Very happy with this choice

Author's Rating:

Pros: big LCD screen, long zoom, sturdy

Cons: microphone useless in the wind

Author's Review
I had borrowed a friend's camcorder and hated squinting at the tiny viewfinder. I knew I wanted a Sharp camcorder, but I didn't know which one. After a little online research, I decided the 4 inch LCD screen made this one the way to go.

I've had it with me for two vacations, meeting my new nephew and one choral performance. It has performed very well on all occasions. The camcorder has a rotating lens assembly and feels a little flimsy when you first hold it. It is sturdier than it looks. I took it on a horseback ride and to the beach twice. The jostling, sand, and salt spray didn't hurt it.

The 16X zoom and the 4 inch LCD screen are this camcorder's strong points. The long zoom allows you to easily bring distant objects close. I do not use the digital zoom feature as it makes the picture too fuzzy. The lens has 46 mm threads and can take a variety of accessory lenses. I used a wide angle lens while taping on a boat to get everyone in the picture. The 4 inch LCD screen makes it easy to hold the camcorder at waist level while recording. That makes you less conspicuous and it easier to tape candid activity .

The camcorder works reasonably well in low light, but the gain up feature is almost useless. It adds a weird blue tint and a great deal of noise to the picture. The camera's other weak point is the microphone. It's great for doing narration, but useless in any more than a gentle breeze.

I recommend this camcorder over the others I've used for both ease of use and the convenience of playing back the tape on a big, bright 4 inch screen.