Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Reviews

This is about the shipping and delivery. Great. I purchased 4 different orders that were for the camera and other accessories. All arrived either one day earlier or on day expected. Impressive considering they came from 3 different sellers. Initial look at this little jewel is impressive. I have never used such a small camcorder and was very apprehensive about purchasing it. However, the alternative was to lug my full size (albeit small) camcorder on a trip for New Years. My wife and I enjoy snorkeling and this little jewel should work just nicely. I will write again after the trip with a performance review.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

I have the first E1 and now the new E2. Both are phenomenal. I just met someone who also had the E1. It is almost cult-like the response you get. The people that have the SANYO Xacti camcorders LOVE them. I shoot a lot of video of my son and I sync it to my TV box and my iPhone with ease. It makes it REALLY easy to share with the SANYO's. Something I found extremely difficult with Sony camcorders. Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

The text in the description "Audio Input: Microphone" is misleading. The camcorder has no microphone jack, only the built-in mic.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

This is a good looking digital video camera with a nice compact design. It appears to be very durable, and worked well right out of the box. It comes with Adobe Premiere Elements 4.0, which is a great product, and perfect for this camera; but be aware that it is woefully out of date and not upgradeable at a discount. The current version is 7.0. This will not affect you significantly if you run Windows XP. Just be aware that most software written for XP does not run well [or at all] on Vista.

Sanyo touts the camera's underwater shooting ability. Be warned: Maximum depth is 5 feet. You can't even take this to the bottom of most swimming pools. If you can limit yourself to snorkeling along the surface and shooting what's beneath [or if all your underwater video is shot in your bath tub] you'll be fine.

On the subject of waterproof: Because of this feature there are some compromises. The battery, connector and card are all inside a waterproof slot with a secure cover. You will have to open the cover to hook up the usb cable and you will have to remove the battery from the camera and use the separate charger [included] to re-charge the battery. The USB cable has a custom mini connector, so if you lose or damage the cable you will have to get another from Sanyo. Nothing else will work.

Also be aware that the camera will not stand up on it's own, so you will need a tri-pod for any un-attended shooting. The sound is adequate, but audiophiles will cringe.

I notice when I use video, the resolution for still photos drops to 2 megapixels. So if you are in the middle of shooting video you cannot snap off a high resolution photo. The Sanyo only has a 5x optical zoom. As with all digital cameras, Once you move into digital zoom video quality drops very quickly. There is a built-in flash for still pictures which works very well within the distance limits.

The camera also features image stabilization. It works pretty well and is essential for indoor or action shooting. Stabilization and flash are off by default and have to be turned on through the menu. Also, be aware that stabilization has to be turned on separately for still photos and video. While you are in menu mode you might also want to turn off digital zoom. This will prevent you from accidentally zooming into digital and blurring an otherwise good shot.

The camera records in mpeg 4 [divx] format, which is a compressed format. The image is not as sharp as the un-compressed AVI format my digital camera uses, but allows you to record a lot more video on a given memory card. At a full 30 frames per second and 640x480 resolution you get about 18 minutes on a one gig SD card. The Sanyo supports SDHC so you can use cards up to 32 Gig. My Canon S5IS digital camera produces exquisite video, but one gig is only good for a bit over 7 minutes.

Bottom Line:
The underwater feature is a bit of a gimmick. The quality of the video, particularly indoors is about the same as VHS--maybe. It has a nice screen and a compact form. But for essentially the same money, I am starting to see 720p hi def cameras out there. And, if you can live without the underwater feature, for about 125 more, you can get a first rate digital camera like the new version of my Canon [SW10IS] that shoots very good video and has greater [12X] optical zoom. Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

After reading the reviews here, I ordered the camera as a replacement for my Sony DCR PC-100 camcorder. Obviously my expectations were high. These were the few things I was terribly disappointed when I received the camera :

1..The camera is just not ergonomically designed. It was just so wierd to hold and operate with one hand. Just didn't feel right.

2..The videos I shot were so full of jerks and movements that it was impossible to watch them without feeling dizzy. I tried the special features on the camera that suppesedly help you to minimize the shaking.

3..The picture on the video was just OK in natural light but as soon the camera hit the indoors and areas with shade, it just went black - literally.

4..Even the still pictures were very average. Nothing to write home about. Same problem with the light issue.

5..I didn't buy this camera just because it is water resistant. So, I didn't even try that feature. It's cold and I had no intention of jumping into the pool to just try the water-tighness of the camera. For me, the camera was a failure in its basic function of taking clean, non-shaky, crisp pictures. It is small but not small enough to keep in a pocket. Doesn't have a cover for the lense and the cover it comes with is very tacky...Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

Just ordered this from Amazon a few days ago. Camcorder looks good and works well but has a high amount of noise on video screen. At first I thought it was broke but after reading all the reviews on this camera I found out this is normal and you have to set the ISO to 400 or below.

Still picture come out decent but I don't think it actually takes them at 8 MP. Video is barely average quality, good for backyard BBQ, pool parties and stuff like that. If great clear HD video is important to you then this is not the camcorder for you. I have a old 5.1 Nikon Coolpix digital camera and the pictures are much better with it. Overall I am satisfy with this camcorder because it feels rugged, sturdy, waterproof and I brought it for pool party, sporting events and just to have in my pocket for those late night embarrassing shots of friends. Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

This is a very cute camcorder.My husband bought this for me to take vedio for our son.
At first, I found that the noise of the video was very serious.After read the users guide,I noticed that I did not take the correct light sensibility.So I changed the setting,then the noise was gone.Overall I like this camcorder.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

Note that this records in mp4 format. The video is fairly clear, in normal lighting. It has a macro mode that goes from 1 cm, and ISO up to 3200, with the usual caveats about noise. No 16:9 format, though.

Sleek-looking and waterproof to five feet, it's sleekness and waterproofness has probably contributed to its couple of shortcomings, both in the usability department.

First, in the name of waterproofing, the battery, memory and AV connection are locked behind a slim door under the control pad. This means when the door is open to accomodate the AV cable, it's hard to use the already mushy control pad - its hinge is just under the pad, so the open door gets in the way of the pad.

The pad itself must be made of some rubbery membrane underneath, because, as mentioned, it feels loose and mushy, both the selection button and the directional pad around it.

It has 5x optical zoom, and supposedly face detection to boost its anti-shake. However, at zoom, some jitteriness is still noticeable. The sound is pretty good, at least from recording our band practice.

Its menus are easy enough to navigate. Battery life is iffy, don't expect more than about an hour's worth for video.

The case is a weird, tight-fitting, half-open design, and there is no lens cover. I suppose since it's waterproof, the lens must be ruggedized anyway.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

I got this to use with my son. Being watermen, and rough on gear, it is great to get something that could possibly fit the bill for both. I am not sure of its durability, this will be my second one, I bought my first one refurbished, big mistake. Sent it back and got this one. It is not the best quality you can buy for digi, but I have already dropped it, flown with it, and got it wet, and it is still going at the same quality.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

I really wanted to like this camera, but found that I couldn't.

The first problem that I had with it was the "ergonomic grip" on the camera. It's fine for just holding the camera, and would work well for video shooting. I just found the buttons to be hard to use for still photos when trying to use it with one hand. The camera never felt comfortable in my had when trying to rotate my thumb up to hit the photo or video button. When it comes to using the D-ring and the center button, they felt fine.

The next major issue I had was with the image stabilization for photos. According the the manual the image stabilization won't be used under the following conditions.
1. Setting the flash mode to forced flash
2. Setting the shooting mode to the sequential shots mode
3. Setting flicker reduction to "ON"
4. Setting the scene select function to the night view portrait, fireworks, or lamp mode.

What I found is if you set the flash to any mode other than "OFF" the image stabilization automatically turns off. Then you have to deal with the crazy menu system to turn it back on. There's no easy way that I could find to have it temporarily shut off for the above situations then automatically turn back on. Given that I was concerned about camera movement while rotating my thumb up to the button on one handed use, image stabilization seems really important.

I also didn't like the confusing menu system on the camera. By default the menu system is in "normal mode" and then there's a "simple mode" that you can select. That all sounds find in theory. The only thing is I expect every function to be adjustable in the normal mode, and then basic functions to be available in the simple mode. That somewhat seemed to be the case, but it wasn't clear what some of the options really were in simple mode. For example to adjust the video recording in the normal menu it give you a lot of different TV options and a couple of different web options. How do those relate to the selection of recording size in the simple menu? Maybe I just didn't find the answer in the manual, but I don't think that was the case.

As far as the water proof, it's really limited to 5 feet of depth. Not something that will be useful if you go scuba diving, but maybe will be ok for light snorkeling. I think for the most part it's just a gimmick to lure people into buying an inferior product.

I really can't comment on the actual photo or video quality. Because I got so frustrated with the menu system, the image stabilization, and how awkward it seemed to use; I never bothered transferring the data to my computer to check it out.

All in all, I would say avoid this camera and see what else is out there.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

I was made a believer when I got my first xacti, the xacti CG65. The video quality on that was very good. I produced a few very good quality DVDs using the CG65 and got quite a few compliments. A lot of my friends were surprised at how clear the videos turned out to be.

But then I have a chance to go to several beaches and took at lot of videos as well. Although I was very happy with the videos I thought about how things would be better if I had a waterproof camcorder.

On black friday this thought was realized. Amazon put this camera on sale for $199. It was a deal I couldn't pass up. I then sold the CG65 to a friend which he gladly took. The E2 came in quickly from Amazon.

Just this past weekend, I had a chance to really test it out at the xmas party. I am tranfering the videos now and sad to say I am disappointed. In videos I took with high ISO settings, there is a lot of vertical/horizontal banding. Even in my 19" monitor its so visible and its definitely annoying. There is also a problem with the image stabilization on this camera. On the top of the screen whenever I would move the video from 1 side to another, there is this flickering. In the CG65, the videos are very good regardless if its low light or good light condition. This one needs a "just right" light condition to work just like the CG65.

The bottomline is I am not impressed and in fact I am returning this camera. Maybe the change from CCD to a CMOS sensor is the culprit? I dunno. But definitely I miss my CG65.

The still shots are a bit better than the CG65 but the red eye problem is worse on this camera. I used to have just the red eye problem with my CG65. In this E2 camera, there is also the red eye + cat eyes problem. Makes my subjects look like a bunch of aliens lol.

So there you go. If you are considering this camera, maybe look at the predecessor E1 instead as it had the CCD sensor. Now I have to find a CG65 on ebay or unless I can find an E1 that I can try out. But definitely, skip the E2. When you look at the E1 and the E2 and ask, how come the E1 is still more expensive that the E2 considering E1 is the older model? You now know the answer. There is something cheap in this E2.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

1) It is very handy for taking quick, easy video. Storage on SD card is very convenient.

2) The picture quality is definitely second-rate. I would rank it alongside current generation phone cameras. It will do in a pinch, but that's about it.

3) Principal problem is poor quality in low-light conditions.

4) The form factor seems kind of snazzy, like it will feel neat in your hand when using. Actually, however, it gets old fast. It's an uncomfortable position to hold your hand in. And taking pictures is actually pretty difficult. If you've used a camera, you're used to holding a camera steady with one hand while you press a button with the other. With this, you're doing both while holding the device pistol-style, which results in movement you'd prefer to avoid when framing your shot.

5) As to underwater use: mine's not had problems yet, but I've got to say, looking at the manufacture, it doesn't inspire confidence.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

I had some very high expectations about the VPC-E2 that were mostly based on the glowing Amazon reviews. Let's start off with the good stuff:

-Well built
-Solid door on the card/battery compartment which is very rare
-Water resistance makes it easy to use in places you wouldn't use another camera
-Switching between photo and video is very easy
-Flipout LCD means you can get some angles that are difficult otherwise. Not very many P&S cameras (read on to see why I compare it to a P&S and not a camcorder) have LCDs that flip out and rotate.

On the downside... let's start with the minor annoyances....

-Custom USB cable
-It's water resistant/proof but only at very shallow depths so forget scubadiving or snorkeling
-It's a little too short for most hands so it's tough to reach the photo/video buttons when holding it in a grip style
-The shutter release button is very hard to depress and often sticks. I don't think that this was unique to my unit since other reviewers also complained.
-Zoom buttons are hard to reach and very small
-No lens cover
-Long shot-to-shot delays and shutter lag. Very, very pronounced in poor lighting
-Horrible LCD quality, even outdoors under ideal conditions

But what it comes down to is this.... the video quality is absolutely horrible except in ideal outdoor environments. The photo quality is decent but not as good as a P&S camera at half the price.

So basically what you're paying for, in my opinion, is the water resistant/proof feature and the vertical style/flip out LCD. Apart from that the video quality is not any better than what your average P&S can produce and the picture quality is worse.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

I got the Sanyo Xacti with my only recent experiences of shooting movies with a Flip Camcorder. At first, I thought the weight might be an issue (because it was so much bigger and heavier than the Flip). But, now that I have it, and have used it several times in the last month, this Sanyo will now become my only camera. I love the pictures it takes and the stabilization features helps me take pictures without the shaking and movement that I get with my other camera. I haven't used it for underwater use yet, but plan to when I make a trip to the Carribean in the Spring. According the other reviews, the Xacti takes great pictures under water as well. I love the color of the camcorder too (I know that's such a girly thing to say). Anyway, great camera for the price. Don't hesitate to buy it.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

The quality of the still photos and the video was surprisingly good for this lower end camcorder. The underwater photos that we took snorkeling were very clear and of decent quality. Sometimes it was hard to control movement because the current is moving you, but that may come with more experience snorkeling and using the camera. For underwater you definitely need the waterproof neoprene strap, which I bought with the camera. I had no problem with the battery, and had a spare charged up in case.

However, there are some things I did not like about the camera. There was no eyepiece viewer and it was very difficult, sometimes impossible, to see what you were shooting in bright sunlight. I also found it more difficult to find my subject, especially if it was moving. This was it's biggest drawback--finding and staying on a moving subject without an eye viewfinder. There were also times that I did not know the record was still on so I got a number of clips of garbage. The zoom button was also difficult to maneuver, it would be much better to have it going from left to right rather than up and down, and have it as an independent button that could be moved with your thumb. It was in an awkward position for one finger to control it and it was also difficult to zoom a little bit at a time. I found I often over zoomed.

All in all, it is a decent camera and I am happy with the purchase.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

I absolutely love my Sanyo Xacti E1 (newest version is the E2). It is small (easily fits in my pocket), lightweight (about 8 oz w/ battery and memory card). The editing softwear that comes with it is easy to use and the overall quality of the video is amazing. Granted the YouTube versions of you video will look like most of the other ones on there (somewhat blury and grainy). On the other hand if you burn your video to DVD, it is amazingly sharp. I've found the audio/mic to be pretty good. There is no way to add an additional wireless mic. It stores video to an SD card. With my 4GB card I can get over 2 hours of video that is recorded at the highest possible quality. I paid about $350 for mine but now they are as low at $219. on-line.

To see some hiking/backpacking type videos shot w/ the camera, go to [...](my website) and go to the video page link. I've got ones on the following there: Glacier National Park, Mt. Hood, Lake Superior Provincial Park (in winter) and Killarney Provincial Park. The "Killarney" video has an underwater shot in it.

If there was anything I would change about the camera it would be to add a night vision mode which it currently does not have.

It is really nice to know that if I want to film in the rain or jump off a cliff into the water while filming (which I've actually done), I don't have to worry about the camera. It is awesome. Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

This was an upgrade for me from the first model of this camera. One of the reasons I picked this camera is its water capability. I was always worrying about the regular point and shoot getting dirty or splashed and avoided use in inclement weather. Having a camera designed for water use to 1.5 meters gave me a comfort level to get a lot more use out of the camera. It takes decent still pictures for well-lit outdoors shots. This (prior model, now this) is the camera we take on our yearly camping/tubing trip to the clear, spring-fed Frio River. No worries about splashing and the kids had fun capturing underwater video with the fish in the river. This is also the camera I pulled out for some quick outdoors shots during Hurricane Donna. The software bundle included Adobe Premiere 4 for editing and your video. I purchased an 8GB SDHC memory card which allows a good bit of capture time. I did find it necessary to purchase a second battery to have more record time.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

I like it lot. The pros overweight cons hands down.

Pros:
1. Compact;
2. Waterproof;
3. Well-built;
4. Descent quality daylight photos and videos;
5. Cheap memory cards;
6. Easy and customizable UI;
7. Great close-ups;
8. Still shots while recording video - awesome!

Cons:
1. You can not see display in bright light or underwater. You do not have optical viewfinder either;
2. Flash is a joke;
3. Battery life is short. You will need 1-2 extra batteries when you travel. Fresh battery will give you 1 hour of recording w/o playback or flash;
4. Special USB cable - do not lose it;
5. Could use wider angle lens;
6. Bundled software is bugly and outdated;

To the people who have trouble reading SD card w/o cable - your card reader most likely does not support HDSD cards. Grab one that does. You won't need this cable at all, unless you plan to use the camera as a web cam.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

Most hikers have either point-and-shoot digital cameras (which have a setting for videos) or a digital camcorder. The point-and-shoot cameras, though, don't allow you to zoom in and out during your video. Well, this Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 allows you to do that - obviously because it is mostly meant for videos. But even most camcorders aren't waterproof. This one is! And for such a great price. I never even found out before I bought this camcorder that it records audio, takes pictures in several different settings, takes sequential pictures in some of those settings, and takes videos in (I think) every setting, as well as being able to take pictures while taking a video! This is something extremely helpful for hikers - most don't want to get their camera wet, which limits their routes. But now they don't have to be worried! Great camera, great price! I would suggest this to anyone who doesn't want to spend a lot of money on a camera! Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

I am 12 years old. My twin brother and I received this as a gift. I like this small camera because it's handy, easy to use, and portable. It's not an HD 1,000 dollar camera but it records with pretty good quality. My brother and I use it in our videos that we make all the time for our friends to see and it has worked like magic. The LCD screen looks good and can flip over for the actor to see himself being recorded. The battery lasts about 1 hour of continuous use. Although i've noticed that the battery is already starting to have less and less of it's charge. If you were to buy it I would say get a couple extra batteries so you won't have to keep putting the battery back on it's charger and wait like 1 hour and a half for it to get fully charged so you can use it again. The best thing I like about this camera is that it is waterproof, not just resistant to a little water getting on it, it can go under water! I looked at the manual and found out that if you want the camera to last long, then you shouldn't take it lower than about 4 feet. Overall the camera works great! and I can't wait to make our next video with it and put it on youtube!Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

after reading the reviews and contemplating whether to buy or not, at $199 with free shipping (previously at $300), this should be a good deal for a WATERPROOF camcorder. The package arrived quickly.

Have just used it for a week and been happy with the performance. Video shots were great (but dont expect for a professional quality coz this is not the equipment for such!)

Pictures were great too, but again if you expect for high quality pictures, then get a good nikon or cannon SLR camera with at least 18-200mm zoom lens.

Being a waterproof camcorder is a plus, and just what i needed - just in time for the snow and splashes this summer, I dont need to worry if it gets wet.

I dont want to be technical and profound with my comments. This is just one of the toy that will be outdated in a year or so anyway. What's important is you capture the memories in a handy & snappy way, and with wonderful pictures.

Well, I just hope Sanyo made a lens cover fot this, and a better case.


Now: Aug 2009. My unit is not working. Used in the a 3ft pool for few minutes. When u turn it on again, the date/time will show up in the screen, red light keeps on blinking. That's it. The only way to turn it off is to remove the battery.

Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

I have tried many digital cameras over the years and this one is one of the iffy ones. This camera does take good pictures, just not all of the time. My Sony DSC-S85 4.1M camera takes good pictures every time. The movie mode is good, but movies tend to stutter and look odd at times. Not a bad camera, but overall not that great either. Also, this camera is awkward to hold, would have been better if the buttons were along the top. The door where the battery and SD card goes also gets in the way when connecting to the PC. I am returning it and getting the Canon SD770IS. Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

Very light! Very small! Good video quality for a $199 consumer level camcorder. Not the greatest in low light situations, but on a bright sunny day or in good lighting conditions, the video quality is great. Menus and settings are easy to figure out. Battery life is quite short, about an hour. Extra battery is less than $20 though. I don't plan to take it under water (4.5 feet max for 1 hour max) and go through the procedure the manual advises after taking it under water, but the waterproof feature makes me feel better about using it outdoors if it rains or if water splashes on it. Looking forward to taking it out on a jet ski or inner tube when the weather warms up. If you need a low end, consumer level camcorder, you'd probably like this one. I'm glad I got it. Did I say it works great with a Mac? Just plug it in, pick two options from the menu, and you have videos in your iPhoto library.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

This camera is very hot. I bought it for my 16 year old daughter who constantly steals my camera and she absolutely loves it. The handle and the ease to which you can shoot pictures or movies is simple and fast. The picture quality is awesome and it is very light weight. It is the perfect vacation camera.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

I've been looking for an inexpensive compact digital camcorder for a long time, for my snow and water sports, until I found Xacti E2.
The compact size make it easy to fit in the jacket pockets whiling riding. The authentic Water-proof and shaking control are critical for shooting while moving on the snow or under water. Video and sound quality is not a big concern for me, but I know it's at least as good as other regular camcorders at this price range. To my surprise, the night video quality is also very good, clear and no much noise point. Battery life is also good at low temperature (my cell phone battery usually stops working very soon after I get onto slope)
So far, I'm very satisfied with it. There are only a few minor UI issues I don't like. e.g. the buttons of camera and video taping are small and so close, that I cannot operate while wearing snow gloves. Also, no button to switch flash, so I have to change setting by menu each time.
So overall, I would strong recommend it for sport purpose. Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

The camcorder takes poor video. I did not test the waterproof function.
Upon installing the software and taking a video, the software did not allow me to view the video on my computer - only to burn to a dvd. The quality was very grainy and unclear. Perfect size camcorder though - would be wonderful if the quality was improved.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

After disasters with leaky gaskets on other underwater camera enclosures, it is a pleasure to have the seals built in to the VPC-E2. Its novel shape makes it easy to handle while snorkeling and the standard land-based shots are fine.

Although its rated waterproof to only about 5 feet, I'm surprised that it is the only Xacti with waterproofing, because that sort of durability makes it great to carry around where it might get rained on or splashed. The underwater picture quality is very good. I've taken to chasing fish (visually) with the camcorder running, then, back home, I'll save and print the best frames from the session.

A few concerns: I haven't been able to find any useful information about replacing the waterproof seals. The manual says it should be done annually, but I don't know how much it might cost and whether or not it has to be sent to Sanyo. The design minimizes external buttons, but that tends to make changing settings require many trips to the menu (for example, turning the flash on and off). You can't really do that while you're floating around in the ocean.

It's an unique camera. A very good choice for outdoors people and entirely capable for day-to-day work. The video/still combo is a great idea. Whether or not you like it probably depends somewhat on your lifestyle.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

I got the Xacti VPC-E2 when our old mini-DV camera stopped working. The Xacti is very easy to use and the picture quality is better than that of our old camera. It's so small that we take it everywhere. I like the waterproof feature because we can use it outside even in the snow or rain. I would recommend purchasing an extra battery because the one that comes with it lasts only about an hour. I like how easy it is to transfer the files to our computer. I downloaded a free MP4 player from the internet and now I can just click on the files to play them. The included software is sufficient for our editing needs.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

I was looking for a camcorder that was portable and that I could rely upon regardless of the weather. I also didn't want to spend too much money, yet at the same time didn't want the picture/video quality to be awful. The Xacti VPC-E2 answered my prayers and with a great discount it fell right into my price range.

The Xacti VPC-E2 is great because its compact and waterproof. I took it for a snowboarding trip and took videos all day while it was snowing and the Xacti didn't skip a beat. The buttons are easy to use and it even comes with string attachment so you can carry it on your wrist if you'd like. There are also a decent amount of settings within the camcorder and camera settings although the quality of the "face chaser" wasn't up to par of my digital camera.

The resolution on the viewer of the Xacti doesn't have the best resolution which is the only reason I gave it 4stars, but once you load it up to your laptop or computer the resolution is a lot better and comparable to the $1000 camcorders out there.

I agree with the other reviews that the case is not that protective, but it does cover the lens part, so it does do its job.

All in all, its size is great and so is the fact that I don't have to worry about rain or snow. It's a bit pricey, but I was able to buy it through Amazon at a great price (~200). I got the white one and it does look a bit like a toy though...Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

Overall, a good product for the price. We got this for our 11 year old daughter to record video with her friends. She really enjoys the camera and found it very simple to use. We plan on using it to record special family events also. This is not high quality video, but it is fine for our use. We have not tried it underwater yet. You should be aware that storing all your movies on your computer takes a lot of capacity and is probably not a good idea. For example, my daughter recorded 3 minutes and 32 seconds of friends playing Rockband. That file is 115 MB. That means 1 hour of recording would be roughly 2 GB. Depending on how much you record, I would recommend either getting an additional external hard drive or more likely, keeping "works in progress" which you are editing or saving enough video to move to a DVD. A blank 2 hour DVD costs roughly 50 cents. My 8GB (about 4 hours) memory card purchased with this camera cost $20.

Pros
Simple to set up and use. Small size is easy to keep in a pocket. No expensive tapes to buy. Reasonable quality for the price and type. You can shoot a still shot while recording video. You can playback directly to a TV, download to a computer or burn it to a DVD through the computer.

Cons
Buy a second battery at the start. Battery life is less than 1 hour and there is no AC adapter to plug in and keep the camera running. The battery must be removed from the camera and placed in a separate charger. Doesn't come with any memory card to start. Power switch is awkward and easy to turn off while operating the camera.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

This is a great buy. Very nice functionality, versatility and easy to take anywhere. Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

I have had this camera about 3 weeks. I bought it for watersports, kayaking, rowing, sailing. Main interest was in stills, being water resistant and small, easy to handle.

On land I am very happy, I've played with the video, still learning the editing software, you can see my first youtube posting here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FXs6AA6h1E

i've dropped the camera twice and it still works just fine. I've not had much problem figuring out the menu, I've taken some after dark photos and am quite pleased.

We've been on the water once, kayak on SF Bay. I secured the camera to myself with a longer lanyard and left it on the sprayskirt for easy access. It was rough enough that day that I took several small waves over the spary skirt, thoroughly drenching the camera.

I had paddling gloves on, thin, but full finger with a gripping material on the palm/fingers. I had no problem in 45°f chill picking up the camera, opening it and working the buttons. I could use the smaller menu button to change setting, and the ring that controlled zoom was likewise easy to use with the gloves on.

The stills I am getting are great.

My only irritation is with the sun behind me, I can't really see the video viewer, I have to make an educated guess of where I am aiming, but the camera still works fine.

I bought an additional battery and a 2gig card.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

Its almost perfect, but I had some issues with it. So I will lay out what I thought were faults, and then lead into what I thought is great about the camera. Just as a preface, I am not an expert on cameras, so I hope this will be a "non-tech-friendly" kind of review.

First, while the design looks cool, it's not as easy to handle as one may think. Basically, once you open the digital viewfinder, the camera needs to be held like a gun. So your grip is around the waist holding it, rather than some of the more traditional models, where its like a circular barrel that you hold your hands over the top. The controls are all at the reach of the thumb. There is a button for photo, video, zoom, menu and selections. In my opinion, the design of this seems a little awkward. I felt, if you are going to make a gun-style camera, the zoom should be at an easier access point, like where the trigger would be. Not so. Overall I had little use for the zoom.

The buttons they do have are small and feel like I need to press them hard to get them to activate. Especially the menu and photo button. They wobble in place and I keep thinking I am going to break these buttons pressing too hard.

A few things about the photo part. I took some photos with it. Some were nice, some were not. Most of the shots I took seemed to come out really grainy. I am not sure if its my settings. I have some photography knowledge of indoor/outdoor and ISO film, etc. So I played with those settings, but I still felt like everything was coming up grainy. I hope its my own settings thats the problem because I was hoping to rid of my digital camera in place of this.

The battery life is a little on the low side. I would say about 2 hours total. Also you have to take the battery out of the camera and into a battery charger. How nice it would be to just plug it in to the wall and let it charge that way.

The software that comes with it is worthless.

On the plus side of this camera. It is really responsive. The videos are clean, takes nice long videos. I shot one for about 30 minutes and playback was perfect. No drops in voice or video. Quality was sharp and picture size was big (not certain of the specs on the video playback). Its entirely digital and uses an SD card for storing information.

I have used the camera on both PC and Mac and its easy to get the info. The PC creates a new drive and you can access it that way. They are MPG4 files and you can drag and drop them from the SD card onto your hard drive. Quick read, the camera is responsive once you put the USB into the port, the menu on the camera asks if you want to read from the card - clicking the center button on the camera starts it in motion.

On the Mac, it took it, loaded it all up, showed you thumbnails in iPhoto, once you clicked import, it brought them all to its place. Very simple and quick. I like how the Mac handled the info.

The menu offers tons of options in controlling the quality of your image varying size of the image, rate of recording, various settings you might be while recording, etc. And this is for both photo and video. There is a flash installed on the camera as well for your photos, but does not work with the video settings. You can also set it up on a tripod which has a standard sized insert screw-thingy (i dont know what its called).

The camera is also waterproof (not resistant - proof!) You can go into about 5 feet of water. I have no tried this, its been on the chilly side lately, but when I get a chance, I will definitely try some underwater video.

I don't recommend this camera for amateur filmmaking, but definitely for videos with friends or YouTube stuff, or even if you want to practice filmmaking and doing some editing. Despite my criticisms, it is a very friendly camera and easy to use and both PC and Mac are friendly with it as well. It comes with a nifty protector case that wraps around it, and a strap that hooks onto the bottom to hold while you are vacationing or wherever. Very nice camera that performs much better than you might expect. I liked this one a lot and glad I got it!Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

Used it during the holidays and had decent video in low light conditions. The pictures that I took were unusable (most of it anyway) though. The video and pictures are a lot better when used during bright, sunny days. As mentioned in other reviews of this product, the battery life is short. You'll need to have a spare battery if you don't want to miss anything during your parties. I have not tested the waterproof capabilities...Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

I have a friend who is a die-hard fan of Xacti. Although the Xacti has a camcorder look ever since it came up, he always described it as a digital camera taking great videos. This gave me a feeling that the Xacti was a versatile camcorder since the camcorders that I have been using are very poor at taking still pictures. Finally, the Xacti VPC-E2 was on my hand, and I had a really fun time using it.

First of all, the Xacti VPC-E2 is not an HD camcorder. These days, we see many HD (High Definition) camcorders on the market, and I would only look for an HD camcorder if I needed to buy a camcorder. As a matter of fact, I am using two full HD camcorders. One is using a hard drive as a media (Canon HG10) and the other one is using a flash memory (Samsung SC-HMX20C). Fortunately, I had a chance to own an E2 otherwise I would not buy it because it is not HD. Its highest resolution is a mere 640 * 480 at 60 frames per second. The E2 cannot compete with the resolution of the HD camcorders whose resolution is 1920 * 1080. However, now I believe that the E2 has its own advantages and I carry the E2 more than my HD camcorders these days. By the way, there are HD versions of Xacti, which are HD700 and HD1010, available on the market.

My first impression of the E2 was that it was small. I have owned many consumer camcorders to date and the E2 is the smallest one of them. I know that there are smaller flash memory based camcorders, however, those are mostly YouTube quality camcorders. Also the blue color body looks very nice. I prefer a shiny color for gadgets that I use and the E2 is a perfect match for me. It fits in my pocket nicely and the included soft case works very well. The good thing is that the lens is protected by a tightly sealed (waterproof) glass, so I do not need to buy a UV filter that I always buy when I buy any kind of camcorders to protect the lens. This will save you $15 to $20. And there is no lens cap to open or to close. The vertical shape of the body feels a little unfamiliar at the first time, since my camcorders are either barrel shape or the shape that needs a vertical grip. Once I got used to, it felt better and comfortable.

The one thing that I want to mention is that I had a hard time pressing the buttons to take the picture or the video. It is just too firm to press. When I asked someone to take pictures for me, most of the times they did not press the button that they thought they did. So, I had to make sure that they took pictures right. After I took more than 50 pictures, my thumb became numb. I wish this problem would be fixed in the later version.

Now here is the fun part. The E2 is a waterproof camcorder. Although the spec sheet says it can be waterproof within 5 feet of water depth, I am happy with it since I am not a diver of any kind. I received the product in the winter so I cannot test this other than the bath tub. Fortunately, we had a good friend asking us to go to an indoor water park together and I said yes passionately to test this new toy. Wow, it was one of the most fun things I ever done in a water park. I saw some people taking pictures or videos in the water park. However, they are standing outside of the pool or at least 10-20 feet away from the possible water splash. But I am in the middle of the water and carrying the E2 in the water. I took moments of my family floating on the lazy river while I was lying on the tube with them. My daughter loves to play with it, and we are the only one in the water park who was carrying a camcorder everywhere. I sometimes took the video under the water, and I have never tried that with any other camera or camcorder. People in the water park found out that my camcorder is waterproof and they all said "Coooooool !' After we came back from the water park, I carefully took a look at the E2 and everything was fine. I did not find any water inside of the memory and battery compartment. The interesting thing is that the E2 has 2 water drain holes for cleaning. I washed the E2 with tab water and it felt very odd since I have never cleaned my camcorder with running water.

The E2 records video in MPEG4 AVC/H.264 format. This video format is getting popular and is supported by most video editing software. As I described above, I use two HD camcorders, and the Canon HG10 uses the AVCHD format (Canon HG10) and the Samsung SC-HMX20C uses MPEG4 AVC/H.264. As far as the compatibility is concerned, AVC/H.264 works far better than AVCHD. I had a hard time just to play AVCHD video files, and AVC/H.264 format files can be played flawlessly in every media player that I have. And AVC/H.264 format is easier to upload to video streaming services like YouTube. YouTube announced that they have started to support MTS/M2TS files that are recorded in AVCHD format. However, when I uploaded MTS files without any conversion, it did not work (they allowed to upload MTS files directly). The sound was breaking and the video stuttered. Anyways, if you concern about the compatibility issues, the MPEG4 AVC/H.264 is for you.

The one thing I was really disappointed is the low light performance of the E2. It is too grainy. Under normal indoor lighting at home, you will get very grainy video. If you use your video in low resolution such as 320 * 240, you might not be bothered much. However, if you see your indoor shot on TV, you could immediately notice how coarse your video is no matter what the resolution is. The low light performance is almost the same as a cheap flash memory camcorder such as the Flip. If you take most of your videos indoor (like the baby shots), you should find something else.

The photos coming out from the E2 is pretty good. I can use the E2 to take still pictures (I have never used any of my camcorders to take still pictures). It cannot be compared to digital cameras in the same price range, however, the E2 makes very good pictures. Unlike the poor indoor performance in video, the E2 gives pretty bright pictures. Now I know why my friend called the Xacti as a great digital camera that takes nice videos.

Having internal memory in the E2 is a blessing. You might have an experience like me that you forget to bring your memory card and regret missing precious moments. As a matter of fact, I got very mad at myself whenever I make a silly mistake like this. Although the size of an internal memory is small (44 MB), it could be a life saver sometimes.

As many reviewers stated, the battery performance is disappointing. It only lasts for 80 to 100 still pictures and less than an hour for video only. However, I do not take long videos with the E2, so I was OK with it. I am using the E2 to take the short moments that I could meet at any time. If you plan to use the E2 as your only camcorder, I recommend you to buy an additional battery.

Overall, the E2 is a great camcorder to carry anywhere including underwater. I am using an 8 gb SDHC card with it and still have tons of space left. It is tiny, and it looks great. It is a versatile camcorder making great still pictures. If you take most videos outside, the E2 will work better for you. With a street price of $180, you cannot go wrong with the E2.
Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

I do not recommend this camera. I bought one and it has been repaired under warranty twice and I have only tried to use it twice (one trip to Galapagos, the other to the Carribean). The picture quality is not great, photos under water have poor colour and focus, even if you try to correct the white balance or change filming modes. I recommend you consider an alternative to this camera.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

While looking for an entry level and highly portable camcorder to record the meyhem on our weekend off-road motercyle excursions, I targeted the Xacti VPC E2 versus other comparable brands because of reviews and its features.

Recieved the package on time and in perfect condition. For the price, I was impressed with the ruggedness of the unit and its relatively compact and light form factor. The very first video/pics I shot were in a snow storm, which turned out well considering I have no experience shooting video and spent no time at all setting up the camera. Over the next few days I shot various videos and pics indoors, this is where I realized the camera's video limitations. Similar to some other folks, I found the indoor video quality to be less than perfect and interestingly worse @ 60 fps (indoor). However, with a little tweaking on the settings, the indoor photos I captured were better than my point and shoot 5MP HP R707.

The camera ergonomics take a little getting used to as do the feel of the buttons but the menu is easy to navigate and find what is needed. The main 4-way selector button is not in a very good position and somtimes you have to stabilize the camera with the other hand to use the button, but the thing is so small I guess they really couldnt have put them anywhere better.

I found that adjusting the settings(particularly the ISO) for an indoor environment provided very acceptable results for photos and..well, viewable video. Though I wasnt really dissapointed, since my primary intention for this is outdoor use in all kinds of bad weather. Note that video on the TV will look much better than on a computer screen due to the resolution. DVD playback looks fine.

Pros: Price per feature ratio, rugged, lightweight/compact design, digital media storage, weather-proof properties, readily transfer and view the video to a PC or upload to the web without any special software -it couldnt get any easier with this unit. Can edit photos and videos in the field. Decent control over camera settings.

Cons: Can only assign limited functions to the shortcut button. Battery life is very poor - havent had a charge last more than an hour or so. Throw the case away - I gave it to my dog to chew on. The software is outdated and cranky, I had to encode my video to my PC's HDD first, then burn that to the DVD to get it to work. Indoor video quality could be better.

Summary: Very nice camera for the price, as long as your expectations are on par with its capabilities.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

This product has some great features and is water resistant. Unfortunately, the camera is not rated to go very deep - its only good for protecting your camera if you are swimming on the surface.
The real problem with this camera is that is practically useless indoors. Unless you are outside on a very bright day, your picture will be muddled with scan lines and severe pixellation. It is not worth the $200 I paid for it.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

We are very happy with this product. It is easy to use and has many useful features especially for a 70 year old.
I recommend this to all especially the Seniors.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

This was a gift for our son. He unwraped it at Christmas and right out of the box was filming our granddaughter unwraping her gifts! The next day, we had a video up and running on Phanfare.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

I purchased this camera because I was going on a caribbean cruise. It exceeded my expectations in almost every way. The waterproof feature was outstanding and we got many videos and pictures we could never have gotten otherwise. The video editing software that came in the box was very helpful as well to edit the movies and make something everyone can enjoy. If there was one negative thing I had to say about it, I would say the battery power doesn't last as long as I hoped because I used it so often. Great buy -- recommended to all. Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

Hello everybody,
I only want to warn to buy this camera, if you want to use it really at the water. Even if you keep all restrictions of the manual (5', 60min) you can get problems.
But if you want help from Sanyo you get the answer "Maybe you didn't closed the battery door well." But after loading the battery nearly every day it could be happen or it comes in a hair, a grain of sand, maybe a dust particle. So they proposed me to repair the camera for more the $400! Now I have to buy a new camera, but not from Sanyo, that's clear!Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

This is a great camera and I highly recommend it. It is small and compact perfect to take anywhere with you. In addition the video and photo's are very high quality. I have been using mine to make snowboarding videos all winter and they are great. The picture holds very stable even at high speeds and bumps. Family video's are just as good and the sound capturing is impressive. For your everyday video and photo needs you will not be disappointed.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

I am a show choir director and I purchased this mini-camcorder for business and pleasure. I have used it numerous times in show choir rehearsal, and it was perfect.

I have also used the camera a number of times and was slightly disappointed. I have to experiment a bit more, but so far my pictures have been slightly blurry unless the subject was completely motionless.

4 out of 5 stars because it was a great deal for the price and was not expecting the best of both worlds. Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

Just my feedback after 1 month of usage. I would like to add I got a 16G SDHC for this camera. Another purchase here in Amazon.com.

Features on video recording (my main purpose of buying a v. cam)
1. Anti shake I feel is good, 6 out of 10 rating.
2. Lighting, in the location of no natural sunlight, a fluorescent light fare much better than yellow light. When it gets dark, the picture seems to be grainy.
3. Video format: there are like 5 settings, I only uses the 640x480 30fps SHQ ( it think is stds for Super High Quality?). W/ that format, I can store about 10 hours on 16G card. The 640x480 HQ gives about 15 hours. The rest of format I find no use of.
4. There's no flash working when in recording mode.
5. Battery life for the camera is about 2 hour of constant recording, pausing for occasion photo shoot.
6. During recording, you can take photos, however, depending on your video format setting, the resolution on the photos is automatically corrected. Say my setting, 640x480 at SHQ, during recording, I can only take a 2 MB pixel photo (and no flash). If you set to 640x480 60 fps, it gets down to about 500k pixel.
7. Booting up and shutting down is fairly quickly, about 2 seconds maybe, tho you have to hold down the button until you see the screen comes alive or the LED blink (unlike the canon PS SD400, you just hit the power button and the camera is on)
8. B/c of the water proof feature, the button to activate recording and photo shoot are very clumsy, you have to press really hard for it to activate. Again, unlike SD400, the buttons are light touch.
9. Output out to my laptop, the USB cable is proprietor by Sanyo. Don't lose it. I have no card reader so I plug the USB cable into the camera. USB plug is next to the battery so every time you need to plug the usb, you have to open the battery compartment. Again, I think it's for waterproof reason.
10. Output using Picasa 3.0, the download speed is about 9.5 to 10 mb / second.
11. Power will be drain during upload to Picasa b/c the USB doesn't charge the camera. Only way to charge it is to unload the battery and plug in the housing charger.
12. Connect the camera to our tv is very easy with the red, yellow tv connector for tv viewing.
13. Photo mode w/ recording stopped is at 8 mega pixel. However, pictures gets quite grainy when it's low light (I think it's due to CMOS technology and not CCD), anti shake for photo shoot is terrible too when it's low light, when it's bright, it's excellent. And no Red Eye function, almost all photos shoot are with red eyes. (use Picasa to auto remove them), one feature I wish they have.
14. Menus are pretty easy, buttons are pretty easy, nothing complicated.
15. This thing is light, to about the weight of a cell phone.
16. 1 thing I get around for this camera to stand by itself it thru tripod, and the square base that comes w/ tripod for quick releases, I use that as the stand (on countertop, etc), as well as a better feel for not dropping the camera.
17. 2 suggestion to make this good. 1. USB to charge the battery when uploading files, 2. Red Eyes reduction, make the flash light goes 3 times.
18. All and all, this cannot really be use as a great camera for the buttons are clumsy, so a hard press would often move/shake the camera and gets blurry images, no red eyes reduction and CMOS tech makes it grainy in low light. Canon SD400 don't do that at all.
19. As a video camera, for $185, I think it's good.
20. Didn't have a change to try out the waterproof, it's winter time here and I haven't got a chance to go to Hawaii yet.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

Very small cute camera. It comes with a carrier which is cool. The quality is not great but good enough. Have not tried to use it under water yet. Very easy to use.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

Having owned camcorder's since they first came around years ago, I've gone through the purchase of "updating" every 5-7 years and each time, they've gotten smaller and promote themselves as mobile and bring anywhere. Problem is that by and large, they get left behind. The beauty of the Sanyo Xacti is that it is so easy to drop in your pocket and go, that there is no longer an excuse not to have the camcorder with you. Even the charger is small and mobile and takes up no room in your luggage. Sure, it's not HD but the price is great, the quality for recording those fun moments with the kids or whatever you choose, this camcorder was the one that stood out in all the reviews I read prior to purchasing. I'm very happy with it, it's a breeze to use and the transfer of your video over to your computer (I'm on a Mac) couldn't be simpler or quicker. I highly recommend the Xacti E2 for anyone looking for a great fun camcorder at a very affordable price.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

This unit is perfect for space conscious/ weight conscious travel. It's not very good in low light, but you don't have to worry about spilling you margarita on it while sitting by the pool or on the beach.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

This is my first review of an item on Amazon. I'm impressed with the quality of the pictures and video for the price. It takes a few seconds to adjust to lighting during video but then works fine. I haven't used it under water yet but did use it while sailing with a lot of ocean spray and it was fine. I usually use a large Cannon 40D camera so pictures aren't quite as nice as that but for a lightweight easy to use camera it does what it is expected to do. I have a 4GB card so have had plenty of space. Just keep an eye on the battery. It is probably a good idea to have a backup. There are lots of settings and I haven't had the chance to test them all yet. Easy to transfer to PC and view. Much easier than my other video camera!Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).

Overall, a great unit.
- Small size, easy to fit in jacket pocket (or handbag)
- Nice picture quality for video, decent quality for camera (stills)
- Looks good, and has not scratched with over 2 months of regular usage.
- Great price.
- Overall, a great option for causal use, and definitely beats carrying a separate camera and camcorder.Get more detail about Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue).