Xacti DMX C5

Why a 'quick n dirty review' ? Because I have nothing bad to say (well there is just one bad point). You probably have noticed by now that when I have something bad to say - I tend to babble on and on...
Anyway, I have been using the Xacti C1 for just over a year to take my movies and when I saw that Sanyo had brought out a 3S (Spanking Super Slick) Xacti DMX-C5, I had that giddy feeling again... 46,000 yen burnt its way through my pocket and 24 hours later it arrived.

The main reason I got the C5 was because it takes photos at a higher resolution (5 mega pixels ) than my C1 (3 mega pixels) and also because of the size - half that of the C1 (nearly) meaning that I can go around with the C5 in my front trouser pocket without being looked at as if I was some sort of pervert. The video quality of the C5 is just about the same as the C1 - I need to use it for a bit longer under different conditions (fog, snow, hail, napalm etc) to see whether there is a big difference or not. The C5 however does have a feature for those of you who do not have a steady hand - it will stabilize any video clips taken when for example you skidded on the brown gooey object on the road outside your house.

Above: C5 and C1 side by side. The C1 looked cool then but looks quite crap when compared to the C5.

Above: And here is a side by side showing the front. The C5 is considerably thinner than the C1 and also manages to deliver the same video quality and improved photo resolution.

One thing that I was disappointed about though is the lens cap - as you can see from the photos - its one of those cheapo sad man cap-tied-to-piece-of-crummy-string jobs. I know that its to reduce cost but they should have got rid of the darn TV output function and the ability to control playback via a remote control that is included and channel the costs to build a decent lens cover instead - who on earth is going to watch MPEG4 movies on their TV through the Xacti?

Above: Another comparison photo. The SD card is now much easier to remove - with the C1, I had to kind of dig open the SD compartment with my finger nail. The C5 case is made from PVC and looks just about as good as a poop scoop. The C1 hard case looks better but is big enough to fit two bricks.

I personally don't use cases for any of my gadgets though - which is why you may have noticed that some of the gadgets on the site look as though they have been to hell and back. I just cant be bothered to spend the extra time opening cases and making an effort to keep these items looking new - gadgets only have a certain life span and I know that for example that the C5 is only going to last me X number of years - I dont want to have to waste time keeping it spanking clean - nobody is going to buy it from me in two or three years time at a decent price.

Besides, when I want to take a snap or video - I want to take it immediately - not ten seconds later. If you purchase Sony then you are buggered because Sony products time out after a certain time, but with normal use, these products should last long - without the need to spend that extra time caring for it too much.

I don't bother trying to sell my second hand stuff anymore and end up giving the stuff away (just like I did with the C1 (lucky brother in law)). The reason why I don't bother selling is that the money I make wont cover the cost of the time I spent trying to sell the stuff - time is precious! Is time a friend or an enemy? (will blogg that subject one day).

Above: Nearly forgot to post this pic - The C5 has a larger screen which seems to update its self quicker than the C1. if you have large hands (...) you may find it a tad figity as the buttons are smaller.

Above: Took a snap just after the C5 arrived - did not play around with the settings. Hmmm....(searches on hard drive for something...)Was going to link this to the original photo but I cant find the file anymore - sorry about that (I cant be bothered to take another pic - its late at night now)

Above: This is another shot where I was going to link to the original. If you want to see what the video and photo quality is like, then you can pop along to ITMedia.

Hey there. Great blog, just spotted it today.

Quick question: If you were given a choice to choose between the Sanyo C5 and the Canon IXUS55 (Or Powershot SD450), which would you choose. I'm inclined to buy the Sanyo... but IXUS seems like its proven stuff.

Thanks man.

Hey there. Great blog, just spotted it today.

Quick question: If you were given a choice to choose between the Sanyo C5 and the Canon IXUS55 (Or Powershot SD450), which would you choose. I'm inclined to buy the Sanyo... but IXUS seems like its proven stuff.

Thanks man.