I've been reasonably impressed with Sanyo's offerings in terms of digital cameras in the past and have used the predecessors to the CG6, including the HD1 and VPC-C6. Both cameras are reasonable, but were absolutely hopeless in low light conditions (ISO400), the CG6 has an ISO of 1600 (finally) giving one of Sanyo's offering standard low light capabilities on par with the other high quality cameras, meaning I could video most of my more embarrassing pub crawls, but not my night club adventures.The mic (built into the screen) is surprisingly sensitive, especially to sounds emanating close by, but very resistant to wind and background noise including tapping or brushing of the mic.
The video quality is 640x480 and is in MP4 format (quicktime) which is comparable in quality to the latest iTunes movie downloads of the same resolution, though you can adjust it to be of lower quality. The photos are 6 megapixels which speaks for itself.
PC or Mac Connection is done by a standard USB cable which also doubles as a charger. Battery life also seems reasonable as does the charge time, but having never filmed for more than an hour without a recharge I would be cautious on long trips.
Despite a few minor drawbacks I would highly recommend this camera, it's reasonably durable and fits easily in ones pocket or a generic soft compact camera case. Personally I take it everywhere, I like to start filming and then pass the camera among friends for a few minutes, after a short while people forget it's there, after which you're left with a multiple perspective view of the previous night, very much worth the high price.
My only complaints would be that:
1.) It does not take rapid photographs like the Canon range can, nor can it take photographs one after another in rapid succession.
2.) No built-in lens cap, (there is a removable one that comes in the box).
3.) Slight noise with still pictures (vastly improved over previous models, but slightly more noticeable than with other brands).
4.) Awkward to stand upright on a surface, but possible.
5.) Little warning before the battery runs out.
The camera is great, small, fast, handles the large sd cards perfectly. I plan on putting it to great use in a few weeks during summer vacation. So far, the videos I've shot with this camera are terrific. Close-up's and details are crisp and clear. The auto-focus is dead-on for the most part. I have no complaints as far as that goes. I carry the thing around daily in my pocket..something I couldn't do with a camcorder.
I know most photo camera's can record video..but this is more of a video camcorder that can take pictures. I like the feature that allows you to snap a picture while in the middle of recording a video, but I wasn't crazy about how it paused momentarily. Could have been related to my card speed (it's not a fast sd card) but the feature still worked.
I'd recommend getting additional batteries if using this for extended periods of time. But I'd recommend that for any camera. You can never have too much power.
As far as cons go, the one time I used the camera for about an hour to record my brother-in-laws wedding, I noticed the camera got kinda warm. I hadn't noticed that to be the norm, but I was doing a lot of recording that day. And it could have been related to the battery too since I ran it down to empty. That was of course before buying the extra batteries. See above.
I haven't played with many of the built-in features yet other than white balance and video quality. I prefer recording everything on the SHQ (Super High Quality) setting but it does record at a pretty high bitrate. I also own an Apple TV and when I try playing the videos in their SHQ format on Atv it has trouble with that. No fault of the camera..I just think the Atv is a bit underpowered for the high bitrate. Regular HQ recording play well on Atv though. I still record at the higher setting so that I have more details when I go to do editing on the iBook. I can always lower the bandwidth during export so it's not an issue to be concerned with. I don't think anyone can shoot a video professionally in one take and so the chances of needing to put un-edited SHQ footage on the Atv is unlikely.
As I stated in the headline, I'd recommend spending the extra few bucks to get the H.264 codec built in. It's a matter of personal preference but it does save space and it's quickly becoming an industry standard.
After vacation I'll repost with any changes to my opinion, but as it stands now, I'm happy with my purchase.
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I'm quite impressed, especially with the quality of stills. And there are many photo and video settings that can be changed.After using the camera for a few hours, I need to work out how to hold it. I have average sized hands and firmly holding the camera is tricky, especially when it's time to push the still or video button. I handled the HD2 and it fits better in my hand, but doesn't fit my wallet.
The flash is weak and is only effective within 6 feet, but that's what I expect from such a small flash.
The menu system is very intuitive and easy to navigate. I especially like the ability to assign menu functions to the joystick, that's a great idea. I assigned AF lock, ISO, Flash and Focus to the joystick for quick access.
I'm a stickler for image quality (acknowledging the obvious limitations of this camera), so everything is set to the highest quality. The video is better than Hi8, but definately not DVD quality.
I purchased two 2GB Kingston 50x Elite Pro cards, one card came with a free reader. Why didn't I purchase a 4 or 8 SDHC card? I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket if that basket might be lost or corrupted during a one-time event. Also, a spare battery is a must-have.
I've been reading the forums on this camera, and I looked at lots of sample clips, so I know the limitations of the Xacti, but in the end, the portability trumps video quality. I would feel self-conscious every time I whipped out my old camcorder, but with the CG65 it's small enough to be inconspicuous and I can shoot more candid videos.
After all, what's the point of having a camcorder if you dread lugging it around? The CG65 can't match the video quality of a dedicated digital camcorder, but you'll shoot a lot more video...and the stills are excellent.
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I should preface what follows with the statement that I bought this to replace an "ancient" miniDV camcorder the original Canon ZR, which has less than stellar autofocus and low-light performance. Even so, I enjoyed using it thoroughly, but was getting tired of the weight and, more importantly, the hassle of downloading from tapes to my computer. Even with Firewire, a thankless and time consuming task.So tapes were out, and I don't trust hard drives, so HDD was out too. That left the Sanyo and assorted DVR camcorders. No doubt there are many wonderful DVR camcorders, and it is quite likely that the better ones take better movies, but I wasn't going to get something that needed me to buy expensive additinal media with a 20 minute recording time.
I absolutely am stunned with the quality of this hybrid camera. It takes movies that look better than my old miniDV camcorder, blows away digital still camera movie modes, and the picture quality compares favorably to other mid-entry level digital compacts.
The absolute truth behind any great video or photo is this: you better have your camera with you. And this camera makes you want to bring it everywhere. Since I bought it, it hasn't left my side, and I've captured more video of my child in the last week than I have in the last several years, just because the camera is always there.
Sure it could be improved, but Sanyo did a pretty good job. The flash positioning is a bit odd off to the side, but I haven't noticed any vignetting, and the flash isn't as weak as the size would indicate. I suspect that was done to avoid errant fingers covering it during operation, as it IS pretty easy to get so engrossed that you don't notice until a couple seconds in that your finger has strayed to the top of the lens.
The menu system is clear and intuitive, and unlike some reviewers in other forums, I found it easy and logical to use. The screen is good and the overall feeling of the unit is solid, considering the price point. The battery life is not stellar, but not bad either pretty much what one would expect from the size and capacity. I was able to squeeze about an hour from it, much of it reviewing and taking flash pictures as well as making movies.
The shake reduction feature I can't say much about it. I have rock steady hands, and haven't noticed more than normal amounts of camera movement.
The niggles: in low light, focusing becomes frustrating, if it works at all. Yes, there's a work around by simply setting up manual focusing using a distance based scale ( it works! ), but an AFassist light would have been tremendously welcomed.
The case, while undeniably "sexy" and svelte, could have done with some rubberization. Put the strap on RIGHT AWAY when this arrives, and don't handle the camera without it, lest it slip.
To sum up: if this keeps working as it is now, I'll be blissfully happy for a long time. I highly recommend this for the family snapshooter to whom portability, value, and simple the fun factor are important.
UPDATE: I can't figure out how to lower the starred rating, or I would. I've now owned two of these and ended up returning them both. I took the first one on vacation with me, and while it performed brilliantly function-wise and was a kick to use, almost every video I took had a rectangular ghost image floating in the lower left quadrant of the screen. It was particularly noticeable when zooming in.
I searched user forums and found very little information, so I hoped I had simply gotten a bad unit.
Enter the replacement unit same model same problem, but in an even worse location top of center. To be fair, it only shows up when shooting with bright light outdoors ( not even into sun, it shows up when you are facing away from the sun or it is overcast ) , but isn't that exactly what you'd buy a camcorder for??? So, back #2 went, too. I noticed that both cameras also have a really bad flare problem which is exacerbated by the absence of a lens hood and the relative proximity of the lens to the front of the camera body.
I really wished I could have lived with it, but I really don't want to have my videos ruined by ghostlike gray rectangles in nearly every clip. Sanyo, get with the program already and fix that.
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I must admit that I was skeptical of this camera. It comes in such a small package I was worried that the quality of the photos/video would be low. I have been pleasantly surprized by the quality of both the video and photos. It is really a neat camera and always draws comments. It easily fits in your pocket and is up and running in seconds. My only problem is that with the blessing of its small size is also the problem of having large hands and fingers. Its difficult to figure out a good way to hold the camera. The slick plastic exterior doesn't help (rubberized padding or grips would help). I find it difficult to use with one hand, which seems silly that you would have to use two hands on such a small, simple camera. All said, I really like the camera, it works as claimed. Quality good. Importing into my Mac, super easy and quick. I just wish it was easier to hold. People with large hands and big fingers may want to keep looking.
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