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Sanyo Xacti HD1000 4MP MPEG4 High Definition 1080i Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom | 
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| Brand: Sanyo
Category: Photography
List Price: $799.99
Buy New: $585.05
You Save: $214.94 (27%)
New (19)
Avg. Customer Rating:  57 reviews
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: Yes
Optical Zoom: 10
Display Size: 2.7
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 3.5 x 2.1 x 4.4
MPN: VPC-HD1000
Model: VPC-HD1000
UPC: 086483068836
EAN: 0086483066832
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | Digital media camera combines the functionality of a digital camera with a digital camcorder | | • | Simultaneously records high-definition digital video and 4 MP digital still images | | • | 10x HD zoom lens; 2.7-inch widescreen LCD | | • | Built-in image stabilization; high-quality digital stereo recording | | • | HDMI high-definition output; compatible with SD/SDHC memory cards |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The Sanyo Xacti HD1000 camcorder combines a FULL 1080i image quality with 4-Megapixel still images in a single compact design. Incorporating the latest high-definition CMOS sensor, the Sanyo Xacti HD1000 camcorder captures full 1920x1080 (1080i) high-definition video at 60 frames-per-second. Designed to record the rich and vibrant colors of real life, the HD1000 also captures subtle tones to provide a natural-looking result. Sanyo's noise reduction technology helps obtain the cleanest signal while the CMOS sensor provides the responsiveness you need to capture fast moving objects. Record in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 to get exceptional video clarity and detail while maintaining the smallest file size possible. A 10x all-glass HD lens is capable allowing light through almost 4x more to assist in lower light situations. The lens provides a fantastic field-of-view with a 38-380 mm range (35 mm equivalent). A large 2.7" Widescreen LCD display flips out and rotates up to 285 degrees on an axis to take great video or stills from angles that are otherwise difficult to position, in large crowds or small rooms. It's easy to share your high-definition movies on your HD television with the HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) terminal built into the base station to connect your camcorder to your TV. The Xacti HD1000 records high-definition and photos directly to a standard SD or SDHC Memory Card for a total of up to 1 hour and 25 minutes of 1080i high-definition video on an optional 8GB card. With simple drag-and-drop operation, it's easy to save recorded video clips and still images onto a computer's hard disk for emailing, editing or archiving. Adjustable Resolution Modes Organization & In-Camera Editing Robust Sound Recording Easy Camera To PC Connection Superfast Startup Manual Controls
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| Customer Reviews: Read 52 more reviews...
 Not cheap, but very good considering the feature set October 19, 2007
168 out of 173 found this review helpful
I've had mine for several months now and have had the opportunity to use it in a variety of environments.
First, the pros: the build is better than anything I've seen from Sanyo to date. It has a nice heft to it, the controls are much smoother and more precise than in previous models ( allowing for less herky-jerk zooming ), and it looks like something out of the future. The flash is quite powerful, the lens seems to have none of the ghosting issues that plagued some of the earlier models and controls flare well even in oblique sunlight. It has a threaded lens so you can attach a 40.5mm protective filter as well as Sanyo-branded wide-angle, fisheye and teleconverter lenses. The menu system is intuitive like few I've seen from any manufacturer, the LCD is clear and bright ( if not razor sharp ) and the camera and SD compartments have now been separated from one another as well, with the ( long life ) battery being under the hand grip.
Ease of playback on an HDTV with the included base docking/charger could not be simpler, and the Sanyo Image library feature that allows movies to be stored in full HD on an external hard drive and be played back directly through the camera dock to the TV is brilliant. The ability to edit clips in camera is a real marketing advantage over the competition. It works well, too.
The camera seems quite durable, and after several months of use there is not one scratch on it. The fact that a lens cover is supplied and that it is a squeeze-type bayonet type is very nice by comparison to some of the primitive lens covers on other Sanyo models.
The camera has a vast variety of selectable options for metering, white balance, exposure, programs, movie and picture quality, saturation and color effects, flash modes, exposure compensation etc etc. It will take you quite some time to find out how to use this camera to its fullest potential.
Now the cons:
I'd hesitate to recommend this to people with small hands, as it is bulky enough to be "barely" hand-holdable by someone like myself with fairly large hands. My wife certainly couldn't hold this with one hand.
You like reviewing on your PC, you say? Again, forget about it. Unless you have the latest and greatest computer hardware and oodles of patience to find, download and install codecs, you won't be able to. As simple as that. My PC is two years old, and it can't even handle the 720p/30 fps resolution , much less the full 60 fps 1080i. Now, this is NOT a flaw or a fault of the camera, since other AVC/h.264 cameras have similar backward-compatibility problems with hardware and software that just can't keep up with the huge processing demands of the format. But it's still something you should know before you plunk down $ 700. Especially for Mac users. I'm not one, but discussion forums are a-twitter with angry Apple fans who notice that QT is not handling the full 1080i files.
The lens, big and lovely and fast as it is, still has the infamous Sanyo blue spot, which although barely visible still shows up in some shots, particularly indoors if there is a bright overhead light in the picture. I happen to notice it because I've had previous Sanyo models and was looking for it. You might not even notice it, it's that faint.
I was at first undecided whether to keep it or not, especially since at the time I bought it the price was $ 799 and the cheaper HD 700 had not yet launched. When it did launch, I ordered one , thinking it might be a cheaper and more compact but otherwise fairly similar model to the HD 1000. Wrong! After two weeks of side by side testing, the HD 700 was returned and I felt much better about the higher price of the HD 1000 considering the superior optics and video/images. It's worth the extra bucks.
It's worth noting that one of the more intelligent features is to have supplied the camera with a "Normal" and "Simple" mode. The normal mode allows more creative control; the simple mode automates the camera functions for those who just want to get good pictures and video without necessarily wanting to fudge around with settings.
Conclusion: very good and definitely a huge bound in the right direction for Sanyo to compete with the more established marques. It won't give you HD like a professional broadcast HDTV camera will, but try putting one of those in your pocket!
 Great Camera, Mac Compatible, Very Portable October 26, 2007
69 out of 71 found this review helpful
I have a Sony HDR-SR1, which I've had for a year and loved, but it only comes out when I know I want to shoot video... and so I've missed some spur of the moment footage because I simply didn't have it with me. I bought the Xacti to carry around all the time.
First off, this camera was designed to work with the Mac, and even comes wiht iTunes and Quicktime on the DVD in the box. There is a version of Quicktime 7.20 which has come out since which has a bug in it that prevents displaying the video. I expect that as of 6pm today-- when Leopard ships-- there will be a new version of quicktime that resolves this issue, so it should be resolved at any rate by the time you read this review. There is a workaround that I'm using to watch my footage-- I simply copied the H.264 component from Quicktime 7.16 (on the DVD with the Xacti) over the H.264 component on my 7.2 quicktime in /Systems/Library/Quicktime... and its working perfectly now-- editing in imovie, etc.
The camera has some great features compares to my sony-- more resolution options and it actually is higher resolution (1920x1080 at 60fps vs 1440x1080 at 30fps for the sony).
But the really compelling things is that this camera can live in your pocket and always be there.
It docks conveniently and will even act as a USB cam while docked if you want. Changing settings on the fly is really convenient- a lot easier than the sony. It does seem to have mroe difficulty focusing than the sony and it doesnt' have the niteshot feature or super-slo-mo that the sony does.
But the final straw that makes me love this camera-- since it shoots MP4 natively, you just copy the files over to imovie events folder and start up imovie. There's none of the long, tedious and hard drive consuming conversion that you need to do with AVCHD files (like the Sony and Panasonic cameras make.)
This alone make this a great camera for quick turn around shooting- you can shoot during the day, edit at night and post to the net that night.... its a really convenient workflow.
Great Camera Just What I Needed. November 30, 2007
43 out of 43 found this review helpful
I have recently purchased a Sanyo Xacti HD1000 and love it.
My main requirements were:
1. Small so that I can take it anywhere.
2. Easy to transfer video to computer for editing and back up
3. Shoot great video
4. Take a decent photo in a pinch.
This camera performs all perfectly. I don't have one complaint!
I have just replaced a Panasonic 3ccd mini DV camera that took great video but was much more bulky than the Sanyo Xacti, it took forever to get the files on to the computer and was difficult to navigate from one clip to another. You would have to rewind or fast forward the tape to replay your clip from the camera.
Another great feature about this camera that I did not know until I received the camera was the ability to plug an external hard drive directly to the camera and use it for backing up and replaying files. This is great if you want to bypass putting the files on the computer. You can plug the camera into your TV via HDMI (or you're A/V receiver like I am doing) and play your videos through the camera to your TV. It comes with a remote control that allows you to use the camera just like a DVD player with menus to navigate your saved pictures and videos. How easy is that! When you add the external hard drive you are not limited to the files currently on the SD card in the camera and the playback quality is perfect.
I also purchased the 16gig HCSD card and the 32gig card will be out in January I hear. That's over 5 hours of pure HD content on a card.
One caveat that comes with this camera in regards to computer play back. You will need a newer computer to take advantage of the full hd 1080i, 60 frames per second video or you can reduce the quality to alleviate the strain on your computer. "Reduce the quality" does not mean all of a sudden your video will look like garbage. Even taking the quality down to 720P at 30 frames a second will be a huge improvement over any standard definition camera. The cameras capabilities exceed the capabilities of most older computers. This is not a bad thing. If we only expected Sanyo to release cameras capable of playing on most peoples three year old computer we wouldn't have this great piece of technology and we would all be complaining that only the people in Japan get the good stuff.
Something to keep in mind. If you are like me, your parents might have had an 8mm film video camera that they shot home movies with. We would set up the movie projector and the screen, feed the film through the reel and watch soundless, grainy, jerky video and it was GREAT! Any camera you by today will be an incredible improvement but you have to have the camera with you to shoot. Debating the image quality from one camera to another really doesn't matter if you don't carry the camera with you to record your memories. When you look back at your "home movies" 20 years from now when the video cameras will be 1000 times better than whatever is out there now you will still love the memories you caught. Don't agonize over reviews stating the ever so slightest advantage from one camera to another. Make a list of what you really want to do with the camera and how you will use it and find the best camera that suits those needs.
If having an easy camera to use in your pocket at all times to catch the moment is important to you, this could be the perfect camera.
The best cam I've ever owned because it actually gets used December 27, 2007
40 out of 41 found this review helpful
After owning and returning the Sanyo Xacti HD700 I'm pleased to say that after 1 month with the HD1000, I love it. The model is far from perfect but it's the smallest 1080i camcorder on the market and truly jacket pocketable. Here are the major points for/against:
1. No optical image stabilization included. EIS just doesn't do as good a job and with a small cam any movement is exaggerated more so than with a big cam. This can be partially overcome by practicing good technique - learn how to hold your arms at your side and pan and breathe slowly. I use the analogy of skiing - many people complained that shape skiis helped poor skiers ski better than they were capable of on conventional skiis. With a cam this small and no optical IS, good technique is everything. I've also found that when possible, mounting and holding on a monopod (my cheap version of SteadyCam) greatly reduces hand shake. Shooting 720p at 60fps is amazing as there's very little jitter (jagged lines on screen) if you pan too quickly - not the case when using 30fps or slower.
2. Autofocus hunts around a lot and isn't as quick as Canon/Sony/Panasonic models. This took a while to get used to, using the manual focus and focus lock along with spot focus helps. This is my biggest complaint and I hope a future firmware update will alleviate.
3. As mentioned by many, it's an average low-light performer; not recommended if all you do is shoot indoors. There's also the problem that the wide angle part of the lens isn't that wide so shooting indoors is problematic.
4. HD quality is great, but it's not Discovery channel HD. Don't buy into the HD hype that a sub-$1000 cam can beat $5000+ cams. Given the size of the cam the quality is amazing - watching on a computer monitor doesn't do it justice. I HDMI outputted to to a 46" Sony Bravia LCD and all I can say is WOW. Once you've seen HD you can't go back to SD. Sure there are cams like the Canon HV20 that give better image quality at about the same price, but as of this writing, no cam that is pocketable. Furthermore in bright daylight, the HD quality holds its own against any consumer HD cam - the only people who will vehemently disagree are pixel peepers - the rest of us sitting 6ft or more back from the LCD screen can't tell the difference.
5. Photo quality is not as capable as similar small point and shoot cameras. But, given the size of this cam, I have room in the other pocket to carry my trusted Canon PowerShot SD870. In bright light the HD1000 photo quality is very good, but just don't expect it to beat a dedicated point and shoot. Keep in mind I'm a semi-pro photographer so I place a lot of emphasis on still image quality.
6. Very little MP4 file support in current video editing software. I've found that with tape I used to tape for 10-30min at a time. With digital MP4 I learn to shoot in spurts, 2min here, 1min there, 4min etc rather than trying to get the entire event without pausing. This makes it easier to watch short clips later and join together in editing. The cam also allows minor editing so I trim out bits I don't like before I download the MP4 files off the SD card.
7. Problem of workflow and what to do with all those MP4 video files; can't easily store away like tape archives. Be prepared to start buying external hard drives and doing regular backups. With tape, you'd fill the tape, transfer to computer to do any editing and then store the tape. With SD card, it's too expensive to keep buying them so the files are best offloaded to external hard drives, which are then backed up to DVD or another external hard drive.
8. It looks like a gun, even the Sanyo manual warns of potential of misunderstanding. Be careful of whipping out the HD1000 at night or pointing at anyone too quickly, especially in countries with relaxed gun laws :) The pistol grip design does take getting used to but I find it more comfortable now to hold than conventional cams - the other reason being I don't tape for an hour at a time but small segments.
9. Plastic lens cap isn't attached to cam (or built-in retractable) and easy to lose. Get a UV filter for the lens. Since this cam will probably live in your pocket and get used a lot it's quite easy to scratch the lens.
10. 1080i video requires latest modern Core2Duo computers to playback. My Mac can't play the 1080i but there are some codec workarounds until Apple fixes Quicktime. Windows users have more codec options but it is still taxing on the PC. Be warned, if you don't have the latest and greatest PC you're not going to be watching videos smoothly or doing any editing.
Whereas the mantra in real estate is location, location, location, for the consumer camcorder segment, it'd suggest size is everything. I recently sold my Panasonic PVGS500 which was a top performer in the consumer SD cam line. One of the reasons I sold that cam and didn't buy the comparably sized Canon HV20 was that I rarely brought the cam with me. It was too big and required its own carrying bag. It's like the guy who owns the Ferrari but never drives it because he worries it will be dirty or scratched. The HD1000 comes with me everywhere and is instant on! Previously there were so many missed moments that many times it was easier to film with my Canon point and shoot camera. BUT, there is no comparison in HD video quality once you've seen the HD1000 in action.
The HD1000 won't live in your pant pocket - too thick - but it fits perfectly in any jacket pocket. The HD700 was more pant pocketable but the video quality and performance just doesn't compare and even at $300 I'd hesitate ... yes the HD1000 is just that good! The sweet spot for me is filming in 720p and 60fps mode. 60fps is quick enough to capture most objects in motion smoothly and fluidly. 1080i gives slightly more detail, but the file size is also larger. Until video editing software catches up I'd suggest keeping the HD1000 at 720p/60fps.
The ability to playback the movies directly connected to the dock and external hard drive (Xacti File Library) is also a nice touch until BluRay or HD format DVD's become commonplace.
In conclusion, the HD1000 was one of my top useful gadget purchases of 2007 and one that is likely to be used weekly rather than living in my desk drawer.
****** Jan 2008 Update ******
I still love this camcorder. I've discovered that it is drag and drop easy to edit on the Mac using iMovie 08. iMovie and Final Cut Express 4 will both convert the H.264 files to Apple Intermediate Codec when imported - all done behind the scenes. Doesn't take long on my Intel iMac to do this conversion and then the file can be easily trimmed, titled, etc and one button publishing to .Mac web gallery.
The focus hunting still annoys me but the workaround is to setup your focus beforehand manually and adjust when needed. All things considered, I've taken more family videos with this HD1000 than I ever did with my full-size camcorders. The HD quality still continues to astound me and when Sanyo releases an update to the HD1000, this loyal convert will be happy to upgrade.
Sanyo HD1000 - Great Little Camera November 26, 2007
36 out of 37 found this review helpful
I first purchased the Sanyo 700 series HD camera and was not satisfied with the EIS or quality of the video as it relates to clarity and saturation. I played back the video on a relatively fast core duo machine with Nerovision and was very disappointed. The HD1000 is a little larger in size, but the quality of the 1080p video is just amazing. I also have the Aiptek GoHD camera and the 720p video on it was more superior than the Sanyo 700 series camera despite its 5mbs playback. My problem with it was the lack of a buffer and no image stabilization. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I went to a college homecoming football game and shot the halftime activities with the HD1000 and brought the camera home and hooked it up to my Vizio 47 inch 1080p TV and the video was most impressive. The size, portability, battery life, EIS, build quality, image clarity and color saturation are all pluses for Sanyo. I have considered the Panasonic SD series, Sony, Canon HG-10 and all I can say the best value for me is the Sanyo. Further, I have used the library function and attached a 250GB usb drive and the camera does all that is advertised. I do not however like using the camera for playback so I have on the way a TVIX 4100SH with a 300GB drive to drop my Sanyo HD footage on and use as a playback device in native h.264 format . I almost missed a most important point: SD ram, no harddrives to crash or tape. Playback on the HD TV was as smooth as my local HD TV channels. Bottomline: 5 STARS!!Sanyo Xacti HD1000 4MP MPEG4 High Definition 1080i Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom
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