Customer Reviews

Sanyo VPC-TH1 HD Compact Flash Memory Camcorder w/ 30x Optical Zoom (Silver)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I also bought this camera without doing much research. I was looking for a camcorder that was HD "quality", uses SDHC memory card and for a price around $300. The Sanyo met all the criteria so I purchased it from Amazon.

I also picked up a 16 gb Transcend memory card.

Let's go over the PROS first --
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++ It is really easy to use. Just point and shoot. Just like using a digital camera, except it's a digital video camera.
++ Having the memory card is so much better than using mini-DV tapes. There is no longer a need to plug the camcorder into your computer fireport or USB port. After I am done shooting, I just pop out the memory card, put it in my memory card reader and copy it onto the hard driver. Doesn't get much better than that!
++ Transferring files are a lot faster than mini-DV tapes. Before, you had to play/record in real time. Due to fact that everything is digital, the transfer is quite fast!
++ Battery life is very good. You can get around 200 minutes of video time. I also like the fact that the battery indicator tells you the approximate MINUTES left. I hate it when they just show a battery symbol and start deducting "spaces/icons" from the battery. I need to know the numerical time value, which this camera provides
++ YouTube uploads are amazingly easy. Just click on the file you want to use, and upload. Make sure you watch in HQ quality on YouTUbe
++ Size is perfect. It's a lot smaller than my mini-DV camcorder, but not too small where it feels like a toy.
++ Build/Construction. I bought the blue version and the blue looks very good. It feels solid in your hands and appear that it could take some abuse. It's not too light and not too heavy. It just feels good in your hands.
++ Quality - overall, quality of the video is good for a $300 video camera. You cannot expect true HD quality from this. However, I do have a problem with the focus (see the CONS below)
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OK - here's the CONS
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- Focus ---- the although the camera has face recogition, there is no way to "lock" onto one person. In other words, if there are 3 or 4 people in the same shot, the camera tends to jump around with the focus between the different faces and it gets annoying during playback. It seems like the camera keeps searching for the right focus. If there is a way to "lock" onto a face, please let me know so I can use that feature.
- Indoor quality not good. There seems to be more noise than usual while shooting indoors. Of course, I should have turned on more lights indoors but I am still working on improving my indoor shots.
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Would I buy this camera knowing what I know? Absolutely!! The price is right. If they could fix the focus issue, this camera would have met all my expectations

Length:: 1:19 Mins

The specs for this camcorder are exciting; the images, sadly, are not really much better than standard definition images. If you want something to capture video for the web, and that allows you to do more tweaking than you can with simpler camcorders like the Flip Mino, then this would not be a bad choice. Just don't expect it to give you truly high quality images. Also, the onboard memory holds next to nothing, so when buying this camcorder you should factor in the price of at least an 8GB SDHC card to store the video you shoot. Overall, I think this would be a very good camcorder for beginners, since it is easier to work with flash memory than to mess around with tapes, and since practicing with the functions here will prepare one for using a more advanced camcorder when the time comes (and the budget allows). It does look good, and is fairly well designed. For many purposes this would be just the thing.

I shot some footage with this in its "SD" 30fps mode and its "HD" 30fps mode (which uses a lot more memory per minute of video), and played it all back on my 42" SANYO LCD HD television using an HDMI cable. What surprised me was that I could distinguish very little overall difference in quality. There was more contrast in the HD picture, which is important, but otherwise I couldn't tell a difference - at least, I couldn't say for sure which video images I preferred. In a situation where my aim was just to capture what's going on, I'd be as happy with a Flip as with this (of course with the Flip there is next to no zooming, so it wouldn't work in every situation). But if the idea was to create a certain "look" or adapt to the needs of a unique situation (e.g. bright lights against darkness, very bright sun or snow, etc.) then it would be nice to have the flexibility of the controls on this one.

Some people think that what really matters in a camcorder is the resolution. 720 pixels or even 1080 pixels sounds a lot better than 480p - this one can be set to shoot at 720p, which is, technically, "HD" - but, as it turns out, that's just one factor in a much more complex equation. The quality and size of the lens, the quality of the processor, the size of the sensor, are all factors that contribute to the overall character of the picture you can get from a camcorder. What that means is that just because a camcorder is "HD" doesn't mean it will give you the best in quality.

I shot this video comparison you see here at a local nature park, using both the HD and the SD mode of the Sanyo TH1 and also shooting for comparison roughly the same images with my Flip Mino. It's hard to really see all the differences here on the small screen (especially given that I had to compress the video for playback on the web), but I find that even when I play it at best quality on my big screen TV it is hard to say which images I prefer. They all have a fair amount of grain to them, and none even come close to the quality of the images I can get on my Canon VIXIA HF10, but they all look okay and for some uses just fine. The critical point for me is that between the three, even though there were some detectable differences, I couldn't decide which I liked best. (You will note in this video the obvious difference in aspect ratios, since the HD footage is widescreen and is here letterboxed so it will fit in the same size screen as the SD footage; another feature is that in bright sunlight the Flip images are pretty washed out, but they are about equivalent in normal light conditions and even relatively low light conditions).

For the purposes of this test I had all the settings on automatic, and only changed the video capture setting from HD to SD between shots, but it's worth noting that unlike simpler camcorders the TH1 does give you some flexibility with the images, allowing for all the standard adjustments (white balance, exposure, etc.) and the usual settings (sports, snow, fireworks, etc.) and effects (transitions, sepia, b/w, etc.). It has an impressive 30x optical zoom - though it's not wise to zoom that far unless you've got it on a tripod because at that focal distance the image stabilization can do nothing for the shakes.

This is advertised as a dual purpose camcorder, meaning it shoots both video and photos, but it is worth noting that the photos are very poor quality - not even as good as you get with most cellphones these days (technically, they are shot on a 1.1 MP sensor and blown up to 2.0 MP photos, and while the number of pixels is not the most important thing it is not unimportant and that is pretty low). One other secondary purpose is served by the fact that you can set the camcorder to record only audio, which uses much less memory than shooting video and audio at the same time. So this could also serve as a "dictaphone" or recorder. For that purpose it does well enough - and the onboard mike seems to be comparable to other camcorders in its price range. But apart from a possible use as a dictaphone, for all intents and purposes this is a camcorder that ostensibly shoots in HD but is probably best suited for video intended only to be screened on the web or personal computer or where the overall quality of the images is not of utmost importance.

I bought this camcorder for a "cheap" way to enter the HD world of video capturing. I will wait to get a much better camcorder once I figure out how to get around editing AVCHD (and when I buy a new computer that can handle HD video editing with ease). My main use for this camcorder is capturing orchestral performances, editing it, and uploading the video to YouTube in HD quality. I also like taking video that requires no editing. In summary, this camcorder isn't the best in the world, but isn't the worst in the world.

Things you should be aware of before buying this camcorder:
1) The zoom button seems flimsy. It feels like it'll break any moment.

2) The image stabilizer is not that useful (especially from 15x-30x zoom if shooting with hands). However, the image stability is greatly improved with a tripod (the video is still shaky nonetheless).

3) Not that great in low lighting conditions.

4) In a complete silence environment, you can hear noise when you zoom in or out. Not only that, you can hear other noises made from the camcorder in the audio recording in general. There's no mic input to work around this flaw. But if the environment is NOT in complete silence (like an orchestra playing), you probably won't hear the extraneous noises coming from the camcorder.

Other Observations/Thoughts:
1) I use a Transcend 16GB SDHC that comes with a card reader, and it seems to work out.

2) All videos captured are saved as file type mp4.

3) It uses SDHC, which means it uses the FAT32 filing system, which means the biggest file you can create is 4GB. At the highest video setting, that would be about 1 hour of non-stop recording. I decided to test what would happen if I try to go over 4GB. So I left the camcorder on for about one hour and one minute. Then in the LCD screen, there's a countdown timer in red font indicating that it is running out of time to record. When it reached zero seconds, it auto-saves the recording, and then it starts a new recording. The file (in the SDHC) indicates that it is 3.99GB. However when I try to copy and paste this file to my computer, it won't let me. The file is now useless. So the moral of the story is, if you are using the highest video setting, don't go over 55 minutes of non-stop recording, and you'll be fine.

4) I don't really care about taking pictures on this, so I didn't test that.

5) Regarding the battery: [UPDATE: 4/14/2009] Out of the box the battery says it has 72 minutes left on it. So I started to recharge it. According to the manual, the LED will turn red if it's recharging and turn off if it's finished. Three hours pass and the LED is still red. I was wondering how can this thing charge for so long. So I unplugged it and checked the battery life. It says 207 minutes. I plugged it back in to recharge it again. The LED is off. In summary, it seems that the recharging indicator isn't reliable.

Video Editing/AVCHD section ------------------------------------------
Of course editing video in AVCHD is a different beast altogether. So my review rating is not affected by this.

My Computer Specs:
OS: Windows XP
CPU: AMD Athlon XP +1800
Memory: 2 x 512MB
Video Card: ATI Radeon 8500 LE 128MB

First, here is what I WANT done in the video editing process:
1) If the video doesn't need to be edited, I should be able to upload to YouTube in HD quality

2) If a video DOES need to be edited, there should be a way to "uncompress it" with a lossless technique (like huffYUV), or a way to edit the mp4 file directly with advanced editing techniques, compress it, and output to YouTube, DVD, or Blu-Ray.

Now I will tell you if steps 1) and 2) can be done based on my experience.

Step 1) can be done. Just upload the mp4 file to YouTube (it's in HD quality), and that's it.

Step 2) is rather interesting. Here's what I've done so far.
a) install lame mp3 and ffdshow codecs
b) install and load "pazera free mp4 to avi converter"
c) uncompress the mp4 file to HuffYUV lossless (this will be the intermediate file for editing). This may cause the frame rate to lag (but I'm using a slow computer). Also take note that HuffYUV will produce a big file (about 31 MB/s for me). We do step c) because VirtualDub can't load mp4 files.
d) install and load VirtualDub (or whatever video editor you use that can let you edit HuffYUV), and do your video editing.
e) compress video to ffdshow mpeg4 (fourcc = MP4V) 4000kbit/s: audio to lame mp3 128kbit/s
f) Done (the compressed file doesn't lag for me anymore).

I am still searching for software that can do advanced video editing for AVCHD (or an uncompressed format) since VirtualDub can only do simple editing.

So I have reviewed quite a few cameras..everything from a Flip, a Vado, a Canon Vixia, and now this Sanyo. My review is more about setting your expectations to a level that will allow this camera a sweet spot in your home. I am probably one of the few that is rating this camera high and that is simply because I know what it is meant for and what it can/cannot do. So here we go:

Box Includes:
Camera
Lens Cap
Hand Strap
AC Adapter
USB Cable (Micro USB)
Composite Analog Video Cable
Documentation
Software for both PC/MAC (LESS SW for MAC then PC).

When you read this review and or evaluate the item description, it is very important to keep in mind that this camera is in the $250-275 range. It is not meant to be a high end High Definition camera.

The camera is about the size of a small paper back book and is very light and comfortable to hold. The battery slides inside of a hidden compartment at the bottom and can be charged by plugging the adapter into the rear end of the camera. Once charged I found that the battery lasted for about 2-3 hours of heavy torture testing. The camera starts up for the first time and a little voice tells you to set the date and time...I dont know about you but I love voice feedback. After initial setup the camera, when powered on, says "Starting, Internal Memory". This makes any gadget a bit more fun.

I love the fact that Sanyo has a 30x optical zoom on this little camcorder, but I am not a fan of the time it takes for the camera to focus in on a subject. It is SLOW at best. That being said, 30x optical is awesome and with the image stabilization features built in the SHAKE is reduced quite a bit, not entirely..but enough. The camera also takes 2mp still shots and has a little flash built in under the lens. It is a nice feature...but lets be honest here..2mp is lower then what newer cell phones provide these days and, to me, completely worthless. Video is captured on the built in 32gb of storage in 720p mode using the h264 codec. Still images are captured at 1600x1200 at 2mp. The images and video can be captured to the inbuilt storage and or you can add a SDHC card to the camera (size is up to you 8-32gb is accepted). The rear of the camera has a very simplistic layout. Two buttons towards the top to select still or video, a rec/play button in the center, a menu button to the right, and a joystick to the left that lets you navigate throughout the various options. The joystick is excellent and works well. On top of the camera you have a rocker panel for wide/telephoto...it is very sensitive and works well..it feels good to the finger.

I seldom use software that is provided by manufacturers as most computers today, pc or mac, have enough built in abilities to manipulate images and video. The OS X platform especially with iPhoto and iMovie works wonders.

I generally like to test camera gear on MAC's since most manufacturers tend to provide more software for Windows based pc's. The MAC is a very graphics oriented platform and thus I like to see if it will recognize and utilize a camera such as this one. Once you connect the micro usb cable to the computer and to the camera, it comes up with a menu of options. Screen Capture, PC Camera, Card Reader etc... With the Sanyo software on your computer you have many more options then without. When you do not use the software you are limited to the Card Reader mode which does allow for iPhoto and Windows based PC's to see this as an actual Camera that you can process images/video from. Works flawlessly.

Image Quality: As I mentioned above, I have used FLIP's HD, Creative' Vado HD, and now this camera. Why am I not mentioning my higher end Vixia...because that camera need not be compared to this particular model. The Flip and Vado are pretty much neck in neck when it comes to video quality and compact size; they work well and the image quality is as good as can be for their lens sizes. The Sanyo one ups them and gives you a better lens with 30x optical zoom which makes this the winner in the compact category. Low light quality is so so...it does need a bit of ambient light around during the dark...even with a little light there is some noise and grain can be seen..its not great but neither are the other two compacts mentioned above. Outdoor video's and indoor daytime videos are comparable if not better then the other two above. The optical zoom does allow for a great variation of shooting and is HIGHLY recommended...(30x optical at this price is truly amazing).

As my title suggests, if your expectations are correct then this camera will work for you. This is not intended to become your household camcorder...at least for me. It is intended, in my opinion, to be the camera that you carry around in place of a Flip or Vado so you have more storage and better optics. Since the camera is shaped like a traditional camcorder it is easier to shoot with and believe me, it still fits in your pocket and or pocket book..but does not have the weight of a brick. That being said, this camera's image quality is comparable to older dvi tape camcorders and it may be what you need for your memories.

I can provide a lot more detail about this camera, but feel it is un-necessary since the above should suffice. I am giving this a 4/5 only because of two negatives:
1. The 2mp still photo feature is worthless.
2. Again, another manufacturer that fails to give us a cheap mini hdmi to hdmi cable.

Other then that this camera will more then likely be a hit for its price category and is something I would recommend you take a look at if it is within your budget. [...]

I needed a replacement for my seven-year old MiniDV camcorder and this one seemed a good deal. At the store it looked very impressive and the specs were decent. I've had the camcorder for about 10 days and have tried every possible setting and feature available. I believe I can review the camcorder properly now.

The pros:
+ Nice overall design, fits comfortably in the hand, the controls are well placed and easy to access. Every control can be accessed with one hand only.
+ The LCD display is bright and clear and the size is good.
+ The battery life is impressive.
+ The menu is well organized and easy to navigate.

The cons: Unfortunately, the camcorder performance is very weak where it really matters.
+ The auto-focus is probably the biggest problem. It takes a few seconds to focus on the subject and it just doesn't seem to be able to keep focused on anything for more than ten seconds or so. Even still objects would get out of focus quickly if you zoom in/out or shake the camera slightly. It would then take another few seconds to refocus again. I've tried every possible focus setting available, i.e., spot focus, 9-point focus and AF-lock. To add insult to the injury, the manual focus only seems to work prior to pressing the REC button. That means you have to focus on the subject prior to start shooting the video. You can't make adjustments once you start recording. The best solution I found is to let the auto-focus on and then press AF-lock once the camcorder finds the focus. Then you have to do it all over again if the subject moves or if you zoom in/out. Quite honestly, that's way too much work if all you want is to take some quick video shots.
+ Lots of noise even with adequate indoor light. You can somewhat control that by adjusting the ISO settings but it is still far inferior to my old MiniDV camcorder. Forget about relatively low light conditions, the videos are just awfully grainy.
+ I'm no expert but the color saturation doesn't seem right. For example, the reds and greens stand out too much in relation to the other colors. I tried the different setting provided for that but quite frankly I could not notice any difference between these settings.
+ The video motion is not smooth. It looks like a video shot on a cell phone at times. The specs claim 30fps, but it does not look like it at all. Even SD videos @60fps perform poorly as far the video motion is concerned.

I really wanted to like this camcorder and I assure you I've tried really hard to make its performance at least acceptable to me. But the final video quality is just plain bad. You might not notice how bad the videos are until you download them to your computer or watch them on a good size TV (42" or bigger). Every video lacks detail, focus, and it is grainy and full of noise. Just for comparison, I've also tried a Panasonic SDR-S26 and, despite being an SD camcorder, it performed well above the Sanyo VPC-TH1. Mind you, the SDR-S26 is not really regarded as a top performer in the SD world.

Needless to say that I returned the product to the store. Interestingly, the store offered a 50-dollar discount if I was willing to keep the camcorder. I can only guess that many of the other buyers are returning their purchases too. Personally, even a 100-dollar discount would not convince me to keep the camcorder as its poor performance makes it useless to me.

I was excited to get into the world of high definition video. I've been a camera enthusiast over the years, but have resisted entering the camcorder world simply because I never felt I had the need for one. Things recently changed and I decided to give the Sanyo a shot. Here's my breakdown:

PROS
1 - price. This is the cheapest HD camcorder on the market. It's only 720p, but for most people, this will be just fine.
2 - compact size. This thing is about as big as a pop can and is very light. Great form factor.
3 - battery life is excellent. I used it for several hours and never came close to it being empty.
4 - uses flash memory (SDHC). I LOVE this fact, because SDHC cards are the cheapest flash memory on the market, so you will never run out of recording space.
5 - excellent zoom. 30X optical zoom for the price of this camera is quite impressive.

Notice I didn't list video quality under the Pros. Now, on to the Cons...

CONS
1 - terrible, terrible still picture quality. There is NO REASON to list this as a "dual camera", because after seeing the quality of the still photos, my PHONE takes better pictures! I would never, ever recommend using this video camera to take pictures. EVER.
2 - terrible video quality. When I say terrible, I mean that my sister's SD video camera takes better video than this HD camera. Video is grainy, noisy, oversharpened, colors washed out, and always blurry. Indoors, without IDEAL light, this camera is completely useless. This leads me on to my next con...
3 - AWFUL image stabilization. This camera boasts image stabilization, yet I never got a still image. My videos were jerky, choppy, and all around hard to watch. I fear that people watching these videos may need to take some motion sickness medication before the nausea sets in. My guess for the reason image stabilization doesn't work is because it's not optical, but digital stabilization. Poor choice here Sanyo.
4 - awkward button placement. I have pretty big fingers, and I found the button placement to be challenging. Several times I hit the wrong button when fumbling for the one I actually wanted to press.

All in all, I simply cannot recommend this camcorder. There are MUCH better options if you could afford to spend about $50 more. Most people, I assume, get a high definition camcorder to take high definition videos. But when your high definition videos look worse than standard definition videos, then you better spend your money elsewhere. Sadly, this is the case with the VPC-TH1.

The Sanyo VPC-TH1 HD is an entry level high definition SD camcorder with digital camera mode. Unlike its more expensive (and heavier) big brother, the VPC-FH1 HD, it does not support full HD (1080p) but only 720p HD.
The video modes supported are 1280x720@30fps (720p), 640x480@60fps and 640x480@30fps (SD).
The lens provides a 30x zoom and is the 35mm equivalent of a 43mm-1290mm zoom, with a 37mm accessory thread.

The layout of the VPC-TH1 is practically identical to that of the VPC-FH1: same crisp flip-out widescreen LCD monitor, same logically organized controls at the back (4 buttons: still, movie, rec/play, menu, and a mini-joystick). The zoom control is located at the top of the camera, and you will find a flash below the lens (for still pictures only). The underside features a standard tripod screw mount and the battery compartment.
Flipping open the monitor reveals the SD card slot, an HDMI connector, a USB/AV connector and the on/off switch. When the camera is on, closing the monitor puts it in stand-by; flip open the monitor and the camera is ready to shoot in about 4 seconds.

The controls are very simple, and anybody vaguely familiar with the operation of a camcorder can learn how to use it in a few minutes. However, all automatic features can be turned off or controlled via extensive menus, and the power user will delight in the plethora of available settings. The best feature, inherited from SLR cameras, is the capability to assign custom shortcuts to the mini-joystick so that you can access your 4 favorite features quickly while shooting without having to wade through menus.

CONS
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- No docking station
- No external charger; you charge the battery by plugging the power adapter into the camera (an external charger is available at extra cost)
- Unremarkable still picture quality
- Weak low-light performance
- Widest angle not quite wide enough (43mm equivalent) but that's a common problem with camcorders
- Not a full-HD camcorder
- Electronic image stabilization is unconvincing
- Bundled software Windows only (but camcorder is fully supported by OSX's iLife)

PROS
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- Simple to operate but feature-rich
- Excellent performance in good lighting conditions
- "Face Chaser"
- Fast, efficient autofocus
- Long zoom lens
- Uses standard encoding format usable on computers without conversion
- Built-in simple video editing allows in-camera trimming and joining
- Lens thread allowing the use of accessories, such as the 0.7x VCP-L07W1U wide angle, 0.4x VCP-L04SWU super wide angle and 1.5x VCP-L15TU tele

CONCLUSION
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This camcorder's weakest points, poor low light performance and insufficient electronic image stabilization, are standard fare for an entry level camcorder. However, give it some light and/or a tripod and it starts shining. Good color fidelity and contrast, good motion, ease of use, 720p HD, you get quite a lot for very little. This can make a great first camcorder for a family or a teenager, and you can't really go wrong at this price. You probably want to add a tripod and a case to your purchase, and a wide angle lens wouldn't hurt either.

If you want a still camera replacement, great low light performance and good image stabilization, this is not the camera for you, but be prepared to spend significantly more money; otherwise, the VPC-TH1 HD is an excellent, sturdy and inexpensive well rounded family camcorder that I can recommend without any hesitation.

I am not an expert at video recorders- this is the first one I have used in years. I have had the Sanyo Dual Camera Xacti TH1 camera for a few weeks, however, and have really put it through the paces, so perhaps my experience will be helpful.

General appearance and construction: I was pleased with the look and feel of the camera. The hinges all appear solid and well made. At first I was afraid that the screen would be loose after a while, but I no longer believe that to be a problem. The slots for the SD card and the batteries are good and solid- and the SD slot is sealed with a rubber gasket to be at least water resistant. I saw nothing to concern me about the mechanical side of things.

View Screen: The screen is good and bright. I used it in a variety of lighting conditions and had no problem telling what I was shooting. That said, the camera did not have a view finder. I am kind of old fashioned, I guess, but I like a view finder. Frequently I find that I can't use a camera screen in bright light- but then again, I didn't have any problem with this screen. The screen will flip around in all directions- by the way- so self portraits of "overhead" shots are easy to accomplish.

Controls: The controls are good and solid, but were not immediately intuitive. I deliberately did not read the manual in the beginning, and was able to figure everything out in a couple of hours- but it took some work. The menus make sense and I didn't have any issues figuring out what they were asking me.

Manual: I did eventually read the manual and found it reasonable. It did not contain some of the detailed information I was looking for- but it did describe how to do anything I would want to do.

Function: The camera works really well. The zoom is absolutely incredible. I loved the "take a photo while you are recoding video" feature. This means that if you wanted to record your kid's concert you could do so, but still occasionally snap a photo of the event that could be printed or e-mailed or whatever. I would rather have the photos than the videos- so this was a big deal.

I got really good photos and videos under a variety of conditions that I considered challenging. The first one, for example, I made a video of a live concert that was outdoors conducted at night. The stage was over 50 yards from where I set. The camera did very well. Admittedly, the image stabilization could not compensate for the extreme zoom, but with some leaning against a post, the video was acceptable. The sound was good for such a small unit- and sounded much better on the television (see later) than it did on the unit's built in speaker.

I then shot video from a moving car. Video inside a well lit room, video in poor light.. you name it. Everything came out good.

The photos that are taken while the video is recording do not make use of the flash. This causes some problems with quality in low light- but not as much as I was expecting. I don't know what the equivalent ASA rating of this thing would be, but I'm thinking it would be pretty good.

A couple of times I tried to take photos that simply did not take. I'm not sure what I did wrong. This was while I was experimenting with using the camera without reading the book. I didn't have these issues later.

I thought the battery life was very good- long enough to fill my memory card. When I traveled with the unit, I didn't even take the charger, I just used the batteries. There is a neat monitor inside that tells you how long the batter y has to go in minutes of operation. Really cool.

I transferred the photos taken to my computer and they look good. I played the video (and photo show) directly on my HD television and they looked very good as well. This reminds me of a minor irritation- the camera does not come with a SD card of any kind. I was expecting a small one of some kind so that I could play without making a trip to the store. The camera will hold a few photos or few seconds of video in its internal memory, but very few. With the price of SD cards so low now, this is a convenience, not cost issue.

All in all, if you're looking for a small, light video camera with a built in stop motion photo capability, I would recommend this unit. You have to get over not having a view finder, but I'm thinking that for most folks, the view finder is not something they have to have.

Good purchase!

These are the setting that my brother in law has ended up with since buying this camera, and the picture is great!! There are a lot of test shots over at Vimeo from various people who have actually have used this camera. I have a CG10 and recommended the TH1 as he wanted to use other lens and have a better zoom.

Video Stabilizer - OFF (you only need if you are shooting long distance, unless you pay for a Canon with optical stabilization, all digital stabilization cause the same wobble in the image)
Focus Mode - SPOT
Exposure - MULTI
ISO - AUTO (setting the f. will allow the camera to choose the right ISO for the job)
White Balance - AUTO
Exposure - Aperture locked at 1.8 when in wide (this will change to 4.3 when in Tele)
Face Chaser - OFF (This just makes the image blurry when on)
High Sensitivity - OFF (Only needed in low light, again all Video Chips of this type has noise!! The Flips have a lower f. but check out Vimeo to see why this is a better camera, search for CG10 and a guy has done side by side shots with both cameras)
Digital Zoom - OFF (Again just makes the image bad)

Personally this is the best camera in its price range, and the VPC-CG10 is close too, but thats because its almost the same camera. This little thing is amazing. Don't listen to me, head over to Vimeo, search for CG10 and take a look at all the test shoots from me Nathan Hughes and Operator7G (this guys did all the side by side with the Flips!!) for the CG10. They use the same control software, and side by side shoots from the TH1 and CG10 are very close, the TH1 slightly better.

Also the files drop very nicely into iMovie and edit no problem as is!!!

Nate

On paper, the Xacti HD looks great. The ability to take Video and Photos. Videos are HD quality and use MPEG-4 compression. Videos and photos are stored on standard SD cards, which is very handy. The dual camera is fairly compact. What's not to like...

I don't know if this unit was defective, or if this is the way all of them are. But videos and photos are awful. The videos lack sharpness, are full of compression artifacts, and look smudgy. Instead of a nice smooth flow of footage, you get jerky jumping motion as the video appears to skip a few frames. Pretty much any digital camera I've ever owned takes better videos.

Photos are no better. They are full of noise, even when taken outdoors. Focus and detail are marginal. To autofocus, you press the shutter halfway as you do with most cameras. But this camera is very slow to focus. Once you have it in focus, you continue to press the photo record button. But even in bright sunlight, the focus was marginal. Pictures just were not very sharp. Every camera I've ever used, digital and film (I've owned dozens) takes better photos. Think of the quality of a low end first generation cell phone and you'll be in the ballpark of what to expect. Again, one caveat, is perhaps this particular unit was defective.

You hold the camera like a standard camcorder, with hand on the body, and back of the hand against the strap. Build quality seems good enough. The layout of the buttons is straightforward enough, Photos - Videos - Play. The zoom is a bit awkward but you get use to it. The Menu is clear and well designed. The screen is decent. The manual is comprehensive and explains everything. I would organize it a bit differently. It starts with a15 page quick manual, followed by Table of Contents and 180 page manual. Flip it upside down and you get a small manual re the software. I'd prefer that the manual start with Table of Contents, Parts pictures, battery and cap installation, and then start the mini-manual. But that's just personal preference and has no effect on my rating.

Although it is a bit chunky, I was able to fit it in the pants pocket and take the camera to a wedding rehearsal dinner.

I took outdoor pictures and indoor pictures. The outdoor pictures were better as you'd expect, but still way below standard of a standard camera (like Panasonic TZ5). I wanted to give this camera a better recommendation...but just couldn't find an honest basis to do it.

After completing this review I went out and took another set of pictures of flowers in bright daylight conditions. Same thing. Pictures lacked sharpness, and focus was marginal.

Bottom line is I would buy almost any digital camera before using this one.