The Little HD Shoot-out: Canon TX1 and Sanyo VPC-HD2by David KenderPublished on Jun 28, 2007 9:26 AM 
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Still Features
The TX1 (Specs, Recent News, $424.15) captures still images to and SD/SDHC card at a maximum resolution of 3072 x 2304, a size conducive to a 297mm x 420mm (11.7” x 16.5”) print. In 16:9 widescreen mode, you’ll sacrifice some pixels for a 3072 x 1728 resolution. The TX1’s minimum resolution is standard VGA (640 x 480), which is great for email and internet applications, but that’s about it. Still images can be captured in three different quality settings: super fine, fine, and normal. You can set a desired form of image stabilization ranging from continuous, shoot only, and panning, based on the type of shooting you plan on doing and how much battery you wish to conserve. The VPC-HD2 (Review, Specs, Recent News, $585.36) offers a larger maximum still size at 3680 x 2760, with a minimum VGA size of 640 x 480. While the TX1 offers three compression settings for any size image, the VPC-HD2 only offers two just for the largest image size. There are no specialized digital still image stabilization settings on the VPC-HD2, either.
As a predecessor to describing how the still functions work on each model, it should be clarified that the Canon TX1 was conceived as a camera that shoots video, and the Sanyo as a camcorder that shoots stills. Those concepts are followed through, for better or for worse, from the initial design to the final product.
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Framing a shot with the VPC-HD2 is a nightmare because there is no distinct differentiation between camera and video mode. Letterboxes appear, disappear, and then reappear during the process of pressing the photo button halfway before snapping, no matter what aspect ratio you’re in. The TX1’s photo record button is located at the top of the camcorder and holds the shot in place without any malarkey when pressed halfway—no indecisive letterboxes. In addition, the TX1 is equipped with an AF assist light that aids shooting in dark places. Both cameras have flashes, but the VPC-HD2’s is manual, popping up on top via a spring-loaded button, while the TX1’s is built-in and closer to the lens. The VPC-HD2’s flash release button doubles as a flash settings button, allowing you to cycle though on, auto, and off settings.
Most automatic and manual controls can be carried over from video mode on both cameras, including white balance, exposure, and ISO levels. With the TX1, the ISO levels are available right at your thumb while the VPC-HD2 requires you to dive into the treacherous waters of its preposterous function menu to access them. The TX1 offers a comprehensive suite of picture effects that can be applied, including vivid, positive film, and the entire Canon MyColor suite of one-touch effects. The TX1 also has a face detect feature that hones in on a profound visage and adjusts the image to accommodate it. Red-eye reduction, light metering, and slow synchro are all available as well. You can also choose between single, continuous, continuous AF, 10 second timer, 2 second timer, and custom timer shooting modes instantly with the joystick submenu. The VPC-HD2 only offers three picture effects: cosmetic, monochrome, and sepia. Three color settings are also available: vivid, soft, and soft vivid. Red-eye reduction is only available in the flash settings, and the VPC-HD2 includes a burst mode, in addition to self-timers of 2 and 10 seconds. That’s about all the VPC-HD2 has going for it in terms of still images.
Winner: The Canon TX1.
Still Performance
Both the Canon TX1 and the Sanyo VPC-HD2 are brilliant still photo performers, which should come as no surprise to anyone considering that they are actually still cameras that happen to offer the secondary function of HD camcorders. To test still photos, we shoot a Gretag McBeth Color Checker chart and run those stills through Imatest imaging software.
The Canon TX1 shoots a maximum still size of 3072 x 1728. At this setting, with the manual white balance set, the camera produced a color error of 6.89, with a noise of 1.9925% and a saturation of 100.8%. In order to get this result, we had to lower the exposure compensation by a full EV stop (-1EV). This had the detrimental effect of the high noise percentage. In full auto, the noise was only 1.43%. We also shot under the tungsten WB setting because we liked it so much. Here, if we lowered exposure by -2/3EV, the color error was in the same range, 7.08, but the noise remained lower, only 1.59%.
The Sanyo VPC-HD2 produces stills up to 3680 x 2760. Unlike the Canon, the Sanyo produced its best and most accurate stills in full auto mode. The camera produced a color error of 7.73, with noise levels of 1.39% and a saturation of 93.48%.
Winner: Overall, the most accurate color goes to the Canon TX1. However, Sanyo produced less noisy images.
Still Resolution
The Sanyo VPC-HD2 produced approximately 1327 horizontal lw/ph – with 1.58% clipping and 11.3% undersharpening – and 1053 vertical lw/ph – with 1.60% clipping and 22.2% undersharpening.
Winner: Canon TX1.