SD Camcorder advice needed.

[pegasus1]

I am looking for a Camcorder that has to be sub £250, robust and capable of operating in hot (up to 50C in the shade) and dusty conditions.
I have been pointed towards the Sanyo Xacti CA65 Camcorder that i can get for £229 as this is water resistant to 1.5m (so hopefully dustproof) and uses SD cards. This camcorder received a good revue in several mags and on the surface would appear to suit my needs.
Does anybody have any experience with this camcorder or advice.
Any feedback would be welcome.
Thanks

 

[hethers]

I've got the Xacti HD1a, had it since it came out.

Had it in Oz, Singapore etc. for a couple of visits but not to 50C. I'd have passed out well before then!

Excellent performance for the cash. With the single CCD the video struggles in dismal/dark conditions but the size and ease of use (thumb control) easily make up for that. Still shots are excellent and with a couple of 4gig sd cards it makes a great travelling companion.

The battery charges in the camera so I bought a separate 3rd party charger and spare battery. So can charge two at once overnight or be using one in the camera whilst the other is charging either on mains or car battery.

The overall set up suits me well.

The new HD1000 is tempting but well over your budget....... and mine!

 

[pegasus1]

Thanks for that, what sort of shooting time can i expect for the battery and how does the quality of the recording compare to mini DV ?