Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1010 Camcorder Review

There aren't too many ultra-compact camcorders capable of delivering full 1920 x 1080 HD video. Those that do, like the Sony HDR-TG1, are usually geared towards beginners or users looking for an easy-to-use travel item. Enter the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1010 ($799 MSRP), an ultra-compact device packed with so many manual controls it almost sounds like a professional camcorder on paper. Surprisingly, the camcorder was also able to put up some incredible video performance results in our testing. The trouble is, regardless of how good the quality is or how many features the camcorder has, the Sanyo HD1010 is still a cheaply made device—with awkward handling, bad button layout, poor auto controls, and terrible menu structure. Nevertheless, with the ability to control aperture, shutter speed, ISO, exposure and image settings, combined with an external microphone output, 8 video record settings (including a 30P mode), and 9 photo qualities (including a 7fps photo sequence feature)—pound for pound, you're looking at one of the most versatile camcorders in the world.

The Front (5.00)
The Sanyo VPC-HD1010 has a very unique, upright-grip design. It has the look of a hose nozzle or a toy ray-gun. The build of the camcorder is mainly comprised of a round lens barrel stacked atop an angled grip. The front is dominated by a large Xacti HD lens with a focal length of 6.3mm - 63mm (38mm - 380mm equivalent on a 35mm camera). The lens has a 10x optical zoom and an open aperture range of f/1.8 - f/2.5. The lens also has a built-in neutral density (ND) filter and a 49mm filter thread.

There is no built-in or automatic lens cap on the VPC-HD1010—a feature we loved on the Sony HDR-TG1. Sanyo does include an attachable lens cover that hooks to the camcorder via a small strap. The lens cover fits well, but it is an easy item to lose or forget to bring with you. Also, if attached via the strap, the dangling lens can get in the way of shots or make noise banging against the side of the camcorder. These are only minor annoyances, but they're things you don't have to deal with if your camcorder sports a built-in lens cover.

The lens on the VPC-HD1010 juts out a good 3/4-inch from the camcorder's upright grip. By extending outward, the lens acts as a good lip for your index finger to rest under. For still photos, the VPC-HD1010 has a flash that pops up right above the lens.

Underneath the lens, behind a small port cover, are microphone and headphone jacks. The inclusion of these jacks are great, although it may look a bit funny hooking up a large external mic to the VPC-HD1010. The only problem is the flimsy cheapness of the port cover, which feels like it could break off at any moment.  The ports themselves have no labels either, with identification markings only found on the plastic door that covers them.

The front of the Sanyo VPC-HD1010

The Right Side (2.75)
Not much happens on the right side of the Sanyo VPC-HD1010. The top half is mostly lens barrel and the bottom is more of the angled grip. On the lens barrel is a silver, reflective strip that is very prone to fingerprints (along with much of the camcorder). At the left side of this strip is a hook for tying down the lens cap or wrist strap. To the right is the flash release button that opens the flash.

Below the lens barrel is the angled handle, which is where you'll grip the VPC-HD1010. The angle to the handle is about 30 degrees—offering a stark contrast to the Sony HDR-TG1's straight, rectangular design. The handle is also where the battery is housed on the VPC-HD1010. The small button at the top of the grip slides open to reveal the battery compartment. The entire cover slides off, which isn't the best design. Covers like these are easy to lose or break—leaving you with an exposed battery compartment (not to mention having the palm of your hand right up against the unsheltered battery. Not a good idea). The battery cover also feels extremely cheap, much like something you'd find on a television remote control, not an $800 camcorder.

Having an internal battery compartment also means only one size battery will fit with the VPC-HD1010. The Sony HDR-TG1 went with the same concept, while larger camcorders usually have a back-mounted battery, opening the option for a longer-performing battery pack.

From the right, the VPC-HD1010 looks like a hose nozzle.

The Back (4.00)
Like many camcorders, the control center on the VPC-HD1010 is located on the back side, right where the shooter's thumb should rest. A large circular collection of buttons, toggles and switches exist on the back, in a line directly opposite from the lens on the other side. At the center of the circle is a smaller circle made up of two buttons—the shutter and record buttons. The buttons don't have the best feel, and its often difficult to tell if you've pushed them in or not (especially the shutter button). A bright, blue ring of light encircles these two buttons while the camcorder performs certain actions—a feature that can be turned off in the power save section of the Option Menu.

A larger circle wraps its way around those two centralized buttons. Starting at the top is the Photo View button. This switches the camcorder's aspect ratio to whatever photo quality setting is currently selected (it would be 4:3 unless you're taking photographs at a lower quality). Also, grid lines appear in Photo View mode. Right above the Photo View button is a small, red tally lamp that blinks during recording. Continuing clockwise, the next button is the Rec/Play toggle, which switches the camcorder between record and playback modes. At the bottom of the circle is the Menu button. Lastly, on the left side of the circle is the zoom toggle. Sanyo placed this toggle in almost the exact same spot as Sony did on the HDR-TG1. Manipulated by your thumb, the toggle has a decent grip and is easy to use. Just like with the HDR-TG1, it feels a little out of place on the left side instead of the right, but it's not too bad.

Underneath this circular collection of buttons is a small joystick for navigating through menus and selecting items. Also, pushing this button when in record mode brings up the "Instant Review" feature. This allows you to easily view clips or photos you have recently captured. The joystick looks almost identical to the one Canon implements on its camcorders. Unfortunately, Sanyo's joystick isn't nearly as well constructed, and using it can be nearly as frustrating as the touchscreen system on the Sony HDR-TG1.

Further down, under the joystick, is the SD/SDHC card slot. Under this slot is the DC input. Both, as with all the ports on the VPC-HD1010, have frail port covers—the SD/SDHC door being the weakest of the bunch. Keep in mind that the camcorder doesn't have any internal memory, nor does it ship with any memory cards—this means you'll need to purchase an SD/SDHC card before you can begin filming away.

The back of the HD1010 has lots of controls

The Left Side (3.00)
The VPC-HD1010's LCD lives on the left side of the camcorder. Inside the LCD cavity is just one item—the on/off button. On the left side of the LCD screen is a switch that sets the camcorder to "normal menu" mode or "simple menu" mode. The 2.7-inch LCD is of average size, but it has a slightly higher resolution than the competition (230,000 pixels vs. 211,000 pixels in the Sony HDR-TG1). The LCD also has seven brightness settings and can rotate 285 degrees. On the outside of the LCD door, at the top, is the internal microphone of the VPC-HD1010.

The Sanyo VPC-HD1010 does have the ability to stand upright on its own with the LCD open, but it's not an easy feat—it takes a good balancing act and a completely smooth surface for everything to work out. The inability to stand upright with the LCD open was one of our biggest gripes with the Sony HDR-TG1. While the Sanyo does do a bit better, it is by no means a champ at balancing with the LCD open.

The left side of the VPC-HD1010 houses the flip-out LCD

The LCD cavity is mostly bare—except for the power button

The Top (4.00)
The top of the camcorder appears to be mostly bare, but a built-in flash and cold shoe mount are both hidden underneath this arched roof. Pulling the area behind the pop-up flash out reveals the shoe, good for attaching lights or an external microphone. The shoe's sliding cover, like all the covers on the VPC-HD1010, feels very fragile and will likely get in the way if you attempt to mount larger items on the camcorder.

The plastic casing that surrounds the VPC-HD1010 has an inherently cheap feel, and much of the body is prone to fingerprints and scratches. Even with its plastic body, the VPC-HD1010 weighs 309g (with the battery pack). This is 9g heavier than the titanium-bodied Sony HDR-TG1.

The Bottom
The bottom of the VPC-HD1010 has a tripod mount and the dock connector for hooking the camcorder to its provided docking station.

The dock is a bit more important with the HD1010 than most camcorders, as it houses all the most important ports—USB, AV out, component out, and HDMI (along with an extra DC input). The docking station is required in order to connect the VPC-HD1010 to a television or computer.

The bottom of the HD1010 has a tripod mount and the docking station connector