Sanyo VPC-CG102 High Definition Camcorder and 14 MP Camera w/12x Optical Zoom
by SANYO
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Customers in the UK,
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for British Pounds
Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: SANYOModel: VPC-CG102BK
Color: Black
Product features:
- Full HD 1080, 60i Video (1920 x 1080)
- 14MP Photos
- 12x Dual Range Zoom Video
- 5x Optical Zoom Photo
- 2.7-inch Wide LCD Monitor for HD Playback
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sanyo VPC-CG102 High Definition Camcorder and 14 MP Camera w/12x Optical Zoom
Customer Review: The value is in having it handy on your belt all the time
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my first camcorder. I bought it to film HD vids for the grandparents of my newborn first son. For the reviews that say the color or brightness or white balance is off, those users need to visit the Sanyo site and click on the "Let's Shoot More Movies" tab/picture. There are dozens of tips, hints and video examples.
This little cam is fantastic. I've been using it non stop for the past 4 weeks. I've captured about 5 total hours. It's very comfortable on the wrist and convenient on the hip. I keep it on my belt in an old pouch I had. I had bought the Targus small expedition and the Swiss Gear Sherpa medium, but neither of them fit. I ended up buying a Lowepro Ridge 30 from Amazon and it fits great (plus cheaper than anything at Target or Walmart). Returned the other 2 bags.
Size was a big factor for me. I just know that if it's not unobtrusive, I won't carry it, and thus won't be able to use it, and the camera would just be a waste of money. This thing is the smallest. I went to see a similar model at Radio Shack before I bought it. I decided on the vpc-cg102 because it had the higher optical zoom for only about 15% more.
I considered the Samsung with the ergo angle, but it's a little bigger and the HD model is $400+. This little Xacti wins against Sony and Panasonic which only do proprietary AVCHD. I'm no camcorder expert, but it seems like not many editing suites can do AVCHD natively (requiring more horsepower and time on your PC to convert and then edit) and since every DVD and Media player box out there is MPEG4, why would I make life difficult for myself? And if it's not easy to edit, I'm not going to sit for hours at my PC in frustration. IMHO the Sonys at BestBuy are outpriced with the lowest HD capable model around $450. The JVCs they had a BBuy were on the clunky side. Samsung was the only real size competitor to the Xacti.
I bought the Patriot Class 4 SDHC 32GB card (low cost with $10 rebate and a review said it writes at 17+Mbs (which I have not verified). But I can say empirically, it does keep up with this Xacti's 16Mbs highest rate for full 60fps HD when in the camera recording. It records 5+ hours at 1080p/30fps (a lot). And this cam also accepts SDXC cards for future flash upgrade.
I also bought 2 batteries and a travel charger shipped from Hong Kong on eBay for less than $20. And I can report they work perfectly. So the complaints about battery life are inconsequential if you know how to shop. The batteries are ultra thin and tiny (smaller than a book of matches) so carrying 2 spare all charged up is not an issue.
Cons: Tough to find a case that fits the non standard dimensions. Battery life is about 60+ mins, but who cares if you've got 3 batteries? Picture focus lock takes about 1 min of practice to master. Auto focus is a little slow and can be fickle until you master it. Definitely not was fast as even an old Canon S41 (from 2004) sensor. But once u have the touch of the half-press then full press of the picture button it's 100% predictable. Just be prepared if you give the camera to a stranger who hasn't practiced for a quick shot. They will mess up and the picture will end up blurry. Also, the gun design absolutely requires a tripod for handless shooting. The camera will not stand up without it. I bought one of the cheapie $2 mini tripods with bendable legs off Amazon, but it's not nearly as good as the Joby gorillapod style. The metal covered legs have a springy memory property to them that makes it a pain to level the camera perfectly and have it stay. I got a "gorillapod" look-alike off eBay shipped from Hong Kong. It is 99% identical to the real Joby and it was under $4 (and yes, I have a real Joby to compare it to).
Pros: Pictures can be shot at 12M widescreen 16:9 or 14M 4:3. I prefer to leave it in 12 widescreen. The auto flash has a red-eye feature that only flashes once extra, so it doesn't totally blind the subjects. And it seems to be intelligent in sensing faces so it can save battery power and not flash when it doesn't sense a face. Love the timed picture delay feature countdown of big red circles. You flip the screen around to face the subjects and can see yourself when you jump into the picture. It has 4 red circles that count down and tell everyone when it's going off.
If you want a camera you can actually use and take with you to capture impromptu moments of life, this is Xacti is the One to get. If you're looking to do more setup (tripod, etc) and get better stability, microphone hookup, 80x+ zoom, 5 hour battery, etc, then look for a bigger, higher priced barrel type unit with more features.
Sanyo also makes this same camera in a flatter non-gun type body. It's called the vpc-gh1 and vpc-gh2. But the gun handle body is one of the best features.
Cons: It's not as high quality as other cameras in the $400+ range. The plastic is thin, especially the battery door, but it's not an issue. And the controls are not as tactile as a $1500 Sony. Photo pictures aren't as sharp as with a Canon elph, but the convenience of just having a camera and camcorder in one makes up for it. Auto focus is comparatively slow to the best compact quickshot cameras (about 1.5 secs).
More Sanyo VPC-CG102 High Definition Camcorder and 14 MP Camera w/12x Optical Zoom reviews:
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Description of Sanyo VPC-CG102 High Definition Camcorder and 14 MP Camera w/12x Optical Zoom
Big Performance, Small Package Full HD 1080, 60i Video (1920 x 1080) ? 14MP Photos 12x Dual Range Zoom Video 5x Optical Zoom Photo 2.7" Wide LCD Monitor for HD Playback High Speed Sequential Shooting Video and Photo Image Stabilizer Video and Photo Face Detection Mini HDMI Output SDXC Memory Compatibility (over 64GB SD cards) MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 Movie Recording Format Product Description Capture life's special moments as they happen - the new Dual Camera CG102 records Full HD 60i video and up to 14 megapixel digital photos. It delivers amazing 12X dual range zoom for video and 5x optical zoom for photos. The CG102's upright, vertical design is extremely portable and easy to use. Recording videos, shooting photos and accessing settings in the menu can easily be controlled with the user's thumb. The CG102's MPEG4/H.264 recording format makes sharing videos and photos via social networking web sites, portable video devices like iPod's, TV's and computers, a breeze.Camcorders
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