Sanyo VPC-HD2000 review

Eight-megapixel stills plus Full HD video from top-of-the-range ‘dual camera’. But is one all-encompassing device truly better than two?

For those who have no truck with convention there is the Sanyo HD2000, the company’s flagship pistol-grip camera and camcorder hybrid – or ‘dual camera’ – and the first release since the announcement of a new tactical and operational partnership with Panasonic. We were told at the product launch that it was too early for any repercussions to have been felt regarding product development, thus the HD2000 doesn’t yet sport the Leica optics of Panasonic’s own compacts. However, what you do get is Full HD video capture at 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, 30fps, plus eight-megapixel stills with the option to interpolate this up to 12MP.

Although construction is mainly black plastic with champagne metal detailing, the HD2000 feels reassuringly weighty, if we found it tricky to hold the camera steady enough to avoid camera shake in low light. There is a screw thread provided for a tripod at the base, but lugging around an additional means of support defeats the all-in-one objective.

This Xacti is activated via a Power button hidden beneath its 2.7-inch widescreen ratio screen when not in use. Once you have the device up and shooting, however, simply folding the screen inwards deactivates it, while doing the reverse instantly readies it for action. Storage is onto removable SD or SDHC (up to 32MB), a slot for which is provided near the base of the grip. A 4GB SD will provide 1,000 images or half-an-hour of Full HD footage. If the user forgets to insert a card a transatlantic-sounding voice prompts that you do so.

Although shaped like a gun, Sanyo resists the temptation to provide a front-mounted trigger with which to ‘shoot’, instead plumping for a thumb-operated circular Command pad at the back of the grip. Divided down the middle, the left-hand side features a Shutter Release button, while the right-hand side records video. Both buttons are large and clearly marked, yet, with the user’s attention focused on the screen, it’s all too easy to slip from one to the other, so closely aligned are they. However the zoom, operated by a parallel spring-loaded slider and equivalent to 38-380mm in 35mm terms (10x) when capturing stills, is commendably smooth and responsive, the image relayed at maximum telephoto, largely free from judder.

To the right of the Record button is a slider switch for alternating between recording and playback. Unlike most compacts, if a photo opportunity suddenly presents itself, a half-press of the Shutter Release button if you’re in review won’t automatically cause it to jump back into Capture mode.

Moving on, at the north and south points on the rear pad are a ‘photo view’ and a Menu button respectively. While Menu is self-explanatory, a button press calling up a grouping of folders navigated via a fiddly joystick situated below, a press of photo view crops the widescreen image presented, introducing black bars left and right of screen to provide a more accurate impression of the framing at your disposal. Its inclusion feels slightly superfluous, however, as pressing the Shutter button halfway has the same effect. It must be noted that the Shutter release needs to be pressed firmly for the camera to then go on and take the shot, the sampled sound of a shutter firing providing needed reassurance.

In terms of connectivity, the HD2000 comes with its own desktop docking station that features a HDMI connection for hooking the unit up to a latest-generation TV, alongside standard USB, AV and external power ports. Downloaded, 12MP interpolated images are noticeably soft, giving the impression of video grabs when examined closely, and, since you aren’t actually adding more detail, we preferred to stick to smaller file sizes and opt for 8MP instead. 

More positively, MPEG-4 video images are impressively sharp and smooth, the camera adjusting focus automatically as you zoom in or out. Colours are generally warm, although some corner shading is visible in images taken at maximum wide-angle – as is barrel distortion. The HD2000 struggles to find focus in low light, however, and above ISO 800 noise is an issue.

Of course, people pay for convenience, but the biggest stumbling block for us is the Sanyo’s price: £550, which would otherwise net you a DSLR and kit lens, or the HD2000’s close rival in the HD camcorder stakes, Sony’s TG3.

Incidentally, for those who do find the HD2000’s appearance too unconventional, a horizontal version in the VPC-FH1 is available with the same headline features.