Customer Reviews

Sanyo VPC-CG20 High Definition Camcorder & 10 MP Camera

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought this dual camera because i am going on a cruise, and I did not want to be burdened by a lot of equipment.
So far I have used it to take both Hi Definition movies and still pictures.
The results are good even when viewed on a 40 in 1080i TV.
I have 16 GB card so i can record up to 2 hours of video or over 4000 still images.
Please note that the resolution can be reduced by the user.

CONS
Still pictures taken at short distances( Under six feet) show fish eye distortions. This can be corrected by software such as Photoshop Elements.
Battery life could be better. It appears to be limited close to 1 hour with the supplied 700 MAH battery.
Does not work as a PC Camera with the Mac.
No supplied software.

I purchased the VPC-CG20 two months ago at Radio Shack. I was looking for an alternative to the "Flip" camera at about the same price.

PROS

Good digital image stabilization at normal focus. This was the main selling point: Flip cameras provide no image stabilization, so slight shaking of the hand, especially when panning, is a problem. The Sanyo camera will give you better quality video at a similar price.

CONS

Image stabilization, while good at normal focus, is ineffective when you use the digial zoom (up to 5x), so videos will appear very shaky even with slight movement. The camera will have to be stabilized on a tripod if you're using the zoom feature.

If you're a novice (as I am), Sanyo xacti cameras will require a bit of a learning curve. This is why the Flip line of camcorders is so appealing: they come with their own editing software and are basically plug-and-play.

Note that video on Sanyo cameras is saved in mpeg4 format which means (since there is no included editing software) you'll need to convert the files to WMV or another format if you want to use Windows Movie Maker to edit the file. (Any version of Movie Maker for XP or Vista will not work with the mpeg4 format.) If this is your situation, AVS sells an inexpensive video format conversion program which is easy to use.

LCD screen doesn't display well in bright light.

Quality of still photos is poor, but that's not unusual for a camcorder. This won't replace your digital SLR camera if you've got one.

I've decided to swap this camera for the Panasonic HDC-TM55 which at a higher price tag (about $450) provides an optical (rather than digital) image stabilization feature that will keep the video stable even when you're using the optical zoom. I'll give the Sanyo to a relative. It really is a good camera for the price, and its digital image stabilization does work reasonably well at normal focus.

I originally bought the Sanyo VPC CG10 after reading a number of sterling reviews on Amazon, notably by Rolla Gravett and Juan. The camera is fantastic. I already owned a Flip MinoHD, but I was disappointed by its limitations--there are no settings to speak of you can play with, and of course, it is not a still camera. My goal was to find a compact camera which would take both high definition video and take high quality still photos with a built in flash. The CG10 did all of that. When Sanyo released the CG20, the main improvement was going from 30 fps 720p video to 60 fps 1080p video. Now that I have both cameras I am a little disappointed with the 1080 video. As recommended by others, I am using a class 6 SDHC card. The videos I have taken in the highest HD (1080) are obviously much larger files, but they don't seem to play quite right with Quicktime. I am working on a very new iMac. When I play the 1080 videos in Quicktime there seems to be some jitter and unsteadiness. The exact clip recorded in 720p seems better, very stable, and just as clear to my eye. I also found that when I played the 1080 clip with VLC media player, it played better than with Quicktime without any distortion. Also the viewing screen in the CG20 is a little bit smaller than the CG10. For email purposes, I use MPEG Streamclip to resize my videos. Typically if I take a 20-30 second clip in 720p it is about 15-20 megabytes. I can resize that clip with Streamclip down to about 2-3 megabytes without losing virtually any clarity, thus I can email it easily. The same clip in 1080p is 40-50 megabytes and perhaps too large to resize for email. Again, to my eye I can't see much difference between 720 and 1080. This parallels my experience with HD televisions, where with the exception of BluRay DVDs, the picture on my Panasonic 50 inch plasma TV (720) is as crisp as any picture I have seen with a 1080 TV. Overall, I think the Sanyo CG10 or CG20 are absolutely the best buy for the money, a fantastic camera that you can and will take anywhere you go. You can get the CG10 for around $120 now, unbelievable value.

This is a nice little camcorder at a reasonable price. I was looking for basic camcorder capable of decent 1080p recording - but with more flexibility than a Flip or Zi8. This fills the bill nicely. It is the modest successor to the CG 10 and does all the things it did - plus 1080p - in a slightly smaller package. Don't expect image quality equaling the HD cameras used by your local TV station or the PGA - but it's not bad considering the entire camera costs less than a good DSLR lens.

The 5X zoom is great. You can't handle much more than that if you are going hand-held. Don't bother with the You-Tube demos of this cameras. They are jerkey and not of the highest quality; More a limitation with You-Tube than with the camera video, which is smooth. Any complaints about jerkiness are likely due to playback limitations of your computer or software. I have a relatively new laptop and have no problem. The files also play smoothly on my Western Digital HD Media Player (also a cool item).

While on the subject of lenses - check out the Sanyo VCP-L07WAU Wide Angle Adapter Lens at B&H photo (in Japan it's the VCP-L07WA). This is a 0.7x adapter that will bring true wide-angle to this model or the CG-102. The view is nearly 40% wider - making it perfect for panoramas or close indoor shots. The lens slips over the entire front of the CG-20 and holds securely using the indents on the sides of the camera body. You can't use zoom with it - but this is a minor point. Check it out.

True, the CG20 cannot film in low light (meaning dim light) - but has NO PROBLEM whatsoever in a normally lit room. Get an LED light bar for $25-30 or go to a more expensive model if filming in the dark is a priority for you - it isn't for me.

Last, I attached a wrist strap to the bottom of the camera using a d-ring adapter that screws into the tripod thread. I adapted it from something that I already had from an old movie camera - but it's perfect, and I wish someone would sell such a device. You could do something similar by purchasing a 1/4"x20 tripod screw with D-ring and adding a wrist strap. You can find these in camera supply stores.

I have waited for months to get this camera. To my satisfaction it is by far the best video cam under $200. With 1080I, 1080P, and 720P it is super. The best software to use with a modest computer is Roxio Creator 2010. You can make awesome up to 40 min. AVCHD DVDs that will play on newer BluRay players. I would recommend installing a $45 NVIDIA video card that will speed up rendering by a factor of at least 5X. The anti shake works well out to the end of the 5X optical range. It will take some practice to hold the camera still for full zoom pictures. The stereo sound is great and wind noise suppression is good but not perfect. I have about 50 movies on Youtube that are super clear(badchuckie)! I usually cut the quality to 720P either with the camera or Roxio Creator to minimize upload time and at this point in time 720P is all that will play on YouTube without jerking. Still photos compare favorabily with my 12mp camera. Batteries, extra charger and SD cards are cheap. The operating buttons are great for fat fingers and very intuitive. It also has a HDMI output for fast viewing of movies on your large screen TV. I play mine on a 50 inch and they are sharp with either 1080 or 720 modes. The SD card is a little difficult getting in and out so I use the supplied USB cable to transfer files to the computer. I would reccommend at least a 6 or faster SD card and purchase a couple of 1000mah batteries and charger. The unit comes with a 700mah battery that will run the camera for at least an hour. I bought a red unit from RS for $179. For some reason the black and silver ones are more expensive so this is a good price.

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I had purchased a Sony Bloggie and was very dissatisfied with the quality of the video it produced. I watched a lot of You tube video's from this Sony camera and the Sanyo CG-20 was mentioned a lot so I took a look at the Sanyo videos. Well a blind person could see the difference in quality so I returned the Bloggie and bought the Sanyo CG-20. Without going into reasons others have spelled out I will say the Sanyo is head and shoulders above the Sony Bloggie in every way. The video has quality a $400 camcorder has and the still pictures it takes are quite good, not DSLR quality but as good as most P/S cameras out there. The Sony had very few adjustments or features whereas this Sanyo is loaded with features and adjustments but right out of the box it produced great looking video. This Sanyo is a great carry anywhere camcorder.

This Sanyo video camera does exactly what I want it to so I'm very satisfied. It's a video cam with the ability to take stills although I would reserve that function for times when you forgot your real digital still camera. Despite what the description under the photo of this product says, it's supposed to take 14MP stills. While the stills are quite good by some people's standards and far better than a cell phone, I can do better with a 7 or 8MP digital still cam with a high quality lens. I'm not talking about a pro level DSLR with removable lens but any Panasonic point & shoot with a Leica 3X or 4X permanent lens.

I don't know why but video cams taking stills never look quite right. The pixels may be there but there's something odd about the resulting pix. Maybe it's small diameter digital zoom, or small sensor diameter, but there's just something that looks "video" about stills taken with a video cam even though the sensor should be similar or identical. I assume this isn't a problem for the opposite - videos taken by a still cam. But I just didn't want a still camera that large for my video purposes. I have a DSLR Panasonic and two Panasonic digital point & shoots that give exceptional pro-quality results but I wanted a tiny 1080p video cam for my shirt or jacket pocket with no moving parts to replace my larger "old" digital-8 palm-sized video cam.

We recently went to a Christmas lights display at a large metropolitan zoo. My wife took her Panasonic 7MP pocket 4X zoom snapshot cam with image stabilizer and Leica lens. I took the new Sanyo video to shoot our 4 month old baby and see what it could do at night - which is kind of a video torture test.

Using it's factory settings the Sanyo would be terrible at night but there is a low-light choice in one of the menus. Some of the video came out pretty nice from a distance (if you're careful about L/R sweeps which causes blur in low light). Within 20 feet the system was sometimes confused by bright tree limb light bulbs and the darkness between the bulbs. Focus was iffy sometimes, lights blurred or had halo glow around them sometimes but not other times, and auto exposure varied between okay to terrible when my wife was backlit by lighted trees. The "face finder" feature wouldn't work at all in these situations. There's no video fill light on the Sanyo so I didn't expect much. This is an extreme abuse of the exposure system so I didn't expect it to turn out as well as it did. We'll have the video shorts as memories even if they aren't very good. This Sanyo does pretty good video in our living room during the day when some sunshine is helping our lamps illuminate. It records indoors at night with just basic living room lighting although the video is grainy from high-gain. That's just the way it goes with any video cam.

The Sanyo excels for outdoor video shooting - which is awesome. I have taken video shorts rivaling broadcast quality which makes me very happy for when our baby becomes a toddler. I had read that image stabilization causes fuzziness in still photos but never saw it in my Panasonic still cams. But when I play my indoor Sanyo videos or stills through my 52" Samsung LCD TV using the built-in HDMI port, I can see a slight lack of clarity - I assume it's the MP4 compression or the image stabilization method used on the digital zoom. I want to look into that further and try shooting with and without image stabilization. I've got video and still resolutions set up for their max. I have become spoiled by the incredible clarity of Blu Ray disks and regular DVDs pushed to 1080i via upverting on my LCD TV. The 1080p FullHD output of the Sanyo video cam so far isn't as crisp as those disk formats but is certainly better than 720p or the ancient 240 lines of old style video cams.

All in all, I highly recommend this unit for what it is intended to do - very good, noise-free, outdoor or well-lit digital video in a compact package using flash memory card. I am a firm believer that every device is maximized to do one thing well and usually can only do other things mediocre. That's the case with any video cam I've ever seen with still photo ability. This one is no different. It's built well, the buttons and switches seem to be as durable as anything else on the market, the LCD screen is very clear and bright, and it has many features packed into a tiny package. You don't realize how tiny until you hold it or slip it in a pocket.

Features I really like are: extremely small size and weight, flip open LCD screen that can reverse and face the front for recording yourself, removable SDHC cards with huge capacity (make sure you buy CLASS 6 cards or higher), built-in flash for still photos, multiple face recognition for proper exposure, low-light high-gain mode, built in speaker for hearing audio of video playback, replaceable rechargeable lithium-ion battery and available off-brand extra ones for $8 each, a separate powerful MP4 encoding chip allowing 1080P at 60FPS recording (which is known as FullHD) which most consumer video cams can't do (1080P at 30FPS only), well placed buttons once you get accustomed to what they do, several "function programmable" button positions (like macros on a PC), stereo mics on the front of the flip-open LCD viewfinder screen, easy battery exchanging on the side, tripod mount amazingly squeezed onto the bottom edge, mini-HDMI port and USB port available.

Things I don't care for: pull-out cover door for access to the SDHC card slot, rectangular lens that doesn't allow a round screw-on UV haze filter for protection, lens cap that hangs from a string and must be turned upside down to use it (an irritant not a defect), shiny black finish that shows all finger prints, you can accidentally push the power button while holding the camera like a pistol in one hand with the viewfinder screen open because it isn't recessed, still shots in mediocre light seem to take forever to shoot as though the exposure system is thinking although the resulting exposure level is much better than existing light was - if your subject will stay still that long.

The only thing whacky to me is that you don't get an instruction manual with it so you have to connect the cam to a USB port of your online computer and when you turn it on the first time the cam takes control to send you to the Sanyo website where you download and print the operation manual from a PDF file. You can also download a Sanyo photo dump program there which pulls your data from the cam into your PC via USB. I didn't download that because I use a flash card reader that came with my 16GB SDHC card.

If you're a video hobbyist hoping to shoot clean high-res video shorts of yourself, your friends, your family, your babies, and other fun well-lit video experiences, I can't imagine there's anything better at this point in a super-compact shirt-pocket package for those purposes.

The CG20 Not perfect but really nice for the price. All kinds on manual features and settings. Even has a manual white balance. Real optical zoom not a fixed focus pin hole like the flip. I'm giving it 5 stars because all the competition are 4 star rated and no where near the camera the Sanyo is.

A few things I really like
1. The flip out LCD is really useful, since non of these pocket cams have optical stabilization, holding them steady is a chore. With the swivel LCD you can steady the camera against your waist, or anything for that matter and still see what you're shooting.
2.This thing is light weight and small. I use it with a suction cup mount as a dashcam and it stays real steady. I do hang it upside down, behind the mirror. I flip the vid with my editing software if there is something I want to keep. I think you can flip the video with the on-board video editing software also.
3. The sound is good, it picks up everything. I guess the trade off is there seems to be a slight hiss in a quiet room.
4. Video is excellent - I always use the 720p 60fps setting because I want smooth slowmo but the 1080 is great if there is not allot of fast action.
5. You can leave it on all day with the LCD closed and battery is not depleted much, start up time are pretty fast also. If you close the LCD the recording stops but you can flip it around and close it and it stays on. This seems like it would work well suction cupped to the tank of a motorcycle or outside a car.
6. Great Macro
What I don't like
1. Lens cap is the worst, such a pain to snap on and off. Cheap and always awkward
2. Can't sit it up on it's own, hast to be on a tripod or Gorilla Pod
3. No Audio adjustments except wind filter, kind works but not great.
4. zoom works well but not smooth. Does seem to start off slower and pick up speed fast.
5. A wider lens would be nice

update Battery life Dec 14th -- The included battery was only 50 minutes so I purchased two 1000 mah batteries on Amazon for $9. they each only lasted 30 to 35 minutes. I tried a single Japan made battery that was about $18 with shipping that claims 40% longer life . link - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0042LNZZU/ref=oss_product On first use I got 55 minutes, not 40% more as promised. I will do some more testing before reviewing it. update Dec 18th - yes 55 minutes for the Wasabi Power Battery but since I appear to have charger problems I will hold off reviewing this battery until my new camera comes.

Update 2 Camera Return Dec 18th - My camera battery sometimes would go through the full charge cycle then only last 10 or less minutes, At first I thought it was my error. Even though I have another Xacti camera(VPC-FH1A) and never had this happen. I suspect the problem is with the charger because if the camera was draining power so quick I think it would get very hot. This problem occurs intermittently to all my batteries including the Sanyo included battery. I should have a replacement next week.

This is byfar the best camcorder I have ever purchased. The build quality is great. The thing that surprised me the most is that the pictures, when developed, look better than my 400 Sony Cybershot Cam. I bought this camcorder mainly because I wanted a smaller more portable camcorder besides my $1000 Canon Vixia. I was stunned when I connected both camcorders to my 56 Inch Samsung LED TV and the Sanyo looked more crisp, and also worked better in dark conditions. If you dont like the "pistol grip" design I would tell you to go with the Kodak ZI8. But, I personnaly think this one takes better videos as well as pictures. Overall, if your reading this review, and looking into purchasing a new camcorder, dont make the mistake so many people do, and purchase other camcorders, like the much "overrated" flip line of camcorders. Purchase the CG20, or for that matter any Sanyo Product. Sanyo is truely a pioneer in creating technologies like the Xacti that take amazing pictures aswell as amazing videos. But most of all they save you money. I don't know what I would do without my CG20, saying I love it is an understatment. Since purchasing this awesome little camcorder I have since sold my Vixia because I have relised that this is all I need. Purchase this camcorder, I swear you wont regret it. Whether your taking this on your tour of Italy or Filming your medaterainian cruise or talking home videos or even filming your son hitting his first home run, Sanyo is simply the best out there.

The PLUS
I was very surprised by the quality of the footage. It came out very very nice.
The camera is easy enough to use. The menu is very intuitive.
The LCD screen is very helpful.
The miniHDMI output is a nice feature.
I am glad I bought this camera.

The MINUS
As soon as you move the camera, the footage becomes very shaky, even with the stabilization option turned on.
Scan lines also appear on moving objects.
1080 is WAYYYY to much resolution for everyday folks. 1 min of footage is over 100Mb, which means that a 5 minute video is over half a Gb, which is huge if you want to post to youtube. It'll upload, but it'll take for ever!
So be ready to use a professional software to compress these files.

But again, great camera for the bucks!