Sanyo Xacti CG6 6MP MPEG-4 Flash Memory Digital Camcorder (Blue)

The clip shown here was shot with my new Xacti CG6 camcorder, it was cut down to 320 x 240 (from native 640 x 480) and converted to .wmv format to make it viewable to most. It retains most of the quality from the original .mp4 clip. This is my nephew Jason and his beloved dog Daisey on Christmas Day 2007. This clip was shot with all automatic settings and zoomed in about 3X 4X.

I was really intrigued by the Flip Ultra video camera. Compact form factor, no more tapes, extremely easy to use and directly connect the camcorder to your PC via onboard USB connector.

Problem was that the features on the Flip Ultra were limited, or should I say non-existent. I wanted to look for a similar camera with just a few more features, without losing the simplicity and ease of use.

Then I came across the Xacti line of camcorders from Sanyo, read a review of the C6 from Steve's Digicams and I was hooked on trying one of these little guys. Then I found the CG6 at Walmart just before Christmas 2007 for $100 less than Amazon's standard price. I bought one for myself, 2 for Christmas gifts for my nephews, one as a Christmas bonus for our babysitter and talked a friend into getting one for himself for Christmas.

Everyone who received this camera loves it! The video is very good and the still shots are excellent. The more I play with this camera, the more I find it can do. If the automatic settings don't give you perfect results, play around and you will eventually find the perfect setting for each type of video or still shot.

I don't know why more people aren't raving about this camera, for the money it may be the best choice in the Xacti line. It is so small you can take it anywhere. Having your camcorder with you most of the time increases the probability that you will capture that perfect shot or video.

One of the best features compared to standard tape based DV cameras is the ease of file transfer. With a standard tape based DV camcorder, you have to capture video in real-time via a firewire connection, then edit the footage and recompress for your desired output. With the CG6, simply remove your SD card from the camcorder, insert it in a card reader attached to your PC, transfer the file to your PC in minutes, then start editing in your favorite editor. (.mp4 is not directly supported by Windows Movie Maker, but Vegas, Ulead and other editors support it)

Stills I have printed from this camera are incredible, as good as photos from my Canon digicams. Check out your local Walmart, if instock it will be at a bargain price!

I purchased this model for use on my field trips and interviews in the Amazon Rainforest and the Philippines. It fits in your pocket, and with the removeable SD cards you can have as much storage as you want. It does what it says on the box. It also takes reasonable quality still shots. All in all it's compact size makes it a winner in my book (which is the reason I bought it). The only gripe is that the battery only lasts an hour (about 1GB of 'footage') before needing a re-charge, however I bought some spare batteries which are not expensive.

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This is a great camera for its size. I wanted it to take on vacations, and already have an SLR camera to lug around, so I needed something really small. Because of its size, it's a bit of a challenge to keep it still while filming. It has image stabilization, so that's great. I can't keep it still while holding it with one hand, but after a little practice, I'm doing well with two hands.

After reading reviews on the CG65, which is what I initially wanted but couldn't find, I was worried about lens flare. Some people had said it was bad even when you weren't shooting into the sun, and when it was overcast. I'm happy to report that, at least on my camera, it's only a problem when shooting toward the sun. And that would be expected. I did have an issue shooting inside once, when there was a light behind my nephew... there was a little blue spot right in the middle of the screen when the light was showing, but then when his body was blocking the light, it changed to a blue line that ran the height of the screen. Strange. But we turned that light off, and then everything was fine.

The auto controls such as white balance and film speed do not work well at all. If you shoot in a dimly lit room with auto film speed, it'll go to a higher film speed which gives you more graininess, but doesn't really look any brighter. I found that setting it on 100 film speed permanently gives you the same brightness, but no graininess. Also, the auto white balance inside a room will look really yellow, but when I set it on incandecent, it looks fine. Just have to remember to change it when you go outside, or it will look blue.

This thing takes great still photos. You can also take photos while you are filming, but it stops the filming for a second, so you'll see a pause in your video.

The battery life is my main complaint. I have filled my 2 GB card only 2/3 full, and already gone through two battery lives. You'll need a spare battery for this one.

You can't play these videos with Windows Media Player. I downloaded a free player called VLC Media Player that works great.

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This is a nice video camera for the price. The video and picture quality is as good as any standard camcorders, so don't be fooled by the size or shape of this. This is a fully functional video camera. It takes high resolution still images as well.

The only 2 downsides: MPEG-4 isn't compatible with Windows MovieMaker. It seems compatible with other video software (Sony Vegas, Adobe, etc...), but I was disappointed that the video won't play in Windows Media player or movie maker without converting. I am sure this will change at some point though once MS catches up.

I have a bit of trouble with the camera feature (still image), doesn't seem to want to take right away, etc...but I think that is just a lack figuring it out.

Overall, I'd recommend this camera, especially for the price.

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I bought this camera beause i was looking for something cute and small.

This is definatly Cute, and small.. but it takes grainy videos, which i suppose is expected of a compact camera.

It's not much bigger then a cellphone, and it has quite a few nice features and an INCREDIBLE zoom. My battery lasts for abotu 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours.

Great buy, but if your looking for crystal clear quality you wont find that here.