Is the dial a rocker or a wheel?
 

At first I thought it was a dial like Sony camcorders but the picture in the manual looks like a rocker switch. I thought Sony had a patent on the dial switch, so perhaps it just looks like a dial?

Can someone with this camcorder confirm either way?

I'm curious how well the manual focus would work if it is a rocker switch.

It's a rocker, just like the Optura 300/400/500/600 series camcorders on which the HV10 design is based. As for manual focus, it's nothing like having a focus ring on the lens, but it works. Keep in mind this is a *consumer* camcorder. The vast majority of people who buy this thing will rarely if ever take it out of autofocus.