Jim Feeley

The compact and affordable Sanyo Xacti VPC-SH1 reminds me of an economy car with a built-in iPod dock. It lacks the high performance and polished features found in more expensive models. But it's well priced, does a good job handling the basics, and integrates an Apple technology supported by few cameras.

Good looks

Many camcorders tout their ability to capture both video footage and still images. But few claim the high resolutions, small size, and low price of the Sanyo Xacti VPC-CG102. This camcorder's 1920-by-1080-pixel video, 14-megapixel stills, pocket size, and $229 list price present a tempting package. However, cramming that many pixels into such a small space and low price requires making some, though perhaps not too many, compromises.

Acceptable image quality

A healthy meal should ideally supply nutrition and taste good enough to make eating a pleasure, not a chore. Similarly, a camcorder needs to capture high-quality video and make getting that video as easy as possible. Anything else is gravy, or parsley, that extra something you don't need that just sits on your plate. The Canon Vixia HF M32 is a very good camcorder and a pleasure to use, but it comes with a big, expensive sprig of parsley.

Superior video quality

I've long hoped for a svelte, inexpensive camcorder that offers good image control and captures decent HD video in an easy-to-edit format. The Sanyo Xacti VPC-CS1, with its $299 list price, long list of manual and automatic controls, and 1080 and 720 video meets my desires, but for two critical deficiencies. The VPC-CS1 produces mediocre images and is difficult to use.

Decent specs, poor usability

There are only two reasons to buy Sanyo's Xacti VPC-WH1 high-definition (HD) camcorder, but they're good reasons: It's inexpensive, and it's waterproof. For some, those two factors will offset the camera's mediocre image quality.

Compared with footage from the best 1080p HD camcorders, the VPC-WH1's 720p HD video (at 30 frames per second) exhibits noticeably (but not disastrously) reduced resolution, sharpness, color accuracy, and motion. The VPC-WH1's overall video image quality is middling. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the camera's 1.1-megapixel still images, which suffer from low resolution, inaccurate exposure, and noticeable image distortion.

Canon's Vixia HF S10 generates some of the best high-definition video and still images we've seen from a HD camcorder. Add the impressively deep and professional manual controls, and you have an excellent camcorder for advanced videographers that will also appeal to many casual users.

The camera's 1/2.6-inch CMOS imaging chip records 1080 horizontal lines of video; it records 1080i at 60 frames per second, 1080p at 30 frames per second, and 1080p at 24 frames per second. The camera includes 32GB of built-in flash memory and supports SDHC cards, and it encodes the video as AVCHD files with data rates up to 24 mbps, the format's maximum capability. The HF S10 connects to your Mac via USB, and video can be imported into iMovie '09 and Final Cut Express easily.

Sanyo's Xacti VPC-FH1 is a high-definition (HD) camcorder that delivers good-looking video and stills. However, the tradeoff comes in its lack of bells and whistles. The VPC-FH1 omits several features that make those more-expensive cameras easier to use under many conditions, and pricier models also provide more image control.

The Xacti VPC-FH1 camcorder uses a single 1/2.5-inch CMOS sensor to capture 1920-by-1080 video at 60 progressive frames per second (60p), 60 interlaced frames per second (60i), or 30 progressive frames per second (30p). The camera can also record 720/30p video and 8-megapixel stills.

There are only two reasons to buy the Sanyo Xacti VPC-WH1, but they're good reasons: It's inexpensive ($400 as of 9/25/09), and it's waterproof. For some people, those two factors will offset the camera's mediocre image quality.

Compared with footage from the best 1080p HD camcorders, the VPC-WH1's 720p HD video (at 30 frames per second) exhibits noticeably--but not disastrously--reduced resolution, sharpness, color accuracy, and motion. The VPC-WH1's overall video image quality is middling. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the camera's 1.1-megapixel still images, which suffer from low resolution, inaccurate exposure, and noticeable image distortion.

The GPS-enabled Sony Handycam HDR-XR200V certainly sports innovative features, but it lacks the video quality needed to make it stand out from--or even measure up to--the best small AVCHD camcorders we've seen this year. For $1000 (as of 9/25/2009), you get a Sony camcorder with overall performance on a par with the Sanyo Xacti VPC-FH1, a camera that costs half as much.

That $1000 price tag does get you some high-end features, plus all those one expects to find in a modern camcorder: optical image stabilizer, face detection technology to automate focus and skin tone adjustment, and a 15X optical-zoom lens.

The Sanyo Xacti VPC-FH1 is a low-priced digital camcorder ($500 as of 9/25/2009) that delivers good-looking video and stills, with image quality just slightly trailing that of HD camcorders priced nearly three times as much.

However, the tradeoff comes in its lack of bells and whistles. The VPC-FH1 omits several features that make those more-expensive cameras easier to use under many conditions, and pricier models also provide users with more image control. For some potential buyers, more-expensive camcorders such as the Canon Vixia HF S10 and the Panasonic HDC-TM300 (both $1300) are worth their cost. For many others, the Xacti VPC-FH1 will be a stellar value.

JVC's Everio X GZ-X900 high-definition camcorder ($1000 as of September 25, 2009) has a sleek design, includes a few innovative features, and generates acceptable HD video under bright lighting conditions. Unfortunately, the unit's noticeably subpar low-light performance renders it a poor choice for common everyday use.

The camcorder's svelte black design looks elegant and feels comfortable. Some of the Everio X GZ-X900's specs look good: a 1/2.33-inch CMOS imaging chip, a top AVCHD encoding rate of 24 megabits per second, 9-megapixel still photos, the ability to record to standard SDHC memory cards, and a slow-motion setting that records at frame rates of up to 600 frames per second (at reduced image sizes).

In 2008, we knocked the hard-drive-based Panasonic HDC-HS100 HD camcorder for its lackluster video quality. But 2009 is looking up for the company, as the excellent Panasonic HDC-TM300 delivers some of the best still and video images we've seen from a small camcorder. The HDC-TM300, which stores video on both an internal flash drive and an SDHC card, provides robust and innovative features that justify the camera's relatively high price ($1300 as of 9/25/09).

Three 1/4.1-inch CMOS chips capture images that the camera encodes as 1080i (at 60 interlaced frames per second) or 1080p (at 24 progressive frames per second) AVCHD files with a maximum data rate of 17 mbps. The camera has 32GB of built-in flash memory, and it supports SDHC cards (you need to supply one yourself).