Very happy with the picture and movie quality, using it mostly for family and recreation. The battery last about an hour, depending on the use, which is not quite enough for a whole day. I will have to get a car charger, an extra battery or both.But I have some more remarks about USB, batteries and recharging.
Looking at my RAZR cellphone, I have a standard USB plug, the phone recharges over this very same cable when connected to the computer while transferring some pictures and contacts etc., and car chargers with standard USB connecter are to be found in almost every store which offers car chargers, i.e. Walmart for $8. And to recharge, I don't have to take out the battery from the phone: just plug in. And the AC-charger is still in the box, never to be used, and not cluttering any power strip.
Not so the Xacti: it has a propriatary USB cable, which requires me to bring this cable with me if I want to connect this camera to some other computer, let's say at friends or relative's house, or an internet cafe. Furthermore: it doesn't recharge over the USB connection, which means if I return home with an empty battery I have to first take out the battery and recharge, then replace the battery, connect to the computer, and then I can watch my stuff. Also I have to get an extra car charger, of which I have already quite an assortment in my glove department.
So I'm going to buy an extra battery (original Sanyo $49), a car charger, and an SDHC reader, which will hopefully ease some of the restrictions. But unfortunately it will just add to all this electronic clutter, which I actually try to get rid of.
The size and shape of this camera are very nice. I bought a small padded camera case and keep it in my purse all the time. It also takes nice still pictures so it's the only camera I carry now.
Inside performance is pretty good. I had to adjust the ISO on a few occasions and sometimes the white balance, but the fact that these options are even available on a camera at this price is enough to recommend it. There are also pre-set modes for using in florescent light, fireworks, etc. in case you're not comfortable trying to adjust these yourself.
Outside performance is excellent. You can see a little pixelation on tv playback if you look for it, but nothing that's distracting. Focus works very well using optical zoom, and as long as you don't zoom too far in you can even get a good enough picture using the digital zoom (I have digital zoom turned off). Play back on the camera lcd and on my computer screen is excellent.
The camera also has wind roar reduction and image stabilization. I did notice some shaking in my videos even with image stabilization on, but nothing major. Wind roar reduction seems to work very well. I shot some video near the construction that is going on at my job on a mildly windy day and both the roar of the wind and the construction was cut considerably, yet I could still hear myself and my subject talking.
I am using my camera with an 8 gb sd card and set for the highest settings (9mp for stills, you can set it to fake a higher setting but why?). I can record about 2 1/2 hours of video on an 8 gb at the highest quality setting and take about 2,000 stills. These numbers will both vary as you record video and take stills on the same card. You can also take still while you are filming but this will cause a little lag in your filming according to the manual (I haven't tried this yet so I can't say how bad it is). Focus sometimes takes a second or two to catch up as you pan or zoom in and out but nothing too disappointing and to be expected with a cmos sensor.
At this price I would definitely recommend this camera. The price has actually gone down by about $25 since I bought it (wonder if I can get a price adjustment *smile*). If you are looking for something to record the kids or to carry around on vacations, this is a great little camera. I just wish it had come with a wrist strap and a carrying case. It would also have been nice for them to include more internal memory on a camera that has such high resolution for video and stills.
Buy Sanyo Xacti VPC-CG9 9MP Flash Memory Camcorder with 5x Optical Zoom (Silver) Now
I was looking for a camera to replace my Handycam DVD803 which didn't work with Vista or Mac leaving me with a $900 useless camera. I had several criteria for the new camera I wanted to buy:1) Longer recording time than 30mins (one disc on a Handycam)
2) Battery life more than 90mins
3) Can film in 60 fps
4) Can also shoot sequential stills
5) Be portable
6) Be under $400
7) Work with Vista
8) Good sound recording
As I bought the Sanyo, I really wondered how it would do considering the price tag. Here is how it worked for each criteria:
1) With an additional $50 at the store I got a three year accidental warranty and a 4GB SDHC Card. In 30 fps best quality I can film for 2h 40mins. Already a plus.
2)The battery life is about 110 mins but the battery is so small and cheap it's easy to get and carry a spare. Also a plus.
3)This camera can film in 60 fps. Yet another plus.
4)There are two modes for sequential shooting. 8MP but not so fast and 2MP but you get ten pictures after two seconds.
5)This thing is tiny!
6)Price is way under $400
7)The camera acts as a card reader so even if you don't have one on your PC you can easily transfer files. WARNING: If you want to use Windows Movie Maker as an editing software DON'T buy this camera. Although I blame it on windows, the MPEG-4 format does not work with Window Movie Maker on Vista so you'll need to get another editer. That was just about my only disapointment so far.
8) When in a quite room, the sound is crystal clear.
Also, this camera has loads of features from Macro to Timer to Voice recording. Don't listen to people who say it's a begginer camcorder, you can do a lot with this thing.
Overall great camera for the price you're paying. The video quality is so good I wonder how amazing the HD1000 must be.
If this is your first camera, go for it. I strongly recommend it.I'll try to add some details to this review later, but I wanted to provide everyone with my evaluation after agonizing over these 2 cameras (and others).
Now remember, I've been a Sony video enthusiast since the mid-80's, but nothing compares to these 2 Sanyo cameras in the consumer video category in my opinion.
The main reason is that you have to be crazy to record anything but MP4 directly to flash memory / media cards today. It's just TOO easy to download and play your video on your computer or Youtube, etc. (as easy as downloading and using photos from your digital camera). This is NOT the case with other video cameras and their recording formats.
I originally purchased the CG9 because it was so small I knew I would carry it everywhere. After some questionable indoor videos with the CG9 I purchased the HD1000 even though I didn't really need high definition.
Before the pros jump all over me, I will admit that both of these cameras have shortcomings. For example, there's no question that Sanyo's image stabilization can't compare to the optical stabilization of the Sony. And yes, when the HD1000 records at true HD (1920) you need to get a special version of Quicktime (v7.16, H.264 component only) and you need a kick-a__ computer if you want to edit those big files. Get over it. So for most home videos record at 720 HD, or even at 640 the quality from this camera is outstanding.
Also, it should be obvious that the HD1000 ($650) will come with features that are superior to the CG9 ($250), including a better lense, higher resolution, etc.. These differences should be expected when you pay an extra $400.
Here's what you really need to consider when deciding between these 2 cameras (and any other video camera on the market right now):
MP4 file format straight from the camera is a must. If you agree, then read on:
CG9:
The CG9 takes GREAT video, and is DECIDEDLY more "pocketable". I mean this baby will fit in your pocket just like a cell phone, and you'll carry it wherever you go. The HD1000 is still small, but the extra 3/4" thickness and bigger lense makes it surprisingly less "pocketable".
The quality of low light indoor video, as well as image stabilization is questionable.
HD1000:
The HD1000 takes GREATER video, and is MUCH easier to operate and hold steady that extra size fits in your hand better and the controls are much easier to use without jerking the camera. Don't underestimate this just because you think maybe you have a bigger or smaller hand. I was as surprised as anyone how much easier it was to hold steady.
The HD1000 takes much better video in low light (e.g. birthday party with indoor lighting at night), and the image stabilization is surprisingly better than the CG9.
The bottom line is they're both great but even though I really hate to give up the small pocket format I'll be returning my CG9 on Monday morning and looking forward to hundreds of instant shoot and play MP4 videos from my HD1000!
Want Sanyo Xacti VPC-CG9 9MP Flash Memory Camcorder with 5x Optical Zoom (Silver) Discount?
The Sanyo Xacti CG9 is a solid 'Entry Level' camcorder for the beginner or average user. The camcorder shoots nice video actually when its on the 60 fps mode. Keep in mind that its always good to shoot with a good amount of light. The digital camera shoots really nice high-rez images st 9 megapixel maximum.Just remember that this camercorder is NOT HD and not meant for the advanced user. Its basic. Very easy to use. Great for everyday use taking pics of the kids, videos etc. Works great with iMovie 06 and 08.
Great job Sanyo!
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