Sanyo Xacti CA100 Outdoor/Waterproof Dual Camera (14MP, Full HD recording, 12x Double range Zoom, Waterproof to 3m) - Yellow

I have been using an old dvc tape video camera for some time and had found that the size of the camera meant I often didn't have it to hand at those moments when I'd have really liked it. I've had an interest in getting something much smaller and more compact that uses solid state storage (such as sd cards) and this fitted the bill. This camera is able to take both video and still images, which could negate the need to take two devices around if you want to snap a few pictures.

The first thing that struck me was that this is a nice looking bit of kit. It is very compact, sleekly designed and fits the battery and storage card compartments in very discretely as well as folding the viewfinder in neatly to the side.

The camera comes well packaged, with easy to follow instructions. It contains a USB cable for PC connectivity and an A/C adapter for mains charging. There's also a CD to install some management software to your PC. I found this software very easy to use - hook your cam up with the supplied USB cable, follow the instructions in the manual to put the camera in the correct mode and from there it's a few button clicks to transfer photo's and videos to your PC. This can also be connect directly to a TV via HDMI should you wish to do so (the cable is not included though and needs a specific cable with a small narrow plug at the camera end, not a standard HDMI cable).

It's worth noting that it comes with a very small internal memory (about 50 meg) which fills up in no time flat when recording a hi-definition video. It is thus essential to get a storage card for it. The camera uses SD HC card, which means it is compatible with older SD cards should you wish to use them or the new higher capacity SDHC cards. I would recommend getting a reasonable sized card as it will fill up very quicky if recording HD video.

The image quality of the camera is quite good. I'm no expert on photography but the still images seemed of a reasonable quality but less impressive in poor light. The video quality was good but not as sharp as the kind of HD image that you might be used to us if you've been using HD media like Blu-Ray.

Though the camera will work reasonably in poor light, it is wort noting that it doesn't have a night vision option for no light. We tested this in the pitch black at the old Bodmin Gaol and it wasn't able to film in total darkness.

Overall I'd consider this a good package. It's easy to carry around, takes a reasonable picture/video and it's easy to hook up to your PC (you can of course just take the SD/HC card out if you have a reader and ignore the included software all together) - some more internal memory would have been appreciated though.

I wanted a small, but tough and highly portable video camera that I didn't need to be to be afraid about pulling out in the rain, sleet, snow or sea to actually USE. This fitted the bill perfectly.
My previous mini-dv camera was so cumbersome and sensitive to moisture I barely took it anywhere. I didn't want any excuse this time.

Now, before you or I get too excited (and as I'm sure you're aware from the previous reviews), it's not perfect - after all, if it was, it'd be far more expensive...

The video quality at the highest setting is "high definition" technically, but in reality it's significantly less impressive than the high definition we see on TV or from other similarly priced cameras such as the Panasonic SD-60.

BUT - it's waterproof!

At the highest picture quality setting (1920x1080 60field/sec) the picture jumps frustratingly when you pan or zoom. This is very noticeable on playback giving you a jumpy video. It'd be ok for static, tripod use though.
If you reduce the frame rate from 60 to 30 fps on this picture setting, the problem is less obvious and the video quality is fine - as good as you could expect from a small video camera like this.

AND - it's waterproof!

The low light (e.g. indoors) picture quality is adequate, but you'll see a bit of noise on playback on larger screens. Outdoors in bright daylight the video quality is actually pretty good though. The macro function is quite impressive too.
I've not used it underwater yet, but there are loads of videos you can look at online to make your own mind up.
The electronic image stabilizer adds little, I've concluded. Turning it off didn't solve the jumpiness problem when recording using the highest picture quality setting either unfortunately.
The still photos are better quality than an iPhone, but not at the standard of a photo from a modern digital camera. Can't have everything.

BUT - it's waterproof!

All in all, I'd recommend it, but don't pay more than the price on amazon!

Summary: If you want a tough, WATERPROOF, point and shoot, go-anywhere video camera that shoots video of an adequate quality to upload to the internet, for emailing to family/friends or viewing back on a computer, then this camera is a really good bet.

If not, then just be very careful when filming in the rain...

As a still camera excellent, as an underwater holiday camera excellent but the standard video quality is not very good, you can't move the camera very fast before it starts to jump on the play back, easy of use: very logical and intuitive just leave it on and every time you close the view finder it goes in to sleep mode, open the view finder and your away again. it does have a painful delay of about 10 seconds from opening the view finder to being able to snap.