Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm VR + 55-200mm VR Lens with 8GB Card + Filters + Lowepr

From packaging to each of the elements included therein, the product was better than expected. The Nikon D3100 shows potential for those who are beginners in the world of photography, this team is excellent and the 55-200 lens can achieve great things. It is an excellent team, functional, lighter than I thought and therefore the transfer is done smoothly. If I can mention that in my opinion, the mode selection wheel can be quite sensitive and we recommend a flash diffuser or use an external flash to get good photos of interiors. I recommend this product widely.Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm VR + 55-200mm VR Lens with 8GB Card + Filters + Tamrac Case + Accessory Kit

HDMI Cable - 2 Male Connectors - 2 Meters

Just in case someone may feel guilty for not paying a lot more for, basically the same thing, let's look at our top of the line offer, Monster HDMI 1000HD Ultra-High Speed HDMI Cable (2 meters) and do a quick comparison.

This item supports the HDMI 1.3 standard. Any HDMI 1.3 cable can carry up to 10.2 Gbit/s. Hmmm... I suppose the Monster is much better, right? Well... it "guarantees a certified cable bandwidth of 10.2" Okay, but the Monster also supports "x.v.Color, and Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD". It turns out that, all of the above, and more, are part of the HDMI 1.3 specs and they are fully supported by every cable that complies to the standard and can be had for about 95% less in the Premium Gold. The expensive brand presentation simply enumerates the HDMI 1.3 specs as if it being HDMI 1.3 compliant was a really big deal. It is not a big deal. Even a cable that costs 95% less is HDMI 1.3 compliant.

My suggestion: if you think that the proponents of the expensive brand have a point when they claim that their product is a lot more durable, buy TWO Premium Gold wires and still pay almost 90% less than you would pay for one of the expensive ones.

My personal experience: I've never paid 'a lot' for an HDMI cable because it makes no sense to pay more. I took home one of the 'expensive' ones once because the salesman promised to take it back if I wasn't amazed by the difference. It made zero difference and I returned it.

_________________________________________________

The following are the HDMI 1.3 specs and all certified HDMI 1.3 cables (including Monster) are going to support them.

Maximum signal bandwidth (MHz) 340

Maximum TMDS bandwidth (Gbit/s) 10.2

Maximum video bandwidth (Gbit/s) 8.16

Maximum audio bandwidth (Mbit/s) 36.86

Maximum Color Depth (bit/px) 48

Maximum resolution over single link at 24-bit/px 2560×1600p75

Maximum resolution over single link at 30-bit/px 2560×1600p60

Maximum resolution over single link at 36-bit/px 1920x1200p75

Maximum resolution over single link at 48-bit/px 1920×1200p60

sRGB

YCbCr

8 channel LPCM/192 kHz/24-bit audio capability

Blu-ray Disc video and audio at full resolution

Consumer Electronic Control (CEC)

DVD-Audio support

Super Audio CD (DSD) support

Deep Color

xvYCC

Auto lip-sync

Dolby TrueHD bitstream capable

DTS-HD Master Audio bitstream capable

Updated list of CEC commands (only on HDMI 1.3a,b,c)

Bought thee cables and frankly can not tell the difference between them and the much-higher priced cables. I have even swapped them out in the same setup and I can hear no difference. And, I am not tone deaf, having had 13 years of musical training.

Buy HDMI Cable - 2 Male Connectors - 2 Meters Now

Cables for computers and electronics have always been way overpriced in brick and mortar stores. Psychological studies have shown that people will ususally overlook the price of an add-on or upgrade if it is less than 10% of the main item you're purchasing. Also, people want to be able to hook up their equipment as soon as possible. Hence cables for $600-$1000 TVs cost $60 or more. The salesman may give you a deal by offering them at half price, $30. (That's exactly what my salesman did.) Instead, since I wasn't in a hurry, I bought these for a fraction of the price. They meet all the same standards and they work great.

Read Best Reviews of HDMI Cable - 2 Male Connectors - 2 Meters Here

Purchased this cable to update my PS3 to the 1.3 version of HDMI. The cable is solidly build, thick and the connection to the PS3 and TV were solid. There is nothing cheap about this cable except the price. My personal opinion is to avoid the cheap HDMI cables sold and spend the extra dollar on a cable that is solidly made.

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I bought six of these cables about a month ago. I gave them a good review when I hooked them up. They SEEMED to work fine. Until about 2 weeks ago, that is when the first one went. Two days ago a second one went out. I have had HDMI devices since their inception and I have never had a cable problem. I dont understand WHY something so simple is so hard for a company to produce with QUALITY????

Needless to say I am tossing the rest of them because they are not worth the postage to send them back and going back to my OLD cables until I can get six new belkin or a simular brand to replace these 1.3 version cables. My old ones are either 1.1 or 1.2..that is the only reason I changed them to start with.

Dont waste your money..seems like a good deal..but in the short run you will pay twice for them anyway.

Good luck to you.

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StarTech.com HDMIACMM6 6-Feet High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet- HDMI to HDMI Mini- M/M

Bought this to use for my gaming computer's graphic card. There is no better cable then this HDMI for the sound and graphics that it sends to my monitor. My card has a mini HDMI conector port and I was glad I found this cable to replace the regular VGA cable I was using. With this HDMI I don't need RCA cables for my sound either, this cable carries both video and sound making less wires from the back of my computer. Performance is really great plus a great price also.

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Moultrie D55-IR Game Spy 5 Megapixel Digital Infrared Game Camera (Camo)

Firstly, I want to make clear that I'm not using this camera for its intended purpose; I'm using it to try and find my lost cat by locating the camera near where he's been sighted, and then placing food to attract cats.

That being said, the camera has worked perfectly for my needs. It is easy to set up; the quick start guide steps you through setting up the time, photo/video, photo resolution, number of shots per trigger, and period between triggers. It has a nice, long adjustable strap for placing around trees, fence posts, etc. The camera's heavy-duty case is also lockable, as long as the lock has a small bar. I used a small padlock which is locked to a cable bike lock and the camera. At one feeding station location, the camera was vandalized by kids who tried unsuccessfully to remove the camera; failing at that, they tried to smash the lens. They managed to scratch the plastic lens shield, but the camera still takes good photos despite the scratches. The plastic covering of the digital info display was cracked open as well, but the camera still functions perfectly.

The night-vision works very well. I have placed the camera at a maximum of 3 feet from the feeding station, and can easily tell on the night photos whether a cat is black, gray, white, or tabby. The camera also has an aim feature that allows you to determine where the lens is aimed for optimal placement.

I was also concerned at first, because I'd heard that some of the game cameras won't detect smaller animals like cats. This camera has captured 7 different cats at 3 feeding station locations (none of them was my cat, sadly), as well as people walking by, crows, dogs, and bushes waving in the wind. I imagine that, if I were a hunter, I would find this to be a very useful tool for spotting game. I also am favorably impressed by the battery life. This camera has been running more or less constantly for 2 weeks straight on 6 C-cells, and the battery life indicator is at 89%. At this rate, I don't anticipate needing to replace the batteries for a couple of months. If I were placing this out in the bush, I would be able to rely on it staying on for quite a long time without needing to be babysat; I think the SD card would fill up before the battery ran out.

I give it 4 stars because there is no on-board memory, and it requires an SD card in order to operate. Also, there's no onboard display, so if you were a hunter, you'd either need to take the SD card all the way home to review the photos, or take your laptop out to the bush with a card reader. Not ideal. I have no idea if the photos taken by the Moultrie would show on another digital camera's display or not; I know other game cameras have problems with this kind of cross-compatibility. The camera does have a USB out feature, but that apparently only works for PCs, and I'm a Mac user.

This camera is outstanding, definitely 5 stars. I highly recommend it. I have several different cameras-this one is far superior to the others. The key with any camera is to not face it East because off morning sun unless you are in Pine trees or shaded area. It is good to face it where a trail comes toward it. The battery life is amazing, and the fast triggering exceptional. I had a large buck rub and scrape--I positioned camera about 20' from rub and the camera took 21 pictures of the buck crystal clear at night-great photographic quality. Surprisingly the flash had no affect on him as far as scaring him. Daytime photos are better than my other more expensive cameras. Programing the Moultrie couldn't be easier. I couldn't be happier with this camera. I also bought lock box for it and purchased a heavy chain and lock. No need to donate great camera to the wood's fairy. Don't hesitate buy Moultrie, buy the best.

Buy Moultrie D55-IR Game Spy 5 Megapixel Digital Infrared Game Camera (Camo) Now

This is my third Moultrie camera. All three are in the woods taking pictures of deer as I write. I purchased the D-55IR early in October and and has been in the woods for around 4 weeks. Still running on original batteries and taking great pictures. What I like about all my Moultrie cameras is that you can set them up without the manual. As far as not seeing the pictures in the woods, take your point and shoot camera with you. You can zoom in on the pictures to see whats on them. Sometimes I exchange the cards before I hunt and look at them while I'm in the stand. I am looking at buying a couple more of the D-55IR just so I don't have to buy three different si zes of batteries that my other cameras use.

Nov. 2011 update

I told my coworker how much I liked the D55IR and he bought two. He took these to the U.P. (Michigan). one camera took some nigh time photos and the other would not take any. He set the two next to each other, deer tracks in the snow and all the bait gone but no pictures. He asked me to check them out so I put them behind my house with my camera (now have three DIR55's and all work great) and the first one of his had few night time pictures 50 total, his second had 200 pictures with night time photos and mine had 500. I am going to tell him to send them back for repair.

Read Best Reviews of Moultrie D55-IR Game Spy 5 Megapixel Digital Infrared Game Camera (Camo) Here

This item was purchased brand new and didn't work right from the box. The directions were followed too the letter with no results. The company's customer service is non-existent. Attempted 7 phone calls and was put on hold each time for up to 40 minutes. Attempted several emails using their website with no response or results. The warranty is equally worthless because you have to contact their customer service department for their reimbursement procedures. My advice save your money and purchase another product. Moultrie Gamespy 5 Megapixel Digital Infrared Game Camera

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Bought the camera when something killed my Tom turkey. The critter had drug the carcass to a corner of the orchard and covered it with leaves. I knew it would be back. I set up the camera, it was easy to do, the instructions are easy to understand. No pictures the first night, except close-ups of me positioning the camera. The next night the critter came back, uncovered the carcass and had a feast. But not one picture!

I spent an hour during the next day trying to figure it out. Found out it has a detection limit of about 15 feet (does not mention that in the instructions). I had it set up about 25' from the carcass. The package says a 50' flash, big deal if it does not sense movement beyond 15'!!!

I will fool around with it a bit more but as it stands today I am sorely disappointed. I do not recommend this camera.

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Nikon COOLPIX AW100 16 MP CMOS Waterproof Digital Camera with GPS and Full HD 1080p Video (Black)

I've been looking at waterproof and tough camera for over a year now... and I eventually chose this one!

About me: I'm a techie, over 20 years in photography (started early), played with very many DSLR and compact cameras. I buy best-of-breed and I'm not very brand loyal (SLR I've used/owned include: Leica, Nikon, Pentax, Canon; Compact camera I've used/own: Canon, Panasonic, Olympus, and now Nikon).

I did a lot of research (including Canon, Pentax, Olympus) and eventually narrowed down to: Panasonic TS3 (aka FT3 in Europe), Nikon AW100, Sony TX10

** Sony TX10 I love its image sensor, its rugged yet sleek ultra compactness. Unfortunately the lack of GPS killed it. For an all-weather sports camera, you expect to travel everywhere and often in areas you find difficult to mark on Google Maps.

** Panasonic TS3 vs Nikon AW100 There are many forum that compare the specs of these two cameras so I won't bore you. Both have great specs for a rugged compact; and both have similar setbacks (e.g. no RAW or manual controls, but don't forget they are not suppose to be high-end compact cameras)

Panasonic TS3/FT3 is one of my final 2 because:

1. Panasonic makes exceptional compact cameras (well-designed, and they're heavily invested in compact cameras, including their m4/3).

Nikon's compacts are hit or miss, and more miss actually, when compared to Panasonic or Canon seems lagging behind.

2. Panasonic's TS3 is the third generation of rugged compacts... so Panasonic must have refined it and nailed everything.

Nikon has no rugged compacts and AW100 is the first risky!

3. Panasonic seems to produce very good underwater images (e.g. fishes, corals) seem more natural straight off camera.

Nikon seem to require you to set to underwater mode to ensure it corrects the color hues and color balance.

4. Panasonic has a tough, metal (and seemingly more durable) feel, but that also (unfortunately) makes it heavier!.

Nikon has an aluminum-like faceplate that gives color, but overall seem to be a tough lump of plastic.

Nikon AW100 ultimately won me over because:

I'm a risk-taker, and take the path less traveled (or camera less proven). It's got great specs like the Panny, PLUS some advantages:

1. Lightweight For traveling, hiking, water sports, having a light camera is good. The plastic looks tough and durable.

2. Greater ISO range with ISO 3200 I can take photos in darker situations than with a Panny

3. Screen is larger and higher res 460k instead of Panny's 230k means I an see more and clearer (especially sports can be lots of misses)

4. Image is higher res can be good or bad (I hate large files), but for sports, allows me more flexibility to crop and still retain enough resolution

5. Action button this sounds gimmicky, but it actually works! It serves as a large button for GPS tracking, and changing modes without having to fiddle with buttons

6. Video format I'll save the technie talks, but safe to say, it's Apple-friendly (I use both iMac and PC), high def (1080p) at lower file size.

7. Stereo sound useful in videos where you're filming cyclist/athletes zooming past and creates more realistic feel

Additional bonus that I found very useful in practice as a sports/travel camera:

8. Clock It's clock can synchronize with your location (so don't need to worry about adjusting the clock while traveling internationally

9. GPS it actually works! It can log your route at intervals for period of 6 72 hrs, embed POI info, and select different levels of details

10. VIdeo HS high-frame rate slow motion video are possible with this little camera. Initially, it sounded silly but as a sports and all-weather camera, I can certainly see great uses for this feature.

11. Movie light This gives additional light to dark subject at close distance when its very dark

12. Smile trigger Kids love this... We use this instead of self-timer so that when we take a family photo, the camera detects a smile and clicks it for us.

Don't get me wrong, I'm NOT saying NIKON AW100 is BETTER THAN Panasonic TS3. It's just better for my use (light to carry around in bag or even board shorts, versatile and travels to different country in sea, rain, mud etc). Honestly, I'm just pleasantly surprised Nikon can get so much right this time!

*Added tip: I bought this case and find its a good snug fit Lowepro Dublin 20 Slim Profile Pouches for Cameras and Compact Video Cameras (Black/Bordeaux Red)... I posted some pics here to let you see the fit.

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See the pics yourself. I've uploaded few pics intentionally provided them straight out of camera no photoshop.

* PANORAMA Quick and easy... no cropping/aligning. Just swing your camera slowly (~5sec) from one left to right or vice versa. Auto-stitched.

* SNORKELING Tried "underwater" and auto modes. Both work well. I did some injustice to the camera as I wasn't stable swept by current and the fishes were all over me

* CLOSE-UP See the white flower and aphid closeup. All handheld, Auto mode, Auto flash. You can go as close as about 1cm or closer.

* DYNAMIC RANGE See the pelican photo. Backlight but still some details on the flying birds. Camera is fast/easy. I just picked up the camera and shoot.

Pls click "Was this Helpful Yes/No" so I know whether it helps in your decision making, and if it does, it can help more people. (I'll post updates soon and refine this review I get more use out of it). Good luck!

I have had this camera a few days now and have been very impressed with the tests I've put it through thus far. This camera does everything Nikon says it will and does them all wonderfully.

Overall Build

This is a small camera in your hands which is a good and bad thing. It's great because it means it's easy to slip in your pants or shirt pocket and always keep with you. It weighs little enough that you hardly notice it's there. I see where some people could see this as an issue because the buttons on it are very small in order to have the back LCD as large as possible. It does not feel cheap even though it's made out of plastic and although I don't plan on doing a drop test, I am confident it would survive a drop from chest high.

Picture Quality

With an 8GB SD card I don't see a reason to shoot at any other setting than the highest resolution, so all my playing around with it was done at this setting. The JPEGs that come out look great. The images are sharp, have good color and the auto whitebalance has done an amazing job. The main thing I was worried about was having to do difficult WB corrections after the fact if it wasn't right on with the WB, but so far it has been spot on in full sun shots, shady shots, indoor with incandescent and indoor with fluorescent lights. I honestly think the 16MP is a little overkill, but will keep shooting at full resolution as I don't know when I'll need those extra pixels. Lastly, low light shooting has definitely exceeded my expectations. I thought with a sensor as small as this one there would be lots of noise in the final result but even at the higher ISO levels the pictures are very clear and useable.

Video

I don't really plan on using this for video too much but have tested it out nonetheless. It is very smooth while shooting at 1080p and looks great when run to my TV to view it. The microphones pick up the noises very well and even have a setting that reduces wind noise (I tested by blowing on the microphone while recording). To shoot video you don't have to change modes or anything you just press the red circle button on the back and you're off.

Button Placement/Menu

Everything seems to get in the right place as far as buttons go. Most can be reached with either your right thumb or right index finger while you're holding it up to shoot without adjusting, although if you are a lefty you will need to get used to holding it in your right hand. I also shoot a Nikon d5100 and had no trouble figuring out what everything did without looking at the instruction manual, so if you've used a Nikon in the past few years this should be a breeze. The menu is fairly uncomplicated and not overloaded with useless features. It is quick to get to the setting I want without too many annoying clicks. This is important to me as I had missing shots while I fumble with the buttons.

Vibration Reduction

I tested this out by holding the camera at arms length with one hand while shooting some test shots. Even from the LCD I could tell the image was doing a lot less shaking than my hand was, and was very impressed by the pictures when they came out. This will definitely come in handy on the boat.

Auto-Focus

Having not used a point and shoot in a few year, I was very pleased with how far the autofocus has come. It quickly locks on to an object, highlights the object and will keep it in focus even if you start swinging the camera around. Going from objects ~1 foot away to 30 feet away has been focused quickly and accurately. No complaints here.

Water-Proofness

The main reason I got this camera is so I could take it out with me when I go fishing. This means the first chance I got, I took this camera in a pool to start testing it out. It worked as expected, shooting at the 10 foot deep end of the pool with no problem. The color correction for shooting underwater was also quite effective. After taking some test shots, I put the camera in my pocket for the rest of the time in the pool just to keep it submerged for as long as possible. After a quick towel off out of the pool, it looked good as new. The battery/SD card door has a foolproof way of shutting and remaining watertight so unless I puncture something I'm not worried about water getting in there.

GPS

I have loved the performance of the GPS even when indoors. This is something that will be very useful when I either go fishing or go out in the woods and want to take a picture of something that is in a location I want to come back to. The GPS data is written to the metadata so I can punch it in googlemaps after I get home to see where things were. It also has an electronic compass which is handy for a few reasons and has worked great so far.

Flash

It works and it lights things up. I've sort of grown to love to hate flashes for snapshot while using my dSLR so I try not to use it often. It is significantly better than some of the old point and shoots I've used, so in a pinch I will rely on it.

Battery Life

Don't let the tiny battery fool you it lasts a long time. After the initial charge, I've spent close to an hour just going through all the menus playing with things, testing out the GPS, taking dozens of pictures and videos and reviewing them on the camera after the fact and am still above 50%. I couldn't imagine a situation where I would feel the need to purchase or bring a second battery along unless I was going to be out of civilization for a week or so.

I would highly recommend this camera to anyone who is looking for an outdoor/waterproof camera, or someone who needs a slightly more durable camera due to butterfingers.

I've been nothing but impressed with it so far and will update this review after a few months and a few fishing trips.

Buy Nikon COOLPIX AW100 16 MP CMOS Waterproof Digital Camera with GPS and Full HD 1080p Video (Black) Now

I tend to replace my point-n-shoot about every 3 years. I normally shoot a Nikon D90 but last year upgraded to a D7000.

[UPDATE Feb 2012] The original camera was replaced by Nikon since it failed on the 2nd use in water. This one worked through our Caribbean holiday for 4 full days before it started overheating and would not shut off. It stayed on until the battery drained. Leaving it "sit overnight" and then removing and recharging the battery got it working again, however I could feel the heat the longer it was in use.

The disappointing thing is this camera takes such great photos and now that we got it to work underwater, we know it takes fairly good underwater photos and video. But there's something wrong with either its design or the manufactured batch that we received. Had it too long to return to Amazon for a refund, so I'm probably going to send it a 2nd time back to Nikon. Note their repair service is great, but you have to be proactive and follow up or your repair/replacement will just sit there until you call them and ask for a status update. Once I did that after two weeks of hearing nothing and no status changes they said they'd check and the replacement was shipped out the next day.

[/end-update]

I took it to the Bahamas in order to test out the underwater capabilities. I also took along the D90 for "good" photos. After some fumbling with the crappy menu system, (its just me) I found that the AW100 photos were at least as good as the D90. The default color settings were wonderful. The video was better than expected above water, and much better than the Kodak PlaySport below water. The still photos (above water) were so good in fact, that I left the D90 in the hotel room safe for the rest of the trip.

It has a 16Megapixel sensor that is back-wired. This moves the connections to the rear of the sensor which supposedly gives less noise and lower-light sensitivity. My testing at night showed this to be true for me.

The bad things about it: The buttons are VERY touchy, the "use it in the snow with big gloves on" feature is a bit goofy, but then I haven't used it in the snow.

The battery life is no where near as good a any CANON point and shoot I've owned, but with the GPS off it was acceptable.

Speaking of the GPS, what a cool features. Not only do you geo-tag your photos, after you take a picture, it shows you the POI (point of interest) aka, the name of your location right on the screen. Not sure how that translates into the photo's meta data yet, but hopeful it will.

All-in-all I really don't care for the menu structure which is rather limited and requires that you be in a specific MODE in order to change a setting. This is just silly IMHO.

But the photo and video quality is about the best I've seen to date. So if you're looking for a simply camera, keep looking, but if you're reasonably comfortable fumbling with context menus, this may be the best imaging camera on the market today.

[UPDATE]

People are asking why "3 stars"? Because the controls are VERY touchy. While the camera image quality is beyond what I would ever have expected, the controls are difficult to use because they are so sensitive. Making use annoying.

WATER PROOFING FAILED: On my second trip to the Bahamas with the camera this month, it failed as soon as I hit the water. It was working fine for the two months that I've owned it, and was even working on the Beach. But then when I went into the water, it worked for a few minutes and then DEAD... Since it is more than 30 days old, I am sending to Nikon Service for repairs. If it comes back fine, I won't post again, but it something happens, I'll update this review again. With the U.S. holiday coming up and the timing of it being returned, I really don't expect to see it for at least 3 weeks.

Read Best Reviews of Nikon COOLPIX AW100 16 MP CMOS Waterproof Digital Camera with GPS and Full HD 1080p Video (Black) Here

Picked this camera up at the Maui Costco for a family snorkeling vacation on the way to the beach from the airport. This camera replaced my aging Sony T7 and it's water proof case. I liked that it had built in GPS and that I wouldn't need to use my Eye-Fi card to add geo-tags to my photos.

Much to my dismay the quick reference guide makes no mention of how to turn on the GPS (off by default). It only refers to the reference manual on CD (who carries a laptop with CD drive when travelling anymore?). I finally found it here on page 85:

Here are the steps for anyone googling how to turn on GPS on their Nikon CoolPix AW100:

turn on your AW100 camera (push the small rectangle button at top of camera)

push the GPS/Action large rectangle button on the left side of the camera (screen should show a world map)

push the MENU rocker button on the lower right corner of the camera (bottom right from the screen)

you should see the choice for GPS options. Use the OK button to turn it on (off by default).

you can then turn on "Record GPS data" to add the GPS data coordinates to your JPEG images.

while you are here you should also have your camera sync time/date stamp with the GPS satelitte (you have do to this everytime you change time zones).

Important note: The GPS data is added to your JPEG image file as EXIF data (date photo taken, camera model, camera settings, etc) so if you post these photos online the GPS data can be revealed something to be careful of when posting photos publicly from places you may not want people to know about (like your home's location).

Now when you press the GPS button on the side of the camera you will see markers wherever the photos have been taken. This setting only works for new photos you take, it can't be added retroactively to previously taken photos. GPS data is only stored on photos where the camera was actually able to see 3 or more satellites. All of my underwater photos did NOT have GPS info added to them, so be sure to take a few surface shots to get your location recorded for future reference (ie favorite dive spot).

I've posted a few snorkeling photos so you can see the image quality underwater as well as read the GPS info from where the above water boat photo was taken in Maui.

Couple of notes on product improvements: Although the strap says it is to be removed for use in water it holds up fine. Make sure you soak camera for 10 minutes in fresh water after use in the ocean to remove the corrosive ability of salt water. Would be nice if Nikon included a float with the camera or at least a bright colored water proof strap so you can find it after it sinks to the ocean bottom. be sure to move camera slowly in water and never spray water on the camera both cause increased water pressure which can exceed the 10m pressure it was designed to resist.

Software like Apple iPhoto and Google Picasa can display your JPEG GPS info along with the image. If this review helped you setup your GPS please vote for it to help others find it.

Want Nikon COOLPIX AW100 16 MP CMOS Waterproof Digital Camera with GPS and Full HD 1080p Video (Black) Discount?

First, a few things to know before you buy, since Nikon doesn't tell you these things until you get your owner's manual:

Regardless of the size of memory card, single videos are limited to 4 GB of space (The manual says about 35 mins at the highest quality setting; the camera itself usually says 28 minutes. I haven't come close yet to maxing that out, so I don't know which is more accurate).

The user manual indicates that the waterproof packing in the camera may deteriorate after a year, so it is recommended that you have it serviced yearly to replace the waterproofing (at your expense).

The camera strap is supposed to be removed for underwater use. So be prepared to hold on tight, or buy your own waterproof strap!

Speaking of waterproof, the camera seems to live up to its billing as such. I tested mine in perhaps the dumbest way ever: I set it down on the wet sand in the surf zone at a local beach, held on tight and let an incoming wave surge over the camera. The video turned out very cool, but I had a huge, tedious cleanup job on my hand. The sand churned up by the wave worked into every crevice on the camera. Nothing got inside (the battery and SD card were clean and dry), but every button was jammed with fine grains of sand that had to be laboriously worked out. Worst was the wheel to open the battery door. It still scrapes a bit weeks later. Bottom line, I would seriously not recommend performing this test yourself. Just take my word for it, it doesn't leak. Using it underwater is fine, but you'll want to minimize the exposure to sand.

Battery life: Good but not great. At Disneyland, I started the day with a fully-charged battery and by that night it was depleted to the point where the camera shut down. I did have the GPS and compass turned on most of the time the camera was on, and did lots of chimping and deleting of photos. I left the power-off setting at the default of 5 minutes. All in all I shot 65 photos and eight videos, the longest of which was 2 minutes and 48 seconds. You will want to buy a second battery for multi-day trips or if you plan to shoot all day with GPS enabled. Battery life with GPS off seems pretty good.

Still image quality: Decent to good, but not great. It is a point-and-shoot, after all. The camera performed better than I expected in low light, but I wasn't expecting a lot. I should note that it's been about five years since I last used a point-and-shoot, and my reference point for image quality is a Nikon D700 SLR. I would say the image quality is about the same or a little better than the Canon Powershot A540 that was my last point-and-shoot. The camera does tend to overexpose, so I've taken to shooting at -0.3 or -0.7 exposure compensation.

Video quality: Good. I shot on the top quality setting, and the video looks smooth and sharp on my 47" HDTV. Like most small video cameras, every sound you make, including pressing the zoom and other buttons, will be recorded.

Performance: Vibration reduction and autofocus work very well and there's virtually no perceptible shutter lag. I am very impressed by the Subject Tracking AF area mode. It follows the subject better than the 3D tracking on my D700.

Recording formats: JPG only for photos (no RAW); MOV for video (Quicktime).

Features: If you want a lot of control over your settings, this is not the camera for you. You can turn off the flash and autofocus assist, and you can adjust exposure compensation. But you can't manually dial in your own shutter speed or aperture, and there is no bracketing, although the camera does have an HDR scene setting (an option on the Backlit setting). I tried the HDR setting and it does make a notable difference in dynamic range. You will need a tripod or somewhere stable to set the camera for best HDR results; handheld, you'll get blurring. In Auto mode (which ironically gives the most control over settings) you can select white balance, continuous shooting modes, ISO sensitivity, autofocus area and autofocus mode.

Additional observations: One omission that would be really nice to have is a histogram. Since you're forced to shoot jpg, it would be nice to be able to assess the exposure with a histogram. Mine does tend to blow out a lot of highlights and I've taken to knocking down the exposure compensation to -.3 or -.7

Bottom line: A decent point-and-shoot. Buy an extra battery if you shoot a lot.

If you have any questions I didn't answer, feel free to leave a comment and I'll respond.

UPDATE: Interestingly, another AW100 user pointed out to me that the best image quality appears to come not at the full 16MP size, but 12MP. I've started shooting at 12MP and found it to be at least as good as the 16mp setting. I've also experimented with a lens hood and filters with good results. The hood and filters can be attached using the filter holder included with the camera. The holder takes 40.5mm filters. If you stack filters or use the hood and filters together, you will get some vignetting. Zooming in a bit (to approximately the 35mm film equivalent of a 36mm field of view) eliminates that. The hood I bought is the EzFoto 40.5mm Wide Angle Metal Lens Hood Shade for Leica, Contax Zeiss, Voigtlander and other Lenses. I also picked up a Hoya filter kit with UV, ND and circular polarizer filter, and Nikon's LC-N40.5 lens cap, which works with the filters (but not with the hood, which needs a 58mm lens cap). The polarizer is very handy and helps curb the camera's tendency to blow highlights. Filters and particularly the hood do make the camera a little bulkier. I leave the filter holder and polarizer on the camera with a lens cap, and carry the hood in my pocket for the times when it's necessary. I've uploaded photos of the camera with the filter holder and hood. I highly recommend at least getting a polarizer if you do a lot of outdoor shooting.

Sanyo VPC-CG65 6MP MPEG-4 Flash Memory Digital Camcorder (Silver)

I've been reasonably impressed with Sanyo's offerings in terms of digital cameras in the past and have used the predecessors to the CG6, including the HD1 and VPC-C6. Both cameras are reasonable, but were absolutely hopeless in low light conditions (ISO400), the CG6 has an ISO of 1600 (finally) giving one of Sanyo's offering standard low light capabilities on par with the other high quality cameras, meaning I could video most of my more embarrassing pub crawls, but not my night club adventures.

The mic (built into the screen) is surprisingly sensitive, especially to sounds emanating close by, but very resistant to wind and background noise including tapping or brushing of the mic.

The video quality is 640x480 and is in MP4 format (quicktime) which is comparable in quality to the latest iTunes movie downloads of the same resolution, though you can adjust it to be of lower quality. The photos are 6 megapixels which speaks for itself.

PC or Mac Connection is done by a standard USB cable which also doubles as a charger. Battery life also seems reasonable as does the charge time, but having never filmed for more than an hour without a recharge I would be cautious on long trips.

Despite a few minor drawbacks I would highly recommend this camera, it's reasonably durable and fits easily in ones pocket or a generic soft compact camera case. Personally I take it everywhere, I like to start filming and then pass the camera among friends for a few minutes, after a short while people forget it's there, after which you're left with a multiple perspective view of the previous night, very much worth the high price.

My only complaints would be that:

1.) It does not take rapid photographs like the Canon range can, nor can it take photographs one after another in rapid succession.

2.) No built-in lens cap, (there is a removable one that comes in the box).

3.) Slight noise with still pictures (vastly improved over previous models, but slightly more noticeable than with other brands).

4.) Awkward to stand upright on a surface, but possible.

5.) Little warning before the battery runs out.

I've been extremely happy with the new Sanyo VPC-CG65 since I bought it. I first saw the VPC-CG6 (younger brother) at Walmart and instantly loved the small form factor. After doing a bit of research I found the CG65 with is identical except for the H.264 mpeg codec being built-in. I'm an Apple fan and so I knew I wanted that feature! :)

The camera is great, small, fast, handles the large sd cards perfectly. I plan on putting it to great use in a few weeks during summer vacation. So far, the videos I've shot with this camera are terrific. Close-up's and details are crisp and clear. The auto-focus is dead-on for the most part. I have no complaints as far as that goes. I carry the thing around daily in my pocket..something I couldn't do with a camcorder.

I know most photo camera's can record video..but this is more of a video camcorder that can take pictures. I like the feature that allows you to snap a picture while in the middle of recording a video, but I wasn't crazy about how it paused momentarily. Could have been related to my card speed (it's not a fast sd card) but the feature still worked.

I'd recommend getting additional batteries if using this for extended periods of time. But I'd recommend that for any camera. You can never have too much power.

As far as cons go, the one time I used the camera for about an hour to record my brother-in-laws wedding, I noticed the camera got kinda warm. I hadn't noticed that to be the norm, but I was doing a lot of recording that day. And it could have been related to the battery too since I ran it down to empty. That was of course before buying the extra batteries. See above.

I haven't played with many of the built-in features yet other than white balance and video quality. I prefer recording everything on the SHQ (Super High Quality) setting but it does record at a pretty high bitrate. I also own an Apple TV and when I try playing the videos in their SHQ format on Atv it has trouble with that. No fault of the camera..I just think the Atv is a bit underpowered for the high bitrate. Regular HQ recording play well on Atv though. I still record at the higher setting so that I have more details when I go to do editing on the iBook. I can always lower the bandwidth during export so it's not an issue to be concerned with. I don't think anyone can shoot a video professionally in one take and so the chances of needing to put un-edited SHQ footage on the Atv is unlikely.

As I stated in the headline, I'd recommend spending the extra few bucks to get the H.264 codec built in. It's a matter of personal preference but it does save space and it's quickly becoming an industry standard.

After vacation I'll repost with any changes to my opinion, but as it stands now, I'm happy with my purchase.

Buy Sanyo VPC-CG65 6MP MPEG-4 Flash Memory Digital Camcorder (Silver) Now

I'm quite impressed, especially with the quality of stills. And there are many photo and video settings that can be changed.

After using the camera for a few hours, I need to work out how to hold it. I have average sized hands and firmly holding the camera is tricky, especially when it's time to push the still or video button. I handled the HD2 and it fits better in my hand, but doesn't fit my wallet.

The flash is weak and is only effective within 6 feet, but that's what I expect from such a small flash.

The menu system is very intuitive and easy to navigate. I especially like the ability to assign menu functions to the joystick, that's a great idea. I assigned AF lock, ISO, Flash and Focus to the joystick for quick access.

I'm a stickler for image quality (acknowledging the obvious limitations of this camera), so everything is set to the highest quality. The video is better than Hi8, but definately not DVD quality.

I purchased two 2GB Kingston 50x Elite Pro cards, one card came with a free reader. Why didn't I purchase a 4 or 8 SDHC card? I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket if that basket might be lost or corrupted during a one-time event. Also, a spare battery is a must-have.

I've been reading the forums on this camera, and I looked at lots of sample clips, so I know the limitations of the Xacti, but in the end, the portability trumps video quality. I would feel self-conscious every time I whipped out my old camcorder, but with the CG65 it's small enough to be inconspicuous and I can shoot more candid videos.

After all, what's the point of having a camcorder if you dread lugging it around? The CG65 can't match the video quality of a dedicated digital camcorder, but you'll shoot a lot more video...and the stills are excellent.

Read Best Reviews of Sanyo VPC-CG65 6MP MPEG-4 Flash Memory Digital Camcorder (Silver) Here

I should preface what follows with the statement that I bought this to replace an "ancient" miniDV camcorder the original Canon ZR, which has less than stellar autofocus and low-light performance. Even so, I enjoyed using it thoroughly, but was getting tired of the weight and, more importantly, the hassle of downloading from tapes to my computer. Even with Firewire, a thankless and time consuming task.

So tapes were out, and I don't trust hard drives, so HDD was out too. That left the Sanyo and assorted DVR camcorders. No doubt there are many wonderful DVR camcorders, and it is quite likely that the better ones take better movies, but I wasn't going to get something that needed me to buy expensive additinal media with a 20 minute recording time.

I absolutely am stunned with the quality of this hybrid camera. It takes movies that look better than my old miniDV camcorder, blows away digital still camera movie modes, and the picture quality compares favorably to other mid-entry level digital compacts.

The absolute truth behind any great video or photo is this: you better have your camera with you. And this camera makes you want to bring it everywhere. Since I bought it, it hasn't left my side, and I've captured more video of my child in the last week than I have in the last several years, just because the camera is always there.

Sure it could be improved, but Sanyo did a pretty good job. The flash positioning is a bit odd off to the side, but I haven't noticed any vignetting, and the flash isn't as weak as the size would indicate. I suspect that was done to avoid errant fingers covering it during operation, as it IS pretty easy to get so engrossed that you don't notice until a couple seconds in that your finger has strayed to the top of the lens.

The menu system is clear and intuitive, and unlike some reviewers in other forums, I found it easy and logical to use. The screen is good and the overall feeling of the unit is solid, considering the price point. The battery life is not stellar, but not bad either pretty much what one would expect from the size and capacity. I was able to squeeze about an hour from it, much of it reviewing and taking flash pictures as well as making movies.

The shake reduction feature I can't say much about it. I have rock steady hands, and haven't noticed more than normal amounts of camera movement.

The niggles: in low light, focusing becomes frustrating, if it works at all. Yes, there's a work around by simply setting up manual focusing using a distance based scale ( it works! ), but an AFassist light would have been tremendously welcomed.

The case, while undeniably "sexy" and svelte, could have done with some rubberization. Put the strap on RIGHT AWAY when this arrives, and don't handle the camera without it, lest it slip.

To sum up: if this keeps working as it is now, I'll be blissfully happy for a long time. I highly recommend this for the family snapshooter to whom portability, value, and simple the fun factor are important.

UPDATE: I can't figure out how to lower the starred rating, or I would. I've now owned two of these and ended up returning them both. I took the first one on vacation with me, and while it performed brilliantly function-wise and was a kick to use, almost every video I took had a rectangular ghost image floating in the lower left quadrant of the screen. It was particularly noticeable when zooming in.

I searched user forums and found very little information, so I hoped I had simply gotten a bad unit.

Enter the replacement unit same model same problem, but in an even worse location top of center. To be fair, it only shows up when shooting with bright light outdoors ( not even into sun, it shows up when you are facing away from the sun or it is overcast ) , but isn't that exactly what you'd buy a camcorder for??? So, back #2 went, too. I noticed that both cameras also have a really bad flare problem which is exacerbated by the absence of a lens hood and the relative proximity of the lens to the front of the camera body.

I really wished I could have lived with it, but I really don't want to have my videos ruined by ghostlike gray rectangles in nearly every clip. Sanyo, get with the program already and fix that.

Want Sanyo VPC-CG65 6MP MPEG-4 Flash Memory Digital Camcorder (Silver) Discount?

I must admit that I was skeptical of this camera. It comes in such a small package I was worried that the quality of the photos/video would be low. I have been pleasantly surprized by the quality of both the video and photos. It is really a neat camera and always draws comments. It easily fits in your pocket and is up and running in seconds. My only problem is that with the blessing of its small size is also the problem of having large hands and fingers. Its difficult to figure out a good way to hold the camera. The slick plastic exterior doesn't help (rubberized padding or grips would help). I find it difficult to use with one hand, which seems silly that you would have to use two hands on such a small, simple camera. All said, I really like the camera, it works as claimed. Quality good. Importing into my Mac, super easy and quick. I just wish it was easier to hold. People with large hands and big fingers may want to keep looking.

Nikon D800 36.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

I know that the D800 is not really the replacement model over the D700. Nevertheless, it did replace my old D700 and the D800 is, I believe, better suited for my photographic needs than the D700, i.e., studio, portraits, and landscape.

The D700 was and still is an outstanding DSLR. The D800 is of course better, but in a very perceptible way, which was quite a surprise to me.

I have done over 5000 shots since my purchase on 24 March. So far, no issues to report: no green cast from the LCD and no problems with the CLS system.

Nikon has really outperformed with this new DSLR and the clear improvements are:

Much improved Dynamic Range, which was my main problem since my first DSLR

Better colors straight off the camera: deeper and richer

Better AF in low light ***UPDATE*** After comparing with older Nikon DSLRs, this improvement is minor and only perceptible on cross-type AF points.

Highly detailed photographs at full res, 100% magnification and also when down-scaling the photos.

Let's not forget a proper and useable HD video feature at broadcasting quality. ***UPDATE*** Perhaps not broadcasting quality, but close enough.

On the negative side (there has to be some):

The zoom in and zoom out buttons are reversed from the old models, which is now more logical, but I am used to the old wrong way! it's a minor problem of course.

D4 has backlit buttons, why not on the D800? This can't be that expensive to include.

Very expensive Battery pack, this is a major drawback for me. But yes, the D800 is well priced at $3000. I just hate ridiculously priced accessories.

still wonder the point of having 1 CF slot and 1 SD slot. 2 CF slots would have been superb. But I guess if you come from a SD card DSLR, that would be practical for you.

Left AF points can suffer from front/back focusing issues on wide angle lenses, but this can be fixed at a Nikon repair center under warranty ***UPDATE***

One crucial point that has to be considered when acquiring a 36MP DSLR: storage will be an issue. I just purchased a 4TB ext hard drive. A 14-bit RAW file (uncompressed) coming from the D800 will average 75MB.

I just shot a wedding, and I consider the D800 to be an excellent choice for the job. All the complains about shots being more blurry at 100% magnification are irrelevant. One has to be precise with his/her settings, at the right exposure and optimal shutter speed, results can be absolutely mind-blowing. And since most won't need 36MP for wedding photographs, down-scaling images will certainly eliminate slight camera-shake or noise.

One particular aspect that I appreciate is that my Nikkor 85mm f/1.4G is now tack-sharp at f/1.4. I had a front focusing issue with my old D700 even with the fine-tune option set to max. Since I'm no techie geek, I still don't understand why the D700 gave me problems with the 85mm.

Anyway, I used to be one of those people saying that digital photography will never replace film photography. The D800 has changed all that.

********* Update 04/15/2013 *********

My update is geared toward event shooters, for still-life and landscape shooters, my original review stands.

After a year of ownership with two bodies, here are my final thoughts:

This is the best landscape or studio DSLR in the market. Other than not having Custom User Settings (U1, U2) like the D600, D7000, and top-tier Canon DSLRs, this camera has great ergonomics with tons of highly customizable buttons to control the most used functions.

For wedding, amateur sports, or anything that requires accurate, consistent autofocus (AF) look elsewhere. I have had both bodies and a replacement body (serial 3041XXX) "fixed" by Nikon and they feel the latest fixes are good enough. Good enough, I did not invest $18,000 in to a system for good enough!

Without getting into the whole Left Side AF saga, which is readily available on other reviews and websites, the AF is horribly inconsistent even with the latest firmware (A: 1.01/B:1.02) using the center AF sensor with AF-S. Worse even is the AF-C, if shooting a person walking towards the camera at a slow to medium pace in the F/1.4-2.0 range, expect 1 out of 10 perfectly focused, 2 acceptable, and 7 throwaways. I took a huge financial hit switching to Canon (selling used, buying new), however, my two Canon 5DMK3s get 5 perfectly focused, 4 acceptable, and about 1 throwaway running the same test of a person walking towards the camera.

Ergonomically speaking, Nikon did many things better than Canon. Spot metering is based on AF point, AF points viewable in dark scenes, more direct buttons, intelligent Auto ISO, non-finicky AF selector, Flash options (HSS, Rear Curtain Sync, etc.) are quickly accessible with button on camera, able to select full stop exposure increments, and many more. Overall less menu digging, and obviously Nikon's megapixel advantage is nice for cropping, although 12 MP is more than enough for 99.5% of printing, it is nice being able to crop heavily in post. I really wanted this camera to work, in fact my cameras made over ten trips to Nikon service centers in CA and NY, and they never got them to work, their CS is beyond atrocious and their technicians are incompetent.

The Canon's sensor seems like 2008 tech, but as I mentioned the AF performance is superior. I would rather have a focused image taken by an average sensor, than a blurred image taken by a sensor with all the dynamic range and megapixels in the world. Average in today's terms is still amazing, I just have to be more careful and ensure accurate exposure.

BOTTOM LINE:

If you are a photographer that uses Zeiss lenses for landscape, or only use the center AF in the aperture range of F/5.6-11 and then recompose while in a controlled setting, this camera will amaze you. However, if you shoot wide open with fast primes and not getting the "shot" puts yourself or company at risk, look into another camera (i.e. D4, D3s, Canon 1 Series, 5D MK3).

I am a full-time wedding photographer, if my livelihood did not depend on camera equipment, I would have stayed with Nikon because of its superior user interface. However, in my line of work there are no do-overs, thus the Nikon advantages gave way to its faults, and after struggling with Nikon's abysmal QC and CS, I could not reward them by buying two D4's.

********* ********* ********* *********

...

See that my purchase is verified by Amazon. Below are my observations after one month of ownership.

Pros:

+ Resolution: With the right lenses and on the right settings the detail is astonishing.

+ Dynamic Range: Incredible, when shooting in lower ISO's it is near impossible to ruin a photo. Search the internet "fred miranda d800 review Yosemite" to see real life comparisons.

+ Color: Adobe profiles in LR and ACR are horrible, create custom profiles using a X-Rite ColorChecker Passport Software and then tweak it with Adobe DNG profiler for better colors.

+ AutoWB: Works well in about 70% of lighting scenarios, somewhat better than the D3/D700. *** See Tip Below ***

+ Low ISO: Having a true 100 ISO is godsend for on-location lighting setups.

+ High ISO: The D800 and LR4 do an excellent job in controlling noise. Using PS plugins a properly exposed image can print acceptable 6x9's at 12800 ISO (max for D3/D700's is 6400).

+ Tonality: With a good camera profile in LR4, the tonal range rivals Fujifilm 400H Film. This is incredibly useful on portraits with 4-1 or greater lighting ratios. Posterization in the shadows (DSLRs Achilles' heel) is only noticeable on highly manipulated images.

+ Handling: The auto ISO is easy to engage and the new position of the ISO button is more intuitive when looking through the viewfinder than on the D700. Like the D700, the D800 is extremely customizable.

Neutral:

~ Handling: I prefer the AF switches of the D700. The magnification + are opposite from the D700, a small irritation.

~ Exposure: Better than D3/D700, but far from perfect. Contrary to Nikon's literature, it struggles with backlit scenes.

~ Frames per second: I rarely shoot in continuous, and when I do, I have my D3/D700 set to CL (continuous low-speed) of 2 FPS.

~ Battery Performance: It can get me through a full day's shoot if I avoid extensive LiveView or WiFi use, otherwise I need to use a backup battery.

~ Autofocus: The AF is very similar to the D3/D700, good but could have been better.

Cons:

Software: Nikon software can produce excellent results, but it is clunky and slow.

Handling: The mode selector button is awkwardly placed. I prefer the D7000 U1/U2 style custom banks.

JPEG: Lacking when compared to Olympus, Panasonic, and Canon. ALWAYS SHOOT RAW!

Autofocus: 1.) All 51 points are still too centrally located 2.) No increase in cross-type sensors over the D3/D700 3.) All the cross-type AF sensors are in the middle. 4.) Like the D3/700, the outer sensors are near useless in low lit, low contrast situations.

LiveView: There is a well reported bug when using LiveView at 100% viewing, although I am still able to focus, I heard that is a deal-breaker for many landscape shooters. I have no idea how people survived 100 years of film or shoot $20k+ Hasselblad's.

*** TIP *** Remove the dreaded Nikon green cast by shifting the WB Fine-Tune (pg. 149) 1 or 2 points toward Magenta on each (AutoWB, Custom, Shade, Daylight, etc..) WB setting and get much better results short of using a QP Card 202/203 or X-Rite Passport for every scene change.

Summary:

Using proper technique, the images this camera produces are superior to any camera I ever shot. Would I jump systems for this camera? If I owned a large collection of top-tier gear, NO! Otherwise, I would consider it if I was not too invested. Does it equal or better Medium Format? There are differences in perspective, defraction limits, DOF, FOV, and CANNOT BE COMPARED.

Having shot Canon (AE-1, 630, A2, Elan II, 20D, 40D, 5D mkI & mkII, 1D's), Nikon (FM, F4, F100, D200, D300s, D7000, D700, D800, D3), Fuji (S3, S5), Mamiya (645, RB67), and Hasselblad (H4D-40), I know that they are excellent tools that are capable of creating amazing images. Pick the one that best fits your needs and go out and shoot.

Buy Nikon D800 36.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Now

I'm a Sony shooter with only a few lenses. I use to shoot Canon during the film days. I tested both the Canon 5D mkIII and the Nikon D800 and here are my results. I tested a 5DmkIII with a 24-70 f2.8 lens and a Nikon D800 (not D800e) with a 24-70 f2.8 lens.

High ISO:

About the same, except D800 has a lot more detail to work with. In Lightroom, I can save a higher percentage of ISO 6400 shots because the D800 has more detail. Canon seems cleaner initially in Lightroom but when the picture fits into a 24" 1920x1080 monitor or a 64" Samsung plasma TV, the Nikon looks a tad cleaner, noise less noticeable. I think the Canon looks cleaner in Lightroom because it is just a smaller picture. But displaying ISO 6400 shots on a monitor or TV, Nikon looks nicer in general. Both cameras at ISO 12,800 look awful and not recoverable in Lightroom. It might look acceptable as a really small pic but why the heck would you buy an expensive camera to display crappy looking pictures?

Frames per second:

Easy winner. Canon can shoot 6 FPS, Nikon 4 FPS. However, in practice I think 4 FPS is pretty good. None of these cameras are really Olympic style sports cameras.

Resolution:

Easy winner. Nikon's RAW files are more detailed, almost 3D like. I can't really explain it other than the pictures look more real. I can crop a photo to 1/3 it's size (12 megapixels) and it still looks stunning. I wonder how much better the D800e version is. I'll have to wait until my friend receives his to find out.

JPEG:

Easy winner. Out of the camera, the Canon JPEGs are phenomenal. The processing done is quite remarkable.

RAW:

Easy winner. If you shoot RAW, Nikon is it. Also there is an issue with the Canon with the color red. I think the color is overblown at times because all the details are loss and not recoverable in Lightroom. Not always but it has happened at least twice. The same photo on the Nikon kept all the details.

Autofocus:

About the same. Canon and Nikon have awesomely quick autofocus and I couldn't determine a difference. The only caveat is that Nikon focuses better in lowlight (without the autofocus assist lamp) and also the Nikon focuses when there is almost no light (with the autofocus assist lamp). Why the heck doesn't Canon include an autofocus assist lamp is beyond me. Also, Nikon's face detection is extremely useful because it focuses right on the eyeballs.

Flash:

Easy winner. Canon doesn't have built in flash. Nikon flash worked surprisingly well.

Dynamic Range:

Easy winner. Nikon knocked it out of the park. I got a lot less blown highlights with shots with white clothing and more realistic blue skys. Also, there is a lot more headroom on both the highlights and shadows on the Nikon when editing in Lightroom. How did Nikon have better shadows and highlights! They have to share some of that technology!

Video:

Suprisingly about the same. I would have thought that Canon's lead in video would maintain. Surprisingly, the Nikon's video was just as awesome as the Canon. Nikon's video has a bit more detail and is definitely a little sharper than the Canon. I didn't test Nikon's uncompressed HDMI out, although it seems to be a useful feature (this is like RAW HDMI output for video). Canon should adopt uncompressed HDMI out also.

Price:

Easy winner. Why anyone (who doesn't already have Nikon or Canon lenses) would buy this Canon for $500 more than the Nikon would need to think twice. I can see why the Nikon is selling so much better than the Canon, at least on Amazon.

Comfort:

Both about the same weight. Both feel nice in the hand. Canon possibly slightly more comfortable if you have bigger hands. Nikon maybe more comfortable with smaller hands. Both are fine though.

USB transfer:

Nikon wins with USB 3.0. Skipping the card reader altogether by just plugging in the camera to the computer is convenient. Also the transfer speed is much much faster than Canon's older USB 2.0. This saves a lot of time.

LCD Screen:

Canon has slightly better screen in direct sunlight (LCD facing up towards the sun). Nikon is better when the LCD is not directly facing the sun. Nikon's screen is crisper and more 3D like.

Weatherproofing:

My last day of shooting was in a light mist/drizzle. I was shooting both cameras again for about 20 minutes when the Canon 5D mkIII developed some fogging inside the viewfinder screen. I could not wipe it away as it seemed to be inside the camera. I could no longer take pictures normally without live view. Nikon didn't have this problem and I continued to shoot the rest of the day with the Nikon in the same wet conditions without issue. I had planned to shoot at least 2 weeks with both cameras so this was definitely a bummer.

Lenses:

Both Canon and Nikon's 24-70 2.8 lenses are great. I would say the Canon 24-70 2.8 is just a tad faster on focus. Nikon is slightly sharper in the corners. Both Nikon and Canon seem to have a very comparable lens assortment (although my wallet won't be happy buying so many new lenses!)

Well, after using both cameras for about a week, I kept the Nikon D800 and returned my (possibly water damaged) Canon 5D mkIII. Both are phenomenal cameras but D800 has definitely outclassed the 5D mkIII in this round. Maybe Canon will come back strong with its next version. It definitely has some catching up to do.

Thanks for reading my review and I'll also post this on the Nikon D800 and Canon 5D mkIII review page. Best of luck to all you photogs and enjoy these phenomenal cameras!

Read Best Reviews of Nikon D800 36.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Here

I have used the D700 bodies extensively over the past two years and I've grown accustomed to them like my own hands. The D700 has been hands down the best DSLR I've used during its time. I shoot weddings professionally and I almost always carry two D700 bodies on me and thus weight quickly adds up when you carry the 2 bodies along with lenses and flashes, which makes it nearly impossible for me to use the D3/D4 series. The D700 has been a blessing with the right balance of nearly everything.

How quickly has time gone by and now the D700 is giving way to the D800. Some say that the D800 isn't exactly the successor to the D700 and after the initial tests of my own, I tend to agree.

By now I'm sure you have seen countless reviews of this camera so I'm not going to bother telling you what's so good about it.

Instead, I'll focus on the main differences comparing to the D700.

My initial reactions holding the camera:

The body feels lighter, not by much, but definitely lighter

The grip feels different. Initially I think I still prefer the D700 grip better since the D800 grip feels fatter where your right index finger lies, not exactly a good thing for people with small/medium hands.

There is now an additional video record button near the shutter release button up top which is awesome,

but then that also moved the Mode Button which I often use, and they made the button smaller to make way for the video record button. This will take a little to get used to.

My initial reactions looking through the viewfinder:

The +/indicators are inverted by default (inverted by the usual Nikon standard: + / 0 / )

After a little digging it can be reversed in the Menu

There is now TWO virtual horizon indicators helping you level the camera rotating left/right, and tilting up/down this is absolutely awesome and extremely useful.

My initial handing the camera:

The 8-direction cursor button is more recessed, making it harder to accidentally hit the center button but I feel like the directional arrows are a tad harder to press

They reversed the positions of the (+) and (-) buttons on the left side making it more like the newer DSLRs. I'll be pressing the wrong button for a couple months before I adapt to this.

The focus mode button on the back is now gone, I accidentally pressed that old button on the D700 many times,

In place of it there's now a dedicated Live View button and there's an ambient light sensor next to it,

that sensor allows the camera to control the LCD monitor brightness automatically. It's an excellent implementation and seemingly work very well during my initial testings.

The D700 mode dial on the left had ISO, Qual, and WB; while the D800 now has an addition of BKT (bracketing) button there also. However they put BKT in place of ISO, and now ISO moved towards the back of the camera where there was nothing on the D700. This again, is something that will take time to get used to.

The AF mode toggle is changed to more like the D7000. The D700 has S (static), C (continuous), and M (manual), and this new one is either AF or M. There's a small button on top of the toggle that you hold down to change focus mode you use the command dial and sub command dial to change between AF-S and AF-C; 3D tracking, 9-point, 21-point, 51-point, single point. I'll just have to say it's different. The good: you can see what you're changing through the viewfinder I like especially the "3D" indication when you change into AF-C 3D tracking they used the 51 on the focusing screen to draw out "3D" which makes it very easy to see without having to look at the top LCD panel or digging into the Menu. This is a huge thing 'cause now you can easily change focus mode without taking your eye off the viewfinder and actually see what you're doing as you change focus modes.

I feel like my eye has to aim a little lower as I look through the viewfinder, again something to get used to.

The lock button when not reviewing picture is now dedicated to Picture Control making it much easier to access

The autofocus assist light is very very bright!

My initial findings using the camera:

image quality is amazing

the RAW files are huge... I find myself handing 40-50MB RAW images and my 16GB CF cards are no longer sufficient

LiveView is very easy to use and going into LiveView mode is very responsive.

For some reasons shooting pictures in LiveView keeps the shutter open for 3 seconds even when I'm shooting even 1/50 sec, making it hard to recognize when exactly the camera is shooting. I'm rather confused about whether this is by design or is it actually a bug.

Dual card slot is a nice addition, but I'm not sure if I'll be heavily relying on this or not given the file size is already so big. I may end up getting huge SD cards to have it capture JPG as a form of backup instead of having the SD also store RAW.

16GB cards store roughly 200 RAW pictures from what the camera estimates, ouch. This is based on 14-bit RAW files and lossless compression.

If you're wondering, there isn't a smaller file size for RAW images.

Battery is new, same as the D7000's. Say goodbye to your old EN-EL3e and say hello to EN-EL15.

There's now a Quiet shutter mode, but I find it only slowing down the shutter open/close motion a bit but not exactly very quiet.

Quick notes after using it on the field:

focus speed is on par with D700. I think the AF-C 3D tracking works even more accurately.

viewfinder 100% coverage is very nice, but I noticed the 51 points are closer to the center comparing to the D700. It's a minor annoyance.

The camera estimates 400 shots left on a 32GB card shooting 14-bit compressed RAW, but in reality after shooting 392 and it still estimates another 170 left. My RAW files range from 38MB to 50MB average around 43 to 44 range. I have a feeling they'll tweak the estimation a lil better on the next firmware update.

ISO800 images are very clean, I shot a few at ISO1600 where I normally would have busted out my flash. This is definitely a big step up from the D700.

The dedicated LiveView button is very very nice using LiveView video mode is quick and easy too and it saves a different set of iso/aperture/shutter speed so if you're switching from photo to video and back you wouldn't have to readjust all your settings.

The EN-EL15 batteries lasted me the whole event without a problem just like the EN-EL3e did on my D700 bodies.

LiveView shooting does lag in an annoying as shown in the initial testings. It takes a while for the camera to respond after shooting a LiveView picture.

Final Thoughts:

36MP is HUGE. It may not be for everyone, but then again the D800 along with that kind of resolution at $3,000 definitely has its impact on the DSLR market. Despite the difficulty handling large RAW files, it is generally a welcome additional along with its amazing image quality. Image quality is absolutely stunning DxO Mark rates it at 95 and calls it "A full-frame sensor with no weak points" for a good reason.

if you're wondering if there's different size for RAW, the answer is NO. There is no small medium large RAW RAW is RAW and it's always 36MP.

I hear some complaints about the placement for the video record button. It's a little off from the shutter button so it's not the easiest to reach, but you can also set up the shutter button to record video in LiveView video mode. Nikon definitely have it very well thought out implementing the video feature in the D800.

D700 users will have to take some time to get used to the changes in button placements, but nothing too drastic that might make it a deal killer.

The D800 takes a giant leap into the cinematography world with features that will bring tears to enthusiasts holding out for Nikon. It is overall an amazing camera to use and simply another legendary Nikon in the making. It has taken giant leaps from the D700 but in my opinion a lot of it seems to be towards a slightly different approach. It does feel a little different from what I would call a natural progression from the D700, and thus it does make sense to call it a whole new different product. Until Nikon decides to release a whole new full frame DSLR below the D3/D4 line in direct succession to the D700, the D800 will be the choice of many working professionals including myself for years to come.

Want Nikon D800 36.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Discount?

(There are already many reviews on how this camera compare to the older Nikon D700, it's competitor: Canon 5D Mark III, so I won't reiterate)

About me: Been using SLR for over 20 years... first 10 on film, recent 10 on digital SLR's. I've used Leica, Nikon, Canon SLR's... and I've longed to get the next full-frame (FX) camera after Nikon D700 (without referring it to "D700 replacement"). When the camera was finally announced, it came out like a pair of twins were born. The D800 and D800E are almost identical, and I wasn't sure which baby to choose. If you have the same dilemma, read on...

Many people (myself included) doesn't seemed overly concerned that D800 is $300 cheaper, because many photographers are perfectionists and the hope that D800E offers sharper images makes it really tempting. But after after much research and comparisons, I finally chose D800 (no E). Why??? Here's my rationale:

Eventually, the choice to get D800E instead of D800 hinges on trade-off between

* benefits of greater sharpness, against

* cost or risk of Moire (or unexpected patterns in the pics/video)

Depending on what you shoot:

* portraits, fashion, weddings, architectures, wide range of stuff => Go for D800

* macro, landscape, tripod-mounted shots or those with time to position light/camera/subject => Go for D800E

Moire MAY occur when you shoot repeated patterns, such as:

* fabrics (on clothes)

* glass or windows of buildings

* straight hair of people

Once it happens, it's not easy to remove in photos (despite claims that a few clicks on Adobe Lightroom 4, or Photoshop). It's also more problematic in video, which I'm not sure how it can be corrected.

As such, one camp of people would say they rather have sharper images ALL the time, and risk a small x% of time that they get Moire. That seems fine reason except that to get the sharper images distinguishable between the 800E and the 800, it's ALMOST ALWAYS due to other factors such as:

1. lens (do you have the high quality glass)

2. filter (high quality filter in front of lens?)

3. ISO (if you shoot at high ISO, the noise will eliminate such clarity)

4. f/stop or aperture (depth of field)

5. camera shake (tripod?)

6. how close you examine the photo

To detect the clarity difference between D800 and D800E, according to Nikon, you need to be shooting at 3 stops above max aperture of a great lens (usually f8-f11). Above this range, it negates the benefits of D800E. Furthermore, in order to see the difference, you need to pixel peep, and at the plane of focus.

I typically shoot with wide aperture for the bokeh and rarely are my subjects in the same flat plane

I usually don't look so closely at my photos, so that clarity is good to have but not critical

To detect Moire, you can likely see it with your naked eye if the area is large. It can occur on a person's cloths, or a building or just railing beside your subject.

You can prevent this before you shoot by repositioning the lights, subject or camera. But it's a chore!

You can fix it after you shoot with software. But it requires the shot be on RAW format to be more effective! Also a chore!.

If like me, you don't want to deal with these pre-production and post-production work and just want to enjoy taking great shots of what you see, then I believe D800 is yours to buy. Precious moments are limited and I'd rather spend extra time capturing them than figuring out how to avoid or fix Moire. There are people with patience and care to fix all these, but I'm not one of them... and perhaps by then, another new camera would have been born hopefully not a triplet this time. :)

I've been toying with this new camera and will post additional comments soon...

If this helps you better decide which camera is better for you, let me (and others know) by clicking the "Is this review helpful" below. I'm sure there are other reviewers out there who would give various viewpoint and hopefully this will add a valuable perspective as well.

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Pentax K100D Super 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Shake Reduction (Body Only)

First off I'm an amateur photographer and just started getting back into photography. I started with a digital camera with manual controls, other lenes, etc... and then moved off to a simple point and shoot camera. This is the first SLR type camera that I have owned and the difference is huge between quality of photos and being able to take certain shots ( Arguable, but manual controls and different lenses on SLR do help )

Physical:

The body feels very solid and has a good weight. It doesn't feel like a plastic toy and feels like a very sold build quality. Even the flaps for batteries and SD Memory Card are very well made.

Button placement at first feels odd but once you've learned the menu system and how to use them it works well.

The kit lenses works very well in most situations. The only time you may want to use a different lens is in indoors with poor/dim lighting. It also feels as solid as the camera body and the manual focus/zoom wheels all turn smoothly and stay put when set.

Using the Camera:

At first like most things there is a learning curve but you can be up and taking photos as soon as the batteries are in and putting it on AUTO PICT mode. Before I purchased the camera I had read complaints on how the menu's wording of items was a bit strange, but honestly they are not hard to figure out and it is spelled out in the manual as to what they are. In fact it's easer just to go ahead and click it and see what it does. There are few of these in the menu but everything else is very clear.

Taking photos is easy and similar to any other digital camera. Depending on the mode you are in you can adjust Exposure/Shutter Speed/Aper/ISO/etc...

Another large complaint against the camera is the burst mode only allows you to take no more than 5 JPEGS ( Highest Quality ) or 3 RAW images before slowing down significantly. This is true, however, depending on your needs this may not matter. If you need to be able to take more than 5 shots at a time then you may want to look at another camera. I took a risk and found that it more than meets my needs.l I was able to take multiple shots of pets/bees/etc just fine with 5 high quality photos or 3 RAW images without any problems.

The viewfinder contains information that is listed on the top LCD and can also be viewed on the LCD on the back of the camera. All very easy to read and see once you understand where each item is placed.

Quality of Photos

Excellent. That's it. One exception though is in the AUTO PICT mode. It works well but I found that you get better photos in either the P ( Program Mode ) or by going to SCENE mode and picking out a scene type like pets, sunset, etc...

Other issues

Everything about the camera has far exceeded my expectations and all my photos have very crisp, sharp detail and color. To help shoot indoors I purchased the Pentax 50mm f1.4 lenses which is around $200 at the time of this writing. Excellent lens which makes indoor/low light photography/fast action shots a breeze. It will allow you to take more light in which will allow you to shoot at a faster shutter speed ( The faster the shutter speed -> less light into camera -> darker photo ). I highly recommend purchasing this lens if you plan on doing portraits or indoor photos with low lighting.

Summary:

Pros:

Excellent photos, build quality, easy to use controls, can be used by beginner to advanced. Remember, no matter how great the camera, the person still should know some photography basics like how to set exposure, this will help anyone get great shots from any camera.

Cons:

Burst mode only allows 5 Jpegs or 3 RAW, but may depend on person if this matters.

I grew up using the Pentax K1000 film cameras, so it was natural for me to move up to the Pentax K100D SLR Digital cameras. I bought the K100D Super, and it is truly .... "Super"!!!

Not only does it accept all my old K series lenses from my old film camera (saving me thousands of dollars), but it's easy to use. No sooner do you pull this out of the box do you immediately begin to realize how it works. The settings are intutitive, and photos are professional-grade.

I was considering it's older brother, the K10, but I feel I've made the right choice. The learning curve on the K10 would have been too steep for me. I am halfway between a pro and an amatuer, and this camera suits my skill level perfectly.

This camera makes photography fun again!

Buy Pentax K100D Super 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Shake Reduction (Body Only) Now

If you're an avid photographer (which means you love to take photos) or you're new to digital SLRs and you're ready to make the move to a digital SLR, then the Pentax K100D Super is a top choice.

For those use to operating a typical 35mm film SLR, the switch to digital is fairly easy. I've been a Pentax guy for over 20 years: the old K1000 being one of my favorite standard SLRs, along with the newer ZX50. If you're not use to using a typical SLR and have been using any of the simple point-and-shoot digital cameras out there, don't worry, trust yourself, you can adapt and it can be really exhilarating. Using an SLR, whether 35mm or digital, offers so much more when taking pictures.

You may be one of those who are debating with yourself: Pentax, Canon or Nikon? Then you find yourself reading too many publication reviews (and more, like posts here on Amazon) and you lean one way, then the next, and finally start getting crazy. Pure & simple, all three manufacturers make excellent cameras: including digital SLRs! I think anyone who is involved with photography will agree. However, I've used Canon's & Nikons, and Pentax has always ended up being my #1 choice.

When looking for a camera, I feel your #1 consideration should be: how much photography do you do? If you're like me; a traveler, a hobbyist, and find yourself shooting a lot of photos then you're more apt to invest in a good camera. The #2 consideration is cost. Without a doubt, the Pentax K100D Super results in one of the best Digital SLRs out there for the money; a fact all publication reviews, that I respect, agree on.

Many publication reviews often compare the K100D Super to the Nikon & Cannon, and one of the most consistent factors noted is while Canon & Nikon digitals are sporting 10 megapixels, the K100D Super only has 6.5 megapixel. I say, what ever. The reality is, that 10 megapixels can be a concern if you're trying to print pictures the size of posters, and quite simply most people aren't. The reality is most folks will print normal size photos, and even up to 8.5x11 or slightly larger. The Pentax shoots in RAW & JPEG, the RAW features allows for manipulation, using any descent photo software, to larger sizes photos including 15x17.5

I've used my K100D Super on a recent trip to Point Reyes State Park, here in the Bay Area. I was sure to shoot photos of sand on the beach: personal and really up close to see individual grains of sand. I took photos of the oysters we had, reflections of drift wood on still salt water ponds, a jelly fish (some 30 feet away), the crashing waves, any possible deviation of shots I could think of, and I was purely amazed at the K100D Super's performance & quality! I used both the Auto setting and then played with the other settings.

While there are many great features on the Pentax, and easy read up is available on-line, let me highlight those I would note to support my recommendation:

Cost: This camera is the best value & cost for a camera of this quality. Again, this is stated time and time again in publication & on-line reviews.

Body: The body of the K100D Super is solid! It's a great combination of polycarbonate & stainless steel housing. It's not the cheapo plastic like other cameras.

Anti-shake: This alone, is one serious note to consider. Pentax puts their anti-shake in the camera body, unlike Nikon & Canon who put it in their lenses, thus one reason why Canon & Nikon lens cost more in the long run. Now, seeing the error in their ways, I've read Nikon & Canon are racing like mad dogs to fall in line with Pentax's lead.

Pentax Lenses: Any Pentax lens ever made will work on the K100D Super. This is where Pentax has shined for years. Those of us with older lenses can just pop them right onto the K100D Super's body (in fact, most Pentax SLR cameras allow for this). If you go to a garage sale or flea market and find a great old Pentax lens, it's will fit the K100D Super. And since this is the case, all Pentax lenses benefit from the anti-shake in the camera. Better yet, digital lenses are different than film lenses. Film lenses are superior in many ways to digital lenses. Using an older Pentax film lens on the digital body enhances the quality of the photo, an added benefit to the Pentax crowd.

And, the K100D Super is already set to accept the newest generation of Pentax lenses (SDM lenses) coming out this year.

Dust Removal System: The Pentax has an internal anti-dust shake device that removes any dust that may be present.

Auto/Manual: Auto Picture Mode, Scene Modes & Manual. You can easily go between using the Auto mode of the camera or fall back on your own experience of doing things manually using the AV, TV, Manual and so on.

Memory Card: the K100D Super uses SD Cards, but typical Pentax (thinking ahead), the camera will also accept the newer SDHC cards.

Batteries: There are several batteries the camera can utilize: rechargeable, Lithium & standard AA+. This is a benefit as you're not limited to one manufacturer's battery.

I took this camera out of the box, DID NOT READ ANYTHING LITERALLY, put in the batteries, put in an SD Card, turned it on, set the date, turned it off and walked out the door to Point Reyes. Then, I turned it on and starting shooting pictures. It was that easy (and yes, I plan to read the manual). I wish Amazon let you post photos on a review.

This is a solid pick for me and others. Hope this helps.

Read Best Reviews of Pentax K100D Super 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Shake Reduction (Body Only) Here

This is my first foray into the digital SLR world. I have always had Pentax film cameras (K1000, and ME Super) and have loved their quality. I've read that the new DSLR's use the same lens mount as the 35mm camera body so it made the most sense to stick with Pentax. In retrospect, old lenses don't play well with the new auto settings of the digital camera, and new lenses are designed to work specifically with your digital camera body. If you have an assortment of Pentax compatible lenses it may still make sense to stick with the same brand in the digital world. However, in retrospect I wouldn't have given this single factor so much weight in my decision, since I won't likely use any of them unless I intend to do a lot of the manual camera work in my head. I should say that the Anti-shake feature is "in" the camera body for Pentax, as opposed to the lens for Nikon. I really like this feature and has proven to help take sharp photos in low light lighting and is a plus if you do intend to use your old lenses. Overall I am very happy with this camera, I am a casual photographer and the 6MP is more than I need for the type of shooting I like to do.

Want Pentax K100D Super 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Shake Reduction (Body Only) Discount?

I searched for 3 months reading review after review, I found myself up too late in the evenings scouring the web looking for the perfect combination of features and cost (overall value). I have owned point and shoot digicams for years, in fact own a nice Canon SD800 now and am thrilled with it the last SLR I owned was a fully manual Minolta 35mm made in 1962!

For me it came down first deciding upon one of the new SuperZoom (15x or higher) digicams (Panasonic FZ18, or Canon S5 IS), or going for a full DSLR (Nikon D40 or Pentax K100D Super). I eliminated the SuperZooms eventually because I didn't feel they were different enough from my Canon P&S to justify the purchase. This was a tough call because the SuperZooms were at least $200 less than the cheapest SLR. My gripes with the SuperZoom's I played with were that they felt like toys, very lightweight, and were small in my hands to hold. The other concern I had with the SuperZooms was that at their maximum zoom they weren't very 'fast' meaning that unless you were taking pictures outdoors with a lot of light the pictures would come out dark or not at all. I needed a camera that had a great zoom but could be used indoors during sporting events. The Panasonic FZ18 does seem to be the king of the hill in the SuperZoom segment, but I decided to just bite the bullet spend the extra dough and go for a DSLR.

I played with both the Nikon D40 and the Pentax K100D in a local mall Photo Store (big chain), and they were both nice to use. The Nikon had an edge over the Pentax in terms of focusing time (just barely), and it could fire off continuous shots better than the Pentax. But everywhere else I thought the Pentax was better. What clinched the deal was the rebate offered through Pentax which will save me hundreds over the Nikon. I ended up ordering the Pentax online because the Mall Photo store wouldn't price match. Oh well, their loss I would have bought it from them if they just would have matched.

Right out of the box I started taking pictures, I glanced at the instructions but mostly I just started taking photos. I popped in the 4 AA's that came with it, a recently purchased class 6 4gb SDHC flash card and away I went taking great pictures. I've since poured through the manual and absorbed much of it (but it'll need several more reviews for it all to sink in). I also purchased a 70-300mm Sigma Zoom lens which matched to it nicely.

I put the package to the test this weekend at a swim meet (indoors), previously with my P&S I could never zoom in close enough and it was always too dark to get a picture that wasn't blurry. Well with the Pentax I was able to boost the ISO all the way up to 3200 which resulted in a fast shutter speed and even at this high of an ISO the pictures didn't look grainy at all. In fact they looked fantastic! I was shocked at how well the camera performed, I had a blast taking picture after picture without any shutter lag and with each picture looking great! My only disappointment is that I didn't buy this camera sooner.

If you are on the fence like I was, take my advice and just buy this camera. If you have kids like I do the pictures you'll take will be priceless and will far outweigh the investment you'll make in this camera.

Congratulations to Pentax for building such an amazing camera, one that is solidly constructed and enables amateur photographers like me to produce pictures that look great!