The new Sanyo Xacti (pronounced Zack-Tee) DSC-J2 looks externally almost identical to the DSC-J1, announced last February. Known in Europe as the VPC-J2 EX, the only difference to the camera body we can see is a different for the megapixel rating printed on the front. The only changes we can see from a brief overview of the specifications provided by digitalkamera.de are PictBridge compatibility (for making prints by directly connecting the camera to compatible printers), a new language (German) for the camera's interface, and a 16MB Secure Digital card instead of 8MB in the product bundle.

The DSC-J1 was a pretty unusual camera, and the DSC-J2 inherits those same traits. Similarly to Minolta's DiMAGE X-series cameras, the DSC-J* cameras feature a prism that folds the optical path to allow a slim design that keeps all the optics out of harm's way inside the camera body. Unlike the Minolta design that mounts the lens vertically, though, Sanyo mount the lens horizontally with the prism centrally mounted in the camera - giving it a more traditional "film camera" look. The DSC-J* cameras also feature movie performance that are normally featured only on top-of-the-line cameras - 640 x 480 pixels at 30 frames per second, which Sanyo claimed was suitable for authoring DVD video content.

As with its predecessor, the Sanyo Xacti DSC-J2 has a resolution of 3.2 megapixels coupled with a 2.8x optical zoom lens.Unfortunately, Sanyo still remains one of the few companies using interpolation to boost the maximum resolution listed in its specifications. Interpolating images in-camera wastes valuable flash-card space for little (if any) gain over what could be achieved interpolating images on a personal computer. The maximum interpolated image size on the DSC-J1 is 2880 x 2160 pixels, but the real image size is 2048 x 1536 pixels.

European pricing for the DSC-J2 is €450 - equivalent to US$499, ignoring exchange rate fluctuations, taxes and duties. Availability is slated for October in Europe. Plans for the product to ship elsewhere aren't currently known. Product specifications for the DSC-J2 follow:

Sanyo Xacti DSC-J2 /VPC-J2 EX
Model	DSC-J2 (Japan) VPC-J2 EX (Europe)
Effective Pixels	Approx. 3,200,000 pixels
Imaging Element	1/2.7" primary color interlaced scanning CCD with 3,340,000 pixels (total)
Recording Medium	SD Memory card / MultiMediaCard
File Format	Still Image: JPEG (DCF), DPOF, Exif Ver2.2 conforming Movie: QuickTime Movie (Photo-JPEG), Audio: WAVE (monaural)
Image Size	Still Image: [2880]: 2880x2160 pixels, [2048]:2048x1536 pixel, [1600]: 1600x1200 pixels, [640]:640x480 pixel Burst Mode: [2048]: 2048x1536 pixels, [1600]:1600x1200 pixel, [640]: 640x480 pixels Movie: [640]: 640x480 pixels, [320]:320x240 pixel, [160]: 160x120 pixels
Lens	f = 5.7 - 16.0mm (35mm equivalent: 37 - 104mm) 2.8x optical zoom lens with prism to fold light-path F2.8 (W) - F3.9 (T) Auto focus
Focusing Distance	Standard: 20cm (W) / 30cm (T) - Infinity Macro: 2cm (W) / 30cm (T) - 50cm
Shutter Speed	Still Image: 1/2 - 1/2000 second Still Image w/ Flash: 1/30 - 1/2000 second Bulb Mode: Up to 4 seconds Movie: 1/30 - 1/10000 second
Digital Zoom	Record: Up to 4x (except for [2880] pixel mode Playback: Up to 45x (in [2880] pixel mode
Exposure Control	Program AE Exposure compensation: ±1.8EV (0.3EV steps)
Metering	Average / Center-Weighted / Spot
Sensitivity	Still Image: Auto (approx. ISO 50 - 200), Manual (ISO 50 / 100 / 200 / 400) Movie: Auto (approx. ISO 200 - 800), Manual (ISO 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600)
White Balance	Auto: Full auto TTL Manual: 5 presets
Flash	Automatic / On / Off / Red-eye reduction (Slow sync possible in Night Scene mode)
Sound	Microphone: Built-in monaural Speaker: Built-in monaural
LCD Display	1.6" TFT LCD with approx. 80,000 pixels (100% coverage when AV cable is not connected only)
Viewfinder	Optical real-image zoom
Interface	AV Out: (Video: Composite NTSC / Sound: Mono connector) USB 1.1 (proprietary connector); complies with PictBridge for direct connection to compatible printers
Power Supply	Lithium Ion Battery (DB-L10, included) AC adapter (DSA-47, optional)
Battery Life	LCD Off, Record: Approx. 1150 images / LCD On, Record: Approx. 350 images / Playback: Approx. 200 minutes
Size / Weight	98 (W) x 57 (H) x 31 (D) mm (excluding projections) Approx. 150g (body only), Approx. 185g (picture-ready)
Included Accessories	16MB SD Memory Card, proprietary AV cable, proprietary USB cable, Sanyo Software Pack 6.4 CD-ROM, Lithium Ion battery, charger and power cord, hand strap
More Photos
DSC-J1 folded lens path
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