Sanyo Xacti HD1A 5.1MP MPEG4 High-Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom
By: Sanyo Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 34
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 On: 2008-02-25
I bought this camera one year ago just prior to one of my mountain climbing expeditions. I liked it for the lightweight and the HD performance. I bouth it from a shop in San Francisco and paid over $900.
I think this was the worst product I have ever purchased.
The camera did not make me any movie in the mountains (in any mountains, not just this one). Once at high altitude I felt so frustrated that almost threw it down from 15,000 ft. The snow in the high mountains and the strong sun completely incapacitate the camera, even at the lowest sensitivity and with strong ND filter. Because of the strong sun the LCD display is completely invisible to the operator, so I just shot and hoped that the camera will record something. The result is that I do not have any movie or any picture from the climbs. Everything became white during the day.
The camera is not recording anything sensible in the evenings either. It is not possible to accomodate to the contrast. Everything gets white or completely black.
Well, you may think that I am unexperienced photographer, but I have over 20 year experience on Photography. This is the worst I ever had.
I thought that al least I have e good camera for the normal conditions in the city. Another disapointment! First, before you can record any movie you have to spend several minutes to select the right settings. The camera is unfriendly and clumsy. There is no auto mode. Second, the HD feature is a pure BS. Any Canon camera, even the normal still camera makes better movies that this one. Xacti is ways too slow to adjust to the changing light conditions as you move the camera.
Well, you may think that at least it has 10Mp resolution when used as a still camera. Hah!!! The pictures you get with this camera are as good as the pictures you get with your cellphone. I havent made any good still picture with this camera.
If you think that this is bad enough, wait for the rest. The reliability of this "HD thing" is really the worst. As I was making shots the camera shut down and could not be started anymore. I called Sanyo and they told me, that the camera is NOT under warranty (the warranty is only 90 days!!!). You have to send it somewhere to IL to a private repair shop. You pay for shipment, pay for evaluation, pay for the repair, pay for the shipment back. Totally I paid about $200. The evaluation showed that the camera has a burnt PCB. From WHAT? From a 3.7V 1A battery? The repair shop waited 3 weeks for Sanyo to send them only the spare part. Anyway, it took me over a month to get it back.
It is already 11 months since I have this camera and I am happy to dispose it.
I would rate this product zero stars, but the systems requires me to asign at least one star.
 On: 2007-12-14
I did quite a bit of research on the Sanyo Xacti and other waterproof digital video cameras. The choice was between the Sanyo, Olympus or the Pentax Optio.
I chose the Sanyo for its style, design and ease of operation.
I took the camera to Miami Beach and had a blast with it. I was not let down.
I had no problem hanging on to the Xacti even when knocked over by a wave. The quality of the video is suberb.The still images are razor sharp. The camera should be used on the highest quality setting for both still and video. I therefore suggest you buy the 4gb card.
The menu offers a large number of options for both video and still image.
Dont be intimidated by the size of the operators manual. Start with the Quick Start Guide and gradually read about the other features.
The price of the camera varies from store to store. That should be your biggest problem with the purchase.
 On: 2007-11-28
This is a high quality camera that is not real easy to use. The docking station takes some effert to get a good connection, you just have to feel around until it is docked. The real disappointment is the software the camera linked with a touch of the button but after a week of trying I never did get a MP4 file to load into the computer. I was able load some files out of the camera with other software but not with the programs that came in the box. Where is their quality control? If the software had been of the same quality as the camera and the price had been $200.00 less, I would still have the camera.
On: 2007-11-27
This is a high quality camera that is not real easy to use. The docking station takes some effert to get a good connection, you just have to feel around until it is docked. The real disappointment is the software the camera linked with a touch of the button but after a week of trying I never did get a MP4 file to load into the computer. I was able load some files out of the camera with other software but not with the programs that came in the box. Where is their quality control? If the software had been of the same quality as the camera and the price had been $200.00 less, I would still have the camera.
On: 2007-10-24
The one star is a knock against the seller, Wall Street Photo, not the Sanyo Xacti.
I purchased through Wall Street Photo via Amazon at a good price and several days later the order was cancelled by Wall Street Photo.
Amazon customer service has informed me that Wall Street claims they are out of stock. This is clearly not the case because the product is listed as in stock with a steep price increase.
On: 2007-10-23
The one star is a knock against the seller, Wall Street Photo, not the Sanyo Xacti.
I purchased through Wall Street Photo via Amazon at a good price and several days later the order was cancelled by Wall Street Photo.
Amazon customer service has informed me that Wall Street claims they are out of stock. This is clearly not the case because the product is listed as in stock with a steep price increase.
On: 2007-10-15
After having used DV tape for the past four years (Canon Elura), I wasnt expecting much with this Xacti HD1A but I was pleasantly surprised that many of the negative negative reviews posted here at Amazon werent as bad as I thought. The fact is, your expectations have to be realistic -- DV tapes are (as David Pogue says) best for quality. But let me be honest -- quality is only one factor when choosing a camcorder for me. Rewinding is a hassle and the amount of time it took to get DV footage into my PC for editing got to be a real drag (its in real time). With SD cards, I am burning DVDs in minutes for the grandparents, something that took me hours to do before. And believe me, grandparents arent too concerned about the quality difference between this Sanyo and my old Canon! BTW, my Canon, which had many more moving parts, was in the shop at least once every six months. Ive only had this Xacti for a week but Im hoping that this wont be the case with this unit. So in short, unless youre shooting your first project for Sundance, you wont find anything this convenient. Believe me, I researched for four months before deciding that this HD1A was a keeper.
On: 2007-10-14
After having used DV tape for the past four years (Canon Elura), I wasnt expecting much with this Xacti HD1A but I was pleasantly surprised that many of the negative negative reviews posted here at Amazon werent as bad as I thought. The fact is, your expectations have to be realistic -- DV tapes are (as David Pogue says) best for quality. But let me be honest -- quality is only one factor when choosing a camcorder for me. Rewinding is a hassle and the amount of time it took to get DV footage into my PC for editing got to be a real drag (its in real time). With SD cards, I am burning DVDs in minutes for the grandparents, something that took me hours to do before. And believe me, grandparents arent too concerned about the quality difference between this Sanyo and my old Canon! BTW, my Canon, which had many more moving parts, was in the shop at least once every six months. Ive only had this Xacti for a week but Im hoping that this wont be the case with this unit. So in short, unless youre shooting your first project for Sundance, you wont find anything this convenient. Believe me, I researched for four months before deciding that this HD1A was a keeper.
On: 2007-09-06
I received this as a gift after researching several different options and after using it for a week or so I have to report that I love it. Its just the right size for my ham sized mitts, but small enough for my pocket. Its movie quality is great for what it is. I have always taken a lot of .AVI movies with my Canon p&s cameras so portability was a must. The HD has me sold and singing the Xactis praises. The stills are great outside, slightly better than OK inside, but again for the price and size, this is a great little camera. Takes almost an hour of HD video on a 4 gig SDHC card which you can get right here on amazon for $35. (it doesnt come with one-cmon Sanyo) It DOES come with a great hard case and all the AV-computer cables you need, plus a great remote control that controls all aspects of the camera, not just the playback. Again, if you want an inexpensive HD that fits in your pocket this is your baby.
 On: 2007-08-25
I bought the HD1A because I wanted to shoot High Def video. The video this camera shoots is definitely better than SD video, but it doesnt look like broadcast HDTV either. Without being able to show you the difference the best way to describe it is that the HD1A produces small amounts of video "noise" and the less ambient light there is, the worse this problem gets. The problem, however isnt severe enough to make this a three star camera. I am very pleased with the performance of the HD1A and Im sure you will be too. If you want to reproduce the crystal clear, sharp images you are used to on HBO HD, you will need to spend at least $3000.00 on a pro-sumer level camcorder. This camcorder for the size and price does an amazing job!
On: 2007-08-22
The quality of video is good in HQ standard modes. HD video is ok in outdoor lighting. Very pixelated indoors low light. This is common for most camcorders. The big benefit is the quality you get for the size. The stills are great. If you need a camera for on-the-go outside activities this is a great deal. If you want low-light functionality look at the $2000 Sony. Then again you cant put the sony HD in your pocket. I bought a 4gig SD mem card and it gives me over 50 minutes of video. The battery life is great. All the cables are included and the connection base is really conveinent to just drop on and charge without having to find to correct cable and plug end.
On: 2007-07-10
I ordered this camera on Monday and received it on Wed of the same week. I bought it from Ritz Camera for $399.00 and although it wasnt mentioned in the add I also got a free tripod, carrying case and cleaning kit.
The camera is fantastic. I have a Sony DV camcorder and the Sanyo is a huge improvement in video quality. I bought it because of the size thinking this would be a good little camera for trips but I would use my sony around the house. After seeing the Video and still picture quality, the Sony is being retired.
I dont understand the reviewer who said he had trouble downloading the images from the camera. I drop it into the docking station and open the videos in Windows Media viewer and enjoy the show.
I have burned several DVDs using the included software with no problems. I do prefer Nero, but that is because I have used it more.
On: 2007-06-26
I was hoping to get a camcorder that looked cool, im not a fan of the rounded ones, but also took good indoor, lowlight footage. I almost got it here. It does a great job of picutes in almost complete darkness fairly close up, but the indoor footage let a lot to be wanted. Being able to take pics while filming is a good feature and the quality of the pics are great for 5MP. I bought a 4GB SD card and it holds about an hour and some and the battery holds a pretty good charge (45min-1hour30min), depending on how long you have it on of course. It is so easy to use, the buttons are easy to understand without even reading the manual.
Indoors the recording becomes grainy. Its not bad if you dont mind marginal footage indoors, the outdoor footage was far better, in the light and dark. Overall, im happy, the price, ease of use and picture quality out weights the rest.
by: Anonymous On: 2007-06-08
I bought this when it came out and find myself using it so often, I finally decided to write and give it 5 stars (it really deserves 4 1/2, but its gotten some bad reviews by those who havent figured out that by far the best basic setting is "action"...this basically fixes 99% of those complaints...red eye can be problematic with its flash location). The upside is a utility...it goes in my pocket wherever, even to the beach, taking lots of very good 720p videos / 5 MP photos. Remember that 720p is an intermediate HD format, very comparable to 1080i (significantly better than standard 480). There is no real downside to this product unless one compares it to another gadget that doesnt do everything it does. I cant wait until full 1080p comes out in this form factor along with the new 32 GB NAND flash memory that is now available in certain laptops...wahoo! Meantime, hey, I paid $800 for this (best price at the time)...its certainly been worth it, as one example (from several) my old GL2 is stowed in the garage! Several friends have bought the newer HD2 recently (hence an update to this review) and Id have to say that the megapixel difference amounts to photos using up more SD-card space...as expected, this gimmic (oooh, more zillion pixels, its gotta be better) is being exploited so much (sensor size is what counts - obey physics, its the law). Other non-HD Sanyo models are also great (dont buy an imitator, theyre all lousy), at their commodity pricing one essentially gets a top zoom mini-videocam for free (compared with a compact camera...remember, even though the latest nifty camera may have 12 Megapixels, its sensor is the same size and guess what happens? If you dont believe me look at any pro camera).
On: 2007-05-05
Seeing some of the other comments, and as the owner of an HD1 and an earlier version (C5?), theres a couple of points to make:
* MP4 playback software that actually works was hard to find. It looks like the latest Real Player is ok, so long as your PC is fast. There are probably other usable software products as well now. Movies I took 2 years ago that seemed jerky on playback at the time now play ok using later software versions.
* You do need to make sure you get high speed SD memory cards. Slow ones will spoil the whole experience. It does take the new SDHC cards, make sure theyre at least class 4 cards.
Reading the manual is key to happiness with the Xacti - I thought the flash had broken, until I read the right bit of the book! Once youve got the settings right, you dont need to touch it again.
On: 2007-04-27
Its too bad there are so many people that dont. What were you expecting? "I know, Ill spend $500 on an HD camcorder and Ill be burning Blu-rays in no time!"
This is one awesome unit! And before you ask, I work in broadcast TV, so I know what HD cameras should and should not do. The first thing is they SHOULDNT cost under $2,000, but this one does. Second, if it does cost under $2,000, youre not allowed to complain about the picture quality.
That said, it has its pros and cons, but overall this unit is spectacular! If youre outside, shooting the kids at the park or ballgame, youre in luck, because this camera will do you proud! However, the previous reviewers have it right when you get inside; if you dont have a lot of natural light, the pictures going to be off, but you can tweak the settings and still get some pretty good quality shots.
Overall, you cant beat this unit on a cost per feature basis. You dont want to use the cradle to transfer video/pics, though. Get a decent USB card reader and drag and drop. The cradle does a great job on playback of the hi-def video. Its a fun little camera!
On: 2007-04-15
With this pup it is simple to record video or images and almost impossible to download them successfully! In standard mode, the playback of video is anything but smooth. Looks like an old time movie.
The software could best be described as, "User Hostile". I havent been able to download any videos without getting an error message before the transfer is complete.
The normal video isnt as good as my DV camcorders and downright sad indoors. The photo portion is slightly better than my cell phone (a pocket pc). Still pictures havent downloaded successfully either (approximately 11 out of 185 have made it across the wire before error messages start interrupting the transfer).
Its a handy size and easy to operate. After youre done recording youll likely spend a lot of time with the manual (I have) and then you start getting frustrated.
If I could return it, I would.
On: 2007-04-15
Although my camcorder delivery (extra fee) was rapid and well timed for a planned recording weekend, my excitement quickly turned to disappointment after opening the package. I was unable to either charge the battery or use the camcorder because the seller delivered a version suitable only for a foreign power supply. In other words, the power cord was unusable in the US. This means a lost weekend as a minimum, with longer delays and higher costs likely in obtaining a suitable power supply cord. My first business with this seller laid an egg in the form of an expensive movie camera. UPDATE (ONE WEEK LATER): I received a torn, white envelope in the mail today from TB Trading Corp. with nothing in it. TB Trading Corp. sent an electrical adaptor in a plain white envelope expecting it to pass thru the post office mail machine, which it apparently didnt...and got lost in the mail somewhere between New York and Virginia.
Still waiting patiently...
On: 2007-04-14
Although my camcorder delivery (extra fee) was rapid and well timed for a planned recording weekend, my excitement quickly turned to disappointment after opening the package. I was unable to either charge the battery or use the camcorder because the seller delivered a version suitable only for a foreign power supply. In other words, the power cord was unusable in the US. This means a lost weekend as a minimum, with longer delays and higher costs likely in obtaining a suitable power supply cord. My first business with this seller laid an egg in the form of an expensive movie camera. UPDATE (ONE WEEK LATER): I received a torn, white envelope in the mail today from TB Trading Corp. with nothing in it. TB Trading Corp. sent an electrical adaptor in a plain white envelope expecting it to pass thru the post office mail machine, which it apparently didnt...and got lost in the mail somewhere between New York and Virginia.
Still waiting patiently...
 On: 2007-03-21
I really want to give it a 3 1/2 stars. This camera is worth the money Although, if youre left handed like myself, keeping a steady hand while holding with your right hand takes practice. The movie quality is a nitch above average. Filming in High Def looks great, but takes a LOT of memory on your card. Filming in the other formats does the job for casual recordings. Filming inside without proper lighting can be an issue. This camera requires a LOT of light to look clean and crisp. the more light, the better the picture looks. Filming outside is great during the day. The software that comes with this is not user friendly. Wish they did a better job with that. you may want to invest in an external Hard drive. Also, to capture a lot of film, I recommend 4GB of flash or higher. Especially for HD recording. 4GB for Normal recording is more than sufficient. But you didnt buy this for Normal recording. You bought it 1- for its size 2- High Definition recording. or vice versa. Other than the limitations with filming in Low or dim lighting, this camera is cool to have for those special moments at the zoo, or vacations and anywhere else outside. Venture indoors and you will notice some grainy filming even in High Def. One more thing that may or may not be of concern... After opening the package and reading the "Important Information" section of the booklet, I read something about "... some materials made in the camera are known to cause cancer in the state of California..." or something like that. It says is uppercase letters... "WASH HANDS after handling" Great. thats just great.
On: 2007-02-23
I am fascinated with this machine. It has incredible detail although it lacks a little lattitude and details are lost as soon as there are some shadows.
The battery so far usually lasts me the whole day when I go touring. If I take care to shut the display down as soon as I dont need it anymore I find that when I am on a cruise ship or visiting another country I can take all the movies I usually want - - and recharge when I get back to my room at night.
The only problem is playback on a TV or PC. The bundled software made by ULEAD is not user friendly and, whereas the previous Xacti I had played back images and video clips in the order I had taken, this one separates them and plays back either clips or images. Before I played back through my Panasonic Hard Disk DVD recorder and recorded a DVD directly. Now I have to go into my PC and do a whole lot of editing and so far the "Movie FActory" program keeps crashing.
I imagine somebody will eventually suggest a better software program, or I will learn to use Ulead, but for the time being the pictures and clips Ihave taken have very good detail, and the machine has operated flawlessly.
On: 2007-02-22
I am fascinated with this machine. It has incredible detail although it lacks a little lattitude and details are lost as soon as there are some shadows.
The battery so far usually lasts me the whole day when I go touring. If I take care to shut the display down as soon as I dont need it anymore I find that when I am on a cruise ship or visiting another country I can take all the movies I usually want - - and recharge when I get back to my room at night.
The only problem is playback on a TV or PC. The bundled software made by ULEAD is not user friendly and, whereas the previous Xacti I had played back images and video clips in the order I had taken, this one separates them and plays back either clips or images. Before I played back through my Panasonic Hard Disk DVD recorder and recorded a DVD directly. Now I have to go into my PC and do a whole lot of editing and so far the "Movie FActory" program keeps crashing.
I imagine somebody will eventually suggest a better software program, or I will learn to use Ulead, but for the time being the pictures and clips Ihave taken have very good detail, and the machine has operated flawlessly.
On: 2007-02-14
I got this camera because it was the deal of the day and was $480. Im not much a videographer. But it is a very nice little camera, takes decent photos, and sharp videos. Its compact so you dont need to leave it behind. Who knows, maybe youll catch the next Rodney King video. My only real complaint is that it outputs in MP4 format and the software that is included with the camera is pretty pathetic.
But for something this size and quality, youd have to spend a lot more.
I dont even think that the low light performance is as bad as some people are making it out to be. Ive shot several vids of my parrots inside and they came out quite nice.
Pleased with this camera...
On: 2007-01-16
I think I originally gave the HD1 I bought through Amazon a 5 star rating. And while that model has performed satisfactorily for me, some of the reviews Ive read have suggested it has failed in many instances. I think the oled display must have been the cause of many of the failures, because Sanyo apparently replaced the oled display with a more conventional lcd display. I have purchased the HD1a, also from Amazon, because I like more than one camera angle, whether Im videoing for home consumption or for stock video to be saved in the not-quite-ready-for-primetime mpeg 4 video codec... although it really is better than much of my standard video shot with mini DV tape cameras I oun. I found that by purchasing the 49mm Sanyo adapter, I could attach a 2x lens I already ouned and can now optically zoom in quite close on subjects. I also purchased a polarizing filter to go on the larger lens that really saturates the color, especially of a clear blue sky. In short, I think I feel more confident with the HD1a purchase than with the HD1 camera, although it is still early days and this could all change.
On: 2007-01-16
After vigorous research and investigation, I decided on this camera because of portability with quality. Bigger cameras may provide better HD picture quality but I believe you may lose lots of opportunities since the camera is not in your pocket.
I used 4GB SD card to take about 1 hour of HD video. With two 2GB SD cards, I am pretty much covered in most occasions. With recent purchase of an 80GB portable hard drive that I can dump SD card to, I dont have to worry about running out of storage.
Battery life is also reasonable: I didnt measure the actual hours but I used all three SD cards with one charge.
Flash is also relatively powerful, but like other digital camera the built-in flash is not effective once it passes 10 ft or further.
Ergonomical design is the best of all like-kind portable video camera. I can control the button with one hand without too much worry about dropping the camera.
High Definition quality is not as nearly good as bulky ones such as Sony HDR-HC1, but much better than average among the same level of pocket size cameras. With a little adjustment on ISO, you will capture better images that you want. However, ISO 400 presents noticeable grain. 5 MP still camera image is not as good as my Canon digital camera but is good enough to print and share with friends and family.
Overall, I finally settled down with my seemingly endless research and enjoy this camera.
On: 2007-01-06
Great features, right?
I just returned it after very disappointing results.
Here are just a few issues:
1. If you use a tripod (and you WILL need to), you cant plug in the AC adapter to save on the short battery life, because mounting it on to a tripod covers the access to the AC connection.
2. Battery life is very short.
3. If you want to protect the lens, you will need to buy the lens adapter and then buy a protective lens.
4. You cant take still photos with the flash if you are using the lens adapter BECAUSE the adapter casts a shadow from the flash onto your pictures.
5. The automatic settings are horrible. The auto focus, auto white balance, auto anything will give you the worst results if shooting indoors.
6. You cannot adjust the manual focus or anything else once you begin recording.
7. Quality is very poor when recording indoors without an enormous amount light.
Save your money. Buy a camera with better features. I am waiting for the Panasonic HDC-SD1 due in March.
On: 2007-01-05
Great features, right?
I just returned it after very disappointing results.
Here are just a few issues:
1. If you use a tripod (and you WILL need to), you cant plug in the AC adapter to save on the short battery life, because mounting it on to a tripod covers the access to the AC connection.
2. Battery life is very short.
3. If you want to protect the lens, you will need to buy the lens adapter and then buy a protective lens.
4. You cant take still photos with the flash if you are using the lens adapter BECAUSE the adapter casts a shadow from the flash onto your pictures.
5. The automatic settings are horrible. The auto focus, auto white balance, auto anything will give you the worst results if shooting indoors.
6. You cannot adjust the manual focus or anything else once you begin recording.
7. Quality is very poor when recording indoors without an enormous amount light.
Save your money. Buy a camera with better features. I am waiting for the Panasonic HDC-SD1 due in March.
On: 2007-01-01
The HD1 is a wonderful, amazing camera. And it is small enough that you can always have it with you -- Ive carried mine for months in my front pants pocket in its protective case, and been able to capture family and work stills and video that would otherwise have been lost. Even if the quality were not up to par, I would have something instead of nothing. But the quality is great! Ill expand on the quality below.
This camera is genuinely high definition, more than three times the resolution of NTSC. This is best shown by comparing a DV image captured with firewire (no NTSC modulation artifacts) on a computer monitor, to the HD1 image transferred from its SD card. Notice that this comparison should favor the DV -- but instead, it makes the increased resolution of the HD1 clear.
HD televisons and monitors are already commonplace, and video captured at less than HD quality will not be as highly valued (like 8mm, good for historical content). Capturing now in HD preserves the value of your video. And this camera fits in your pocket! My bet is anyone who thinks the video from this camera is not significantly better than DV is looking at its output downconverted to letterboxed NTSC, probably on an old TV.
The HD1 records in 720p30 format for an hour on a 4GB sd card (about $70). There is no transport noise picked up by the on-board microphones, as there is no tape transport! Even lens and finger noises are attenuated by the intelligent placement of the microphones on the back of the fold-out screen, where unlike other cameras, they are pointed at the subject! It also has an external microphone jack, missing in other cameras.
Once the camera is turned on, folding the viewfinder puts it in standby mode with no apparent impact on battery life. This way, the camera is ready to go in a couple of seconds after the viewfinder is opened. Mine stays in standby, sometimes for days between uses. Battery life is very good (but keep a charged spare with you, just like you keep a second SD memory card).
The still shots from this camera are as good as or better than most dedicated still cameras. I would rate it just below the Sony DSC-T7. However, the HD1 has a 10x optical zoom, which reduces the need for cropping, thereby preserving resolution. Look at the stills and video from the HD1 on steves-[...] (different Steve), which is a blowaway excellent web site for comparing cameras.
The output of the HD1 is not as clean as the output from the Sony HC3 or the Canon HV10 HDV comcorders, both of which capture at a higher resolution. Ironically both use CMOS sensors which have historically been much noisier than CCDs like the HD1s. I suspect that this is due to better post capture processing, so Im eager to try something like Noise Ninja or NeatImage on the HD1 output. However, as is, it is easy to mix the video from all three using Vegas Video (and Im sure other editors), especially when the HDV cameras have been used for tripod shots and the HD1 for handheld, more casual shots. Of course, the HV10 and HC3 each cost about twice the HD1, and as wonderfully compact as they are, neither fits in your pocket.
The program Jet Audio [...] is the best Ive found for playing the MPEG-4 video directly from the HD1 SD card on a PC. Even the free version does a great job.
Two other general purpose digital imaging notes: Always make two copies of your image files on different media before erasing the original! And rent some Internet space from a web host somewhere across the country (or world) and copy your image files to a non-public area on your web server space. This costs as little as $6 / month for 150 GB or so somewhere in a secured, backed up facility. And you can still use the public part of the space to create a web site. If there is a tornado, hurricane, earthquake, fire, etc. your "irreplacable family photos" (including any old ones youve scanned or reshot on your digital camera and uploaded) will still be safe. I understand at this point there are folks offering this sort of a service directly, although typically at a higher cost.
Another review mentions the "drawback" of the video freezing briefly when a still is captured while shooting video. On the other hand, this camera in video mode is shooting 30 1MP stills each second! Take your pick and always get the right moment.
Did I mention that the HD1 is a genuine High Definition video camera / recorder that fits in your pocket so you can always have it with you? What an outrageous step forward! I hope you like yours and find it as useful as I do mine.
Aloha,
Steve
On: 2006-12-31
The HD1 is a wonderful, amazing camera. And it is small enough that you can always have it with you -- Ive carried mine for months in my front pants pocket in its protective case, and been able to capture family and work stills and video that would otherwise have been lost. Even if the quality were not up to par, I would have something instead of nothing. But the quality is great! Ill expand on the quality below.
This camera is genuinely high definition, more than three times the resolution of NTSC. This is best shown by comparing a DV image captured with firewire (no NTSC modulation artifacts) on a computer monitor, to the HD1 image transferred from its SD card. Notice that this comparison should favor the DV -- but instead, it makes the increased resolution of the HD1 clear.
HD televisons and monitors are already commonplace, and video captured at less than HD quality will not be as highly valued (like 8mm, good for historical content). Capturing now in HD preserves the value of your video. And this camera fits in your pocket! My bet is anyone who thinks the video from this camera is not significantly better than DV is looking at its output downconverted to letterboxed NTSC, probably on an old TV.
The HD1 records in 720p30 format for an hour on a 4GB sd card (about $70). There is no transport noise picked up by the on-board microphones, as there is no tape transport! Even lens and finger noises are attenuated by the intelligent placement of the microphones on the back of the fold-out screen, where unlike other cameras, they are pointed at the subject! It also has an external microphone jack, missing in other cameras.
Once the camera is turned on, folding the viewfinder puts it in standby mode with no apparent impact on battery life. This way, the camera is ready to go in a couple of seconds after the viewfinder is opened. Mine stays in standby, sometimes for days between uses. Battery life is very good (but keep a charged spare with you, just like you keep a second SD memory card).
The still shots from this camera are as good as or better than most dedicated still cameras. I would rate it just below the Sony DSC-T7. However, the HD1 has a 10x optical zoom, which reduces the need for cropping, thereby preserving resolution. Look at the stills and video from the HD1 on steves-[...] (different Steve), which is a blowaway excellent web site for comparing cameras.
The output of the HD1 is not as clean as the output from the Sony HC3 or the Canon HV10 HDV comcorders, both of which capture at a higher resolution. Ironically both use CMOS sensors which have historically been much noisier than CCDs like the HD1s. I suspect that this is due to better post capture processing, so Im eager to try something like Noise Ninja or NeatImage on the HD1 output. However, as is, it is easy to mix the video from all three using Vegas Video (and Im sure other editors), especially when the HDV cameras have been used for tripod shots and the HD1 for handheld, more casual shots. Of course, the HV10 and HC3 each cost about twice the HD1, and as wonderfully compact as they are, neither fits in your pocket.
The program Jet Audio [...] is the best Ive found for playing the MPEG-4 video directly from the HD1 SD card on a PC. Even the free version does a great job.
Two other general purpose digital imaging notes: Always make two copies of your image files on different media before erasing the original! And rent some Internet space from a web host somewhere across the country (or world) and copy your image files to a non-public area on your web server space. This costs as little as $6 / month for 150 GB or so somewhere in a secured, backed up facility. And you can still use the public part of the space to create a web site. If there is a tornado, hurricane, earthquake, fire, etc. your "irreplacable family photos" (including any old ones youve scanned or reshot on your digital camera and uploaded) will still be safe. I understand at this point there are folks offering this sort of a service directly, although typically at a higher cost.
Another review mentions the "drawback" of the video freezing briefly when a still is captured while shooting video. On the other hand, this camera in video mode is shooting 30 1MP stills each second! Take your pick and always get the right moment.
Did I mention that the HD1 is a genuine High Definition video camera / recorder that fits in your pocket so you can always have it with you? What an outrageous step forward! I hope you like yours and find it as useful as I do mine.
Aloha,
Steve
On: 2006-12-31
I bought this camera for its size. I can carry the camera on my belt and and case that came with the camera is perfect. Look it!
The video and still pictures are very good. The video in the dark was not up to speed but the flash does a good job for short distance.
The video editing software is not the best and and still trying to get my first DVD.
Overall the camera is great - good quality stills and Video!
On: 2006-12-22
Before I bought an Xacti HD1A, I bought a Mustek DV-12M because it was only about $150. The Mustek is very low quality, and I didnt have it a week before it began malfuctioning. What a joy to get Sanyos Xacti after that... the Xacti is very high quality in every aspect. The only problem is that the description I read didnt cover all the wonderful features!
On: 2006-12-17
After doing research for 2 days, I went ahead and decided to give the HD1A a shot. As far as picture and video quality go, I was rather pleased. Without a side-by-side comparison, it reminded me very much of my Nikon Coolpix 5700 in terms of low light. Actually, it was much easier to adjust than my camera, and I had very good visibility with it, even with the terrible lighting I have at home. Its very small and convenient, as others have said. All this I could live with.
What I cant live with and is a show-stopper for me, thus the return of the device Ive had for a few hours:
If you take a still picture while it is filming, the video will have a 2 second pause in it. Picture going to the movies to watch Lord of the Rings (as its on right now) and the picture stalls for two seconds randomly throughout. Thats what the video taken on this camcorder would look like if you took stills throughout. Since the reason why I want a hybrid is because theres no way Ill get my husband to either video or take pictures, I wanted to be able to do both simultaneously. I wonder why I have not seen this mentioned anywhere else?!??
If Im wrong and theres a way to get over the two seconds while the image is writing to memory, please correct me.
On: 2006-12-17
It is really not a worth a $600. Bad quality, slow motion.
On: 2006-12-09
I own the Sanyo-Fisher C1 which I have had for 2 years and I love dearly. The idea of getting a HD version thrilled me and I bought one for my self to self christmas gift this year. Humbug!
Video may be wider than the C1 on this model but if it is any better I couldnt see it. No one is going to believe this video is really HD unless they have never seen HD.
Pictures might have been good.. I didnt get that far before I though it back in the box to return it. It is a camcorder and it simply does video no better than the much smaller, sleeker and cheaper two year old model it is supposed to replace. Actually, I was very suprised just how much bigger and blockier this unit is than the early models.
I did notice it takes an 8 gig transmedia SD card just fine though. I was worried about that.
If you really need a pocketable camcorder and are willing to spend this kind of money then get the standard definition 6 megapixel Sanyo.. it would have stunning pictures at least. If you want to save money, find the C1 or one of the other early models on sale somewhere. They are smaller, sexier and just as good as far as anyone who isnt a pro is going to be able to tell. I got mine on Ebay for $200 two years ago.
Maybe if I was a pro and using this under ideal conditions.. I might have seen better results. But lets be real, this isnt a professionals camera. This is a camera for everyday use and it should be able to handle what an amature is likely to throw at it. It simply looks no better than the SD models under typical conditions.
On: 2006-12-02
I was looking for a nice camera to record videos and take pictures of my daughters. Im upgrading for a Panasonic D-Snap 1.2MPix, so anything above that would had been perfect for me. I was really impacted when I saw my first recorded video in my 30in LCD TV....absolutely HD in Widescreen. My wife was amazed to see the kids on the TV with that resolution.
At the beginning I was taking pictures inside home with low ligth. The pictures were not so good, but since this camera lets you play around with the shooter speed, the white balance, the focus and many other settings, I was able to take near perfect pictures under this and any other type of light.
Pictures in natural light are absolutely perfect as long as you know how to adjust the settings accordingly. Lets put it this way, if you expect to take perfect videos and pictures with the AUTO mode in everything, then this camera is not for you. Take an hour or so to learn how to adjust the settings and youll have a very very decent HD camera with an amazing 5MPix still camera, all in one.
Just keep in mind that youll have to buy a 2GB SD card at least to get 40 minutes of HD video...
On: 2006-11-22
I bought this thinking that wow I get HD quality and decent still pictures all in one compact size device. When I received it, I was happy with the size it is really very small and feels good also.
However, was terribly disappointed with the video quality especially in low light conditions. I knew that low light is not great based on other reviews but it was so bad that in side a decently lit room at night the quality was very grainy.
I give two starts because:
1. Still camera very very good. - you get 10x optical zoom which is great.
2. Video Recording during day light out doors was decent
3. Size and feel are great
Downsides:
1. Very poor quality when recording indoors
2. Very poor quality when recording in low light
On: 2006-11-13
This is the best HD camera for the price. Its the lightest HD camera of any kind. The quality is equivalent to professional SD cameras from 10 years ago if youre careful. You can get more resolution, more features, and more weight, for more money. It depends on how much you want to spend and how much excercise you want.
Now the bad news. You have to be careful to get the best quality from it. It has to be tripod mounted. You must keep ISO at 50 or 100. Keep the shutter speed below 1/100 or it produces very grainy images. Lower shutter speed seems to enable noise reduction.
It experiences blooming when shooting bright objects or the Sun. Dont bother using the still picture support. Get a digital SLR for still pictures.
The lens is cockeyed. You have to angle your tripod down to shoot level and you cant use the docking station for shooting. It wont stand up on its own without a tripod because its top heavy.
The tripod mount occupies the same space as the power connector. You have to remove it from the tripod to run it on AC and download movies off it.
The tripod mount is plastic. Sooner or later its going to strip. Be prepared to fabricate an alternate tripod mount for it and glue it on or try the restripping compound at OSH.
The biggest problem is theres no exposure lock function and no lightmeter function. The settings it says its using in auto exposure are not correct, and it only applies manual exposure settings during recording.
The only way to lock exposure is to try different settings in manual mode and record test clips.
For auto exposure, keep it in "measure multi". The spot modes dont work.
For focusing, keep it in 5 point auto focus. The spot focusing doesnt work and the screen is too small for manual focusing. Locking the focus tends to lock it just out of focus most of the time.
On: 2006-11-09
After using the new Sanyo VPC-HD1a, I found it to be an easy to use camera with phenomenal quality.
Its lightweight size makes it easy for anyone to use.
I couldnt wait to record some content and play it back on my HDTV. The quality far surpassed any camcorder I have ever used.
I was also surprised that it could shoot still images in a 16x9 mode as well.
I recommend this camcorder to everyone.
On: 2006-11-09
For the size and compactibility - you cant get any better. Takes great digital stills and good video. Looks great up on my plasma - better than my old dv camcorder. If I wanted something large to carry around, then I would go for the Sony HD camcorder with 5.1 sound; but I just want something you can place in your pocket and run out with. Great for travel and for taking to parties - places where you dont want to be carrying a lot of equipment.
On: 2006-11-08
I have owned the HD1a for about a week, and I have overall been very pleased! The small size and flexibility of a good camcorder and digital camera with flash in one makes me bring it with me more often. Recording in the S-HD mode, I get about 28 minutes of widescreen 720p on a 2GB SD card. The buttons and menus seem very logical-- I would recommend as a general use device. A few shortcomings: (1) image seems a little "grainy" in low light conditions--using all the Auto settings (2)USB cable adapter is very small-- I hope I dont lose it! (3) I have not figured a way to quickly toggle the date on/off the images with one button, just using menus. Also, when playing the HD files on my PC, they are jerky, but I guess my PC is too slow (Intel P4 3Ghz, 512MB)-- it still burns fine to a DVD (480p) with included software-- which is also easy to use.
On: 2006-11-08
For the size and compactibility - you cant get any better. Takes great digital stills and good video. Looks great up on my plasma - better than my old dv camcorder. If I wanted something large to carry around, then I would go for the Sony HD camcorder with 5.1 sound; but I just want something you can place in your pocket and run out with. Great for travel and for taking to parties - places where you dont want to be carrying a lot of equipment.
On: 2006-11-01
Yes, technically this is a HiDef camcorder. No, its video output is not on par with traditional HDV camcorders such as those from Sony, Canon, etc. But, it is important to understand that this is a hybrid device with a unique feature set and good performance with a cost point that is about half of what a low-end HDV camcorder would cost. The video quality (in HD mode) is superior to regular DV camcorders and the stills are better than my 5-year old Sony 4MP camera. If Im going to shoot critical production video or capture stills for color-separated print work, I going to use the proper tools. But, Im not going to haul pro gear to a high school soccer game or a family BBQ. I can throw this thing into my pocket, shoot for hours and have fun doing it. For me, the unique packaging, versatile operation and efficient battery life means I will shoot more memories. Sometimes, thats more important than the compression scheme or low-light performance. Highly recommended.
On: 2006-10-06
the image quality in a HDTV monitor is great, an additional battery is a good idea. With the joystick control is difficult to press without errors, anyway, easy to operate, light and very easy to pass from hdtv quality to tv quality; the price-quality relation is very good.
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