Sanyo Introduces The World's Smallest, Lightest, And Thinnest Dual Camera Xacti DMX-CS1

SANYO is pleased to announce the release of a new Full HD, Slim Type Dual Camera Xacti, DMX-CS1, on February 19, 2010.

The Xacti series aims to provide customers with more enjoyable video experiences, by offering cameras that allow users to easily capture both photos and videos in daily life, rather than devices that are merely used to record important events. By utilizing a convenient video format that can be easily handled on PC and Internet environments, and even on home TVs, Xacti cameras are more than just hardware for capturing, viewing, and saving images. They are convenient products for sharing videos online, on blogs or on other multi-media sites.

Sanyo Xacti DMX-CS1

Now, SANYO has introduced a new Xacti model with a much greater degree of portability in a compact, lightweight and slim design, in order to expand the use of Full HD cameras. It is a new style of video camera that can record events as well as capture unforgettable scenes or single frames from daily life in Full HD, just as easily as taking a snapshot.

*1 For consumer-use Full-HD (1920 x 1080) video cameras with optical zoom lens.

Volume: approx. 126 cc; weight: approx. 142 g; thickness: approx. 27 mm; as of the Release Date.

*2 SANYO Xacti "Full HD" means data recorded at 1920 (horizontal) x 1080 (vertical) pixels.

*3 Both the product No. and dates mentioned in this release are for Japan only (as of the Release Date). While SANYO may launch the product in other regions of the world, the product No. and dates are different.

Main Features

1. New style of Dual Camera with the world's smallest, lightest and thinnest super-slim^*1 body
   • Product development for the Xacti series has been carried out with an emphasis on a compact design that can be taken anywhere and anytime, using the concept of a handy device for recording the moments of daily life.
   • In order to make the new Xacti even more compact than previous models, SANYO has developed a slim sensor module and a new super slim lens.
   • With its compact size (approx. 126 cc in volume), lightweight design (approx. 142 g), and slim body (27 mm in thickness) for superior portability, the DMX-CS1 is a new style of video camera that will radically expand the situations where it can be used.
   • The new original vertical ergonomic style enables slim body with usability*4

     *4 Results from collaborative research on the relationship between thickness of the grip and physical burden with Professor. Katsunuma and Professor. Simomura at Humanomics Section, Department of Design Science, Graduate School of Technology, Chiba University

2. Easily captures beautiful Full HD^*2 videos
   • Not only it features a super slim and compact body, but also the DMX-CS1 can capture Full HD videos with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels.
   • The video format used for this model is “MPEG-4 AVC / H.264," which is easy to use on PC and Internet environments, as it is a single file format, similar to the one used for still photos. “MPEG-4 AVC / H.264"is fully supported by the latest Windows® OS, “Windows 7"^*5, which was launched in October 2009.
   • Consequently, video files are displayed in the same thumbnail format as still picture files, and they can also be played back directly with Windows Media Player, and editable with Windows Live Movie Maker^*6, and are Device Stage compatible. This makes the files even more convenient for use on computers.

     *5 Windows is a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.

     *6 Downloadable from the Microsoft Corporation website.

3. “Sound Zoom" function enables clear sound recordings according to the scene 

   Sound is an important element for increasing the realism of videos. The DMX-CS1 has three microphone modes for recording clear sounds according to the scene and purpose.

4. Wide Mode: Stereo recording with high channel separation.
5. Gun Microphone Mode: Recording that focuses on sound emanating from the direction that the camera is pointing, while reducing sounds from other directions.
6. Zoom Combination Mode: Automatically changes the directivity and sound gathering format according to the zoom positions.
7. Other Features
   • Produces high-resolution 8-megapixel^*7 images.
   • Wide capture range from 10x “Advanced Zoom" ^*8 to a 38-mm wide angle lens.
   • “Digital Image Stabilizer" ^*9 and “Face Chaser Function"^*10 for videos
   • “The new Digital Image Stabilizer,"^*9 “Face Chaser Function"^*10 and “Target a Color Function" ^*10*11 for photos
   • “Sequential Shot" ensures capturing the perfect images.
   • "Eye-Fi card compatibility"^*12 enables automatic uploading of images to a computer.
   • Mini HDMI terminal^*13 for viewing high quality and clear images on TVs.
   • Compatible with large-capacity recording media, SDXC memory card.

     *7 Approximately 3-megapixel images received from the image sensor are enhanced and recorded as 8-megapixel images

     *8 “Advanced Zoom" is a technology used for video zoom function, integrating digital processing and optical treatment, which realizes wider angle as well as higher magnification zoom without image degradation, by enlarging the video filming area on the image sensor.

     *9 For instances where there is intense shaking or when the shutter is slow, motion correction function may not be able to correct the image.

     *10 Depending on the photographic subject and shooting conditions, there are instances where the function may not work as expected.

     *11 Developer by SANYO, with referring to the K-Means tracker technology of Wakayama University, Japan.

     *12 The Eye-Fi Share card and Eye-Fi Share Video card are sold separately. The maximum file size that can be uploaded from the Eye-Fi Share Video card is 2GB. The Eye-Fi Uploading Function may not operate in the future due to change in card specifications

     *13 Cable sold separately

Outline and Background

While forecasted demand in the Japanese video camera market continues to remain steady at the 1.60 million unit level from fiscal 2009 to fiscal 2010, the share of this market held by HD models is expected to jump substantially from approximately 70% in fiscal 2009 to about 90% in fiscal 2010 (both SANYO forecasts). Under these market conditions, SANYO believes that it is extremely important to offer products that create new markets. In the past, product development for the Xacti series was carried out based on the concept of a video camera that can be used anywhere and anytime and that also expands enjoyment after images are captured. Regular video cameras are mainly used to record special events. However, through the adoption of a video format that is highly compatible with PC and Internet environments, and thanks to its compact size for greater portability, the Xacti series offers dual cameras that can be used on a daily basis.

While maintaining these features, SANYO will launch the new super slim Xacti DMX-CS1, which greatly expands the usage possibilities for Full HD dual camera, based on its compact and slim design that is even easier to carry.