Sanyo software xacti

That's precisely the market at which the HD is aimed. As with all Xacti models, the HD bears no similarity to any other brand of camcorder on the market, and perhaps that's why it's so distinctive. According to Sanyo, its pistol-grip design is based on extensive collaborative research with Japan's Chiba University, and its 'lens-to-grip' angle is optimised to minimise strain on those muscle groups used during recording and playing back.

Does it succeed? We'll see. Most of the HD's operating features are clustered around a main barrel that includes the 10x optical x digital zoom at the font and main control cluster at the rear. A flash light and accessory shoe are concealed by plastic covers at the upper front and rear respectively, with the generous 2. In operational terms, the control button cluster at the rear of the camera gives access to all its movie and stills recording and playback capabilities. You're given a Simple mode in which you're offered a minimal range of options: Full Auto or manual operation of picture size HD or SD , Focus and White Balance, and a Normal mode, which provides a comprehensive set of manual overrides.

The Menu button is the gateway to a range of options, with a joystick providing navigation and item selection. It's easy to take control of focus, exposure, white balance and shutter speeds, in addition to things like manual audio control and even a modest but useful set of video filters.

Users are given the option of manually linking exposure to shutter speed Aperture Priority or vice-versa Shutter Priority in addition to independent manual control of either, with an onscreen graphic display showing settings as changes are made. In addition to the usual full set of Program AE settings - ranging from Sports and Portrait right through to Fireworks and Lamp settings, you're also given several white balance presets, such as Sunny, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent and One Push.

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New Photoshop version Google Chrome Thunderbird To adjust the setting you must first learn about the camcorder's 'shortcuts' feature found in the Option Menu. The weird thing is, some of the functions you can assign as shortcuts aren't available anywhere else.

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. 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.

All adjustments are made with the joystick. Neither of these controls, nor any of the manual features on the Sanyo HD, can be adjusted while video recording is taking place—something that alienated us about the Nikon D90's video mode. 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. Why does Sanyo allow you to choose these settings when they don't actually function?

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. There are four white balance presets on the Sanyo HD 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 HD—its auto performance wasn't up to snuff. There are ISO settings of 50, , , , , , and Even though can be selected, the ISO maxes out at for video.

Other Manual Controls 4. It cannot be selected if any of the manual exposure modes are engaged. Shortcuts - The 'shortcuts' feature allows you to assign different functions to the joystick for easy access.

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 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. It's not nearly as impressive as Canon's image effects, which offers customizable control, but it's still a useful feature to have. 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:.

The VPC-HD also has a photo sequence mode that is capable of taking up to seven sequential photographs in one second at a resolution of x 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-HD, 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 aspect ratio unless you're taking photographs at lower qualities. Also, grid lines appear in Photo View mode, to help you frame your shot.

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-HD'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. 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. Regardless, 6. This isn't anything all that impressive, but it's right in the middle of the pack when it comes to consumer camcorders.

Finally, the Sanyo HD produced a color saturation of As we always say, no camcorder is good enough to replace any decent dedicated still camera. The ability to adjust shutter speed, aperture, and ISO on the HD 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. We first shot an ISO resolution chart under the same bright, even light in a variety of different exposure settings. Comparing these numbers to the Sony HDR-TG1 is difficult because the TG1 offers a maximum still resolution setting of x approximately 4 Megapixels , whereas the Sanyo HD goes all the way up to x approximately 8 Megapixels.

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 HD becomes increasingly difficult to deal with and control.

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. With one flip of a switch, the VPC-HD goes from being the most complex ultra-compact camcorder on the market, to one of the simplest. More modes, settings, and options are stuffed into this little device than most camcorders 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.

The manual has a lot of information inside it, and anyone who wishes to fully understand the ins and outs of the HD 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. 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-HD 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-HD 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.

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-HD It can get in the way of a shot or make noise hitting the side of the camcorder.

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.

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-HD 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. 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.

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 HD'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.

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. 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. 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. There is no dedicated still mode on the VPC-HD 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. This mixing of settings and options makes the menu system on the VPC-HD a little difficult to navigate.

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. 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.