Sharp VLNZ55U MiniDV Viewcam Camcorder with 3" Color LCD Screen

by Sharp

Product Details

Product Manual [11.45mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 3.9 x 7.2 x 4.3 inches ; 1.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00006L9CP
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,663 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 11, 2002

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The VL-NZ55U is a perfect entry level digital camcorder with an i.Link PC interface and full on-screen information with a black body design. Its features include:

Battery/Tape Remaining Display
The on-screen displays for battery level and amount of tape remaining allow the operator to devote full attention to filming without the distraction of monitoring battery strength and time remaining on the tape.

Zoom Optical/Digital
The 10x optical lens provides the best picture quality and the digital 300x zoom allows images to be captured at distance.

Digital Image Stabilization
Compensates for image shake when a tripod is not used improving the quality of the video.

i.Link (IEEE1394) PC Port
This is a digital port for transferring full motion video and sound to a PC equipped with an i.Link port.

Playback with Sound
The built-in speaker allows on-the-spot playback with sound for checking and for viewing video footage anywhere.

Gain Up/Backlight Compensation
Both gain up and backlight compensation correct the exposure in poor lighting conditions to easily capture the best picture possible.

On Screen Recording Guide
This helps the user line-up landscape footage and can be used as a guide for the safe zone or center of lens for easy framing of subject matter.

Digital Picture Effects
This allows different digital effects (B&W, Sepia, NEG) to be viewed without effecting the original recording and to your video a custom edited look.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Reasonable Value for a Budget DV Camcorder, October 3, 2003

By 

Jayson S. Esplin "jsesplin" (Utah, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sharp VLNZ55U MiniDV Viewcam Camcorder with 3" Color LCD Screen (Electronics)

The DV camcorder market finally hit my price point at ~$$$(After rebate) in this product. . . Does it have all the bells and whistles? No. Does it perform as advertised? Pretty much -- if you take the time to read the manual and consider its' limitations. It does best in favorable lighting, but does have features that compensate for sub-optimal lighting conditions (generally found indoors). No night/low light mode, and the better the lighting, the better the colors. The lack of a viewfinder (unit has LCD panel only) has yet to be a hindrance -- although I haven't tried it outside in full sun/glare yet either. The resolution is good; the case design and user interface is different than all other camcorders I've owned, but easy to adapt to; the IEEE 1394 connection works flawlessly in Win XP (with appropriate video editing software -- not included, firewire cable -- not included) in both directions. It has the standard special video effects (sepia, B&W, etc), a still feature that records a frame onto the DV tape as long as the button is active (no semiconductor removable memory -- remember this is an entry level unit). Spare high capacity batteries can be found online for <$$ delivered. Bottom line, used correctly this is a very good value at around $$$ (after incentive pricing). . .

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sharp Mini DV Camcorder, October 3, 2003

By 

S. McComas "Suz in Seattle" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sharp VLNZ55U MiniDV Viewcam Camcorder with 3" Color LCD Screen (Electronics)

We bought this for it's simplicity, and it is just awesome~!

This is just as good as any larger model, with no heavy accessories, seperate bag to lug around, literally just throw it in a larger purse, or in our case the diaper bag :), and you're on your way. My 13 year old figured out how to use it in about 3 minutes, couldn't be easier, and picture quality is outstanding. I LOVE this camcorder! Thank you, Sharp!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice product, January 4, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Sharp VLNZ55U MiniDV Viewcam Camcorder with 3" Color LCD Screen (Electronics)

I bought this camcorder one month ago just for my holiday tour. This is a nice item considering its price. The image is sharp. The voice recorder is really nice. It can record even some remote voices. Easy to use.

The con is there is no cover for the LCD. I suggest you to buy a bag for this camcorder.