JVC GR-AX750U Palm Size Compact VHS Camcorder

This camcorder is nice for the amateur or anyone looking for an inexpensive camera. The variable-speed zoom and fades/wipes are features that can add a professional touch. It is light enough to take anywhere, and has a long enough battery time to withstand the long haul, unless you're planning on filming a low-budget movie with it (Blair Witch?). I enjoy this device, but I would urge anyone with a bit more cash to go for a higher-end model.

This is my second JVC camcorder, and it isn't bad at all. I haven't had it for very long, but it was pretty easy to use. It is not feature-rich, but it has enough to keep me occupied. I am a beginner camcorder user, and I was shooting and playing tapes back with ease very quickly. The focusing isn't great, but on the upside, it does pretty well in darker environments. I was shooting in dim conditions and the picture was nice and clear. The sound is OK too. Playback was alright, but somewhat grainy. The appearance of the camera isn't all that sleek, but all in all it is a reliable, easy to use model.

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I am a fan of the VHS-C format, even though my previous camcorder, a Panasonic, was somewhat tempramental. No problems here, though, as what we have is a sturdy, inexpensive gem of a camera with enough features to satisfy the average user not too many extarneous ones that you really don't need anyway! The zoom is just fine, the fade is a nice touch on a model of this size, and we're looking forward to creating our answer to Wallace & Gromit once we try the animation setting! Great value.

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I like the idea that it is small. Since i have bad shoulders and can't carry anything very long this is great. It also works in the VCR so that you can watch it on TV. The price is great since most ar so expensive you can't often afford one. But this price anyone can.

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The JVC camcorder is good but when you use the cassettes directly in VCR it's giving some sort of troubles the view is not good. When we watching using camcorder it's viewing littile bit good.

Sony Alpha NEX-3 Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera w/18-55mm Lens (Red)- 14.2 Mpix

I've never owned an SLR camera, just basic point-and-shoot digital cameras, so my review is coming from that perspective, rather than someone used to the features available on most SLRs.

First off, the "intelligent auto" is by far superior to any automatic mode I've ever experienced before. I've had a tendency to use "programmable auto" or even "manual" mode on my previous cameras any time I really wanted the color balance, shutter speed, and ISO settings to end up the way I'd want. I probably never have to do that with this camera, other than for low-light, slow-shutter photos (the default for the camera is to up the ISO instead of slowing the shutter beyond a certain point). That's not to say that I don't like playing around with the manual settings anyhow -I do -but I really don't have to in order to get good photos. Many of the other automatic-type features are also great, such as the facial recognition (which works great about 80% of the time -has trouble with faces turned at an angle, though) and the smile-detecting auto-shutter.

The video quality is phenomenal, and I like that there isn't some unnatural limit on the length (I want to say the limit is about half an hour or so for HD quality, but I've never come close to reaching that). This will basically serve as my camcorder, and unless I'm planning to record a play or something, I think it'll be more than sufficient for that purpose.

The only downside I've encountered so far is tied to the lens more than to the camera -I didn't realize how much I'd miss the ability to zoom in and out. There's only so much you can do with cropping, and sometimes getting closer to the target just isn't feasible. So, I'd probably suggest buying the camera with one of the other lenses if you're torn between this one (for compact/portability) and another, more flexible lens. This lens is the smallest, but it's still not really going to be pocket-sized (unless you have massive cargo pockets or something). I'm almost certainly going to get another lens sometime soon, and once I do that I expect I'll be using the other lens a lot more than this one.

Other than that... the battery life improved greatly when I downloaded the firmware update from Sony. Make sure you do that -it's not clearly explained in the product manual, but it's pretty straightforward if you look it up on the Sony product support website.

In sum, I got this because my wife was going to be giving birth to our first child, and I wanted to be able to take good-quality family photos for the next few years. So far, I think I made the right choice.

im not professional, but i know how DSLRs work and how to take some decent photos, i will say for the price you might as well get a DSLR, but i wanted something more portable. This definately works.

it is very small and has the same sized sensor as a regular sony SLR (let alone nikon or canon) not full frame but its large meaning photos turn out great. i got the mount adapter and a portrait lens and wow, the bokeh is wonderful. the pictures are very crisp and clear. Battery life was not too great because you always have to use the LCD screen to take photos, but i wasnt too into view finders anyway. when i want to i might sell this one in a year or 2 to get a sony SLT camera but those have some issues too. for now this is the best small form factor camera around. hands down.

new lenses are coming out in 2011 as well with the emount system.

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This is a great little DSLR. With the 16mm F2.8 wide angle lens, it fits in our pocket and acts like the best point and shoot camera ever--it also shoots hi-def video.

This camera really shines when you change the lenses and do some serious shooting. It has all the functionality you want in a DSLR in a small package. Best of all, if you already have a DSLR and are looking for a good back up, or you shoot 35mm and want to use the lenses from your non-digital SLR, you can buy an after market adapter for your lenses that will mount them to the NEX-3 and its big brother the NEX-5. The drawback to this camera is that the Sony lenses can be more expensive than the camera and they don't offer the same performance as other lenses.

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I am LOVING the camera for its picture taking skills. Low light pictures turn out great and the colors really pop, the depth of field offered by the large sensor make the picture really come alive.

As a trade off, obviously, zoom lenses are expensive to come by. Lucky with a 14 megapixel sensor cropping has decent results.

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I am a handicapped man whose balance is almost nonexistent, and whose hands have a pretty bad tremor, but even I can take wonderful shots with this, and when I loaned the camera to my able-bodied friend the results were truly painterly. The automatic focus features are really easy to use, and the results are very, very nice. The only reason I wouldn't say "stop looking and buy this,"is the flimsy and badly designed flash attachment. This camera's sensor does take great shots even in the twilight, but it's not magic and needs the flash when it's dark. The flash attachment hooks tenuously via pins into some holes on the top of the camera concealed by a lid that feels as if it may break if used much.(As does the lid over the USB port.) The flash attachment falls off at the slightest tap, and often if the camera is merely hanging from my waist. It is just a matter of time before it falls into the sea or somewhere else where it's irrecoverable. I have complained to Sony about this, but stunningly I received no reply. Sadly, I cannot recommend this otherwise nice little camera until Sony fixes the flash. (If one spends the best part of $500 on a camera, one should expect a decent flash.)

(ipdate, Dec. 21, 2011) I have been told the flash has a thumb-screw, and so it does. Small and hard to reach, but it's there. I was prepared to completely re-write this reveiw, without any negative comments, but the thumb-screw had no discernible tightening effects whatsoever. (Maybe mine is just defective.)

Oregon Scientific DS6688-O 3MP ThinCam Digital Camera (Orange)

We bought this for our 12-year old in December 2005 and just threw it out after taking 0 acceptable photos with it. We already have 2 other digital cameras in the house and have used them extensively for two years so this was not a user problem.

1. 2 crucial buttons fell off in one month. We used a paper clip instead.

2. All photos we've taken have been orange-cast, dark, and blurry.

3. The on-off switch is malfunctioning. It's almost impossible to turn the camera off, which means the batteries run down quickly.

4. The user manual has no information on how to correct image problems. We have yet to find any on-line help.

5. Buttons on the camera are tiny and hard to use. Button functions are extremely difficult to figure out unless you have the manual on your knee. Not an intuitive design at all.

We had high hopes for this camera and bought it because of a few good reviews and the camera's sleek design.

Don't waste your money on this.

I like this camera, and it is very cute. I love the fact that it is "the size of a credit card", and it fits in most pockets. The problems that I have with it, though, are these:

1. It takes the flash about 10 seconds on average to get ready

2. When the flash is ready, it isn't very effective and usualy makes the picture worse

3. The pictures end up being blurry unless you keep your hand perfectly still

4. The button that you move around to look at pictures and do different things with can be easily broken and isn't very manageable

These are the four problems I have with this camera. I got this camera because it was cute and small. If that is your reason, you can't get much better, but if you want to take nice pictures, I suggest getting another brand.

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I would have to say that this is a good investment, especially one for a poor college student. For the price you do get a lot, however the only downside to the camera is that there isn't an automatic focus, you must select your distance on the side of the camera and then take the picture. However, if done correctly excellent point and shoot pictures are taken.

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I ordered this to replace the one I already had because the flash had quit working..simple, easy, not the best quality but I love the camera...the one I ordered to replace it arrived, the flash doesn't work, the video doesn't work and it won't hold a battery. Very disappointed it this.

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I bought this for my wife, who likes the small size, because it fits in her purse easily. She also likes the red color, because it is easy to find if you lay it down somewhere and are looking for it. It takes good photos also. I recommend buying it used, so you don't have to pay full price. By the way, the multi-function button on the back is very easy to control if you just lift the edge of it with your fingernail until you hear it click.

Menotek Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Converter cable (for Unibody MacBook - Pro - Air and THUNDERBOLT P

If you have a new Macbook from April 2010+, and are looking for an adapter for HDMI W/ audio THIS IS THE ONE. I spent 30 minutes looking through Amazon to make sure it would be the right one, so let me save you the trouble and say it is!

Make sure you go to settings and switch audio to "HDMI out".

Now the problem... It's not a problem with this product at all (thus the 5 star rating). The Macbook won't control the volume with the keyboard through HDMI out, you have to control it from the TV/Monitor/external speakers. Not sure why, I guess that's just how Digital audio works. This was a surprise to me, so I wanted to let you all know that.

The audio sounds fantastic!

Edit 6 months later:

I had to replace it (see my comment) already. I was transporting it back and forth only a few times and it just stopped working. I replaced it, it's been about 3 months so far. No problems. If it remains working for a while I will put it back up to 5 stars, but it seems I am not the only one with this problem of it lasting. Still it is far cheaper than the Apple version.

Edit 1 year later:

Taking another star off. I think I have to replace it already, it shorts out on an hourly basis now. When a phone rings it will either mess with the picture or go totally to black. I am disappointed with the fact that I'll have to buy one every 6 months at this rate

Edit 2 or so years later:

I kept the one from above, it would have intermittant trouble but it was mostly good. It just died (see comment). 2 stars now. If you're thinking about buying this, honestly buy two. It's still pretty cheap, and you'll have an extra for when the first inevitably fails. I am not really sure there are other options out there in this price range. If you do buy something else, make sure it sends audio out, about 4/5 of all the adapters don't seem to.

After several frustrating purchases, I finally found this. YES, IT TRANSMITS AUDIO through the mini-display port in the most recent generational updates of the Macbook and Macbook Pro lines. Great product. Affordable and effective. Recommended.

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I purchased this for my 2010 MacBook Pro. The first one that I received was defective but the replacement I received from the seller worked perfectly. I can now hook up my MacBook to my 1080p HDTV without needing an additional audio cable.

I would have given this 5 stars if not for the defective one I received.

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The first one of these that I got only worked once before failing. I contacted the seller and -to their creditthey shipped out a replacement immediately. Problem is, the second one just failed on me too. It has been less than a month and I've only used it 3-5 times max. I understand this is not an "Apple Approved" product, but it should still last longer than a handfull of uses. I would contact the seller again, but... what's the point... are they gonna send me a new one every time I want to watch a movie?

I think the problem is where the cable connects to the larger rectangular piece. It seems that moving/handling it with even the slightest pressure breaks/disconnects something in the rectangular part of the device.

Now, I'm gonna spring for the Moshi since it's worth the extra money to know that when I want to watch a movie with my lady friend... it's gonna work.

Also, I should note that I have a late 2010 MBA 13.3 and both sound and video (720p and 1080i, but no 1080p) worked on my 42in Samsung (1080p)... when the product was functional.

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Works as advertised on my 2010 MacBook Air 13" (both audio + video). When I first hooked it up I saw video, but no audio. I had to change my settings (System Preferences >> Sound >> Output >> Select HDMI) to get it to work. You only have to change this once and then whenever you plug it in, it works with audio + video on HDMI.

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JVC Everio GZ-HM200 Dual SD High-Def Camcorder (Red)

It's been a number of years since I had a camcorder. It was a tape unit, and after the initial infatuation with the new toy, I found that I never used it. Recording was a chore (juggling tapes and batteries), uploading was tedious, and the quality wasn't all that good. For quick ad hoc recordings, my various digital still cameras could grab a few seconds of good-enough video. The camcorder disappeared from my life.

A few years later, things have really changed. I received the Everio GZ-HM200, snapped in a couple of 8GB SD cards, charged the battery, and I was ready to go. We took a day trip to Mount Rainier; the weather was perfect, and I took a lot of video of photogenic glaciers and waterfalls.

When I got home, I wanted to upload the video into my computer. The Everio comes with software for Windows PCs, and Mac users are hardly mentioned in the documentation. I had searched the various on-line discussions of Mac video, and there were many cautionary tales about compatibility issues with the Everios. I anticipated problems.

I was wrong. I connected the USB cable to my Mac Mini, started iMovie (part of iLife '09), and opened up the camcorder. The USB menu opened, and I chose the "Upload" option. iMovie detected the camera, asked me a few questions (video quality, destination, whether to check for stabilization issues), and then imported the video clips. It was trivially easy just the way I like it.

The Everio has a "Snapshot" mode to take still images, and I had tried it out. This meant that while I was working with iMovie, iPhoto also started up and offered to import the photos I'd taken. My verdict: it's OK for casual 1x use, but no substitute for a real digital camera. The problem is that the Everio's autostabilization mode only works for video, not for still images. This meant that a couple of 20x zoomed images, while impressively magnified, were hopelessly blurred. I'll stick with my Panasonic DMC-TZ4 for the still shots.

The JVC Everio is a tremendous little camera: compact, easy, light, and producing excellent HD video. (Yes, my Mac Mini feels a little underpowered for working with this.) The dual slot SD card design is excellent; the camera will automatically switch from one card to the next during recording, and you can swap cards on the fly. In XP mode (17 Mbps VBR 1920x1080) 16GB is good for 2 hours of recording, which feels about right. (You can crank it up to 24 Mbps, which will give you 1 hr. 20 min., or drop down to 5Mbps, at which point you can run for over 7 hours!) No more media juggling.....

There are tons of additional features in this camera, and sometime I may try them out. But for the basic job of plug-and-play HD video, this is hard to beat.

Recomended.

If I was able to give it a half of a star I would rate it as 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Let me start by saying I am not a techie kind of person, so I am writing this review as the average user. The JVC Everio GZ-HM200 is so small it fits in the palm of your hand. I currently own the Sony DCR-DVD305 1MP DVD Handycam Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom so I am use to tapping the LCD screen to select my options. This unit offers laser touch operation for easy menu selection and playback by using a touch sensor bar that runs vertically on the side of the LCD screen. I caught myself trying to still tap the LCD screen but after a little while of playing with it I broke myself from the habit. The dual SD memory cards is terrific idea. No more mini dvds to carry around. Recording automatically continues over the two SD cards so no need to be swapping the cards. You can even set to have your video recordings to go to one card and still images on another. I decided to use 8GB and a 4GB SD cards which will give me a total of approximately one and half hours of recording in XP (Avg. 17Mbps) mode. Powering up the camcorder could not be any easier just open the LCD screen. The LCD screen is crystal clear and playback on the camera for review and deleting is controlled by a touch of one button. The LCD screen also rotates 360 degree. The camcorder takes BEAUTIFUL still images. Vivid colors and what impressed me the most is the perfect focusing of the images. The face detection is a great feature that can recognize up too 16 faces that adjusts the focus and exposure for sharper images. The zoom power is incredible and focuses automatically. Battery life is approximately 1.5 hours of continuous use. Check out the customer images to see how wonderful the images came out. Using the zoom in video recording was not so great. The stability of the video was shaky, but I was also on a rocking boat so it might work better on a tripod.

Now to the not so great functions. The Everio MediaBrowser software is so-so. The easy to search calendar is really neat but playback of videos is choppy and just terrible. I decided to use another program, Corel Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 Plus. With this program the video was not choppy and it was easier to preview and edit. For the next test I connected the camcorder via a IOGear Series 2000 Mini-HDMI to HDMI Cable, which is not supplied, to my HDTV and playback was perfect. Since I have a DVD recorder, I also dubbed the video to my DVD recorder and the video was clear and perfect with no jumping or skipping. JVC does offer a AVCHD recorder, JVC CU-VD50 Share Station DVD Burner for Everio Camcorders to burn and play your AVCHD discs but it is quite costly but it might make things easier.

I have inserted a video clip so you can see for yourself how the video comes out.

These are the steps I had to take to do it since you can only upload avi, flv, mov, mpg and wmv files on Amazon. The JVC Enverio saves in mts format.

1. Connect camcorder to PC

2. Choose export to Library

3. Open Enverio MediaBrowser and drag video file to export to iTunes.

4. Start Export, once complete open iTunes (50 second video took 13 minutes).

5. Now you can view it in your iTunes, but iTunes plays mp4 format so next step is to format the video to a savable/playable wmv format to upload on Amazon. Unless you have a program that changes mp4 to another format, this option is was quite useless for me unless I am viewing the videos on my iPod.

Now I attempted to change the format with my own program and this is all I had to do.

1. I opened my video editor program Corel Ulead VideoStudio 11.5 Plus [OLD VERSION]

2. Clicked on one button to convert video to wmv file format. It saved the file automatically (it took only 5 minutes to convert) and I was done and ready to upload on Amazon. So as you can see, using another video editor program makes things much easier and takes less time.

However, uploading to youtube is quite simple. You just need to set the camcorder to upload in the USB setting, open your youtube account and upload the video file directly from the drive your camcorder is connected from on your PC. Since youtube allows pretty much every kind of video format available, uploading the mts file was painless.

So as you can see, the Enverio MediaBrowser is somewhat useless and you are better off using another video editing program to convert and save your files to a format you can use easily.

Overall this camcorder is pretty neat, easy to use for video recording and still images. The small size of it makes it so convenient to carry and take with you anywhere. I purchased the JVC CB-V77U Soft Digital Camcorder Case (Black Blue) that was a perfect size to carry the camcorder and AC adapter. Just invest in a more user-friendly video editing conversion program.

Here are some additional links for items to consider:

More battery power-

1.5 hours JVC BN-VF808US 730-mAh Rechargeable Data Battery for JVC MiniDV and Everio Camcorders

3 hours JVC BN-VF815US 1460-mAh Rechargeable Data Battery for JVC MiniDV and Everio Camcorders

4.5 hours JVC BN-VF823U 2190-mAh Rechargeable Data Battery for JVC MiniDV and Everio Camcorders

Battery charger car adapter-

JVC BN-VF808, BN-VF815, BN-VF823 Replacement Battery Charger (Incl. Car and European Plug Adapters)

Battery charger kit-

JVC AA-VF8US Battery Charger for BN-VF8 Batteries

Buy JVC Everio GZ-HM200 Dual SD High-Def Camcorder (Red) Now

The JVC Everio GZ-HM200 is a very compact and feature rich HD Camcorder that performs well in most shooting conditions. I was very surprised by the small size and impressed with the range of options squeezed into the camera. This is a consumer grade camcorder, lacking some features that would appeal to the prosumer population. Here are my observations:

Pros -

* Great Video Image Quality Especially in UXP and XP Modes (except in low light see "Cons", below)

* Good Still Image Quality Surprising good JPG pictures can be taken even while shooting video, but sometimes a little jittery

* Accurate Face Recognition Helps keep people in focus (it was funny to see it recognize faces in paintings at a museum)

* Good Remote Control Includes Remote Control, a very handy feature

* Very Small Size The small size makes it easy to bring along as it can realistically be slipped into a pocket.

* Built in Light Very bright light can be set to "auto" and can save some shoots that would otherwise be lost or unusable due to poor lighting

* Dual SDHC Card Support The ability to save video to SDHC cards is great, coming from miniDV tapes this is a huge advantage since the footage doesn't have to be re-captured into the computer

* Quick Startup The camera is ready to record almost instantly after opening the LCD display

* Good User Interface The "Laser Touch" interface is simply cool and, more importantly, easy to use

* Easy Upload to YouTube The "One Touch" upload works very well

Cons -

* Weak Image Stabilization The digital Image Stabilization does make some difference, but the lack of mass of this small camera makes it harder to keep steady (especially at higher zoom levels)

* Poor Low Light Quality Video and stills shot in low light are very noisy, the built in light helps to some degree

* Slow Auto Focus Auto Focus can be sluggish when zooming

* Lack of Accessory Shoe Can not use standard video accessories like external light or microphone

* Lack of Microphone Input Jack No external microphone jack

* Weak Software The included software for video and still images is ok for clip management, but not useful for any real editing or project use

* Lack of HDMI Cable This was a huge surprise and disappointment. The camera has a mini HDMI port, but does not include a HDMI cable for connecting to HD equipment (does include composite video and audio cables)

I also picked up the following accessories (see my reviews) -

* 16gb SDHC Cards Transcend 16 GB SDHC Class 6 Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC6E [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]

* Protective Lens Filter Tiffen 30.5MM UV Protector Filter

* Longer Life Battery JVC BN-VF815US 1460-mAh Rechargeable Data Battery for JVC MiniDV and Everio Camcorders

* HDMI Cable Mediabridge 5ft Mini-HDMI to HDMI Version 1.3b Category 2 1080p Blu-Ray

Overall, the pros outweigh the cons with this excellent camcorder and the small size makes it really convenient to take anywhere.

Recommended!

CFH

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This video is test footage at a lake. As you may know water ripples are a true test of a HD camcorder and this one passes!

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I got this from a large discount club whose name starts with a 'C'. I paid $399.99 + $28 sales tax for a special bundle that included a free 4GB class 6 card and a free carrying case as well. My review is based keeping in mind this price point. If you can get this camcorder for under $450, it is worth it. Otherwise look at other models/manufacturers.

Now on to the review...

First impressions: This camcorder is tiny. Coming from a Sony Digital 8 camcorder, it seemed to be real small to me. The ergonomics are ok though and I did not have any major issues with accessing any of the features or usage. I did have a hard time initially where I was pressing the menu items on the LCD screen itself, not realizing that you need to scroll on the 'laser touch' bar on the side of the LCD screen to select a menu item and then press the OK button to activate it.

Build quality: 3.5/5. No major complaints, though I would have liked to see more metal and less plastic.

Video quality in clear daylight: 4/5 (Very good). I shot test videos in XP mode which is the 2nd highest quality. Scenes included a farmers market with lots of colors red tomatoes, yellow flowers, greens, etc and a few minutes of video in a park with lake and trees. Overall very pleased with the results and reds and yellows really came out nice and brilliant. The water on the lake came out nice and blue just like I saw it with naked eyes. Direct playback on my 46" Sony Bravia using the supplied component cable resulted in an image that could almost match the HDTV broadcasts. The zoom is quite fast and effective, though note the issue below.

Hint: 1) You need to set the signal format to output 1080i as the factory setting is 480p. Otherwise you will get poor playback quality. 2) While the zoom is great, you will want to invest in a tripod as the small size of the camera means that even small movements at high zoom result in unstable images.

Video quality indoors: 2.5/5 (borderline). A bit disappointing as the indoor video was quite grainy, even though I had some natural light coming in. For my own purpose, I am not too concerned as I have primarily bought this camcorder for outdoor use. If you plan to do a lot indoor shooting (birthday parties, for example), you need to either supplement indoor light or buy another (expensive) camcorder. This camcorder does have a built in light that can be activated, but it does not make a great deal of difference. Again, keep in mind the price point you need to shell out $700 or more to get a camcorder with decent indoor capability.

Audio quality: 3/5 (Adequate): Human voices were captured quite nicely and the wind cut function worked well. The microphone was sensitive enough to pick up distant music in the park.

Software: 3/5 (Adequate): I had no problems playing videos using Windows Vista Ultimate. Nero Vision was able to recognize the .mts files produced by this camcorder without any issues.

Battery life: 3.5/5 (Fair): No worse than what I have seen with other camcorders. I was able to stretch to almost 100 minutes of combined shooting + playback. For my own use, I do not see a need for an extra battery as I rarely shoot more than 60 minutes of video in one go. I do carry a charger/inverter in my car when going on road trips so I can charge the battery while on road.

Digital still quality: Nothing of note here except to say that you need to get a dedicated still camera if you are serious about photography. For those not so special moments, this camcorder may be used to snap a few pictures.

Manual: This is a bit skimpy and does not cover all of the menus and their uses. I wish JVC would rewrite the manual to include explanations of all the menus and features.

Other thoughts: This camcorder has dual SD card slots which is really useful. The built-in lens cover looks a bit fragile so I suggest a getting a good carrying case.

Bottom line: Nice camcorder for the value conscious customer who realizes that no matter how much you spend, things are going to get obsolete in 1-2 years anyway.

Buy this camera if:

You shoot primarily outdoors in good daylight

Need a small and light device with reasonably good video quality

Can get it for $450 or less

Do not buy this camera if:

Indoor video quality is of primary concern (spend $800 or more on a much better camcorder in this case)

Need a bit more crisper HD video here you need to spend over $1,000 on a camcorder with a bigger sensor.

Canon PowerShot SX200IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom an

***Updated 10-7-11****

After 3 years of use, this camera is still awesome and I'm literally gonna wait till it breaks or there is a an iphone with a high megapixel to match before I get rid of this. I've taken it to the sandy beaches of California, farms of Ohio and Water parks of Wisconsin. This camera still works great. I've had to have it cleaned (due to my rough use on it). I've dropped it, left it in a the sand during a windy time of day, and let my 3 year old take pics with hit. Nothing has ever broke and I'm very happy with the battery life. Some superficial/light scratches on the screen but none I"m worried about. I am not sure how long it lasts but I charge it maybe every couple of months and I have now taken nearly 8000 pictures (that I have kept on iphoto) and perhaps more that I deleted. So happy! :

Now the original review-

This review is based off of several days of use and a THOROUGH review of the manual. If you are interested in seeing specifications and actual pictures of this camera (which I suggest you do) I recommend visiting websites that offer extensive these types of reviews First, lets review what seems to be common CONS to the camera.

POP UP FLASH. Contrary to some reviews, this camera is not hard to handle/hold nor does the pop up flash get in the way or feel flimsy. Notice Canon has made three designs to combat this problem (e.g. indented thumbprint above controls on back of camera, curved body on right side of camera, and about 3/4 inch space to place finger behind the flash. As I right this review, I am playing around with the flash and notice it feels sturdy; not flimsy. Also, the further the distance between the flash and the lens allows for a better red-eye reduction.

NO VIDEO (optical) Zoom. This camera offers excellent video quality for a "point and shoot camera". It is 720 so expect that quality no more no less. As for the zoom, it only has a digital zoom (i.e. less quality than optical). Nonetheless, it should not be a deal breaker unless you are in the market for a digital videorecorder. I recommend a stand alone video recorder at this point. Would it be nice to have a zoom, sure, but honestly, this is not a big deal.

NOISE Indoor use. PLEASE believe me when I say I find very little if any noise on indoor shots (when using the camera correctly (e.g reading the manual!!!). There are many ways to adjust this camera MANY ways! Again, I am reviewing pictures I just shot today inside my local library and find them very pleasing and no noise!

FIT/FEEL of Camera. This camera does not feel flimsy. This I think I can promise you. Actually, when I got the camera in my hands, I was suprised to feel and see it was thicker than I thought but not too thick. Still able to put in pocket (although not if you are wearing tight jeans). If you are looking at this camera, chances are you doing so because of the aesthetic body and you are right. When/if you put it in your hands, you'll understand that it is, well, sexy and fashionable.

I have put forth what I saw as potentially "deal breakers" to some people and find all of these supposedly negative points not so negative. After thorough research and an extensive review of the manual, I find this camera to be excellent.

Finally, let me try to state what I believe to be the absolute best features of this camera.

1. Quality. The only way to defend this point is to recommend doing research. Many websites have posted pictures this camera has taken many of them stunning. I even saw a side by side comparison with the SX200IS rival the TZ7. It was a picture of a night time view of a major city. This camera won hands down. And as for video quality, I was happy with the quality if you expect 720 and not blu-ray quality. It honestly is greatoh yea, and I notice that when shooting with video, the image seemed to have little or no shake I was suprised about this).

2. Function. You can immediately use this even if you never used a camera before. Thank canon for the "easy" function which lets you only hit the shutter button: it does ALL the work for you, and has hints/tips on the screen as you shoot. Or if you are not so novice, you can turn this camera into a complete manual function and create your own aperture, shutter, and ISO values. This is the reason I bought this camera; so I could go more manual while my wife could just point and click).

3. After having this camera, I have noticed that CANON has not marketed this camera well enough. It has LCD image brightness control that changes on screen depending on how bright it is where you are shooting. Very nice to view the lcd. Also, the LCD has been layered with a scratch resistant coating!

Finally, in my opinion, this camera's best feature is its versatility. What I mean by this is that it takes excellent pictures and allows you to grow with the camera this point needs to be emphasized.

I suggest that you truly do your research (as you are doing!!:) and you may see as I did that no matter how many cameras I reviewed, I kept coming back to the SX200IS. I am glad I have it.

One final point. If you do get this, please review the manual. It is your bible and will really help you understand the camera if you want to turn it into more than a point and shoot. I wrote this review because I was SHOCKED at the criticisms this camera received. I agree that this camera can be fine tuned (longer battery life.....etc...) but these are by no means deal breakers. Don't worry, whatever camera you get, it will be soon outdated all cameras get their annual tweaking. Having said that about camera's getting outdated, note that I chose this camera for the features it has for the price it is. Having taken it home, I realize that I am more than getting my money's worth. I am honestly concerned about answering any questions you may have. I wish I could ask people questions before I buy things, so please feel free to comment and/or ask. Best wishes.

***Updated 4-6-08****

For those interested in comparisons, I have recently compared the SX200IS vs the Panasonic TZ5 . Unbelievable, I was able to find same scene shots taken by these two different cameras. This is hard to find. Plus, being that the TZ5 is really the main competitor to the SX200IS, it makes for an interesting comparison. If you do review this website, particularly notice the "city night shot" and ISO 400 setting. In my opinion, the SX200IS is much clearer and offers a more accurate picture. Again, the SX200IS is a winner to me!

***Updated 7-26-09***

After 4 months of extensive use, this camera is now having power issues. When the camera is turned on, and then turned off, it automatically turns on when I do not want it too! : It will go back to be fixed. So in terms of reliability, I am a little disappointed. Nonetheless, given the quality and features of this camera, I will GLADLY keep the camera and GLADLY have it fixed. Even with this electronic issue, it is still the best camera out there.

I received this before a weekend trip and it turned out to be a very well rounded camera. It's not as small as an Elph but it's still just small and light enough to carry around in your pocket or purse for easy access. The 12x zoom lens is terrific and in well lighted situations even the digital zoom creates clear, sharp pictures. The offset is that you lose the f2.8 aperture of other 3x camera's.

I tried most of the scene settings and they all produce slightly different results. The AUTO setting uses a higher shutter speed and ISO setting than Portrait. In Program mode you can set the ISO setting to 80 or 100 and have the camera adjust the shutter speed. The foliage setting does enhance the greens. If you have enough light the indoor setting works better and uses a faster shutter speed while Night snapshot uses a slower shutter speed and produces a better overall shot in lower light. In all but the low light scenes the camera does tend to over expose the shot slightly so I ended up using the exposure adjustment at 1/3 or -2/3's to compensate.

I really liked the ability to adjust the settings to get a well exposed picture out of a range of situations that you can't always get with an Elph and the zoom lens allows you to frame a shot from just about any distance. The pictures are clear, bright and on par with other Canon camera's in it's class. There's plenty of features to play with like face detect and blink detect and the Image Stabilization works very well.

If you are ready to step up from a point and shoot camera to one that provides more control, has a better zoom but is still pocketable the SX200 IS is well worth putting on your list to check out.

Buy Canon PowerShot SX200IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom an Now

Canon SX200

Well I read in another post that someone likes to try the latest camera me too! Check out my other reviews as I'm always in the market for a P&S that take at least 720HD Video. I've been using the Sony T500 and Canon G7 for most of my pic/vids until now! Since my last review, I've tried at least 6 other cameras and camcorders all where returned for one reason or another; let's see there's the: Samsung HZ10, Panasonic TZ5, Sanyo 1010, Leica D-Lux4, Leica Clux3, Sony CX12, various other cameras at the local store. I have great news! This new Canon SX200 will be my "go to" camera at least until something better comes along (my trusted T500/G7 will be laid to rest). I'm giving it a 5 Star rating is it perfect however! No, but for MY needs, it great.

Pro's:

1) Great picture quality generally speaking indoor pictures are pretty good, noise low on anything below 400ISO, comparable to my Canon G7, much better than my Sony T500, as good if not better than my old Panasonic TZ5. Outdoor outstanding what you would expect from a Canon, sharp, clear, good color, nicely exposed. Have not fooled around with manual settings, but nice to have.

2) I like the design and find it easy to hold (no slippage in my big fat fingers!). Other cameras make it easy for you to hold your finger over the mic or flash, but not here.

3) Flash I do not mind the pop-up. No big deal for me! Works good too!

4) Menu's are pretty easy to navigate no problem here.

1) HD Video I really like the quality of the video, nice wide screen playback on my 40" Samsung HDTV and looks great on the desktop. Playback is easy and smooth, no problem. (not diggin' the digital zoom see my cons). Codec actually works with my Windows Media Player without any hick-ups or wiggles. It's not perfect (like "Sunrise Earth" HD quality), but pretty nice for taking shots of the kids and grandkid, etc. Again, plays nice on the HDTV. Sound quality is only mono, but SOOOO much better than the Panasonic TZ5 (my deal breaker for the TZ5) it's no comparison. The Sony T500 beats them both for sound quality it's stereo! Remember, during video you can NOT optically zoom this camera, but you can digitally zoom it's not great, but will get you a little closer if you need.

6) IS works great

7) Zoom nice and smooth focus is fast and accurate.

8) Battery pretty good seems to last me the day I bought an extra just in case.

9) Auto Focus works like a charm, even in low light no problem here.

10) Macro looks great took some beautiful shots of flowers and roses in my backyard.

11) Easy to carry around not to big, not to small either just right!

12) Overall quality and "feel" is nice! Seems well built and should hold up to many outings with the kids and hiking around.

Cons:

1) No optical zoom with the Video. If this camera was able to optically zoom, it would be as good as it gets for a point and shoot with HD Video! Come on Canon what's up with that!!!! Panasonic can do it -why can't you! Do you want your customers to jump ship when the new Panasonic TZ7 comes out??????? If SOMEONE could.......please, please, please, hack this and help me. Maybe Canon will do some kind of firmware update and allow optical zoom. I can put up with the motor noise of the zoom for this ability!!!!!!!! While you're at the firmware hack if you could disable the flash pop-up that would be nice too!

2) Indoor shots a bit soft, but just about all P&S's are, the SX200 is pretty darn good though.

3) In the Auto mode, the camera automatically (hence "auto" mode) picks the setting it thinks it needs for the best shot. For example, if you real close to an object, it will automatically switch to Macro, then turn back to other modes if you take another shot this process takes a little time (maybe a second or two) to switch. I do not mind because that is what is supposed to do, it just takes a "learning curve" understand what is happening.

Anyway, these are just the things that really stand out. Of course there are other functions that I really like and others that I will rarely use.

Just one camera geeks opinion, I've read the above folks comments and agree with some, disagree with others. Each piece of tech has it's quirks (like the flash popping up when the camera is on; or it feels slippery; or whatever). It's hard to try something new, but with all of the cameras I've tried, I can tell within a few shots (I have my test shots all picked out for comparisons) if I'm going to like it or not. The SX200 was the first in long time that kept me inetested, testing, and ultimately claim this one as a keeper! Interested in your opinion just me nice!!!! Oh, and one more thing PLEASE don't tell me to go and get a DSLR and a dedicated HD Camcorder been there, done that!

Read Best Reviews of Canon PowerShot SX200IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom an Here

I have been a Canon shooter for many years, both DSLRs and point and shoots. I own a Canon G7 for personal use and have been extremely happy with it, but I am tired of having to add attachments for wide angle and telephoto photography. I also wanted a camera that is small enough to put in a jacket or shirt pocket easily. I decided that of the cameras currently on the market, either the Panasonic Lumix ZS3 or Canon SX200 seemed to be what I was looking for. I researched the product thoroughly and chose the Lumix ZS3 based on multiple reviews that gave that camera the nod over the SX200. (Specifications-wise, these cameras are near twins.)

After several days of testing the ZS3 I was unhappy with it. The camera had poor low-light performance, a weak flash, and bad color balance and contrast. (See my review of that camera on its Amazon product page.) I returned it and bought an SX200. This camera is a gem. The quality of the photos are what I was expecting from a camera in this price range (better given how much cheaper it is than a ZS3). The zoom is very fast which allows you to focus on the action quickly and get the shot you are looking for. (The zoom on the ZS3 is slow in comparison.)

The camera performs well in low light--much better than the ZS3. There is very little noise and Canon's optical stabilization allows for lower ISO and shutter speeds. The SX200 has a powerful flash that illuminates the subject very well and at a good distance. I am sure part of the reason for this is the much maligned pop-flash, as this helps the flash clear the large lens barrel. Also, the fact the flash pops up when not in use is something that I barely notice. (Sure, it would be nice if it didn't.) The overall quality in low light will not compare to a DSLR, but that is to be expected.

I will say that, like my G7, this camera seems to struggle a little in very bright outdoor conditions. Specifically, highlights have a tendency to get blown out if you are not careful. Even when using the exposure compensation this can still be problematic. However, the day has to be VERY bright for this to be a problem. Also, this is where Canon's variety of shooting modes helps, as using the Shutter Priority mode has helped me in this situation to get good results.

The build quality of this camera is excellent. The physical controls are very well-done, and the on-camera software is first rate and much better than the ZS3. The Canon software is not only easier to use and has more controls, but it just looks better with excellent fonts and translucent menus.

The color saturation and white balance are excellent, and the different shooting modes (program mode, aperture mode, manual, etc.) give the photographer a wide range of options that are not available on the ZS3. I use these modes probably more than half the time.

I almost gave the camera four stars on the account of it not having optical zoom in video, but at this price point and given all the other excellent features of the camera (wide angle, 12x zoom, excellent software, etc.) I don't think that would be fair. The HD video is of excellent quality, though I have to give the nod to the ZS3 on the video overall.

The only other negatives are the door to access the data ports, which has a flimsy plastic hinge, and the lack of a "super fine" quality mode for the jpegs like they had on my G7. (I really wish they would include RAW, but I know they reserve that for their high-end cameras.)

Summary:

Pros:

Excellent physical quality

Excellent on-camera software

Good low light performance

Powerful flash

Good HD video

Excellent color balance and contrast

Variety of shooting modes and manual controls

Cons:

No optical zoom in video

Flimsy hinge on the data ports door

Lack of super fine quality mode

Tendency for overexposure in highlights on very bright days

Overall, an excellent buy especially for the price.

Want Canon PowerShot SX200IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom an Discount?

UPDATE

A lot of people are comparing this to the Panasonic DMC-ZS3; I just bought one so I have both. After spending some time with each I've come to the conclusion that, despite the similarities, they are different camera for different audiences. Here's where each excels:

PANASONIC

* For a very powerful point-and-click / don't think about it camera, it can't be beat. The Intelligent Auto almost always takes great pictures under almost all conditions. The Canon Auto doesn't even come close and esp for indoor pictures you have to select specific scenes or use manual controls to get a good picture.

* Video: True optical zoom + AVCHD video format support. IMHO the Canon's video really is toy-like without optical zoom.

* Features: Here again the Panasonic runs circles around the Canon:

Much faster burst mode

Takes 3 aspect ratios at once (e.g Normal + Wide Angle)

Twice as many scene modes

Focus locking (e.g. a moving animal)

CANON

* Manual Camera Controls: (e.g. ISO settings) I honestly have never used these before, but I'm disappointed the Panasonic doesn't include any, as I'd like to start to learn more about them. I can see how this is a big omission if you're a semi-professional photographer.

PICTURE QUALITY

* Auto Point-and-Shoot: Panasonic. I've taken pictures with high motion, low-light conditions, etc. I never thought possible (for me). If you know very little about ISO, etc. This is the camera for you.

* Manual and Best Possible Pictures: Looking at a LOT of samples, it's clear the Canon has a slight edge over the Panasonic here. I'm sure this is because Auto still can't quite take a picture the way a professional photographer would. I've always always been very partial to Canon cameras (until now) because they do seem to have the best picture quality, and the samples I've seen seem to show this is still true.

Realistically though, most of use won't take the time to adjust manual controls for every picture in which case I'm confident the Panasonic will often take better pictures than the Canon (esp indoors or low-light conditions).

So overall, even after owning maybe 5 canons over the years, I'd recommend the Panasonc hands-down, with one exception:

If you're looking to learn more about professional photography and manual camera setting but not ready for a real professional camera yet, the Canon might be a really good place to start, as the Panasonic doesn't have these.

I'm keeping both but thee Panasonic will be the one I use 95% of the time.

*** INITIAL REVIEW ***

I've owned a half-dozen Cannon digital cameras over the years, this is the first one I'm not entirely impressed with.

PROS

* The 12x optical zoom

* Wide angle pictures

* HD video recording (digital zoom only)

* New features: Blink detection, etc.

CONS

* Auto Mode: Maybe I have a faulty camera; if not Auto mode is useless for indoor photos. Auto mode seems VERY aggressive with setting the shutter speed, etc. The problem with this is its settings usually mean you have to hold the camera rock-steady or you'll get very blurry pictures.

Also (with Auto Mode) indoor pictures are soft, include lots of noise, and the colors are off.

Doing some experimenting, you can get around these problems by switching to another picture mode, like Indoor. But, IMHO that defeats the entire purpose of Auto Mode. Yes, it's a simple turn of a dial to get the right mode but I think even that disqualifies this as a true "point and shoot" camera.

I think this would be a good camera for people who want more control over their photos without having to be a professional photographer. But I can't recommend it for someone who just wants to push a button to take a picture.

ViTiny Pro10 Portable Digital Microscope 10x - 200x

• Built in 2.8" full color TFT LCD screen: 320 x 240 pixels for preview
• Magnification: 10x to 200x (Optical zoom: 10x to 40x, Digital zoom: up to 5x); View Range on 2.8" LCD Screen: 6x4mm at 10x magnification
• Digital Camera: 2M pixels; Photo Resolution: 1600 x 1200 pixels, JPG file; Video Resolution: 640 x 480 pixels, AVI file (320 x 240 pixels, MP4 file); TV Image Output: MP4 file; Web CAM Function
• USB Cable: 1.1 speed for transferring images to a PC; AC Adapter: 100-240 Volt, 50/60 Hz for world-wide power requirement; 32MB internal Flash memory for saving images; Micro SD Card Slot: optional cards used up to 2GB
• Multi-LED Lighting Function: adjustment of light source from different direction; Special Effects: Grey Scale, Inverse, and Embossed; Measurement Function: measurement of length, perimeter, area, angle, etc.

This little jewel opens up the digital photography world to the next step past macro-photography. It is a handheld microscope camera with video capability. Unfortunately it is subject to the same optical physics that make a microscope difficult to operate focusing and depth of field. However, one has a two eyed view on a 2" x 2.5" screen on the back of the instrument rather than the microscope's small round lens. The screen upon activation tells you that it is a "Digital Mobile Microscope". While useful for field applications where it it difficult to bring the subject to the instrument, one is more likely to bring mobile subjects to the kitchen table or work desk.

The manual seems to be a machine translation from some undetermined source language and is therefore somewhat limited. It needs to be rewritten by an American who has learned to use it. However, once one figures out the basics and determines that the instrument is relatively rugged, most functions can be determined using a combination of paging through the manual and pushing buttons.

This instrument should find use among naturalists, (professional & amateur) forensic professionals and anyone interested in exploring and documenting the world below the limit of visual acuity. Buy it now and generate a demand for the next model with more features.

Buy ViTiny Pro10 Portable Digital Microscope 10x - 200x Now

This is a great product to have if you are curious about the "small" world around you. For me, it like to have a convinient extra special eye to look this amazing world. This product is pretty small, like a regular digital camera, to fit in your pocket and palm. It is really light (< 160 g) to carry. But it has power of magnification up to 200x. It is a real field microscope, no PC monitor needed to use. With it, I looked at the insects around house and yard. See some pictures and video on Youtube (search Vitiny) and . I also used it to inspect the coins, stamps, money, diamonds, jelwery, and stones. I also used it to do some research on the particles, like silica gels for chromatography, fibers for nonwoven fabrics, fillers for coating and inks, pigments for paints. I am also surprised of the functionalities of this products. It can be used as a webcam. There are serveral view modes to see the objects. Many measurement and picture/video editing functions in the software. Overall, this is an amazing product, really beyound my expections. It really worth my money. There is no similar products at this price range. The more expensive products Dino-Lite Portable Microscope / Display Kit,Handheld Digital Microscope used for science researches are heavier and bigger, without the same power. Many handheld microscope cameras, like this one Dino-Lite AD413T Portable, handheld Digital Microscope / Camera with Measurement Function, needs a PC to see.

JRFOTO DSLR RIG With Follow Focus Matte Box And Counterweight By New Model JRFOTO FL02M

I am using this rig with my Canon 7d. FancierStudio products are not commonly reviewed by many DSLR enthusiast sites, so i had to base my purchase decision on the two reviews thats here on amazon. I did not receive any product documentation and the website has very little information and a "chat with us" feature that doesnt seem to work. I couldnt find a phone number either. The link to its facebook site required me to login (I have stopped using facebook since I dont trust their privacy policy). Everything works as described, basically. I couldnt vouch very much for the rig itself because i have not used it in this capacity yet. The mattebox is on the cheapy side (plastic) and the blue handles are a kind of sticky silicone rubber that i dont know if i quite like. My biggest criticism is that the follow focus mechanism doesnt seem to have an adjustment for taller cameras like the 1d or if you use a battery grip. It appears that it would have been a simple adjustment to raise the bracket for this adjustment, but i cant see a simple way do this, so i have to remove the battery grip. The new 5D appears to be coming with a battery grip so i dont know if this would work with that camera. The other thing is that the rails (rods are on the short side. I can barely fit the mattebox and with the Canon 70-200 2.8L II lens. And this is another thing, they have made an adjustment so that i can use the mattebox with the battery grip but not with the followfocus.

UPDATE: APRIL 10, 2012 DONT BUY

After using this item for a few weeks i now have a reduced opinion of the unit and i think its overpriced. There are quite a few similar units on the market and many are cheaper and allow you just to buy the part that you want. The only part of it that is worthwhile really is the follow focus. And 300+$ is too much to pay for a cheap follow focus and a simple rig. The mattebox part is completely worthless i agree with cheesycam () about this mattebox. It cannot accommodate my 70-200 and there are other issues. The Rig is average for a cheap rig. I dont use rigs that much but i would have preferred something that would allow me to put other items on the rig (mic, monitor etc). As of today i regret buying this unit, and will probably junk it and buy something better, maybe use it for parts. The other thing is that this company spends no effort on customer service.

I am using this rig for my Sony NEX-3 camera and Sony Z1U camcorder! The build quality is great with the matte box being all plastic and the frame being metal. Managed to mount it on a tripod and the shoulder mount works well. Does require a lot of tightening and set up time would be around 25min max. I've provided pictures above of my set up for reference. The follow focus has a long enough cord to fit pretty much all lens sizes. The white ring around the follow focus allows me to make measurement markings on it using a sharpe marker and cleans off nicely. Over all nice set for the pro and beginner.

Buy JRFOTO DSLR RIG With Follow Focus Matte Box And Counterweight By New Model JRFOTO FL02M Now

The pictures are very accurate to what this thing looks and feels like. I was originally worried it would be light, or that the rails would be some sort of plastic, but its not. This rig has a nice quality feel to it. rails are aluminum I believe, very solid. The follow focus is very solid. I am very happy with this rig. I am 6'1 200lbs and this thing feels great in my hands.

A couple things to note. The barn doors are plastic, as well as the hinges for it, its fine for now, but I could imagine them drooping over time, or losing their grip. Metal would be better. Make sure you add weights to the back to balance out the rig otherwise it will be very front heavy.

Read Best Reviews of JRFOTO DSLR RIG With Follow Focus Matte Box And Counterweight By New Model JRFOTO FL02M Here

This product is interestingly useful. I find many things already mentioned by others to be the case, however, with some simple adjustments, I was able to make it work better for me than standard configuration. The device is designed for you to hold the handles a bit away from the shoulder so you view the LCD of your camera. With no counter balance weight (behind you) for the shoulder pad, it's really not too steady, and when you take one hand off e.g for focus adjustments on your camera, you balance is tilted. So, my solution was to rearrange things.

1. I put a viewfinder on my Canon Mk III DSLR

2. Shortened the Rod distance between the shoulder pad and the handles so me eye can reach the viewfinder.

3. Tilted the rod connecting the rig to the shoulder pad,,45 degree downward versus straight horizontal.

4. Removed the right hand handle and placed in front of the rig (on the left rail inverted, So the handle is centered just below the Matte/front end of the Camera lens)

This now means I have three major points of contacts for stability...the front handle, the viewfinder and then the shoulder mount. The left handle is not needed for this setup. You hold the front handle with your right hand which is now centered relative to the body of the camera, the shoulder pad is on the right shoulder as well. You pull back tight on the handle while shooting so your forehead on the viewfinder and shoulder against the shoulder pad affords more stability. Your left hand is free to be used for focusing and available as a 4th point of contact.

If I have the time, will post a picture for this configuration but it's probably the most brilliant way to use this rig. It makes it more versatile and actually functional more so than it's original/intended design. Don't expect to walk and shoot with this rig. A lens with an image stabilizer will still be your best bet.

Overall, for me, with this new configuration and the nice follow focus which appears to work well with my Zeiss 50mm Makro lens , and the relatively low cost ...this is a 4 Star. I would give it a 5 if they had included an attachable counter weight for the shoulder pad. Again, don't expect smooth shot if you going to be walking with this unit...I would suggest a Glidecam or something like that to walk/move and shoot versus a rig like this....

Want JRFOTO DSLR RIG With Follow Focus Matte Box And Counterweight By New Model JRFOTO FL02M Discount?

I needed a rig for my new Canon 7D for film production, and was shocked at the price when I came across this. This is no Redrock, but for a rig like this for around $300, I'm pretty impressed.

The follow focus is probably the best thing in the set. The handles and base plate are not bad at all; I hate the shoulder pad on the other hand. It works if you absolutely have to use it. I'm going to most likely modify the one I have or purchase a separate one.

The great thing is it's a 15mm rails setup. Reading in a previous review that the rails were a little short I pulled some 12" 15mm rails from an old rig I had. It's much better, and I ordered some additional rails for about $29 on ebay. You can customize these rigs in just about anyway you see fit. If there is something you don't like about it, you can always get a few clamps, arms, and rails to change it. I would encourage anyone that purchases this rig to look into customizing it; it's cheap, fun, and you can really build something nice.

*No instructions in any of the boxes* Also I attached a Canon 50mm 1.8 which doesn't get right up to the mattebox, but it's just fine, no problem with the image. The mattebox is very cheap though, clearly the cheapest thing out of the set.

Nikon COOLPIX A 16.2 MP Digital Camera with 28mm f/2.8 Lens (Silver)

Update: Check images on my dalethorn site or dpreview.

The Coolpix A is small enough at 4.5 x 2.6 x 1.6 inches to fit into a closed zippered pouch that fits into an average shirt pocket, yet has a level of image quality that no other pocket camera can approach. I've shot a few samples that potential buyers can find on my website by searching my name. One of those, the bridge in rain and fog at ISO 400, has detail I've never seen in this kind of low-contrast image before. Since the Coolpix 'A' has a fixed 28mm effective focal length lens, it's most suitable for images where no zoom is required, or only moderate cropping would be necessary. This would be landscapes, group people photos, architecture and so on. The macro setting allows shooting no closer than ~4 inches, so the Coolpix 'A' would not be ideal for photographing small insects and similar sized objects.

Manual focus with the focus ring surrounding the lens is actually a manually-assisted electronic focus, which may obtain the same end result as a completely manual focus, but I wouldn't assume that the focusing distance it represents in one situation would hold true when the camera is moved and pointed at another subject, unless checking the meter on the screen confirms the proper distance. Focusing manually via the screen image is difficult or impossible without magnifying the image quite a bit, but then you would need to un-magnify to recompose, and that's a hassle. I would like to see a magnified partial frame superimposed on the screen while focusing so that recomposing is unnecessary. Perhaps there's a way to do that now that I haven't discovered.

I shoot most of my photos in bursts using the 'Continuous' option, which is a good way to increase the likelihood of getting sharp images when shooting handheld without a support. Since the Coolpix 'A' does not have vibration reduction, but produces highly detailed images, the slightest camera shaking in the hand could cause smearing of details in the photos. The downside of this kind of redundant burst shooting is having to compare multiple images on the computer at 100 percent view to find the sharpest image in the group. The Coolpix 'A's sensor type is 'APS-C', which is so large for this camera size that it required two major developments by Nikon: One, a special lens with a fixed effective focal length of 28mm, and the other a series of "microlenses" around the sensor to reduce distortions caused by having the camera's main lens so close to the large sensor.

The above developments are not new technology per se, but in making the smallest 'APS-C' camera to date, Nikon had to bend light to a greater degree than anyone else while insuring an undistorted final image. The Coolpix 'A' came with a neck strap only, which is odd given the design for a very small camera body. Since I had several wrist straps on hand, I skipped the neck strap and attached a wrist strap instead. There are lugs on either side of the camera, and strap rings are attached to those, so I removed the plastic protectors on the rings and then removed the rings, then attached the wrist strap to the lug on the right side. If someone wanted to carry the Coolpix 'A' in a pocket, and since dust can work its way into the camera and ruin the sensor, I recommend a small zippered bag like the Coach 'Clutch' series. Mine is 6.5 x 4 inches and fits the camera easily. For carrying on a shoulder, I use the Leica '18727' case, which is a perfect fit with a very classy appearance.

I don't have much to say about camera settings, since they're different in some ways than what I'm used to. Reading the manual is very important, at least to get the settings right. I shoot JPEG (.JPG) only, and I changed the default image quality from normal to 'Fine'. I haven't figured out the ISO settings yet I'm used to setting 'Auto ISO' for most shooting, but with the Coolpix 'A' in 'P' (Program) mode, I had to select a specific ISO, and I chose ISO 400. This works well for what I do, but it would be better if I could select 'Auto ISO' with a maximum limit of 400 or 800 as some other cameras allow. Maybe what I'm seeing here is Nikon's way of saying that 'Auto ISO' belongs only with 'Auto' dial modes and not P/A/S/M. The Coolpix 'A' is a very high quality and expensive camera, and I recommend against trying to skimp on batteries or memory cards, which are relatively cheap. Always use a genuine Nikon battery, and choose a name brand memory card with a good speed rating, with 16 gb or greater capacity.

I LOVE this camera. I was looking for a camera which produces great images and compact. My DSLRs are great, but I tend to leave them on my bookshelf and snap everyday pictures with my iphone. Once in awhile, would kick myself for not having a DSLR camera with me. Now, this one is with me everyday..

I do agree with the reviews out there about slow focusing on low light. But there's not a camera that's perfect for everything. One just have to pick the one that best suits one's need.

About wifi and GPS, all these extra features will add weight to the camera. For me, if there's a picture I know I want to share with my friend on FB, I would snap an extra using my iphone.

Can't wait to take this camera on my next overseas trip.

Buy Nikon COOLPIX A 16.2 MP Digital Camera with 28mm f/2.8 Lens (Silver) Now

I have Nikon Coolpix A and Nikon D800 cameras. The Nikon Coolpix A camera is highly compatible and complementary

to DSLR cameras due to its engineering and similarity during use. The quality of your pictures will astound you and anyone else who has the good fortune to see them. For a grab and go camera, your not going to beat it. I want to keep it with me all of the time, just in case. From a six generation photo family starting in the 1850s, you can bank on it.

Only negative is finding the Nikon camera case which is designed for the Coolpix A. I did talk my son into lending me one of his leather cases he uses with his Nikon Coolpix P6000. The P6000 is a great camera too. That claim is validated by Dr. Anson, head to the History Department at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock after I gave him a little over 3,000 pictures taken in Turkey, Greece, and Italy. He called those pictures spectacular. That compliment makes you feel good towards life. Thanks Nikon! L. Nicholson, Arkansas

Read Best Reviews of Nikon COOLPIX A 16.2 MP Digital Camera with 28mm f/2.8 Lens (Silver) Here

I've owned numerous Nikon SLR bodies over many years. I have a trove of beautiful Nikon lenses that I treasure. I traveled to the Netherlands in April-May and decided one of my SLRs would just be too heavy. I splurged on the Coolpix A.

The camera is unbelievable. Please note, it is a fixed focal length lens, but the optics are fantastic. The many diverse options and controls suit me perfectly. Most are consistent with the higher end SLRs with the addition of some very intelligent and useful ones. There is, for instance a quite serviceable close-up feature.

I have to add one unanticipated characterisic. I was in an accident in Amsterdam; hit by a tram. I suffered some broken bones, etc., but am recovering well. The camera was in my vest pocket and received the full impact. Some metal was sheared off the lens casing, but the camera is perfectly sound and fully functional. All I can say is "wow, and kudos to you, Nikon."

Want Nikon COOLPIX A 16.2 MP Digital Camera with 28mm f/2.8 Lens (Silver) Discount?

Bottom Line Up Front: Exceptional images, tack sharp and great color. Quick focus. Quality build, feels good in the hands and handles well. All the essential settings and knobs are accessible. Highly recommend if your shooting style is compatible working with a fixed wide angle lens (28mm full frame equivalent). Light, small and unobtrusive. Discrete, not intimidating and doesn't scream "professional." An excellent carry around camera and back up to a full DSLR. Seems a bit pricey, but you're getting what you pay for high quality images. Great for street scenes and environmental portraiture. I consider the 28mm equivalent lens a bit too wide for tight head shots, but have used it with success in a pinch. I'm a professional documentary photographer and a pro DSLR mounted with a prime 35mm or 85mm is my primary tool of choice; however, there are times when whipping out a large intimidating professional camera wouldn't be appropriate enter the Coolpix A. I've been looking for a compact carry-around camera that will produce high quality images and this little Nikon fills the bill. I've been shooting the camera extensively for about a month now and have been very pleased with the camera's performance and the images that it's produced. Ensure that shooting with a fixed wide angle lens (28mm FX equivalent) suits your style. If so, then this camera is definitely worth considering. If you want a mirrorless camera that can change lenses or zoom, then look elsewhere. If you are looking for a compact, robust, rugged wide angle fixed lens camera that produces excellent images, the Coolpix A may be for you. Would definitely recommend seriously looking as this camera.

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DSLR Rig Shoulder Mount Movie Kit for DV Cameras & For Nikon D3/D3S/D3X/D40/D50/D60/D70S/D80/D90/D7

• Make you shoot or video production steady, precise and smooth
• Long time shoot or record comfortable, won't feel tired
• All hand grips and joint of the shoulder mount are rotatable and adjustable
• Make commercial and professional movies at a very lower cost
• Precision-machined Follow Focus system provides repeatable, accurate focusing

value. at first it's awkward then you'll manipulate it to a personal sweet spot. it's pretty solid, it doesn't feel cheap, it's far more steadier than handheld plus this shoulder rig that cost less than a los angeles parking ticket.

used with a T3i for videography

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Good for what it is and the price is quite low, so can't complain. It has many configurations and if you don't like the ones they reccomend, you can even unscrew the "bars" and attach them to your liking, for example, I wanted a camera cage/fig rig type setup with a 7" monitor on back, I tried the reccomended setup from the picture, but it was not balancing correctly and while it looked good from the side, viewing it from the front made it looked quite odd, so I removed the long pivoting handle from the back and switched it with one of the short handles to the sides of the rig(depending on if you are right handed or left handed), and looked nice and balanced very well. The only bad thing is that you have to tighten it all quite a bit which raises the fears of breakage as there is quite a bit of plastic in these areas, but then again at this price point you cant expect too much!

Read Best Reviews of DSLR Rig Shoulder Mount Movie Kit for DV Cameras & For Nikon D3/D3S/D3X/D40/D50/D60/D70S/D80/D90/D7 Here

Really loving this unit. Postponed getting either a monopod or a nice tripod for video because this seems to take care of most jobs right now... Also putting off sliders and dollies.

First project shot with it (a music event) got lots of good feedback, and the steady itself got people talking so they were less self conscious and interactive.

Planning to shoot more scripted work after getting used to this. Added a rail system and follow focus. Will have viewfinder to attach to swivel screen on my D5100 by the end of the week.

There are two main ways I have found to use on shoulder. They don't use extra weight and it doesn't rest on your shoulder.

The longer way, extend middle to full length and grip the right angle in your back (shoulder blade), pushing away from your body with your [right] hand on the handle and focussing with your [left] hand braced by the palm on the other handle. This works because the two segment stretch can only be tightened at 90° or 180° and doesn't come loose from the pressure. All the joints have a little give except that one. This position puts the viewfinder many inches beyond your face.

The other shoulder mount folds the two segment together (0°) and tightens it down about 90° into your shoulder blade, so your face can press against the viewfinder for a 4th point of contact. There is a long channel to tighten the camera/rails down to get it comfy.

Haven't needed to use After Effects warp stabilization with any of the shots from this yet, which is great.

Very happy with the purchase. Recommended. Also, get some short thumb screws right away so you can mount other gear on the various points available (recorders, etc,).

Want DSLR Rig Shoulder Mount Movie Kit for DV Cameras & For Nikon D3/D3S/D3X/D40/D50/D60/D70S/D80/D90/D7 Discount?

I would definitely suggest this to anyone who has a small budget but needs a rig. Great for filming. I wish it had a quick plate for easier camera removal and that I would have been informed ahead of time that you are using an Allan Wrench for the important adjustments. Don't force the arms as they will move under enough pressure and cause strip things sooner. Most of the bolts are replaceable if they get stripped. The instructions are a little fun to read at times as they are mainly pictures with lots of Engrish. If you know this stuff ahead of time you won't sweat these little cons and be happy with the pros as it gives you so many different position options for a steadier shot.

Wheni bought this rig for my Nikon D7000 it came extremely quickly but it wasnt that steady. i added different weights to the back of it and now its my main source of video steadyness

Sony A77 24.3 MP Translucent Mirror Digital SLR With 16-50mm F2.8 lens

My rating reflects the camera as a whole. I bought it, use it and love it, but I'm going to take a different approach here and review one aspect of this camera: the viewfinder.

Most of the professional reviews I've found for the Sony a77 (dpreview, etc) are entirely missing the point. The electronic viewfinder alone is reason enough to consider this camera a step up from a traditional DSLR, even if the DSLR you were comparing an a77 with had identical specs. I'd say the a77's viewfinder is a pleasure to use (and it is), but even that is missing the point.

This viewfinder will change the way you use your camera. It'll change it for the better because it gives you greater control over the camera than you've ever had before.

Because the viewfinder is an OLED video screen in the eyepiece instead of being a typical piece of glass, you're seeing something entirely different. Something more useful.

An optical viewfinder shows you what the lens is seeing. An electronic viewfinder shows you what the sensor is doing. Think about that for a moment. Let's say you own a Nikon D7000 and you boost exposure compensation. Do you see any change in the viewfinder? Of course not. You'll see that change in the photo you take. That's how SLRs have always worked, even back in the days before digital. Ah, but with the electronic viewfinder in a Sony a77, when you boost exposure compensation, you'll see the image in the viewfinder become brighter, just as the shot you take will be brighter.

An even simpler example: Look through the viewfinder of a DSLR and choose an exposure point. Pick a dark spot. Nothing changes in your viewfinder, right? Pick a bright spot. Do you see any change in the viewfinder? Of course not. But, in the a77 viewfinder, you see the exposure change because the viewfinder is showing you what the camera is doing rather than only showing you what the lens is seeing.

Here's how most of us probably used our DSLRs: You pick the camera up to your eye. You look through the viewfinder to frame your shot, etc. You take the shot and then pull the camera away from your eye so you can review the shot you just took, using the LCD screen on the back of your camera "Ah, shoot. Blown highlights." You lower exposure compensation, put the camera viewfinder to your eye, frame up the shot again and take it again. Then check it again on the LCD screen on the back of the camera.

In other words, it's a game of switching from viewfinder to LCD, LCD to viewfinder, etc etc etc. Back and forth.

With the electronic viewfinder in the Sony a77, you don't have to do that anymore. You can literally see the changes you're making in the viewfinder. And, better still, you can set up your viewfinder to review the shot you just took for 2 seconds (or 5, though I find 2 to be enough). So, you take the shot and immediately see the shot you just took without moving the camera.

This electronic viewfinder is an absolute pleasure to view, and it can do some amazing things.

Want a level laid over the shot you're about to take? Put it in your viewfinder.

There's an excellent tele/crop feature in the a77 that drops the 24 megapixel sensor down to 12 and doubles the length of your lens' reach. Thus, a 50mm lens becomes a 100mm lens, and you're seeing this change perfectly in the electronic viewfinder.

There's also an option to check your focus. Click a button and the viewfinder will show you a super-zoomed in view so you can check the precision of your focus. There is absolutely no way this sort of thing can be done with an optical viewfinder.

I've seen so many reviews talking about the weaknesses of electronic viewfinders in comparison to optical viewfinders, but they fail to mention the weaknesses of optical viewfinders. Now that I've made the switch to an EVF, I'd really hate to have to switch back. After using the viewfinder in this Sony a77 for a day or two, you'll realize just how limiting an old fashioned optical viewfinder really is.

Specs only tell you what a camera is capable of, but as we all know, photography isn't about the camera. It's about the photographer and the photo taken. The viewfinder in this camera will give you, as a photographer, more control over your camera than you've ever known. The buttons and dials give you control over the camera, but the EVF literally puts you inside the camera. It's an awesome experience. I suspect that, ten years from now, most DSLRs will be this way too (they'll be SLTs instead of SLRs, in other words).

I've only owned my a77 for a week, but I love it. The first time I took it out shooting, I was nervous. $1400 is a heck of a lot of money for me, so I worried I might have made a huge mistake buying this thing... but as I used my new a77 that day, I just kept saying "Wow."

Obviously, this is a great camera, but the real story is the viewfinder. All I can say is wow. I certainly wouldn't want to go back to an optical viewfinder after using this thing. No way.

The Camera Fairy blessed my porch last Friday and handed me an Amazon box which upon opening, disgorged a familiar black and orange Alpha box with my A77 body inside, safely cushioned in bubble-wrap. In addition to the charger, manuals and ads, software CD, neck strap and USB cable, there was an empty space (sadly) for the kit lens. Since I already own a very nice Minolta 28-75 f/2.8 standard zoom, I passed on ordering the A77 with the new 16-50 f/2.8 SSM "kit" lens. I put quotes around "kit" because the new 16-50 is anything but a standard starter lens. It has a constant f/2.8 maximum aperture, solid build and is weather-sealed to match the A77. Though not designated as a "G" or "CZ" lens, in tests it approaches the performance of Sony's excellent 24-70 f/2.8 Zeiss and is actually designed to fill the same effective focal length range on the APS-C cameras that the 24-70 does on full-frame. I planned on replacing my Minolta lens with the Zeiss next year but this new "kit" entry seems to be a serious alternative and since it is designed for the smaller APS-C sensor, manufacturing cost savings make it a heck of a bargain at half the price.

Look and Feel

If you have never handled a pro or semi-pro camera body, the tactile difference between a polycarbonate and magnesium alloy shell is immediately noticeable. Even though the body only weighs a little over 1½ lbs (without lens), it feels solid. It has a rubber grip that extends around the back on the right to cover the thumb rest area. The grip itself is deep and fits my medium-wide hands comfortably with a secure feel when holding it one-handed. The body is a little taller than the A700 but more rounded with a matte finish that gives it a no-nonsense appearance. I wouldn't base a camera purchase on how pretty it was, but I appreciate the look of a well-made tool whether it is a Kitchen-Ad mixer, a drill press or a tripod. The A77 is a well-made tool and that makes it pretty to me!

It's What's Outside That Counts

The control layout is a bit different than the A700 but the main controls are similar enough that I was comfortable with it after only a few minutes of fiddling with them. Sony's Quick-Navi menu system from the A700 is gone but the replacement is not a step backward. All of the main functions except stabilization on/off can be accessed either with a dedicated button or on the LCD with a press of the function button. the The stabilization on/off being relegated to the menu instead of having a dedicated button was surprising at first, but after thinking it over, I decided that I really never switched it off unless it was for one of the rare times I was using a tripod (or by accident) and all too often I forgot to turn It back on. Having it on by default and being able to set the menu to come on in the same position that you left it is a workable alternative to having a dedicated switch. One addition is the movie button. Yes, movie. The A77 is the first DSLR I've owned that can do movies and in addition to a full movie mode on the mode dial, there is a record-it-now movie button that lets you start a recording of that unexpected UFO encounter with your default settings at a moment's notice. Now I just have to remember that my DSLR takes movies!

The LCD screen is the same size as the one on the A700 and has the same extremely high resolution but with improved brightness and contrast making it easier to see in bright light. Unlike the A700 the A77's LCD is articulated. Very articulated! The mechanism is very sturdy and can be tilted or swiveled into almost any forward, rearward or sideward position. It even allows you to flip the screen inward in the collapsed position for protection.

The top of the body includes the aforementioned dedicated function buttons plus a monochrome LCD with it own dedicated backlight button that displays the basic camera settings at a glance. The selection on the mode dial is a little different from the ones on the A700. The multiple scene modes are replaced with a single scene mode position and the various modes are now chosen on the rear screen using the joystick control. The additional scene modes have been replaced with settings for Movie mode, 12 fps shooting mode, Sweep Panorama and 3D Sweep Panorama.

The pop-up flash has a new mechanism that slides the flash forward and up to reduce the chance of the lens/shade blocking it. There is also a button to pop the flash up rather than the manual flip-up on earlier 7-series models. On top of the flash is another new thing for me...there's a microphone on my camera! Maybe I'll have to try this movie thing after all. The autofocus mode switch near the lens hasn't changed but the depth-of-field preview can now be programmed to show either depth of field or a preview of scene settings.

Inside counts too

The first "inside" part that I checked out was the viewfinder. After reading all of the doomsaying from the fear, uncertainty and doubt threads on the forums followed by nearly unanimous praise from people who had actually used the camera, I had to see for myself. I have had cameras with EVFs that were considered good. My Minolta D7i was hopelessly outclassed by the full VGA EVF on my Minolta A2 (yes, full VGA on a digicam bridge camera back in 2004!) and I was impressed by the A55 that I tried at a local store. About the new OLED viewfinder on the A77, all I can say is....wow! I imagine if you had 20-10 vision and were college-trained to pick flyspecks out of ground pepper, you might be able to see pixels in the image. I certainly can't. It's like looking at a good 17" XVGA monitor from about 2'-3' away. The image is sharp and contrasty with nicely saturated color. The only clear reminder that it is an electronic image is in areas of very bright highlights or deep shadows where the dynamic range of the display cuts off before you eye would through an OVF. If you pan quickly, there is a faint fuzzing of vertical edges, but no serious degradation and no color tearing at all. Following a moving object is no more difficult than it was with my A700. As light gets lower the image grains up and gives you video noise sparkle which worsens as available light decreases. but still lets you see to compose down past where it would be practical or even possible with an OVF. Those are the basics. The initial plusses and minuses, so to speak. Now for the cool stuff! The list of add-ons in the menu includes options for showing all info (OCD mode), no info (just basic shooting info at the top and bottom), graphic mode (like the NEX LCD info display), Histogram overlay and electronic level. On top of any of these you can add a grid with a choice of a 4x6 square grid, rule of thirds or diagonal lines. The real value is something I missed when I went from my Minolta A2 to the 7D DSLR, namely that the viewfinder can be set to display exactly what the sensor is set to capture. This is really helpful when you are working in mixed light or mixed shade where auto white balance will often fail. Too blue? You see it. A little green from fluorescents? You see it. You can tweak settings until it is corrected and check the results in real-time. Another plus is that you can review the image for critical focus or exposure directly in the viewfinder in the brightest light and see it perfectly. Speaking of critical focus... Most of the better DSLRs can magnify the live-view image for critical focus, but in the field it is often difficult to see clearly. Being able to look through the viewfinder and see a magnified image centered on any point in the frame is a real winner. Another great tool is focus peaking. This is a tool used in videography to highlight the parts of the frame that have the highest contrast (sharpest focus) so the cameraman can quickly determine where the focal point is while filming. What it does is create a colored halo (choice of red, yellow or white) on the edges of objects in the in-focus area that is very easy to see even if you are looking at a washed out LCD with the camera at an angle that makes using the viewfinder difficult or impossible. My bottom line? The A77 EVF exceeded my expectations. It offers a razor-sharp image that displays a larger, brighter view than any APS-C camera (the A700 is one of the best) and nearly as good as the full frame cameras. It also has some technological tricks up its sleeve that are more than marketing gimmicks and offer real functional value.

Deeper Inside

Really deep inside is a somewhat controversial Exmor sensor. It is 24MP which is far and away the highest pixel count of any APS-C camera on the market today. Why controversial? If you have been following the build-up to the release of the A77 and the initial reviews, you have surely seen endless threads on whether Sony should have put so many pixels on an APS-C sensor or spent their efforts on making a lower pixel-count sensor with stellar high-ISO performance. There are also thousands of images with accompanying text declaring its image quality is anywhere from better than medium-format to worse than a cheap compact. In truth, it is neither. Rather it is an advancement in sensor technology that trades some high-ISO performance for some pretty remarkable low-ISO resolution. It also makes a couple of steps ahead in color accuracy and dynamic range.

I am not one to snap a photo and peer endlessly at each pixel blown up to 100% on my monitor, searching for something to b1tch about. I prefer to look at the images as I expect to display them and determine if they will look good. So far, the A77 looks good. Real good.

Tools to Get Those Images

In the past, having "special" modes on a DSLR other than P-A-S-M (Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual) was pooh-poohed as a sure indicator of an entry-level camera that catered to photographers without a clear understanding of basic settings. Though this sounds a little snotty, it was generally true with helper modes like "Sunsets", "Sports" and "Landscapes" to preset the beginner's camera for best-bet shutter and aperture combinations for those subjects. I always thought that some of the more advanced cameras might benefit from some presets that would quickly get you near the optimal settings or add functionality that would be hard to set up manually. As I mentioned earlier, the A700 had a selection "special" settings on the mode dial for just that purpose and after checking them out when I got it, I never actually used any of them. That may change with the A77. While diving into the scene mode menu on the A77, it earned guaranteed return visits when it revealed a hidden gem in the Hand-Held Twilight mode. This first appeared on the higher end Sony compacts and is quite a useful feature. It fires off a series of shots in rapid succession then matches and stacks them to reduce noise and enhance detail in low-light situations. Image stacking has been available in Photoshop and other dedicated programs for years, but having it done for you in-camera is pretty cool. Some of the other features that have migrated from the compacts to the NEX and now to the DSLRs are Auto HDR and Sweep Panorama. The Auto HDR is similar to the Auto Bracket feature found on many DSLRs to trigger a series of exposures with ascending values to be used to create an HDR (High Dynamic Range) image. Auto HDR goes one step farther by actually combining and processing the images in the camera. Maybe not as "pro" as sitting in front of a computer and processing/tweaking the files in expensive software for an hour to get a natural-looking dynamic range enhancement, but Easy and Good trumps Hard and A Tiny Bit Better any day. If you want to do more than natural and create HDR art, the auto-bracketing covers up to a 6 EV span and there is always manual. The list goes on...

Shooting

Quite simply...I like it!

It is solid, well-balanced, easy to grip and has a control set that grows familiar very quickly. I originally chose the A700 for its control ergonomics and the A77 may end up being a bit better! There's the huge, bright viewfinder and an acrobatic LCD that makes low, high and odd angle shots easier than ever before.

The fastest autofocus I have ever had the pleasure to use and it is accurate too. If one of my lenses backor front-focuses, there is a menu to compensate with micro adjustments that registers and saves the adjustments for up to 30 lenses. Technological assist for critical manual focusing is very useful.

Fully metered, focus tracking continuous shooting at up to 8 fps is probably more than I will ever need and if it isn't, the more restricted 12 fps mode should cover it.

Image quality is pretty amazing. I haven't tried out the RAW files yet but the JPEGs are quite good. If they improve the JPEG engine with firmware like they did with the A700, I may never use RAW.

And then there is the movie mode...up to 28mbs 1080p60 recording with full-time autofocus or manual focus assisted with peaking...

The features and combination of features fills a 240 page manual and rather than plod through them here ad nauseum, I'm going to go enjoy the rush of photographic inspiration that always comes with a shiny new tool!

Down The Rabbit Hole...?

Is the SLT design with a high-quality electronic viewfinder the wave of the future? Maybe, maybe not. There is personal preference and user inertia involved as with any major change. Remember, it wasn't until digital capture surpassed the film in working quality the it was widely accepted by working photographers and it took years after that to pry film out of some of those cold, dead cameras. The usability of the A77 viewfinder certainly has captured my interest and the interest of a lot of people that would have (and did) scoff at the idea.

Is 24MP too much for APS-C? Some would say yes and I might have been one of them. Certainly the high-ISO performance would have been improved with fewer and larger pixels but for print sizes up to 12x18, the ISO 6400 images are pretty darn good and that places it at least two stops better than the A700 even with double the pixels. At ISO 100 to 400 in good light (which covers portraits and most landscapes) the level of detail is truly amazing and rivals the current crop of full-frame cameras. If you add the improved dynamic range and better color fidelity I might still say that 24MP is too much, but with a lot less conviction than before.

I hope this answered a few questions, I will add more images and perhaps some comments as I get more familiar with my new friend.

Happy shooting!

Buy Sony A77 24.3 MP Translucent Mirror Digital SLR With 16-50mm F2.8 lens Now

UPDATE 12-11-11

Last week we put our 2 SONY SLT-A77s through the ultimate test.

We were the official photographers on the Rock Legends Cruise and shot over 9,000 excellent photos over 3 days. I had to only reboot my A77 3 times but my wife did not have to reboot hers at all.

We shot about 65% of the concert photos with no flash in low natural stage light and got amazing results with very little ISO noise problems.

We also shot our 1st and 2nd rock videos with the A77 and were amazed at the results. I was set up about 15 feet from the main PA system right stack and the sound was not blown out even though I only used the on-board microphone. The stereo sound is crystal clear and other than some faint wind that was picked up the audio was perfect!

We've received hundreds of compliments on our concert photos and many are from Canon and Nikon users :D They have already been published on several online rock magazines and there are a lot more to come :D

ORIGINAL POST:

We were going to preorder one of these SONY A77s here on Amazon but my wife and I don't have enough patience ... plus we didn't want to risk the initial shipment from Sony being sold out before it arrives in the US... so we ordered 1 from a Hong Kong E seller Sunday night and received it this morning (Wednesday). (only $1329 delivered!)Wooohooo!

It's quite a bit bigger (than our A55s) but it's not too big for my wife's normal sized female hands. It's a lot heavier (than our A55s) but not too heavy for her to use(she's our top WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER). She's been shooting 5 straight hours with it now with 3 different lenses.

The new SONY A77 looks absolutely awesome! Sony has put all the buttons for everything nicely placed right on the body. There is very little need to go to the menu. The manual seems very comprehensive and since we already had 3 A55s it was very easy for us to breeze through and just highlight the new stuff.

As far as photo quality if you are upgrading from an A55 we didn't expect too much more than the size/definition you gain with a 50% increase in MPs. We were wrong, the photos are phenomenal! If you are upgrading from another camera brand you will be stunned! My recommendation to all you Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Olympus, and Fuji users... If you are thinking about upgrading your outfit, DO IT! Sell everything you have and grab one of these revolutionary new cameras and some legendary MINOLTA LENSES, or the SONY 16-50, "G" Lenses, or Carl Zeiss lenses. You will be opening up a whole new world of photography excellence!

The 1st 25 quick photos we shot with an APO Minny 100-300 look excellent on our 42" TV!

Update 10-14-11

We have now shot almost 5,000 great photos including 2 weddings. The 2nd wedding we shot was outdoors on a dreary, gray, rainy day and the photos came out fantastic. As a matter of fact they were so good that we sold our last 2 SONY A55s and ordered another SONY A77 with the 16-50 2.8 LENS which will arrive Wednesday-Thursday next week.

We shot the 1st 5,000 shots with version 1.02 and experienced none of the issues that others have seen. We updated to version 1.03 yesterday, but since we had no issues we really don't have a comparison.

Update 10-24-11

We now are the proud owners of 2 of these beauties plus the new SONY 16-50 2.8 lens. The camera and lens go together like peanut butter and jelly! They are so fast together that the finished photo has appeared on the screen before the subject has finished saying "cheese"!

We have shot our 3rd wedding, our 1st with good lighting. The photos that we took were nothing less than stunning. We are off today to shoot our 2nd engagement session and we are both like kids on Christmas Eve with every new opportunity to shoot. This camera grows on you every day and even though we have had the 1st one almost a month it is still exciting to use.

UPDATE 10-31-11

We have now taken over 6,000 excellent photos with our 2 SONY SLT-A77s. So far zero problems with either camera. We went out yesterday and shot with a handful of MINOLTA lenses and they all performed wonderfully on the A77s! We also now had the opportunity to shoot a few hundred shots with some of the new in-camera special effects. The color extraction is amazing, and you'll really like the pop and vivid as well!

If you google our company name you will find our site with hands on reviews and photo samples under the SONY|MINOLTA tab of both the camera and lens.

Read Best Reviews of Sony A77 24.3 MP Translucent Mirror Digital SLR With 16-50mm F2.8 lens Here

What a stunning camera this A77 is.

Forget the dated Canons and Nikons(good though many are); tomorrow is here right now! Of course, if you are already bogged down with another manufacturer's lenses and kit, you'll almost certainly disagree.......we understand and sympathise!

Let us look at a few facts and leave nefarious comment to the bitter and twisted.

1. This camera does not have a big flappy mirror assembly....thank you,God...even my digital Hasselblad cannot negate the appalling vibrations from its mirror (and there is actually a dedicated program in the software to delay shutter activation by 50, 100, 200 ms...or whatever to cover the failing up). Yuk.

2. The A77 does have a super electronic viewfinder that even when wearing complex prescription specs,copes superbly.And you actually see what you are taking ALL the time. I have been using this sort of viewfinder for over ten years and always have preferred it to my Hasselblad....and optical viewfinders don't come much better than Hasselblad's.

3.The frame rate at 12fps is magical.....no one else comes near.

4. The image stabilisation is in the body...thank you again God...so even the G lenses are good value. The standard range is almost cheap!

5. As STANDARD the camera does 12fps, sweep panorama, video, HD,and 3D and GPS. No fuss, it's all there.

6. The artificial horizon feature,,,,as well as yaw sensing...is absolutely great. Who needs spirit levels now?

7. There is a HUGE, yes HUGE, supply of Minolta lenses stacked up on eBay and elsewhere, that make experimenting with this camera a real joy.....instead of seeking a mortgage everytime you decide to try a new lens combination!

8. AND....AND, this thing has over 24 Mpixels of sheer resolution.....cropping has never been such fun!

9. The body is a metal casting and is sealed against a goodly level of water intrusion.....tough as old boots, if my 10 year old predecessor is anything to go by.

10. It costs far less then you might think too. Buy the body and try some of the 'giveaway' used lenses before you commit to your final choice.Do try the 18-250mm superzoom.

All in all, an exciting major step forward.

Go and enjoy it!

Want Sony A77 24.3 MP Translucent Mirror Digital SLR With 16-50mm F2.8 lens Discount?

All I can say is wow....

The resolution with the 16-50 f2.8 is outstanding. The EVF is a joy to use, the camera handles very well and is easy to use. I love the fact that what you see with the EVF is what you get on the photo.

So far, of the couple of thousand shots its performance is great... Love the focus peaking (shows you what is in focus with a hi-light color) its great for tweaking the focus.

I have not used the focus tracking for sports yet, but my tests (with a dog) show that it seems to work pretty well I will leave others better qualified to answer that usage.

Pros:

Resolution !!!

Nice interface (most of the options are really close to hand and because of the EVF you don't even have to take your eye away from the viewfinder.

That EVF !!

Focus peeking and zoom functions allow you to nail the focus.

Cons:

Its not quite as good at handling noise at very high ISO (aka VERY low light) as say the Nikon D7000.

The focus square confirmation can be a bit hard to see sometimes.. It really should be configurable.

All in all = I highly recommend this camera. This is coming from a canon SLR->DSLR user for 25 something years..

I will try to add a couple of images taken with this camera to the page.

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