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"Fantastic Camera" on by f51
Pros: Massive 3 inch LCD screen. Responsive Touch Sensor. Very close-up macros. Excellent color reproduction. 3x optical zoom. 6 megapixel
Cons: ABSOLUTELY NONE!
Summary: Whenever I hand my camera over to someone to take a picture, I have to explain the 2-stage shutter. With this camera, I can simply hand it to them and tell them to take the shot. The touch sensor does all of the labor. With the slightest touch of their finger, it starts stage one. A little small press and presto the pic is taken.
The guy at the photo store who sold me this camera stated that Sanyo makes more digital cameras than any other manufacturer. It turns out my last two digital cameras were designed and made by Sanyo but carried names of popular camera companies. This was a surprise to me.
The 3 inch LCD screen is great. It is crystal clear in bright sunlight and definitely the largest I have seen on a camera like this. The screen takes up most of the rear portion of the camera.
At 3x, the optical zoom is sufficient for most purposes. The extremely close macro ability is one of the best I have seen.
Pictures are processed quite well in the camera and need little if zero post-processing prior to printing. -
"Fantastic Little Camera, Great For Mac Users Too!" on by chrisliv
Pros: Small, light, easy auto modes, 3" LCD, smooth shape, internal optics, QuickTime/.mov video, sensible menus, good value to shrewd buyers.
Cons: You need a steady hand for smoother video panning, only monaural sound recording on video (maybe that’s a good thing?).
Summary: Well,
This Sanyo is a groovy camera.
Although I'm no real photographer, I did have a used Apple QuickTake 100 early on as digital cameras were coming out, and later an Agfa, and for the past 4-5 years an Olympus C3030-Z (great camera, but a little bulky for casual use).
I wanted a top-pocket camera with more pixels, and considered mostly the units with the 3" LCD, like the Olympus SP-700, the Sony one (I forget the model), and an Olympus Stylus 800 (even though it doesn't have a 3" LCD).
I chose the Sanyo because I got a great deal via eBay for one that a guy bought a few weeks earlier. It was an imported one that I bought for about $270, shipping included. It even came with a 1 GB SD memory card. The AC adapter did include a standard 110 plug, so there was no problem with foreign electricity standard, and the menus and a manual in English was provided. But, one of the USB cables was missing, which I may have shipped to me soon.
After shooting some video and pictures with different modes briefly, I wanted to see how well Apple's iPhoto catalog program responded to the SD stored images and video. So I plugged a USB memory card reader into a MiniMac and inserted the SD card into that, and iPhoto was happy to instantly ask if I wanted to import the images and video. Therefore, the images and video do very well on Mac, and no added software is needed to download them, catalog them, or play them in Quicktime.
Another reason I chose the Sanyo over the SP-700 is that the Sanyo seems to be the only one with the internal optics, which is to say that there is no extention of the lens mechanism beyond the flat surface of the camera, although it's hard to tell how much the SP-700 lens protrudes from the press photos. The Sanyo lens is automaticly covered when the power is turned off, i.e., no lens cover needed, but the Stylus 800 also has that feature. One feature many of the Olympus do have that I like is the ability to capture in TIFF format, too. Sanyo doesn't do that.
There is a good review on the Sanyo at steves-digicams.com, but there are a couple of other reviews on the Web that call it ugly and criticize the Touch Sensor feature. Of course, that feature can be turned off, and the typical two-stage capture can be used instead, so I don't know why they emphasize that. And, I like the clean, minimalist lines of the Sanyo.
The Sanyo is very small. An AC adapter is included, and it happens to be the same adapter that charges the battery. So, no charger is needed, and there is no need to buy an AC adapter. And, to me, it's nice that there's no docking station needed, either. I guess what I'm saying that it's a very tidy package.
I looked at camera models that could still use AA bateries, but finally decided that an ultra small camera like the Sanyo probably needs a proprietary-style battery. The included DB-L20 battery is listed at 720 mAh. I was happy to find a package of (2) new DB-L20 rated at 850 mAh for only $9.98, plus $3.50 S/H on eBay, too. So, battery back-up seems reasonable enough.
The menu system on the Sanyo was easy to navigate and very simple. There's a 4-shot mode which takes four pictures at once with various exposure settings and it lets you decide which you like best, or all of them. I compared those to the single-shot mode with Auto everything, and I found that it produced even better indoor shots than the 4-shot mode, which was nice, because it gave me a sense of confidence about the camera's ability when shooting instantly, without wanting to rely on the added 4-shot feature. The camera lets you zoom into photos that you've shot to see if the detail and focus is as good as you want, and I suppose that could help you to decide if an added shot would be helpful.
Overall, I recommend this Sanyo to all who seek an ultra-compact, user-friendly camera for mostly automatic-style photos, yet ones with plenty of pixels.
I plan to get a metal neck chain for this camera to act as a tether for it as it sits in my shirt top pocket, because it is very small and could be dropped far more easily than other, bulkier cameras.
Peace to you all,
C. Livingstone -
"Very cool camera" on by n91900
Pros: Large 3 inch display, 6 megapixel resolution, 3x optical display, touch sensor shutter button, sleek design, TV resolution video clips
Cons: haven't found any
Summary: Just purchased this camera as a replacement to my long time 3 megapixel. The quality is dramatically improved in this model with both the 6 megapixel resolution in addition to images that are have a complete tonal range when looked at on a histogram. The images require zero adjustment in the computer.
The camera takes the SD memory card which 512 MB cards can be had for an absolute bargain most weeks of the year.
The touch sensor shutter button is unbelievable. It actually knows when your finger makes contact and locks the focus and exposure automatically. A simple press of the shutter button and the picture is captured.
The camera came with plenty of software for people who do not already have imaging software.
The large 3 inch screen on the back speaks for itself. It is huge and impresses everyone who gets a look at it.
You get what you pay for and I'm glad I got the Xacti E6. -
"Perfect Pocket Camera" on by FS1982!
Pros: Large Screen, Compact Size, Movie Capture
Cons: Sometimes Blurry but probably user error
Summary: I must say I have been quite pleased with this camera. Surprisingly the reviews have not been stellar except from everyday users. If you have the chance to pick this camera up it is a very solid choice. I have had mine for about 3 years and has been dropped, sat on, and thrown (lightly) but has never given me any problem. I am very pleased with it.
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"The remarkable Sanyo Xacti E6 - superb choice !" on by Little Davel
Pros: Wonderful 3 inch screen, quick 3 x optical non protruding lens, good quality images and fine movie mode from a stylish compact camera
Cons: Lowlight performance is Ok but some red eye is noticeable.Movie mode is memory hungry.
Summary: What a terrific camera with some innovative and groundbreaking options included. Currently can be had for just over £100 in the UK, this Sanyo piece of kit has lots going for it !
The large 3 inch screen is the star attraction for the E6. Its displays stills and movies clearly and effectively, and I have had very few problems using it to frame shots in various different lighting situations. The screen is without doubt a crowd pleaser but the Konica Minolta 3 x optical non protruding lens gets equal billing ! And it works remarkably well. I have taken action shots in good light and got some beautiful clear pictures. The E6 generally produces pleasing sharp images with good colour balance which should satisfy most point and shoot customers and professionals wanting a pocketable second camera for holidays.
Lowlight performance is fair but like a lot of small digital cameras you have to expect some red eye problems - and the E6 is no different here. On the whole the camera doesn't do a bad job in poor lighting despite a fairly average flash.
The optional touch sensitive shutter button does work after a little practice and yes it speeds up the autofocus - but I prefer the traditional method of pressing the shutter halfway to focus. But Sanyo give you a choice. The same can also be said of the voice help mode which tells you which screen or mode you are working in.Thankfully this can be turned off with ease as well.
The optical zoom is smooth and the zoom controller well placed. The E6 is very well designed and has a minimalist style to it - which catches the eye. Style and quality build are evident the moment you first set eyes on the camera.
The menu has loads of best shot modes and filters and offers plentiful options in capturing and playback of stills and movies. The option to superimpose one picture into another is fun and keeps the kids amused ! You can reduce the megapixels from 6 mp down to 4 mp or 2mp if you are running out of space with the SD card.
I did not purchase the E6 for the movie mode but I was pleased with the quality of the results. Although I understand Sanyo is producing an upgrade model to introduce image stabilization for this mode - it still works very well if you don't move the unit around too much. Be aware that the movie mode takes up a lot of memory on the SD card.
The lithium ion battery appears to last a good long time - but viewing movies and stills on the screen will use up power so purchasing a cheap second battery may be an idea. You charge the battery in the camera and no extra cradle is required - fantastic.
The Sanyo Xacti E6 compares well in turns of performance with more popular brands I have tried out - and Sanyo's growing reputation should make this a popular range of digicams.
Although it is not a perfect compact - and I did purchase at a reasonable price - I rate this camera very highly.I look forward to seeing how Sanyo develop this range. I tend to agree with the more positive pro reviews on this product that the E6 has a lot ot offer.
Meanwhile, if you want a pocketable and convenient compact cam which gives good quality stills and movie images when you need it - and looks cool don't dismiss the E6 ! Keep your eyes open for a bargain !
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