 | Sanyo VPC-CG20 High Definition Camcorder & 10 MP Camera (Black)
Lovesssssssss it!!!!! -- 2010-08-29
I love this camcorder/camera. The HD video quality is outstanding, the pictures are really clean and clear. I have tried lots of the pocket cams and returned 3 of them but I must say, this one is a keeper! Superior quality against any of the Kodak, Flip or Sony. I recommend this camera for anyone on the go that want great quality video, I have pretty much retired my regualr camcorder since I got this one, just drop it in my purse and go. I highly recommend this wonderful lil jewel of a cam.
Slight Improvement Over the CG-10 -- 2010-08-19
Between August of '09 and June of '10, I came to depend on the CG-10 as my 2nd camera for stills and #1 cam for video. It's was with me all the time and held up quite well. It will be viable 'til it frys...which may be quite a while because it's been on the shelf since I got the CG-20 for my birthday. My first job for the CG-20's 1080 mode was the local fireworks show. I set the WB to "fireworks" and let it run. Here's what I learned.. Other than the improved resolution, there are a couple of other changes that are good and bad.
The good> It's a bit smaller, the SD card is easier to get to, some basic in camera video editing, saturation is better and the noise reduction seems only slightly milder for stills. There is a 16:9 11 megapixel mode for stills. It uses the same battery and USB for download.
The bad> You'll have to buy a mini/standard HDMI to play this on your TV. If, like me you bought the special component (RGB) cord for the CG-10, you're S.O.L. Like wise if you don't have any HDMI stuff or a spare input yet.
My 2 video programs (Corel Video Studio X2 and Roxio 2010) will not handle 60 FPS and X2 won't handle 1080. But even at 30 FPS the 1080 looks fine as long as you and your subject move slowly. Passing birds and trains seem to leave a trail. Search Flickr for the best examples of the CG-20
Anyway, as good and a little better as the CG 10...
|
 | Canon VIXIA HF M300 Flash Memory Camcorder - 2010 MODEL
Satisfied so far (2 months of use) -- 2010-09-06
Well, I chose this over HF200 becuase this is new and certainly come with some new features. It is light and cute. Picture quality was great when I connected from Cam to TV. Cons, I have not encountered as of now, but we have a big event coming up where I have to check whether it is really meeting my expectations. Hope it does, because it is convincing with its performance so far.
Excellent when using manual settings; Horrible noise when using default settings (program AE); Not for point-and-shoot users -- 2010-08-08
First off, as the title of my review states, this camcorder is not recommended for users who don't want to fiddle with manual controls and just prefer to point-and-shoot. If you only use the default program settings (Program AE mode), you will be in for a disappointment when using this camcorder indoors. At the default program settings, this camcorder excessively jacks up the gain control and uses a fast shutter speed of 1/60s resulting to horrible trailing noise in even relatively bright indoor conditions. No problem however for bright outdoor conditions if that's what you intend to use it for. You just can leave it in the default 'Program AE' mode.
For indoor conditions however and for most other dim lighting conditions, I suggest you use the following manual settings
for the best video quality:
1. Shooting mode: Choose Shutter priority with 1/30s shutter speed (1/60s and above is only good for daytime outdoor conditions).
While the motion will be somewhat less smoother with a 1/30s shutter speed vs. 1/60s shutter speed, the slower shutter will allow for more light in challenging situations which will make the camcorder not jack up the gain control (AGC) to the maximum setting.
2. AGC (auto gain control): Set this to 16dB or less. This is sort of like an ISO setting in a digital camera. The higher the setting, the brighter the video capture but the more horrible and visible the trailing noise is. Setting it at 16dB or less limits the camcorder to manageable noise levels which, in low light and upon viewing in my Avia calibrated Sony LCD tv, is acceptable and very natural looking (grainy) rather than horribly blotchy in appearance which happens when the AGC is set too high (typically 18dB or higher). (The higher, the more blotchy and trailing the noise is when recording in moderate to low lighting conditions.)
3. Picture mode - choose 'Custom' and adjust the settings as follows for better color and detail retention:
Brightness = +1 (more shadow detail)
Contrast = -1 (less highlight clipping even with brightness set to +1)
Color = +1 (increases color saturation to compensate for the desaturation brought about by '+1' brightness and '-1' contrast)
Sharpness = 0 (improves video detail and changes the noise characteristics from 'blotchy'[-1] to 'grainy'[0] [more preferable])
(Some of you may prefer the +1 sharpness setting)
4. XV color mode = ON (Set this to 'ON' for a wider color gamut video capture.)
There you have it. Using these settings for your HF M300 camcorder should yield the best HD video quality in any indoor lighting condition, at least if you have calibrated your LCD tv like I do. (I use 'AVIA guide to home theater' in calibrating my 1080p Sony LCD tv.)
If after following the suggested manual settings above, you still feel the camcorder's HD video is horrible in indoor/low light conditions and there are better options out there for the same price range, then go ahead, buy them instead of this reasonably priced camcorder (at least when compared to the Sony XR150 which I also reviewed and returned because of super clean, soft and mushy, 'upscaled' HD video). The Canon Vixia HF M300 is probably the best performing camcorder for its price (currently at $438.82) in all lighting conditions. Simply spectacular in daylight, and very good in low light if you just try these custom settings. Forget the overpriced $649.99-$1,499.95 Vixia HF 100 (2008 model) and the $849.99 Vixia HF 200 (2009 model). They have since been replaced by this 'touch screen' 'XV color' equipped $438.82 HF M300 (2010 model) at a fraction of the cost of the previous two models and with better features. Forget also about using the MXP (24mbps) mode when recording your HD videos with this camcorder. You will not see any significant improvement in video quality as compared to the FXP mode (17mbps). Besides, using the MXP mode will not allow you to burn your HD movies into DVDR for viewing later in its native HD resolution because of the bit rate output limit of the DVD media. (You'll need to burn MXP (24mbps) videos in expensive BDR discs and burners for HD playback if you really want the highest quality which is practically indistinguishable from the FXP mode (17mbps)).
|
 | ATC2K Waterproof Action Cam
Its not perfect but it works. -- 2010-08-30
Batteries Runs down fast. Mounted on handle bars of my motorcycle. Good picture quality. Little shaky on acceleration. Mic is worthless(wind) for the price i like it. Looked at similar items on ebay and some were going for 400-500.
Great Value- I was impressed -- 2010-08-18
I purchased this camera right before going on a mountain biking trip. It comes with several accessories to attach the camera to whatever you have. I tried the handlebar mount the first trail and the video was horrible b/c the trail was so rough. the camera was rattling around so much that it made you dizzy just watching the video. Next I rigged it to my helmet. That seemed to do the trick. Make sure you have your helmet on tight to keep the camera from bouncing around and you might need to improvise a little to get all the wiggle out.
Overall I was very impressed with the quality of the camera for this price point. The controls are simple enough and easy to turn on one-handed on your helmet while still riding your bike. I can't wait for winter to come around to take it out snowboarding.
|
 | Canon VIXIA HF M30 Dual Flash Memory Camcorder - 2010 MODEL
Amazing Camera -- 2010-08-21
This is an amazing little camera.
We use the camera for news gathering and it produces stunning video quality, excellent sound and easy to use features.
1080 HD camcorder with high quality lense, awesome stabilization, great zoom, and more! -- 2010-07-29
The Canon VIXIA HF M30 HD Camcorder is Full HD 1080 with a great HD CMOS chip inside. It has 5 recording modes, so that you can lower your resolution and record longer. With your built-in 8GB's of memory, you can record 43m on the highest quality MXP of 24 Mbps (which is stunning). At its lowest, called Long Play (5Mbps) you can record 2h59m. You will need to charge your battery no matter what though, as the one it comes with lasts about an hour.
It has lots of functions when switched to manual. You can record in portrait mode, that detects faces, and eliminates red eye, and softens features and softens the background. You can swith to Sports for a faster shutter speed. And being that some of the best scenes of the day are at sunset and sunrise, you want a camcorder that can record in low lights and the M30 can, with the Night scene record option. It is so difficult to find a camera that can do this well. Either camera's shoot footage that is way too grainy and noisy, or else it doesn't at all. You can shoot magnificent sunsets with this camera! But it doesn't have nightvision, as you see so much in movies like "rec."
Then you have the bright, and vivid Beach setting, which is really good for shooting water and skies with or just enjoy more color. You also have a funtion for Sunset, which is best for shooting incredible looking sunsets. You get a dreamy, pinkish, purply, sunset with heavenly details. The last record function is Snow, and it lowers the lighting so you don't have whiteouts and amplifies the coolness of winter.
I personally love the touch LCD screen, and found it a major selling point. The lesser models had really small buttons to press and a flimsy analogue stick to navigate with. But at first, you may struggle, as you have to slid-up on the screen to navigate down lists, but no serious problem, it's inverted. It's sensitive, and you don't have to hit it hard, but down the road, I wonder if the slide with get too sensitve and skip over too quickly my tabs. No problems with it yet.
In manual mode, you can control the focus, mic level, exposure, shutter, aperture and whether or not you want to use cinema mode. Cinema shoots a strong amber look when under house lamps and is a fun creative tool for you to have fun with in absolutely gorgeous HD.
Sound is a really important thing for me and this camcorder has some good built in Dolby digital stereo creator. But no matter what camcorder you buy, any mic attatched to the camera is going to pick up vibrations, and make wind sound like thunder. You need a seperate mic that fits onto the mini advanced shoe and has a sock. I recommendCanon 2591B002 DM-100 Directional Stereo Microphone for HF/HG Series Camcorders as it runs off the camera's battery and you won't have cables running from the side of it.
Another really fun device, that I discovered to be invaluable was the wireless controller. You can turn the camera off and on, start, stop, pause recordings, and zoom while recording and if you need to you can navigate through menu's. It comes with its own battery and is ready to go out of the box!
I was not happy with the programs that came with this awesome camcorder though. In order to put music in your video's, audio files need to be in Wave, and editing is not easy, and wastes your time. I really don't like how you have to have your M30 plugged into the charger while attempting to work with some of the editing functions of PIXELA.
Once out of the box, you will need to charge your battery for about 2.5 hours and then set the date and time, then install three discs. Your instructions are mainly on PDF.
The VIXIA HF M30 is an awesome camera, probably the best under $700, with really good funtions and a lense that gives you beautiful results. It won't take up all of your computers memory either, unlike the $1000 semi-professional camcorders, but its quality is still first rate. It gives you the option to be very creative as an artist, and fits the needs for your vLoging if you want to take it to the next level. I adore this camera and am so glad I didn't cheat myself by buying a $300 dollar camera with a garbage lense.
|
 | Panasonic HDC-TM55K Hi-Def Camcorder with 8GB Flash Memory & 35X Intelligent Zoom (Black)
Nice little budget camcorder -- 2010-09-07
I purchased panasonic HDC - TM55 last week just before going on a trip to charleston and smoky mountains. This camcorder has so many features packed in a tiny attractive body.
The main attractions
=====================
1) 25x optical zoom - this was very useful while taking photos as well as during video capture. There are not too many cameras which provide 25x useful optical zoomin such a small body. Photography and video capture at 25 x optical ( 35x intelligent zoom ) is a real big bonus. I found this to be very useful especially while on the boat in the sea and was able to capture snaps of seagulls very well.
2) Better shake reduction mechanism. Camera adjusts to most of the shakes. It even displays a message camera panning too fast.
3) Xenon flash and LED video light - Xenon flash is pretty useful for night photography. Video light doubles up as an AF lamp during photography as well as the light for night video capture. Light is good but it seems to be a bit weaker than the single LED flash of my blackberry bold. For a price range of around 500$ this is a nice feature to have. Another good thing is video light turns on automatically if the surroundings are dark. But videos whll have a bluish white tinge. Its better to be used as a flashlight if battery has enough juice left in it :).
3) Responsive touch screen - pretty good touch screen. Not any iphone like but still very good.
4) Well laid out menu - Lots of options in the menu. capability to play video alone, photo alone, both together ( thats a nice feature I think ).
5) Nice 2.7 LCD screen - > good bright sunlight visibilty. Rotating screen for self portrait or video capture. Screen buttons provide nice image/video tweaking opoortunities.
6) Quick Zoom in/out.
7) Fits perfectly in hand. The holding strap is also good. Battery provides nice support.
8) Support for high capacity memory cards. Cards will make camcorders even lighter. My sony vaio laptop has an SD card reader. So its very easy to plug the card in and see all videos/photos.
9)Relatively wide angle lens when compared to sub 500$ camcorders.
10) Nice bundled software for editing 1080i videos.
Cons
=====
1) power switch, memory card slot and AV/HDMI ports can be accessed only if LCD screen is open. Sure the camera will power on opening the LCD ( but not first time after immediate purchase ). To output to the TV, LCD would have to remain open.
2) Camera's automatic white balance seems to be a bit insufficient. Most of the time I had to manually set the white balance for a more natural appeal for the photos/videos.
3) Its good that there is a manual mode. But relying on touch screen to change the values is a bit dificult. Had there been some ring around the lens to adjust, it would have been good.
4) unlike panasonic Lumix ZS7 which gives an excellent portable charger, this camcorder requires battery to remain seated on the camcorder for charging to take place. Its Ok but a separate charger would have added to the excellent portability.
The above mentioned cons are not really deal breakers when we consider the fact that this product costs around 500$ with a bag full of usable positive features which any family/person might be looking for. Compact body, ease of operation, excellent quality of videos/photos ( if we can manually adjust white balance ) is good enough to look over the negatives. All in all this is a great product for a great price.
Very Impressed -- 2010-09-05
I just purchased this Camera for an upcoming trip to Europe..
I did some testing and found the camera to work great and have a very clear picture. The night capability of this camera is superb given the price range. infact i was pleasantly surprised by the cameras ability for a such a good price.
The MTS video format doesn't play so well with VLC playerin raw form, but a decent converter can be found. (using the supplied software, or video ouput on the camcorder gives perfect clarity. I only suggest that when doing any converting that you use the highest settings. anything but the highest distorts the video quality quickly. on the average i was able to convert a 50mb video to 13mb using Mp4 format (ipod/ipad).
If your looking for a nice little camcorder that is easy to use, works well for stills and video, does really well in low light situations, this is it...
|
 | JVC GZ-HD620 120 GB High Definition HDD Camcorder
STOP LOOKING & BUY IT NOW-CAN'T BEAT IT -- 2010-09-04
I shopped around for weeks before deciding to buy this camcorder...wish I had purchased it long before now. After placing the order the camera arrived several days earlier than I expected. Arrived complete and no shipping damage-well packed. After charging the battery, I used the "quick start" gude and began using the camera. Outstanding quality and so easy to use...I wasn't disappointed with anything about this camcorder. It is awesome...the quality of the HD video and sound is amazing. You don't know me but all I can say is, save yourself some effort and get this deal (great price through Amazon). Also, the vast storage space means I don't have to worry with having memory cards unless I choose to; it's always ready to go with no extra "stuff' to bother with. I'm leaving tomorrow for a trip to Yosemite, followed by several days along the coast in Big Sur...this camera will ensure I will have life-like memories captured to enjoy over and over again. By the way, I was a writer before retiring so I this review may sound a bit like a commercial but I assure you I have nothing to do with anyone related to the sale of this camcorder; I just want everyone to be as pleased as I am and the sooner you start,the better.
JVC took lessons from General Motors -- 2010-08-20
When the first commercially available electric car came out 12 years ago in California, they leased a limited number of them to both fleet and private consumers and then promptly quit making them, claiming that the demand for the car was too low. Then, they refused to renew any of the leases or allow potential buyers to purchase the car at the end of the least. Not only did they forego the profits that could have been realized by selling the cars to their happy customers, they went through the expense of reclaiming each vehicle, only to crush them and melt them down. Strange decision? Perhaps. Unwise allocation of resources? Certainly. But, it had to be in their best interest or they wouldn't have done it.
If video editing could be effectively done in camera, this unit would get a 10 out of 10. But, camera manufacturers rely on their drivers, software developers and computer makers to take images captured through the lens and manipulate them into something useable. The way a manufacturer engineers their software determines whether it has proven effective at "playing well with other children." Their choices MUST factor into how the product is rated. Frankly, JVC needs to return to grade school.
The box of a brand new JVC Everio GZ-HD6 says that the system requirements for this camera include "Macintosh G4/G5 and Intel dual core processors with speeds of 1.66 GHz or faster" It also says "Full HD" and "1080P". That is why I bought it! Then, I quickly found out that both are blatently untrue. The camera is interpolated - or 1080i. Without question, it creates beautiful images. But I say "so what - if the images it creates are unusable".
Reviewing the camera on Amazon, what you will find is that, these days, no Macintosh system requirements are listed; only a disclaimer: "Note: Software for Macintosh is not included. The applicable software is required. The system requirements information above is not a guarantee that the provided software will work on all personal computers meeting those requirements." Here is the real truth. The developers on both sides have made the .TOD files nearly impossible to use with industry standard professional software like Final Cut Pro and Premiere. I tried editing with versions of both and I couldn't make movies without numerous additional time-wasting completely unnecessary steps in my workflow. To their credit, Sony Vegas works like a champ with the PC software JVC provides in the box, but there is no Mac version.
I have visited JVC Everio online to see if they have resolved these issues in new cameras. What I discovered is that they have nothing even close to the quality of an HD6 or HD7 in their current consumer line up. It isn't because they haven't perfected the technology.
This series of camera is the General Motors electric car of a decade ago. Big oil came along and dictated what would take place. The camera, like the car, was just too good to be true, so someone had to make it ineffective in the real world; and ultimately they had to make it go away. I'm left with a stellar camera awaiting only the recall notice.
So, JVC.... are you merely smashing them - or are you melting them down as well? Who was your "big oil"? I guess the question is rhetorical since I can easily edit my footage using Sony Vegas on a PC. My warranty expires tomorrow. I take it there is nothing you are willing to do to make this right.
|
 | Canon VIXIA FS31 Dual Flash Memory Camcorder - 2010 MODEL
horrible. tedious to use and makes a VERY loud camera noise -- 2010-09-09
Horrible. Just horrible. I am a linguist and bought this so that I could have an easy way of gathering discourse data (= video of people having conversations). I planned to record indoors in quiet and ideal sound recording situations. I wasn't looking for anything fantastic, but at 300 and some bucks, I expected decent audio. After all, my tiny little webcam and $150 digital camera record BEAUTIFUL audio, so I thought a nice digital camera could only be better. How wrong I was. Even if you record UTTER SILENCE, when you play it back, there is a a loud camera noise (hum/buzz/whatever). If you listen carefully while recording, you can hear it yourself, and it's REALLY loud in the recording. This is unacceptable at the $300 range.
Also, though it's my philosophy that camcorders shouldn't even have digital cameras (how cheesy!), if you're going to have one, make it decent please! I read somewhere that this one is 1MP. Seriously? Wow. And there are hardly any settings for the camera either, unlike the actual canon cameras, which are amazing.
Also unlike canon cameras, this does NOT have easy to use controls. I'm really used to using digital cameras and all kinds of camcorders, but this one is so annoying to figure out, and uncomfortable/awkward. Nothing is intuitive. I just wind up hitting back all the time, or switching modes, to get out of annoying parts.
I think most users will notice nothing wrong with this, because most people just point the camera at their kid playing soccer, and have no standards whatsoever for their digital devices. I massively lowered my standards (have given up on anything post-hi-8 in regard to making stop-motion films), but I at least thought I could get a camcorder that would decently record people sitting at a table talking. Canon FS31 fails miserably.
I'll be returning it ASAP, and unable to gather linguistic data that I needed to gather on a trip I'm about to go on. Thanks Canon!
Go grab one, it's worth it. -- 2010-07-12
This little camera was a real surprise for me when I first got a glimpse at it in Best Buy. The first thing to notice is its nice compact size. It is literally about the size of a 12-ounce, aluminum soda can. The LCD panel runs down the side of the camera which makes it proportionally large for the camera. The picture on the LCD is really good for its size and when you upload the video onto your computer or HDTV, the picture quality is great. I have not seen this good of video quality from a non-professional video camera before. Of course there are new HD cameras coming out, but if you want to save a couple of hundred dollars, choose this camera.
Using the camera is a snap too, all the controls are intuitive and the only feature missing is a viewfinder. The LCD works as the viewfinder and unfortunately whenever you close the LCD panel, the camera goes into standby. This way you don't accidentally take any pictures while carrying it around, but it also forcers you to have the big 'wing' sticking out of your camera when filming or taking pictures.
The Storage capacity is well worth the extra $100 compared to Canon's less expensive version of this device which has no internal memory storage. The internal storage alone gives virtually limitless picture space and enough video storage to outlast the battery itself (which lasts about 4 hours filming before needing a recharge). Now I haven't adjusted any of the video quality setting yet, but the point is that you won't have to buy any extra storage cards for this camera unless you are also carrying extra batteries.
Other than it being small enough to easily leave behind if you're not paying attention, this camera is a great buy for the asking price. I'm not sure you can get many other cameras of this quality without jumping to HD or professional level.
|
 | Sanyo Xacti CG10 Dual Camera HD Flash Memory Camcorder with 5x Optical Zoom (Black)
good for only 1 month -- 2010-09-08
when i bought this camera i liked it,over ok picture quality even in dark, small, hd, 10 mp camera i used and iwas thinking giving 5 star for this camera. Then i stopped using it for a while. everything was fine until i wanna take couple more pics after 3 mos. It totally stopped working and I looked for customer support phone # about 2 hrs finally i got it and after holding 10 minutes i talked to agent n she was acting she didnt wanna talk to me and said after 3 mos there is warranty only on the parts n i still have to pay labor which was more than camera cost.
So, If u r lucky on what u buy from sanyo and works fine sanyo would be ur brand. In my case i wont ever buy sanyo again.
Excellent for the price... -- 2010-08-19
Great camcorder for the price, lots of fun and great moments with the family. As far as for picture taking, I'd give it a C+ even though its a 10mp. All in all, my short experience with this is a very positive one, with a nice smooth transition from miniDV to Flash Card/HD. I Highly recommend this camcorder for someone not wanting to pay a lot of money for a high quality portable camcorder and see this unit very comparable to any camcorder in the price range of $200 to $500 dollar range, truly a steal at $130 and a pleasant way to transition.
|
 | Sanyo VPC-GH2 High Definition Camcorder and 14 MP Camera w/12x Optical Zoom
Good cam for the price! -- 2010-09-08
I bought this camera about a month ago. So far its great except for two things. I can't seem to turn on the light while filming a video. I guess it can't be done. The light on the front only works as a flash when taking still shots (or maybe I cant find the option to turn it on while filming). Another thing is the battery life could definitely be better. The battery barely lasts an hour and a half. Then you start hearing the voice "low battery power"...over and over again.
The video quality is great except in low light conditions. But again for the price you couldn't ask for more. Low light conditions needs higher quality lenses and would cost much more.
Another point to consider is the sound when playing back the clips on the camera. When your viewing the videos on the camera the sound is low. I filmed a conversation about a meter away from the camera and it was hard to hear the conversation. When you download the clip to the computer the sound is very good so its only while playback on the camera that the sound is hard to here.
The optical and digital zoom is really good. There is no noise from it and its slow and professional looking.
Its size is unbelievable. Its very small and light (this may make it hard to hold and keep steady but I was ok with it especially after using a tripod). Its almost as small as a regular camera and shoots both photos and videos. The photos are decent.
Overall Im happy with this buy. I've taken a lot of great videos. I used a tripod with it and was able to capture some great stuff.
Great HD Camera for the Price -- 2010-08-20
This camera works great. Full HD 1080 is choppy in places on my laptop, not the camera's fault play's back fine on TV. HD 720 plays fine on
my laptop. I really only got 2 things I don't like.
1. The lens cap is a snap on type, so don't lose it.
2. The camera is really small. It's about the size of my hand so it will take some getting used to.
My advice would be if you want full HD and got a budget this one is great. However if you got the money to spend you can get
better..
|
|
|
|
|
