Sony HDR-TG5V

The Sanyo VPC-HD2000 matches up with the Sony HDR-TG5V quite well. They both have an unusual, upright design and they put forth similar results in our video testing. The Sanyo has a better grip, superior low light performance, and more manual controls. The Sony, however, looks far more elegant, has a more durable body, and is more portable due to its rectangular design. Simply based on performance, we’d have to side with the Sanyo—it slightly edged out the HDR-TG5V in nearly every test. The Sony did kill the Sanyo when it came to image stabilization, however, while the Sanyo HD200 0 captured better still images.

Both camcorders have their issues when it comes to handling. The VPC-HD2000 features a terrible button design and a menu that is both confusing, outdated, and unattractive. If you like using touchscreens, the Sony’s menu and navigation system aren’t that bad. Yes, it has a long menu, but at least it isn’t confusing—every option is located under one big menu, so things aren’t hidden or tucked away. The Sony also has a much better customizable menu setup than the VPC-HD2000.

Another thing to note about the Sanyo is the fact that it uses the MPEG-4 codec to compress video. This compression system is less taxing on a computer than AVCHD, so it may be easier to work with for some people. Most editing software doe support AVCHD nowadays, however, so this is becoming less of an issue.

When looking at these two camcorders we definitely have to take cost into consideration. The Sanyo VPC-HD2000 isn’t technically available in the US yet, but you can find it at some retailers for around $699. This is a good chunk less than the $999 price tag of the Sony HDR-TG5V. Of course, the Sony does come with 16GB of internal flash memory, which does even out the cost a little. Still, we think the Sanyo is the better buy. It has more features, better performance, and, if you can find it anywhere, it is much cheaper than the HDR-TG5V. If you don’t mind its cheap construction and unusual form factor, the Sanyo VPC-HD2000 is actually a very good camcorder.

Update: The Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2000 was ultimately selected as our 2009 Best Value of the Year. To see why we selected it and read about our other awards, check out the 2009 CamcorderInfo.com Select Awards.