Al-Futtaim kicks off sales of SANYO Xacti HD2

With a new 7.38-megapixel CCD image sensor, the camera combines the functionality of a 720p HD digital camcorder and 7.1-megapixel digital still camera into one pocket-sized device. A follow-up to the innovative and multi-award winning HD1 and HD1a series, the Xacti HD2 also supports a new HDMI digital interface, built into the unit's docking station, enabling an all-digital output to HDTV's and high-definition video recorder devices. Lightweight at only 235g ounces (including battery and SD card), the HD2 features a generous and highly efficient 10x optical zoom lens. Combined with a 10x digital zoom capability, the HD2 is capable of a total 100x zoom.

"We are confident the feature rich Xacti HD2 along with its styling and ease-of-use will offer users a satisfying experience," said Rajagopal S, General Manager, Al-Futtaim Electronics.

"The success of the high-definition HD1 series inspired SANYO's design team to significantly raise the performance bar on the HD2. Our customer's will be delighted with the performance upgrades such as the 7.38-megapixel CCD image sensor, the new HDMI digital interface, among others, which will rival many single purpose digital camcorders and digital still cameras."

The HD2 features a 2.2-inch LCD display with 210,000 total pixels for exceptionally clear viewing. The display flips out from the camera and rotates up to 285 degrees and enables users to take great video or still images.

Featuring a unique pistol-grip and thumb-operable design, the HD2 can record up to 21 minutes of high-definition video per gigabyte of available memory on any standard SD or high-capacity SDHC card. Using a single 8-gigabyte SDHC card, HD2 users can easily shoot nearly three hours of high-definition video, up to eight hours of standard-definition video and thousands of JPEG digital still images.

The SANYO Xacti HD2 responds to light as low as 12.5 lux in auto mode which represents a 75 percent increase in low-light sensitivity as compared to the 50 lux auto mode capability of the HD1 and HD1a models. The HD2 features a special 'High Sensitivity' button, allowing users to quickly switch from standard sensitivity mode and shoot in a wide variety of low-light situations.

The HD2 also features a digital image stabilization that works across the full shooting range from wide-angle to telephoto. Using an original corrective algorithm developed by SANYO, the HD2 is able to distinguish between "trembling hands" and "camera work" such as panning and tilting. The HD2 is also able to create richly detailed high-definition 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) videos at 30 frames per second - up to three times more pixels than standard conventional video cameras.

The SANYO Xacti HD2 is available at Al-Futtaim Electronics and is offering customers a free 2GB memory card as part of its launch offer.