Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 Camcorder Reviewby John NeelyPublished on May 10, 2007 12:00 PM
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Comparisons
Sanyo VPC-HD1
The Sanyo VPC-HD1 ($799 MSRP—under $450 online) is the less adept predecessor to the HD2. You can expect the same handling, menu, connection issues, lens, etc. However, these two differ in one important realm – performance. The HD1’s 1/2.5” 5.36 MP imager couldn’t hold a candle to the HD2’s 1/2.5” 7.38” imager. Color performance and low light performance improved considerably. And at the rate prices are dropping, you can find an HD2 online for about $100 more than an HD1. It’s up to you to decide between a really bad or just bad camcorder.
Canon PowerShot TX1
Welcome to the Pocket HD Rumble! On this week’s episode, the Canon PowerShot TX1 ($499 MSRP) is the prime contender, equipped with a 7.1 MP imager, 10x optical zoom, and 720p HD recording format. While the HD2 struts a larger 2.2” LCD screen compared to the TX1’s 1.8” screen, the TX1 includes OIS, a built-in A/V out, component out, DC input, and USB terminal, and a supplied 32MB MMC Plus card. The TX1 also supports standard MMC and SD/SDHC cards. The final battle funnels down to the recording formats of each camcorder—or video-enabled digital still camcorder—the TX1’s Motion JPEG vs. the HD2’s MPEG-4. Motion JPEG, or M JPEG, basically records 30 intraframe JPEGs per second, which should translate to better movement capture. Where the HD2 has the TX1 beat is its drag and drop functionality of MPEG-4 video files. Before you decide on your mini gladiator, look for a final head-to-head between these two coming soon, only at Camcorderinfo.com.
Panasonic HDC-SD1
The Panasonic HDC-SD1 ($1299 MSRP) is a pebble of a camcorder compared to other HD models like its mammoth cousin, the HDC-DX1, or JVC GZ-HD7. Despite its compact size, it looms over the minute VPC-HD2. This AVCHD camcorder offers three 1/4” CCDs, a 5.1 channel Dolby Digital built-in microphone, a wealth of manual controls, and a supplied 4GB SDHC card. There is no contest here. The only thing the HD2 has going for it is the ability to drag and drop video files and stills instantly and its pocket-friendly size. Since AVCHD is brand new, the file format is finicky and selective, though a small bumper crop of editing programs has sprouted up recently in favor of AVCHD. If a camcorder is what you want, go with the SD1. If you want to stuff the HD2 into your coat pocket to spy on an ex late at night, the HD2 is the answer.
Panasonic SDR-S150
With 3 1/6” CCDs spouting 800K gross pixels apiece, you’d expect the pistol-grip Panasonic SDR-S150 ($999 MSRP) to wear the pants in the video quality department. Unfortunately, those sad little chips produced virtually the same image as the HD2’s 1/2.5” chip—decent bright light, disintegrating low light. So with the core element aside, let’s talk about practicality. Although the S150 has a bit of a weight problem next to the HD2, there’s more muscle than fat. With an onboard USB terminal, A/V/S-Video/headphone jack, DC input, the S150 eliminates the need for a docking station and/or cable adapter popularized by the HD2. It also has a retractable lens cover, 2.8” widescreen LCD, and a smart set of manual controls that are easier to access. The HD2 does however include a mic input jack, but that’s about it. $200 is a considerable chunk of change, but the S150 does give you a bang for your buck.
Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters
The HD2 was built for point-and-shooters. Aside from the convoluted menu. And the preposterous connectivity issues. We’ll stop there.
Budget Consumers
$699 for a digital still camera that can shoot high definition video is going to charm the wallet of a budget consumer, but you get what you pay for. The HD2 ships with a bundle of goods including a carrying case, but no there is no SD card to be found. Better quality camcorders can be found for not a whole lot more money.
Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid
This thing is a better still camera than camcorder, hands down. With a 3680x2760 10MP maximum still size, the VPC-HD2 certainly blows any other camcorder out of the water.
Gadget Freaks
Gadget freaks will dig the fact that the power of HD will now fit in their cargo short zip pants. However, they will soon grow bored with the image quality and pine for something better. Thus is the life of a gadget freak.
Manual Control Freaks
Manual control freaks will want to test the durability of the HD2 underneath their tires after being subjected to the torture of the joystick. In addition, the lack of a live preview coupled with minimal offerings for manual controls will not fare well amongst this crowd.
Pros / Serious Hobbyists
Thinking…thinking…still thinking…nope, not a chance.
Conclusion
The Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 is a camcorder we really wanted to like. There is a place for a truly capable hybrid device that captures decent video and still photos, and slips easily into your pocket. Sanyo was the first company to create a camcorder marketed as a true hybrid, and the company even refers to the VPC-HD2 and its siblings as “digital media cameras” rather than camcorders. In still mode, the Sanyo does very well, producing high-resolution photos that look like a digital still camera took them. While video performance is not great, it does show some improvements over last year’s VPC-HD1, especially in terms of color performance.
Unfortunately, handling and working with this camcorder is incredibly frustrating. Without a live preview, it is virtually impossible to make use of the respectable suite of manual image adjustments. The 2.2” screen is small and cramped, the joystick and zoom are undersized and difficult to use, and the menu structure and control interface suffers from fundamental design flaws.
Sanyo deserves props for including so many options and manual controls on its VPC-HD2, but the implementation just isn’t there – not by a long shot. If the VPC-HD2 is any indication, 2007 will not be the year that hybrid camcorders emerge from mediocrity.
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