Combining a 10-megapixel CCD sensor and 6x optical zoom lens, the new Vivitar ViviCam-X60 is one of the most competitively priced and feature-packed digital cameras in the 10 megapixel category.
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August 29, 2006: Combining a 10-megapixel CCD sensor and 6x optical zoom lens, the new Vivitar ViviCam-X60 is one of the most competitively priced and feature-packed digital cameras in the 10 megapixel category.
Weighing only 150 grams, the new slimline model has a metal body and is expected to sell for $599 when it goes on sale in September. It sports a 2.8 high-resolution LCD display screen and comes with 32MB of internal memory plus an SD expansion slot. The lens has a focal length range equivalent to 37-222mm in 35mm format and focuses down to 2 cm in Macro mode. Other features include a built-in anti-shake function which detects and compensates for handshake when the shutter button is pressed.
The ViviCam-X60 can also record MPEG4 movie clips at VGA resolution with a frame rate of 30 fps. It is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Vivitar products are distributed exclusively by Ricoh in Australia. Phone 1 300 363 741 for stockist information or visit www.ricoh.com.au for product details.
A keenly-priced, high-resolution digicam with plenty of user-adjustable controls.Vivitar’s new ViviCam X60 packs a lot of sophisticated functions into a very compact body. And at $599 for a 10-megapixel, 6x optical zoom camera with P, A, S and M shooting modes and plenty of other adjustments, it represents a genuine bargain buy. No viewfinder is provided, but the LCD is slightly larger than many competing cameras offer and the control buttons, though quite small, are sensibly located. However, the comprehensive menu system is a bit fiddly to use.
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In summary
A keenly-priced, high-resolution digicam with plenty of user-adjustable controls.Vivitar’s new ViviCam X60 packs a lot of sophisticated functions into a very compact body. And at $599 for a 10-megapixel, 6x optical zoom camera with P, A, S and M shooting modes and plenty of other adjustments, it represents a genuine bargain buy. No viewfinder is provided, but the LCD is slightly larger than many competing cameras offer and the control buttons, though quite small, are sensibly located. However, the comprehensive menu system is a bit fiddly to use. . . [more]
Full review
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Vivitar’s new ViviCam X60 packs a lot of sophisticated functions into a very compact body. And at $599 for a 10-megapixel, 6x optical zoom camera with P, A, S and M shooting modes and plenty of other adjustments, it represents a genuine bargain buy. No viewfinder is provided, but the LCD is slightly larger than many competing cameras offer and the control buttons, though quite small, are sensibly located. However, the comprehensive menu system is a bit fiddly to use.
The silver plastic body has a few rough edges but the lens retracts neatly into the camera body. The lens surround extends the depth of the camera body to 37.4 mm, making it a tad too thick for a slimline model. There’s a finger bar on the front panel and a textured area on the rear for the thumb. Locating the speaker here presents no problems for audio playback once your thumb is out of the shooting position.
X60-back
One gripe we have concerns the tiny icons on the mode dial. Ten of them are packed onto an annulus surrounding the shutter button and, although it’s easy to identify the red Auto setting and the P, Tv, Av and M modes, the other icons (Scene, User Setting, Video, Panorama and Anti-Shake) are quite difficult to read. Sixteen scene modes are provided, including settings for text, B&W and sepia shots plus a range of subject options. In most modes, users can set image size and quality, select from a range of nine colour modes (including Standard, Vivid, Monochrome, Red, Green and Purple) and turn the anti-shake on and off. (The anti-shake involves boosting ISO sensitivity.)
X60-top
Unusually for a digicam, the X60 provides six aperture settings, which range from f/2.8 to f/6.7 with the lens at the wide position and f/4.8 to f/11.0 with tele. Thirty-three shutter speed settings are provided in the Tv and Manual modes. When flash is used, the fastest shutter speed defaults to 1/500 second. Adjustments are made via the arrow pad and the current settings are displayed on the LCD monitor. You can call up a small histogram by pressing the Display button or choose a data-free view.
The User Setting, which lets you record a selection of manual adjustments for subsequent quick recall, is also unusual on a compact digicam. The Panorama mode provides the standard shooting guides to help you frame successive shots. Cool 360 SE software is supplied for panorama stitching. The Coupling Shot mode in the Scene menu enables users to combine two spots to produce a single image. It’s handy for couples who want portrait shots with both included and on-screen guides are provided for shot composition. Video clips can be recorded in AVI format with VGA (640 x 480 pixels) resolution at 25 frames/second. The camera can keep recording to the memory’s capacity and almost 17 minutes of video can be stored on a fast 1 GB card. Zoom can’t be used which recording video clips. Voice memos up to 30 seconds long can also be recorded. Cards with up to 2 GB capacity are supported. The X60 is PictBridge enabled for direct printing and has a high speed USB 2.0.
Performance
The test camera turned in a surprisingly good performance for its price and sensor size/megapixel count, producing pictures with above average colour accuracy and plenty of details. Imatest testing showed the lens produced a moderate level of lateral chromatic aberration and resolution was slightly below ideal levels for a 10-megapixel camera (although typical for 10-megapixel digicams with ½.5-inch imagers). We found no loss of resolution when sensitivity was increased to ISO 400 and low-light shots showed little visible image noise at this setting.
White balance performance was erratic. The auto setting handled fluorescent lighting well, as did the manual measurement setting. Incandescent lighting proved problematic for the auto, pre-set and manual modes. The auto setting failed to remove the orange cast, while the pre-set and manual modes over-corrected. Flash performance was typical of many digicams: at least ISO 200 was required to cover an average-sized room.
Digital zoom shots were affected by artefacts and only suitable for web use. Close-ups were competently handled and the Super Macro setting delivered some great-looking results. The test camera’s AF system was very slow to lock focus. We measured an average capture lag of just under two seconds, which reduced to 0.3 seconds with pre-focusing. Shot-to-shot times averaged roughly three seconds and it took about three seconds to process a high-resolution file. In continuous shooting mode, three shots were captured at 0.8 seconds intervals, while the burst setting recorded shots at 0.5 second intervals. It took almost six seconds to clear the buffer memory. We noticed a low battery warning towards the end of our tests, indicating slightly higher power consumption than most competing cameras.
In Summary Although less refined than most of its competitors, the ViviCam X60 offers a very wide array of adjustments and will, therefore, suit keen photographers with budgetary constraints. Resolution and colour accuracy in daylight conditions are on a par with most competing models. However, slow response times will make this camera less suitable for family photographers than for those who prefer shooting static subjects.
IMATEST GRAPHS
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SAMPLE IMAGES
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Super Macro.
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Digital zoom.
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Low light, ISO 400.
Specifications
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Image sensor: 7.6 x 5.7 mm CCD with 10.1 megapixels effective Lens: 7.8-46.8mm f2.8-4.8 zoom (37-222mm in 35mm format) Zoom ratio: 6x optical, up to 10.4x digital Image formats: Stills ““ JPEG (Exif 2.2); Movies ““ AVI/Motion JPEG (VGA at 25 fps) Image Sizes: 3648 x 2736, 2816 x 2112, 2048 x 1536, 640 x 480 Shutter speed range: 1 to 1/1500 second (adjustable in Tv and Manual modes) Image Stabilisation: ISO-boost (reduces max. image size to 6 MP) Exposure Compensation: +/- 2.0 EV in 0.3 EV steps Focus system/range: TTL AF; range 30 cm to infinity; macro 7-40 cm; super macro 2-40 cm Exposure metering/control: Multi-pattern and spot metering; Auto, P, A, S and M modes plus 16 scene pre-sets ISO range: Auto, ISO 64, 100, 200, 400 White balance: Auto, incandescent, fluorescent (x2), daylight, cloudy, manual Flash modes/range (ISO auto): Auto, red-eye reduction, forced flash, flash off; range 0.5-2.7 m Sequence shooting: 3 shots at (Burst mode permits continuous recording while shutter button is held down) Storage Media: 32 MB internal memory plus SD expansion slot Viewfinder: n.a. LCD monitor: 2.8-inch full colour TFT display (230,000 pixels) Power supply: 3.7V rechargeable lithium-ion battery Dimensions (wxhxd): 93 x 57 x 25.5 mm (excluding lens) Weight: 164 grams (without battery and card)
Retailers
CamBuy
www.cambuy.com.au
Digital cameras, lenses and accessories with 100% genuine Australian manufacturer’s warranties. Ph: (02) 9029 2219
Camera House
CH_Logo120
www.camerahouse.com.au
Ph: 133 686 The largest speciality photographic retail chain in Australia.
Camera Pro
www.camerapro.net.au
CameraPro Pty Ltd
Suite 607, 180 Queen St, Brisbane 4000
Tel: 07 3333 2900 Australian owned and run company based in Brisbane.
Camerasdirect
CamerasDirect133
www.camerasdirect.com.au
Retailer of digital camera equipment and more.
Secure online shopping and delivery across Australia. Ph: 1300 727 056
www.electronicswarehouse.com.au
1300 801 885 Australian retailer of Vapex rechargeable batteries offering factory direct prices and fast, free shipping Australia wide.
1800 186 895 Big range of cameras and photographic products with stores in most states and online.
Rating
RRP: $599
Rating (out of 10):
Build: 8
Ease of use: 8
Image quality: 8
OVERALL: 8.5
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