The CA6 was not available in any local stores so I researched the smack out of this video camera on the web before I bought it from Amazon. I thought I knew exactly what I was getting but the box contained a big surprise. I was expecting something small and utilitarian. Instead, I got a beautiful little jewel. It is delightful to look at and fun to hold. Grant you I am always fascinated with unusual design and shape.
The camera was a Christmas gift for my wife and I wanted to set it up before Christmas day so she could unwrap it and start filming (film?). The Instruction book is as impressive as the camera itself. Not for design but for its volume and it is all in English. I still haven't managed to digest but a few sections.
Video quality is excellent for our purpose. There are six different video resolutions and a variety of photo resolutions available in the easy to use menu system. The SHQ TV resolution is really stunning when you consider the miniscule sized gizmo that created it. We took the camera to Key West last week and recorded in SHQ WEB (320x240 / 30fps) resolution (perfect for making videos for sharing on the web). Every time you start and stop recording, a new MPEG4 file is created on the SD memory card. Using the photo function creates a high resolution JPEG file. At the end of the trip we had a couple of hundred files to download onto the Mac. We are currently editing the files into a movie with iMovie. At the smaller video resolution I was able to get about three hours of MPEG4 files and forty-two high resolution JPEG (2816x2112) files on less than half of the 2gb SD card. The same memory card holds about an hour and a half of video at the highest resolution setting (640x480 / 30fps at minimum compression).
Image stabilization works well enough for moderate hand movement but it didn't keep up with rough water on a sailboat around Key West. I wish the zoom range had more field of view on the wide end but it is tighter than I expected on the telephoto end. This is not a camera for long distance tight shots of wild animals or beach bunnies. It has no tripod mount so the telephoto power is just long enough for the image stabilizer to cope with when hand holding the camera on steady ground.
My hands are really too large for the controls but I found ways to adapt. It fits my wife perfectly. The CA6 is supplied with a hand strap to keep the camera tethered to your body and supply leverage for one handed use. I use the strap mostly for accident prevention and use my left hand to stabilize the camera by holding the outside of the frame of the view screen while delicately mashing the controls with my fat thumb on my right hand. Even with the hand tether attached to the camera we easily carried the camera and tether in our pockets without any problems and I was able to do some incognito filming on Duval Street. The relatively large (and very bright) view screen can be folded back against the camera while recording (folding the view screen back to the camera while not recording or reviewing shuts the camera off) for "shoot from the hip" filming.
Along with a small carrying pouch and a 2 or 4gb High Speed SD memory card, I recommend an additional battery as a necessary accessory. The tiny battery powers the camera in video mode for an hour or so but using the built in flash for photos knocks the small cell down in hurray. Reviewing and messing with the menu also cuts into battery duration. The lithium ion battery is physically smaller than my cell phone battery and recharges in less than two hours. In use it is completely enclosed inside the camera. The Sanyo OEM battery is easy to find on the web and there are a number of less expensive, alternative brands made to fit the Xacti cameras. Also, gentle use of an absorbent lens cloth will keep the view screen and the lens window clean.
The CA6 lacks convenience features that would make it larger and susceptible to problems from dirt and water. There are no ports, jacks or connections on the outside of the camera. The Battery, memory card and USB port access are located under a well designed, seal tight door on the bottom of the camera. A minimal control panel increases durability but somewhat limits easy access to the many system features. All adjustments are made by navigating through the menu on the view screen via the use of your right thumb and the tiniest joystick I have ever seen. It turned out to be much easier to use than I though it would and there is a provision to program favorite settings into some "short-cut" moves on the control stick. Above the menu control is a button for starting and stopping the video recording and another for making photos. A half-inch space and small ridge separates the two controls. Between the exposure / record buttons and the menu control are tiny buttons that activate the menu system and select the mode (puts the camera in record or playback).
Considerations for design and purpose aside, I have some issues that Sanyo should consider. The camera needs an accessory cradle of some sort that would allow it to be placed on a mounting thread. There are a number of features offered on the camera that are next too useless unless I innovate some method of remotely stabilizing it. Gaffers tape works for fastening it on a mounting clamp, monopod or walking staff but I hate putting anything sticky on the beautiful little frame. While Sanyo designs a mounting system they should also make a remote control.
Focusing and exposure are controlled by a sophisticated, multi-pattern, through-the-lens computer program that works well with a polarizing filter (I used my sun glasses) for enhanced image quality. So why is there no provision to thread a small diameter filter over the round lens window opening?
The sound recording quality is very good and the selectable noise filters work better than I expected but I don't see the point to using up the data space for stereo sound when the separation between the left and right channel microphones is a few millimeters. I haven't digested all 166 pages of the instruction book but so far I can't find any provision for recording in mono sound mode. Finally, motor noise from the zoom lens is noticeable in low noise situations. Even though I seldom use the zoom function while recording and I realize this is a common issue in small video cameras but it still bugs me. We usually strip away most the recorded sound and replace it with music or dubbing when editing videos anyway.
Brandishing the CA6 in a crowd will attract attention. As soon as people realize it is a video camera they are on it like flies on poop. My wife likes the attention but I prefer to be unhampered with other people's curiosity.
Sanyo supplies a suite of video/photo editing and DVD burning software for PC users. The CA6 lacks FireWire connectivity for live editing on Macs and there is no Mac compatible software supplied but the camera syncs well as a card reader with my Mac through the USB port for downloading the files to the hard drive. Any Mac owner savvy enough to edit video files and burn DVD's already has the software to accomplish the task. The camera also possesses surprisingly extensive onboard-editing capability through the viewing screen or on your television. Sanyo supplies a cord that plugs into the USB connection and provides a composite video and stereo sound output for your television system where you can view and edit your video and photo files utilizing the camera's amazing menu array. I have no idea about battery duration for this purpose and there is no external power input to the camera (the battery has an external charging cradle). Be aware that lower resolution video file settings look fine on a computer but they are nasty on your television.
Overall the camera is beautiful, reliable and fun to use with lots of features. It is tiny, easy to hide, fast starting, durable, water and dirt resistant. The images are very good. I am delighted with the Exacti CA6 so far (when I can get it away from my wife).
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