Sharp attire: Sharp VL-WD650U mini DV camcorder. (Test Bench).(Brief Article)(Evaluation)

The VL-WD650U stands proud among Sharp's new line of Mini DV camcorders. Built for the beginning to intermediate video enthusiast, it is definitely a point-and-shooter's friend. Sharp's VL-WD650U has many design comforts and some bells and whistles for those who like gimmicky options. With a USB port, included 8MB SmartMedia Card for still-image capture and credible low-light video performance, the VL-WD650U is equipped with some of the latest offerings in electronics. Featuring a 26x optical zoom lens and a side-loading tape transport, the VL-WD650U is a definite contender for anyone looking on the sub-$1,000 Mini DV shelf.

Smooth, but Complex

The VL-WD650U is a healthy handful for a Mini DV and its ergonomically-designed controls feel very good in the hand. A wisely placed tape access on the side of the unit allows for easy tape swapping when it's mounted on a tripod. Although the large transport door is plastic, the inner workings of the tape-eject mechanism operated very well on our test unit. The controls of the VL-WD650U are easy to access and those with large hands will appreciate the spacing of those controls. Strangely, some of the printing on the camera body, specifically the model name, rubbed off as we were playing with the controls. This did not affect operation, but did dirty our hands and made the new unit look as if it had been heavily worn.

When switching to manual functions (focus and exposure), you must go through the on-screen menus to navigate to the desired attribute before having control over the specific function. Most camcorders have quick buttons to defeat the auto functions at will. The VL-WD650U, is no different and has an Auto On/Off button that toggles the camera into manual mode and lets you adjust the menus. The camera remains in manual mode, remembering your settings, even if you turn the camera on and off. Unfortunately, each time you return to auto mode from manual mode by pressing the Auto On/Off button, all of your manual settings are lost. These settings will need to be re-selected through the menu every time you return to manual mode. We found this trait more than a bit cumbersome and not much to our liking. The multi-purpose control disk used to navigate the menu system and control VCR functions is also used to adjust focus. However, because the disc is not labeled as a focus control, we had to hunt to locate it. When finally in manual focus mode, we found that our test unit required firm button pushes to adjust focus, but once engaged, the mechanism operated very smoothly.

Near and Far

The VL-WD650U has some nice optical plusses in its corner. The most obvious is the 26x optical zoom, the highest we've held in our mitts. And the image that the VL-WD650U captures is very nice with true-to-life color and sharp definition.

The folks at Sharp also gave the VL-WD650U a 780x digital zoom. A digital zoom of that magnitude is impractical, as the image quality at full-zoom is utterly pixilated and virtually useless. To top it off, the 26x optical zoom gets second billing on the camera body stencil. Bigger numbers must be better when it comes to consumer marketing.