Customer Reviews

Sharp VLNZ105U MiniDV Compact Digital Viewcam w/3" Color LCD, MMC/SD Memory Card Slot & USB Interface

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I needed to get me a camcorder for my trip to the Philippines, as I looked, I decided to go with this one because it was cheap and seemed to have many features. Now that I have this, I wouldn't trade it for the world; the ease of use is great for beginners and pros alike. The picture quality is not the best in the world, but its sufficient for its purpose. You will have to purchase a minidv tape in order to use the camcorder, as it is not packaged with one. Sharp was kind enough to supply a 8mb SD card with the camera though. Picture transfer is made easy with the supplied usb cable; firewire allows one (with a firewire port) to transfer video off the camcorder to a PC. You will need to get a good video editing software though (I.E. Adobe Premier). Another good feature is the built in battery charger; instead of lugging a bulky charger wherever you go, all you have to do is attach the supplied power cord to the camera and it charges the battery.

There are downsides to the camcorder though. The camera can be held with one hand, but for maximum stability, one must hold the camera with both hands. The lack of having a built in light also gives another down; in lowlight situations, the camera tries to compensate with backlight which works good if there's some light, but if you try to take video at night, you can not see anything. Another down is that you have to constantly look at the LCD screen to see what you're filming.

All in all, I'd highly reccommend this camera for those who are looking for a bargain camcorder to last them for a long time. This niffty little gadget has many features to please newcommers and professionals alike.

I was looking for an entry level Mini DV Camcorder when I came across this bargain. I've been pleasantly surprised to have had absolutely no problems whatsoever from any of its features. My Win XP machine had no problems recognizing either the SD card when hooked up via USB or the video output when hooked up via Firewire, and all transfers have gone off without a hitch. If you're considering this camera, but worrying about ease of use, worry no more!!

The camera is incredibly small and light, making it ideal for the uses I have for it. It goes with me to Taekwondo tournaments, on hiking expeditions, and will soon accompany me on a road trip to the beach. It's about the same size and weight as a regular 35mm or digital camera, meaning you don't have to lug around the bulk usually associated with camcorders.

Video and audio quality are both great, although video gets a little grainy in low-light situations (but nothing too bothersome).

Straightforward camera that gets the job done. Great value. USEABILITY: Slight downside on ergonomics. The layout with the screen on the back is useable, but a bit akward. You have to use the same finger (R thumb) for both zooming and rec/stop. More importantly, you generally have to use two hands, unlike the typical one-handed strap designs on most cams. So don't expect to use it while bike riding unless you like to ride no hands. STILLS: The still capability is cool but don't expect to use it for more than email-grade snapshots. DV cams are designed for motion, and the resolution on most is generally only around 0.3 megapixels. BATTERY: As with many cams, the supplied battery is small, so I purchased an OEM double-capacity ... The VL-NZ150 and 155 come with an extra battery (double-capacity). I am happy with the VL-NZ105 and am satisfied that it was a good value.

I love this thing. I send my newly recorded video to the computer and edit out all of the boring stuff. The picture quality is great even indoors with pretty low light. Yesterday I taped all my family's 8mm home movies from the 60's right off the projected image and now I can send my family members digital copies. Don't forget that you will need to buy a tape because they don't give you one and also you will need to buy a firewire cable (for your firewire-ready computer) if you want to edit video on your computer. Everything else is included and the manual is thorough. This product is great, a lot of fun, and I recommend it.

Just took another S. America adventure with my first camcorder. I love this camera. The large screen allows me to actually see what is happening while I am filming without having to put my face in the camera. You can see what you are filming out of the corner of your eye and are still able to see where you are going and not step on a croc or other teethy critters. The quality of the videos is incredible-and the still camera works great too. I like being able to get back to civilization and just plug it into the back of the tv, grab a glass of vino tinto, and watch that days takes. About the only problem I have with the unit is the microphone. Because it is built in with no ext. jack; and because it faces foward; when you need to whisper-as when stalking and animal-sometimes it won't pick up my voice. But you can always add sound later. One other thing. If you are going to carry the camera and the remote in the same camera bag, I suggest putting one or the other inside some sort of hard case also(like a cigarette pack holder). This way there is less of a chance of the camera being turned on accidentally and running the battery down-which I did three times before I figured out what was causing the heat and the dead battery. Anyway, it works for me and the price makes my.....never mind

This is a really useful little camcorder. For my hands, it's almost too small, but has a lot of very handy features, like the fade in/fade out and single frame capture via SD card. The video capture is consistent with all entry level cameras: it likes a lot of light! The digital camera function is OK, but don't expect the same performance as a 3 Mpixel camera that costs as much as this camcorder. If you really want low-light high performance or a bunch of professional features, you will have to cough up a LOT more money. If you want a handy little gizmo to record casual lifetime moments, this is the one!
I want to make a specific comment about Firewire performance: my WinXP machine recognized this device and loaded the drivers in 30 seconds. I was downloading and editing video in less than 5 minutes. Earlier notes from other correspondents regarding Sharp's non-performance in this arena are misinformed.
I recommend adding a Firewire (IEEE-1394 or iLink)card to your computer (and a lot of drive space), you'll be wondering how you ever did without this!

Obviously if you want tons of bells & whistles you should check out more expensive camcorders from Sony and Canon and JVC. The Sharp is a very capable and adequate camcorder for 99.9% of us amateur videographers. The 3" LCD is beautiful. Some people complain about the shape, but I find using two hands to hold the camcorder (any camcorder) makes much steadier shots, so I actually have come to prefer the shape of Sharp's camcorders. In any event, it's really easy to use and the battery life is good, too. So if you are looking for an everyday camcorder, be sure to consider this great value.

I was at my friend's house and he had a nifty little camera which was about $800...Now it comes with all the bells, but I just wanted a simple camera that was easy to use, lightweight and took good quality pictures. I agree with another review which says..if you just want to tape your parties and life's moments, this is perfect. I downloaded Movie Maker 2 which makes making movies a breeze..Highly recommended. The rebate form too was extremely easy to fill out...No catches...Don't hesitate on this one!

I'm not a film maker, I just want tapes of the kid that I can edit digitally. This is the best value out there, even without the rebate. I found it originally because of it's low price. After searching other low-priced MiniDV cams, I came back to this one since it has the features I need. It has excellent quality for me, and it plugged into my computer easily. Windows XP recognized it immediately and even started up the digital editing software for me. You will have to buy a Firewire card with cable to connect it to your computer, so add $$ to the cost (there's no difference in firewire cards, don't spend $$). My only complaint is that the camera is small and doesn't really have many places to hold it. However, because it's small, it's easy to take everywhere.

If you're looking to get into digital video, this is a great way to start. Digital videos have the same advantage over analog that digital pictures have over film. You can archive them digitally so you can have a source that won't degrade over time. You can enhance them, correcting colors and brightness/exposure. You can burn them on a CD and send to family. Additionally, you can use it to digitize your old analog tapes. This is one of the few low priced MiniDV camcorders that has A/V inputs using standard RCA plugs. It does NOT have S-Video inputs, though. This allows you to output your VCR to the camcorder and either pass it through to the computer (for digitizing) or recording on a MiniDV tape. Either way, you will have a digital copy of your old tapes. So it serves as a video capture device for your computer. The digital still function is an added bonus, but the pictures are going to be pretty basic, worse than even the cheapest digital camera. Still, it's not bad for a few quick snaps to email around. Don't buy it thinking you'll avoid the need for a digital camera. You'll still want a decent digital camera.

If you're looking to get into videos, this is the way to go. If you're already an expert, this may or may not be what you're looking for. For my everyday use, it's perfect!

Russ

If you're just taping your kid's play or the family vacation, this camera is excellent. Firewire capable, lightweight, and easy to use [although it will suck the camera battery dry with that huge LCD screen -- you'll need to buy a bigger, beefier battery if you want the camera to be on for more than 20-30 minutes].

I can't give it 5 stars, however, because it DOES NOT have a microphone and headphones jack. Believe me, if you ever think you'll be shooting at a wedding reception or party-type event, nothing beats having a simple microphone to give to people to say hello to the camera [pick up a nice microphone at .... for like $...].

But the price is so good....so tempting...