Sanyo VPCWH1 HD Waterproof Flash Memory Camcorder w/

One of the best waterproof camcorders around!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I received this camera as part of the Vine program months ago. Couldn’t review it until I actually took it on my vacation to California, and cruise to Mexico. Being that I was going to be doing part of my vacation on land and the other on sea, I was ecstatic to know that I could use this camera all around for the whole trip. And, to top it all off, I didn’t have to lug around my regular digital camera. I had been addicted to my little Flip Camcorder previously, but now I am taking the Sanyo everywhere! Not only was the picture quality fantastic, the audio/stereo sound was almost as good as being there! I love how versatile this camera is and how easily it is to hold and operate (especially considering how technically challenged I am). Within a few minutes of opening the box, I was operating it and taking pictures. Underwater, although a little trickier, was just as easy. Snorkeling in Cabo San Lucas was incredible and I have the most beautiful pictures of underwater sea life that I will be able to appreciate forever. I didn’t think I was going to like the color of this camera (think school bus), but actually I found it to be ‘hip’ looking and I got a lot of compliments from people asking what kind of camera it was. I even took pictures of everyone at the Captain’s dinner and have shared them on a website for all the new friends I made.

I would definitely recommend the Sanyo VPC-WH1 HD Waterproof camcorder for any one who is looking for an easy to use, versatile camera, that you can take and use every where. Kudos Sanyo for making another quality product which will be used frequently in the future in my household!

You should buy 2!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this for my trip to Europe. The battery life is astounding. The red-eye reduction and flash work great. The face-chaser works great. The HD picture is great – even in the pool. I swam with it for days. Get a 16GB SD card for about $40 and backup the movies to your computer. The drawbacks are that the 2MP camera is not good enough to substitute for a real camera – HOWEVER – you can use it for photos. There is another Sanyo camera I would rank as better – the VPC-HF1Sanyo VPC-FH1 HD 1080p Flash Memory Camcorder w/ 16x advance zoom (Black). That is a true HD 60fps camera with a true 8MP camera that is the only camera you need for a vacation. But it doesn’t work in the water and is not nearly as shockproof. I ended up taking both cameras and spending less than I would for a Sony – the sturdy 720p waterproof camera (for the beach, pool, backpack and rain) and the sleek 1080p (for museums and fine dinners). The people who complain about the lack of optical image stabilization need to drink less coffee. I didn’t notice that was an issue, but admit I have seen better stabilization. I always bought Sony before, but these two made me switch.

Good value for price
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The camera worked great outdoors where ample lighting is available. The quality of the HD pictures was impressive and the controls were easy to operate.

The quality of indoor shots, however, left much to be desired. It appeared grainy when limited lighting is available. Also, image stabilization should be improved, as well as the sensitivity of the microphone as light sounds were not picked up consistently.

Admittedly, I bought the camera for its waterproof ability and in that, it met my expectations. It was easy to operate and the underwater shots were of sufficient quality. It’s a good, all-around consumer product that you can take with you in your active, summer activities.

Good for what it is
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This Sanyo camcorder is o.k…We took this camcorder to Maui to record our snorkeling trips. The good: small and compact and not to terribly hard to figure out. The Bad: when the sun is shining, you can’t see squat on the screen! and I mean SQUAT! Nada! When we filmed underwater, the current was so strong that it kept shutting the screen and turning off the camera, you couldn’t see what you were filming because the sun was shining. BUT when we got back to the hotel and hooked up the camera to the TV, it was awesome! The pictures were great (when you actually got a shot!)….I had a hard time getting video of the fish when we went snorkeling but when I did get it, it was awesome. I would recommend this camcorder if you just want to record some memeories and you have the extra money to burn. I don’t think it’s worth the money just because the video screen is just that hard to see when the sun is out. If there was some kind of eye porthole to look through, I would rate this camcorder as OFF THE WALL! but because you can’t see what you are filming I wouldn’t recommend it. Sorry. But like I said, once you get it on TV it’s a different world…you can actually see what you filmed!!

beware of this underwater gem…
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Buyer beware….

I was so

excited to purchase this camera..talked about it for weeks..got it..great. The camera is great as a dual camera with the camcorder and camera and all that…but like many have said..the pic quality is uselss. The video camera part is decent in good lighting, but the still quality is really poor you really could do better with a 35mm.

My biggest gripe with sanyo and their underwater gem is the underwater part. Bought it specifically for vacation in florida..used it on the beach in the surf..that was great..underwater not so great. I used it snorkeling in the keys..I was so anal about this camera and made sure that everything was “water-tight”, no getting into this sucker..so I thought. I filmed underwater for about 3 minutes then..blink…that was all she wrote. I brought it out of the water to find the lens filled with water and the entire camera immersed in water.

My other gripe was with sanyo. They demanded the retailer test it first, which would cost me $40 non-reimbursable, and then they would go from there. Everything that the retailer and manufacturer told me said there is “NO WAY” this camera could malfunction, therefore, telling me that no matter what…it was user error. My precious toy ended up in a recycling bin in Illinois. Frankly, i’m p***** that $400 and 1 month later…I have only stored memories and no camera to show for it.

Take it or leave it…could have been a faulty camera…but beware with a toy like this that there is a huge risk with using it for it’s advertised purpose of underwater ready. The only thing that could lighten the fear of this happening is an accomodating manufacturer…thanks sanyo.

sincerely,

a bitter sanyo fan

nice camcorder
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Very nice camcorder, video recording is very clear but still images wasn’t that great. if you looking for video recording only, I highly recommend it. Picture quality from 1 to 10 I would give it 6.

Good Camcorder but Produces Shaky Video when Zoomed
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2I6MSXXF5021K I really don’t like being forced to use the software that came with the camera. I like to use my own video editing software, but as is mentioned, the video codec doesn’t work unless you use the software that came with the camera. I have to convert the video before I can use it in the editing software of my choice.

It also means that I can’t take the video from the camera and automatically play it in Windows Media player when it’s on my computer.

I’ve posted a short video clip taken with the camera. Sorry I don’t have anywhere close by that I can try the underwater feature to give you an idea of how it works.

I had to copy the video file to my computer, and then use the software to convert the clip into something that I could upload. It took about 5 minutes to export the 60 second clip. Ouch! The video I uploaded is not HD because I wasn’t sure if I could upload an HD video for the review. The HD video looks better than any video camera I’ve had previously.

I haven’t found in the software that comes with the camera how I can edit clips in a timeline rather than a storyboard. It also looks like I can’t edit the audio. Maybe I’m missing something, but there are only a few buttons within the program. Sad. What I’ll probably have to do is convert each video I shoot to a format other editors can read, or find out how to install the codec so that the other players and editors can read the video files. If the camera would have come that way, it would have been great.

Regarding the structure, if you’re trying to get the SD card in, the compartment is hard to open with short fingernails, just FYI. Also, the tab that says “Push” should indicate “Push to Close” as I tried pushing to unlock like you might find on other devices.

It’s a solid little camera, and is better than other record-to-sd-card cameras. Again, the downsides are:

Shaky video when zoomed in far.

Video format doesn’t work in standard video editing software suites.

great camera for active people
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I live in Hawaii and I am very happy with the camera

Im very active and this camera goes everywhere with me. The video quality is way better than what I expected.I was dissapointed when reading some of the negative reviews it made me think twice on buying the camera, Im glad that I didn’t let the negative reviews change my decission

I got really good surf and underwater footage.The image is suprisingly clear under water.The only thing that I didn’t like about the camera is the stabilization mode, it doesn’t stabilize very well especially when zooming, but it works perfect with a tripod or monopod,

the quality of the still shots aren’t the best but they are still pretty good, anything that I film is in Maui Hawaii so everything looks beautiful.

I bought the camera with a float strap which is a really good idea, its bright orange and it keeps my camera afloat and easy to see when my camera gets lost in the surf.

I think this camera is perfect for people with active lifestyles,vacations and home surf videos.

The Sanyo WH1 fits my needs perfectly
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have used this camera in areas where I didn’t want to risk a more expensive unit, and I have been blown away by the quality of the video. It’s a great unit for around the pool or the boat, and I have used it underwater in the pool to a depth of eight feet with great success. The camera is easy to use and works as advertised.

Some may call it a toy, but I call it the right tool for the job. I just love it.

Sanyo VPC Waterproof Video Camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Bought this for our holiday in USA and Canada – We saw Niagara falls (very wet!), we jet boated (extremely wet!), we jet skiied (and fell in!), we white water rafted (and the force of the wave shut the door of the camera so it turned off!). All in all perfect for what we wanted it for – a family holiday with lots of water involved. The small bit of night recording we did (Niagara by night) is good as well. We would very much recommend this product for families looking for easy recording (even our 6 year old can do it) and is very resistant to knocks and water etc. Fits well in your pocket. Recommend getting the velcro water leash as it is much more reassuring in boats etc. The battery needed to be recharged twice in three weeks!!!! Brilliant!!

Best underwater HD camcorder for the price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
As of today – Jan 2009, there aren’t too many choices on the market for an HD waterproof camcorder. So after some hours of reading I bought the Sanyo VPC-WH1.

I’ve read some stated that it may leak water, so upon receiving it I got a smallest screwdriver and tightened all the visible screws. And guess what, 7 days in Bora Bora it worked perfectly fine in the air and under water. I think people may have gotten a bad unit or just misused or mistreated it. I got some 5+ hours of awesome bright and vivid footage. YES – underwater in HD!!! But… there is a flip side. In low light conditions this camcorder is inferior. So I would not own this as my only camcorder. But if you are buying it to get some HD footage in clear and shallow waters (I’ve snorkeled and dove down to about 10 feet with it) on your full of sun vacation and shooting outside on a sunny day – look no further. This is the best camcorder for the job especially considering the price tag. And 30x zoom – what a treat (w/tripod or a stationary base of course). Keep it to bright moments and just follow simple instructions in the manual such as rinse in fresh water after using it in ocean water and you will not be disappointed.

Oh, and one more thing – the battery life. It’s awesome. Cell phone makers need to learn the trick. Seriously.

Poor Image Quality
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
We live in Hawaii and used the camera to capture windsurfing and surfing action. Sadly disappointed with the image quality of the Video as well as the Still images. Camera seems to output best video quality at 60Frames Standard Definition. No lens cover (!). Too bad there are really no alternatives other than Panasonic’s waterproof camera which is according to customer reviews not much better. Bottom line: if you want quality you have to spend money and get a housing for a good camera.

100% TOP QUALITY MULTI-USE CAMERA
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
First let me say I love toys, especially great ones.

As a previous owner of SANYO’s underwater cameras I was very happy when my new WH1 arrived. The first thing I noticed when holding the WH1, is how well it fits in your hand. It’s lightweight, and the simple controls are very well laid out. After skimming through manual, and charging the battery, I loaded it up with an SD card. I then went out to see what it can do. First off was taking still photos in various lighting conditions. Then I took several different videos in my pool. The WH1 is very simple to use, and I didn’t need to refer back to the manual for anything during my first outing with the camera.

After playing with it for about an hour, I downloaded all the pictures to my computer. The still photos were very good. I was especially surprised how well the photos were underwater. The results were very close a top stand alone digital point and shoot might take, the pictures were perfectly fine for viewing on a screen or printing at 4×6 or 8×10. I shot the test videos at 640×480, 30fps, high bit rate, using all “Auto” settings. Again the results were very good. The videos were clear and the sound was good. The camera focused well under all conditions. All in all, Sanyo has a winner here. If you love the outdoors, water, snow or rain. This is the best camera on the market hands down!

I’ve been a loyal Amazon customer for many years. You can’t beat the price, shipping and service you receive. Don’t purchase from anyone else online, you never know who they actually are.

Good review
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I love the portability of this camera. The still image quality isn’t as good as others i’ve owned before, but this camera was bought for video purposed mainly. The only thing i don’t like about the video feature is that there is no manual focus so if there is a branch or something closer to you then your subject being filmed, you more than likely wont be focused right. Other than that, this product is great!

Can’t go wrong with this DV-Cam.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
It’s very easy to use. Not like so many fancy DV-cam out there you have to read the book before you figure everything out, and most of the functions are not very useful for the regular users. The best things about this HD camcorder is the 30X Optical zoom, and the underwater shooting.

OK to marginal video camera, terrible still camera . . . but it’s waterproof!
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Pros:

* Waterproof to 10 feet (snorkeling only depth.)

* About 2 hour battery life.

* Lightweight and size is small, but could have been much smaller.

* You can run the camera on AC using the supplied AC connector . . . maybe, as the manual never really says this but hints at it (see cons for the other side of this feature.) I tried using it plugged in and it seemed to work, but only with the battery in it’s compartment.

* BRIGHT Yellow (could also be a con)

Cons:

* Marginal video image quality. Making a great HD image using a 1/6″ sensor is just not in the cards. You get fringing, pixalization, blocking, everything you really don’t want in anything except perfect light conditions. The tiny sensor cripples the camera with severe noise. Video in bright light, not zoomed, is OK, though I can see a lot of noise there as well. Zoom to near max or have less than perfect lighting and you move from reality to impressionist to Picasso. You can always select a lower image size to improve the quality, but that’s not HD . . . and why 640×480 instead of 720×480?

* Image stabilization just doesn’t work. Their “digital” image stabilization is crappy and makes the resolution worse.

* Really poor still pictures. Its pictures look worse than my cell phone camera and my cell is really old. 2 megapixels is really worthless . . . the Sanyo VPC-E2 is 8 megapixels and is a much better camera than this one. Still image noise is on the brink of disaster.

* Low light performance is poor. The high-sensitivity mode helps a little since what it’s doing is slowing the shutter down and basically giving you 15 frames per second video.

* 30x zoom is unusable at maximum zoom and doesn’t go wide enough at minimum zoom. Starting at 28mm equivalent and only zooming 10x or 20x would have been better.

* NO SEPARATE CHARGER! If you want to keep taking pictures, you would have to plug the camera into an electric outlet – and that is not going to be a choice in many circumstances. Making the charger internal to the camera is just plain cost savings with little or no benefit to the user. In the accessories, there is a charger available for this particular battery, but that is extra cost.

* Strange button arrangement . . . didn’t the designers try this with diving gloves on or left-handed? It has a large video start/stop button on the right side near the front of the camera that I never could figure out why it is there (see my discussion in the full review.)

* No instructions on how to mount the hand strap! This is a big negative because it took 15 minutes to figure out how it was meant to go and that is one of the first things you do when you get a new camera. The strap also doesn’t really seem meant to be used underwater.

In depth review:

1) Getting started

First disappointment was the “Quick Guide”. It tells you how to take a picture and what all the buttons do (except for the strange button on the front right of the camera). No instructions on how to mount the hand strap! This is a big negative because it took 15 minutes to figure out how it was meant to go and that is one of the first things you do when you get a new camera. The instructions for mounting are not in the big manual either. The strap also doesn’t really seem meant to be used underwater. The QG shows you how to get the battery in and mentions needing to charge the battery but doesn’t show you where the “DC IN terminal” is. It doen’t tell you how long it takes to charge the battery so at you don’t know when you can play with your new toy. The QG shows you how to get the SD Memory Card in and out but it does not mention needing an SD memory card.

Second disappointment was that no SD memory card is included in the box so you have to run down and buy a card before getting started if you got this as a gift. It does have 44MB of built-in memory, but that gives you about 44 seconds of HD recording. There is a little piece of paper in the box titled “Note concerning recording in the HD mode” that indicates you better have a high speed SD card to record in the HD mode.

The “Instruction Manual” is totally in English. The “Instruction Manual” echoes the QG and then goes on into real detail. The real manual is 177 pages and is really easy to use and shows lots of thought. Wish they had spent just a little time on a real quick start guide you could carry with you. When you flip the manual over, you find the Xacti Software Instruction Manual which is 21 pages long. However, only one page is about the software – and all it does is tell you to install it. It starts by telling you how to “mount” the camera on your computer, how to use it as a card reader and a PC camera (nice feature). Again, the arrangement is a little strange as there is information in this sub-manual that should have been in the main manual and real info on how to use the software is in the main manual.

2) The camera

Definitely not a shirt pocket camera. Although small, at 4.5×2.5×2″ it is too thick and too heavy to go in a shirt pocket. No protective case and no way to cover the lens. Of course, the real lens is behind a protective glass, but you would like to assure that you are not scratching or greasing up that.

I’m left-handed, so I always look for ease of use for either hand. Neither hand works well with this camera, but holding it in the left hand at least gives a little leverage. The placement of the video and photo buttons causes the camera to rock whenever you push on one unless you are holding on with both hands. You just can’t keep the camera stable when you are pressing the zoom, the video, or the picture buttons. There is a strange record on/off button on the front right side of the camera that isn’t explained in the manual except for a small reference on page 55. The page 55 discussion of this additional control doesn’t make any sense as you can’t zoom the camera holding it the way they describe. I did figure out a way to use the button: if you hold the camera in both hands and rotate the LCD so you are looking down at it, you could then use the front mounted record button — “why?” is the real question.

I worked my way through the manual and tested each of the features. There are two different setups for the camera to select from as far as operation: SIMPLE and NORMAL. SIMPLE is supposed to be only the minimum functions necessary to operate the camera and it puts 4 menu selections down the edge of the screen: “Select Video and Photo size” which allows you to select 2 different movie and photo sizes; Select Focus Mode that lets you switch between Automatic and Macro; Flash which lets you pick from auto or on or off, and finally a button to switch back to Normal. That’s it. There are several other options that should be on the Simple menu scheme starting with access to the 9 Scene Select modes (Auto, Sports, Portrait . . . Under Water, etc.) If you switch into Normal mode, all of the camera features are available by pushing the “menu” button. The menu replaces the picture on the screen, so you have to make your selection and then hit menu to get back out and see what it does. Some features that you would want to be able to access immediately are two levels down in the menus. I am not impressed with the menu system, especially when I compare it to the Canon system on their low-end pocket cameras.

Videos and Pictures:

Here’s where I really began to lower my opinion of the camera. It’s slow to start up (1 second plus), slow to focus, slow to take pictures (around 1 sec.), slow to start video recording (at least ½ sec.), at least the zoom seems to have multiple speeds. The 30x zoom lens goes from 43mm to 1290mm (35mm equivalent). It would have been more useful with a wide angle starting point and not as much far zoom, especially for underwater photos and videos. You get half-way through the zoom range and it becomes unusable hand held and the quality starts dropping fast.

The camera allows you to take 2 megapixel still pictures according to the ads. It really takes 1.1 megapixel pictures according to the specs in the back of the manual. The quality of still pictures is terrible. Unfortunately, it is hard to frame the pictures because what you see on the screen is not exactly what you get. The ISO goes from 50 to 1600, but above 50 the quality really falls off just as it does in most other cameras with this size sensor. You get fringing, pixalization, blocking, everything you really don’t want in anything except perfect light conditions. The tiny sensor cripples the camera with severe noise. Video in bright light, not zoomed, is OK with a lot of noise there as well.

Video is marginal depending upon the lighting conditions, and other waterproof cameras such as the Pentax W60 offer better quality and have a more useful lens range. The video is not even close to my canon S3IS, but that is a whole different class of lens. However, it is fine for UTube or quick home videos. It does take HD pictures at 1280×720, but it doesn’t use the entire sensor for this so the quality actually drops from 640×480 which is your only other selection. You can always select a lower image size to improve the quality, but that’s not HD . . . and why 640×480 instead of 720×480? You can take still pictures while you are taking a video, but the real resolution seems to be related to the video frame per second level you select as well as which resolution. If you are taking HD video, it indicates that the stills are 2 megapixal, but they look much lower. I shot a bunch of video of a family dinner in normal room lighting. The camera would make adjustments slowly to the light, but when it finally got it the videos were OK . . . lots of noise and artifacts, but good enough for family memory videos. I also took the camera out to our Koi pond and started it shooting above the water and then slowly moved it underwater to get pictures of our big Koi. The videos were not very clear and but it did adjust readily to the change to underwater light. When I zoomed, I could see blocking and other artifacts. I also tried some underwater still pictures and got unusable quality.

Waterproof, you betcha! The camera functioned properly underwater and didn’t have a problem. After I washed it off and dried it, I opened the door over the SD card and found that the hinges retain water. A little blast of air cleared them, but this is a possible problem if you need to change the SD card or batteries after having it in the wet. Of course, you would need to plan ahead and either charge the extra batteries at night in the camera or buy the accessory battery charger.

Bottom line on the camera: it is not suitable for serious or even semi-serious videos, OK for utube quality videos in HD format. There are other waterproof video/still cameras from Sanyo that take better pictures, just not HD (see Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 Digital Camcorder and 8 MP Digital Camera (Blue). Right now it seems to be the only waterproof video camera that provides HD format, but I am sure there will be competitors shortly.

I’m Smitten
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’ve been shooting with Digital SLR’s for sometime, but have been more and more drawn into exploring video.

I got this and starting playing around with it as soon as I got it out of the box. I have to say, that after a week, I’m smitten with it.

Super simple to use, though I’ve learned that I need to use this with a tripod (much harder to hold still than I imagined). It does have a 2mp camera, but nothing I’d write home about, but then again I’m used to using hi-end digital cameras.

I’ve been using this with 4gb SD Cards, and have ordered 8gb Cards just for the camcorder. The battery lasts for a very long time, which I really like, tough I’ll probably get an extra battery just to have in case I’m out and need more juice (much like I do with my DSLR).

Getting the video to the computer couldn’t be easier. In fact, the first time I plugged it it, the computer saw it and I just used it as an external drive and uploaded a couple of short clips to YouTube straight from the camcorder.

I’ve not jumped in the pool or ocean with this, so I can’t attest to it’s 10 ft below the surface of the water claims, but I’ve exposed it to wet weather conditions that I wouldn’t do with my DSLR with no problems.

I like the design, very well thought out, straight forward and simple. No reason to be fumbling with controls when trying to capture the moment.

I’m very satisfied with this product and the new endeavors it’s made possible up for me.

Oh, and the zoom is cool too, but it has it’s limitations, which I’m still learning.

Beautiful video, great features
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My husband and I went on a honeymoon trip to Hawaii a little over four years ago toting a Sony Handycam with its custom waterproof case and underwater light arm that was a bulky mess (both for handling underwater and hauling around on a plane). This would have been so much handier!

In addition, getting video off this camera is a breeze. Flash memory is much more portable than tapes and offers about the same level of storage (1Hr for the 8GB cards we have). My only gripe is there’s no stabilization, which makes the higher levels of zoom (this thing can home in on a leaf in a tree 100 yards away!) pretty useless unless it’s mounted on a tripod and your subject is not moving.

UPDATE: With the recent birth of our daughter we’ve been using the camera for non-waterproof applications. The HD video is BEAUTIFUL – lots of detail. The camera is easy to use – I got it working with no instruction manual needed. Once the video is taken, you can create still images on the camera itself from the video you’ve taken, which is a nice feature. My daughter made a cute face during the video and we were able to capture it on a photo as well. The videos upload easily via SD card.

This really is a great deal for an HD camera and consider it a bonus that it’s waterproof. It’s small, portable, easy to understand – you can’t go wrong!

Wow
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Well I got this for my 16th birthday 2 days ago. And at first I was really dissapointed because the video quality sucks.. But it appears that the video quality is excellent if you are in a bright place with plenty of light. If your in a dark place then its below standard in quality.

The battery life is absolutly amazing 3 hours!

Make sure you have the compartments locked before using this gadget underwater.

It’s a cute machine and feels good in your hands.

The HD is not really High Definition.. Just High Quality.

But a great buy for $330 dollars!

Bright light only, otherwise don’t bother
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
The GOOD.

Cheap price, decent camcorder that will fit in a baggy pocket to carry with you. Great for a casual vacation, works great underwater.

High quality video IF you have bright light. Awesome zoom, to bring in distant objects. Great battery life, I leave it on for weeks at a time, with the screen closed the battery stays up. Quick on, just a couple of seconds, and totally silent.

The BAD

Hard to hold steady because it’s so small. When zoomed to the higher powers, you HAVE to have a tripod or steady surface.

If the light is anything but BRIGHT, the picture starts to degrade. Interior room light can take video but it’s not top quality, but usable for casual video. I’ve never taken a GOOD quality picture with the picture side of it. I’d compare it to a camera phone still picture. The auto focus doesn’t work well if your zoomed in at all. The video stabilizer is useless.

Versatile and of few waterproof options
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I live in the northeast and have used this camera under heavy rain, in the ocean and the swimming pool and I was very impressed by the image quality of the Video as well as the Still images. I have shopped around and own several other digital camcorders, and I think this is a very good buy at its current price. If you are looking for something versatile to use in the water and rain, this is perhaps one of your best options based on my practical needs.

HD VIDEO IS HORRIBLE.
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I have used this camcorder for about 3 weeks, the HD video playback is horrible. I borrowed my friend’s Kodak Zi6 and the video quality is far better. I research about the file format that both camcorder record, the Sanyo records with “H. 264″, the Kodak records “MOV”, and they should be similar. But for some reason the Sanyo is way behind. The only thing I like about it is “waterproof”. I tried to get help from Sanyo, but its customer service is terrible too. I am returning it soon!

If something is too good to be true…
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
At first sight, this little machine looks almost perfect: an up to 10 feet waterproof, compact, dual camera/camcorder.

Unfortunately, there is grain of salt in almost every aspect.

First, I need to mention that I am a happy owner of an older Sanyo EX2 camcorder and, despite minor drawbacks, I really like it.

I can understand the good intention of Sanyo engineers when they ventured to create a new camcorder that would outdo the previous model in every way possible. The original EX2 was only waterproof up to 3 feet, not HD, and had mediocre battery.

In VPC-WH1, Sanyo engineers fixed and improved everything, but in the process they made several dangerous compromises.

Let’s start with new ten feet waterproof rating. I would really adore this new feature if not for one small problem – all the o-rings are not user-replaceable and the manual specifically tells you that they are only good for one year. Well, if you are buying this camera to go underwater (snorkeling, of course), you know what an o-ring is and what happens when it leaks.

Another problem – the camera body has three(!) covers: one for the battery, another for the SD-card, and the third for the power port. I cannot say I am a designer of underwater equipment, but so far all underwater housings I ever used had only ONE cover… with user-replaceable o-ring.

So the camera seems to be waterproof for one year, but what about next year’s vacation?

Despite these drawbacks, I was ready to forgive Sanyo because of the promised HD. Unfortunately, whatever it was they decided to call HD was not really “High Definition”. The image is terribly over-compressed and has lot of artifacts. Yes, technically, if you look at the file properties, it is 720p, but only technically. I would not rate it above 300 lines of real resolution. It is hard to believe, but my old EX2 makes much better videos. I have compared the two side by side on a 52 inch TV and the difference is obvious. Even in standard resolution the old EX2 beats the new camcorder, which is slightly embarrassing…

Finally, this is supposed to be a dual camera. Well, almost a camera, because in WPC-VH1 pictures are limited to two megapixels. My old EX2 has an 8 megapixel sensor and it makes pictures as good as a standard 3 megapixel camera. The overall level of degradation from the old camcorder has not changed for this feature, so you can imagine how a two megapixel images from the new camera looks. Let’s just say my cell phone does a much better job.

The only good thing is battery performance; it is actually decent now. I just do not know what to do with all this battery performance. My new stylish yellow WPC-VH1 is collecting dust now, while the old EX2 faithfully sits in a side pocket of my photo bag.

***

Frankly, I hate writing negative reviews. For a month I played around with the camcorder parameters and lighting conditions, shot underwater (and, I should mention, underwater footage is generally okay, just not HD), tried different video codecs, but nothing helped. Did I get a defective unit?

It should not be difficult for Sanyo to fix almost all the drawbacks. I would guess the video over compression problem may be fixed with a software upgrade. And a mail-in o-ring replacement service can solve the one year problem (the current manual tells you to go to your “dealer”; with all due respect, I am not sure Amazon would provide such a service). The remaining two megapixels still image camera seems hopeless, but this would not be a big loss after all…

AWESOME CAMCORDER!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is my first waterproof camcorder that I ever had and it’s totally off the hook! This camcorder has great features with HD quality video functions. I had a lot of fun using this camcorder when I went to Bahamas with my friends during spring break. It was totally awesome to able to film underwater. I highly recommend to use this camcorder when you’re going on a trip or vacation.

GREAT ITEM
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am glad to communicate my complete satisfaction. The price, the quality of the product and the delivery from Amazon was excellent.

The sound quality and picture is excellent. I love the portability.

William D. Winship

[...]

A usable toy.
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Summary:

* A toy, but a usable one.

* If you want a waterproof camcorder, there aren’t too many choices. And this happens to be a decent one at that. If you’re on the CHEAP side and/or want to go into deeper waters, look at the other “toy” camera from GoPro. I also have that, by the way. GoPro takes (slightly) better photos than this, but this takes much better videos. Note GoPro has no LCD screen, so you’re shooting almost blind.

* Get a tripod, or at least a monopod, especially if you’re going to zoom in a lot.

* I’m not unhappy with it.

The good:

* Waterproof!

* Excellent battery life (almost enough to fill 16GB card with 720p video).

* I guess the face chaser thingy kind of works.

* Umm, it’s… small? Oh oh, it turns on relatively quickly. It’s no DSLR, but it’s not bad.

The not-so-good:

* No image stabilization. You say it’s got the “digital” image stabilization? Whatever! It’s useless. Hope you have steady hands or at least a monopod.

* Horrible still pictures. Its ISO50 pictures look worse than (Canon) 40D’s ISO3200 pictures. ISO1600 with this? Is that a photo or some kind of an artistic painting?

* Not so great image quality. But then, who’s expecting great HD image from a 1/6″ 1280×888 (guessed) bayer-patterned sensor? I’d actually prefer better quality 854×480 over 1280×720. Of course, I can always scale it down after I take the video, but that takes up more room in the card. I’d also have liked it to take 720×480 (native standard definition NTSC resolution) instead of 640×480.

* Low light performance is, well, not very good. Again, we’re talking about a tiny 1/6″ sensor. The high-sensitivity mode helps a little since what it’s doing is slowing the shutter down and basically giving you 15 frames per second video (or rather 30 frames where every other frame is repeated).

* 30x zoom is nice, but I’d rather have wider lens. 28mm equivalent would be really nice, but that’s probably asking for too much. At minimum, 35mm equivalent would’ve been nice. 43mm equivalent is too, umm, normal.

Other:

* No comments on the software compatibility. I mostly just use open-source stuff to play them. Check out avidemux (http://avidemux.sourceforge.net/) for simple editing job.

Worst camera ever
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I purchased this camera in high expectations . I went to Bali indonesia and all the surronding islands .On the second day I was on the shore about two feet deep and when I got back to the room I went to download the photos and realized i couldnt cause their was water in the camera ! sanyo themselves offered me condolences just told me I could write a letter to the CEO , but their laweryers would contact me for further consequences !

Brian

Fun, fun, fun
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
People are amazed at my underwater videos. So am I! It’s still hard to believe that something this advanced is available to an average consumer for a relatively low price. I own this version and the previous model, so I feel I can give a better-than-average review of this.

I have found this newer model to have a much better battery life than the previous Xacti model. This is a very good thing!

This model is a little easier to maneuver and I have less stress about the possibility of accidentally bumping the waterproof seals open with my thumb. The older model had the lock switch in a very bad location. BUT, this model has 3 different openings, while the old model had only 1. In my mind, this is 3X the chance that I have a rubber seal fail and wind up with a waterlogged paperweight for my desk. I am terrified of getting water into the USB, AC Adapter and memory card ports. They have increased my terror by having them all in separate places on this camera. I do not like this!!! Somebody at Sanyo needs to figure out a way to put all the ports behind one seal (like the first model) but have the lock switch to that compartment in a place where your thumb isn’t prone to accidentally opening it while underwater.

As for video quality, I find both models to be comparable. I haven’t even bothered to check what the specs are because it doesn’t matter. What matters is the video quality that I observe on my big screen and I can tell you that there is no/very little difference between this model and the previous Xacti. Video is not HD, that I can definitely tell you, but both Xacti models offer good video quality, especially when you consider it is underwater. I find the underwater photos to be of exceptional quality, as well.

As far as land recording and photography, I have a point-and-shoot that is far superior to this and smaller. I would always find myself going back to that for better quality photos, so while this will give you acceptable photos at the beach, if you are looking to create high resolution landscape shots on your vacation, you probably would want something better than this.

For What It Is There Is Nothing Close…
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
NOTE: I AM REVISING THIS REVIEW SHORTLY, AND IT IS NOT POSITIVE. A PRODUCT WE LOVED WHEN WE STARTED TO USE IT HAS FAILED MISERABLY. IT COULD JUST BE A DEFECTIVE UNIT SO WE ARE GOING TO CONTACT SANYO AND LET YOU ALL KNOW HOW IT GOES, BUT THIS CAMERA NO LONGER TAKES DECENT STILL SHOTS (WE DON’T KNOW WHY) AND HAS STARTED TO FOG UP UNDER THE LENS (WE HAVE NEVER TAKEN IT IN WATER, ALTHOUGH WE DID TEST IT’S WATERPROOF FEATURE). ESSENTIALLY, IF SANYO DOES NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY AND REPLACE OR REPAIR THE UNIT, THIS WAS A VERY EXPENSIVE DISPOSABLE CAMERA.

I am going to add more to this review later, because I can sum up much much more about my experience with it.

The photos are excellent. It is waterproof, although I didn’t try it to 10 feet. And it is easy to hold.

My only real complait is when you want to take a vertical picture, flipping the camera is difficult because of the strap.

The optical zoom is amazing.

I will be back with more in this camera, but it is untouched in its class. There are no other cameras at this price point that are waterproof to 10 feet.

If you want you can use other mechanisms to achieve the same thing, like encasing a camera in plastic, etc. But to downgrade this camera because you can jury rig something is not exactly an apples to apples comparison.

I will be back with more details soon.

A Disappointment
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
The primary reason that I bought this camcorder was because it’s waterproof. However, the camera leaked after only a few uses in the water. The most disappointing thing is the camera leaked in water depths of less than its advertised 10-feet limit (it leaked upon being used in about two feet of water). Water leakage occurred in the battery compartment as well as in the housing covering the lens.

Video quality is comparable to that of other camcorders in its price range. That’s where the good news ends, however. The auto focus isn’t responsive, and it sometimes switches its focus – for no apparent reason – from one thing to another. The manual focus isn’t practical because you can’t adjust it on the fly (you have to go back to the camcorder’s menu each time you want to adjust its focus). Low-light performance is noisy, zooming is slow, and the image stabilization doesn’t, well, stabilize the image.

My final verdict: If you’re considering this camcorder because it’s waterproof, you could get it (after all, you don’t have a lot of options), but don’t be surprised if it leaks. On the other hand, if you’re considering this camcorder because you’re looking for a camcorder and you’re thinking to yourself “it would be nice to get this camcorder because the waterproof feature MIGHT come in handy someday”, I would advise you to get another camcorder.

Solid contstruction, water tight even past 10 ft / the 2mp still camera is horrible/ 44MB internal storage
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
+ Solidly constructed camera and my first underwater camcorder, the challenges of all underwater devices is adequately fitting rubber gaskets and seals to metal and this camera did just fine even down to 25 ft when I took out on lazy beach day.

+ The menus are well laid out to quickly reach every function category and drill down only or two levels to change anything else. This is very important when considering it is designed to be used underwater where the operators senses are afflicted and it can be challenging for most people to perform tasks underwater. Audio cues even a curt female voice is helpful underwater and out for prompts.

+ Decent flash, bright LCD for a camcorder in this price range and even two camcorder record buttons, one for the thumb the other is close to the lens and easy to click. The 45MB of internal storage isn’t advertised on the box in an age of GB+ camcorders but it surprisingly stores a decent amount of video before maxing out, so far we’ve never inserted an SD card and found the built in storage adequate.

+ Battery charges quickly and briskly, haven’t worn it down yet but also haven’t tried to really pace it out either.

– But, the 2MP still camera is rather useless, even $10 prepaid cellphones have better cameras and we can’t remember images this ugly since the turn of the century. understandably Sanyo had to include some type of still photo capacity with a digital camcorder but the poor quality does more harm than good.

The USB connector is almost a Mini B plug but Sanyo did something weird and flared out the edges to ensure you’ll only use their cable on the side of the corder, more annoying and pointless since it was nearly identical in size and pins to standard USB MiniB plugs.

We had it setup and out of the box in less than five minutes because it seems Sanyo has put effort into the layout of the controls and menus, the impressive construction never gave us concern about seepage and it held up at 20+ ft in saltwater without stress or damage.

Bad first outing!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I have been using waterproof digital cameras for the last 4 years in very adverse conditions. I wanted to upgrade from the relatively lesser video quality of the point and shoot, and this unit seemed ideal.

I read all the many reviews on it and bought it a few weeks ago.

It’s a beauty to look at, tiny and well laid out. I did think – as did others – that the seals/waterproofing looked a bit ‘weak’. I tried it a few times at home and was not overly impressed with the performance. Then on the third day, on the ocean, we decided to show the group that it was waterproof. We lowered it about 6 inches underwater for less than 5 seconds. I resumed filming right after, and within 20 seconds the screen started to freak out. I turned it off immediately and waited a while. It did turn on again, but no picture on screen and by the time we got home, it was dead.

Major bummer.

I was very disappointed and quite pissed off. I’ve been using the Olympus waterproof/shockproof point and shoot for several years and they WORK DAMN WELL. I’d never owned Olympus before, but they make a great product there. I was willing to give the sanyo a try, but it didn’t work so well.

When I went online to amazon, they asked if I wanted a refund or a replacement. I chose to give it another try, as obviously something was wrong with my unit.

They gave me 30 days to return my unit, and my replacement arrived within 5 days.

Absolutey no complaints about the vendor or amazon.

New unit not yet in my possession (couple more weeks) but I will post how the test goes with the replacement.

Hope I’m not disappointed again.

Little, yellow, super-sturdy, and waterproof = Fun & Adventerous!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I recently had the opportunity to test out the Sanyo VPC-WH1 HD Waterproof Camcorder. I’ve been jumping feet first into the world of digital camcorders, but I’m still new to the medium and therefore most of my thoughts are coming from the point of view of ease of use and quality from a non-enthusiast. My first impression right out of the box was how sturdy this little Sanyo digi-cam is and how extremely easy it was to get it set-up for use. I had it unwrapped and charging in minutes, and after an hour I was already breezing through the menu settings and shooting video.

I thought I’d start off with my main complaints, which are the design, placement and size of the function buttons. For the most part, these buttons are well placed and pretty intuitive for use on the go. The power-on button is on the top-back of the unit (instead of on the side under the flip out screen like most digital camcorders I’ve used), which is nice though the button is small and recessed which makes it slightly difficult to power up quickly. The rest of the buttons (menu access, play/select/d-pad, playback menu, camera, and record buttons) are all located on the back, and are again fairly intuitive. What I didn’t like is the two menu buttons and the select/d-pad. First off, there are two separate menu buttons, one to access the camcorder settings and one to access the image/video playback menu. Honestly, this seems like a function that could have been combined into one button that toggles through three menus. To add insult to injury, the playback menu button has the traditional right arrow play icon on it, which can easily be confused with playing back video, but it only toggles between the playback menu and the standard record setting. To playback a video you need to press the Set button in the middle of a small d-pad. It’s not a huge deal, but it can get confusing, especially when trying to switch between functions on the go. I also think that the d-pad is a bit too small to easily use the directional function without pressing the middle set button in tandem.

Now what I love. As I mentioned above, this is the sturdiest camcorder I’ve ever played with. The body construction and flip out screen feel very tight, and my guess is that the unit could probably take a decent beating. The camcorder also has a very nice 30x optical zoom. The only drawback is that the farther you zoom, the more the camera needs a tripod to capture good video. The best feature though is the main selling point which is the waterproof construction. The camera touts an IPX8 waterproof rating, and is supposed to be able to be submerged up to 3 meters (around 10 feet). I tested out this capability in a friend’s koi pond and was surprised at how well the camera handled underwater. There are three main points/doors on the camera that need to be closed to ensure a waterproof seal (the A/C adapter door, the battery compartment, and the USB/SD Memory card door. As part of this functionality, Sanyo placed a second record button on the right side near the lens of the camera so you could hold onto the top of the camera, dunking it and your hand in water and still have easy access to the record button. The only drawback of recording under water was the recorded audio of water seeping into the microphone and any waterproof crevasses. I found that dunking the camera in the water a few times prior to filming helps to ease this audio. I also love that this camcorder has the ability to take still photos while recording video.

Also the camcorder records in Mpeg-4, and it acts like an external USB drive when hooked up to a PC so it’s super easy to take the video off the camera as well as editing it and playing it back on a PC.

As far as the quality goes, the video is not quite as nice as some other camcorders that have similar size video capabilities. It records in 720p, but I have seen better. The video tends to break-up a bit and look pixilated when there is a lot of action on the screen. As far as the still photography quality, it takes 2 megapixel photos, which is pretty low quality with a lot of noise. Indoors, even with the flash the quality is pretty bad.

All in all, with the versatility of its super-sturdy waterproof construction (which makes it a great all the time camera that doesn’t have to be smuggled into a bag or purse when rain suddenly starts falling) and its surprising low price point, it balances out its issues with slightly reduced video, and very poor still photo quality. It’s a super fun camera to use and I think it makes for a great on the go adventurous gadget.

Horrible, proprietary codec – stay away.
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
This camera has a nice form factor, and shoots fairly good videos – if you plan on watching them on camera’s 2.5 inch screen that is. If you try watching the 720p video that this camera records in H.264 mp4 in something like a Quicktime player on either Windows or a Mac you are in for a nasty surprise. Because the company chose to use a proprietary implementation of H.264 codec, when played on a computer they show a completely misplaced color palette/gamut settings, the colors appear completely washed out, any shadows appear completely dark and any brights are abnormally bright. In other words most videos shot with this camera won’t be suitable for editing/playback – unless you are playing them directly from a camera itself. I’ve applied a few gamma filters to the videos to rectify this problem, but this results in dramatic quality loss.

Until this problem is fixed you are better off wrapping your cellphone in ziplock bag and shooting underwater video with that – you will probably get better results.

Edit: Here’s some footage of the problem:

http://www.vimeo.com/4039739

THis Camera is horrible
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Guys and Gals, I have a exacti E1 water proof camera. After 2 years of hard abuse the sound went out. I searched for a new camera and purchased this one. The HD is overated. The quality is far worse then my non HD E1 camera. I can’t beleive Sanyo would market this camera as HD. Waterproof is always great but not at the sacrifice of bad video and even worse pictures. My Blackberry Phone takes better pictures. I am really disappointed in this camera. Someone in another review said the quality is bad becuase the video compression is so high. It may meet the specs as a HD camera but I have been playing with all the setting trying for a good shot and I am done with the frustration. I will be going back to the E2 which is the new E1 waterproof. This camera did have one excellent feature. Incredable battery life even on stand by mode. I bought two extra batteries thinking I was going to be swapping batteries all the time like my Old E1. Not the case.

piece of %&$
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Ok, it’s cheap and fun because it can go in the water. Still, it’s not worth the money.

1) When zooming in or out, the movement is not continous. It’s like he camera stops every third of a second for recalculating the focus, light, b/w balance and everything else and you can totally see all those little stops in the resulting movie.

EVEN if you don’t zoom, but there’s things moving in the scene (or changing light), the same problem appears.

2) when zoomed all in (30x) the camera doesn’t focus well on the subject.

3) the image stabilizer is weak. Hand held shooting is almost impossible.

Had to return it…

Pretty good
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I got this camera yesterday and after shooting for a bit I’d have to say it’s better than I expected, but you really have to know what you want it for.

Unlike another reviewer I would not go by the camera’s LCD to adjust the image, since it’s probably the weakest part of the camera, not very high resolution. The auto functions of exposure and white balance do a pretty good job. The colors are a little saturated and in some situations it does crush the blacks creating a high contrast look, but overall it works well.

The controls are simple and I was up and running in no time. I am used to shooting with manual controls, especially for exposure and focus. I was leery of what I could get with this camera but it handles well using the auto functions which can easily be locked off when need be. You can also assign four functions to the back arrow keys as shortcuts which makes it a snap to adjust the various focus modes, and lock the exposure, etc.

The macro is excellent and the zoom is great in a pinch but the image can become distorted on 30x. I did a long shot along a sidewalk and the image really broke up with the haze. When I was completely zoomed in on branches there was a great deal of purple fringing as well.

It worked perfectly underwater where I was in macro mode and the detail was excellent.

Getting the clips onto the computer is easy. I connected to the USB port and dragged them onto the desktop and from there directly into FCP. The only problem for me is my Mac is a G5 (relatively old) and there was a noticeable jerkiness in the video when played back on the computer. So the power of your computer has a definite impact on playback. Also, when editing this footage in with other HDV footage in FCP it took a looong time to render, i.e. two hours for about 12 minutes. But if you’re editing it by itself, aside from making my system a bit sluggish, there were no other problems.

I was disappointed with the stills. You have to have them quite small to be decent, so I won’t be using the camera much for that. Not sure why the CA9 is 8mb stills and the WH1 only 2mb!

The size of the camera is nice, it can definitely fit in a jacket pocket (not a shirt pocket) and the battery lasts a couple of hours which is great. Wasn’t impressed with the stabilization and I’ll definitely be using it on a tripod or braced against something solid.

My main camera is a Sony HDR-HC9 and there is a noticeable difference in quality. The WH1 image is more pixelated. But the underwater aspect is great and for that reason I’m glad I have it. So it really comes down to what you want the camera for. If you want it as your main camera and are seeking a good HD quality image, I probably wouldn’t recommend this due to the pixelation and the shakiness. But if you want something for You Tube, want the underwater feature, or a very portable camera, this one is great.

I put up some sample footage and a still here: http://www.robertjohnthompson.com/page1/page1.html

HD For Huge Disappointment
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
The camera is small, looks nice and is easy to use

but the video quality sucks.

We retured it the day after we received it!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
My husband and I were so excited for our new WATERPROOF camcorder! That is, until we watched the video for the first time. The file size was big, and the quality was HORRIBLE! It was pixelated, dark, extremely low quality, and blurry. What’s the point in a waterproof camera if the image quality is awful? We returned it the day after we bought it. Give me my money back, Sanyo!

Great for HD surf videos!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Took this to Casas Playa Saladita Mexico, and got great footage of long left point break. Needed extra strap to secure around wrist and another to store behind neck in rashguard when not recording. Small enough to comfortably strap behind neck and duck dive, and stay in place if you tumble while riding wave. Start and stop controls located conveniently on rear of camcorder. Editing and deleting better done on land as many menus to click thru to delete, which assures no accidental footage disappearances. Great zooming and with HD even not zoomed, images can be zoomed during viewing and seen clearly. My daughter loved the ability to make clear photo images, either during shooting or later when viewing, by simply pressing photo button.

Bought a 16GB SDHC card and had about 3 hours of time to video, dumped images to computer with simple USB stick card reader, and ready for more. After each use in ocean, per instructions, I set camera in a bowl of freshwater for 5 min. and then opened, closed, and turned the viewfinder to rinse off saltwater.

On land able to choose the more advanced features with lighting and iso options. Amazing HD clarity, small and easy to use and at a price that is comparable to a regular camera that does about the same, except this is VIDEO and CAN HANDLE BEING IN WATER.

After every sentence say. BUT IT SHOOTS HD UNDERWATER!!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
“Every critisism of this camera you must follow up with the statement “but it goes underwater and shoots HD” For this amount of money your not going to do any better. Most any camcorder your going to need a tripod, and this one is no exception. The features including the talking menu and easy to navigate menus are great. The picture is good.. not great, but then again.. IT GOES UNDERWATER… The image can become shaky eventhough the zoom is quite smooth. The still pictures are worthless, but still IT GOES UNDERWATER… It is a nice color, (I got yellow) and using SD cards is the way of the future. HD 720 Video is awesome. You will need to weigh the pro of being able to shoot underwater with other factors, however, your not going to do any bettr in HD video even if it doesnt go underwater for this price. So you might as well get the one THAT you guessed it GOES UNDERWATER. If your considering any camcorder in this price range, I would recommend this, for having all the right features and underwater HD video is just unreal!! A Great deal, glad I bought it, Everyone loves it and everyone can use it. It has not only an easy mode but the settings most wanna be pro videographers want as well. I SAY put it on auto and go, however I have friends who just insist on using manual settings because it makes them feel more like a pro. Gettng the shot makes me feel like a pro and within a second of turning it on your ready to go. Did I mention the battery lasts an amazing three hours?? It is truly solid and the waterproof feature makes it a solidly built piece of equipment. I recommend this for anyone who wants something that is #1 going to last and #2 is very trendsetting nd unique. Not like the other Sanyo “gun” models, this one can sit on a table. It will also shoot pictures fast. I am glad I bought it and think it is worth beyond the price. Even if your not going underwater, shooting in the rain, water rafting or even snow, you should get this for piece of mind!

If your even considering an HD camera or a SD camera or an underwater camera or even just a yellow camera. THIS IS THE ONE TO BUY!”

HD in name only!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I was really looking forward to playing around with the Sanyo VPC-WH1 HD camcorder. After a couple of weeks I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a step above toy camcorders like the flip and can produce better quality video than some P&S but that’s about it.

It’s in an awkward price-range sandwiched between toy camcorders and P&S photo cameras with good video modes and more serious camcorders that produce high quality HD Video.

I’m drawing my conclusions based on comparison with the video produce by my Canon HV10 HDV which I purchased a couple of years ago, back in 2006. It’s a mini-dv camcorder so it’s a different beast but it’s given me an idea of what to expect from an HD camcorder.

The photo mode of the VPC-WH1 really isn’t even worth talking about. The only good thing I can say is that there isn’t much shutter lag once focus is acquired. The picture quality is terrible. Even a cheap $50 refurbished 4 or 5 year old canon P&S will produce better results.

As for the video mode, here are some pros and cons.

Pros

+Fast startup

+Mic is in front so audio isn’t bad

+Battery life is fantastic

Cons

-Poor video quality

-Slow focus

-Form factor makes it hard to hold for average hands

-No lens cap/cover (makes sense for underwater use but it would be nice to protect the lens)

The unique selling point of VPC-WH1 is that it’s waterproof to a depth of 10 feet. That makes it good for use in the rain or in the pool but it’s useless for scuba or snorkeling since you’re like to exceed the depth limit.

Combining a decent underwater housing with a good P&S will give you a much better, albeit bulkier and not as aesthetically pleasing, underwater camcorder and camera. I would gladly take high quality non-HD video over poor quality HD video.

Some have complained that they’ve had problems working with the files produce by the video camera. I have no such problems. Picasa recognizes them and plays them back as do video lan and Adobe Premiere.

Sub-par video quality, but exhilarating to take under water!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The video and sound quality for this VPC-WH1 waterproof camera should be considered sub-par. This is coming from the owner of a Canon VIXIA HF100 Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom, which has crystal clear, high definition images. The first time I compared footage between the two cameras I was really surprised at how big a difference there was.

However, this camera succeeds in an area where the Canon does not… namely, you can take this into wet environments or inclement weather and not be worried at all about damage. For example, I once took my Canon out fishing with the kids and was nervous the whole time that they would drop the camera, it would get splashed, or otherwise ruined on accident. I then took this Sanyo camera out fishing with the kids, and instead of worrying the whole time, I had the camera in the water taking pictures of fish that we caught. It also allows for some better picture opportunities… how often have you filmed underwater?

One side effect of filming underwater is that the sound gets muffled for a few minutes, but that seems to be expected. I think this is a fun camera whose deficiencies can be overlooked because of the new opportunities it provides.

It works in the rain and underwater!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
There may be better quality camcorders out there but for the $$$ this is a grreat unit and it works in the rain and underwater. A tri or mono-pod is a must for the zoom.

It’s not bad …
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I didn’t buy this to use underwater – but I did want something I didn’t have to be ‘precious’ with. I’ve taken a bunch of family snippets with my kids in the bath, at the beach, at the part, at the zoo, etc. They’ve all come out pretty well. Picture quality is impressive when the light is good (awful when it isn’t). The zoom lens is incredible – but you have to have a very, very steady hand once you get past around x10 or the result will leave you feeling seasick if you try to watch it. It’s really just a matter of finding something to brace against. Don’t fancy a monopod/tripod as the point of a camera this small is that it’s compact and easy to bring along … right?

Plus Points

- Picture quality (in good light)

- Rugged, well made item – no need to be ‘precious’ with it

- Can survive a dunking at the beach/pool/bath/fishing etc.

- Idiot proof controls

- Saves to SD card – easy uploading to computer, EyeFi compatible

- Sound quality is pretty good

- EXTREMELY long battery life – seems to go on forever

Minus Points

- Picture quality is awful in low-light

- Included software isn’t great

All in all I’m very pleased with it.

Definitely Worth The Money
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
After reading some of the negative reviews I was hesitant to purchase this camera. I am really glad that I didn’t let them sway me away. I have had no issues with contrast or black areas as other reviewers have had. The video, while not as good as a $1000 camera, is excellent. I have taken videos in a variety of lighting conditions and have been happy with them all.

If you need a good general purpose HD camera then this is a good choice in my opinion. It also has the added benefit of being able to go into the pool with you!

Surprisingly bad
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I like Sanyo’s video cameras (or what they’re now calling dual cameras), but have always hated their terrible software image stabilization and poor autofocus. I’ve stayed away for awhile, having previously owned a few previous generations of their HD offerings. I figured by now that they’d have gotten a little better, but the VPC-WH1 is actually (for the most part) worse than every other Sanyo 720p (dual) camera I’ve used in the past. Perhaps it has something to do with the underwater capabilities, but nonetheless this (dual) camera is mostly a disappointment.

One thing I hate seeing on video cameras is photo modes that cram in huge amounts of megapixels as an added feature when that ultimately hurts the quality of the video–what the camera was really designed to do. In general, Sanyo has been good about keeping the megapixel count at a safe level and favoring the video. They certainly did that here with a 2 MP photo mode. 4 MP would’ve been nice, but 2 MP basically makes this not much better than what you could snap with a cell phone (and many cell phones can do a lot better nowadays). Looking at the picture quality, you’d probably think it was taken with a cell phone. Really, though, it’s really unlikely that you’re buying this for photos so perhaps that’s forgivable.

So what about the video? For the most part, it also sucks. Sanyo makes 720p cameras half the size that produce nicer video than this thing. I would think making it waterproof would mean a bigger camera body–and it does–rather than lower quality video. I’m not sure why it looks so bad. Though it’s a tiny CMOS sensor, if you look at video from the Flip Mino HD you’ll get far better results. The WH1 can produce decent 720p video in sufficient lighting, but the quality drops off the charts and into the bowels of hell when you put the thing in an average house or apartment. Even with sun coming in the windows, the video was still noisy. Sanyo’s non-waterproof cameras do a much better job and so did their predecessors. I just couldn’t believe how bad the low light performance was. I expected it to be on par with with the older HD700, but it’s noticeably worse. This really ruins the camera for me, honestly.

As for autofocus and stabilization, they’re pretty much as bad as always. Actually, I’d say the autofocus is worse than it has been on other cameras but mostly only when you’re zoomed in pretty far. This thing has an amazing zoom range, though. With stabilization this poor, you’re not going to find many opportunities in which you can realistically use it but should you find yourself on a tripod or stable surface you might get some use out of it.

The unit is truly waterproof, which is definitely neat. It’s only waterproof up to ten feet, which pretty much means you’ll be snorkeling rather than scuba diving. It’ll hold it’s own in most pools and could be fun on a family vacation. It’s really just a novelty, though, because there’s not much you can seriously do with it in terms of underwater photography/videography due to it’s depth and quality limitations. If the video were on par with Sanyo’s other cameras (like the HD800, or even the older HD700) I’d argue it’s worth it just for the fun factor, but given how poor this camera performs in many situations I can’t say it’s worth it. You just won’t find many opportunities to use it underwater and the novelty will wear off quickly. That said, you can pretty much just dunk the thing in a pool. Previous models required flipping a switch to make it water proof, but now you can just toss it in. That’s a plus.

Because of the terrible low light performance, autofocus and stabilization I feel like it’s not even worth addressing much else but because I tend to be a little more critical of cameras I think it’s worth pointing out the pluses.

You can fit a lot of video on this camera, and (likely because of its size) the battery life seems to be a bit longer than its smaller siblings. The LCD is fairly nice, but not great. The menus are easy to navigate. It’s a very simple device to use. You don’t have to switch between photo and video modes–they’re always both readily available to you. Playback is simple. To charge it you plug it in. To transfer footage you connect it to the computer via USB. You can play clips on your TV. It’s yellow! There are things to like here, but ultimately it all comes back to one point: you can get all of this good stuff with fewer disadvantages in other cameras made by Sanyo, and that’s what I’d recommend doing.

Of course, if you’re really set on underwater photography you’re probably not going to find anything better at this price point. If you can deal with all of these issues, I’m certainly not going to stop you.

Good:

- Easy to use.

- Cheap underwater photographer (up to ten feet).

- Excellent zoom range.

- It’s yellow (I think that’s awesome, but I suppose you have to like yellow to agree).

- Can record about an hour of HD video per 4GB of space you’ve got, which is pretty good (I think).

- Saves files as MP4 files, rather than MPEG4 transport streams, so they’re ready to go and compatible with most video sites straight out of the camera.

- Good, respectable battery life.

- Lens is capable of macro focus.

- You can still record sound underwater.

Bad:

- Terrible low light performance.

- Poor image stabilization (but what else is new).

- Poor autofocus.

- The hand strap is not very water resistant for something intended to be a part of an underwater camera.

- Low resolution photos (2 megapixel) that look like what you’d get with a cell phone camera, or worse.

- Zoom controls are a little slow/awkward

- Open doors (for the SD card, for example) on the camera can be a little uncomfortable

In Limbo:

- There’s a video recording button on the front side of the camera for some reason. I haven’t quite figured out why it’s there, but my guess is that it’s easier to press if you hold the camera from above so you can tape down by your feet, but that’s just a guess.

- Decent image quality in ideal lighting.

- Not pocket-able (I put this here because it’s not necessarily a bad thing).

WATCH OUT !!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Expect an unpleasant surprise when you open the box. This camera ships without a memory card — it’s useless. If you are far from a major camera store, as I am, you have a big problem. The fact that you need to buy a card isn’t even mentioned anywhere is the setup, quick-start, or any other portion of the owner’s manual.

When you finally call in frustration, they refer you to a well hidden section of the website.

Small memory cards are cheap this is a big hassle for small$$$. What next? Will they sell cars without motors.

I’LL NEVER TRUST AMAZON AGAIN.

Great value, Great HD quality, and it’s waterproof!!! WOW!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My camera arrived two days ago. It was very easy to use and understand. The manual really goes indepth but most of the info is obvious when using the camera. I spent a whole day and a half being frustrated about the software. Nero is terrible and wouldn’t even open my video, just played audio, and said i had to buy a blu-ray/hd plug-in but on their website it said no longer available. I felt so frustrated at not being able to view my videos in HD and make them onto a dvd. Sanyo’s customer service suggested i use Quick Time, which played the video in very low quality and still i wasnt able to burn. I spent a long time researching many different software programs to buy, all of which had terrible reviews. I then noticed an icon for total media extreme, like it shows in the manual (it doesnt even mention Nero in the manual but that is what i got when i installed the software), on my desktop. Well, today i opened it up and it was the program mentioned in the manual and it made the dvd quick and simple!! I was thrilled! I dont know why when installing the software it comes up as Nero which is USELESS and doesnt even mention the correct software to use TME. I had to luckily notice the new icon on my desktop for the correct software. I’m so happy that nightmare is over! The correct software was easy to use and i just used a regular dvd-r from Fujifilm that i previously had, played it in my PS3 and the quality is in HD!!! There was a lot of editing options too, yet simple enough to make a dvd quickly. That was the main thing i wanted to do, burn my home movies to dvd and i finally got it. I also put the videos on youtube very easily and they come on their in HD, and the picture is soooo amazingly crisp and clear! The audio is so good too! I was upstairs in my bedroom watching my youtube video i just posted earlier and i heard the oven preheat sound, it’s 3 beeps. Me and my husband both thought we heard the actual oven noise, but it was in the video!

I put other video footage on the same dvd with my new HD camera footage to compare it on my HDTV. I had the video from my regular waterproof camera and my older regular digital camera. WOW the quality is amazingly higher and i thought that the video on my waterproof camera was good!! IT was but this quality is amazing! I wish i had this camera sooner, i just went on vacation!

There are a lot of youtube videos like mine, that are taken with this camera, so you can search this camera and see people’s actual footage.

Another tip is to get a class 6 memory card, speed is important!

The footage doesn’t play in window’s media player because it doesnt know MP4 format. But now that i can use the right software it’s not a problem.

The camera is very light weight, easy to use, oh, you also need to buy the mini hdmi to hdmi cable because it is not included… that is if you want to hook up the camera directly to your HDTV.

I can’t wait to take it on vacation!! -and underwater in the Bahamas! HD is so awesome!

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