Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

Sanyo is updating its ultra-compact Xacti E-series camera with the release of the Xacti E2 camcorder to the North American market. This palm-sized camcorder can capture 640x480 H.264 video at up to 60fps. Perhaps the most notable feature of the Xacti E2 is of course its resistance to water even if you subject the camera at up to a five feet depth for an hour.

Other features of the Xacti E2 include live face detection and an underwater mode that adjusts the colors to prevent photos from getting tints whenever the camcorder is subjected into the water. In addition, the Xacti E2 also features a 5x zoom lens, digital image stabilization, a 2.5-inch flip-out LCD, face chaser technology, rapid-fire photo mode and support for SDHC storage of up to 8GB. The Xacti E2 also comes bundled with Adobe Premier Element software.

The Sanyo Xacti E2 will set you back $399. It’s available now online at Amazon with a list price of $391.83.

Product [Amazon] Via [CrunchGear]

• Who’s On Crack in tech: 11.07.08 edition
• Panasonic confirms Sanyo takeover
• HD-capable Flip Mino Camcorder arrives just in time for the holidays

Sanyo has announced its latest Xacti camcorder, the 8-megapixel touting DMX-HD800 which is sort of an upgrade from the previously released Xacti HD700. Aside from its 8-megapixel high-speed CMOS sensor with 5x optical zoom, the HD800 features video recording with a maximum of 720p (1280 x 720) high-definition resolution and a 2.7-inch TFT display.

We are also looking at an Xacti model with face detection and an anti-shake feature, it has support SDHC cards up to 32GB in capacity, high ISO with up to 1800 sensitivity, comes bundled with Adobe Premiere Elements 4.0 and an optional AV kit that lets you connect the HD800 onto your TV sets via HDMI. Additionally, this camcorder comes with a lithium-ion battery that would let you take 250 photos and up to 90 minutes of video in MPEG-4 format per charge.

The Xacti DMX-HD800 will be available in Japan on August 22, in Gold, Pink or Black colors. Unfortunately no official word yet as to whether this camcorder will be released internationally.

Via [I4U]

• Panasonic confirms Sanyo takeover
• HD-capable Flip Mino Camcorder arrives just in time for the holidays
• Who’s On Crack in tech: 11.07.08 edition

Unlike the recently released Xacti DMX-CA camcorder, the HD1010 is not waterproof. However it certainly is packed with powerful features that you wouldn’t expect a tiny gadget such as this one to have.

Boasting of a 4-megapixel camera with 10x optical zoom, the Xacti HD1010 combines both the functionality of a digital camera and a digital camcorder offering up an advanced, next-generation video performance and high quality stills in one small, lightweight camera. The Xacti HD1010 can record both 1080i HD-video and take 4-megapixel digital still images.

Other features of this new camcorder include a 2.7-inch LCD display, 10x optical zoom, video and still image stabilization, sequential shooting, face detection on still images of up to 12 faces, face chases “video” of up to 12 faces. This camcorder also features a high quality audio recording, wind roar and red eye reduction, webcam functionality, support for SDHC cards and 40MB of internal memory.

Product [Sanyo Digital] Via [Akihabara News]

• Ready for the world’s first geotagging video camera?  It’s coming.
• Sanyo’s announces the 8MP, 720p Xacti DMX-HD800 camcorder
• Sanyo to release the waterproof Xacti E2 camcorder

Sanyo has upgraded their Xacti CA-65 waterproof camcorder with the new Xacti DMX-CA8. The DMX-CA8 retains much of the same features as its predecessor except for the addition of an 8-megapixel CMOS sensor and a “Face Chaser” function.

The DMX-CA8 is JIS IPX5 and IPX8 certified, which means that it can withstand one hour of being submerged into water up to 1.5 meters (just under 5-foot) deep. The DMX-CA8 can record video at 60fps with MPEG-4 AVCH/H.264 compression. Like its predecessor, the DMX-CA8 also sports a 5x optical zoom lens. To make the camcorder special, Sanyo threw in a “Face Chaser” function which can track six faces when filming a video or twelve faces when the camcorder is used for still images.

MORE »

Sanyo has released a new model for their Xacti handheld camcorder series, the Xacti CG9. Boasting of a 9.1-megapixel CMOS sensor, 40MB of internal memory, a 5x optical zoom and H.264 video codec. Sanyo is touting the Xacti CG9 as an entry level video camcorder. Hence the move from the usual Xacti CCD to CMOS, probably to enable Sanyo to put a competitive price to the Xacti CG9 since they are targeting the entry-level video camcorder users. But still, the CMOS sensor will produce decent quality videos and high quality still images as well. The Xacti CG9 also boast of 60/fps video recording capability.

MORE »