shots steady, the unit features an image stabilization system. The C40's 1.8-inch LCD display flips out from the camera & rotates up 2 285-degrees on an axis 4 taking great video or still images from otherwise difficult-to-view positions. And when not in use, the screen tucks securely back into the side of the camera 4 a pocket-sized portability & convenience.

As with all of Sanyo's previous digital media cameras, the C40 can record still images in addition 2 video. While conventional digital camcorders can often snap stills, they are usually low quality. And while conventional digital cameras can record short video, they are frequently grainy with a slow response speed. The Xacti C40 can do it all, recording both still images & digital video on the same unit. You can even snap a still image while recording digital video with the simple press of the shutter button. When recording video you'll get an hour of footage on a one gigabyte SD card (sold separately). And because audio is important, too, the C40's wind noise reduction system helps cut out unwanted microphone noise while the unit records audio in high-quality AAC-format.

The C40 lets you choose from several automatic exposure modes including auto, sports, portrait, landscape, night view, fireworks, lamp. Meanwhile, a built-in three-mode flash makes getting still images in low light situations easy, while 15 adjustable manual focus settings let you get creative with your compositions. There's also a super macro shooting mode that lets you focus down 2 a distance of one centimeter.

With convenient, menu-based settings, the C40 has been designed from the ground up 4 ease of use. There's even a talking navigation guide 4 first-time users. And when you're ready 2 connect the camera 2 your computer, you can use its high-speed USB 2.0 connection 2 quickly transfer footage from the camera's SD memory card. Software is included 4 video editing & there's also an S-video output 4 viewing footage directly on your TV. Printing stills from the memory card is a breeze, too, as the camera is PictBridge compatible, meaning you can print directly 2 a photo printer that supports the PictBridge standard.

What's in the Box
VPC-C40 camcorder, li-ion battery, AC adapter/power code, AV cable, USB cable, lens cap, hand strap, & Sanyo Software Pack 7.4 CD-ROM.