Sanyo’s Xacti VPC-HD2000 camcorder is a different looking beast. It uses the upright body design of a more reminiscent model of years past but does have some great features with it and a much lower price tag, somewhere around $600. It’s considered a mid-range camcorder in the camcorder market and is very competitive in that market. For a mid-range product, Sanyo’s Xacti provides the user with great video performance and a bargain price.

There is no viewfinder but it does come with a headphone output, microphone input, and an accessory shoe. The model does come with some healthy manual controls which include aperture control, ISO/gain control, shutter control, and manual shutter speed and aperture. Still photography is also robust with up to a 12 megapixel resolution feature. Low light performance was superb and provided great quality pictures indoors or out, more so than even some of the most expensive camcorders on the market. This was one of the best features noted in the HD2000.

There are a few drawbacks to this model though, and one of the main drawbacks is the lack of organization in the menu programs. They are not logically organized and at times, very hard to find. The speed at which a user can run through the menu is determined by a ‘joystick’ that doesn’t function quite as fast as it should. The controls can be difficult to use and can make working through the menu an annoying mess. It takes much more for the consumer to learn how to use all the controls offered on the HD2000 but once done, the quality of the video is comparable to the high-end camcorders costing hundreds of dollars more.

Another drawback is the lack of outputs on the camcorder. No AV or USB outputs to plug into a computer or television; all connections are made with the included docking station. The docking station itself is fully functional and has all the connections needed, but the dock has to be taken with the camcorder if the user intends to preview any of the video footage. All the cables need to be carried with the docking station as well if the user wants to hook anything up. The docking station itself is very well put together with virtually every function a user will need and if not an issue, it may not necessarily be considered a drawback.

For the price, Sanyo’s Xacti VPC-HD2000 camcorder is a great piece of equipment for the user that doesn’t mind the different style design, the upright body, and learning the more difficult menu options. If the user doesn’t mind taking the docking station and cables with them, or doesn’t need to most of the time, it’s a great camcorder to use. The functionality of the video quality is equal, and at times superior, to more expensive models which make the HD2000 a smart buy for the beginner and intermediate camcorder user. Throw in the price, and the HD2000 might just be one of the best buys on the market.