Rating: 
Summary: Easy its not
Review: I purchased this video camera for the reason of pricing.I have looked at other video cameras and they with similiar features were much more(not to mention that this comes with a rebate of one-hundred dollars and a free carrying case and free shipping)However after recieving it figuring out how to operate it and the battery pack coming loose and the way the on-off switch works is very frustrating i would consider other options such as ease of use.I come from the generation of the flashing VCR #s until someone figured out how to make them user friendly and in my opinion this camera is not.
Rating: 
Summary: Feature-rich and a great value (...!
Review: I could not find a in-depth review of this camcorder on the web, so I decided to share my experiences. The WD255U is my first camcorder, so I cannot compare it with other models. But after several days of testing the camcorder, I can happily report it is a feature-rich product and a great value(...). My goal was to purchase a digital camera that would not break the bank. The WD255 (...) is the most inexpensive MiniDV I could find, so I went through my usual post-purchase worries as I unpacked and set up the camera.The package contains the camcorder, along with the following accessories: infared remote plus batteries, li-ion battery pack, lithium battery for the camcorder, AC adaptor & battery charger, DC cable, A/V cable, and finally software and a cable for connection to a PC (more on this later). Noticably absent are a SmartMedia card and S-video cable, both of which I already own. Also absent is a firewire cable, but they are usually packaged with a firewire board, so I will acquire one then. While waiting for the battery to charge I inserted a 32MB SmartMedia card and the MiniDV tape. Within minutes I was taping and capturing images on the memory card. (A word on the SmartMedia: If you have a SmartMedia card for your Rio MP3 player, you *can* reformat the card for camera use by using the excellent freeware "Dreaming of Brazil"). The camera is small and fit comfortably in my hand. The video quality is quite good for my needs, both indoor and outdoor. I observed some noise in low-light conditions. The gamma and gain-up features are effective in brightening up the shot, but introduced a small but noticeable amount of grain. The 26x optical zoom is a big plus. While the camera will go up to 780x digital zoom, I found anything above 300x to be too noisy for pleasant viewing. The few times I've used the cat's eye feature, I was unable to get it to improve the image by much. There's a white balance feature, as well as the ability to go to manual mode, where you can adjust a variety of variables: shutter speed, focus, brightness, etc. There are also several preset modes you can select (Sunlight, Sports, Indoor, Racetrack, etc) but I have not tried them. The 16-bit sound mode allows you to overlay a second audio track if you're inclined, as well as improve sound quality. But even at 16-bit the mic had trouble picking up conversation from 20 feet (in a concert hall), although the concert itself played back fairly well. An optional boom mic provides zoom pickup. I did not notice camera noise being recorded. Playback controls are very simple to operate, both using the remote and on the camcorder itself. I was very satisfied with the image quality from the color viewfinder and LCD. The camera has a built-in speaker as well as a headphone jack. The S-video jack is a welcome bonus, as well as the ability to record from an external source. I will be using this feature to transfer my analog tapes to digital. The remote can be used for tape record and card record. During playback you can zoom, slow video, play frame-by-frame, etc. Digital still pictures can be stored at Economy, Normal, or Fine compression. Even at Fine, the quality is adequate but nothing to write home about, and is comparable to a basic digital camera. One tip: disable the image stabilization (which is not needed in stills) to improve their quality. I found both recording and playback of stills to be quite slow, ~3 secs between snaps and ~4 secs between each still retrieval. Use this feature for fun; for quality stills stick with a true digital camera. I decided on a digital camcorder 1) for improved image quality and 2) ease of transfer to PC. I have not tried firewire yet, although I am eager to do so. The included PC software and cable allows you to capture still images from tape or from the SmartMedia card. The PixLab software is very basic (perhaps too basic) but easy to operate, and I easily transferred still images to PC. The transfer is slowed down by the serial cable but it nevertheless gets the job done. I wish there was a way to delete a selection of still images via the software; deleting images one by one via the camcorder was quite slow and tedious. In conclusion, I am very happy with the WD255. While it has a few rough spots (hence the 4 stars), this camera has all the features I want and is a great value (...). The free Vivitar kit and free shipping sweetened the deal. If you are downgrading from a higher-end camera you may be disappointed. But if you are a first-time owner like me, or are upgrading from a non-digital camera, chances are you will be pleased with your purchase.
Rating: 
Summary: Big bang for small bucks
Review: I brought this camcorder because its price is simply unresistable. ...
I love it too. It's got a 26X optical zooming, and a stunning 700x digital zooming. I can read a car's license plate more than 100 meters away! It's simply amazing. It comes with 5 different effect for your digital picture, and is capable of recording and playing videos. I'd definately recommend this item. Two of my friends brought it after me already.
Rating: 
Summary: HORRIBLE PICTURE QUALITY!!!
Review: I bought this camcorder hoping it would be a dramatic difference over my old Panasonic vhs-c. Boy was I wrong. In fact it looked worse! I tried everything from changing the settings to loading different tapes. I've read that other brands have excellent outside shots. Taping my sons soccer game on a bright sunny day was also a huge disappointment, it was grainy and we had a hard time recognizing him. My wife who is not picky complained about how bad the picture degraded just when using the optical zoom and I heartily agreed with her. It had nice features but it did not offset our feelings about the picture quality. Maybe theres a bigger reason for the current $... rebate.
Rating:
Summary: I love this camera!!!
Review: This camera is such a great deal, with the rebate, free shipping, and bonus camera bag, cleaning kit, and tripod. And don't forget about not having to pay sales tax! For around $350 you get a retail package price of well over $1000 with tax and that does not include a shipping charge. I'm also very impressed with all of the features it comes with. The cat's view works great at night. I've also bought an extra cable to transfer the video onto my computer and the movies have turned out great!! All in all, a great camera for the low price.
Rating:
Summary: Best buy for the money!
Review: I've been looking for a digital camcorder for almost a year, so I've pretty much picked up everything. I found that, for this incredible price (I feel like I stole it after the rebate) this camcorder is easy to use, lightweight, and has a great picture, even in lousy and inconsistent lighting. It loses a fraction of a point for the difficult position of the On/Off switch (tough to use if you're holding it in shoot position), but otherwise is great. The quality, features, and ease of use are similar to cams costing closer to (more money). Highly recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: Digital Camcorder
Review: This is my first experience with Amazon.com. I just purchased the Sharp 255U digital camcorder with a 32mg smartcard and a Delkin reader. I also received the tripod, bag, and cleaning kit. I was pleasantly surprised. First, Amazon.com (with the help of UPS) delivered my order in a timely fashion. Second, I am amazed at the features of the Sharp 255U in relation to the price. I shopped for comparable features and by far the Sharp 225U seems to be the best value. I do realize that there is a difference of pixels between the Sharp camera and other "digital camcorders." For my use, the Sharp 255U is acceptable. Third, I am pleased with the compatability between the Sharp 255U and my PowerMac. The camera is wonderful with both video and still pictures. It's a great choice for my situation.
Rating:
Summary: STEAL...
Review: Just picked up the VL-WD255U and have perused just about all of its many features. This unit, albeit nothing fancy in the looks department is a virtual steal (at (dollar amount) w/rebate and a free tripod + case) for the analog-to-digital-video conversion capability alone. You can EASILY transfer you analog VHS/8mm tapes to DV thus creating a perfect digital copy of your tapes via either RCA connectors (input AND output)or S-VHS. Best of all, the firewire connection allows limitless pc editing potential. Good luck trying to find a lower price on any DV camera that has this capability.
Rating:
Summary: It is a complete package, not a bare bones one!!!
Review: I was scared by one of the review that said this one is "a bare bones package". After I got it, I found out everything I needed is in the package. Software, Cables, 3 different kinds of batteries, power adapter and charger, DC coupler, etc. I don't care about the 8MB smartmedia, I have plenty of them. So, this is a rather completed package.
It is not as bulky as I expected, and it is rather stylish. I think I am going to love it.
Rating:
Summary: These people are wrong!
Review: First, I have actually BOUGHT this camera. (...) I am VERY pleased with this camera. For 350 dollars you can't ask for anything more. Plus, it DOES include the battery pack, it DOES include serial cable for computer, it DOES include RCA cables, it DOES include charging station, and it does include docking bay. Also, most people dont need a boom mic (you can buy one) but this unit comes standard with built in 16 bit stereo sound. I bought a 64 meg smartmedia card here at amazon for next to nothing. The stills it takes are about 1 megapixel...nothing great..but not BAD either. The video and sound is excellent, manual figures are great..and the effects are fun to play with..including 16:9 widescreen. Buy it! You will be happy.
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