Sanyo VPC-CA9 reviews: Sanyo camcorder

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Score 8.4/10 Read 81
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This camcorder is a good all rounder.

£249 at 1 retailer out of 399 retailers checked

Sanyo VPC-CA9: Sanyo camcorder See full product description

Ease of use	8.5
Image quality	8.1
Battery life	7.2
Weight	8.8
Value for money	8.7
Overall rating	8.4

Some customer reviews of Sanyo VPC-CA9

Most helpful reviews

J, Stockport Keen amateur

Score 10.0/10

Good points:: For the money it's brilliant. Whilst it's only 720 hd the image is really smooth and life like. Recently took it to Center Parcs and went down the slides with it and filmed my kids underwater. It's crystal clear underwater and in the pool you can easily see over 10m from the camera. The kids absolutely love watching themselves underwater and on the slides.
Bad points:: None at this price point.

Ease of use	10.0
Image quality	9.0
Battery life	9.0
Weight	9.0
Value for money	10.0
Overall rating	10.0

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Confirmed purchase: 31 Mar 2011

Terry, Conroe, Texas Keen amateur

Score 10.0/10

Good points:: Light, easy to use, simple point and shoot. Fits in your hand or pocket. Excellent product for the price. Took it with me to Panama and didn't have to worry about water or sand getting into mechanism. I used this to film a documentary of our trip and the 72 minute battery life was very adequate for all legs of the trip. Pictures load onto computer through the sd card easily.
Bad points:: Thumb operation of buttons works better with left hand than right. Not sure why this is but you can press the on/off video or picture buttons easier when the camera is in your right hand. This puts the view screen on the opposite side of your arm and hand. A bit awkward but certainly not a deal breaker. Recommend buying extra batteries if you will be away from charging source and 16mb movie (class 6 or higher) sd card.

Ease of use	9.0
Image quality	9.0
Battery life	8.0
Weight	10.0
Value for money	10.0
Overall rating	10.0

Was this review helpful? 2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Confirmed purchase: 26 Nov 2010

Confirmed purchaser

Score 8.0/10

Good points:: compact and water proof
Bad points:: battery doesn't last too long on hd filming

Ease of use	8.0
Image quality	7.0
Battery life	4.0
Weight	8.0
Value for money	8.0
Overall rating	8.0

Was this review helpful? 1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Confirmed purchase: 26 Dec 2009

PIMOR, LE HAVRE (FRANCE) Keen amateur

Score 1.0/10

Good points:: Reviewer left no comment
Bad points:: Since the beginning, I cannot use it because There is a breakdown since the beginning and I do not manage be repaired

Ease of use	1.0
Image quality	1.0
Battery life	1.0
Weight	1.0
Value for money	1.0
Overall rating	1.0

Was this review helpful? 0 of 2 people found this review helpful

Confirmed purchase: 26 Apr 2010

Philip, London Experienced amateur

Score 7.0/10

Good points:: Light weight, clear screen, water resistant, easy to use, good quality videos and pictures (for this price/size range of camera).
Bad points:: Battery life isn't amazing, but that's to be expected when switching between recording and camera. No lense cap means you have to watch out for sticky fingers and it obviously steams up after being in warm water.

Ease of use	7.0
Image quality	7.0
Battery life	6.0
Weight	9.0
Value for money	8.0
Overall rating	7.0

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Confirmed purchase: 22 Jun 2011

Randy, Virginia Beach Keen amateur

Score 9.0/10

Good points:: Small, powerful, good video and stills, seems to be relatively durable but will not know for awhile
Bad points:: Lots of options so a lot to learn in setting up the menus but once you get it easy.

Ease of use	8.0
Image quality	9.0
Battery life	8.0
Weight	10.0
Value for money	10.0
Overall rating	9.0

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Confirmed purchase: 18 Jun 2010

Arun, Southampton Keen amateur

Score 8.0/10

Good points:: Video quality is good, photos are very good. Battery life has proved to be better than expected.
Bad points:: Buttons are slightly small and tricky to use with your thumb, as they are positioned at the top of the pistol grip.
Video software could be better.

Ease of use	8.0
Image quality	8.0
Battery life	9.0
Weight	9.0
Value for money	5.0
Overall rating	8.0

Was this review helpful? 1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Confirmed purchase: 12 Feb 2010

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Product Features

Resolution quality	HD
Resolution quality can be standard definition (SD), High Defintion (HD) or Full High Definition (HD). SD camcorders will have 480 horizontal lines of resolution whereas HD camcorders can have up to 1080. The more lines of resolution you have, the sharper your video will look. Full HD refers to camcorders that record in 1920 × 1080 resolution.
Optical zoom ratio	5
The amount by which the camera optics (lens) can bring the subject closer.
Type of memory card	SDHC

Type of memory card	SD

Digital zoom ratio	12
Not to be confused with optical zoom, digital zoom enlarges a portion of the image thus simulating optical zoom. In doing so, some image quality is lost.
Type of image stabiliser	Electronic
If a photo is taken at a slow shutter speed, or at a long focal length, the effects of ‘hand shake’ will be amplified. Some cameras come with built-in image stabilisation which is designed to act against this to produce sharper images. It’s great for low light shots without a tripod, like at a gig.
Widescreen recording	Yes
Resolution (Megapixels)	7.31

Hard disk capacity (Gigabytes)	0.04
Hard Disk capacity is measured in GBs which stands for Gigabytes. A gigabyte is 1000 MB or megabytes. The more GB you have the more info like photos and music you can store.
Shortest shutter speed (Fractions of a second)	1/1
This is the fastest speed at which the camera can take a photo. Faster shutter speeds really freeze the action and are great for sports photography.
Weight (g)	230
The weight of the product in grams.
Screen size (Inches)	150000
Screen size is measured diagonally from corner to corner.
Screen size (Inches)	2.5
Screen size is measured diagonally from corner to corner.
Maximum aperture telephoto	4.7
Maximum aperture wide	3.5

Lowest focal length (Millimetres)	38

Highest focal length (Millimetres)	190

Type of chip	CMOS

Release date	2009-03-16
The date the product was originally made available for purchase.

Also known as: VPC-CA9, SANYO CA9, Sanyo Xacti VPC-CA9, Sanyo VPC-CA9EBK

Camcorders Buying Guide

Manufacturer's Description

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 × 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.