Andy Losik’s Islands of Geektopia

My brother-in-law is a funny guy with a number of catch phrases. He’s the guy that announces at the family gathering that he and his wife would have arrived a lot earlier but because they drive a Prius, they had to stop at the gas station and give back some gas. His newest phrase is “It will change your life.” I have now heard that in reference to a variety of things from a bottle of pinot noir, a certain video poker machine, to which flat screen TV I should be buying. We have a lot of laughs and I try to always let guys retain exclusivity over their own catch-phrases but I am going to drop his line on you…and I think…this is the first time I have ever used it seriously.

The Sanyo Xacti VPC-E2 will change your life. Ok, maybe not all that much, but I love mine. I thought I was getting a great deal on it when Apple.com had it on sale at 50% off for $200 during Black Friday. Amazon.com has gone even further and is offering it right now for $179.95 with free shipping.

I needed a small camcorder I could call my own for use with the Infotech classes, so I jumped at this one. However, I have to admit that the most intriguing part was the fact that it is waterproof down to 5 feet. I was quick to try this out and dunked it immediately into my daughter’s fish tank. The most fun we have with the waterproof feature is  when we take it sledding. Video:Sledding with the Sanyo Xacti VPC E-2 . I also held it on the dash one snowy day and recorded my commute to school. Video:My Commute.

I can’t wait for our upcoming Spring Break to Arizona and all of the possibilities it can have in a swimming pool. This summer should be fun for doing some fresh water exploring. I took it ice fishing once this winter and tethered it below the ice only to confirm (what my empty bucket was telling me) that I had picked a crummy fishing spot.

During my experiences with the camera, I have been very pleased. Like most point and shoot cameras, there is a bit of shutter lag but other than that the quality of the images have been good. With the video, the lighting is everything. The picture gets grainy when you don’t have enough light.

The thing I enjoy most about the set-up is the fact that SD cards are used as the recording media. No heads to clean and no tapes to wear out is a huge convenience. The included usb cable makes transferring video and images a snap…at least on my Mac.

Here is a pic from the Chinese joint in Houghton Lake, MI. It is great for stuff like this but if you are looking for professional results it doesn’t compare to using my Nikon D4o but can be a lot quicker and easier to carry. It all depends on what your objective is. This does a lot for me and now the price keeps getting righter.

You can get all of the geeky specs and details as well as the user reviews at the Amazon listing.