So, After a week testing the Sanyo Xacti VPC-CA9 waterproof HD video camera; some of my first impressions:
- nice toy… don’t expect a professional HD camera. I see it like this: compare it to a (decent) point & shoot version of digital photo camera. Don’t compare it with a big bulky SLR, but see it as a versatile point & shoot cam that you take everywhere. That bulky one often stays at home
- Build & Quality:
- the buttons feel a bit weird… maybe because everything is waterproof, they use another system? They feel a bit wobbly… but function o.k.
- the housing is plastic but firm, pretty scratch-proof (I have a black version)
- Usage: easy & simple. just point & shoot.
- Video Quality: Judge for yourself: here are some raw output test-files. I filmed a flipping car.
- HD 720p 30 frames /second : car-flip_720p-30fps.MP4
- 640×480 60fps: car-flip_640x480-60fps.MP4
- 640×480 30fps: car-flip_640x480-30fps.MP4
- A 720p waterride: good test of light-dark and a lot of movement + water : HD-waterride-720p.MP4
I like the output of all my material on a Computer. Through the USB cable on my HD TV it looks rather crappy to be honest…
- Zoom: it has a 5 times optical zoom. To be honest… everything above that is only useful with a tripod. You can use a tripod , but why put a point & shoot on a tripod? I do not use digital zoom, because it’s lousy . On any (photo)camera
- Photo Quality: poor-to average. It’s a video cam. Do not see it as a good photo camera. Compare it to an iPhone: it makes calls and much more, but takes lousy pics. I feel the same about the Sany Xacti VPC-CA9
- Waterproof : this is really the fun part. When you use it in a pool, the looks on people faces when you submerge it are priceless. They really think you are retarded because you take your digital camera so close to the water. If they see you filming under water, they come up to you to ask questions about it ;). Probably because the camera doesn’t look “waterproof”: plastic & bulky. After underwater use you just rince it under a tap. The weird part about it is that you get used to being fearless around water with your other gadgets. I almost wanted to rince my iPhone when it got sticky!
Conclusion: happy with it, using it a lot…but don’t expect a full blown HD cam. Output on TV could be better. Waterproof use is incredible
Next step: converting it to a helmetcam: building a shockproof case and a helmet mount for it + attaching a wide angle lens to it…maybe trying a steadycam ‘ish version of it.
Twitter Updates
Super review. Thanks a lot. Always nice to see a real user review a product. Wish you a lot more waterfun!
…and take it out for a surf 🙂 – – if can stand the filty northsea …
Ok…let’s try that on the next swell
What is camera’s video stabilizer behavior with it full 5x zoom? Thanks!
Hi looking at getting one of these, what type of battery life do you get?
I get about 60-70 minutes video time out of it. I just close the screen
and don’t shut it off. No idea what the performance would be when you take flash pictures.
The stabilizer on 5x zoom is not impressive. Keep your hand stready, or use à portable stand. I sometimes use a collapsable ski pole.
Thanks a lot for posting the original raw mp4 videos, it’s hard to judge the quality from youtube clips.
Since the Xacti CA9 has a CMOS sensor, I’m very interested in the performance of the rolling shutter (to avoid wobble artifact). Could you take a simple video while walking around, then running a little (without stabilizer) ? Then I could try to stabilize the video afterward with Deshaker and see what it gives (I can’t do it on the HD-waterride-720p.MP4 video since there is almost no background for the stabilizer to use).
That would help me a lot in my choice between XActi CA-9 (CMOS sensor) and Xacti HD700 (CCD sensor).
Thx, I see that a lot of people are interested in it. When i find some time, i’ll see what i can do for your request
Please i will like to know where to buy in USA
or where to order trough internet
With Regards,
I got mine at a local Wal-Mart. My 10.1MP Casio Exilim screen cracked and I tried a Pentax 12 Megapixel point and shoot and wasn’t pleased with grainy photos and poor video. I came across the CA9 being advertised as a digital picture and movie camera in 1 With HD and waterproof up to 5FT. Only $299.00….. hmmm…. so I gave it a try. Only 9MP and a little short on other features, but that can’t be too bad, right?
I got home and fully charged the battery in about an hour. I then immediately took it for a dip in the pool and the pictures look great. I am very pleased with the picture quality and the HD isn’t all that bad. I haven’t tried it in dark areas yet, but if the quality is like those I’ve seen so far, then I will be very pleased. I’m not a pro photographer, so I cannot compare it it higher-end prosumer stuff, but if you find one…. at least check it out at the store. The Sanyo brand is ok in my book…. at least for now.
Hi there,
I just bought a CA9 and have just uploaded my first set of videos to the computer. When the video plays it has a weird effect that makes the picture appear to “slip” a few frames every couple of seconds.
It could be an issue with the memory card as I have not bought anything special .. anyone have insight into the minimum quality of memory card?
Hey there, for the video slipping issue try playing with VLC and see if still happens, on my high power mac pro i had the problem with Quicktime but the problem was not evident in VLC … good luck!
Hi ! Could you please post some samples of pics taken with the CA9 in different conditions ? I am really interested, but just a bit worried about completely forgetting my digital cam for the CA9 only. I want to have good quality pictures also, on top of filming. Thanks !
Hey there,
I just put up some unedited pictures I found lying around on the laptop: http://www.ferket.com/images/xacti/
Hope this helps you out
Thanks a lot for the pictures. They don’t look as clear and crisp as those taken with my waterproof Samsung camera, but I guess that for a camcorder they are pretty decent. Nice location by the way ! It seems you are in the Bordeaux area, right ?
Now, like i said in the review: it’s a camcorder that takes photo’s, not a photocamera that shoots movies. It would be interesting to see what the current batch of waterproof photocamera’s deliver for moviequality.
And yes…it was the Bordeaux area: surfing trip to Lacanau.
I’m still looking for a solution to take the cam into the swell, but the forces during surfing are so violent that i haven’t figured out how..
Hi there, I posted this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWT5o1eK_mw) on youtube so that you can have an idea. It was taken with an olympus Stylus 850SW. Indeed the quality has nothing to do with the CA9… It is not an underwater film (I rarely use it for full underwater movie, just underwater pics). Hope this is useful.
Hi. Thanks for the great review and video samples. How do you find the video quality in darker conditions (say a dimly lit room or at dusk)?
Hi
Thanks for your review and sample videos.
I bought now such a CA9 as well. My opinion differs in this way:
The quality over TV is only bad when you using to cable from the box.
Watching the movies with my PS3 provides IMHO a really good quality 🙂
People who have doubt: Download the videos provided here on test it!
Hi I have a question, I cannot use the flash in recording mode do you know why? it is possible?
“I’m still looking for a solution to take the cam into the swell, but the forces during surfing are so violent that i haven’t figured out how..”
How about modifying the strange case that came with the camera ?
Just cut away the area by the lens and perhaps a little area at the back to access to the capture buttons ?
I`ve removed the front and everything works well.
The only problem with the camera is that you can`t record with the lcd screen closed 🙁 so you`ll just have to spin the screen round but atleats the case will add some protection to the vulnerable screen.
If anyone knows a way to record with the screen closed please tell, as sometime I don`t need to have the screen open to film.
cheers
Hi,
first of all, sorry for my English.
I want to buy this camera since last month, i’m very interesting of the waterproof capability, but i’m not sure about the video quality. I’ve been looking around for the movie sample on internet, specially on youtube, infact I’ve seen your video on youtube, and i’m not satisfy for the video quality.
Xacti CA9 is the cheapest HD waterproof SD camcorder i’ve known, and SANYO brand have a good reputation in here, but still it’s prety big deal for some people in my country, including me ofcourse (here, its about $330+$25 incl 8GB SD), so I must choose wisely.
But since I’m watching your raw sample video, I’m sure that this camcorder is the one. The video qualty is good enought for me. So, I will buy it as soon as I get my payroll next month (^_^).
Thanks for your review & sample video. God bless you.
Expect quality of a cheap camera (this is what it is!) and thats all! Yes its HD, but not very good quality. The rolling shutter is terrible. If only the had upped the shutter speed to 1/60th it might have been a lot better. Its about the same as video mode on any point and shoot camera, if it had HD size. If you want something that is waterproof, its awesome, but dont fall for that gimmick if you dont need it. Not really disappointed with this camera, but definitely not amazed, its cheap…
And Yes, I do own one.
Hi, I have recently purchased the CA9. I want to burn video to DVD to share with family but the quality is really bad. Movies look good on my pc but very disappointed with the DVD’s. Does anybody know why the quality is poor?
Also when I switch to record, the screen goes black for approx 2 seconds…then starts to record, do they all do this?
Seems like it has to do with your DVD recording software. What are you using? PC or Mac?
I am using a pc with the bundled Arcsoft Total Media Extreme that came with the camera.
Help!
We had the older SD version of the Xacti pistol grip, which we loved to take skiing with us. It actually died our first week out this year so we immediately ordered this new HD version. However, the new version is missing the most important feature of the old one, the ability to CLOSE THE VIEW FINDER WHILE CONTINUING TO RECORD.
Does anyone know is the new HD version also has this capability? Is it a setting we are missing? We are really bummed out.
Thanks!
Hello,
Thanks for this review I was wondering about the quality but sample you have provided are good enough for me.
I’ll get this toy soon.
Thierry:
Try different software like a real DVD maker program.
the video quality sucks
even my 3 mp phone camera shoots better still photos than the xacti CA9
like omg srsly
using the ‘lamp’ function, this was taken under a yellow lamp in my room
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/2098/sany0006ri.jpg
Here’s a comparision of two Sanyo XActi cameras HD700 vs CA9:
http://techblog.viczian.hu/?p=6
I posted a long split screen video, some parts after deshaker. Plus a few still pictures taken in the same circumstances. You can compare CCD and CMOS technology as used by Sanyo.
CA9 was a great new XACTI with the fisrt 60 fps mode (only in 640/480)
NOW is coming the great new FULL HD CA100 – WATERPROOF too !
If you want to compare them and see a lot of videos sample,
have a look here :
http://www.anjoyplanet.com/video/sample.html
😉
Just bought one of these and not really impressed with it?
Have ran tests and the video on my iphone4 is much better? any views or have I jut got it not setup right? The quality was terrible compared to the waterside video?
Mine failed after 15 months, pretty pathetic for a $300+
camera. Sanyo has an underwhelming 90 day labor warranty. If you
want a reliable camera get another brand.
@Andrew F
Also faced the challenge “filming with screen closed”. It is a bit of a mind game, but it’s actually quite easy. Simply flip the screen, so it faces outside when folded. This way you can film in “compact mode”.