Make a Splash this Summer with the Sanyo Xacti CA100

Fancy filming the kids splashing around in the sea? Or how about capturing that pool party in all its glory? Then this summer's must-have has got to be a waterproof camcorder. Sanyo has just released a brand new model, the Xacti VPC-CA100 (also known as the DMX-CA100), which is waterproof to depths of three metres.

Sanyo Xacti CA100 Find the best price

Hot on the heels of the Kodak Playsport, Sanyo has now released a waterproof mini camcorder that's the ideal companion for any summer holiday. It films in 1080p Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels, 30p or 60i) and takes photos in 14 Megapixels. The Xacti CA100 also has the same 'pistol-cam' design as Sanyo's other Xacti camcorders.

It has a 12x zoom lens and starts with a focal length of 40 mm in 35 mm equivalent. In photo mode, the zoom is limited to 5x but focal length starts at 38 mm.

The Xacti CA100 can film for up to 60 minutes underwater on a single battery charge and recharges via a simple USB connection. Picture settings and video playback functions are accessible via the 2.8-inch LCD, that can be swivelled around 285 degrees. A dual-shot function allows you to take photos while you film, which, although not a new feature, is still very useful. The camcorder is fairly light at 242g. It can be easily held in one hand and has an integrated digital image stabilisation system.

Advanced functions include face recognition, high-speed sequential shooting at 7 fps and a macro mode that works at up to 1 cm from the subject. The CA100 also has a double range zoom for easily switching between wide-angle and telephoto modes. The wide-angle setting covers a zoom range of 40 - 240 mm, while the telephoto mode covers 80 - 480 mm. Just hit the Zoom Range button to switch instantly between the two. I'm still not quite sure why Sanyo chose to split the zoom range into two different settings though, especially since a focal length of 40 mm isn't even really that wide.


As on Sanyo's previous Xacti camcorders, the CA100 records to SD, SDHC or SDXC cards, which are widely used and readily available. You'll be able to store around four hours of 1080p video (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264) on a 32 GB card.

The CA100 has a mini-HDMI digital output (cable not included) for watching back all your masterpieces on an HD TV.

The CA100 is due for release this month, but UK pricing is yet to be confirmed. It will be available in yellow (CA100EXYL), pink (CA100EXP) and black (CA100EXBK).




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