Contrary to most reviews here that trash the VPC-PD2BK, I just spent 3 weeks with it and I have very few complaints. I know HD video. We've shot our family videos in HD since the Sony HDR-HC1 first came out and currently use the HDR-HC7 as our primary camcorder. I've literally shot hundreds of hours of HD video with our Sony camcorders and this Sanyo model does most things almost as well as they do. I say most because the Sanyo obviously lacks the internal sophistication and optics that are present in the Sony models...But it's also a fraction of the cost and fits comfortably in your shirt pocket. I'm not sure exactly what previous reviewers were expecting when they purchased this Sanyo unit...But it sounds like some of them wanted one of the Mino or Kodak models and probably should've just purchased that in the first place.Most of the complaints of poor video quality can probably be traced to trying to view HD video through Quicktime on a "standard" PC...It is terrible. But that's NOT the fault of the Sanyo (or any other HD recording device). For example, the video clip that I uploaded was recorded in the Sanyo's 1280 x 720, 60fps "HD-HR" format. However, when you try to watch it through an internet connection with the Flash player, it will start, then stop, then start, get blotchy, freeze frame again, etc. Understand going in that this unit shines by mini-HDMI connection Abacus24-7 Mini-HDMI to HDMI Cable, 6 feet to a flat screen HDTV. THAT'S how you view the photos and video captured by this Sanyo. Trying to watch HD MPEG-4 video with Quicktime or Flash or Windows Media Player or VLD, etc on a 3 or 4 year old Windows PC is an invitation to disappointment! I didn't upload the video clip to show the VPC-PD2BK's video quality. It's there to show why most people complain about a device like this as "not working" and "horrible video" and so forth. You simply have to hook it up to an HDTV through HDMI (or to a Mac with iMovie) to adequately judge the quality of the video.
So, our HDR-HC7 recently "flipped-out" (literally) as the LCD screen started rolling and wouldn't stop/stabilize. I had purchased a 4-yr ext warranty when it was new, but had to send it off for repairs. Of course life doesn't stop happening until your camcorder comes back repaired. I needed something to record HD video and take decent still shots of youth football games, a military honors funeral ceremony and a Disney World vacation. This Sanyo did not disappoint and I would buy it again for the $159 I paid at buy dot com a few days before it was even available on Amazon. I will review the VPC-PD2BK considering several factors that are important to me. I also uploaded a few sample photos...But keep in mind that what you see on your PC/laptop screen is not what you see when the "cameracorder" is connected to an HDTV through mini-HDMI with output set to 16:9, 720p. Amazon's upload software took files that were originally 3MB is size and reduced them to around 115KB which is obviously nowhere near 10MP in quality.
* Optics 5/5. The 3X optical zoom really does make a difference compared to the software interpolation accompanying a 3X digital zoom. Photos taken at 10MP are crisp and clear and video quality is exceptional for something this compact when connected to a 50" plasma HDTV through the mini-HDMI connection. There are also no problems viewing the 10MP photos on a PC with basic photo editing software like Picassa. I have no idea why people are complaining about photo and video quality here. There is nothing wrong with it.
* Video 5/5. I haven't even tried to view any video on our PCs, since they don't have the horsepower to edit this kind of footage. But when connected to HDMI on an HDTV, the video quality is superb and comparable to anything shot with our Sony HDR-HC7. I shot our video in "HD-HR", which is 1280 x 720, 60fps HR. Our plasma has 720p native resolution and the video is crisp and clear. No complaints here.
* Audio 4/5. This one is tough. I love the twin microphones (stereo) capability of this Sanyo. Why would you want to record HD video and then watch/listen to it in mono sound anyway? The microphones are super sensitive, perhaps to a flaw. I dock a point here because there is a low level hiss that is apparent in video with extended periods of silence. The optical zoom motor sound is also picked up and is noticeably loud when zooming in and out during video. I find these things unacceptable. On the other hand, these microphones can pick up the sound of passing cars at 50+ yds away when not even facing the highway. If someone in your video farts within 30 feet, it will be forever captured to video. When focusing on the negatives here, I could give it 3 out of 5...But I could just as easily give it 5 out of 5 for the stereo quality of recordings and the sheer performance factor of these twin microphones picking up everything and I do mean every sound of whatever you're recording. You'd think an external mic was used.
* Photo Quality 5/5. Now understand that I normally don't take photos in place of video. I prefer to video what's happening. But I found myself actually taking more photos than usual with this Sanyo. I was PLEASANTLY SURPRISED to find that, like our Sony HDR-HC7, this Sanyo takes still photos (at a lower quality of 1280 x 720, or approx 300KB per photo) DURING video recording. This is a big deal for me. If you have the latest & greatest PC with the capability to capture stills during HD video editing, then this may not be so much for you. But by the time you boot up your PC, load your software and SD card video, select your image capture and then invite everyone into your PC room to show them your lovely picture on your PC screen, I've already shown a complete photo slideshow on the family HDTV with the accompanying video clips showing the entire scene with action...Plus I've gone out and returned with dinner for everyone. Snapping photos during video recording is a CONVENIENCE that doesn't fall flat with me. I'm used to it and I appreciate it. I still haven't printed any still photos (which might alter my opinion of photo quality), but they sure do look sharp and clear on our HDTV. No complaints. [UPDATE: You can press the photo button while video recording to capture a still shot, but I found it's not even necessary. After you've shot a video clip, you can view it on the Sanyo's screen, then pause and move it forward/back frame by frame until you find the exact scene you want to capture. Press the photo button and a separate photo file is created. It will be at the same resolution as the video format you originally used to shoot the footage.]
* Flash 5/5. This is what's been sorely missing on so many handheld video recorders, while it's a given on digital cameras that also shoot video...But this Sanyo provides a fairly powerful flash that's proven useful both inside in well-lit areas and when shooting stills outside at night. I found that using a forced flash produces superior results in 10MP capture when inside, even when ambient lighting seems sufficient. Without a forced flash (i.e., on "Auto Flash"), photo captures can be somewhat blurred and washed-out...Sort of what you would normally expect from using a digital camera or another model of handheld camcorder inside and without a flash. Using the flash inside produces crisp and even vibrant captures. Sanyo deserves kudos for including this feature where others lack it.
* Intangibles 4/5. While the above are what I consider primary performance factors in a unit like this, there are also the intangibles...Things that aren't "primary", but they still affect performance and/or ease of use. For example, this Sanyo has an automatic lens cover. Turn it on, it opens up. Turn it off and it closes to protect the lens. This is pretty huge for anyone who puts a cameracorder like this in your pocket with keys, change and any number of items that can scratch or just dirty up an unprotected lens. You won't need a lens cloth every time you pull it out of your pocket. Another intangible is weight. When you get to items this small, weight is somewhat relative...But I can hold the Kodak Zi8 in one hand and this Sanyo in the other and there is a NOTICEABLE difference in weight. The Sanyo is so much lighter it almost feels "empty". Also, this Sanyo is relatively quick to load. You can take a still shot or be shooting video within roughly 4 seconds of pressing the power button on. That's quicker than our full-sized Sony HDR-HC7.
* Problems I have with this entire category of cameracorders. This is not so much about the Sanyo specifically, but these shortcomings affect this category of electronics when you're used to full-sized camcorders. First, I know I'm in the minority, but I prefer the Sony mini-DV tape system. The thing that bugs me most about all of these slick new handhelds is a lack of a PAUSE button. This means when you're shooting a video with pauses (like a youth football game), each time you press "RECORD" to start and stop recording, you have created a new FILE on the SD card. In the end, you're left with a series of intermingled photos and videos on the SD card instead of watching a mini-DV tape of the event that provides seamless video resulting from pausing and then restarting the record function. This bugs the heck out of me. I haven't figured out how to combine the individual files into a "complete game video" yet and this is a deal-breaker for me when considering what type of events to video with this Sanyo and which ones to video with our HDR-HC7. It knocks these portable SD card-based recorders out of many events because I don't want to end up with many disjointed files instead of a complete video in the end. Understand this limitation when purchasing any of these handhelds. Another is no DV-out. All of these handhelds include some USB connector...But there are a variety of limitations when outputting captured video/stills using other methods. For example, if you visit that relative who still has the 19" color TV with rabbit ears, then you won't be able to hook this Sanyo up to it and show off your captures. You need HDMI. Other brands/nodels have this capability with a "video" jack and even include the cables to connect to older TVs...But none of them I've seen have DV-out, which is how I easily make DVDs from our HDR-HC7. These handhelds also use Electronic Image Stabilization while most larger, higher-end camcorders use Optical Image Stabilization. This means you need to pan much more slowly and be particularly steady when shooting video, especially when zoomed in on the target. EIS is better than nothing, but your video will still show a great deal of "shake" if you aren't steady or using a tripod. Also, don't expect detailed user manuals or sophisticated editing software. Most of the user guides/manuals are PRE-LOADED onto the unit itself and only accessible after you connect via USB. Any editing software is quite basic. For example, the Sanyo software makes it easy to upload to Facebook, YouTube and Picassa...But there's no way to EDIT the video/photos prior to upload. Now how much sense does THAT make? Imagine a world where Facebook and YouTube are littered with completely unedited video and photos. Obviously there are a lot that are unedited already...Now imagine if ALL of them were!
Finally, the merciless piling on with the ridiculous reviews here is unwarranted. Does the battery compartment cover easily slide off when pulling the Sanyo out of your pocket? Yes it can. But it doesn't come completely off in your hand. It is still secured with a rubber/plastic tab. If this causes you so much pain that you feel compelled to write a 1 or 2 star review of this item, then perhaps you should leave the videoing to others who are more tolerant. For example, the Kodak Zi8 has an SD card compartment that is insanely difficult to open. It can only be opened by inserting a thumbnail and pulling it open, and that doesn't make a whole lot of sense either. Anyone trashing this unit because of an apparent lack of video/photo quality has probably never even shot HD video before. If you are considering the purchase of one of these handhelds, I suggest you do as I did. Buy 2 or 3 different models and try them out head-to-head before deciding which one to keep. I already took the JVC PICSIO GC-FM1A HD Camcorder (Black Ice) back for a refund. It was HORRIBLE. I'm boxing up the Kodak Zi8 even now for a return. It's a decent handheld that I was prepared to live with before this Sanyo was just recently released...But I've decided to keep this Sanyo for all of the 4/5 and 5/5 reasons given above. For the $25 more I paid over the Zi8, this Sanyo model does almost everything I need and does them better...When I don't want to lug around a full-sized HD camcorder, this one is just a pocket away from capturing the action when needed.
The only shortcoming to me is that a third party software is required to join the video segments together. I use Magix movie edit pro 15 plus to get my 1080i iso join files. I still would like to get 1080p iso file if I can.
I compare photo quality taken from PD2 (10 MP) with my Nikon coolpix P5100 (12.1 MP). I found no visual difference. I also own Sanyo first HD camcorder, VPC-HD1A for 5 MP photos and 720P videos. Trust me VPC-PD2 is many many times better especially under regular room light or low light condition.
I can only conclude that Sanyo VPC-PD2 is an exceptionally good quality dual camera and I would recommend it for non-sophisticated users.
And I give it a 5 stars.
p.s. I bought two from Amazon.
update: 12/08/2010
Magix Movie Edit pro 15, that I own, can join MP4 1080p clips via "export movie" as different formats and MP4 is one of them.
Recently, I bought Roxio creator 2011 and I can join MP4 1080p clips via "export as" function to original file type i.e. MP4.
Hopefully, these are useful for you.I waited for a few weeks to post a review on this unit, such that I could get a pretty solid, real world, feel for this pocket camcorder. I think posting a review very soon after an initial purchase can result in a review that is somewhat biased and influenced by an initial perception.
All that being said, if I had to make one overarching comment about this unit, I would point out that this is a Pocket Camcorder first and a Camera second i.e. the strength of this unit is in taking High Definition H.264 videos. While the still shot aspects of this unit are pretty decent, I would say that, clearly, its strength lies with its video capabilities. From my perspective, its important to point this out so that others considering this unit won't confuse it with standard point-and-shoot still cameras that happen to have HD video capability.
VIDEO SIDE:
I have been using the unit for video at 720p/60fps as opposed to 1080i/30fps, primarily for three reasons (a) I have an older DLP set with a 720p native resolution, (b) 60fps is supposedly better at handling motion than 30fps (though this intuatively makes sense, I have yet to independently verify this, on this particular unit), and (c) the obvious, file sizes are smaller.
I think video quality is superb on the VPC-PD2 with one caveat, it is quite susceptible to lighting conditions. In daylight (full or partial, even indoors), the quality is absolutely superb. When light levels fall, so does quality. The camera seems to try to compensate by boosting the ISO level, which makes the video quality somewhat grainy/pixelated.....if I had to describe it, I would almost say that low light material tends to look more like Standard Def, even when capture in HD. I would add that the low light performance of this unit is no worse than any other pocket camcorder that I've played with, in fact, I would say its probably better than most.
People, you have to be realistic and realize that this is ultimately a pocket camcorder that, no matter how well implemented, will ultimately be restricted by its hardware. This camera is using a very small CMOS sensor and, hence, there is only so much that can be done with the given hardware (on the plus side, CMOS sensors tend to do better than CCD sensors). With proper lighting, I would say this pocket camcorder can easily rival a decent handheld HD camcorder, which, I think, speaks volumes.
Another very strong point is the audio side (I read some reviews to the contrary and am VERY puzzled by the same). The twin mics do an excellent job of picking up audio and, very crisply, I might add. I do agree that you can hear the optical zoom mechanism during playback, but (a) it does not bother me since it is for such a short duration (a second or two), and (b) I really don't use the optical (or digital) zoom much as I like the wide angle lense of this unit and tend to simply walk closer to my subject is I need to "zoom" in. I also think that zooming in tends to reduces the amount of available light that gets to the sensor which exacerbates the unit's weak point, low light shooting.
I think the optical stabilization works quite well. While I haven't done a close comparison of the unit with the optical stabilization on vs. off, (I turned it on as soon as I received the unit) the videos are quite stable with no noticable (or sickening) motion while playing back on my HDTV.
STILL CAMERA SIDE:
I have the camera stills set to 10MP. Using the 12MP with interpolation makes no sense to me as (a) the raw data simply doesn't exist (the camera sensor maxes out at 10MP), its being artificially created,and (b) it reduces the no. of stills that can be taken.
Taking stills can be done in two ways (i) firmly pressing the still shot button and waiting for a second or so for the shot to fire or (ii) pressing the button down halfway, letting the camera focus, and then pressing it down fully to fire the shot. So long as your subject is not moving significantly, method (ii) works better as it enables you to greatly reduce the shutter lag by pre-focusing, if you will.
The flash on this unit -all I can say is wow! It is a powerful flash for such a small unit. The VPC-PD2 is one of the few pocket camcoders out there with a flash, and I think it greatly enhances the units ability to take still shots. The flash effectively enables you to compensate for the lack of low light performance. Again, very impressed with the flash capability from such a tiny unit.
Overall, I would say the still shot capability is quite decent. This is by no means going to replace a DSLR or even a decent point and shoot, however, it will still allow you take very decent still shots if you don't want to lug around you main camera.
OTHER:
I think the build quality is decent. I was expecting the unit to feel very plasticky and it doesn't. Yes, it is quite light and, no, its not going to feel like the magnesium body on your high-end DSLR, however, I still think it feels good in the hand. It has enough heft to it such that doesn't feel chinzy....don't know how else describe it. Yes, the door that covers the battery and memory card can feel a little loose, but, honestly, it doesn't bother me. I am a bit careful with the USB slide out connector, but again, this doesn't bother me. I'm generally careful with my things, especially electronics. If you're going to let your 5-year gnaw at the unit or throw it around, then yes, things will break.
Having the lense automatically retract and cover itself is nice in terms of dust/dirt protection and longevity.
TIPS:
Some handy tips if you don't feel like reading the manual:
1. Pressing and holding down the "Set" button will take you to the "Self Timer" mode for stills.
2. This is a good one.....holding down the "Rec/Play" button, BEFORE the camera is powered on, will allow you to view your stills and videos, without the lense deploying!! I really like this as previously, I was using the on/off button to turn on the unit prior to viewing my pics/videos, which would deploy the lense, making the unit more cumbersome and increasing the risk of damaging the lense.
3. If you hold down the "up" arrow button while powering the unit on, you will get to the "Operation Beep" menu, which will allow you to turn the beeps on or off.
CONCLUSION:
If you're in the market for a pocket camcorder and are realistic about the capabilities of a pocket unit, I think this unit will not disappoint...in fact, I think it will surprise you. My focus was on Video/picture quality and easy of use....the VPC-PD2, in my humble opinion, stands out. If you don't care of about picture quality (which begs the question of why you're spending your money on a camera/camcorder) and form factor is your primary/sole criteria, then consider one of the Cisco FLIP units. I was interested in a unit that performed first and was pretty second. This was the one for me, hands down.
DON'T FORGET:
1. The mini HDMI to HDMI cable. The videos on this unit look great on an HDTV via HDMI. I actually think they look better than viewing the files directly on a PC, at least with Windows Media Player.
2. The case. I picked up the Caselogic Pocket Video Camcorder Case (TBC-312) and it fits beautifully. Very nice case. Please don't confuse this case with the other Caselogic pocket "camera" cases. This is their pocket "Camcorder" case. Use the model no. and you'll be set.
3. Picked up a Transcend 16GB SDHC card. Works just fine. I went with a Class 6 card, given the HD recording. No speed lag issues whatsover. You may be able to get away with a Class 4 card; I haven't confirmed.
THE REAL KICKER:
Picked the Camera up for $142.00 here on Amazon. 6 days later I see the unit on sale for $99. Was pretty bummed. Called Amazon, they refunded me the difference immediately.....now that is called service!! This camcorder is excellent of $142 and an absolute steal for $99. Yes, I would pay $142 for it again.
STAR RATING:
Why 4 stars? Simple, I am judicious with my star ratings. To me, only a perfect product deserves 5 stars. Is the VPC-PD2 a perfect product? No. Is it a very good product? Absolutely. Therefore it gets a 4 star rating.Pros:
1) It has great audio pickup. I was definitely impressed as it picked up slight sounds (detectable on playback on a PC).
2) As some others have said, this camera is unusually light. Depending on your perspective it could be good. Some prefer a heavy device in hand to reduce the amount of shakes. On the other hand, its nice to have less weight to carry around. Yes it does feel like a toy because of its weight (don't give it to your kids) but it will make you scratch your head as to how such a light product records HD video.
3) 4 video quality modes, 3 of them widescreen. They record fairly well.
4) 3x optical zoom, not as much mechanical noise noticed while using it as some other customers mentioned.
5) I like the fact that the lens is automatically covered up while it is turned off.
6) Menu takes some getting used to, but once you do get used to it, it's pretty straighforward.
Cons:
1) There is a slight hiss in the audio that becomes noticeable when there isn't any other background noise. This definitely needs to get addressed.
2) The battery compartment door is too flimsy. But even if it comes off, it is still attached to the camera with a rubber strip. Also the SD card, battery remain secure even if the door comes open. This is definitely an oversight on the design, but it amounts up to an inconvenience.
3) On playback on the camera LCD & on PC, the video appeared grainy. As someone commented, this may very well be because its video is meant to be played back on an HDTV via the mini-HDMI port. (the other commenter had success with this). I would still expect that at least on the LCD it should not appear grainy. [makes me wonder if I just happened to have received a defective version of the product]
4) Low-light recording is not too impressive.
5) I don't always read the instructions first, but I do consider myself very tech savvy, and this device was not straightforward out of the box. Be sure you start out with an EMPTY SD-card and format it with this camera itself. For some unusual reason (perhaps internal data transfer) it takes its own time to set up a secondary virtual drive on plug-in with a PC to provide access to some internally stored software. It's a bit mind-boggling as to why it did not show this virtual drive on the first few times I connected it to the PC. Also keep in mind that your camera has to be turned ON before you plug it into the computer, otherwise it just shows up as an inaccessible "removable drive."
UPDATE: 1 month after use and test.
Pros: 7) Crystal clear playback on an hdtv with a separately purchased mini-hdmi to hdmi cable.
8) Photos are great if you can get enough light and solid platform to avoid shakes (not the fastest shutter speed, but considering I gave up my camera to use this, gotto work with it). Flash control works fine. Finding the controls took some learning.
Cons:
6)grainy video for PC/facebook/youtube use. I might experiment later with downgrading video resolution to see if that improves video appearance. As of now, I've received comments about how videos are blurry.
7) Only digital zoom is available during video recording, which is okay, but does make grainy-ness worse on zooming in.When you obey the rules of small sensor cameras, this one will take a good picture. It should not be used in place of a good point-and-shoot camera on vacation, but it has it's place. I would use this camera in conjunction with my favorite camera for the video only. The camera shutter speed need to remain above 1/100 to take a good out-door picture. This means that you need good sun light. The iso needs to stay at 50 if you want a decent jpg.
The video aspect of this camera works about the same. With good lighting, it will do a good job. Indoors, the iso will rise, causing noisy videos. Sometimes I can live with the results sometime not, it just depents on how important the video is.
I will not be hard on this camera because it's greatest advantage is it's size. If you just want to capture video of day-to-day life, it's size will make it very easy to take along. If you prefer very good picture quality at all times, well you might need to keep shopping. I give it a (B-), but it will help if you know a little about photography to understand when to use it, and when not.
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