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Sanyo's waterproof camcorder makes a splash

Perfect for punting on the Thames?

By James Sherwood • Get more from this author

4th June 2008 14:37 GMT

Something - or someone - has made Sanyo wet. Because the manufacturer's launched what it claims is the world’s first waterproof camcorder.

Sanyo_camcorder

Sanyo's VPC-CA65: waterproof to 1.5m

Sanyo’s already released a splash-proof camcorder, the Xacti VPC-CA6, but the new VPC-CA65, which has already been out in Japan for some time, can be submerged to depths of 1.5m for up to one hour.

The CA65 is a six-megapixel model that's able to shoot MPEG 4 video at a resolution of up to 640 x 480 and at up to 30 frames per second. At that quality, Spielberg won't take much notice, but it should be good enough for filming basking sharks.

A 5x optical zoom is built into the camcorder and, if you’re on a boat and spot an opportunity for recreating Jaws with a fellow holidaymaker, then the CA65’s anti-shake feature should help ensure that Steadycam look.

There’s a 2.5in display for watching videos back straight after you’ve directed them, with content stored on an SD memory card. Because the camera only measures 70 x 40 x 111mm and weighs 217g, it should also be about right for dangling from your Speedos.

Sanyo’s VPC-CA65 camcorder will be available in the UK from the end of June, for around £250 (€290/$500).

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