Sanyo announces the first waterproof camcorder. The Xacti E1 model will be available next month for $500. We consider the price fair as the camera records directly on the SD/SDHC cards. It works underwater for about an hour, but the maximum depth is just 5 feet. The Sanyo Xacti E1 waterproof camcorder is perfect for beach activities or water parks.

Besides being a good underwater device, the camera gives you the possibility to use it like a regular camera wherever you want. It is perfect for shooting video or still images using the Advanced Video Codec AVC/H.264. Xacti’s users can record up to 10 hours of 640 x 480 pixels/30fps videos on a 8GB SDHC memory card. The CCD image sensor allows to capture 6 megapixel images and videos and it has 5x optical zoom.

The Xacti E1 features a 2.5″ LCD screen that rotates up to 285 degrees on an axis. The Xacti E1 enables easy playback of recorded video directly on a TV screen. All in all I can say this camera is a true work of art. Pre-orders are available at Amazon.com.

[Product page via Engadget]

Filed under Cameras&camcorders, Sanyo