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| Sanyo VPC-Z400 |
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Hardware Reviews December 1999 • Vol.2 Issue 12 |
Sanyo VPC-Z400 | ||
 We can't stress enough how nice it is to be able to pick up a midrange digital camera and start taking shots almost immediately without having to poke around in the users manual time after time for clarifications. That is exactly the kind of luxury the VPC-Z400 from Sanyo affords. At $595, we can't imagine too many other digital cameras in this price range that are as easy to use and less intimidating right out of the box than the VPC-Z400. The advanced features and image quality the camera ponies up aren't the best you'll find, but being able to use a digital camera without having to access an endless procession of buttons and menu settings shouldn't be overlooked. The VPC-Z400's user friendliness is bolstered primarily by its design, which is very similar to a basic point-and-shoot film camera that most users are comfortable with. The camera features well-labeled buttons and dials in addition to a menu that is easy to maneuver using the camera's 2-inch LCD (liquid-crystal display). That ease of use also appreciatively allows for automatic and manual shooting modes with control over exposure, aperture, zoom, and white-balance settings. What is more disappointing is the camera's image quality. Although the VPC-Z400 rates above average, many shots we took both indoors and outdoors lacked focus and clarity. More pleasing was the accurate color that nearly all images rendered, particularly those taken outdoors in the macro focus mode; these exhibited excellent texture and feeling. In contrast, indoor shots were darker and contained less contrast and dimension. The VPC-Z400 captures images at three quality settings at resolutions of 1,280 x 960 pixels and 640 x 480 pixels. The bundled 4MB (megabyte) SmartMedia card stores eight to 60 images, depending on the quality setting. In addition, the camera is capable of recording sound to images and can take one shot every 0.5 seconds for up to 10 shots. If you add sound to images, the storage capacity falls to eight to 41 images. The camera's 34mm to 102mm lens also has 3x optical and 2x digital zoom ability. The Sanyo VPC-Z400 isn't designed for taxing imaging tasks that require a great deal of power and speed. But what this camera does specialize in is providing users with an easy means of getting above-average digital images with some manual controls and limited advanced features. by Blaine Flamig
$595 (800) 421-5013 (619) 661-1134 http://www.sanyodigital.com
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