Sanyo launches Flip rip

JAPANESE ELECTRONICS MAKER Sanyo has released a dual-cam pocket camcorder that's full HD and might be just a little bit like a Flip, in the right light.

The Xacti VPC-PD2BK 1080p has full HD video recording at 30FPS with 3x optical zoom. The dual cam basically means that, like the Flip, it can record video and capture up to 10MP photos from the same camera. There aren't two cams, though, it is one dual purpose cam.

"The new PD2BK delivers amazing 10MP photos and 1080 archive quality video with 3x optical zoom," said Sanyo VP Tom Van Voy.

"Now users have both a convenient, ultra easy form factor and archive quality photos and videos that they will be proud to display on their HDTVs or share with friends and family from their computer," he explained.

To be fair, Sanyo was doing its Xacti camcorder and digital camera hybrid years before the Flip came along. Xacti models were always built and designed with the same mini camcorder dimensions, offering budget camera functionality as well.

But the Japanese outfit has definitely been taking notes from the Flip's design team. Now, rather than a pocket camcorder with a protruding front side-flip LCD panel, it looks like a portrait camera that has been "flipped" sideways. Hence it's another sort of flip.

So far the camera has only been announced in the US for $169 but Sanyo does sell the Xacti range in Blighty as well. We'll expect to see it on the shelves here soon, with that all important UK profit margin mark up added to the price. µ