Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2000 Camcorder Review

by Kaitlyn Chantry and Jeremy Stamas
Published on Mar 17, 2009 3:15 AM

 
Intro
 Product Tour
Colour & Noise Performance Motion & Resolution Performance
Low Light Performance Compression & Media
Manual Controls Still Features
Handling & Use Playback & Connectivity
Audio & Other Features Canon HF20 Comparison
Panasonic HDC-HS20 Comparison Canon HF S100 Comparison
Conclusion Photo Gallery
Specs and Ratings


Introduction
Sanyo managed a minor miracle with the Xacti VPC-HD2000. Although the company isn't generally considered to be a top-tier manufacturer, the HD2000 held its ground in our performance tests against models from competing companies like Sony, Canon, and Panasonic. At approx £450, the price is alluring, but the VPC-HD2000 is not without its problems. The upright design can make handling tricky, and the menu system is simply awful. 

However, the VPC-HD2000 is not without its problems. The upright design can make handling tricky, and the menu system is simply awful. The question is, are these concessions enough to sway a sale?

    (Page 1 of 17) Product Tour

 

Section The Good The Bad
Product Tour Compact and attractive
 Pistol-grips design might be off-putting to traditionalists, and the lens cap is easy to lose
Colour & Noise Performance Great Colour performance, good noise performance
 Skin tone accuracy is less than perfect
Motion & Resolution Performance 1080/60p motion looks excellent
 Lacks the crispness of some competing camcorders
Low Light Performance Outstanding sensitivity scores
 None
Compression & Media Many options, including slow motion
No internal memory and poor in-camera editing features
Manual Controls Solid set of controls and lot of additional control options
 Poor menu navigation to find all those additional controls
Still Features Great still photo performance. 8MP native and 12MP interpolated images
 A lot of oversharpening
Handling & Use One-handed operation
 An abysmal menu system, among the worst we've seen
Playback & Connectivity Many output connections for playback
 Most of those connections are on the docking station, not the camcorder
Audio & Other Features Mic and headphone inputs, as well as an accessory shoe expand your options
 Unusual placement of built-in mic



Product Tour >>