Sharp VL-WD450U Mini DV Camcorder

Pros: Price and features
Cons: UNRELIABLE

I purchased this camcorder over a year ago. I have used 4 Maxell Mini DVC since the purchase. Two of those tapes had less than 10 minutes of record time before I started getting the infamous red "X" and the "EJECT THE CASSETTE". Of course the last time...

Pros: Features, price, input/output capabilities, lens
Cons: Large, awk menu system, size

Not the best, not the worst - but the best value. Can be had for $450 plus a $100 sharp rebate for a net price of only $350! Picture quality is not bad, and the features cannot be matched for even double the price by panasonic, sony or jvc.

...

Pros: Small, decent features
Cons: Eats tapes

I cannot recommend this product to anyone. The reason is simple - the MiniDV tapes constantly get c ...

Pros: Great buy for the budget conscious.
Cons: Bad quality using LP mode.

I like this camera and it has done alot for me. It is rather a good deal for the price and has many more or comparable features than other camcorders of the same price.
The only thing I would gripe about at the moment is the quality of the picture...

Pros: this a great camera that's extreamely durible. great for any aspiring director or just for
Cons: i haven't found anything that i don't like about this video camera

I got this camera for my birthday almost two years ago and i absolutly adore it. I cannot understan ...

Pros: It was cheap, lots of features
Cons: It cost more than it's worth

I wish someone had written a review before I bought this!
It broke 3.5 months after I bought it. Two weeks over the 90 labor warranty expired. My bad - cost me $175 to fix. I sent it to the repair center - twice! It has a problem with rewind - it...

Pros: Tremendous value! Lots of "hi end" features at "low end" cost.
Cons: A trifle larger than similar camcorders. Feels a bit flimsy but similar to others.

After reading another review on the WD450; I went over to Best Buy for a "side by side" evaluation of it and the Sony DCR-TRV730 that was recommended. In my opinion, the Sharp is generally about as good as the Sony in performance. The only exception is...

Pros: Cheap, good optical zoom
Cons: Feels cheap, and flimsy. poor picture quality, terrible motion compensation.

Went and bought this camera at Best Buy. Got a great deal with rebate. Already have a Sony analog 8. The picture quality of the Sharp was to me no better than my analog 8. The motion compensation was terrible, great if you never move the camera. But if...

Pros: features
Cons: flimsy, possible dirty head from factory causing pixelation during playback

Dont have this cam yet, but will soon. am mainly writing to let people know www.costco.com has this cam for $399.99 and they will refund/exchange for any reason in store, if you have trouble. I have been looking and reading and no cams got this feature...

Pros: good zoom, firewire connection
Cons: bad quality

I got this one online from BestBuy. Together with some MiniDV tapes. Well. It worked the first couple of hours. Then it started showing some problems in the picture (like squares and left overs from previous frames). After using 2 tapes it now has the...

Pros: Good price
Cons: Stopped working after two hours of use.

I purchased this camcorder because it was a good price ($379). After recording for two hours, I kept getting a dirty head notification. When I contacted customer service they said to try cleaning the heads. This only worked for a short while, and then...

Pros: great optical zoom. 26x
Cons: heads are flawed from factory. Have to clean too often.

Don't buy this camcorder. I, like hundreds of others, have had nothing but trouble with this camcorder. The famous red x syndrome. I have used panasonic tapes but have to clean the head so often it isn't funny. If you insist on buying this camcorder, I can make you a real good deal on one. I am going to buy a panasonic or canon camcorder. So many people have had the same problems as I have, I think a class action lawsuit is not a bad idea.

Pros: None that come to mind
Cons: This camera is a joke!

I have had my sharp VL-450U for 2 1/2 years and paid over $600.00 for it at our local Wal-Mart. I have had many problems with the red X and eject the cassette even dew warnings. Now it has completely quit accepting a tape. The tape holder will go down empty but not with a tape inserted. I have missed many events: My son't first Junior high season and my daughter senior year events. I am highly upset that when I contacted SHarp on three seperate occassions, I still have yet to receive a response. I am in the process of contacting the consumers protection agency concering the poor quality of such a high priced camera.

Pros: Great quality picture Durable Easy to use.
Cons: Audio is okay. Night recording is confusing

I have had my Sharp WD450U for a couple of years and have used it in lite rain, dusty conditions, etc. and have had no trouble out of it.

I use Panasonic, Sony and Fuji Mini-DVs and all of them work perfectly. Great picture.

The only thing I would change would be to improve the audio. The audio records like a camcorder, but the picture is as good as an expensive video camera.

The still pictures are grainy; however, I purchased it for the video quality, so I haven't been disappointed.

Some videos I have recorded are at www.SteelSports.net/Media.htm and www.SkylesLANd.com

Pros: Analog to digital conversion 26X Optical Zoom Headphone Jack Shotgun Microphone Final Cut Pro Compatible
Cons: Steep Learning Curve Won't fit in your palm

I can't believe all these poor reviews! Just try and find another camera in this price range that will allow you to digitize your old movies, give you 26X OPTICAL ZOOM and a CAT's EYE INFRARED zero-light mode that the U.S. Military would envy! Yes, the menu has a steep learning curve but once you figure it out it's 2nd nature! I have no idea what others mean by the red X or the dew alert. I've had this camera on the ocean for days at a time and never had any such problems. In fact, if you spend a little time tweaking the controls of this camera you can get video quality that rivals units costing twice as much! Plus, this baby is a TANK. Get a decent tripod and exercise some patience and you'll keep this camera forever.