Hello Everyone! I've been researching the web for many hours now and find it difficult to make up my mind on which HD camcorder to buy!!
I would REALLY appreciate it if you could help me out.

Thanks in advance...!

I am looking to buy a camcorder that is small, easy to travel with and gives good overall quality. I noticed most HD camcorders today give good quality in light, but a lot of talk about low-light performance...

I'm looking for nothing super fancy, just a good start in video with a camcorder that won't deceive me in most situations... i wouldn't want to have a great reaction in every-day light conditions, and be deceived when i walk around at night and record or in a show at night... I rather have a good "OVERALL" satisfaction in day and night recording.

Preferably, i would like a camcorder that i can carry with me without the hassle of having a a bag hanging around me to carry the camcorder - for day and night trips around the city etc. Worse case worse... I can put the camcorder in my backpack that i usually have with me when i do photography h/e i have a number of lenses and the space is limited (i can see space for the sanyo hd 2000 but not those horizontal camcorders).. so i rather not consider that possibility for now, i rather be able to carry the camcorder in my pocket or coat etc.

AFTER several hours of research... it seems that the Sanyo xacti HD 2000 is the best "bang for the buck" HD camcorder out there currently... price is about 600$ canadian and the camcorderinfo.com review give it great low light performance and overall performance as well! The camcorder also seems the smallest compared to other camcorders out there which is very appealing.

Other cam i thought would be another choice would be the Sony TG1 but it seems the sanyo gives better contrast and low light performance.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks again!!

Have you checked out Harry Palmers HD2000 sample videos in the Sanyo Camcorder Forum here on CCI?

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Ernie
Sony HDR-SR1 AVCHD HDD User

yes i did check out the videos, and the hd 2000 comes up on 2nd rank in the cci ratings which is pretty good! for the price it is worth, it is getting great ranking vs the other cams like the Canon HF S100 which is at least 300$ more! --- that is why i'm asking.. the cam seems the best and cheaper than others in it's category... or am i missing something here!

and... is there light / flash that can be used for video? i know the one on the camcorder is only for still pictures.. but can you attach a light as an accessory ? can't seem to find info on that

The camera looks like a nice little package. I have looked at many videos from this little cam and have been pretty impressed with what I saw. I'm not so impressed with the still photo's I've seen from it though. I'm not sure what's up with that.

I'm sure you already know that the Sanyo Xacti FH1 is virtually the same camcorder just in a more conventional form factor and can be purchased for much less. I just thought I'd mention it though.

The main weakness these camera's have is in the image stabilization department. As in it doesn't seem to hardly work at all. You would definitely have to brace yourself well or use a tripod if you got much into the telephoto range.

You asked if you can use a video light on it. I saw it has an accessory shoe on top under a small cover so that will make it easy to mount a small video light on it. This Bescor KLK-624 looks like it would fit the bill just fine as long as your subjects are not more than 10 or 15 ft. away. And the price is right too:

http://www.amazon.com/Bescor-KLK-62...46322807&sr=1-3

If you need to light up much more than that, you're going to have to spend a lot more on lighting. But with the excellent low light performance on the HD2000/FH1 anyway, you may not need too much.

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Ernie
Sony HDR-SR1 AVCHD HDD User

how come the lens on the FH1 is different than on the HD2000?
FH1 has more groups, elements, etc... is it a better lens? therefore better quality? .. Also the FH1 doesn't have a hot shoe to put the video lamp!

HD2000 :
10x optical zoom lens; Aperture: F=1.8(W) – 2.5(T)
Focus distance: f=6.3 to 63mm;
Galvanometer method structure, Auto focus: 8 groups, 11 elements (3 aspheric elements, 5 aspheric surfaces), Built-in neutral density filter
Photos: f=38-380mm(=35mm) Optical 10x zoom
Videos: f=44.4-710mm(=35mm) 16x Adv. zoom

FH1 :
10x optical zoom lens; Aperture: F=2.0(W) – 2.8(T)
Focus distance: f=5.95 to 59.5mm;
Galvanometer method structure, Auto focus: 9 groups, 12 elements (4 aspheric elements, 8 aspheric surfaces), Built-in neutral density filter
Photos: f=35.7-357mm(=35mm) Optical 10x zoom
Videos: f=41.7-666.9mm(=35mm) 16x Adv. zoom

Wow, you really have done your homework!

I would say the main reason the lens is different is due to the completely different shapes of the bodies. The HD2000's lens needs to be more compact. BUT, the HD2000's lens is also a little faster. So that's actually better. As far as which lens is sharper I couldn't say. You'd have to look at videos from each model and see if you can see a difference.

I didn't realize the FH1 didn't have an auxiliary shoe. Keep in mind though, the one on the HD2000 is not a "hot" shoe since it doesn't have any power to it. It is instead an auxiliary shoe that you can use hold things like video lights and microphones. Never the less, it is still a very important accessory.

Another feature that the HD2000 has that the FH1 doesn't is a headphone jack. Now "I" think that is very important. Especially if you ever plan on using a zoom mic.. Without a headphone jack you can't hear what your microphone is picking up. And that is very important when using a zoom mic..

One negative with the HD2000 is that the HDMI, USB, and Component A/V Out are all on the dock. So if you're away from home and you want to output your video to a TV, you'll need to bring the dock along with you.

I think the HD2000 is a nicer camcorder than the FH1. Whether it's worth $180.00 more is a decision you'll have to make. If it were me, I would pick the HD2000 between the two.

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Ernie
Sony HDR-SR1 AVCHD HDD User

Personally. I find the HD2000 better. I like the pistol shape and i think it can fit better in pockets than the FH1 - Correct me if i'm wrong!!

+ you can add a video light which can be in handy on the "Cold shoe" (about that, how big is the video lamp you linked me? anything smaller?)

I really don't mind the fact that you need a docking station to put on tv -- i rarely show direct on tv -- i rather wait and put on computer then dvd etc so that is not a fact to consider for me. HOWEVER... you cannot station the hd2000 on a flat surface, and i'm imagining if you want to film "low" (close to ground level) the hd2000 wouldn't be very efficient since you have to grip it like a gun... and the FH1 you can grip it inversed kinda like when carrying a bag and lower it to floor level.... can anyone comment on this? I really don't see me lying on the floor superman style to film with my HD2000

on ebay, the fh1 and hd2000 are not even 50$ canadian difference in price so that is not a big issue.

I'd really like to have the option of carrying it in my coat pocket, or even pockets in pants.. so i'm thinking of taking the measurements of both devices and trying to go to a store and see if there are cameras similar size and see how they fit.

what do you think EScheidl? here are my final thoughts:
let's say that the lens difference is VERY minimal (which does seem to be the case) so we'll set that aside for now. HD2000 has a cold shoe which can be very useful, FH1 doesn't. FH1 has a horizontal grip vs H2000 gun style (again.. cannot land on surface or hard to film at low levels)

my last camcorder i had was a football size, so the FH1 seemed REALLY small for me which was very "shocking" i must say... but can it fit in a pocket? jeans, coat.. etc... the purpose of me looking at either of these 2 cams is .. of course the price and the performance, BUT mostly for portability... if the hd2000 can fit better in pockets than the FH1 then for me that would be a deal breaker since both are virtually the same camcorder, and the hd2000 has a cold shoe + better portability and extra mic plug etc...

what do you think? any last thoughts?

Thanks 1000x!

rz514,

Been busy lately. Sorry for the delayed comeback.

Where do I start. I think I'll just address this by the paragraph.

This was a real shocker for me. I assumed the HD2000 was smaller, but after checking the actual dimensions, it turns out the FH1 is the smaller camcorder. The lens barrel size seems to be about the same. But the overall size is smaller with the FH1. That doesn't factor in the hand strap though. Keep in mind that despite the FH1 being physically smaller, it employs a larger 3.0" LCD verses the smaller 2.7" on the HD2000. That may not sound like too big of a difference, but when you see them side by side in the flesh the 3" LCD is considerably larger.

I did a little more searching and found this really cool video light that I think would be a better fit for either camcorder. Plus, it comes with a extra bracket that screws into the tripod mount for camera's like the FH1 that don't have the accessory shoe. See what you think:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...att_LED_On.html

LOL! It's good you're visualizing different shooting scenarios to help decide which body format (pistol or bazooka) would best suit your needs. I'm pretty sure you could handle the HD2000 much in the same manner as the FH1 when holding it in low positions. The control buttons are in the same place. It's not like you have to grip the handle to pull a trigger. But the handle would prevent the lens from getting quite as close to the ground as the FH1.

Still, it would be funny to see you lying on the ground superman style holding it like a gun. People would probably call the cops thinking you were a terrorist. LOL!

Be very careful where you buy it. Read the sticky at the top of this forum titled "The Non-Authorized Mail Order Dealers". You can really get taken if you buy from the wrong retailer.

Good idea. I think you will be amazed how similar in size they are.

I share your same desire to have a handy pocket cam that shoots great HD video and stills. After all, if you don't have it with you, you can't get the shot. So I can really understand your dilemma. The FH1 is a real bargain. The HD2000 not so much. At least here in the states from the retailers "I" would trust.

One of the biggest turn offs for me between the two camera's is the poor IS performance. A good image stabilization system is a must for me, especially with video. One of the biggest criticisms I get from my audience (namely my wife) is if I'm not careful and the video is too jumpy. She just doesn't enjoy watching it. Say's it gives her a headache. So even with a good IS system, I still have to be careful. I know I would get nothing but complaints from her if I tried to shoot anything with either of these two cameras.

My pocket HD video camera of choice would be the Sony HDR-TG5. It has an excellent IS system, GPS tracking for geotagging your photo's and videos, it's made of titanium (oooh I love titanium!) and is half the thickness of either of the Sanyo's.(talk about pocketable!) Plus it shoots in true AVCHD, so making DVD's that play in HD on my Blu-ray player is a snap. But it costs quite a bit more.

It's going to be a tough choice. Glad it's you and not me.

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Ernie
Sony HDR-SR1 AVCHD HDD User

Hey there... it is me again

Look at this video and tell me what are your thoughts..
http://www.vimeo.com/4142095 -- The canon seems better in my eyes... exposure is better, some parts of the Sanyo was blown out while the canon was giving right exposure..

and i read that the sanyo is disgusting at mid zoom-far zoom ... already that it doesn't zoom far, the IS (image stablization don't know the term for camcorders) is really bad... therefore a monopod would be the key... that kind of defeats the purpose of having a small camcorder that you can carry in your pocket no?

man ..shopping for a camcorder is a headache lol

I been searching for past 3 months for a camera that will suit me. I tried FH1 for a month and then returned it because of the following reasons:
- bad image stabillization.
- Maybe mine was defective, but it would not record more than 10 min of video in 60p mode.
- lack of manual control.
- When zooming in at close distance, auto-focus does not always works well.

Unless you need manual controls, zoom in on close distance, or record something far with your hand without shakey image, go with VPC-FH1. Hd200 if you need to extra features.

Since you have asked for overall good video performance, I would say that the image quality difference between canon and sanyo won't be a considerable issue.

auto-focus issue: http://vimeo.com/5021191
IS: http://vimeo.com/5021681 (you can see how far I zoomed in when the image became very shakey)

I hope everyone noted the comment on that video at Vimeo about the Sanyo being hard to edit.

Good luck.

Dennis

The Sanyo seems to have a very high motion performance score of 10.9