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  • Performance

  • Format

  • Auto / Manual Controls

  • Still Features

  • Handling and Use

  • Audio / Playback / Connectivity

  • Other Features

  • Conclusion & Comparisons

  • Photo Gallery

  • Performance
  • Format
  • Auto / Manual Controls
  • Still Features
  • Handling and Use
  • Audio / Playback / Connectivity
  • Other Features
  • Conclusion & Comparisons
  • Photo Gallery

Performance

Sanyo has eight different recording settings, but we focused only on the two 1920 x 1080 full HD settings in our testing. One recorded at 60i (60 fields per second), while the other captured at 30P (30 frames per second). Having alternate frame rates is a wonderful option for Sanyo to include. 30P offers a different aesthetic than 60i and it does wonders boosting performance in areas with lots of detail or in low light situations. The 30P rate may also be more compatible with certain editing software or computer programs. In comparison, the Canon HF100 (along with most of Canon's HD camcorders) features both a 24P and 30P mode, while the Panasonic HDC-SD100 and HS100 both have a 24P setting. The Sony HDR-TG1 does not have any 30P or 24P frame rate options.

The Sanyo HD1010 has received some buzz for its 300 frames per second video mode—capable of capturing extremely slow motion. While it can be a neat feature to show off to your friends, you must record in 448 x 336 (standard definition) resolution to utilize the slow frame rate. The resulting video sure is slow motion, but it's also a horrible, youtube-ish quality. The 300fps may fascinate some, but experienced videographers won't be impressed by the low video quality.

Sanyo VPC-HD1010 at 3000 lux in 60i

Sony HDR-TG1 at 3000 lux in auto mode

Panasonic HDC-SD100 at 3000 lux in auto mode

Beginning our video testing, we shot a DSC Labs Chroma DuMonde chart at an even 3000 lux (bright light). We then pulled frames from that footage and compared it to other camcorders that have come through our labs. In this testing, the VPC-HD1010 performed exceptionally well. We first shot the chart at 60i, with the camcorder capturing a decently sharp image. It had slightly less detail than the Sony HDR-TG1 as well as most of the larger HD camcorders on the market. Its colors looked great, however, as it produced tones that appeared to fall in between the over saturation of Canon and Pansonic and the softer colors produced by Sony.

Sanyo VPC-HD1010 at 3000 lux in 30P mode

Shooting at 30P, the VPC-HD1010 turned everything up a notch and blew the Sony HDR-TG1 out of the water. The Sanyo captured a startlingly sharp image that rivaled some of the best consumer HD camcorders (although still not quite a match for Canon or the Samsung SC-HMX20). Besides besting the Sony HDR-TG1 it also captured more detail than Sony's HDR-CX12 and HDR-SR12. The Sanyo even had a sharper image in 30P than the Panasonic HDC-HS100 or SD100.

Looking at the blowups above, it's hard to imagine the two Sanyo images came from the same camcorder. In bright light at 60i, the VPC-HD1010 has a blurry, artifacting image when you look closely, but in 30P everything is crystal clear. The question is, what will most users do the bulk of their shooting in? 30P mode doesn't have much of a different look than 60i (things appear to move a tiny bit slower), but the image quality is clearly superior at the slower frame rate. The thing is, even at 60i, the Sanyo VPC-HD1010 is a strong performer—second only to the HDR-TG1 in the ultra-compact camcorder class.

Sanyo VPC-HD1010 in auto mode, 60i

Sony HDR-TG1 in auto mode

Outside of our labs, in the real world, the Sanyo showed us some wonderful images, but nothing looked as good as we'd hoped from our lab results. This is probably due to the camcorders poor auto white balance, and bad auto exposure. The two images of the pipe above are both very sharp, with both capturing a good amount of detail. The VPC-HD1010 gave the wall attachment a greenish hue, which seems to darken the overall image and does not look very pleasing. The HDR-TG1 does a better job with colors, although the image is not as saturated or deep.

Sanyo VPC-HD1010 in auto mode, 60i

Canon HG20 in auto mode

Shooting side-by-side with the Canon HG20—one of the best HD camcorders on the market—the color problems with the VPC-HD1010 are more prominent. In the images above, look at the color of the blue sky behind the tree. The Sanyo produced an almost neon blue, while the Canon shows a cooler tone with more depth. Looking at the leaves you can see the Sanyo did a wonderful job capturing detail in this very complex image, even holding its own against one of the best camcorders in the business. The VPC-HD1010's problem really comes down to color reproduction and bad auto white balance.

Sanyo VPC-HD1010 in auto mode, 60i

Canon HG20 in auto mode

In these two images, again side-by-side with the Canon HG20, the Sanyo HD1010 shows off its bad auto exposure. The image from the Canon is much brighter and captures more detail as a result. The Sanyo's picture looks nice, but the entire image is lacking simply because it's a bit darker. These images help establish the fact that the VPC-HD1010 doesn't have the best automatic controls. It's a device that is meant to be manually adjusted and perfected by people who enjoy spending their time playing with settings and controls. That being said, the camcorder still put up a tremendous fight against a variety of different HD models. It's capable of performing on a higher level than the Sony HDR-TG1, but you'll have to fiddle with settings to make that happen.

Video Resolution* (15.81)*

We test video resolution by shooting a DSC Labs resolution chart under a bright, even light. We then watch the footage on an HD monitor to determine the resolution, which is measured in line widths. The VPC-HD1010 produced a horizontal resolution of approximately 550 line widths and a vertical resolution of approximately 575 line widths.

These scores are close, albeit slightly lower, to the video resolution measurements we made for the Sony HDR-TG1. They are also lower than the scores you'll see on elite HD camcorders (like the Canon HF100 and Samsung SC-HMX20).

Low Light Performance* (7.09)
*We test low light performance in three separate stages: comparative analysis, accuracy/noise/saturation testing, and light sensitivity measurement. For the first test, comparative analysis, we shoot a DSC Labs Chroma DuMonde chart at 60 lux and 15 lux, then compare the results with other camcorders we've tested as well. Because the Sanyo HD1010 automatically drops its shutter speed to 1/30 of a second in darkly lit scenes, we did all our low light testing with the shutter speed locked at 1/60 of a second (the normal minimum for a camcorder)—otherwise, we'd be giving the Sanyo an unfair advantage.

Sanyo VPC-HD1010 at 60 lux, 1/60 shutter speed, in 60i

Sony HDR-TG1 at 60 lux in auto mode

 

Panasonic HDC-SD100 at 60 lux in auto mode

Recording at 60i, the Sanyo VPC-HD1010 captured a bright image at 60 lux (which is moderately low light). This isn't a surprise, considering the camcorder has a large 1/2.5-inch CMOS sensor. Compared to the Sony HDR-TG1, the two camcorders had a very similar image—Sanyo's being slightly brighter, but Sony's having more detail.

Sanyo VPC-HD1010 at 60 lux, 1/60 shutter speed, in 30P

At 60 lux, the HD1010's 30P mode was again a game changer. Shooting in 30P the Sanyo not only had a brighter image than the HDR-TG1, but it was sharper as well. Colors were more saturated and didn't appear to blend together as they did on the TG1. The HD1010's bright, crips image in 30P came close to rivaling Canon or the Samsung SC-HMX20 at 60 lux. Sanyo easily had a better image at 60 lux than Panasonic.

Sanyo VPC-HD1010 at 15 lux, 1/60 shutter in 60i

Sanyo VPC-HD1010 at 15 lux, 1/60 shutter in 30P

Sony HDR-TG1 at 15 lux auto mode

Panasonic HDC-SD100 at 15 lux auto mode

Bringing the lights down to 15 lux (which is very low light), Sanyo's large sensor began to come into play. Even recording at 60i, the HD1010 had an extremely bright image at 15 lux compared to the competition. The Sony HDR-TG1 has a blurred, fuzzy image, while the Sanyo has colors that are nearly as strong as results achieved by Canon. In 30P Sanyo's image is even brighter than Canon, although colors were not as deep and the image was not as sharp.

This brings us to our second stage of testing—our accuracy, noise, and saturation analysis. For this test, we shoot an X-Rite Color Checker chart at an even 60 lux. We then take frames from this footage and run it through Imatest imaging software for evaluation. According to Imatest, the Sanyo HD1010 produced a color error of 7.98 when recording at 60i and 7.31 in 30P. These are terrific scores, besting the Sony HDR-TG1 by approximately 7 points (the TG1 produced a color error of 14.7). The large CMOS sensor inside the Sanyo definitely helped produce strong, accurate colors.

The HD1010 measured a noise percentage of 1.115% at 60i and 1.28% in 30P. These aren't tremendously low scores, but they still are both significantly better than the HDR-TG1, which had a noise percentage of 1.5675%. Our final Imatest results showed the Sanyo had saturation levels of 93.12% at 60i and 90.58% in 30P.

Our final stage of low light testing measures sensitivity. We hooked the VPC-HD1010 up to a waveform monitor, which is a device that determines exposure (expressed in IRE, the standard in broadcasting). We slowly lowered the lights until the camcorder peaked at 50 IRE on the waveform monitor. The Sanyo HD1010 needed 13 lux of light to reach 50 IRE at 60i, which is identical to the amount of light needed for the Sony HDR-TG1 to reach the same level. In 30P, the HD1010 needed only 10 lux of light to peak at 50 IRE. Since the Sanyo is loaded with such a large CMOS sensor, we expected it to have a better light sensitivity than this. While these are still very respectable results, it doesn't come close to the abilities of the Samsung SC-HMX20 (which needed only 5 lux of light to produce 50 IRE on the waveform monitor).

Overall, the low light ability of the Sanyo VPC-HD1010 was impressive. It's large sensor, combined with the 30P frame rate option, created an exceedingly sharp, bright image even under very low light. It's a mystery as to why Sanyo would set the automatic minimum shutter speed at 1/30 of a second on this camcorder—it already has an incredibly solid low light performance and it doesn't need any boost from a slow shutter. Combined with options for adjusting ISO and high sensitivity settings, the VPC-HD1010 is one of the best little low light performers out there.

Stabilization* (0.31)
*The VPC-HD1010 uses an electronic image stabilization system (EIS), which reduces unwanted motion using a digital process and can sometimes result in a loss of image quality. Most elite camcorders have optical image stabilization (OIS), a feature that typically uses gyroscopic sensors inside the lens to produce a smooth image with no quality degradation.

Sanyo missed the boat with image stabilization on the HD1010. We tested the camcorder using a specialized device in our lab. Our device produces shake at two speeds: speed one is roughly equivalent to the motion of a wobbly hand, while speed two is closer to the agitation of a moving car. At speed one the VPC-HD1010 did absolutely nothing to improve the smoothness of the image, and at speed two the feature reduced an abysmal 16.7% of the shake.

These are horrendous results, making us wonder if Sanyo's stabilization feature is anything more than an advertising sham. The instruction manual offers the following explanation: 'Due to the mechanical characteristics of this function, it may not be possible for the camera to compensate for violent motion.' It's unclear what Sanyo means by 'violent motion,' but our tests suggest it appears to be any motion whatsoever.

In comparison, the Sony HDR-TG1 (equipped with OIS) reduced 68% shake at speed one and 75% at speed two. A respectable performance for a small, lightweight camcorder.

The VPC-HD1010 also has a photo stabilization feature, but the setting does not function while recording video.

Wide Angle* (8.40)
*The wide angle capabilities of the Sanyo VPC-HD1010 measured at 42 degrees. This is a a good deal narrower than most camcorders we test. In comparison the Sony HDR-TG1 had a wide angle measurement of 47 degrees.

Sanyo does sell two attachable lens converters that offer wider angles: the VCP-L07WU 0.7x wide angle lens converter and the VCP-L04FU 0.4x semi-fisheye lens converter. An attachable 1.6x telephoto lens converter, the VCP-L16TU, is also available from Sanyo.

Format

Compression* (4.00)*

The Sanyo VPC-HD1010 records video in high definition and standard definition, as well as high speed and low-quality web sizes:

*HD Mode
*- (Full-HD) 1920 x 1080, 60fps

  • (Full-SHQ) 1920 x 1080, 30fps

  • (HD-HR) 1280 x 720, 60fps

  • (HD-SQH) 1280 x 720, 30fps

*SD Mode
*- (TV-HR) 640 x 480, 60fps

  • (TV-SHQ) 640 x 480, 30fps

  • (Web-SHR) 448 x 336, 300fps

  • (Web-SHQ) 320 x 240, 30fps

Sanyo clearly does not skimp on the options here. The list of possibilities is daunting for beginners wondering what mode is best for them. In short, we recommend always shooting in the best quality – you can always reduce the quality later with editing software, but you can never increase quality.

Regardless of the size, the video clips are encoded in the MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format. These files are easily imported to a computer using USB, and can be played back with QuickTime or several other media players (some may require additional plug-ins).

The Sanyo HD1010 records to SD/SDHC cards.

Media* (6.00)*

All video and stills are recorded to removable SD or SDHC memory cards, widely available at camera shops, drug stores, and online. Below is a chart that gives a sample of recording times in different qualities.

 

The memory cards load from the back of the Sanyo HD1010, behind a plastic door.

Editing* (5.00)
*The Sanyo VPC-HD1010 has an unusual in-camera editing system, which allows you to cut or join video clips without transferring them to a computer. The option is accessed through the second tab of the playback menu. Unfortunately, the system is so difficult to use (considering all the edits are made with a joystick) that performing anything more than the simplest of edits would be a ridiculous adventure.

Besides the dreadful in-camera editing feature, the Sanyo HD1010 ships with the Sanyo Software Pack 9.3, which includes Nero 8 Essentials, Xacti Screen Capture 1.1, and an Instruction Manual.

Everything about editing process with this camcorder is complicated. As soon as you connect to a computer, the HD1010 prompts you with two questions: is this a computer or a printer? The camcorder should be able to determine this on its own. When you select 'computer,' there are four more options:  Card Reader, MTP, Screen Capture, and PC Camera. Why all these choices, and what on earth do they mean?! It's a terrible interface, and our recent reviews of the Pure Digital Flip Mino and its kin have sparked a new frustration with how complicated camcorders can be.

The Nero SmartStart interface is no great shakes either. The screen is cluttered with options. Why would we need 'News' from Nero – an RSS aggregator from my video editing software?! WHY?

When we boot this software, we should see one thing—how to import our video and edit a movie. Instead, you have all these tabs full of options.

To put a movie together, choose the third tab. The interface here is a little more familiar for those who have edited before, but it's not particularly well done. When you attempt to access clips, the software tells you that clips must first be copied from the camcorder to the computer to create a local file. If that's the case, why didn't the software prompt you to import clips before you started?

Our recommendation is to find a better editing software and use that instead.

Auto / Manual Controls

Picture & Manual Control
* Automatic Control (5.00)

*Even though the Sanyo VPC-HD1010 is packed to the brim with manual controls, it's really the automatic features you'll probably end up using most of the time. In 'simple menu' mode, the camcorder functions in a mostly automatic setting—only allowing control over zoom, movie/picture size, focus method (telephoto or standard range), and flash control. Most beginners will likely stay in this realm until they're comfortable with exploring more options. 'Normal menu' mode provides automatic controls as well, but the design and layout of the menu is definitely geared towards users who want to make manual adjustments.

Shooting indoors, we noticed the camcorder dropping to visibly slow shutter speeds whenever areas of low light were filmed. Sanyo set the minimum shutter speed at 1/30 of a second on the VPC-HD1010, while most standard camcorders won't drop below 1/60 of a second unless a special night mode is engaged. This slower speed definitely boosts image quality when there isn't much light, but any objects in motion will appear with a significant blur and slow motion (as will any movement the camcorder makes). The problem with this slow shutter is there is no way to turn it off unless you go into the camcorder's manual exposure controls. Also, it's not that the shutter drops to 1/30 only when you shoot a pitch black room—it drops all the time. Filming in any moderately lit indoor area and you'll see the shutter speed go down immediately. People who dislike the look of a slow shutter will have a difficult time getting accustomed to the auto controls of the HD1010.

Besides the slow shutter, the auto exposure also doesn't provide the smoothest transitions between dark and light. It works quickly, usually exposing the frame in under a second, but gradual transitions looked uneven and choppy. Panning the camera from the sky down to the horizon line didn't have the smooth exposure shifts we saw with the Sony HDR-TG1. There are three different exposure measuring settings on the VPC-HD1010: multi, center, and spot. Multi-section light measuring adjusts exposure by sampling numerous areas of the entire frame and center-weighted light measuring sets the exposure after sampling the levels at the center of the image. Spot light measuring isn't really any different than center, except a little box appears in the middle of the frame, showing you what area of the image the camcorder is grabbing exposure information. For the most part, automatic users should probably stick to the multi-section, as it is the easiest to use and generally provides the best results.

The VPC-HD1010 is an underachiever when it comes to auto white balance performance. Outdoors, colors appeared dark and over saturated (often with a cool tone), and indoors white images had an orange-yellow tint under incandescent light. To compensate for this, Sanyo does offer a good range of white balance presets, as well as a simple manual setting in the Recording Menu.

There are a bunch of autofocus options on the VPC-HD1010 and it's difficult to choose which ones actually work the best and are the simplest to use. Sanyo even offers three different autofocus ranges (total range, standard, and super macro) and two autofocus modes (9-pt auto and spot focus), with both being adjustable in the Recording Menu. Total range offers a wide end of focus from 10cm (3.94 in.) to infinity and a tele end of 1m (3.28 ft.) to infinity. Standard can focus from 80cm (31.50 in.) to infinity, and super macro goes from 1cm (0.39 in.) to 1m (3.28 ft.). Spot focus works much like the spot light measuring exposure setting—a little cross hair appears in the center of the screen and whatever it points to in the frame will pop into focus. 9-pt autofocus is much like the multi-section light measuring setting, as it determines focus by analyzing nine different spots in the frame.

We generally found 9-pt autofocus to work quickly in both standard, total range and super macro mode. The spot focus mode wasn't as useful as the feature with the same name on the Sony HDR-TG1 (which allows you to actually touch the part of the screen you want focused, rather than simply focus at the center of the frame like the HD1010).

The VPC-HD1010 produced a strange, crackling noise when any of the autofocus features were engaged. It wasn't always audible (unless you held the camcorder up to your ear), but occasionally the noise was loud enough to get picked up by Sanyo's internal microphone. While the noise was generally faint, it was a disconcerting sound, and it often appeared louder in low light situations (or when the aperture was closed manually). The noise is not present when using manual focus.

The scene selection menu

Sanyo has eight automatic scene selection options—full auto, sports, portrait, landscape, night portrait, snow & beach, fireworks, and lamp (which drops the shutter to 1/15 of a second). This is comparable to the eleven settings on the Sony HDR-TG1.

*

Overall Manual Control (7.50)
*Sanyo squeezed a ton of manual controls onto the VPC-HD1010, but there were clearly many consequences—nothing is easy to control or manipulate. Some features are so darn difficult to adjust that it almost makes them not worth having. We truly wonder what the world would be like if only Sanyo would manufacture a camcorder with a lens ring or adjustment dial—or at least a better joystick!
*
*It's almost as if Sanyo tried hard to leave nothing out of the VPC-HD1010—it has nearly every manual control you could ask for. Independent shutter speed and aperture adjustment, ISO control (gain), exposure compensation, manual white balance, 9 photo quality settings, 8 video qualities, high sensitivity options, noise reduction, external microphone volume control, flicker reduction, menu shortcuts, image settings, and filters. This is more options than we normally see in the traditional, larger HD camcorders and it comes close to matching some prosumer models or SLR cameras. The big problem with the Sanyo HD1010 is how these controls are implemented and organized—poorly.

For starters, nothing can be adjusted while recording is taking place—not even manual focus! This means all your adjustments must be made prior to pressing the record button. Also, when controls are being changed, everything is manipulated using the terrible joystick on the back of the camcorder (settings can be adjusted with the provided remote control, but it's inconvenient unless the camcorder is on a tripod). If Sanyo had implemented a better, smoother system for making manual adjustments, the VPC-HD1010 would be the heart's desire of a many manual control aficionado.

Those familiar with using SLR cameras will notice the manual controls on the Sanyo VPC-HD1010 are organized in a similar fashion. There are four exposure settings in the Recording Menu: program, shutter, aperture, and manual. Program, represented by a capital 'P,' is essentially an automatic mode, but the aperture and shutter speed that the camcorder chooses are displayed in the lower left corner of the LCD. A capitalized 'S' is for shutter-priority mode, which allows you to choose the shutter speed and the camcorder will automatically assign a corresponding aperture setting. Aperture-priority (don't confuse its large 'A' icon as an automatic mode) is just like shutter-priority, but allows you to manually select an aperture setting, with the camcorder automatically choosing a shutter speed. Manual mode (displayed with an 'M') lets you choose both aperture and shutter independently from one another.

*Zoom (6.50)
*Zoom on the Sanyo VPC-HD1010 is adjusted by the zoom toggle at the back of the camcorder. While zooming, a display at the bottom of the LCD screen shows both a visual scroll bar and numbers telling you what level you have zoomed. The numbers give very detailed information as they have decimals displaying every tenth (0.1) of an increment of zoom. This makes it very easy to replicate shots with identical magnification.

The zoom display provides good details

Zoom Power Ratio (10.00)

The camcorder has a 10x optical zoom, which is identical to the Sony HDR-TG1. A 100x digital zoom can be turned on in the Recording Menu, but it strangely will not work in video mode unless the photo quality is set below 8M. We don't recommend using the digital zoom anyway, but it's still odd that the setting has this requirement.

Focus (7.00)

The Sanyo HD1010 has a manual focus that ranges from 1cm to infinity. It is easy to use, with the adjustments being made with the joystick, but it by no means offers the ability to finely tune the crispness of your image. A joystick will never be as accurate as a lens ring or dial, but it's a step above the touchscreen featured on the Sony HDR-TG1. Also, as with zoom, Sanyo puts a display at the bottom of the LCD showing a focus bar and giving focus distances in centimeters and meters.

*Exposure & Aperture (8.60)
*Exposure can be adjusted on the VPC-HD1010, but it is ridiculously hidden from the camcorder's menu. Sure, you can adjust aperture, shutter speed, and ISO in the Recording Menu, but simple exposure compensation is nowhere to be found. To adjust the setting you must first learn about the camcorder's 'shortcuts' feature (found in the Option Menu). 'Shortcuts' allows you to assign different functions to each direction the joystick can push (up, down, left, right), making for easy access to functions you like to use. The weird thing is, some of the functions you can assign as shortcuts aren't available anywhere else. Exposure compensation is one of these options (as are LCD Display on/off, Autofocus Lock, and Auto Exposure Lock). It's ridiculous that Sanyo would hide functions like this, especially since it effectively eliminates the usefulness of having a 'shortcuts' feature—if you want access to these four options, then you must use up the four available shortcut spaces just to obtain them.

After selecting exposure compensation as a shortcut, you can then adjust it using the joystick. First you need to push the joystick in the shortcut direction you selected for exposure compensation, then you must nudge the joystick back and forth to manipulate exposure. This design is terrible, as it's easy to accidentally nudge the joystick in the wrong direction while you're trying to adjust exposure, which then sends the camcorder into another of your shortcuts. It can be an absolutely maddening ordeal. There are 13 exposure levels, and, as with everything other manual control on the camcorder, there is a bar display and number display at the bottom of the LCD. Using exposure compensation can also put shutter speeds to as low as 1/30 of a second, unless you first manually set the shutter speed to something higher.

Aperture is much easier to find, as it can be controlled in aperture-priority mode or manual mode (both located under the exposure tab in the Recording Menu). The VPC-HD1010 has 10 aperture settings: f/1.8, f/2, f/2.4, f/2.8, f/3.5, f/4, f/4.7, f/5.6, f/6.8, and f/8. All adjustments are made with the joystick.

In comparison, the Sony HDR-TG1 doesn't offer any control over aperture, but it does have 32 exposure increments. Neither of these controls, nor any of the manual features on the Sanyo HD1010, can be adjusted while video recording is taking place—something that alienated us about the Nikon D90's video mode.

Shutter Speed (7.05)

Shutter speed is can be adjusted in shutter-priority or manual mode and it is controlled with the joystick, just like aperture (the numbers appear in the lower left corner of the LCD). There are 14 shutter speed options on the VPC-HD1010: 4s, 2s, 1s, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/100, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000. However, even though you have the ability to set the shutter to all these speeds, only  1/30 – 1/1000 will actually function with video (the rest work with still photographs). Why does Sanyo allow you to choose these settings when they don't actually function? The display makes you think you've selected a certain shutter speed, when in reality the lowest available speed is 1/30 of a second (or 1/15 of a second if the 'lamp' scene selection is engaged). Again, this is eerily reminiscent of the issues we had with the video functions on the Nikon D90, although that camera had the excuse of first generation syndrome.

The Sony HDR-TG1 doesn't have any manual shutter speed control, but it has two slow shutter options for recording in low light situations.

White Balance (6.00)

There are four white balance presets on the Sanyo HD1010: sunny, cloudy, fluorescent, and incandescent. This is slightly better than the two (outdoor and indoor) offered by Sony on the HDR-TG1, but it's significantly less than the seven presets Canon has on its camcorders.

Sanyo uses a one push manual white balance system, a feature that is identical to the one found on Sony camcorders (including the HDR-TG1). Simply point the camcorder at a black and white image, then press the one push button to perform a manual white balance. It's easy to do and the results are excellent (if you want accurate colors we recommend using manual white balance on the HD1010—its auto performance wasn't up to snuff).

Gain (4.00)

The VPC-HD1010 has gain control, but it's listed as ISO sensitivity instead (which is what gain is referred to in the still camera world). There are ISO settings of 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, and 3200. Even though 3200 can be selected, the ISO maxes out at 1600 for video. Sanyo is one of the few manufacturers to offer ISO/gain control—Panasonic also offers the feature.

ISO sensitivity options on the HD1010

Other Manual Controls (4.00)
High Sensitivity - High sensitivity drastically slows shutter speed and increases ISO to boost low light performance. It cannot be selected if any of the manual exposure modes are engaged. Any motion within the frame will appear blurred and choppy, just as it would if the shutter speed were lowered to 1/30 of a second manually.

Shortcuts - The 'shortcuts' feature allows you to assign different functions to the joystick for easy access. Strangely, some functions are only available as shortcuts and can be found nowhere else in the camcorder's menu system (exposure compensation, AE Lock, AF Lock, and LCD display on/off). There's also a 'recommend settings' button, which simply assigns AF Lock, focus, flash, and exposure compensation as the shortcuts. While having shortcuts is a good idea, using the joystick to do everything is a mess.

The poorly implemented 'shortcuts' feature

AE Lock/AF Lock - Selecting auto exposure lock or autofocus lock will maintain the current exposure or focus even if lighting conditions change or objects move within the frame. The features effectively 'lock' the camcorder to whatever exposure levels or focus lengths are set at when the buttons are pressed. These two features are also only available as shortcuts.

Noise Reduction - For some reason Sanyo bundles photo noise reduction with wind sound noise reduction. What makes this strange is both reduce two very different types of noise—photo noise reduction attempts to lower the amount of visual noise in still photographs, while the wind sound reduction feature is good for limiting audio noise caused by loud wind. Both are found under the noise reduction tab in the Option Menu.

Image Settings - Sanyo offers three different image settings for altering image quality—vivid, soft, and soft & vivid. Vivid  boosts color saturation, soft lowers sharpness levels, and soft & vivid combines the two. It's not nearly as impressive as Canon's image effects, which offers customizable control, but it's still a useful feature to have.

Sanyo VPC-HD1010 3000 lux 60i normal mode

Sanyo VPC-HD1010 3000 lux 60i vivid

Sanyo VPC-HD1010 3000 lux 60i soft

Sanyo VPC-HD1010 3000 lux 60i soft & vivid

*Flicker Reduct - *Reduces pulsing from fluorescent lights or other lights that are interfering with camcorder's power supply. With this feature the shutter is automatically set to 1/100 of a second and exposure cannot be adjusted.

Filters - There are three filters on the Sanyo VPC-HD1010, but they do nothing more than change the color schemes of the image. Cosmetic enhances skin tones, monochrome is black & white, and sepia gives the image a sepia-tone.

Still Features

Still Features* (11.50)

*Sanyo is seriously pushing the VPC-HD1010 as a hybrid photo/video device. The camcorder has nearly as many features as you'd find on a digital SLR—including aperture, shutter speed, and ISO control—and it offers eight different quality settings for still photographs:

(8M) 3264 x 2448

(4M-H) 2288 x 1712

(4M-S) 2288 x 1712

(3.5M) 2496 x 1408 (16:9)

(2M) 1920 x 1080 (16:9)

(2M) 1600 x 1200

(0.9M) 1280 x 720

(0.3M) 640 x 480

The VPC-HD1010 also has a photo sequence mode that is capable of taking up to seven sequential photographs in one second at a resolution of 2288 x 1712 (4M). This is another fun feature found on many dedicated still cameras, but fairly unique to the world of HD camcorders.

There is no dedicated still mode on the VPC-HD1010, photos can simply be taken at any time just by pressing the shutter button. On the back of the camcorder, at the top, there is a Photo View button that switches the camcorder's display to whatever photo resolution setting is currently selected (most likely a 4:3 aspect ratio unless you're taking photographs at lower qualities). Also, grid lines appear in Photo View mode, to help you frame your shot.

There is no separate photo menu or mode on the VPC-HD1010. The camcorder instead mixes settings for photographs into the same Recording Menu that houses all the video functions. A small icon (a camera and a camcorder) in the upper right of the LCD lets you know whether the setting you're adjusting works with video, stills, or both. There are only a few features that work solely with still images—Photo Wide-D, the flash, and Photo Stabilizer. Photo Wide-D attempts to evenly adjust brightness levels in areas with strong back-light or high contrast. The VPC-HD1010's flash opens when you press the release button near the top of the camcorder, just behind the lens. Flash options can then be controlled in the Recording Menu.

We were unable to test Sanyo's Photo Stabilizer feature in our labs, but we did test the camcorder's Movie Stabilizer feature (which uses the same electronic image stabilization system) and the results were dreadful.

In playback mode there are a few options for editing still photos: contrast correction, resize, and rotate. Sanyo also has a self-timer option that can be set for 2 or 10 seconds. Unfortunately, it's such a hassle to get the camcorder to stand on its own, you'll likely need a tripod to take advantage of the self-timer feature.

**

Still Performance*** (8.97)*

We tested the still performance of the Sanyo VPC-HD1010 by photographing an X-Rite Color Checker chart under an even, bright light (3000 lux). We shot the chart at a variety of different exposure settings and then ran the stills through Imatest imaging software for evaluation. In our tests, the Sanyo proved to be a decent still camera. It produced a color error of 6.69, which is a bit worse than the excellent 5.01 scored by the Sony HDR-TG1 (Sony usually scores well with color accuracy). Regardless, 6.69 is a solid score, putting the Sanyo ahead of many larger, more expensive HD camcorders.

The noise measured on the VPC-HD1010's still image testing came to 1.175%. This isn't anything all that impressive, but it's right in the middle of the pack when it comes to consumer camcorders. This score does best the HDR-TG1, which averaged 1.32% noise. Finally, the Sanyo HD1010 produced a color saturation of 91.75%.

As we always say, no camcorder is good enough to replace any decent dedicated still camera. The Sanyo VPC-HD1010 does produce suitable still images, however, and its performance was right up there with the Sony HDR-TG1 in this category. The ability to adjust shutter speed, aperture, and ISO on the HD1010 should appeal to many users who are comfortable with those settings—particularly people accustomed to snapping photos with an SLR camera. It is an excellent hybrid device for manual control enthusiasts.

Still Resolution* (20.20)*

We again used Imatest imaging software to determine the still resolution of the VPC-HD1010. We first shot an ISO 12233 resolution chart under the same bright, even light (in a variety of different exposure settings). The Sanyo's best result was a 1231 line widths per picture height (lw/ph) horizontal resolution with a 0.7% oversharpening. The vertical resolution measured at 1354 lw/ph with 11.2% oversharpening.

Comparing these numbers to the Sony HDR-TG1 is difficult because the TG1 offers a maximum still resolution setting of 2304 x 1782 (approximately 4 Megapixels), whereas the Sanyo HD1010 goes all the way up to 3264 x 2448 (approximately 8 Megapixels). In our tests the HD1010 dwarfs the HDR-TG1 in still resolution, but that's mostly due to the Sanyo's huge advantage in maximum photo resolution.

Handling and Use

Ease of Use* (4.00)
*The Sanyo VPC-HD1010 is a difficult camcorder to use—it has lots of settings, a strange design, and a confusing menu system. Sanyo tries to help out beginners by offering a 'simple menu' setting, which is engaged by flipping the switch on the left side of the LCD. The problem is, once you exit 'simple menu' mode the HD1010 becomes increasingly difficult to deal with and control.

In 'simple menu', the entire menu of the VPC-HD1010 is whittled down to three settings: movie/photo size, focus mode, and flash mode. Pressing the menu button allows you to make adjustments to these three settings (and nothing more). Also, a large information screen pops up when each setting is selected to help you select your desired option. The 'simple menu' even works in playback mode, offering three options as well: start slideshow, adjust playback volume, and delete file. 'simple menu' also allows you to manipulate the zoom. With one flip of a switch, the VPC-HD1010 goes from being the most complex ultra-compact camcorder on the market, to one of the simplest.

In 'normal menu' mode, the VPC-HD1010 is one complex piece of technology. More modes, settings, and options are stuffed into this little device than most camcorders 2-3 times its size. For beginners, or anyone who dislikes manual controls, it would be wise to stay in 'simple menu' mode if at all possible.

Another issue worth noting is the complex instruction manual that comes with the Sanyo VPC-HD1010. The manual has a lot of information inside it, and anyone who wishes to fully understand the ins and outs of the HD1010 will definitely need to do some reading. Despite its breadth, the instruction manual does not have an index, which is a nonsensical move by Sanyo. The camcorder has so many complicated options and idiosyncrasies that a well organized and in-depth instruction manual is a complete necessity.

Holding the VPC-HD1010, without an attached lens cap

Handling* (3.00)
*The VPC-HD1010 doesn't feel like a solid, well-built device. It's plastic body is cheap, scratches easily, and gets very warm after long periods of filming. The upright design could appeal to people looking for a unique camcorder, but it's ultimately not the most comfortable way to wield a camcorder. Worst of all, the Sanyo has very confusing controls and the joystick is one of the worst navigation interfaces we've ever dealt with—this is especially disconcerting when you take into consideration how many controls there are to manipulate on the VPC-HD1010.

As with the Sony HDR-TG1, the Sanyo VPC-HD1010 has no hand strap and is designed as an upright, pistol-grip camcorder. Because the top of the camcorder (the lens barrel) is so heavy, the base of the camcorder (where you grip the device) feels too light, too short, and too thin. There really isn't enough to hold onto and thumbs don't fall naturally at the controls, making certain buttons—like the joystick—far too out of the way for easy access.

Any camcorder without a hand strap is more prone to drops and slips, and the VPC-HD1010 is no exception. Its angled base and protruding lens are easier to wrap your hands around than the straight, rectangular Sony HDR-TG1, but the camcorder isn't all that comfortable. Holding the VPC-HD1010 felt awkward and unbalanced, and button placement was clearly off the mark.

The VPC-HD1010 comes with a wrist strap and soft carrying case, but both are essentially useless. The wrist strap doesn't offer any comfortable method for carrying the camcorder and the soft case does nothing to protect from drops or falls. The case also has no neck or shoulder strap, but instead hosts a flimsy drawstring with a plastic tightener. It would be a surprise if either the case or wrist strap were used by many to transport their VPC-HD1010.

On a windy day, the attachable lens cover will quickly become a nuisance on the VPC-HD1010. It can get in the way of a shot or make noise hitting the side of the camcorder. A built-in lens cover, like the one on the Sony HDR-TG1, would have done wonders protecting the VPC-HD1010's large lens (and would have added to the camcorder's portability).

The dangling lens cap can be annoying

The body of the VPC-HD1010 feels cheap, especially all the port covers. The SD/SDHC card slot has no springs or flexible hinges, making it capable of snapping off at any moment. The DC input and mic/headphone ports both attach to the camcorder via plastic straps. These offer more flexibility than the SD/SDHC card door, but they still feel uncomfortably weak. The battery cover is not well designed, utilizing a primitive hinge-lock and a fragile, plastic construction. The camcorder also gets very warm after extended use. During our battery test, the handle of the camcorder became uncomfortably hot after thirty minutes of straight recording—making the camcorder, literally, too hot to handle.

The Sanyo VPC-HD1010 has difficulty standing on its own with the LCD open, but it is capable of accomplishing the feat. Still, the camcorder is very wobbly when resting upright on its own, making things difficult if you want to get a shot of yourself with the entire family. The inefficient image stabilization system on the VPC-HD1010 could also be an issue if you're used to camcorders correcting for shake and wobble. In our testing, Sanyo's movie stabilizer did nothing to reduce the shake produced by our specialized device.

Overall, the VPC-HD1010 doesn't feel like a well-built device. Its plastic body feels cheap, its ports are flimsy, the surface is prone to scratches and fingerprints, and its button placement is just no good. In comparison, the VPC-HD1010 doesn't have the heavy-duty feel, and solid construction of the Sony HDR-TG1.

Just like the Sony HDR-TG1, the Sanyo VPC-HD1010 falls over easily

Menu* (2.75)
*Sanyo didn't think out the menu system on the VPC-HD1010 all that well. There are a multitude of options, which is a good thing, but it's their organization that is often ridiculous. Having no separate menu for still images, hiding important features, and relying on the terrible navigation joystick to an excessive degree are all major problems that bog down the HD1010's menu system and make it exhausting to use.

Of course, there is always the option of using the camcorder in 'simple menu' mode, which is essentially Sanyo's version of Sony's 'easy' mode. In 'simple menu' mode, there are only three menu options for recording—movie/photo size, focus mode, and flash mode. There's another three options for playback—start slideshow, adjust playback volume, and delete file. One of the simplest menu setups you'll ever see.

A quick switch over to 'normal menu' mode, and an entirely new world of menu options sprawl out before you. Pressing the menu button brings up six tabs—three are headlined with Recording Menu and three are Option Menus. When in playback mode, the camcorder has a two-tabbed Playback menu, as well as the same Option menu you find in record mode. All menu navigation is done using the joystick on the back of the camcorder, which is barely preferable to the touchscreen on the Sony HDR-TG1. The joystick is inaccurate, too sensitive, and difficult to manipulate. Despite looking nearly identical to the ones used by Canon (on the HF11, HG20, etc.), the joystick on the VPC-HD1010 is far inferior.

The Recording and Option menus on the VPC-HD1010

The Recording Menu contains the following options:

The Option Menu contains the following options:

The VPC-HD1010 has a 'shortcut' feature located on the second tab of the Option Menu. The 'shortcut' feature allows you to assign different settings to the joystick for quick access. Each direction the joystick can push (up, down, left, right) can be allocated with a different setting. Now, you don't get to choose from every option the camcorder has, but Sanyo offers a good amount.

Available 'shortcut' options:

-AF Lock

-AE Lock

-Focus

-Flash

-Exp Compensation

-ISO

-Self-Timer

-Manual Exposure

-Disp on/off

What's strange about this list of options is that four of them—AF Lock, AE Lock, Exposure Compensation, and Disp on/off—aren't found anywhere else on the camcorder. That's right, they're only available as shortcuts, and can't be found in the camcorder's regular menu. Maybe Sanyo thought these settings were so insignificant they didn't need to be listed in the menu. The problem of having them only as shortcuts is they can be easily overlooked, and you need to use up all four of your shortcut options if you want these features available to you (thereby making the 'shortcut' feature useless). It's a mystery why Sanyo would hide features like this, especially ones as as important as these.

The 'shortcuts' feature is not easy to use

There is no dedicated still mode on the VPC-HD1010 (there is the photo view button, however), which means there's also no separate photo menu. All the still image settings are mixed in with the video controls in the all-encompassing Recording Menu. Sanyo does post little camera/camcorder icons in the corner of the LCD screen to let you know if the option you're adjusting will affect stills, video, or both. This mixing of settings and options makes the menu system on the VPC-HD1010 a little difficult to navigate.

There's more to dislike about the VPC-HD1010's menu setup. Pushing the joystick while in record mode brings up an 'Instant Review' screen, which allows you to look through your clips and images much like you would in playback mode—the difference is you don't have access to the Playback Menu. 'Instant Review' doesn't serve much of a purpose on the camcorder, as it isn't any faster than switching over to playback mode to watch your footage. The truly annoying aspect, however, is how easy it is to accidentally push the joystick and enter 'Instant Review' when you don't want to. You could be making a manual exposure adjustment, and seconds later find yourself somehow watching a video you took ten minutes prior. Combining this with the aforementioned 'shortcuts' feature, Sanyo is putting too many options in the hands of the flimsy joystick.

Portability* (7.00)
*The Sanyo VPC-HD1010 is designed as an ultra-compact camcorder, but its shape isn't conducive for fitting into tight spaces. Its closest competitor in size and shape is clearly the Sony HDR-TG1, although the Sanyo has a far larger lens barrel. It is the lens barrel, along with the angled design of the grip, that makes the VPC-HD1010 very uncomfortable to transport via a pocket. The HDR-TG1 has a sleek, rectangular design (like a taller, thicker iPod), while the VPC-HD1010 looks like a small hair-dryer. It's a shame Sanyo couldn't have designed the VPC-HD1010 to be both ergonomic and portable. The large, awkward shape of the lens barrel simply isn't comfortable in even the loosest of pockets.

The VPC-HD1010 has dimensions of 89 x 111.8 x 53.3mm (3.5  x 2.1  x 4.4 inches) and weighs 309g (10.9 oz) with the provided battery pack installed. While roughly the same weight as the HDR-TG1, the VPC-HD1010 is approximately 40% longer and 65% thicker than the Sony. It really is the shape, however, that makes the VPC-HD1010 a bulkier, less portable device. A soft case and wrist strap do ship with the camcorder, but both aren't very good methods for transporting the device. On Sanyo's website is an available holster case with ratcheting belt clip, but its design doesn't look all that appealing. It definitely isn't nearly as stylish as the attaché case Sony designed as an accessory for the HDR-TG1.

The docking station for the VPC-HD1010 creates multiple portability issues that Sanyo easily could have avoided by simply putting a few extra ports on the body of the camcorder. For starters, you'll need to bring the station along with you whenever you want to connect the camcorder to a television or computer—there are no AV, HDMI, Component, or USB ports on the VPC-HD1010 itself. Secondly, the docking station must be powered by the DC unit in order to function at all, making the DC cable another necessary addition to your camera bag. Third, the AV and Component ports on the docking station are not universal, meaning you must use the cables that came with the camcorder. So, when packing up your camcorder, you'll need to make sure you bring the docking station, power supply, and any special-fit cables if you plan on hooking the camcorder up to a television. Of course, you could always forgo all these items and just show off your HD footage on the VPC-HD1010's tiny LCD screen.

No built-in lens cap is also an issue here. The provided lens cap simply isn't efficient if portability is your primary objective—its just another piece of equipment you need to bring along with you to keep your camcorder safe. The lens cover can be attached to the camcorder with a small cable, but the dangling cap can easily get in the way of a carefully planned shot. Also, the lens cover is bound to pop off if you carry the VPC-HD1010 in your pocket.

Sanyo's internal video editing feature also enhances the mobility of the VPC-HD1010, but the feature is quite difficult to use. In the Playback Menu, the edit video setting allows you to trim or join footage right inside the camcorder. Of course you'll have to master the art of using the pesky joystick to make all your edits, which probably isn't the best way to spend your time. The camcorder also has long processing times when any large edits are performed. Nevertheless, the editing feature could be a benefit to portability for some (although not most) users.

The VPC-HD1010 doesn't contain any internal memory. This means everything you record and capture must be saved on an SD/SDHC card. If you do lots of filming on the go, you will definitely need to purchase numerous memory cards (or one or two large cards), as well as get into the habit of routinely backing up your files to a computer or hard drive.

LCD and Viewfinder* (6.00)

*The VPC-HD1010 has a 2.7-inch LCD with an approximate 230,000-pixel resolution. This is a slightly higher resolution than the 211,000 pixels found on many HD camcorders (including the Sony HDR-TG1 and Canon HF100). The screen has 7 brightness levels and is capable of 285-degree rotation.

One problem with the LCD is that it's cluttered with icons, numbers and text—no matter what mode you're in. Turning the information display off during playback is easy, just select the option in the Playback Menu. To turn the display off while you're recording is a somewhat hidden feature on the VPC-HD1010 and you won't find the option in the menu. You need to first setup the 'shortcut' feature found in the second tab of the Option Menu. Then, you'll discover, Disp on/off is one of the available shortcut options. This roundabout method for clearing the LCD of icons and information just doesn't make sense—Sanyo should have made this option easier to find.

There is no viewfinder on the VPC-HD1010.

**

Battery Life*** (9.30)
*The Sanyo HD1010 ships with a DB-L50 lithium-ion battery pack. The battery fits into an internal cavity inside the grip handle of the camcorder. This could be problematic for those hoping to upgrade to a larger battery—it's not possible. If you'll be away from power outlets for a while, a purchase of multiple batteries from Sanyo may be necessary.

We tested the life of the supplied battery pack by continuously recording in auto mode with the LCD open. No features or settings were engaged and no controls were manipulated during the test. We found the battery lasted for 93 minutes 20 seconds, which is far less than the 125-minute approximation on Sanyo's website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audio / Playback / Connectivity

Audio* (8.50)
*The microphone placement on the Sanyo VPC-HD1010 is a bit odd—it's on the outside of the LCD door (on the side without the screen). For the most part it's good for picking up sounds to match the videos you are capturing. There is one exception, however, if you flip the LCD around so you can film yourself, the microphone is now facing the opposite direction.

The tiny external microphone and headphone jacks

The VPC-HD1010 comes with both a headphone jack and an external microphone input, two features the Sony HDR-TG1 lacked. The ports are placed in the front of the camcorder, just underneath the lens, and Sanyo provides a microphone adapter cable to fit the tiny jack. The external microphone volume can be adjusted in the Option Menu with five different volume settings. There's also a cold shoe mount at the top of the VPC-HD1010, which can be good for attaching larger microphones.

Playback* (5.00)
*Flipping the rec/play toggle on the back of the camcorder puts the VPC-HD1010 into playback mode. To watch videos and photos is easy enough, just navigate through them using the joystick and push the stick in to begin playback. There are no dedicated VCR controls on the camcorder, but the joystick provides all the necessary functions (up is pause, down is stop, left and right are rewind and fast forward). Unfortunately, using the joystick to perform any action isn't the best experience—it simply has a poor design.

Pressing the joystick button while in record mode brings up the 'Instant Review' feature. This allows you to scroll through your images and clips just like you would in playback mode (but without access to the Playback Menu). This shortcut is completely nonsensical—it's easy to accidentally press the joystick, especially when making manual adjustments, and 'Instant Review' can often be selected when you don't want it. Also, the amount of time saved by using 'Instant Review' is less than a second, as switching the camcorder to playback mode provides a near-instantaneous transition.

Sanyo offers an in-camera editing feature in the playback menu. It's not a very good system, mainly because the joystick is used to cut and join clips, but it's an interesting feature. There are also options for editing still photos in the playback menu: contrast correction, resize, and rotate.

The VPC-HD1010 does have a very useful feature for providing information about clips stored on the camcorder. Holding down the menu button for one second while in playback mode (with a clip selected), will bring up an info screen that gives details about the selected clip or image. The info screen gives resolution, compression details, file size, clip length, exposure setting, date, and time. For still images the screen shows aperture, shutter, and ISO levels. This is a good feature to have, but we wish Sanyo could have implemented a similar help/info screen for the menu options as well (i.e. something that gave information about the settings being adjusted).

During video playback, the zoom toggle can be used to adjust the volume of the video clip.

The playback menu on the VPC-HD1010

You can scroll through images and clips one at a time...

... or view them as thumbnails

The Playback Menu contains the following options:

**

**

**

To connect to a TV or computer, the VPC-HD1010 must be in its docking station.
**

**

Connectivity*** (9.00)*

The Sanyo VPC-HD1010, with all its manual features and controls, is somewhat limited when it comes to connectivity. The only ports located on the camcorder itself are DC input, microphone jack, and headphone jack. That's it. The rest of the ports are annoyingly located on the camcorder's docking station. This means you'll need to connect the VPC-HD1010 to its docking station before you can even connect it to a television or computer. The VPC-HD1010 also has a cold shoe mount on the top of the camcorder, behind the pop-up flash

Not having a single television output on the body of the camcorder is an unbelievable omission. Sony doesn't put a USB port on the HDR-CX12 (leaving it to the docking station), but at least it has an HDMI and AV output right on the camcorder. On the HDR-TG1, Sony even provided a USB terminal adapter, which provided the ability to connect the camcorder directly to a computer without needing the docking station.

 Requiring the docking station to connect to a television can lead to multiple complications—there's no way to connect the camcorder to a television while attached to a tripod and the docking station must be brought along on vacations or trips if you ever want to show people your footage.

The ports on the docking station are far from perfect as well—Sanyo doesn't use universal AV-out or component-out cables, but instead utilizes proprietary-fit cables for each. This means if you lose or forget an AV cable you'll need to purchase a new one from Sanyo (Sony also doesn't use universal AV or component cables). If that's not enough, the VPC-HD1010 also doesn't ship with an HDMI cable (it does come with AV-out, component-out, and USB cables). One positive note, Sanyo's AV-out cable comes with an attached S-Video line (technically making it an S-AV cable), which does enhance the camcorder's connectivity options.

The base of the docking station has lots of ports. From left to right:

HDMI, Component-out/AV-out, USB, DC input

The VPC-HD1010 also comes with a small remote control that has the following buttons: still image shutter, start/stop record, zoom, menu, on/off, and a directional pad. Using the remote to adjust controls is a little better than using the joystick, but it is far more inconvenient.

Other Features

**What’s in the Box?

**The Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1010 ships with the following:
**
**-Soft case

-Handstrap

-Lithium-ion battery

-Docking station

-S-AV cable

-USB cable

-Component cable

-Remote control

-Lens cap

-USB converter cable

-Microphone adapter cable

-Software DVD

Other Features* (3.00)*

*Face Chaser - *This is just an intense name for the VPC-HD1010's face detection feature, a tool commonly found amongst digital cameras and camcorders (the Sony HDR-TG1 has a similar feature). When activated, the camcorder will automatically detect faces within the frame, then attempt to focus and expose them correctly. Sanyo claims the VPC-HD1010 can detect up to 12 separate faces, but we couldn't get it to locate more than 4 at a time.

Voice Memo - In the camcorder's movie quality settings there is an option for recording audio only (called Voice Memo). This feature could be useful if you have to be extremely conservative with your storage space, but it's not all that practical for most users. In combination with an external microphone, Voice Memo mode could turn the Sanyo VPC-HD1010 into a digital audio recording device.

Self-Timer - Just like you'd find on a still camera, the VPC-HD1010 has a self-timer that can be set at 2 or 10 seconds. Setting the timer means there is a delay between the time you push the record or shutter button and the point when the camcorder starts shooting. The main use for a self-timer is so you can setup a shot, then jump into the frame at the last moment—making it possible for the entire group to be filmed or photographed. Unfortunately, because it's so difficult to get the HD1010 to stand up on its own, the self-timer isn't very useful unless you have a tripod handy.

Conclusion & Comparisons

Conclusion

While the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1010 ($799 MSRP) has enough features to make manual control enthusiasts salivate, it also has plenty of confusing options and awkward handling issues. It is clear Sanyo didn't make a camcorder that is a good choice for beginners. The 'simple menu' mode tries to offer an easy way to use the camcorder, but it doesn't do anything to improve Sanyo's uncomfortable grip or poor button placement. Despite all this, the HD1010 did put forth a solid video performance in all kinds of light—even outshining the impressive Sony HDR-TG1 in many categories.

Going solely by video performance, the Sanyo HD1010 is a remarkable ultra-compact camcorder, producing the best images our lab has seen from a device of its size. The 30P video mode offered a good alternate to the 60i aesthetic, and it boosted the sharpness of the image an incredible amount. In the real world, however, you need to take controls into consideration. The Sanyo has an awful auto exposure, which drops the shutter speed to 1/30 of a second even in moderately low light conditions—resulting in undesirable motion effects far too often. The auto white balance also didn't win us over, making the blue sky appear neon and giving some images a strange cool tone. Autofocus usually worked well, but it sometimes produced an odd crackling noise that was often loud enough for the camcorder's internal microphone to pick up.

Using manual controls is clearly the way to go with the VPC-HD1010, and there sure are a lot of them. It's the way these controls are implemented that will drive some people crazy. Sanyo's terrible navigation joystick controls far too many features and provides little accuracy for making manual adjustments. Is it really worth having so many settings if controlling them is a nightmarish experience?

While the HD1010 feels like a toy, it is truly a powerful piece of technology. Its video performance is outstanding for an ultra-compact camcorder and its manual control options are very impressive. If Sanyo can take the interface back to the drawing board they may have a shot at the title next year.

**Comparisons
**

Who It’s For

Point-and-Shooters

Sanyo's 'simple menu' mode does make things easy for beginners—everything is automated and the complex menu transforms into a simple, three-option list. The problem is, most of the auto features don't work very well on the camcorder.

Budget Consumers

At $799 MSRP, the HD1010 isn't the cheapest thing out there, but you'd be hard pressed to find a lower-priced HD camcorder stuffed with the amount of features and options Sanyo packs into this one. Overall, you get an ultra-compact design and a ton of features for a reasonable price.

Still Photo / Video Camera Hybrid

Sanyo is clearly pushing the HD1010 as a hybrid. Its exposure menu mimics that of an SLR camera and it comes with a variety of still image settings and options (including a 7 frames per second photo sequence mode). If the shape and design of the camcorder body doesn't scare you away, you're looking at a decent hybrid device—filled with features many camcorders completely ignore (shutter speed, aperture, ISO)

Gadget Freaks

The unique look of the VPC-HD1010 could be described as both futuristic or toy-ish. It probably won't attract as many fans as the sophisticated Sony HDR-TG1, but it will definitely appeal to some. Also, the incredible amount of features and modes will impress gadget lovers who want an ultra-compact camcorder that can do anything.

Manual Control Freaks

This is your camcorder right here. As long as you can deal with the problematic joystick, the convoluted menu system, and the compact size isn't too small for you—this is a terrific camcorder for manual control gurus.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists

Even though Sanyo includes a microphone jack, cold shoe mount, and tons of controls, the VPC-HD1010 is not for pros.

Meet the tester

Jeremy Stamas

Jeremy Stamas

Managing Editor, Video

@nematode9

Jeremy is the video expert of our imaging team and Reviewed.com's head of video production. Originally from Pennsylvania and upstate NY, he graduated from Bard college with a degree in film and electronic media. He has been living and working in New England since 2005.

See all of Jeremy Stamas's reviews

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