Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 7.1MP MPEG4 High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom




->Price Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 7.1MP MPEG4 High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

Have had the Xacti HD2 since it became available in April, 2007 and have used it a lot at home and travelling for both photographs and videos. I have been totally delighted with it in all aspects. The video quality is outstanding as is the photo quality. I have burned lenghty videos directly to DVD using the included software and the resulting DVD images are crisp with no noise. I have the 8GB memory card and shoot everything in HD using vibration and wind noise reduction, and autofocus. Controls are handy and easy to get used to and sound pick-up and playback is very good. I carry it in my shirt pocket.


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I've had this camera/camcorder for 1 month and I absolutely love it . It takes GREAT pictures and movies . For someone who is looking for an all in 1 unit , this is it . I purchased a 4 GB card for 40 dollars and can take up to
an hour of High Def. movies and 3 hours of standard video and photos . No more buying tapes and no moving parts to go bad . I haven't had a camcorder in a few years and I wasn't into dragging around and charging 2 separate units . It's so nice to hit 1 button and change from shooting photos to video . I can't comment on how it will hold up long term and I've never bought anything from Sanyo but so far it's been GREAT !!! . Battery life has been good . I highly recommend this !!!!!! AAAAA


->Lowest Price Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 7.1MP MPEG4 High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

We bought this camera to replace our aging Canon ZR-30MC. It's extremely easy to use and I'm happy to report there are no compatibility problems with a Mac--just drag the movies from the HD2 onto your desktop, as simple as that. I can't get over how small it is, and people are really intrigued to see such a tiny camcorder.

Two reservations:

1) Video noise in low light. In sunny, outdoor light the image quality is truly exceptional. Indoors, in a moderately or dimly lit room, noise creeps in much sooner than you'd expect.

2) Image quality for still images is poor. I'm accustomed to shooting with a DSLR, so I realize I'm spoiled, but I'm really disappointed in the noisy, blocky images this camera produces. To my eye, Sanyo's in camera processing makes still images look overprocessed, noisy, and almost "painted." If you're shooting with a low end digital camera this might make a decent cross-grade, but if you're accustomed to the image quality from a DSLR or some of the higher end digital point and shoots, you will be unhappy with still images from this camera.

Still, it's 4 stars out of 5 for this video camera. We carry it all the time and with a newborn it's extremely easy to share high quality video with family near and far. I'm happy I bought it and I think it's worth the money. As long as you're at peace with the poor quality of the still images, my guess is you'll be happy with it too.


->Deals Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 7.1MP MPEG4 High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

I've had this camcorder for about a month now and it's everything I wanted. I bought it mainly for 2 reasons, one being the fact it uses SD and SDHC flash memory. I have a Transcend 8 Gb class 6 SDHC and a 2 Gb generic SD card. The 8 Gb holds just shy of 2 hours on the highest quality setting (HD-SHQ) and 39 minutes with the 2 Gb card. Second, I wanted a video camera that takes high megapixel, good looking stills. This camera can take up to 7 megapixel stills with up to 100 times zoom (10x optical and 10x digital). Figure about $350 for a digital camera with that kind of zoom and 7.1 megapixels. So for $600 I get a camcorder and a digital camera. This is my first camcorder so I don't have anything to compare with it but so far everything looks good on my 51" Toshiba HDTV connected with monster component cables. I haven't tried the camcorder in low light yet but I am not allergic to turning on a light if this is really an issue. I'm sure there are some quirks I'll find that I don't like but as far as I see this camera has met every expectation I had from reading other reviews and far surpassed some as well. I would buy it again without hesitation.


->Deal Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 7.1MP MPEG4 High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

The still images greater than 1280 x 780 taken by this camcorder has strong aliasing effect,
and the sharp edges in the scene are very diluted.
The file sizes for higher-resolution (1280 x 780) images are significantly smaller
than those taken taken by an ordinary camera.
This means that a higher-resolution image does not contain enough information than it should contain.

The resolution of the CCD is much hyped that it should be,
and taking pictures that are larger than 1280 x 780 does not make any sense,
since the quality of the images is so bad.


->Comparison Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 7.1MP MPEG4 High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

I bought htis from Amazon, and have troubles in playing back the video clips. Almost evrytime, after a while, I do see "System error" on the screen, and then the firmware is hung. After a power-cycle, the last recorded clip is gone! Some issues with the basics...so I called Sanyo service, they said this is happening because I'm using a 4GB plain SD card. Acc to the support guy, max of 2GB of plain SD is supported , for more GB, a SDHC card is needed. I could not find this info on the manual or spec...so I'm not sure how true is this. If anyone of you know about this , please let me know.

Video is okay for my need...still is too bad.
Firmware is just about average..not too great. There is much scope of improvement to be more user friendly and more informative with lesser use of buttons.

Battery did not perform as promised in the spec.

Also, there are way too many components in the box for such a specialized product. I would expect those many in a robotics kit.


->Deals Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 7.1MP MPEG4 High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

I love the size and picture I get. Just dock then camera and VLC Players plays them great. I installed none of the software that came with the camera. So no drivers needed to get at videos. I will have to order a differnt lens for it. I fide it just dosnt get the shot I want up close. I need negative zoom it seems. Thinking a wide angal lens will fix that?


Wish it had on board usb. Docking it kind of sucks to use it as an SD reader.


->Deal Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 7.1MP MPEG4 High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

I purchased the hd1a model and returned it since I was made aware that the new model was soon coming out.
Honestly although I want so much to love this camera, I am disappointed and decided to send it back as the video quality did not measure up to my old Sony P350, and the camera stills did not measure up to my wedding camera, which is a Canon 30D.
Then I started thinking. I pass up taking my Sony or Canon anywhere because they are not small enough for it not to be a bother. I realized that now with my Sanyo, I actually take it in my man purse with me everywhere I go so now I get shots and footage I never got before. What good is a great camera if you leave it at home? The point is, my Sanyo is just great if I just except that it does not take professional level HD video and that the pics are just a little grainy indoors even with flash. For casual use, this Sanyo is the missing link. I can at least improve video and stills with software if it becomes critical, but as with my wife, once I stop expecting her to be a superwoman, I realize how amazing she really is. This camera is the best hybrid out there and the macro mode blows me away. It is worth it and I am keeping it!


->For Sale Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 7.1MP MPEG4 High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

After a week of testing this camcorder, I found it good enough for daily use. The HD2 does not come with an SD card, so make sure you buy one before or at the time you get the HD2. I got a 2GB SD A-DATA and a 4GB SDHC QPI Class6. Both worked fine. The 4GB gives me about 1:20h in StandardHD mode, and 55mns in SuperHD mode. I didn't notice a speed difference between a Class2 and a Class6 SD card using the HD2, I think you should be fine with an 8GB SDHC class2.
My first impression of the camera is how small it is, however it may not fit in a jean pocket. It turns on very quick, you can start filming within 2secs of startup. It has a lady voice telling the mode you are using (ie camera mode), not sure if this is useful for others, but not for me.
The video and still pictures are great outdoor. The video quality is impressive during a bright sunlight. In a room lighten by a 60W equivalent fluo light, the video quality is grainy/noisy, this has been confirmed by other people as well. The High Sensitivity feature (to boost the image quality at low light) helps but not enough. My 7yrs old Sony DIgital8 does a better job at 1lux. I noticed that video quality is grainy at low light, but 7MP still picture quality is very good for the same lighting. Compared to my new Canon SD800 at 7MP, it is obvious the Canon Digital Camera wins. On the video side, I played with several configuration, ISO setting, white balance, resolution, etc... It does helps, but the video is still grainy at low light. This camcorder has not been designed for low light filming.
I ran into an issue when transfering the video & Pictures from the HD2 with its cradle to the PC via USB connection. I got errors transfering the files if you use the craddle (this will freeze the HD2). I am not sure why, I have to check with Sanyo on this. If you connect the HD2 directly to the PC (without the cradle), the transfer goes smooth. So there is an issue with the cradle and USB port.
I am also using Pinnacle Studio 10.5 for my video editing. So far, I have not been able to use it and control my HD2. You can however copy the files from SD to your PC, and use these files with Pinnacle Studio.
Since I film most of the time outdoor during daytime, this camera does the job fine and video quality is great. I would still give a 5 stars even with the video issues at low light.



->Lowest Price Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 7.1MP MPEG4 High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

I have to say I am very disappointed with this camera. I had really high hopes for this one. I waited for the hd2 to come out and when I saw a lot of positive reviews I bought one, I should have waited. For Sanyo to call this an HD camera doesn't make sense. The picture has more grain and noise then my old High 8 camera. Outdoors in bright light the camera is ok. Low-light is horrible

Pros:
- Nice form factor, love the look and feel and it's so tiny it fits in your pocket. Very portable and something you can take anywhere.
- Secure Digital cards are great, can transfer and edit on the computer quickly
- Still pictures are pretty good. Although still digital cameras are better.
- HDMI output can plug directly into your HDTV (although if you are used to watching things in HD you will be disappointed)

Cons:
- Indoor and Low light situations very grainy, even with the high sensitivity button.
- Don't attempt to take still shots while you are filming, it works but when you watch the film you hear loud noises and the shot pauses for 2 or 3 seconds and then continues. Very cheesy.
- You can hear the data being written to the secured digital card on the video which is annoying. I thought SD was supposed to minimize noise.
- Watching the playback of movement with this makes me dizzy, not even fast movement either.
- Image stabilization is not that great either compared to other cameras I have used.
- Audio sounds a bit tinny

In my opinion this camera is geared for portability and being able to capture moments quickly as this is something you can always carry with you. If you aren't too concerned with quality picture it's probably fine. I really think Sanyo has a great concept and one day this could be the end all be all device. For now it should come with a warning of it's limitations. I am not saying it's total garbage, but if you have high hopes like I did, you will be disappointed.


->Buy Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 7.1MP MPEG4 High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

I just received this device yesterday. I got to play with it for about an hour so far. So, this review is going to be "first impressions" or "initial quality" review.

Quality, packaging, instruction manuals, and supplied accessories all look good quality.

I couldn't find an SD card in the packaging. I did have a 2GB memory card with me, so I was OK.

I could put in the battery, charge the device, take a couple of pictures, and a couple of videos without even reading the quick reference manual. I would call that intuitive enough and user friendly.

Quality of the pictures and video is acceptable considering that I used the device straight out of the box without adjusting any settings. Actually pictures and video looked much better on my home LCD monitor, but looked pathetic on my work CRT monitor. (This is not the first time I have experienced this.)

I have played the video on a 61" widescreen HD TV using S-Video cable and the quality was acceptable. Nothing compared to off-the-air HD programming, but it was not bad at all.

I have placed a couple of pictures and videos elsewhere on the Web. Amazon doesn't allow URLs in reviews. Search in Google groups and you may find a link to the pictures and videos.

I will come back here and update the review over the next few weeks.

Update 4/12/2007:
I have uploaded a couple of low light videos. Link to the Web site in the first comment to this review. Results are disappointing. With what I know now, I would probably give it only 4 stars. Can't change the rating now.

I could quickly and easily compile and burn a DVD using the supplied ULead software. I didn't try any bells and wistles, just used the simplest path and I was done with the production process in about 10 minutes. Burning process itself (with an 8x burner) took a long time (unattended). DVD played fine on a regular Panasonic DVD player.

MiniDV based camcorders probably produce much better HD footage. But, that is not of much use for me, because burning a DVD out of MiniDV footage is very hard. I don't think I could have posted sample clips on the Internet so quickly if I were using a MiniDV camcorder. So, should we compromise on quality of the video or ease of sharing the footage?

Update 4/16/2007:
This camcorder is going back. While it is very easy to use and very convenient to quickly share the footage (compared to MiniDV based camcorders), I don't think this can replace my existing DCR-DVD201 due to the poor video quality under low light conditions. I am not the kind to maintain multiple camcorders and use different one for different situations.


->Sale Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 7.1MP MPEG4 High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

As I watch the videos of my kids on my 50" plasma, 32" LCD and Mac, trying to convince myself that I like the quality, my wife walks by and says, "Fuzzy." I know most guys out there will know what I'm talking about - she just killed the deal. Regardless of the specs, the wives don't lie - the picture quality just doesn't cut it. It's unacceptably noisey in all but the brightest of light and is an incremental improvement over my 6 year old Sony DVR. The product design is cool, the price is good, the SD card recording idea is perfect, but the HD promise doesn't come close to paying off.

If you're looking for sharp, crystal clear images - you're just not going to be happy with this camera unless the gathering of technology and low price are enough to cause you to settle.


->Best Price Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 7.1MP MPEG4 High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom



Just purchased this Sanyo Camera and it's great.

I Love It!!!!!!!!!!


->Prices Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 7.1MP MPEG4 High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

I got mine today, and it is being returned today. I had high hopes, given the reviews so far and the supposed improvement in low light sensitivity. I was hoping for an all-in-one device for stills and video. Here's my results:

1) Stills. Pictures are not too bad, but do not compare with a similar 7MP Canon SD500 which I own. The zoom works well, focusing is ok, but slow. The pictures themselves have quite a bit of noticeable noise in them, flash or not, like they are all taken at a high ISO setting on a regular digital cam. So slight disappointment here.

2) Video. If this is improved low light sensitivity, I would not have liked to see the results on the HD1! Video does not even come close to comparing to my regular Sony DV camera. Focusing is hit or miss, and shake is much more evident at high zoom than with my Sony.

I really was hoping for the be all end all combo device, but the HD2 does neither very well. Ergonomically it is beautiful and fits in one hand very well. The finish is great and the buttons are well placed. But it doesn't justify the price or quality misses on the photos and video themselves.


->Lowest Price Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 7.1MP MPEG4 High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

I normally don't use a video camera and generally stick with digital stills. As far as still images go with this camera, they are only "alright". If you want a compact camera for excellent still pictures, I suggest any of the Canon S series or higher end powershots. It is useful if you just want a quick picture of something you're recording, but it's slow to actually take the picture (about 3-5 seconds) and the quality isn't as good as a stand alone camera.

However, for video, I'm highly impressed. The one downside I have with it is that when shooting in the highest quality (SHD), the battery only seems to last about an hour. However, bump it down one notch (HD) and the battery seems last quite a while longer. After an hour of use, the indicator said the battery was still full (it has 3 values for battery life).

Personally I couldn't tell the difference between the 2 high def qualities, so I'll be shooting at the lower one to get more battery life and longer videos. On an 8 gig card, I get (in hour:minute:second) 1:54:26 at highest quality, and 2:49:53 at the lower HD quality.

One other thing, if you plan on shooting extremely long videos, the camera doesn't use the AC input while recording, only playback. This means you can't charge a battery while recording. I suggest getting a second battery and an external charger if you plan on long shoots with this camera.

*****EDIT*****
Just to clarify on the AC while recording: The camera will still record without a battery as long as the AC is plugged in. It just doesn't charge the battery while recording.



->Comparison Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 7.1MP MPEG4 High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

No tapes to carry, works with memory cards, after shooting plug the SD card in your PC and Voila', transfer your videos fast or watch-edit them right in the SD card. No tapes makes this camera easy to carry around. There are other home video camaras in HD (even higher resolution) but there are much larger in size and the media is tapes.
I got first the HD1a and days later was released the HD2, so I exchanged for the later model. HD2 is basically the same camera as the HD1 but with much more improved features. The low light capture is much more efficient and now you can take decent shots with interior lights. Zoom is great, fast and focuses with no trouble. Super silent. You will not hear the zoom gear working at all.. The microphones are located on the flip screen away from the body so I think that helps a lot on isolating any zoom noise away from your movies. The still camera features are also excellent. Took several flashed pics of faces and no one shows red eye. Many ways to customize your scenes. This is the video camera we were all waiting for: Small, High Def, Dual mode, SD media for easy sharing and editing and reasonable priced. Enjoy!


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I hope to write a detailed review after i have put it through a few more tests, but after 36 hours of use i must give kudos to Sanyo the HD2 is a winner.


->Deal Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 7.1MP MPEG4 High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

I give the camera an A+ for styling and form factor. The camera is easy to hold and very easy to choose if you want to shoot video or stills. The 10x lens has a great range 35-350mm. I recommend the 0.6x wide angle adapter which will alter the range to a very wide 22mm allowing for great outdoor images.

The low light on this unit is significantly improved. Still recommend turning on the lights in the room when shooting, but if you have to shoot outdoors at night where the street lamp is your only source, this camera will do a decent job in both auto and in the "high-senitivity" mode.

The camera comes with a docking station which will allow you to connect to and HDTV via component or HDMI and also has the USB connector and power jack on the base station. The camera charges while in the base station.

The default settings could use a little tweak. My recommendations are to turn off the digital zoom (worthless in all digital cameras and video cameras), set the stills to 7m-h, the video to HD-SHQ (both are the best quality settings), and set the powersave settings for BATTERY/CAM to either 3 or 5 minutes.

This is a great camera.