Sanyo VPC-FH1 review

Can Sanyo get the right balance of stills and video?

Gone are the days when an SD-card-based camcorder was something to be sneered at. Both capacities and the amount of compression possible before the image quality becomes of too high a level to be passable have reached such a point that it’s expected that a camcorder should utilise memory card as the primary recording method.

Sanyo’s VPC-FH1 is one of a growing number of the Xacti range, which combine compact size, a hi-res HD movie mode and simplicity. The size and shape of the FH1 certainly lends itself to the new user. Both the stills and video modes are obvious from the off, and even when navigating the menu a single press can access the relevant recording mode. Otherwise the buttons are very sparse, with only a mode control, menu button and a joystick. This lack of controls does mean it’s not too tricky to use the FH1, but more in-depth control does require a trip through multiple menu screens. For video usage this isn’t too common, but photographers looking for a way of tampering with the settings will be sourly disappointed. 

In terms of the image quality the higher resolution 1080p video gives the FH1 plenty of scope to show off the quality of the lens, or make a real hash of things. Thankfully there’s not much to complain about in terms of colour quality. The tendency seems to be towards the redder shades but not to an overbearing level, and the detail is decent. Annoyingly the image stabilisation is overly aggressive making the images seem unnaturally static at times, and the lens doesn’t focus particularly rapidly when at the top end of the zoom. It tries to focus, but spends more time attempting than actually succeeding. Although the zoom is useful, the FH1 can’t really cope with the top end, meaning it’s necessary to stop short of the full capacity.