Product Review: Sanyo Xacti VPC-SH1 Ultra-Zoom Digital Camcorder

Sanyo took a break from its popular pistol-grip styling (where the camera is held vertically) with the VPC-SH1, a small camcorder with a traditional, easily-palmed design and excellent wide-angle lens. Though the SH1 looks like a normal camcorder, it still offers the ability to take snapshots like the rest of the Xacti line, as well as high-speed filming (which results in slow-motion video).

If you're in need of a small full HD camcorder, but don't want the awkward design of the other Xacti models, the VPC-SH1 might be the camera for you.

Features

The SH1 films up to a resolution of full high definition (1920x1080) at a maximum frame rate of 60 frames per second. Still images are compressed as JPEGs, and have a max resolution of 3648x2736. Slow motion filming is also available a frame rate of 300 frames per second, but the maximum resolution for this filming is 448x336. Focus is set to infinity, while the zoom can go up to an extremely high 1500x (digital zoom); though the resolution is high, the video will degrade in quality due to the zoom being digital. There is face recognition and red-eye reduction.

The camera supports SD and SDHC cards up to a very high 64GB, which is relatively rare in this price range.

Image Quality

Image quality is good, but you will get better from a digital camera in the same price range. The image have a bit too much noise for my liking, and the image stabilization leaves something to be desired.

Video Quality

Video quality is very good, with bright colors and excellent saturation. You won't get the best video quality during nightshots, but that is to be expected with digital cameras. Overall, the video quality is very nice, and makes this an excellent option for hobbyists and amateurs who need to make a short film or project.

Conclusion

This camcorder isn't the top of the line, but is very good for what it is - a consumer camcorder that allows users to take HD videos and high-resolution photos. The device is small and will easily fit in a bag or large pocket without being a burden.