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Double the fun

By Theo Boshoff
Johannesburg, 05 Aug 2010

Making home videos might never have been high on your list of things to do, as you prefer to stick to photography, but the new Sanyo Xacti CG100 could possibly be the device that changes all that.

The CG100 is a dual camera that is easy to use, capturing full HD video in MPEG 4 format and high resolution photos. The camera is the same size as the average digital camera on the market and can easily be popped into a top pocket or bag and taken anywhere.

The camera's form factor is what is known as a pistol-grip, due to the fact that it is held as you'd hold a gun, operating the function keys and zoom slide button, which all appear on the back, neatly together, with your thumb. The screen flips out to the side and can swivel 285 degrees to make capturing videos and photos possible in even the most awkward positions. This also makes it easy to take videos and photos of yourself.

The screen is very bright and clear, great for catching all the action in detail, and for content playback.

The CG100 features Sanyo's proprietary 'Double Range Zoom', which enables the user to switch between the wide-angle mode and the telephoto mode with a single push of a button. The wide-angle mode gives a range of 40mm to 240mm, while the telephoto mode extends the zoom to between 80mm and 480mm.

In summary

Rating: 81%
Best for: Beginners, enthusiasts and experts
Digital Life says: A simple-to-use, good-image-quality camera for the whole family
Plus: The simple switch between wide-angle and telephoto capabilities
Minus: The tiny LED light does not cast light sufficiently past two metres
Contact: have2have
Price: R2 824.57

As mentioned, operating the camera is simple and the settings menu is easy to understand.

Features on the camera include basic photo editing and the standard shooting modes, like night photography or sunny landscape photography.

Furthermore, users can take a still photograph while recording video in one easy move. So, if you're recording video and see a scene that would be perfect for a still photo, press the camera button and it will take a still photo of that scene while continuing to record video.

Connecting to a computer or TV is also a breeze. All that needs to be done is plug in the supplied USB/AV or HDMI cables. You can play back HD videos or high-resolution photos through the HD-capable TV in seconds and share memories with friends or the whole family.

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