The VPC-WH1 Camcorder can be submerged in the water up to a depth of 10 feet; this is what makes Sanyo’s VPC-WH1 HD camcorder special. The other camcorder that Sanyo had made waterproof was the VPC CA9, which could be submerged under water up to a depth of 5 feet. CA9 is an upright pistol grip camcorder, whereas WH1 has a more traditional design. Before WH1, Panasonic’s SDR-SW20 and SW21were the only models that gave industrial-strength waterproofing to consumer camcorders; however, Sanyo goes a step ahead by not only shooting underwater, but also shooting high definition. Like its sibling VPC CA9, it too can be used in the rain.

VPC-WH1 shoots 720p (1280×720) high definition video at 30 frames per second. The videos shot with the camcorder have brilliant results when taken in appropriate light. It does not have a video light of any kind which makes some of the images a little noisy. It includes a new technology called 3D DNR image noise reduction. However, this does not reduce the noise in videos taken underwater, because the images appear to be softer than they actually are. It would be a good idea to get some good lighting for this camcorder. It has a 2.5-inch LCD screen, which is not of very high resolution.

The image quality obtained from this camcorder is quite decent. It sports a 30X optical zoom that works well and it has satisfactory focus capability. It starts at 43mm and goes up to 1290mm, which makes it easier to shoot subjects that are at a long distance from the camcorder; however, it is difficult to capture wide-angle shots. For wide angles, you may want to put on a wide-angle adapter, but the problem is attaching the adapter to the camcorder, which you will have to figure out on your own. It has the ability to shoot 2MP still photos, which is a good size for posting photos on the Internet. In addition to this, it captures JPEG images at 13 frames per second (fps). Compare this to the higher-resolution pictures taken from cell phones and the 13fps is not very appealing, although cell phones do not have large enough sensors. You may, however, make 8×10 size prints of the shots.

WH1 sports Sanyo’s new Li-ion batteries that last for an amazing 3 hours and 20 minutes. These batteries need less charging and, hence, have a better life. It also includes the new face chaser technology that works well. It focuses sharply and can detect up to 12 faces. Design wise, the WH1 is very sleek and fits comfortably in the hand. It is small enough to fit into a jacket pocket or purse. The camcorder is available in three colors: blue, silver and yellow. All the colors are very vibrant and fresh.

Sanyo warns of using the camcorder in very cold locations or in areas of high temperature or humidity; however, it also states that it can be used for winter sports like skiing or snowboarding. One thing to keep in mind is that there is no 60p video recording and you will have to be content with only 30 frames per second to capture videos of fast moving objects.

It sports a 2.0 megapixel CMOS image sensor and digital image stabilization for both video and stills. It also has a reverse sequential photo mode that comes in handy to capture more accurate images. The technology works in that when you hold down the Photo button, the camera causes the images to load continuously. Once you have captured the image that you want, remove your finger and the data that was just loaded is automatically copied to the SD card. This feature helps you to never miss a shot. VPC-WH1 has an internal memory of 43MB and can also record to a 32GB SD/SDHC memory card. It has an HDMI cable that can be used to export videos and stills to the computer.

When compared to its other waterproof sibling, the VPC-CA9, WH1 seems to be a better deal. CA9 has 5X optical zoom while WH1 has 30X optical zoom. The other aspect that makes it a better model is the depth to which it can operate underwater; CA9 up to 1.5m and WH1 up to 3m. They are both high definition camcorders and have the face chaser technology. The one area where CA9 outplays WH1 is the CMOS image sensor; WH1 has a 2.0 Megapixel sensor, while CA9 has a 9.0 Megapixel sensor. The other differentiating point between the two is the design; CA9 is a vertical pistol-grip camcorder and WH1 has a traditional horizontal design.

Overall Sanyo’s VPC-WH1 is a good camcorder that delivers decent results provided the light conditions are good. It is a waterproof camcorder; however, the manufacturer warns you against immersing the device in water for longer than 60 minutes. In addition, if you happen to do so, you have to let it dry for at least 10 minutes before use! Nevertheless, it is a camcorder with decent features and its biggest selling point could be the word “waterproof” written in bold on the device!
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