SANYO XACTI VPC-C1

It’s all very well having a movie camera that takes great pictures and is packed with features, but not if you ruin your holiday worrying about its bulky weight and its appeal to thieves. Sanyo’s diminutive Xacti VPC-C1 (£500 inc. VAT) solves the bulkiness problem and because it’s about the same size as a packet of cigarettes it can stay out of sight in a pocket when not needed. It also weighs just 180g with the battery, and comes with a Secure Digital card, strap and lens cover. The VPC-C1 seems like a digital stills camera in the form factor of a handycam. However, it’s more than that, with improved features and specifications for movies – though it won’t match the quality of its larger digital movie cousins. It sits somewhere in between; a hybrid whose primary goal is convenience.

Operation is straightforward. You hold it like a pistol with the 1.5-inch screen open. However, it’s a bit too small for people with large hands, and because the opened screen partially blocks the handgrip, you tend to use both hands when filming. It’s also tricky to tip-up for portrait-style photos. A thumb-operated button starts and stops movie capture, and another takes shots, which you can do while shooting a movie. However, the film will pause at the point where the snapshot was being saved. A zoom switch controls the 5.8x optical and 10x digital zoom. Below this are two buttons for menu navigation, and the structure and layout makes changing settings a breeze.

Unfortunately, focusing is poor when the camera is zooming and it takes up to four seconds to refocus when finished, by which time you’ve probably missed the action. However, the macro function is exceptionally good, allowing you to focus on an object just 2cm from the lens. The 3.2-megapixel camera captures JPEGs up to 2048 x 1536 pixels, and MPEG-4 movies from 176 x 144 pixels up to 640 x 480 pixels at15 or 30fps – installing QuickTime 6.3 (supplied)will upgrade your laptop to MPEG-4.The 128MB SD card stores 122 highest-resolution pictures, and from five to 37 minutes of video, depending on the setting.

A number of useful editing software packages are supplied: PhotoExplorer for editing digital photos; VideoStudio for editing movie clips; and MotionDirector, which creates scrolling panoramas in QuickTime VR format. Mac users only get QuickTime and PhotoExplorer, but they should already have Apple’s iMovieprogram. An AV cable and remote control are provided for connection to a TV or VCR. Battery life is good, easily allowing a full holiday weekend of shooting and viewing on a single charge. A handy docking cradle makes battery charging and data transfer effortless. Unfortunately, the stereo microphone is exceedingly prone to wind noise, creating a rumbling soundtrack in the slightest breeze. In calm or indoor environments it picks up voices well. Overall, the build is sturdy, but we were concerned about the SD card slot’s door. It’s tricky to open and has a flimsy plastic hinge. The VPC-C1 is a very interesting camera. While it isn’t without problems and disappointments, it achieves its main aims with aplomb. By turning a digital camera on its end and rearranging the controls for movie making, its form factor and usability are outstanding. Then again, we can’t wait to see an updated version that addresses its shortcomings.

RATING: 7
PRICE: £425/£500 (EX/INC. VAT)
SENSOR: 3.2 MEGAPIXEL CCD
LENS: 38 TO 220MM OPTICAL (35MM EQUIVALENT)
IMAGE SIZES: UP TO 2048 X 1536 PIXELS (STILLS) AND 640 X 480 (VIDEO)
MONITOR: 1.5-INCH TRANSFLECTIVE LCD
IMAGE STORAGE: SD CARD (128MB PROVIDED)
FLASH: BUILT-IN AUTO FLASH
WEIGHT: 180G
SIZE (W X H X D): 69 X 108 X 34MM
BATTERIES: LITH-ION
TRANSFER: USB 2.0 (CRADLE)
SOFTWARE: QUICKTIME, ULEAD PHOTO EXPLORER, ULEAD VIDEOSTUDIO, MOTIONDIRECTOR
CONTCAT: 01923 246 363 WWW.SANYO.CO.UK

Price correct at time of writing