In street racing, there’s a type of vehicle that’s called a “sleeper” – not because it can double as a camper or mobile, overnight accommodation, but because it slips “under the radar” and remains unnoticed in the face of the mag-wheeled, rear-winged, overly loud street racers that just begs to be stared at. Tech industries and the products it produces have their own versions of sleepers, and from these types of products we get the term “sleeper-hit” or “sleeper-sizzlers”, describing products that are very capable but does not draw too much attention to themselves.

                                            Sanyo executives, including Mr. Joseph Sanchez, Product Manager for Imaging, and Joseph Chua, GM for Sanyo Philippines (2nd and 3rd respectively), flank some of the launch models.

Our coverage of the Sanyo Xacti Press Product Presentation last November 28 provoked thoughts like these, as Sanyo seems to be the quiet but beguiling wallflower who smiles bemusedly at her flashier companions doing the polka on the dance floor. It then turns out that the same wallflower has dance moves to die for, only that she doesn’t display them all that often. While Sanyo’s contemporaries (not only in cameras but also in LCDs, projectors, and general home appliances like refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioning units) dance up a storm of advertisement and media exposure, Sanyo has chosen to take a more measured approach over the years, concentrating primarily on the Xacti brand name, yet still achieving huge sales numbers in Sanyo television, air conditioning, and commercial product sales.

                                             Sanyo Xacti units.

                                             A closer look at the Xacti HD1000.

Thus the equivalent of this recent product presentation is like a declaration of competitiveness, with a matching release of many Sanyo digital cameras to fill out their product line. While not the main focus of the event, HWZ was also able to tour Sanyo’s product showroom containing what seemed like their whole product line. The fast moving CRT TV product lines, uniquely capable washing machines (one using a combination of only 5L of water and air per wash), projectors, upcoming LCDs, chest freezers and the like were all proudly shown to us. All of these being secondary to the day’s main topic of cameras, we went back to take a look at the new Xactis.

                                            Two somewhat unassuming, yet feature-packed T850s.

In addition to the iconic pistol-grip series of cameras from Sanyo, the event also uncovered two more conventionally-shaped digital cameras – the 8.1 Megapixel T850, and the 10.1 Megapixel E1000. Both of these cameras were a bit plain when compared to the uniquely-shaped pistol grip Xactis, yet befitting its “sleeper” status, these cameras had features very comparable to its contemporaries, especially when the price is factored into the equation. 2.8 and 2.5” LCD displays respectively, the aforementioned megapixel ratings, 3x Optical Zoom for both, and both units’ simple and slim design herald a new surge of Sanyo products that mark Sanyo’s increasing activity in the local tech industry.

                                             Sanyo executives with a select number of press people.

                                            While the majority of press at the event consisted of tech and hardware, a number of travel and lifestyle magazines were also represented.

The well-promoted Xacti pistol grips cannot be ignored of course – center stage was dominated by the Xacti HD1000, a compact video camera capable of capturing 1920 x 1080 (interlaced) full HD videos using up-to-date high-compression MPEG-4 / H.264 codecs. A maximum optical zoom of 10x (100x when digitally enhanced), flip-up illumination, HDMI-out in addition to the more mundane USB and component video connectors, and 4MP still camera make this flagship Xacti model a must-have for anyone who wants theirs compact and powerful.

                                              The CA65 in green - set to gather looks of envy?

                                            The Xacti CA8 - more pixels, mo' color.

The Xacti CA65 Waterproof also caught our attention in its own way – true to its name, it is able to function in up to 1.5 meters of water up to an hour, without the use of bulky casings or ugly plastic bags. Waterproof-ness is a feature available right out of the box. The CA65 uses the same compression codecs as its bigger brother, but at the lower resolution of 640 x 480 – same as DVD resolution.  The CA8 ramps it up a bit with 8MP of resolution to the CA65’s 6 and the same underwater capability. The CG series CG9 has 9.1 MP resolution, can accept up to 32GB SDHC memory cards compared to the CA65’s 8GB, and a slightly larger screen.

                                             The T850 boasts of 8.1 MP and a large 2.8" screen.

                                             The E1000 is another example of Sanyo's uncluttered design.

You might not have heard of Sanyo as much as Samsung, Sony, Canon or even Sharp, yet in the face of this recent product launch and the large footholds the company has in other product areas, it is evident that Sanyo is prepared to get up from its chair and start showing off this coming year, especially when one considers the number of upcoming products hinted at by our contacts inside the company. Cameras are only one area of Sanyo’s move towards bigger exposure, the company also intends to move its other product lines until the term “sleeper” won’t be able to adequately describe Sanyo anymore.

                                             The Xacti HD1000 looks the part with an oversized lens component and black, no-nonsense color scheme.

In the meantime, other companies better watch out as Sanyo is dishing out the hurt in subtle ways, and if a challenge is thrown in their direction, rest assured that they have the chops to answer it, for even if the Sanyo name has long been seen only in the consumer’s peripheral vision, and as unassuming and “sleeper” they may seem to be, the products are there and is being bolstered with new additions as we speak, ready to answer the flashier and faster looking with performance and quality under the hood.