Sanyo Xacti VPC-E1 Review

The E1 features an internal 5x optical zoom lens with a 38mm-190mm (35mm equivalent) focal length and a maximum aperture of f3.5 (Wide) to f4.7 (Telephoto). This is an all-glass lens constructed of 12 elements in 9 groups with 3 aspheric elements. There is a 12x digital zoom that extends the range to a total of 60x.

The TTL contrast detection autofocus system automatically selects one of 9 focus areas with a selectable Spot (center only) focus mode. It also features a manual focus option.
The focus mode can be selected from:

• Total - automatically covers landscape, normal and macro range / 3.94 in. (10cm) to infinity in Wide, 31.5 in. (80cm) to infinity in Telephoto
• Normal - 31.5 in. (80cm) to infinity
• Super Macro - covers 0.39 in. to 31.5 in. (1 - 80cm) in Wide only.

The speedlight has modes for: Auto, Forced On, Forced Off and Red-Eye reduction. Pressing the flash button not only pops the flash up, but also changes the desired mode.

The working range is:

• 10cm - 1.7m (3.94 in. - 5.58 ft.) [Wide], 80cm - 1.3m (31.5 in. - 4.27 ft.) [Tele]

Note: you can also see the built-in waterproof speaker on the right.

On the back of the LCD are the waterproof stereo microphones.

Controls on the back: Top left is the Menu button, which calls up and dismisses the onscreen menu system. Next, there are two shutter releases, the left one is for taking still pictures, the right one is for recording movies. The 4-way controller is for navigating menus and selecting images in review mode. Press it straight in to accept menu selections. Pressing it "up" and "down" controls the zoom, in playback mode they act as the Magnify and Index options. You can also choose which functions are activated by pressing "left" or "right" via the Setup menu.

On the top of the camera (not shown), there is a small multi-indicator LED that will light or flash depending on different camera operations. See the chart above.

Controls on the side: The REC / PLAY button controls the operational mode of the camera, and the main power on/off button.

Unlike most Xacti models we have seen, the E-1 does not feature a cradle. The combination I/O port is located in the water tight memory card/battery compartment. It handles both Audio/Video output to a TV set, and USB 2.0 (high-speed) for downloading images to your PC or Mac as well as direct printing to any PictBridge compatible photo printer.

The Xacti E1 stores its data on 18MB of internal flash memory or removable SD cards up to 4GB and SDHC cards with capacities of 4GB and 8GB. See the chart below for the approx storage capacities.

Storage Capacity

Note:

• The maximum continuous shooting time at the WEB-SHQ setting is 5 hours 30 minutes. The maximum for WEB-HQ is 7 hours.
• Up to 12 hours of continuous audio recording is possible.
• When recording a video clip using an 8GB card, recording terminates when the size of the file currently being recorded reaches approx. 4BG.
• The figures indicate the capacity when an SD Memory Card by Sandisk is used.
• Even with cards of the same capacity, the amount of data that can actually be stored may differ depending on the card brand, etc.
• The continuous shooting time for each video clip will differ depending, for example, on the card capacity, environmental conditions (temperature and shooting conditions, etc.).

The E1 is powered by a proprietary DB-L20 3.7v 720mAh Li-ion rechargeable battery pack that is charged in the VAG-L20N rapid AC charger. This handy charger is thin and features fold away prongs, making it great for traveling.

Battery Life (approx.)