testing canon ES8600 hi8 camera 

Same plug different voltage

I used to have a Sharp camcorder like that and I do believe the AC adapter was like a dummy battery..it slotted into the battery door and if you needed to charge the battery, you just plugged it into the battery charger port....although, mine was NOT Hi8 so they might have changed things about that model. I did notice there was a charge light on your camera and mine didn't have one.

I had problems when I used different brands of tapes . To prevent this problem I think you have to use a tape head cleaner between each brand .

That charger probably has a different polarity or uses a different voltage or amp rating than the sharp ViewCam uses. Tried to quickly find you some info but most of the results have images where the polarity markings are blurred out and also the plug so you don't know what your getting.

Simple question would the (camera sized tape) to a standard vhs size tape adapter be easier?

I guarantee that the Sharp camcorder works fine. The problem is not with the camcorder itself, but rather the charger. The charger tip is the correct size, but the charger itself is the wrong type for one of the following. 1. Voltage 2. Amperage 3. It could be a center negative charger, and the camcorder could be center positive. I hope this helps you, Shawn!