-
Introduction
-
01.Product Tour
-
02.Colour & Noise Performance
-
03.Motion & Resolution Performance
-
04.Low Light Performance
-
05.Compression & Media
-
06.Manual Controls
-
07.Still Features
-
08.Handling & Use
-
09.Playback & Connectivity
-
10.Audio & Other Features
-
11.Canon HF20 Comparison
-
12.Panasonic HDC-HS20 Comparison
-
13.Canon HF S100 Comparison
-
14.Conclusion
-
15.Photo Gallery
-
16.Specs and Ratings
-
17.Comments
Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2000
Previous: Part 11
Canon HF20 ComparisonNext: Part 13
Canon HF S100 Comparison
Sanyo VPC-HD2000 versus Panasonic HDC-HS20
• Sanyo far outperforms the Panasonic in everything but noise
• Completely different body design, but both are comfortable and easy to use
• The Panasonic is less confusing for beginners wanting to try out manual controls for the first time
• The Sanyo steps it up by including microphone and headphone jacks, plus more robust
still features and still performance
The HDC-HS20 isn't Panasonic's top-line HD camcorder. It has a modest price of about £750, but lacks many of the features that help make Panasonic the favorite of manual control aficionados. Like the VPC-HD2000, it too records only to SD/SDHC memory cards. The HS20 records to a 80GB hard drive and has a SD/SDHC cards slot. The desing is also completely different. Unlike the HD2000 it also features an optical image stabilization system. In our testing, the Panasonic HDC-HS20 appeared to be a step behind the rest of these camcorders—it couldn't capture the detail, resolution, or colour accuracy that we saw from the VPC-HD2000, Canon HF20, and Canon HF S100.
| Comparison Specs | ||
 |
 |
|
| Sanyo VPC-HD2000 | Panasonic HDC-HS20 | |
| Price | £449 | £749.95 |
| Primary Recording Media | SD/SDHC memory card | 80GB HDD |
| Secondary Recording Media | None | SD/SDHC memory card |
| Image Sensor | 1/2.5-inch CMOS | 1/6-inch CMOS |
| Effective Pixel Count | 5.31 Megapixels (HD video) 8.0 Megapixels (stills) |
1.17 Megapixels (video) 1.17 Megapixels (still) |
| Mic Input | Yes, 3.5mm | No |
| LCD/Viewfinder | 2.7-inch LCD with 230,000-pixel resolution |
2.7-inch LCD with 230,400-pixel resolution |
| Weight | 311g (including battery) | 415g (without battery) |
| Dimensions | 90 x 112.6 x 54.5mm | 67 x 69 x 128mm |
| HD | Yes | Yes |
| Optical Zoom | 10x | 16x |
| Frame Rates | HD: 1080/60p, 1080/60i, 1080/30p, 720/30p SD: 240fps (448 x 336), 600fps (192 x 108) |
1080/60i, Digital Cinema (24p) |
| Image stabilization | Digital | Optical |
| Scores | ||
| Sanyo VPC-HD2000 | Panasonic HDC-HS20 | |
| Colour | 10.06 | 7.87 |
| Noise | 9.53 | 11.76 |
| Video Resolution | 10.59 | 7.97 |
| Low Light Sensitivity | 7.7 | 0.97 |
| Low Light Colour | 9.79 | 3.72 |
| Low Light Noise | 9.83 | 12.95 |
| Noise at 60 lux Auto | |
 |
 |
| Sanyo VPC-HD2000 100% Crop |
Panasonic HDC-HS20 100% Crop |
| Bright Light Colour Performance Scores |
 |
Latest News & Reviews
-
29-Apr-2011
Panasonic HDC-SDT750 3D Camcorder Review
With the HDC-SDT750, Panasonic is bringing 3D videography to the masses. It is definetly not cheap, but it is still comparable in cost to other flagship models. Read More...
-
10-Mar-2011
Kodak Playsport Zx3 Camcorder Review
The Playsport Zx3 is an exciting ultracompact camcorder from Kodak that combines a Full HD recording capability with a body that is waterproof up to 3 meters. The camcorder’s durable construction, and did surprisingly well in our video testing. Read More...
Top Rated Camcorders
-
1Panasonic HDC-SDT750
With the HDC-SDT750, Panasonic is bringing 3D videography to the masses. It is definetly not cheap, but it is still comparable in cost to other flagship models. Read full 17-part review
TypeConsumer -
£764.952Panasonic HDC-TM700
As the update to Panasonic's 300-series, the expectations for the Panasonic HDC-TM700 are high.. Read full 16-part review
£764.95TypeConsumer -
3Canon Legria HF G10
With the Legria HF G10, Canon's latest flagship camcorder, the company decided to use a completely different image sensor with a smaller amount of pixels. If you check out the results from our performance testing, you'll quickly see the change paid off—particularly in low light situations. Read full 16-part review
TypeConsumer -
4JVC Everio GZ-HM1
Other than a new silver paint job, JVC's newest flagship model, the Everio GZ-HM1, looks exactly like its predecessor, the GZ-HM400. JVC's biggest alteration comes in the form of a back-illuminated CMOS sensor that did wonders in improving the low light performance of this new model. Read full 16-part review
TypeConsumer -
£966.505Canon Legria HF S21
Canon's new flagship model, the HF S21, has a lot of exciting new features and controls. Its 64GB of internal flash memory, two SD/SDHC memory card slots, and the touchscreen LCD make the HF S21 one of the most appealing camcorders of 2010. Read full 17-part review
£966.50TypeConsumer
Features
-
Video Editing Software For Your Camcorder
We take an in-depth look at the most common video editing software packages, including the basic programs that come packaged with your camcorder. Read More...
-
Camcorderinfo.co.uk Select Awards 2009
It’s time once again for our annual CamcorderInfo select awards. Each year, we honor the camcorders that really rise above the rest during our review process. The camcorders you’ll read about below have all survived a battery of tests—tests that are designed to give every camcorder fair and equal treatment. These models have also been carefully compared to the competition. Read More...
