Features:
Hi8 format
3-inch LCD view screen
Digital image stabilization
Six different digital special effects
16x optical/400x total zoom
Accessories:
Pinnacle PCTV TV Tuner and Video Capture Card
Corel Ulead VideoStudio 11 Plus [OLD VERSION]
Apple Final Cut Studio 2 (Mac)
Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Version 11 [OLD VERSION]
Corel Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 Plus [OLD VERSION]
Spotlight customer reviews:
Summary: Great color videocamera!
Comment: I loved the large color 3" LCD screen it rotates 360 degrees for shooting at any angle. Overall it is a simple and elegant camera with impressive durability and quality of workmanship. Controls are well thought out and easy to understand. Image quality is great in all but the very lowest of light. A 10+
Summary: Great features for the price, but poor durability
Comment: I actually got this camcorder 2 1/2 years ago as my first camcorder in anticipation of the coming birth of our first child. It offered a lot of great features for the price, and I thought the 3" viewscreen right on the camcorder was a big improvement over viewfinders and pop-out screens.
And lo and behold, when we got it, it worked exactly as we thought and we got some great memories.
But then the lens cap broke. And it started to jam tapes regularly. And put dots and speckles into some recordings. And after 3 months of use my battery wouldn't recharge anymore. I brought it in for a repair and a replacement lens cap/battery, but 9 months later all 3 problems happened again.
The first repair was under warranty, I paid for the 2nd one. But last month was really it. My sister, who lives 400 miles away from me, had twins around the same time our son was born and we went up to visit them for their 2nd birthday. My wife took (or I should say tried to take) an hour of video of me playing with all 3 boys and another 2 hours of video of all of us going to the zoo together. Well, you know what, nothing came out, because THE TAPE WAS JAMMED AGAIN! Only this time, the camcorder did not give me any message warning me of this during her attempted recording, so we thought all was fine.
So today, 2 weeks before our 2nd child is due, I threw in the towel and bought a Samsung DV camcorder. Cest la vie....I have 2 Sharp TV's that work great (one is almost 20 years old!) so I don't know if I simply got a "lemon" or if their camcorder standards are just lax compared to their other electronics.
Summary: VL-Ah150U
Comment: Brand new camcorder has 3 large dots on the screen. Sharp authorized service centers in New York are taking forever to fix it. I am fed up.
Summary: Great camera
Comment: This is a great camera especially for a teen. It is easy to use, compact and great fun for the price.
Summary: Very Good Buy
Comment: I am very pleased with my Sharp VLAH50U camcorder. It had many more features than advertised and the price was the best I could find anywhere with the free shipping. It shipped the next day and arrived in good condition. This is my first camcorder and I am looking forward to using it this Christmas.
Editorial reviews:
Tiny buttons drive you nuts? Try a touch screen! Who needs a standard squint 'n' peek viewfinder when Sharp's Viewcam design offers a 3-inch color LCD screen that swivels 270 degrees? Without the camera stuck in your face, you can easily see what's going on around you, shoot over crowds or even point the camera back at yourself.The VL-AH50U's controls put exposure settings, a titling option and special effects literally at your fingertips. And don't worry about fingerprints or smudges: Finger oils don't stick to the LCD's special coating. The LCD is a special "low reflective" model for use in daylight. The 16x optical zoom is among the best for capturing far-away scenes.
