Camcorders keep shrinking and adding great features while the prices seem to be leveling off. So, what's up with this new HD camcorder from Sanyo and can the 10X optical zoom and face detection stand up to the modest price tag?

What You Need to Know

• The camera is about 2.1" thick and about 4.5" tall, so you could fit it in your pocket
• It is easy to hold and only weighs 11oz., so it's fun to shoot with
• Even though it has image stabilization, it may be a little shaky, since you're trying to stabilize all of your fingers instead of your arm
• It doesn't have a touch screen LCD like most of the camcorders we review
• All the buttons are big and it's obvious what each one is used for
• The menus are self-explanatory and you don't have to do too much navigating
• You can also switch from normal to simple menu mode for even easier operation
• You will have to shake the camcorder in order to reach the zoom rocker though
• When you shoot in 1080p (30 fps), you get a lot of artifacting and pixelation, but colors are natural and warm
• Weirdly enough, audio is out of sync in 1080p playback; once you load the clip onto your computer, it doesn't seem to be a problem any more
• 1080i (60 fps) actually yields a better image overall and audio isn't out of sync
• Low light shooting is grainy, but it has a larger CMOS sensor than most camcorders, so it performed better than expected
• You'll need to buy a large SDHC card since everything is recorded in high definition (maybe even upgrade your computer)
• If you take into account the size, quality, tons of manual controls, and features, it is a pretty good deal

Price

• $550

Overall Rating

• 82% (3 Seals of Approval) (how do we rate gadgets?)