List Price: $749.96 Our Price: $405.71 You Save: $344.25 (46%)

Product Description

Shoot high-definition today with this elegant state-of-the-art true 720p high-definition camcorder that doubles as a 7 megapixel digital camera. Encased in a stunning enclosure, the HD700 features a 5x optical lens and a large 2.7-inch widescreen display making the Sanyo HD700 as convenient as it is useful. And, a HDMI port on the docking station allows you to simply connect to the latest high-definition TVs and recorders to view and share your footage. Also, the HD700 records to the latest MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 global standard, delivering exceptional video clarity and detail while maintaining the smallest file size possible. Playback directly onto a HD or standard TV screen. Easy connection to VCR or DVD recorder. Remote Control Included 5x all-glass optical zoom with a bright maximum aperture of f/3.5. Consisting of nine groups and twelve total lenses (3 aspheric elements, 5 aspheric surfaces), the HD700's lens provides a fantastic field-of-view with a 38-190 mm range (35 mm equivalent). Combined with the 12x digital zoom, the HD700 provides up to 60x zooming capability Each video is recorded as an individual MPEG-4 and each still as a JPEG Records and plays from optional SD and SDHC memory cards; accepts up to 8GB capacity ? The new HD700 was designed to work with Apple's full complement of video editing applications including the new iMovie 08. Easily edit your movies and add them to your website or YouTube for sharing or create versions for iPod, iPhone or the Apple TV NTSC / PAL (interfacing via included docking station or connecting adaptor) 720p 1280x720 video HDTV resolution capability Unit Dimensions 2.9 x 1.4 x 4.3 inches (W x D x H); Weight 6.7 oz. approx. (main unit only), 7.5 oz. approx. (including battery and a standard SD card) Includes SANYO Software Pack, Docking station, Dedicated AV interface cable, Dedicated Component interface cable, Dedicated USB cable, Cable adaptor, Lith

Customer Reviews:

• Great Outdoor.. Subpar Indoor
  First, the look and feel of this camcorder is great. Easy to handle. One drawback that was mentioned was that the battery does get "warm" after some continuous use.
  
  Video Quality: Great for outside use. Not so good for inside use unless you have plenty of light. This is the common complaint for this item.
  
  Picture Quality: So-So. Even though it states that it's a 7M camera, it performed worst than my point-and-shoot 7.2M Casio camera, especially shooting indoor.
  
  Basically, the camcorder/camera performs well as long as you have plenty of light. Else, it is subpar, but overall, a great camcorder to have for every uses due to its compact size....more info
• Great for realistic persons.
  I almost didn't get it due to the reviews here in Amazon.com. That would be a big mistake. If you are some kind of camcorder addict or a professional you shouldn't even think about buying it, that is true.
  
  If you are a normal person seeking a very good, easy to use device, to record your family, travel or funny moments and take great pictures, this is it.
  I got the silver one for about 350 US$ shipped. The photo quality is great and fully met my expectations. If you bother reading the manual and the online tips you will get some great results. Even the full auto mode yields good results under normal circumstances.
  Video in HD does have the issues mentioned in other reviews, as far as low light and field of view is concerned. The field of view is really not a big issue, you will get accustomed to shoot one step back from your usual distance and that's it. Really a non issue.
  The low light is the only situation that needs some action from your part to overcome. Read the specs. It says 5 lux minimum light. This is not a coincidence. In the night, indoors with normal light bulbs the noise is visible even in the viewfinder on dark colors. Adding a bit more light makes the problem less pronounced. If you have one of the new energy saving lights you will notice that the noise is harder to see. If your light source happens to emit cold light noise almost disappears (invisible in the viewfinder hard to notice on HD TV). Either way the video quality is so much better than your mini DV camera that there is little sense in occupying your self with the noise issue in the end. I have compared it with a Canon MiniDV we have and even in low light i prefer the Xacti. More detail is there and a better picture although the noise of the Canon is less. In normal or well lit environments the difference is incredible favoring the Xacti. Considering that a cheap MiniDV is about the same price as the Xacti i believe this little camcorder gives outstanding value for money. Let's not forget the ease to carry it around and that a MiniDv or a DVD camcorder typicaly records 60 or 30 minutes respectively while a 4GB card gives the Xacti 120 minutes recording. You actually get a capable HD player for your videos without the need for a computer if you add a hard drive to Xacti's docking station. Peripherals are cheap (10 US$ gets you an extra battery, 25$ a 120min (4 GB) SDHC card and 45$ gets you a 8GB 240 min SDHC). There are better HD camcorders in the market for sure. But they are more expensive and so much bulkier that the little sanyo is in a class of its own.
  Autofocus has some trouble only in very close distances but you won't be shooting 5 inches from the lens in normal situations. If this is the case you can always use the cross hair mode that focuses on what you put the cross on and the problem goes away.
  Although the Xacti has some very small issues i heartily recommend it, for normal people with normal expectations.
  If you are not a perfectionist you will realize how cheap the Xacti is for the vast array of features it offers. These are not just bullet points on paper. They are actual things that matter and can be used. Invest some time to train your self and the Xacti won't disappoint you. On the other hand if you want movie quality in candle lit recordings this is definitely not for you. You will have to pay 3 to 10 times the price and get something better.
  ...more info
• Moved up from a HD1
  I bought the HD700 after my HD1 died and have had it now for about 6 months. I stuck with Sanyo in spite of all the trouble with the HD1 because I love the form factor so I was somewhat suprised to see that the HD700 was slightly smaller, great! As others have stated, there are quite a bit of image problems-poor low light, narrow field of view. I've found the video saturation and noise to be less than the HD1, but, the low light performance is still pretty poor. Also, the 5x optical zoom is only fair as it seems that the image is a bit blurry. The HD1 10x zoom was better. I more or less happy with the HD700 as my primary requirment is a small camcorder....more info
• Sanyo Xacti HD 700 Camcorder
  I like it! It is easy to use and makes very good pictures. I am happy with the sound. I like the software that comes with it. I patched all of my video segments together with transitions between and burnt a nice DVD for later viewing. Very happy with the results....more info
• Great addition to the Sanyo Xacti lineup
  This is the third Sanyo Xacti camera I have owned and I have to say I still have a strong believer in this brand.
  
  Here's what I like:
  - Small form factor. With this camera you can take it anywhere and most importantly use it discreetly. I get positive comments about the camera all of the time and people quickly realize the big benefit of not having to lug a large MiniDV camera around anymore. This camera fits in your pocket.
  - Use of SDHC cards. SDHC cards are cheap these days (getting cheaper) and are reliable. Love the fact I can quickly download the video and pictures to the computer for editing to DVD, etc. In addition I can easily upload to YouTube if I desire. With my old set up you had to hook up the firewire to the MiniDV, hit play and wait for the transfer to complete which took a long time (actual play time of the video)
  - High Def. The clarity is very good for a camera with such a small form factor. Face it this isn't a $1000+ HD camera so you cannot compare it with those.
  - More video. As I mentioned above this is my third Xacti camera. In the past four years I've upgraded from a C40 to CG6 and now the HD700. My video library has increased substantially since it's so much easier to bring the Xacti versus the regular MiniDV.
  -Instant On. With this camera you can power on in approx 1.5 seconds. Meaning you are recording that quickly.
  
  What could be improved:
  - Low light recording. Essentially all the Xacti's have some issue with recording in low light (even the HD1000 to some extent). I've recorded indoors and the footage is acceptable to me. The camera has a several user controls which aid it getting the right ISO and white balance set. Does the camera produce Discovery Channel HD footage? No and I don't expect it to at this price point.
  - Battery. You get a little over an hour of continuous use with the camera. It would be nice if a higher capacity battery was an option.
  -Better Lens Cap
  -Brighter Flash for stills. Note- this camera is a digital camcorder first and a still camera second.
  -Be able to recharge the camera directly from a USB cable
  
  In summary, I'm pleased with the purchase. Hopefully folks reading this will understand this review is from a person who is very familiar with the Xacti line. There are some limitations of this brand (as noted above) but they are out weighed by the fact the unit is so portable. I've caught footage of my kids growing up which I couldn't have (easily) with the old MiniDV. When my kids become adults I'll have tons of good quality footage to give them. Without this camera I probably couldn't easily do this or I wouldn't have the quantity of clips to give them.
  
  So my one word of advice is if you purchase an Xacti model read the manual and learn how to use it.
  
  -b
  ...more info
• Last one year, it was ok while it lasted
  I did enjoy the camera/camcorder while it lasted. After normal use, no dropping or anything, it just decided to not power on any more. The quality is not worth the money. Stay away from this product, it doesn't last long....more info
• Excellent
  I bring this camera everywhere I go, it's portable and produces amazing videos. You'll never miss a single shot, it's durable and scratch resistant, besides the black part. It cost 100 less than the Xacti HD1000, but it's nearly as good, so it's excellent.
  
  
  But beware, dark or moderately lighted areas are not good for this camcorder, other than that, the camera shoots good anywhere else, especially in HD!...more info
• Great Outdoors, low light - not so great, but very portable
  Things i love about this camera
  - size: it is truly a pocket video cam, i can take it everywhere.
  - quick start: i can have it out of my pocket filming in 3 seconds, so you don't miss any shots
  - video quality outside is superb, as good as you could ever want (when viewed on my 46" LCD HDTV)
  - the dock: you can view directly through the dock and can even view directly from a back up hard drive - so you don't need to burn DVD's to share/store movies
  - ability to do both stills and video with one device
  
  Really the only issue i have with this camera is indoor/low light quality: It really is not very good in low light. if you use the settings properly, you can get decent video/pictures in low light, but it isn't HD quality. Disappointing, but not a deal breaker for me, especially considering this is nearly 1/2 the price of full HD cameras (such as the HF100). Don't buy if this is a major concern for you. Even stills suffer in low light (even with the flash). Some have talked of the "perma-zoom" issues, but i don't have any problems with that. I even looked for it and it really isn't an issue for me at all.
  ...more info
• Close to perfect
  Despite some flaws I'm rating this 5 stars because it is, in my opinion, a groundbreaking camera. For the price (I'm talking if you get this below $400) you get beautiful video outdoors and ok video indoors (with good light). Photos are good outdoors and fair indoors. There is a magnetic wide angle lens avilable (Phoenix M-Power large 0.45x magnetic wide angle lens) that works well for both videos and photos. Sound quality on videos is excellent. Battery life is good and charges fast. Start up is fast. Small form factor means you'll always have it with you. For those of you that have a HD-DVD (or Blu-Ray) player you can edit your videos (Pinnacle Studio 11 Plus etc) and burn to standard DVD (don't need a HD DVD burner). You can put 26 min of HD video on the disk.
  Needs improvement: Low light performance, some lens barrel distortion, no auto lens cover, weak flash.
  
  Overall, this is a very good high def hybrid. For the first time you can carry only one small camera and get both good quality video and photos....more info
• Sanyo HD700
  Sanyo makes sturdy, highly adjustable cameras. This one like the C1, C5, C6, and HD2 can take excellent pictures and very good videos. The major advantage over the HD2 which is good is the bigger screen and better pocketability. At $221 for refurbished it was a steal....more info
• Don't buy
  Got it
  Used it
  Watched my film
  Sent it back.
  The picture quality is really terrible. When you play it back it looks as though it is skipping frames and the light capturing ability is another major disaster. In other words, if you want a good quality hd camcorder, look else where....more info
• Great Pocket Video Camera
  Great pocket cam for the price. I purchased this when it was on sale for three hundred. Great video quality in daylight (not as good as my Canon HV20 but in the right light it's starts approaching it)and usable quality in low light if a lower ISO is selected. Good stereo sound quality, wish it had a microphone input though. The still images are usable for 4x6 prints after a little post processing. It's great how I can put it in my pocket and have video wherever I go.
  
  Only thing I really wish for is Optical Image Stabilization because hand holding such a lightweight camera produces shaky footage (still researching mini pocketable shoulder stabilizers and tripods)and the built in EIS is inferior to OIS.
  
  So in my opinion the future looks bright for these little pocket cams as I would Imagine in 2-3 years having available a similarly priced video camera with full 1080i/p resolution and OIS not unlike the Sanyo HD1000....more info
• Good for the low price. I'll keep it, but barely...
  First off, I'm a canon SLR user and I'm familiar with photography and taking pictures etc. I read through the manual for this item as well as went to the Sanyo site on how to take better pictures. I have two major with this product. One is the hunting focusing. If someone can figure a way around it, ping me. It's horrible. I actually have one shortcut that "locks" the auto focus. I do this just so the focus will cease to hunt. Otherwise you'll see that the lens constantly is hunting. I've tried to put it at higher ISO in low light and still the same reaction.
  
  My other gripe with it is the lack of wide angle when filming in SHD quality. Those with the camera, check this out, if you try to take a picture, your frame of view is MORE. Or if you put it on SD quality, again your frame of view is MORE than SHD. Now how does that make sense? The way to solve this is to get the phoenix wide angle lens which i have. It works okay, but it falls off easily since it is magnetic.
  
  In low light, it will capture the pictures. It seems on auto it puts it at ISO400 or so.
  
  overall the quality of the camera is barely better than a good compact photo camera like the canon SD1000 or the like. sure the resolution is higher, but with the hunting focus etc, you're pushing it.
  
  Now why I'll keep it. For $300 it's a good deal. The size in itself is nice and the wide screen monitor is also nice. I like how the auto-startup is pretty quick and the fact that it records in MPEG-4 which is a format that will play in my PS3 without any conversion. You have to press the triangle button and select "display all" to see the files though. Also the color labeled as "brown" is actually pretty nice and I would prefer it over the silver/red.
  It's a good camera if you want an all in one and you want something compact. It also takes decent still photos, so if i want to leave my bulky SLR at home, i can. ...more info
• Nice size but video quality is less than expected.
  I got a great deal on this camcorder from Amazon. Looked to be a winner. I am not completely dissatisfied with it but I would advise others to look for alternatives. Like others have said the field of view while filming is very narrow. If I shoot in 4x3 vs 16x9 it does help to broaden the field of view. It is like you are always zoomed in. Video still does like a little grainy. I was hoping for better video quality but it looks about the same as my 5 year old sharp dvi camera. Also when you zoom in and out while recording you record audio from the zooming mechanism. In other words while filming and zooming you get some feedback from the device making noise while zooming in. Great size and feel. Just wish the video quality was better....more info
• definitely worth its half-off price
  bought this camera when it wa half-off for just one day. great deal. It's true you need to step back far enough to experience the advertised wide-angle. Other than that, no complaints....more info
• Great quality, easy to use
  I bought this camera without having held it beforehand. I tried finding it at local stores, but none carried it. With only limited time before X-mas I took a chance and bought it based on one particular review I found on Amazon. This guy had samples and wanted it for the same reason I did (did I say "I", I meant my wife, although I seem to be holding it any chance I get) easy to put in a pocket and take with you so you can shoot any time anywhere.
  
  We couldn't be happier. It really makes great quality video in very diverse lighting conditions and it does fit in my pant pocket.
  
  BTW, I chose this camera in favor of the Flip Mino HD. Which would be smaller, but has no optical zoom, and holding it sideways makes it awkward to use controls while shooting and still get steady shots. The Sanyo with its pistol-type hold makes it very convenient to use controls whilst shooting....more info
• Good Camcorder Not Perfect
  The camera is great. good photos and video, but only in places with good lighting. Inside Flash photography is good, but does cause some red eye.
  Inside video is OK with good lighting but picture has some noise. I am impressed with this camera, and am still testing it under different conditions and testing....more info