Sanyo Xacti C4
Review Date: April 28th 2005
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Features
The Sanyo Xacti C4 has a 4.23 megapixel, 1/2.7 inch CCD that delivers 4 megapixels. There are 4 still image sizes available ([8.0M] mode: 3264 x 2448, [4.0M] mode: 2288 x 1712, [2.0M] mode: 1600 x 1200, [0.3M] mode: 640 x 480) which are recorded as JPEGs. There are no RAW or TIFF formats. The camera features a 5.8x optical zoom lens that is equivalent to a 38–220mm lens on a 35mm format camera. There is also a 10x digital zoom should you feel the need to use it. The camera uses Secure Digital (SD) or Multi Media memory cards.
There are no selectable exposure modes, such as auto, aperture-priority and shutter-speed priority, on the Sanyo Xacti C4. Instead there are six different scene modes and a fully auto mode. The Sanyo Xacti C4 has only one exposure metering modes (Multi-spot) and there are type of focusing available (5-point area Auto and a 15-step Manual mode). In Standard mode the camera can focus as close as 10cms from the subject. In Super Macro mode the camera can focus as close as 2cms from the subject. The Sanyo Xacti C4 only has a normal shooting mode (single-shot), with no continuous mode. There are 2 different self-timer modes (Self-timer - 2 sec, Self-timer - 10 sec). The built-in flash offers a range of different modes; Auto, Forced, Off, with Slow synchro mode possible in the Night View scene mode.
The aperture range starts at f3.5 in wide-angle and f/3.7 in telephoto, and the shutter speed range is 4 seconds (in Lamp Mode) – 1/2000 sec. There are 4 ISO speeds ranging from 50 to 400. There are 4 different White Balance settings to choose from (Sunny / Cloudy / Fluorescent / Incandescent), plus a Full Auto setting. The camera offers exposure compensation in ± 1.8 in 1/3 EV stops, but there is no autobracketing of either exposure or white balance available. There are a range of different filter options (Standard / Cosmetic / Monochrome / Sepia). The Sanyo Xacti C4 has a 1.8 inch colour TFT LCD monitor which has 130,000 pixels and a Trans-reflective coating. Coverage of the scene is 100%. There is no traditional optical viewfinder.
Movies are obviously a highlight of the Sanyo Xacti C4. There are 5 video settings (TV-SHQ mode: 640 x 480/30fps/3Mbps, TV-HQ mode: 640 x 480/30fps/2Mbps, TV-S mode: 320 x 240/30fps, Web-HQ mode: 320 x 240/15fps, Web-S mode: 176 x 144/15fps), all with simultaneous audio. The Sanyo Xacti C4 saves video in the MPEG-4 format. As well as recording movies, the Sanyo Xacti C4 also doubles up as a voice recorder, allowing you to attach an audio clip to an image that you have taken.
The camera's dimensions are 69mm (W) x 108mm (H) x 34mm (D), and it weighs 159g without batteries and storage cards fitted. The camera is powered by a proprietary Lithium-ion battery (supplied).
Finally, the standard box kit is extremely generous, containing a Sanyo Software Pack 7.1 CD-ROM, docking station, connecting adaptor, USB cable, S-AV cable, 128MB SD memory card, lithium-ion battery, AC adaptor/battery charger (100 - 240 V) and power cord, soft case, hand strap, lens cap and a remote controller. This is one of the best supplied camera kits that I have seen, so full marks to Sanyo for including everything that you need to get started and more. You may want to buy an additional battery or two though, as the lithium-ion battery is only good for 130 still shots or an hour of video.
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PhotographyBLOG is a member of the DIWA organisation. Our test results for the Sanyo Xacti C4 have been submitted to DIWA for comparison with test results for different samples of the same camera model supplied by other DIWA member sites.