Customer Reviews:
 great everything but stabilizer doesn't work November 4, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I had been a happy customer of a xacti c40 for more than 2 years, so it was natural for me to look at this camcorder when I looked for a HD/full HD one. The xacti c40 is tiny, stores the data in a SD card, uses MP4 format, supports both video and pictures and it is really easy to use. The new 1010 shares most of the same attributes. Size is not as tiny as the c40 but small enough to manage properly. The quality of the pictures is very good and it also supports the 16:9 format. The video quality is also very good, with several resolutions available and 16:9 format supported. Unfortunately the stabilizer doesn't work at all. I tried hard with several configurations and adjustments but my comclusion is that it simple doesn't work, there is no workaround. Viewing movies in a 42' screen is a headache as images are blurred; maybe you can see them better in a smaller screen but there is no point to have this camera in that case. Sanyo needs to solve it to have a customer ready product. It is a pity and I returned this product and bought the Sony hdr-tg1 instead.
 A liberating camera October 30, 2008
This camera is exactly what I was looking for. I wanted to shoot Hi-Def video in a pocket sized camera. I professionally shoot wedding videos and I can tell you that the footage from this camera is up to par with my $[...] dollar Panasonic DVX100b. In fact I just used it last weekend as a second camera. Image stabilization is really weak. I suggest a monopod when taking it on vacations. A little practice in hand held stabilization and the footage is fine. For sample footage try the Vimeo website and search for Sanyo Xacti 1010 in the video search. There is a channel on that website for 1010 users http://vimeo.com/XACTI. It's what helped me make my decision. One thing to point out to Mac users is the 1080p footage is very choppy. I have only been shooting 720 with a 60 shutter. It is only a matter of time however for Mac to make the fix.
Extremely handy, but at a price October 29, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I bought this camera because I wanted to be able to record footage in places that were rugged enough to where I'd be challenged to want to bring any video camera at all. Video cameras are such pains many times, with their size and delicateness. Oftentimes if I am going hiking or camping, I am tempted at every turn to leave a video camera behind. So the Xacti seemed to me to be a great camera in that it could fit in a pants pocket. The portability of this camera is excellent, as well as its sturdiness. The large lens lets in plenty of light. The screen is a standard size but good and bright. The only complaint about this camera is the image stabilizer. An optical stabilizer is so much nicer than an electronic one, but an OIS is a large and bulky assembly. And this camera is so light that using the image stabilizer while hand-holding it is a must. And the image quality suffers some because of CMOS jitter. But even so, I found the image quality to be amazingly sharp and detailed. Video cameras are still all about compromises. You can buy an amazing, 3CCD beauty, but it will be completely impractical to carry such a thing on a hiking trip. Or, with some compromises on image quality, you can have a perfectly portable camera like the Xacti, easily toted almost anywhere you'd want to go. And you'll have an image quality that is, well, good enough, for most any amateur purpose.
 Very Handy but has File Format Issues October 27, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Excellent form factor, very handy to us, very good video quality, shoots well in low-light conditions. Getting to play HD files on the PC is a major pain though if you can't use the accompanying software. You need to "activate" the software but when I went to the Web site, I found that the software has a new version and the activation code didn't work for the new version.
Pros
1. Excellent form factor, very handy to use.
2. Easy to carry, small and light enough to take around.
3. Adequate batter life.
4. Shoots well even in low light, compared with other digital video cameras I have used.
Cons.
1. The supplied software was out of date. When I went to the Web site to activate the product, found that the software has a new release; could not locate new version.
2. Very painful to play HD files if you don't use the accompanying software. Took me a month of research to get to play the files on my PC (Windows).People have had issues play HD files on their computer, strongly recommend going through forums to see if you're up to the hassle.
My opinion on Sanyo Xacti HD1010 October 18, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Sanyo Xacti HD1010 4MP MPEG4 High Definition 1080i/1080p Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom
PROS The picture is extremely sharp ! No question about it. Unlike the older version (the HD1000), this model is way more robust, less plastic feel and a strong metallic attach on the flip out LCD screen.
CONS the manual focus is a total joke ! First of all, it is not located on the ring of the lens but on the menu. Even worse, once selected, impossible to actually set up your focus as you are filming !! You would have to stop recording to set your focal length. Extremely frustrating as you get a lot of out of focus as subject filmed are constantly moving.
CONS I havent figured out yet, but footage seems to be jiggering when played back. Maybe has to do with the progressive mode ? Or my poor graphic card on my mac mini ? Or could be the fact that my 42" Samsung LCD screen doesnt support progressive mode ? Again, i will need to figure this out before complaining.
FINALLY, if i were you guys, i would probably get the canon AVCHD. It has a real focus ring. A tripod (or even a monopod) is a MUST when filming with the tiny Sanyo Xacti.
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