Customer Review

62 of 65 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars A decent economy camcorder, June 1, 2010
This review is from: Sanyo VPC-CG20 High Definition Camcorder & 10 MP Camera (Black) (Electronics)
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.
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Comments

Tracked by 2 customers

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Showing 1-8 of 8 posts in this discussion
Initial post: Nov 15, 2010 3:47:30 PM PST
Angellee74 says:
really answered most of my questions. thanks for taking the time to post such a fair review.

Posted on Dec 27, 2010 8:51:02 AM PST
Windows 7 with Windows Movie Maker Live has no problems importing mpeg-4.

In reply to an earlier post on Dec 27, 2010 9:00:47 AM PST
Yes, Floyd. But Windows Live MovieMaker for Vista doesn't import mpeg-4 files, and the older MovieMaker for XP and earlier platforms won't either. So good if you have Windows 7 (which I do now, and I like it), but not for the rest of us.

In reply to an earlier post on Dec 27, 2010 9:14:21 AM PST
Andrew.
Just wanted to provide a "heads up" for Windows 7 users.

In reply to an earlier post on Dec 27, 2010 11:05:20 AM PST
Thanks, Floyd. A good point. The ability to use an improved version of Live Movie Maker was one of the reasons I upgraded to 7. All in all, I'm very happy with it.

In reply to an earlier post on Dec 27, 2010 11:10:55 AM PST
Andrew...
I have a computer with Vista and also a new laptop with 7. I cannot tell you how much I hate Vista with a purple passion and how much I like 7. What were they thinking when they released that abortion called Vista?

In reply to an earlier post on Apr 3, 2011 4:15:53 PM PDT
M. Thompson says:
Actually Windows Live Movie Maker for Vista DOES import mpeg-4. You need to get the latest updates. I am running Vista and have used this camera and Windows Live to edit and post videos (I shoot in 720p 60fps). No issues whatsoever. Please download the latest version here http://explore.live.com/windows-live-movie-maker?os=other

Posted on Jun 4, 2011 9:07:24 PM PDT
bill704 says:
Andrew, Format Factory from pcfreetime is a FREE conversion program that will convert your video clips into a number of different formats.
Because it's a free program it will ask you if you want to install the "Ask Toolbar" by accepting the terms of "Ask", Make "Ask" your browser default search provider, and set "Ask.com" as your homepage. Just UN-check those boxes before clicking on the "Finish" button when you install Format Factory.
It's a pretty good converter that gives you quality conversions, I've been using it for over a year now.
Hope this helps.
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