Sanyo VPC-CG102 High Definition Camcorder and 14 MP Camera w/12x Optical Zoom
by SANYO
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: SANYOModel: VPC-CG102BK
Color: Black
Product features:
- Full HD 1080, 60i Video (1920 x 1080)
- 14MP Photos
- 12x Dual Range Zoom Video
- 5x Optical Zoom Photo
- 2.7-inch Wide LCD Monitor for HD Playback
- Pinnacle Studio HD V14 [OLD VERSION]
- Sony Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum Pro Pack [OLD VERSION]
- Adobe Premiere Elements 9 [Old Version]
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sanyo VPC-CG102 High Definition Camcorder and 14 MP Camera w/12x Optical Zoom
Customer Review: 24hr Later and I'm Very Pleased So Far
Summary: 4 Stars
Before I bought this camera I did quite a bit of research on various others, like the Kodak Playsport the various Flips some from Sony and others. I also looked at other models offered by Sanyo. None of the cameras gave me everything I wanted. But this one gave me the most and at a very affordable price.
I looked at user videos posted on youtube from all the cameras I was interested in, as well as read many reviews, and found that the VPC-CG102 came up comparable if not better than most of all the ones I checked out. I recommend doing that for anyone looking to buy a new camera. But here's a run down of the features found on this camera that convinced me to buy.
Very good picture quality, HD is sharp and the colors pop!
Very quick start-up, and it enters standby or power save mode after just a few seconds of inactivity to conserve battery life.
The auto focus works very well. No problem tightening up to really close objects to those further away, then back again.
Ability to take up to 14megapixel stills (none of the other cameras in this price range I looked at offered this high a resolution for stills) However, to take them in widescreen the highest setting is 12megapixels
Extremely compact design. It feels great in the hand (love the pistol like grip over the iphone style of most pocket cameras) And it DOES fit in a pocket! Very light weight! And truly one handed operation.
Ease of use, not a lot of fancy features, but if you just want basic point and shoot this is great for that. Navigating the menus is easy too.
One of the few cam's I looked at that records in stereo which you can really hear! (there is some background noise you will detect especially if there is no sound to what you're filming but I think all cameras have that)
Rotating screen so you can record yourself
And despite my concerns of the low light quality most people have talked about with this camera, I found that isn't as much of an issue as I thought it would be. My house is pretty dark, since most rooms never get direct sunlight and has small windows. But even with just the room lights on, the quality was better than I expected. And in outside natural light the quality is AWESOME! I haven't tried any night time filming yet so can't speak on that.
Now of course while it's a really great cam it's not perfect. So let me list the flaws I've found with it.
It does come with a built-in flash for stills, but no light source for filming, though almost none of the other cameras I looked at had that feature either. Some reviews I've read say a little light wouldn't make that much of a difference anyway, but it's something my old Panasonic camcorder had and I really liked.
There isn't a manual included, just some quick start guides, which do cover just about all the features, but to get the full manual, you have to go by the website. I think the guide also said there's a copy stored in the camera's internal memory you can access.
No ability to pause during recording. I don't remember if that is a feature most point and shoots lack so it may be a general grievance not strictly towards this camera.
While the camera does come with a lens cap, you can't attach it directly to the camera, you have to loop it around a wrist strap, which isn't provided. So be sure to pick one up. Any standard strap will do. I'm using a Wii-remote one temporarily.
The zoom feature works very well up to a point, until it switches over from optical to digital. Digital just doesn't cut it. You can take it maybe 1/3 of the way with digital and the pic quality is okay, but more than that and it's just too blurry and shaky to be of any use. But you can get very close up to subjects with great quality when moving the camera itself to the object though.
As others have pointed out the tripod hole is plastic so be very careful about screwing in the stand or over screwing it so as not to strip that plastic over time.
You also need to be careful about putting in the memory card and battery. Because both have hinged doors to them, that could easily break if you aren't careful.
Speaking of the battery, that would be the only real grip I have about the camera. After getting the camera and fully charging it before my first use, I got in 15min of record time with 720HD then watched back about 7min on my tv, then did another couple of 4-5min vids took a couple of stills and uploaded to my PC. All in all I'd say I only got about 50 or so min. of usage before a voice alerting me to low battery levels came up. So I had to recharge it again. Maybe most cameras on average only last this long, but I expected at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours before it conked out on me. So it definitely looks like you'll need extra batteries, many of them if you want to do a lot of recording and play back without having to stop. I also recommend getting a DC plug for it, so you can at least conserve battery life during playback and PC transfers. Leaving the batteries just for recording.
Despite that I'm happy with my purchase. I'm taking the camera on my first trip to Disney World, and expect to be very satisfied with my footage. I'd definitely recommend getting this camera for basic usage.
More Sanyo VPC-CG102 High Definition Camcorder and 14 MP Camera w/12x Optical Zoom reviews:
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Description of Sanyo VPC-CG102 High Definition Camcorder and 14 MP Camera w/12x Optical Zoom
Big Performance, Small Package Full HD 1080, 60i Video (1920 x 1080) ? 14MP Photos 12x Dual Range Zoom Video 5x Optical Zoom Photo 2.7" Wide LCD Monitor for HD Playback High Speed Sequential Shooting Video and Photo Image Stabilizer Video and Photo Face Detection Mini HDMI Output SDXC Memory Compatibility (over 64GB SD cards) MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 Movie Recording Format Product Description Capture life's special moments as they happen - the new Dual Camera CG102 records Full HD 60i video and up to 14 megapixel digital photos. It delivers amazing 12X dual range zoom for video and 5x optical zoom for photos. The CG102's upright, vertical design is extremely portable and easy to use. Recording videos, shooting photos and accessing settings in the menu can easily be controlled with the user's thumb. The CG102's MPEG4/H.264 recording format makes sharing videos and photos via social networking web sites, portable video devices like iPod's, TV's and computers, a breeze.Camcorders
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