The VPC-CA6 is a an extremely small SD-card based video and still camera; our product review sample came in a box that proclaimed it was the “blue” variant (with a “red” and “silver” variant also available), but that’s a strange definer of the camera, as it’s actually only the bezel around the foldout LCD that comes in a blue colour. The rest of the VPC-CA6′s casing is white with a prominent black ridge running down the bottom of the camera; this includes the hinge that houses the VPC-CA6′s battery and SD card slot. Our review sample came with a 1GB SD card. The battery is charged with an external charger, and there’s no facility to directly charge the camera battery while it’s in situ.

The VPC-CA6 has a 5x optical zoom and supports four recording modes, topping out at standard VGA (640 x 480) video at 30fps. Everything recorded comes out as a compressed MP4 file, and the supplied 1GB card should be good for about 60 minutes of footage, which is not that much more than the VPC-CA6′s estimated battery life of 80 recording minutes. Given that the camera is pitched towards the home or sports enthusiast shooter that’s not too galling. The specifications for the VPC-CA6 state that it’s compatible with newer SHDC cards, which can store 4GB or more. On the digital still front, the VPC-CA6 features a six megapixel sensor with a variety of pre-set shooting modes.

One of the selling points for the VPC-CA6 is that it’s splash-proof. It’s important to note that Sanyo don’t claim that it’s waterproof — and we were unwilling to shell out AU$799 to see what happens if you drop it into a pool but if you’re keen and try it, be sure to let us know what happens. In theory, though, the VPC-CA6 should be good for swimmers, skiers and the like, simply because you should be able to handle it with wet hands. That probably covers people doing dishes as well, now that we think of it.

The VPC-CA6 is Sanyo’s latest addition to the family. Weighing in at just 175g, its gently curving pistol-grip design will be familiar to camcorder users but may feel awkward to anyone coming from a photo background.

Flip the smallish screen out and the VPC-CA6 wakes up almost immediately. The screen doesn’t tilt up (or fold screen-side in for safety) but its meagre 86,000 pixels look surprisingly sharp and natural. In fact, the 2-inch display has a smooth, luminous quality that outshines many larger LCDs, but it performs poorly in low light.