A great handheld hybrid camera and camcorder
I was very interested in this device as soon as I had seen the ads for it. It seemed like the best of both worlds, and in many ways it is. I already own two very nice DSLRs, but I wanted something to fit in my pocket, that could record great video and good photos. I looked into the Sony M1, but disliked the fact that it had no image stabilizer, and a rather limited zoom range. Also, I already was using SD cards on many of my electronic devices, so I didn't want to buy a lot of new Sony cards just for the one camera. There are a few other cameras like this, Samsung makes an extreme sports one, and Creative has one that is very similar, but is a 4 Megapixel instead of a 5. Anyway, I decided on this model and dropped the cash, a hefty amount. When the camera came, I was very excited to test it out. First things first, the package contents. There are many items that are included, all of which are very nice. All necessary cables, a carrying case, software, docking station, even a 128mb memory card. The directions and manual are very clear and straightforward. I fired up the camera after about a one hour charge on the battery. The interface on the camera is amazing. I have heard a few complaints, but I found it to be the most intuitive navigation I have ever seen. I have mostly used Canon cameras, and I tried out one of there point and shoots, the image quality, like my Canon DSLR was great, but the interface was terrible. I found the same with Nikon and Sony, a jumbled mix a buttons and features. Finally, Sanyo had the sense to create a truly great interface that makes this camera a joy to use. Now, on to the features. This camera is basically in auto mode, all the time. No real manual features, a bit disappointing for a guy like me who is used to shooting exclusively in manual. The camera does an okay job though, the metering is usually spot on, and exposure time is almost always appropriate. The auto focus works well in photo mode, but in video it gets sticky. In less than optimal lighting, it is likely that the camera will go out of focus during a video, especially if you are filming a moving subject. A quick tap on the zoom will usually get it to refocus, but it is annoying to have this happen. Don't expect the video to be DVD quality either; it is simply not the case. The quality is about the same as entry level mini DV camcorders, good enough for using to capture fun moments, but don't expect to film a nature documentary on this thing. You can find DV camcorders with much better quality and 3 chips for about, 900 dollars or more, but none can take photos like this one. This device is better at taking snapshots than it is at taking video. The video isn't shabby, far from it, but the still shots on this exceeded my expectations. Every snapshot I took was crystal clear, with great saturation and color. This device, quite simply, takes great pictures, and is almost worth the cost just for the stills. The 10mp interpolated mode produced shots that were as good looking as my 8mp DSLR, quite a feat for a point and shoot camera. The rest of the features you can read about in the description of the camera, so I will tell you a few things that are not included in that nor in most other reviews. The lens cap, a serious flop. This little high tech gadget sports a pop on/off lens cap. It seems as though Sanyo forgot about it, and added it as after thought. I wish that it was built in, or even a screw on design would have been better. You will understand the frustration if you use it, it just seems stupid for such a sleek device to have a crummy little plastic cap that has to be tied to the camera. There are no filters for such a small lens, so this cap is your only line of defense. Another problem with this unit, it is almost too small and awkward to hold. If you have little kids hands, you might be okay, but most adults might feel as though they don't have enough griping room. I find it easier to hold with one hand, and use my other to move the controls instead of using the one handed operation. You might consider having the camera tied around your neck as well; it makes me nervous to hold such a pricey gadget in one hand. One more annoyance, the zoom. Yes it is fairly noisy, but some added music or background noise in a video will mask the lens motor fairly well. The lens has pretty good range, almost equivalent to 200mm without the use of digital zoom, which is pretty much useless. However, the lens does not get very wide, only about 38mm. I love shooting in wide angle, so this was a bit of a let down. 28mm is usually sufficient for shooting landscapes and close up shots, 38mm just doesn't cut it. Last of all, the device does get very hot. If used for a long time, expect it to become very warm. Mine got so hot; my hands became sweaty, making it even harder to hold the damn thing. It makes me pretty nervous too, that kind of heat is not good for any electronics. My advice is to let it cool down, shoot clips of things instead of one long tape. All in all, it is a great device. I had to dock it one star for a few of the little annoyances, but otherwise its great. It takes good quality video, and even better stills, and you can take it anywhere. There is included software, and the photos and video work great on any computer. Extra batteries are cheap, and a 1 gb memory card goes a long way (about 43 minutes of highest quality video, or 400 high quality stills). What more can you ask of a point and shoot hybrid?
|
