Digital Trends

Sharp VL-Z7U August 5th, 2003 | by Mike Bell

Software

The VL-Z7U includes a USB driver on the CD ROM. No other software is bundled with the product.

The USB driver installed without trouble on a system running Windows 98. When the camcorder was plugged into the USB cable, the memory card in the VL-Z7U appeared as a removable drive in the directory. Photos are moved from the memory card by dragging and dropping into the desired folder.

In order to do video editing on a PC, an IEEE 1394 cable will be to be purchased as well as the requisite editing application.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Good digital video quality
Good LCD with good visibility in sunlight or indoors with backlight
Built-in flash
Size — fits nicely in the hand, jacket pocket, or purse

Cons
Low light video quality
Digital Still Camera picture quality is poor
Menu organization is confusing
No room for a larger battery
No video software to get started

Conclusion

The VL-Z7U is a very interesting digital camcorder. The video quality under most circumstances is quite good, the LCD is clear in daylight as well as with the backlight on for indoor use. However, the overall perception is compromised by the execution of several features. The menu structure is confusing, low light video performance is only fair, and the still camera feature is quite poor.  The size of the VL-Z7U's and its unique swivel body are it's strongest attributes.