Review: Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1000 HD Camcorder


The Xacti HD1000 HD camcorder shoots great-looking MPEG-4 video to high capacity SD cards and it boasts more features than you can throw a proverbial stick at. But is it a proper high definition camcorder?


Sanyo Xacti HD1000 HD Camcorder (Silver)
Not only does Sanyo’s distinctive Xacti VPC-HD1000 video camera record true 1920 x 1080i HD video to high capacity SD cards but it offers a host of features that other manufacturers seem intent on dropping. Even Panasonic’s HDC-SD9 AVCHD camcorder has lost features like a microphone input and headphone output that made the earlier (January 2007) HDC- SD1 such a good buy. What you do get with this one, though, is a camcorder with more features than you can throw a stick at and which offers a surprising level of manual control – even for the newbie user.

Given that we’re now experiencing an explosion in the number of “true” HD camcorders entering the market (to the extent that we’re witnessing the rapid decline of standard definition video in all its forms), it’s clear that HD is where it’s at. It’s also necessary to accept that, for many new users at least, there’s a requirement for no-nonsense products that produce pictures and sounds that do justice to any self-respecting HDTV display even when working in fully auto mode. That’s precisely the market at which the HD1000 is aimed.

Design and layout


As with all Xacti models, the HD1000 bears no resemblance to any other brand of video camera on the market – and perhaps that’s why it’s so distinctive. According to Sanyo, its pistol-grip design is based on extensive collaborative research with Japan’s Chiba University, and its “lens-to-grip” angle is optimized to minimize strain on those muscle groups used during recording and playing back. Does it succeed? We’ll see.

With the exception of the mic input and headphone output, the DC Power supply socket, USB, Component Digital/AV and all-important HDMI connections are on the very useful docking station which keeps the camera small whilst also allowing unhindered access to the essential recording and playback controls, and enables all such connections to remain in situ when the camera is being used elsewhere.

Most of the HD1000’s operating features are clustered around a main barrel that includes the 10x optical (100x digital) zoom lens at the font and main control cluster at the rear. A flash light and accessory shoe are concealed by body-formed plastic covers at the upper front and rear respectively, with the generous 2.7” widescreen LCD shutting flush into the hand-grip.

Features


The HD1000 uses the increasingly popular MPEG-4/AVC H.264 system to compress images and sound onto SD and SDHC storage media, but it’s not the AVCHD standard as used by Sony, Panasonic and Canon, even if the codec looks the same – and it doesn’t handle in the same way either, as we’ll find out.

In operational terms, the control button cluster at the rear of the camera gives access to all its movie and stills recording and playback capabilities. You’re given a Simple mode in which you’re offered a minimal range of options – Full Auto or manual operation of Picture Size (HD or SD), Focus and White Balance – or Normal mode, which provides for a comprehensive set of manual over-rides. The Menu button at the rear is the gateway to an impressive set of options, with a mini-joystick providing the means by which navigation and item selection is achieved.

What’s good is the range of options in the menu system; it’s easy to take control of focus, exposure, white balance and shutter, in addition to things like manual audio control (useful when connecting an external microphone to the socket on the front of the camera) and even a modest but useful set of video filters. Users are given the option of manually linking exposure to shutter speed (Aperture Priority) or vice-versa (Shutter Priority) in addition to independent manual control of either, with an onscreen “head up” graphic display showing settings as changes are made. In addition to the usual full set of Program AE settings – ranging from Sports and Portrait right through to Fireworks and indoor Lamp settings, you’re also given several White Balance presets, such as Sunny, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent and One Push. In all cases, the menu system is easy to navigate and make selections – even whilst actually recording.

Performance


Insert a high capacity SD card (SDHC Class 6, preferably) into the slot at the rear of the hand-grip, put the cam into Auto mode, record a few video clips in good light outdoors and play them back via HDMI (cable not supplied) or Component Digital (cable supplied) on a High Definition TV display and you’ll be knocked out by the quality. That’s how good it is. Shooting in optimum light outdoors, the 4 megapixels (stills) CMOS image device produces a HD movie resolution of 3.56 megapixels, and 2.18 megapixels in standard definition movie mode. Although 1080 line frames use interlacing, there’s minimal evidence of this even on fast movement, such is the ability of the CMOS chip.

Images taken with the Sanyo Xacti HD1000

The above images were taken with the HD1000 in digital stills mode in 4:3 aspect ratio, having been reduced from 2288 x 1712 pixels. Note the way the camera copes with variable colour foliage, brightly-lit colours, variable contrast at dusk and also sunlight bursting through branches.

It should be noted that no SD card is supplied with the product, but you can expect to save up to 85 minutes of full-HD (1920x1080i) movie clips onto a single 8 gigabyte SDHC card – and bear in mind that 16 GB cards are now available too.

Even in darkish corners indoors, the CMOS chip turns in quite respectable images, even if the auto-focus evidently struggles at times. Although Sanyo claims an effective Macro capability with this 10x optical zoom lens, it’s not as good as that of its nearest competitor, the Panasonic HDC-SD5. Overall image resolution, colour control and contrast ratio is very good, however, particularly so when recording under manual control. Without a doubt, playback via HDMI is excellent, and marginally better than the SD5, as it happens.

Exporting movie clips


Supplied with the camera is a collection of software that includes Ulead DVD Moviefactory 5 SE and Nero 7 Essentials. Despite supposedly successful installations, we couldn’t get past the “No capture driver is available in the system” popup on two different Windows PCs when attempting to import and compile clips via USB. On a new Intel iMac (one that happily works with AVCHD files in iMovie ‘08) all the imported MPEG-4 files were faulty – even though they played back perfectly on a direct HDMI connection to an HDTV display. Could this be related to the fact that the HD1000 records at 60Hz and not the 50Hz we require in the UK? An editing program set for 25fps PAL will not edit clips whose frame rate is 29.97fps. And they’re hoping that complete newcomers will use this?

Nero Showtime software screengrab

Conclusion


Manipulating the controls with the right thumb and forefinger whilst recording is clunky and impedes stability when recording, which calls into question the research referred to above, but it’s a neat device, especially when used in conjunction with the very handy docking station. The supplied battery gave us well over 2 hours recording in full HD mode, and offers the capability of 275 minutes in playback mode. As a solid-state HD video camera, it’s superb in almost every way.

Import, editing and DVD creation issues apart, it’s a great camcorder that does everything it says on the box. HD pictures are fabulous and the feature set will undoubtedly put some competitors on the defensive. It’s just a pity they’ve made a pig’s ear of the software that comes with it. In summary, it's not that bad if all you're looking for is a simple point 'n shoot device that saves to memory card for display direct to a TV or uploading to YouTube. Movie resolution is quite respectable and stills aren't bad either. It's nice to have an all-too-rare mic input and headphone output, too, and you might just find it ideal if all you're looking for is something that you can use on holiday or in situations where you want something small and inconspicuous that shoots good movie clips to solid-state media- and which you can replay on your HDTV with reasonable quality. In that context, you might consider it to represent good value for money.

Reviewed by: CB. November 2007. Product images Copyright 2007 Sanyo UK Ltd and Ahead Inc.

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