I used to have a JVC miniDV camcorder also, and I before the Xacti HD1000 I actually had the Sanyo Xacti C6. The Xacti HD1000 has a very wide aperature f1.8 lens so it does better in low light than my old miniDV and my C6. I upgraded from the C6 to the HD1000 because I liked the "pistol grip" design and the pocket sized form factor. As for battery life, Sanyo rates it at 2 hours but in real usage I get between 1 to 1.5 hours per charge. I carry a spare battery. I've never really used the digital zoom, I keep it turned off in the settings. I just use the 10x optical zoom. My only complaint is that it has "digital" image stabilization versus "optical" (or sensor based like Minolta/Sony). It works but I think optical stabilization works better.
There are official Sanyo adapter/converter lenses for the HD1000. Here is a 1.6x teleconverter:
http://www.buy.com/prod/sanyo-vcp-l16tu-1-6x-telephoto-adapter-lens-for-th-vpchd1000-digital/q/loc/111/207642362.html
And here is a .7x wide angle converter:
http://www.buy.com/prod/sanyo-vcp-l07wu-wide-angle-adapter-lens-for-vpc-hd1000/q/loc/111/207642363.html
Regards,
Warren
http://www.pbase.com/wtang
