The CA6 was not available in any local stores so I researched the smack out of this video camera on the web before I bought it from Amazon. I thought I knew exactly what I was getting but the box contained a big surprise. I was expecting something small and utilitarian. Instead, I got a beautiful little jewel. It is delightful to look at and fun to hold. Grant you I am always fascinated with unusual design and shape.The camera was a Christmas gift for my wife and I wanted to set it up before Christmas day so she could unwrap it and start filming (film?). The Instruction book is as impressive as the camera itself. Not for design but for its volume and it is all in English. I still haven't managed to digest but a few sections.
Video quality is excellent for our purpose. There are six different video resolutions and a variety of photo resolutions available in the easy to use menu system. The SHQ TV resolution is really stunning when you consider the miniscule sized gizmo that created it. We took the camera to Key West last week and recorded in SHQ WEB (320x240 / 30fps) resolution (perfect for making videos for sharing on the web). Every time you start and stop recording, a new MPEG4 file is created on the SD memory card. Using the photo function creates a high resolution JPEG file. At the end of the trip we had a couple of hundred files to download onto the Mac. We are currently editing the files into a movie with iMovie. At the smaller video resolution I was able to get about three hours of MPEG4 files and forty-two high resolution JPEG (2816x2112) files on less than half of the 2gb SD card. The same memory card holds about an hour and a half of video at the highest resolution setting (640x480 / 30fps at minimum compression).
Image stabilization works well enough for moderate hand movement but it didn't keep up with rough water on a sailboat around Key West. I wish the zoom range had more field of view on the wide end but it is tighter than I expected on the telephoto end. This is not a camera for long distance tight shots of wild animals or beach bunnies. It has no tripod mount so the telephoto power is just long enough for the image stabilizer to cope with when hand holding the camera on steady ground.
My hands are really too large for the controls but I found ways to adapt. It fits my wife perfectly. The CA6 is supplied with a hand strap to keep the camera tethered to your body and supply leverage for one handed use. I use the strap mostly for accident prevention and use my left hand to stabilize the camera by holding the outside of the frame of the view screen while delicately mashing the controls with my fat thumb on my right hand. Even with the hand tether attached to the camera we easily carried the camera and tether in our pockets without any problems and I was able to do some incognito filming on Duval Street. The relatively large (and very bright) view screen can be folded back against the camera while recording (folding the view screen back to the camera while not recording or reviewing shuts the camera off) for "shoot from the hip" filming.
Along with a small carrying pouch and a 2 or 4gb High Speed SD memory card, I recommend an additional battery as a necessary accessory. The tiny battery powers the camera in video mode for an hour or so but using the built in flash for photos knocks the small cell down in hurray. Reviewing and messing with the menu also cuts into battery duration. The lithium ion battery is physically smaller than my cell phone battery and recharges in less than two hours. In use it is completely enclosed inside the camera. The Sanyo OEM battery is easy to find on the web and there are a number of less expensive, alternative brands made to fit the Xacti cameras. Also, gentle use of an absorbent lens cloth will keep the view screen and the lens window clean.
The CA6 lacks convenience features that would make it larger and susceptible to problems from dirt and water. There are no ports, jacks or connections on the outside of the camera. The Battery, memory card and USB port access are located under a well designed, seal tight door on the bottom of the camera. A minimal control panel increases durability but somewhat limits easy access to the many system features. All adjustments are made by navigating through the menu on the view screen via the use of your right thumb and the tiniest joystick I have ever seen. It turned out to be much easier to use than I though it would and there is a provision to program favorite settings into some "short-cut" moves on the control stick. Above the menu control is a button for starting and stopping the video recording and another for making photos. A half-inch space and small ridge separates the two controls. Between the exposure / record buttons and the menu control are tiny buttons that activate the menu system and select the mode (puts the camera in record or playback).
Considerations for design and purpose aside, I have some issues that Sanyo should consider. The camera needs an accessory cradle of some sort that would allow it to be placed on a mounting thread. There are a number of features offered on the camera that are next too useless unless I innovate some method of remotely stabilizing it. Gaffers tape works for fastening it on a mounting clamp, monopod or walking staff but I hate putting anything sticky on the beautiful little frame. While Sanyo designs a mounting system they should also make a remote control.
Focusing and exposure are controlled by a sophisticated, multi-pattern, through-the-lens computer program that works well with a polarizing filter (I used my sun glasses) for enhanced image quality. So why is there no provision to thread a small diameter filter over the round lens window opening?
The sound recording quality is very good and the selectable noise filters work better than I expected but I don't see the point to using up the data space for stereo sound when the separation between the left and right channel microphones is a few millimeters. I haven't digested all 166 pages of the instruction book but so far I can't find any provision for recording in mono sound mode. Finally, motor noise from the zoom lens is noticeable in low noise situations. Even though I seldom use the zoom function while recording and I realize this is a common issue in small video cameras but it still bugs me. We usually strip away most the recorded sound and replace it with music or dubbing when editing videos anyway.
Brandishing the CA6 in a crowd will attract attention. As soon as people realize it is a video camera they are on it like flies on poop. My wife likes the attention but I prefer to be unhampered with other people's curiosity.
Sanyo supplies a suite of video/photo editing and DVD burning software for PC users. The CA6 lacks FireWire connectivity for live editing on Macs and there is no Mac compatible software supplied but the camera syncs well as a card reader with my Mac through the USB port for downloading the files to the hard drive. Any Mac owner savvy enough to edit video files and burn DVD's already has the software to accomplish the task. The camera also possesses surprisingly extensive onboard-editing capability through the viewing screen or on your television. Sanyo supplies a cord that plugs into the USB connection and provides a composite video and stereo sound output for your television system where you can view and edit your video and photo files utilizing the camera's amazing menu array. I have no idea about battery duration for this purpose and there is no external power input to the camera (the battery has an external charging cradle). Be aware that lower resolution video file settings look fine on a computer but they are nasty on your television.
Overall the camera is beautiful, reliable and fun to use with lots of features. It is tiny, easy to hide, fast starting, durable, water and dirt resistant. The images are very good. I am delighted with the Exacti CA6 so far (when I can get it away from my wife).
This is my first camcorder ever, and I purchased it simply to find out if I would like recording movies. As such, I was looking for a small, light-weight camera that recorded on either an HD or a card. I ruled out other media due to the very extreme climate in my area.
One problem with using such a media is that your prospective camcorder will have to encode and compress your movies so that they can be stored on the SD-Card. The compression used here is not exactly suited for movies especially if you need or want to edit them. Before you can do so, you need to convert them to a more suitable format which is not to say that you won't be able to watch individual clips. They work fine with Quicktime.
The quality of the clips is also not great but acceptable considering the price of the camcorder. However, it does not compare to the more conventional Mini-DV format at all! On the upside, recorded clips are much better than those recorded with a standard digital (still) camera.
Taking still images with this camera is also not great you will get much better quality with just about any cheap digital still camera despite the touted 6 MP.
Focus is very slow and often inaccurate, especially in low-light or low-contrast situations. While the phsyical zoom is quite usable, the digital zoom should have simply been skipped. The image becomes very grainy is out of focus as soon as you use the digital zoom.
Sound quality is also quite poor, especially if it's windy and there is not much else to be said.
I addition, the camera has a very cheap feel to it something you might want to consider. But so far, it is very dependable and certainly convenient to carry around. I was actually quite amazed by the extremely small size and the possibilities it affords. You CAN take it anywhere and I won't be a bother.
Despite the mentioned downsides, I am quite happy with my experience. This camcorder does exactly what I expected it to do but not more. I've only had it for a month and I am ready to purchase something more serious. If you are looking for something to bring along on your daily adventures, it probably doesn't get much better than this. Be aware, though, that there are huge limitations with this camera that can be very bothersome.
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We bought this camera right before going on vacation and found it extremely handy and convenient. We took great video and great pictures with it. Here are some advantages and disadvantages we found:Advantages:
1. Very small and compact had it in a small camera bag attached on my belt. It was ready in a moments notice to take video and pictures. I was able to take it places that a regular camera would likely not go (roller coaster ride, water ride). Having it at all times on my hip was very handy, and it never got in the way.
2. Water resistant Our last camera went dead because of humidity and water. I took this camera on a water ride with my son, filmed the whole thing, got soaked, and no problems with the camera.
3. Great outdoor pictures excellent looking pictures outdoors. In doors was good if there was enough light. Flash is very poor and does not go very far (understandable given the small compact battery).
4. Lots of settings even with this small camera, there were plenty of settings (wind reduction, noise reduction, image stabilization, ISO settings, exposure, flash, white balance, etc.)
5. Video compression I found the video compression not as good as a miniDV tape, but still extremely good, given that I could record 1.5 to 2 hours of video on my single 2GB SD card (we also bought exta, which easily fit in the bag)
6. Battery With the small battery, the total time did not last long (1 hour), but we could carry several other batteries in our bag (same one attached to my hip) and never lost out because of battery failure (we had 4)
7. Flip screen all you do is flip the screen out, and the camera is on, ready to go with pictures or video. Can do it with one hand. Same for shutting it off.
Disadvantages:
1. No view finder only the screen to see what you were videoing, however I was amazed at how well I could see the screen even in direct sunlight.
2. Low light pictures like I said, the flash is poor and does not put out much power. There is a "candle" setting that helps take pictures in dark places, but you have to keep the camera very steady because it keeps the aperture open longer.
3. Cables one more cable to add to my stash. It is a type that has USB on one end (for the computer) and a new plug (not sure what it is called) that is used for both video out put and USB output. However, I never had to use this given that my laptop has an SD slot so all I had to do was remove the card and slip it into the laptop to download everything.
4. Pistol grip at first this was way awkward, but with time I learned to hold it very comfortably and still operate everything just fine. Got to keep tabs on your index finger as it is easy to place it over the lense. I held it much more comfortably after I began using the strap, which I put over my hand, and in more questionable situations, I strapped it over my wrist.
5. Zoom only 5x zoom, and it was a little slow in zooming, but actually made the playback look smoother, so pick your poison.
6. Photos while video shooting While you can take a photo during video recording, it does freeze the video for a few seconds while it records the picture. Nice to have, but I thought the video would still be seemless. I usually don't use this feature, but it has turned out handy.
7. Non-swivel screen the screen flips out, but does not swivel in any other direction. Open or closed (and in closed position, the screen is visible and open to possible damage. This made it a little harder to film things at times where I wasn't directly behind the camera.
We love the camera, and are so glad we have it. Quality is near miniDV, and the software we use (Nero 7) works great with MP4 and is a snap to turn into a DVD. The only reason we gave it a 4 rating instead of a 5 is due to the few small disadvantages it had and for the plain and simple fact that the camera features do not replace all the features you would find on a dedicated digital camera. But you bought it for video, right? So how can I complain about the 80% excellent quality I got from the pictures I did take? Hence the 4 out of 5.
In the end, we got more video footage than we would have with a larger video camera for the simple fact of its wonderfully small size.Unlike the rest of the reviewers here, I bought this camcorder at a STORE in Singapore. This gave me a HUGE advantage to try out the camera BEFORE I bought it! I paid about US$450.00 for the CA6 [which included all the required cables, 2 CD-ROMs of software, carrying case, 2 batteries {one 1.5-hour and one 3-hour battery}, 4GB Ultra High-Speed SD card, 2 tripod mounts {no charge}, Multi-port USB hub for 4 different types of SD cards, power cords and adapter for U.S. and Singapore voltages].
After reading all the reviews here I can agree with SOME of the "Cons" comments.
Yes, it does NOT come with a tripod mount hole. However, the salesperson gave me two black plastic tripod mounts for FREE. It fits like a glove--no problems. Sorry, I don't know where to find these in the U.S. but I'm sure they're out there somewhere.
Yes, the hand strap is useless. Seriously, throw it away! It's not worth the effort. My wife gave me her camera strap to use and it can be fed through the bottom ring and that works much better.
The only way to protect the LCD screen and camera lens is to keep it in the carrying case when not in use. This case was a real convenience with the metal ring that could attach to the belt loop of my shorts or pants.
A lot of people are complaining about low light situations. I haven't noticed too much of this. The salesperson told me that this was a "Sports" model version. I was shown several other models by Sanyo that were similar to the CA6. This gave me the impression that the CA6 was geared more towards outdoor use and it has proved itself worthy.
It IS a small camcorder so it took a few days to get used to filming with it. PLUS, I'm LEFT-HANDED and used it like a stubborn left-hander in my left hand--but I finally got used to it. I know it wasn't designed with this in mind. However, I think it gave me an advantage over right-handers with bigger fingers. I didn't have to worry about using all the buttons and hold the camcorder at the same time. I know this sounds funny but if you're a left-hander you might appreciate this info. Yes, I AM one of those who has to use TWO hands to dial a phone number or play games on my little cellphone, hehe.
Oh, and using the highest quality DVD setting for video gives you about 2 hours and 45 minutes with the 4GB SD card.
Be sure to get some type of camera strap for this device--not the one provided [I think this was an Sanyo afterthought]. I realized this one day as I was 100 feet up in a skyride in Singapore. As I was dangling my feet, I wondered how awful it would be for the CA6 to slip out of my hand and watch it shatter into a 1,000 pieces below me.
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Conclusions:To start from the end I got the Xacti CA6, tested it and returned it. Here are the pros and cons.
Pros -
1. Very small, just put in your pocket and go
2. Easy and simple controls
3. Super fast start up from sleep mode
4. Good video quality when lighting conditions are good
5. the ability to take stills while in video mode (I had no issue with the video pausing, no way around that)
6. You get video and 6mp stills in one device for a reasonable price
7. SD card that records for a long time
8. Easy transfer to computer for editing
Cons -
1. Indoor video unacceptable, although the video is brighter the ones my Sony digicam takes, it is extremely grainy (more so than my Sony digicam videos!!)
2. Super slow zoom when in video mode
3. In good lighting it is very difficulty to take stills that are not blurry (especially when trying to capture a kid on the move, for scenery it might be OK)
4. In low lighting stills are unusable (even at short distance) due to a very, very weak flash.
5. Red eye almost every time the flash works
6. Strap is a joke
7. No lens cover
So in short, on paper this camera is great, I love having the SD format rather than tape or DVD, the size is amazing and the ability to take both video and stills at a high resolution is priceless.
But....the stills are useless both in good and bad lighting (see above) and the video is usable only if shot in very good lighting conditions (for a new dad that shoots many videos indoors this is impractical).
This camera is only for outdoor people who shoot in good lighting conditions and have a very very steady hand (for taking stills). For almost everyone else it is not adequate, I will have to compromise on having both a dedicated still camera and a miniDV camcorder (going for the Elura 100).....
Ya, I know people told me that this was the best option beforehand, I was hoping to prove them wrong....; (
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