Showing posts with label large computer monitors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label large computer monitors. Show all posts

Friday, October 31, 2014

Foscam FI8918W Wireless IP Camera, White (2-Pack)

Foscam FI8918W Wireless IP Camera, WhiteWe are first time parents and added a Summer Infant video baby monitor on our baby registry. We had to return it because of interference problems I detected with our wireless Internet. My wife and I work from home several days a week and unfortunately for me, the majority of my work calls are VOIP (voice over IP), which needs reliable Internet access and speeds.

This Foscam 8918W IP-based wireless camera was the only video solution I could find that was zero-interference, but also happened to still be the cheapest!

LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY:

========================

Every wireless video baby monitor I've researched runs at 2.4ghz. They may not put that in the description, but when I track down the manufacturer specs, it states 2.4ghz. Your wireless Internet/WIFI also transmit at 2.4ghz. Even the newest 802.11g and 802.11n transmit at 2.4ghz and 5.0ghz. My smartphone's WIFI as well as my wife's Netbook only works at 2.4ghz, not 5.0ghz. My Internet router also works at 2.4ghz and is not dual band.

WHY IS THAT A PROBLEM?

========================

After the baby, when I returned to work, I noticed strange lockup issues on my phone and horrible call quality for VOIP. I thought the Internet seemed slower and pages would sometimes lockup. After a lot of searching, I stumbled upon someone mentioning interference from their baby monitor, ding, ding, ding! Sure enough, I unplugged the video baby monitor and ran an Internet speed test, and I was getting 95-100% of my throughput rate. I plugged in the video monitor and the throughput rate plunged to 10-40%! I unscrewed the antenna on the baby monitor and throughput improved to about 40-60%. I unplugged again, and wah-lah, back to 95-100% again! It was quite clear that the 2.4ghz that these video baby monitors transmit on, also affect other 2.4ghz devices, such as my wireless Internet.

WELL, WHY ISN'T THE WIRELESS FOSCAM AN ISSUE??

================================================

If the majority of all wireless Internet devices like your phone, laptop, tablet, router transmit at 2.4ghz, why isn't the wireless FOSCAM an issue??

Answer:

---------

The wireless FOSCAM *IS* an IP-based device that communicates through the IP standard to other wireless Internet devices like your phone, laptop, tablet and router. Basically, it plays well with alike 2.4ghz devices. The wireless video baby monitors that you buy at baby stores are standalone devices. They *transmit* over the 2.4ghz frequency any which way they can, they are not standards based on a common protocol, like IP is for Internet devices.

OTHER RESEARCH FINDINGS:

=========================

We have a Philips Avent AUDIO-only monitor that runs on DECT wireless. DECT wireless transmits at 1.9ghz, which means there's zero interference with any 2.4ghz device. Repeating the same speed tests, there's no reduction in throughput with DECT.

Unfortunately, in all of my research, I could not find a DECT *video* baby monitor, only audio.

MY CHOICES:

=============

Option 1

------------

We could keep our 2.4ghz video baby monitor and switch all of our wireless devices to 5.0ghz. Well, that means I would have to buy a 5.0ghz router AND a 5.0ghz wireless network adapter for my wife's netbook and our phones could not use 5.0ghz WIFI in the house and we'd use our cellular data plans. In fact most of the consumer tablets and phones out there, likely do not use 5.0ghz wireless. That was definitely not an option.

Option 2

------------

Use a USB web cam; this was not feasible, because to use a USB web cam you need a computer and the baby's room does not have a computer, nor do we have any spares laying around.

Option 3

------------

Duhh, what about a wireless IP web cam?? Why didn't I think of that earlier? After a lot of research, I came upon the Foscam brand and while reviews were mixed, I filtered out the ones where technical-knowledge may have played a factor and decided to go with this. I'm a tech-geek and setting this up was not difficult. I did use uPnP for the first time on the Verizon FIOS router, after trying static port mapping and other methods to no avail. (You need this ONLY if you want to view your wireless IP web cam over the Internet, versus while you are only at home)

USAGE AS A VIDEO BABY MONITOR

================================

Awesome, simply awesome. Once you have this properly setup (and the supplied instructions were actually pretty decent), you can log into any web browser, specify the IP address of your wireless FOSCAM and control the camera (pan, tilt) and set 10-preset views. Even better, if your smartphone (Android, iPhone, Windows Phone) makes use of your WIFI and has an IP-camera app (all of the mentioned have several), you can use your phone to monitor and control the camera. If you make use of uPnP and allow the FOSCAM port through your home router, then you can watch (and control) your FOSCAM from anywhere you have Internet access. Yes that's right, at work, at Starbucks, etc. You will set-up various login account types and passwords for access.

For our baby's room, there's a preset view for the crib, the rocking chair, the changing table and the door to see if we closed it or not. I can press 1, 2, 3, 4, etc and switch views. Or I can manually move the camera to the right/left and up/down with my phone app or laptop's web browser. One time we weren't sure where we put the empty baby bottle and didn't want to disturb the baby. We used my phone to pan the camera and found where I had placed the baby bottle on the dresser! Sometimes if I am finishing up dinner and the wife has gone to soothe the baby, she can motion her arms for "more milk" without having to open the door to the bright open floor plan or yell anything to disturb a half-asleep baby.

My only slight gripe is that the night-time infrared lights do not seem to have a dawn/dusk option, meaning they are always on. For the past 5 months or so, they have been on 24/7 and still seem to work great in complete darkness, it's almost eery. Even in the daytime, the camera is smart enough to show color when there is enough light and in completely darkness, the picture is greyscale, but still very useful.

Some minor Caveats:

=====================

1. The infrared lights glow red in complete darkness, but are not obtrusive and do not wake up the baby. We have noticed her staring at them a couple of times, but it hasn't affected her going to sleep at the same time. When I go and stare at them, they are not bright at all.

2. If you read the reviews, you can essentially dismiss using the audio portion of this camera. You may hear static on the audio if you do not move the antenna to touch the power cord yea I know that sounds crazy. You can remove the antenna completely and the static noise will go away too and likely you can still view the webcam. Besides all of that, I didn't deduct any stars because none of our phone apps support the audio portion anyways, they only transmit (and control) video. So we haven't lost anything we couldn't use to begin with.... Using a laptop web browser like IE, yes, you can hear the audio, but we use our phones as a monitor 99% of the time.

OVERALL:

==========

Best Price:

-------------

Go into any baby store and the wireless video baby monitors (with pan/tilt and nightvision, etc) are $180-$300!! The total price of this 2-pack is about $154 as of this writing. This means each camera is only $77 ! I bought 2 for other uses, but you could buy a single FOSCAM wireless camera for $80-$85 total.

Convenience:

-------------

Any device that can get to the Internet (phones, spare phones even without sim cards, tablets, etc) can be used to view your FOSCAM wireless camera (with the right account and password). (External internet viewing can be blocked easily, so that you can securely view it only within your personal WIFI network at your house)

Zero Interference:

===================

Becaused this is an IP-based wireless device, there is no interference with your Internet speeds that store-bought video baby monitors *will* affect.

Love this Kit works great with surveillance indoors and outdoors and i can see it all on my smartphone Love It

Buy Foscam FI8918W Wireless IP Camera, White (2-Pack) Now

These little cameras do everything you need and you will be amazed how well they work in total darkness. It comes with two sets of antennas but they didn't bother telling you why. I used the small ones and they work just fine.

Read Best Reviews of Foscam FI8918W Wireless IP Camera, White (2-Pack) Here

I've reviewed the outdoor Foscam FI8904W. My experience with that was great. These FI8918W indoor ones are awesome. They are indeed the 3.6mm wide angle view. The picture quality is pretty good, especially in natural daylight. They do produce a washed out image in low light once the IR LEDs come on or when you just have the house lights on. The ethernet connection works as it should and so does the wifi connection. The IR LED's come on automatically when they detect low light conditions. The panning and tilting is very quiet and not distracting at all. The browser software works as it should, but I use a 3rd party software to control multiple cameras. These pick up audio and can send audio, so 2-way communication is pretty good for what it is. The presets for the views is the best feature; I believe you can set up to 10. I like that the power indicator led is not on the unit, but rather on the AC adapter itself. The mounting hardware is ok, just use your own screws. The included screws strip easily and are of no use. The included 9dbi antennas work well when outside, providing a stronger signal overall. But I decided to use these inside the home, so the factory ones are sufficient. The 9dbi antennas are really big, so it can be unsightly if you mount the camera out in the open with these aftermarket antennas.

The only thing I don't like is the network LEDs. At night it flashes and draws attention to the cameras. I'd rather these camera be as discreet as possible. There is an option in the camera on the web browser to turn the network lamp off. I've checked that box for each camera I have, yet the network LEDs still flash away, so that is why this product gets 4 stars instead of 5. I've made sure to make all these changes via IE as these Foscams and other economical cameras were designed to be used with this particular browser.

As in my other review of the outdoor Foscam, I am using a Windows environment, so I have no issues thus far. Setup was very easy and all the functions worked. As soon as you plug in the camera to the outlet and connect the ethernet cable you are ready to begin. Install the camera finder software from the included CD-ROM. Run the program and it will show you the IP addresses of the Foscam cameras. Copy and paste that IP address into your web browser and you are will gain entry into the camera. Default user is "admin" and there is no password. Now you should be able to view the camera in your network and make whatever adjustments you need to make. You can go wireless if you want to, set motion detection, set alerts, etc.

This review reflects the quality of the product and the integrated browser software. If you are having problems setting it up for viewing outside your network, that is an issue outside of the manufacturer's hands. Anyone with a good amount of networking knowledge can get this done in due time. If you think you are decent in networking, hire someone, because chances are you have no idea what you are talking about. Don't overestimate and overinflate you abilities and understandings because you will only confuse the professionals you are speaking with. Just pay someone and save yourself the aggravation and don't mislead the general populous with your negative reviews when you are the problem. Or actually make/buy dinner and get a 6-pack for that one guy everyone goes to for computer problems. He's willing to help only when you get your head out of your butt and stop blaming everyone for why you can't get it done. When you ask for professional help, check your ego at the door. I don't go in telling a mechanic I know all this and that about cars when I go in for an oil change; that's just crazy talk people. Oh. And I also fix cars... Please stop calling me unless you're willing to pay for my time. My wife wants me home eventually... :(

Want Foscam FI8918W Wireless IP Camera, White (2-Pack) Discount?

I do like these cameras and have purchased 4 over the years. One has died on me and it was a lost cause trying to get it replaced. But while they work they work great. I use them with a Synology Disk Station and they work seamlessly with their software. My only complaint is that the night vision is very short. You basically have to walk within 10 feet of the camera for the motion sensor to pick you up.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Moultrie Gamespy 6 Megapixel Digital Infrared Mtm Game Camera

Moultrie Gamespy 6 Megapixel Digital Infrared Mtm Game CameraMy husband & I purchased this camera to set up in our backyard and take pictures of our nighttime "critters" and also to use when we go hunting. A family member was using one of these at the deer stand this season and that is why we purchased this particular camera. Batteries last ~ 10 days with photo and videos set at highest resolution and frequencies (obviously it will depend upon how often the motion sensor is triggered). Daytime photos/videos are in color and are excellent with good range across the width of our (suburban) backyard; nighttime photos/videos are in black and white only (using infrared rather than bright flash) with very good detail. At night, the subject is difficult to determine when it has its nose on the camera, but if it's a foot or so away, the detail is good. We leave it out 24/7 in all weather and it has performed perfectly. You can set the camera on a flat surface if there's no concern of it being knocked over; or use the included very long strap to secure it to a stationary object for more stability. You will need to purchase an SD card to capture the images (16GB is the maximum which can be used; I purchased an 8GB card for $25). The camera comes with USB cable to attach to computer, but I find it easier to just pop the SD card out and use card reader to transfer images to computer and clear off the card.

its a great camera, have that and the modem and cant be happier. I can be thousands of miles away and keep an eye on my woods.

Buy Moultrie Gamespy 6 Megapixel Digital Infrared Mtm Game Camera Now

This was a gift for my boyfriend for Christmas and he loves it and is still finding new things to use on it. We do want to buy the additional accessories so he can use his cellphone to check and download pictures but it is pretty costly so that will have to wait.

Over all we have for sure gotten a Great cam for our money !

Read Best Reviews of Moultrie Gamespy 6 Megapixel Digital Infrared Mtm Game Camera Here

This thing is awesome. Took about 20 minutes to figure it out along with the cell modem I bought for it. Sends pics over ATT to a website.. saves a ton of time and fuel going into the site before critters arrive.

Want Moultrie Gamespy 6 Megapixel Digital Infrared Mtm Game Camera Discount?

I purchased this Moultrie tracking camera because I already owned one but it was a disappointment. It would work some and shut down some.

The multi-shot feature would take the first pic but the next ten pics would be half pink and half black. I thought at first it was the

san disc I purchased so I changed them out and by the third disc the camera would not scroll the features. It is being returned.

Save 45% Off

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Panasonic Pro AG-HVX200A 3CCD P2/DVCPRO 1080i High Definition Camcorder with 13x Optical Zoom

Panasonic Pro AG-HVX200A 3CCD P2/DVCPRO 1080i High Definition Camcorder with 13x Optical ZoomWe used this camera to shoot our short film and it proved to be awesome. The P2 cards were a little tricky to work with, but certainly less difficult and more portable than film; without the added expense of telecine.

For the cost, we could not have gotten this level of quality otherwise. I believe its got the depth of 16mm, plus it shoots in 24p. When we saw our final projection, we were just amazed.

Great cam for the money.

I have no idea whay they are still selling this camera for $5400.00. I have used this camera many times since 2008. Every time I am forced to use it on a shoot I just keep thinking how much better cameras have gotten. The P2 media is way too expensive. Cameras now take SD cards which are 40.00 instead of 350.00. The picture quality is pretty good but not 5400.00 good. The HMC150 is so much better in many ways. I understand people want to be able to have 2 P2 cards in their camera at once. For one thing most people need to because they can only afford two 16 gig cards, meanwhile with cameras that take SD cards you can put a 32 gig card in there for $60.00! It's heavy due to it's SD shooting option. Who shoots SD these days? I haven't touched a mini DV tape in years. Bottom line, there are way too may better cheaper options out there these days.

Buy Panasonic Pro AG-HVX200A 3CCD P2/DVCPRO 1080i High Definition Camcorder with 13x Optical Zoom Now

I am now a proud owner of the Panasonic HVX200A. This camera has treated me very well since I've received it, although, there are some really important things to consider when making this purchase. This camera comes with many great features and great picture quality with a quick and easy workflow. The camera is somewhat heavy compared to others in it's size class, but it's the best quality for the price in my opinion. (next to the Sony EX1, which I have not put my hands on yet)

One thing I didn't consider when purchasing this camera was the cost of getting it up and running. This camera comes with a great (big) price, too. P2 cards have come down in cost since the E-Series card came out, but thinking a little further into it is a must. In order to be in a run-and-gun situation there are a few more items needed. You'll need a place to store all your footage, and with the P2 card they haven't made it easy. There are 2 products that I would trust, although, Panasonic's P2 Store is the lesser of the two. Nexto DI has a product that I purchased to go with my camera so I can shoot events and not have to worry about running out of space or time. $2000 Nexto=500GB, $1500 P2 Store=60GB. You decide which is better.

With my Nexto DI storage I wish I had purchased the 32GB P2 card to go with my 16GB card because of how fast it unloads. My ave. with a full 16GB card was 5 mins.

Really consider the cost when considering this camera. It might save you some time and money.

I would recommend this camera to a friend.

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic Pro AG-HVX200A 3CCD P2/DVCPRO 1080i High Definition Camcorder with 13x Optical Zoom Here

The HVX remains among the best choices for prosumer HD camcorders. Previous reviewer was right to advise buyers to consider the cost. Realizing the full potential of the HVX will require at least another $2k worth of purchases, depending on what you intend to do with it. Plan to buy at least a couple P2 cards or a Firestore, an 82mm UV filter, the HVX book by Barry Green, a solid tripod, and a good case before getting started. The quality is excellent for the price, but it is overkill for most consumers.

Want Panasonic Pro AG-HVX200A 3CCD P2/DVCPRO 1080i High Definition Camcorder with 13x Optical Zoom Discount?

Smaller components, such as the headphone jack, IEEE1394 jack, etc will fail on you and repairs will cost you hundreds of dollars. I purchased one of these cameras in august of 2009 only to have both the headphone jack and IEEE 1394 port fail only days out of the one-year warranty expiration period.

Do NOT buy this camera because for what your paying (an extremely expensive $3,000+ price tag) you would expect a much more quality product. **These various ports and jacks failing are a known issue with these cameras. See the panasonic forums and other websites**

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Nikon D4 16.2 MP CMOS FX Digital SLR with Full 1080p HD Video (Body Only)

Nikon D4 16.2 MP CMOS FX Digital SLR with Full 1080p HD VideoI pre-ordered this camera, and have now had it for about two months and taken over 10,000 shots with it. I'm upgrading from a Nikon D700. I'm not a pro, but I do occasional commercial jobs. I've updated this review several times, and will continue to do so as needed.

Vertical orientation: Nice. The vertical grip isn't nearly as contoured as the main horizontal grip -there's just not as much stuff to grab your hands onto (no deep pockets for your fingertips). Too bad. But when holding it for any length of time, it's sure a lot easier than holding twisting my arm above my head and rotating the camera. Note that the vertical grip has a programmable button on it, which I use for Mode (A/S/M/P). I understand the D3s didn't have this, which seems crazy -I use it all the time. I wish the vertical grip had all the buttons as the main grip does -e.g., there's only one programmable button, so if you want to use it for Mode, then there's no way to change EV +while vertical, or start taking a movie. Also, I wish the two function buttons (DoF preview, and the one above it) were replicated in vertical mode. They're not, which is silly -there's room right there for them.

I shoot one-handed a lot, at events where I have a flash in one hand an a camera in the other (using a set of PocketWizards). I thought the weight of the D4 would make this harder. But no: when holding it vertically, the D4 is a lot easier to manage than the vertical D700. (I never had a vertical grip for the D700, so I can't compare.) Even holding it horizontally, the larger grip makes it easier to manage the D4 than the D700 one-handedly -it makes the camera honestly feel substantially lighter. One gripe: the vertical joystick for adjusting the focus point is still a bit too much of a stretch to use with one hand.

Shutter: yep, it's 10 fps. Let it rip! Great for capturing faces of both kids and adults at just the right moment.

General ergonomics and build quality: Great. Totally solid.

Weight: Having never had a pro-sized body before, I feared it'd be too heavy. But no: once you throw a 70-200 2.8 on there, the difference between this and a D700 is pretty small, certainly not a big deal. I carry it around on an Op Tech slider strap bolted into the tripod port, plenty stable and strong.

Battery: 2000+ shots (including lots of live view and some movies), and it's down to half. That's plenty of capacity for me. The charger is a real monster to carry around, about 4x the size of a D700 charger, too big to just slip in a pocket. One BIG PROBLEM: after charging it the second time, I had the camera turned on and sitting out overnight. The next morning, the battery was completely dead. I have no idea what happened -the D700 never ever did this to me. Was the camera turned so the AF was being pushed all night? Or is there a bug in the auto-off? No idea, but I'll post if it happens again. (Update: This has now happened to me three times, where the battery has gone from 100% to 0% overnight. Very frustrating. The first time I thought it was because the camera was in my bag and the AF-On button was being pressed, so it was trying to focus all night long. But that's not it, since it was on a shelf the other two times. Since I don't see others who have had this problem, I'm sending it back to Nikon for service.)

[Update: Beats me what the root cause was, but Nikon replaced the logic board and I haven't seen the issue come back.]

Lit up controls: Nikon won't point this out, but they don't *all* light up! Most do, but not the trash, or playback, or EV+-, or Mode, or Live View. Huh? All the buttons on my cell phone lit up 10 years ago. It's not that hard.

XQD card: Fast to write, fast to transfer. I love it. Being able to shoot off dozens of RAWs without stopping is great. Nice of Nikon to include the card and reader (but really, I'm not sure they had any other option here -the market isn't exactly flooded with these cards).

Live View: Works a million times better than it did on the D700. It's kind of funny though: it now makes the pro-DSLR able to shoot as easily as a $200 point-and-shoot. But whatever: Live View is nice to have. It's fast and intuitive. One advantage that isn't obvious: you can use it to set the focus point to the far corners of the frame, well outside the small area of the sensor covered by the 51-point AF grid. How I wish Nikon would allow the main AF system to focus in the far corners too: those 51 points still only cover about 20% of the camera's full frame! More in DX mode, but come on, Nikon. This is probably my single biggest complaint about the camera (or any DSLR) -bigger focus area please!

Focus modes: I was initially bummed to see that the three-position focus-mode switches from the D700 had been removed, replaced by 'software' settings using the main control wheels. But after using them I'm fine with the change, even in favor of it. The number of focus modes has increased (because you can change between 9-, 21-, and 51-point tracking easily now, which were hidden in a menu before), and the design works pretty fast. Disadvantage is that it requires two hands to change modes, where you used to do it with one.

The built-in AF motor is noticeably faster than on the D700. Live View mode uses contrast-detection focusing which was ultra-slow on the D700 (especially using motor-driven lenses like the AF-D's), but pretty usable now.

Face Detection (in Live View) works great. It's super easy to get low-angle shots holding the camera away from your body. If the subject moves you'll see a green box on the LCD follow the face around -it's pretty cool to watch it track.

Believe it or not, Face Detection also works through the pentaprism viewfinder. It took me awhile to believe this, but it really does. I proved it to myself by displaying a photo of a face on my laptop's screen, and focusing the camera on it. And like magic, no matter where it was, the focus indicators would lock on to the eyes. If I panned so that one eye left the FOV, then the focus would jump to the other eye. This is really cool. However, in reality it only works moderately well... I mean, if you're shooting at 24 mm in a busy room, and there's a few people in front of you, the camera is likely to focus on the wall instead of the people. Switch to Live View and it'll lock right on to the faces. Switch back and it jumps to the wall. My thought is that when using the viewfinder, the camera is dong face-detection on the smaller 91,000-pixel metering array. When using Live View, it can use millions of pixels from the main chip. Small faces can get hidden in 91,000 pixels (that's sub-VGA resolution!), but are seen in the big chip. I'm not knocking it, since it's clearly state-of-the art... it's just not perfect.

One cool thing about face detection is that it also finds faces on playback (even if face detection wasn't used on that shot). Scroll the front control wheel and it'll zoom in to just the face on every image, so you can easily check focus on the parts you care about. Super.

Metering modes: Too bad that the three-position metering switch is now an electronic controller, set in the viewfinder. But it turns out to be no big deal, because the metering on the D4 is really an improvement from the D700. I used to have to go to spot metering a lot for faces in the shade, and the auto face-detection now catches that so much better than it used to, that I haven't been using spot metering very much. Really, the new metering is very, very good. It has its quirks though: like, let's say you're taking 10 shots in a row of someone's face. If on one shot they turn or are blocked and the face-recognition doesn't work right, then that shot is likely to be underexposed by a stop relative to the rest in the series (see my example photo of this posted on Amazon). In the end underor over-exposure by a stop or two is no big deal on this camera if you're shooting RAW, because the files give you tons of leeway to work with to fix the exposure in post. But it's always best to get the exposure right the first time, and the D4 does a better job of that than the D700.

'Quiet' and 'Silent' modes. Quiet mode is indeed a lot quieter than the regular shutter. It seems to move all the mechanical parts slower -so you hear it for longer, but it's definitely quieter. Limited to 1 fps or so, and it doesn't work in Continuous mode (except if you're in Live View, in which case it does). Silent mode takes 2 MP shots in Live View mode (essentially movie stills shutter must be between 1/30 and 1/125 sec, and JPEG-only, no RAW). I could see using it occasionally, though I wish the resolution were higher. Also, in order to *enter* Silent mode, you have to be in Live View, and you have to pull up the mirror to do that, which makes the normal 'chunking' sound one time. An interesting note: in Silent mode, the exposure counter increments like normal (DSC_0101, 0102, etc.), but the EXIF value for 'Shutter Count' stays unchanged, just like it should. ** Silent mode is exclusive to the D4, and isn't on the D800.

Image quality: Beautiful... really crisp and sharp and smooth. The D700 was great too. For some reason this looks better. The number of pixels and the ISO are only slightly improved from the D700... the improvement to my image quality is dramatically better, more than the one or two stop improvement would suggest. Maybe Nikon's color processing software's improved, who knows what. But I didn't expect much improvement in image quality, and I got it.

ISO: It's a stop or two better than the D700. The ultra-high ISO's (like 200,000+ = H4.0) are there, but pretty silly. Even in bright sun, they're so full of noise so as to be useless. In low light they're even worse. (I guess you could use H4.0 if you were trying to monitor license plates of speeding vehicles under moonlight, or something crazy like that... but no normal photographic application is going to use that.) Up to ISO 10,000 or so, images are very clean. Focusing works really well in low-light, better than the D700 for sure. A nice change is that Auto ISO can now be easily turned on/off by holding ISO and rotating the front control knob -no more going into the menus.

One big change to exposure calculation is that the shutter speed can now be set based on the focal length. In the past, you'd set it (in the Auto ISO menu) to use a minimum of say 1/30 sec, which is great at 24 mm, but not what you want at 70 mm. OK, terrific -I was really stoked on this, since it makes a lot of sense and is more accurate in setting the shutter speed. But there's a huge problem in how it's implemented, in that it's blind to whether you're using a VR lens! So if I'm at 200 mm, it'll pick 1/400th sec for me. But I paid the big bucks for the VR lens so I don't have to shoot at 1/400th... I know I can handhold it just fine at 1/50th. The net effect here is that you'll end up shooting at a higher-than-necessary shutter speed, putting you into high-ISO territory, when you'd be otherwise safe to shoot much slower at low ISO. Alas -maybe Nikon will get this right with the D5. I ended up turning off this focal-length sensitivity setting, and telling it to shoot at 1/100th or faster regardless.

Ethernet connection: Plug in a cable, and the camera has a built-in web server, for doing tethered shooting. Not something I'll use much, but it seems to work. No additional software needed -just a web browser. I also used it for tethered shooting through Aperture straight out of the box, and it worked fine, no new drivers needed.

Auto white balance: as advertised, seems to work better than before. No big deal, but a nice bonus. One weirdness though is that the white balance seems to be less consistent than it was before. For instance, shooting outside in the shade, in the past I could set the right WB correction in Aperture and it'd be right-on for every shot in the series. No more -a good number of individual shots require more hand-tweaking now. This seems like a bug, like maybe the RAW files are getting tagged with the wrong color temp. It could well also be a bug in Aperture's handling of the D4 RAWs; I haven't tried it with Lightroom yet. A bonus with

Display: Better than before. Not really a big deal to me. Minor point: the display itself is polarized such that if you're wearing your polarized Ray Bans, the screen will look dark until you turn it to vertical mode. The D700 was polarized, but at a 45 degree angle, so it was still visible in horizontal mode. The display has a really viewing angle, meaning that if you hold it overhead in Live View, you can glance up at it and at least get *some* sense of how your framing is, even viewing the display nearly edge-on. It doesn't pivot of course, but it's definitely usable for a lot of overhead shots.

[** Update: Nikon replaced the main display for me when mine failed. The new one is different, and is viewable in landscape mode while wearing polarized shades. I doubt it was an intentional change on their part, but for me it worked out as a minor bonus!]

Viewfinder: The image looks a bit bigger and fuller than on the D700. Not that big a deal -I could always see my subject just fine before. Maybe a bit less squinting necessary now.

Extra configurability: Nikon now lets you reprogram even more of the buttons than the D700 allowed. I like one of the options in particular: I've set the Fn button (below the DoF preview button, next to the lens mount) to go to image review. Normally it takes two hands to hit the image-review button, but now I can do it quickly and using the right hand that's already on the camera anyhow. Just one more thing I miss now going back to the D700.

HDR, timelapse, multiple-exposures: they all work as advertised. Probably won't use them much.

Video: I'm not a video shooter but I tried it out outside under streetlights, where the video was super-clean. Inside with a night light it was a total failure at high ISO's -too much noise to see anything at all. Others know a lot more about video than me, so read their reviews instead.

Minor operational change: On the D700, the control wheels went dead right after taking a shot, requiring a half-press to wake up the metering system again, if you used the control wheels to select through images. On the D4, they stay live after the shutter press. Awesome. This was always a minor annoyance before, and I'm glad it's changed. It's hidden on an obscure setting within Custom F10.

Flash: There is none. Occasionally I used CLS for remote triggers on the D700 and you obviously can't do that any more. And sometimes I don't want to carry around the PocketWizards for just a snapshot flash-fill. Oh well -can't have it all. For what it's worth, the PocketWizards (TT5's) work perfectly, no problems at all. I called up the PW people about an unrelated issue and they confirmed to me (as of June 2012) that the PW's work great on the D4... not working yet on the D800/800E, they said.

Flash exposure: The EV+and the Flash EV are now separated. It use to be that lowering the camera EV would also lower the flash output (so dropping the background while keeping the subject lit would require two sync'd setting changes). No more. Nikon took after Canon here, good to see. This stuff works fine with the PW's. ** This Flash EV setting (custom e5) is exclusive to the D4. It's not on the D800.

Reviewing images: You can zoom out to see 72 images at a time, and use the joystick to cruise around these. But regardless of all of the image-processing power onboard, it's still frustratingly slow to scroll backward by 500 or 1000 images. There's apparently no in-camera buffering of the thumbnails -they're reloaded from the card every time, so it may still take you a few minutes of slow scrolling to find that cool shot from a few days ago that you want to show someone.

Manual: 456 frikkin' pages. I like camera manuals and this one's pretty well written. It's not literature but it explains the settings clearly enough.

Why not the D800? 50 MB images are too big for me, and I'm not going to be printing any banners or posters from my work anyhow. Almost everything I do goes online. Virtually any camera has enough resolution for me. I'm more interested in handling / ergonomics / ISO / dynamic range / speed, than resolution. If I was doing landscapes instead of people, I'd of course go for the D800 instead.

Is six thousand bucks too much to spend on a camera? Probably. But Nikon bodies remain in high demand, and used prices are high. I can likely sell this in a year or two for not much less than I paid for it. (My three-year-old D700 has only lost 1/3 of its value since it was new, or about a thousand dollars over three years.) Is having a camera like that worth a dollar or two a day to me? Absolutely.

P.S. I'll answer any questions below. And if you found this useful, feel free to click and tell me so!

[Update June 2013. 45,000 pics and one year later, it remains awesome. I only have a few frustrations and minor things to add:

o I wish the front buttons -Function and Preview -were more programmable, and I wish Nikon put a duplicate set you could reach in vertical mode.

o I prefer the analog buttons to change exposure mode on the D700, over the menu here.

o I don't use Live View very much -it's just so much slower than viewfinder mode that even though focus on a face in the corner very nicely, I can usually do it myself faster.

o Don't mind the weight at all. Feels great in the hand. I use an OpTech slider strap into an arca-swiss knockoff plate bolted into the bottom.

o I use 10 fps *all the time*. On safari, with kids, anything. It's wonderful.

o XQD card is great, though I wish there was a good way to take advantage of its speed to download to my older Mac, which only has a USB2 and not USB3.

o Nikon replaced the main logic board after I reported problems with the battery suddenly dying overnight. No problems since then.

o I wish the 51 focus points went further across the FOV -they're all clustered at the center.

o I'm not a big bird shooter but I have been amazed at how well the focus tracking will follow a bird who moves in & out of the frame, well away from the original focus point.

o Picture quality is just great. I get a ton of keepers, and when I don't, it's always my fault and not the camera's.

I managed to drop the camera -8 inches onto carpet with an 85/1.4 on -and it knocked the camera completely out of focus, and apparently knocked the main display loose so it flickered a lot. (So much for indestructibility of a pro body...) I sent it back to Nikon explaining the situation, and they were nice enough to fix it for free, which involved replacing the front bayonet mount. But the camera spent *nearly two months at Nikon* to get fixed! It was on "parts hold" for over a month, and when they returned it, they sent to to the wrong address to boot -an old address of mine.]

I have been using the D4 since the middle of March.

I am a professional sports photographer, so I am shooting two games a day during the week and sometimes four or five games over a weekend. I shoot a lot.

The D4 is an upgrade from my D3. I skipped the D3s, which I understand is a strong performer as well.

The D4 excels in a couple of very critical areas for me. The first is low level shooting. With the D4 I will no longer have to light grungy, dank, dark college gyms for basketball and swimming. The camera shoots very usable JPEGs at 10,000 ISO. This is remarkable. Very little noise, and if you are not shooting to make huge prints, the noise is hardly noticeable. I am sure the NEF files at that size are workable as well. I tend to stay away from the highest ISO ratings, only because I haven't needed them.

I cannot wait for fall night football games as the combination of high ISO and a 2.8 lens will be perfect.

The auto focus on this camera is amazing. The D3 was good. The D4 is great. The combination of this with a 200-400 AFS Zoom is just heaven. I've gotten more, better and great shots since I got this camera than in the whole season before it. My clients have noticed it and commented. Very impressive.

The white balance is much better than the older models. It gives you a true color and needs little tweaking. But if you need to tweak--it can do that too.

A lot of people will complain about the XQD card. I wont. It is fast. When you stick that card in, with the camera set at JPEG Fine, you have about 71 images in your "burst." Why you would ever use 71 images at once is beyond me, but they are there. For example, I shot a lacrosse championship game the other day. It went into two overtimes. I was able to shoot the action going into the final shot--and then shoot a stream of jubilation shots without missing a beat. That would have consumed all of the memory of the D3. Yes, the cards are expensive, but if you shoot raw, you are going to need the space.

The battery is new, having to meet new Japanese standards. But, I've gotten nearly 4,000 shots out of it before seeing the low battery light come on.

I am not used to the Video yet, so I cannot comment on it too much. I need to work out the bugs and give that a shot before the fall sports season starts. As my clients evolve in their media savvy, I am sure that an ability to shoot short video clips of their games will come in very handy. I need every competitive edge I can get these days.

All in all, this camera is everything a pro would want: High quality, innovative, fast, big, weather sealed, and backwards compatible with my equipment. The D3s will give it a run for low level light shooting, but if you are moving up from a D2 or D3, the bells and whistles make this worth every dime.

Buy Nikon D4 16.2 MP CMOS FX Digital SLR with Full 1080p HD Video (Body Only) Now

This will be an ongoing product review and something I will be updating as time goes on.

Ordering from Amazon -

As soon as I saw the news on nikonrumors.com that amazon had opened up the website for D4 orders, I placed mine. Thank you nikonrumors! This was January 6th. Since then, Amazon sent their usual emails informing me that the product was backordered and such. The only problem was amazon.com kept listing March 20th as the release date and March 21st as my "Estimated Shipping Date". Of course this didn't happen. In fact, at least for those that watch dpreview.com, this happened to all amazon.com D4 orders. The only bummer about the whole ordering experience was that the Amazon customer service was pretty much useless and uninformed. In the future, amazon should be quicker to correct their release dates. At least I got the camera..moving on...

Camera shipping from Amazon -

In the past I have been contacted by Amazon concierge to make sure my order was going smoothly. DIdn't happen with the D4. Not a big deal. Camera shipped next day UPS Saver on March 28 and arrived March 29th just past 5pm. Shipped was free due to the release date screw ups. Camera was boxed OK..and it did the job. I would have packed it better..but it arrived ok. Signature required.

D4 contents -

Good news here! The D4 came with the Sony XQS Card Reader and one 16 gig Sony XQS card. Very cool considering my 32 gig order is still pending. The Card reader and card were in a white envelope placed on top of the camera contents.

Additional contents -

1x EN-EL18 battery

MH-26 Battery charger (charges 2 batteries)

Instructions in both Spanish & English

Warranty Programs

Nikon ViewNX2

Strap

USB cable

Caps body, hotshot

Clips USB & body

UF1 & UF2 connectors

D4 Specs (and compared to the D3s) -

Weight 41.6 oz (D3s 43.7 oz) (Weight difference is noticeable!)

Pixels 16.2 million (D3s 12.1)

FPS 10/11 (D3s 9 FPS)

ISO 100 12,800 with lo-1 as 50, HI-4 as 204,800 (D3s 200 12,800, Lo-1 100, HI-3 102,400)

Video Full 1080 HD up to 30 FPS (D3s 720 at 24 FPS)

Monitor size 3.2 inches (D3s 3.0)

Viewfinder 100%

Integrated network port

D4 camera (first impressions) -

Ergonomics & Buttons WOW a lot has changed here. If you are coming from a D3s like me, all sorts of little changes mean some big adjustments. Here is my list of just what I've found so far -

Metering selector is gone!!! It used to be on the prism and adjusted with your right thumb. Not any more! It is now replacing the "Lock" button and press with your left hand and adjusted INSIDE the viewfinder.

Focus Mode Selector Gone too! The button to toggle between manual and autofocus is still there, but to toggle between C & S is now inside the view finder

Hand grip is different for both portrait and landscape photos including a small black piece of rubber attached near the camera bottom

The camera back Just looking at the back of the camera has sent me back to the full manual to learn this camera from the beginning. This includes changes to the thumbnails, picture control, and playback buttons and removal of the Area AF mode selector button.

Overall I like the changes, and love the ability to see changes inside the viewfinder. Might be a while to get my fingers to adapt. Overall it's good.

New D4 Network capabilities -

New to the D4, the camera can do FTP photo and movie uploads, control camera functions from a laptop using an optional software package (Caera Control Pro 2), and take pictures using an iPhone and remote browser. You can also control multiple cameras and do synchronized releases using the WT-5.

New D4 Chips & Batteries -

The battery and XQS memory chips are new to the D4. This means having to spend more money to buy new stuff as opposed to those that upgraded from the D3 to D3s. Sure it is good for the long term, but is a bit of a pain right now. If you shoot any other camera as well, then you will need to lug about two battery charges. If you don't have a backup camera, you will still need two sets of chips.

Shooting the D4 -

Quiet shutter option. There is a new shutter setting for a quiet shutter. This is on the command dial next to the high speed shutter release.

a bump up in FPS is subtle, but nice. I have yet to fully test this, but for shooting motor sports, I like it

Viewfinder is now 100% and nothing to dislike about this!

The virtual horizon is now inside the viewfinder! I constantly have to correct my pictures and love this feature. This is used by setting the Fn button in the menu to use the virtual horizon feature. The horizon only works when holding the camera normally not vertical. Still...great feature and I love it.

ISO -

The D4 takes pushing up the ISO beyond the D3s. But the difference is minimal as far as I can tell.

Overall (so far) D4 is every bit as good as the D3s and then some. The upgrades to the buttons are annoying, but I think will really be more useful in the field than the D3s version. The new chips and batteries are just progress in my mind. Not a big deal, just a little more money that has to be spent. I've only had this camera one day (and one night) and plan to add to this as I hit up some car races and concours...

Read Best Reviews of Nikon D4 16.2 MP CMOS FX Digital SLR with Full 1080p HD Video (Body Only) Here

Got one of the first ones out based on the glowing reviews and being an owner of several Nikon dSLR bodies; from the D70 up through the D3x/s cameras.

This takes the best of all of them and puts them in one body. The D4 relies heavily on the control dials, and most are intuitive. Spo changing settings can be done quickly.

Take the exceptional resolution of the D3x and add the superb low light performance of the D3s; then make it all faster and better, and you have a D4.

I was worried that I would feel "eh" about this camera, but my reaction is far from that. If you have some good Nikkor glass, or want to start at the pinnacle of digital photography for under $10,000, the D4 meets your needs with aplomb.

I may be poorer, but am delighted with this purchase.

note: I would have bought from Amazon, but they weren't expecting stock, so I went with a reliable authorized dealer. I like buying from Amazon though as they are very generous with returns should a problem exist; and even with $6,000 bodies, problems do crop up, even when new.

If you want your photos to be as good as they can be, and can afford the entry fee, this is the camera

If $6,000 is too much and speed is not crucial, the D800 or D800e probably do nicely at half the cost.

Remember this is a FX format, so no multiplying focal lengths by 1.5x. The sensor is the size of a 35mm negative.

Focusing is also faster on the D4. It's all good.

Delighted with this purchase

(D700, D3s, and D3x for sale. Used. Perfect condition)

Want Nikon D4 16.2 MP CMOS FX Digital SLR with Full 1080p HD Video (Body Only) Discount?

I'm a non-professional, photo enthusiast who shoots about 15K photos a year, mostly travel photography. I upgraded from a D300 mainly because of it's inability to capture my then 15 month old son who had starting walking. The D4 changed all that in the sense that I now have literally thousands of perfectly focused photos of my son crawling, climbing, jumping, running and yes falling; all in a 3 month time span. That to me is worth $6K and my wife agrees. The dynamic range and skin tone are excellent. On the D300, I would have to do a 5 shot bracket to have a nice HDR blend for landscape shooting. With the D4, the recovery in the shadows are so awesome especially with the newer Lightroom 4 software that I can often get away with one shot (-1 EV) and it'll look 90% as good as a 5 shot blend from the D300.

And of course, it's very durable. I have taken it to extreme humidity and heat and it has functioned beautiful. Never locked up at all so I haven't even needed to update the fireware. I'm currently in the 19K shutter actuation range and have recharged the batteries four times. Note though that I don't use video or Live View heavily.

Will it make you a better photographer? Likely not, I showed my wife pictures from our Montreal trip three years ago taken with the D300 and 18-200 VR1, and compared them to our recent Asia trip taken with the D4 and 24-70mm lens. She said my skill level has changed but the subject and content are pretty much similar.

In one word, the D4 is a MACHINE. Responsive. Accurate. Fast. From the D300 to the D4, it's like going from a 150 hp minivan to a 500 HP Porsche 911 turbo.

Save $2.05 Off

Sunday, March 2, 2014

GoPro Tripod Mount for HERO Cameras

GoPro Tripod Mount for HERO CamerasAn essential piece to my camera bag, since I plan to do as much video production with my GoPro as possible.

However...

I've heard people complain about having to pay for this tripod mount. Since GoPro is mainly used for action sport/activities where the camera is attached to the person or vehicle, it wouldn't really make sense to add this piece to the already generous slew of mounts that come with the camera. If you're planning on doing videography where the tripod is the camera's main resting place, then the GoPro camera isn't really for you in the first place. This is just something handy to have if the need arises. Not all will use it.

The tripod mount is made of the same high quality plastic as the rest of the mounts -not much to tell. It does what it does.

However, I have reduced the review from 5 stars to 4 stars because it does not come with the nut you screw into. All the other mounts have their own nut, so I'm not sure why the tripod mount does not come with one.

Do yourself a favor, and buy a couple of 5mm Hex Nut caps from your local hardware store (my Home Depot had them in packs of 2 for ~ 50 cents, you'll find them in some drawers in the hardware section). The mount doesn't come with the bolt (but you can use the one you already have), but real issue is that it doesn't come with the nut, which all the other mounts have (hence the previous recommendation). Including this nut would have saved me the trouble of going to a hardware store, and getting it on my own. Although, you could probably pull it off one of your other mounts, but that is more of a hassle to pull that tiny thing off, and risk dropping it and losing it.

Anyway, it seems like it will be pretty decent. Pretty overpriced for a plastic adapter to convert it to a tripod mount. It'll definitely do the job, but could have been more handy with the nut, and cheaper would have been better too.

Buy GoPro Tripod Mount for HERO Cameras Now

First, this cost me $7.99 at Best Buy and it just made too much sense to not buy it from there. The mount came with the nut some people are complaining about not getting but perhaps its because GoPro listened to their customers and began including it or fixed whatever manufactoring issue was occurring. Don't know.

As far using this, I did not use it to attach my GoPro to a tripod. Instead I screwed a Ram mount with a treaded stud onto the other side of this adapter piece and now I am able to use any Ram Mount with my GoPro. I sometimes ride my motorcycle with a GPS mounted to my triple tree with a Ram Mount. Now I can utilize the GoPro in that location which is good because theres really no good place to mount the camera anywhere else on my triple. This little guy is worth it's weight in gold because the Ram Mounts do not allow for any movement when you have the pieces tightened down well and you can angle it quite well.

Read Best Reviews of GoPro Tripod Mount for HERO Cameras Here

For some reason GoPro believes this little jewel is worth it's weight in gold because that's about what they charge for it. And I wouldn't object so much but it even doesn't come with a nut. Adding a nut might raise their total production costs all the way up to what, 15 cents maybe. So at nearly eight bucks, the price is totally absurd. But then again, it's the same will all their accessories. They sell the camera cheap and then stick you for the accessories you need to get the most out of it.

Edit: Since the original review, GoPro has seen the error in their ways and is now including a nut. In response, upped rating to 4 stars. Still shouldn't be more than five bucks though.

Want GoPro Tripod Mount for HERO Cameras Discount?

Just received 2 of these. Someone heard the voices here because the nut is included now in the packaging. This review reiterates all what was said about this product in previous reviews with exception of the now included nut!

Save 2% Off

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Pentax K-r 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD (Red Body)

Pentax K-r 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCDI really love it. It is a little smaller then the K10d. So it fits better in my hands. I like that I can assign the RAW button to the green button to one on off push and that it will go off if I wish after one picture, and the positioning is not where I will be hitting it by accident like on the 10 D that was a big problem for me.

The menu is easy to scroll though and pick the items you wish, changing fields is simple.

I think it has better range in focus in lower light and that is wonderful. I take a lot of low natural light pictures. Great!! I have really been enjoying it.

And I love the RED color!!! makes it mine and easy to find if I lay it anywhere.

I recommend it for beginners and hobbiest and enthusiast a like... I feel it even has great features for a Pentax K-r 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD (Red Body)for a pro on the run.

I learned photography back in highschool using an excellent Pentax K1000 35mm camera. Still have it and use it to this day. When I was ready for a real DSLR camera I did like most people and did my research and narrowed it down to a couple options. I chose the Pentax K-r because of Pentax's reputation for quality, affordable products that are easy to use. It only took me a couple of hours of messing around with this camera and I was shooting great photos that I was proud of and posted them online (which is super easy to do).

I also chose Pentax K-r because I did NOT want only a black color option. The K-r's come several different color options. I fell in love with the Red camera body and I've always been happy with Pentax products, so this was not a hard choice, especially considering the cost. I am extremely happy with this camera and would highly recommend it. In fact my girlfriend loved it so much she bought the exact camera but with the Blue body color.

Who knows what will happen to Pentax or Pentax products in the future now that they were bought by Ricoh. So if you're considering this camera then who knows, perhaps it could be a collector's item someday????

Buy Pentax K-r 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD (Red Body) Now

Friday, December 27, 2013

JVC GR-D870 MiniDV Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom

JVC GR-D870 MiniDV Camcorder with 35x Optical ZoomExcellent features: slow motion, 16:9 widescreen, instant battery level status, instant display of tape time remaining, 35X Optical zoom is much more than one could actually use plus 800x digital which you'll never use, takes still pictures while you record on SD card, auto light feature, lots of functions like white balance, auto image stabilization, you can take cool video like sepia, 8MM type, etc;

I've only used it for home video like b-day's, family dinners, baby showers, etc. It's given me excellent video, looks great on my HD tv.. thought it's not HD video but good enough.. plus i'm not sure if i wanna see my family in HD that close up!

Of course it doesn't look so good in low light, but that's expected of any camcorder in this price range.. BTW did I mention the battery will outlast the 60 min tape!

All in all.. I would recommend this over any Canon or Sony MiniDV Standard Definition camcorders! Hands down it is the best bang for you buck!

I bought this camcorder, but returned it because it doesn't have a viewfinder! And I found there WERE situations where I felt I really needed the viewfinder (to save battery power or taking video in a darkened room of a program where I didn't want to disturb people behind me with the glow of the LED screen, etc.), and since this wouldn't even turn on without opening the LED screen, I decided to return it. On the plus side, I liked how it takes still pictures while you are videoing without interrupting your video! Love that feature...oh well....

Buy JVC GR-D870 MiniDV Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom Now

This would happen to be one of the more easier to use camcorders that I have had. When compared to similar on the market this is a very well priced unit with all the functions that are buit in. Simple to use, simple to set up, oh so simple! (And about time!)

Read Best Reviews of JVC GR-D870 MiniDV Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom Here

i had an inferior model of a jvc camcorder and it was stolen. i got this one off amazon to replace it, as it was less money than what i originally paid for my previous cam about a year or more before.

well, i used it like twice and then out of nowhere it starts giving me an error message every time i put a tape in and popping them back out with the dv cassette's tape mangled and tore up one.

i did some quick searching online about the problem and it turns out its a fairly common problem with this model and similar types. and the only way to fix it is actual hands on repair/part replacement.

so i got a sony instead.

stay away from this one.

Want JVC GR-D870 MiniDV Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom Discount?

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9K 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom (Black)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9K 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Image Stabilized Optical ZoomFirst, I should qualify this by saying I've been a huge fan of Panasonic digital cameras since I bought the DMC-LC20. I later upgraded to a DMC-LC33, and now, I've taken the plunge and bought the FX9.

The camera I compared this with the most, and nearly bought was the Canon SD400. And I actually was really close to buying the SD400 over the FX7, but luckily I waited long enough to hear about the FX8 and FX9 being launched in the US. I could not have made a better choice.

Panasonic's carried over some of the best features of some of its previous lines:

Size: This camera is tiny. It fits nicely in your pocket. The black version of this camera also looks really sleek. Very nice brushed finish to it that doesn't get fingerprints on it too easily.

An absolutely beautiful 2.5" LCD screen. Seriously, this screen alone is reason enough to get the FX9 (207k pixels) over the FX8 (114k pixels). It is simply amazing. You can tell right on the screen whether the picture you took is in focus, and the colors are just more vibrant.

The Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) is works wonders for this ultra-compact camera. Some would argue that well, if you had an optical viewfinder, you wouldn't need the OIS because you could stabilize the camera against your face. But seriously, who uses a viewfinder with an ultra-compact digital now? Digital SLR, sure, but an ultra-compact? Granted, if a viewfinder is important to you, this camera may not be right for you. But really, with the 2.5" LCD, you won't miss the viewfinder. I actually compared shots between the SD400 and FX9, and at full zoom, you can really see that the OIS helps with the image's focus.

Leica lens: Gives amazingly sharp, vibrant pictures.

Burst mode: Allows you to take literally an infinite number of pictures in rapid succession in well-lit (no flash) conditions. This is an amazing feature for taking action and sports shots. I loved this feature on my old Panny cameras and I still really enjoy it on this one.

Picture Review: The picture review on this camera is amazing. First, you can zoom up to 16x to check the clarity of the picture. Second, you can zoom out and review 25 thumbnails at once. 25! That's what a 2.5" LCD can do for you.

Movie mode: Although a HUGE memory hog, the movie mode is vastly improved from the FX7. In fact, one reason why I almost opted for the SD400 was because the movie mode on the FX7 was pretty much useless. The FX9 takes great video, and the image stabilizer (detailed below) works to help stabilize the video image.

Powerup lag and time between pictures has been excellent.

Some of the cons of this camera:

The on-off switch of this camera could be designed better. I've accidentally turned the camera on several times while reaching into my pocket and have resorted to turning the mode dial to Review mode whenever I pocket the camera to prevent any damage to the lens motor.

Unfortunately, they've done away with AA batteries, but in a camera of this size, AAs wouldn't even fit. So I can understand the transition to proprietary batteries. At $69 a pop for a spare OEM battery though, that sorta hurts.

Once again, Panasonic has seen fit to package the camera with pretty useless software and a practically unusable 16MB SD card. Come on... 16MB? That's good for no more than 8 pictures in full-resolution.

I hear the FX9 isn't great in low-light condition and has a weak flash, but I haven't had too many problems with it.

Of course, which digital camera you buy depends on what features are most important to you. I bought this as a camera to bring anywhere I wanted to go. I realized that the bulk of my old camera was preventing me from bringing it out everywhere, so I decided early on to get an ultra-compact. So far, I've been exceptionally happy with my purchase.

I exercise with my dog every morning early am. Ok you want to know about the FX9 not my dog. My point is I live near a pretty park, and very beautiful woods. I always wanted to take some shots of the early morning beauty but I didn't want to carry my huge Canon G4 around. Long story short, I started hunting for one of these pocket sized cameras. I read TONS of reviews and looked at sample pictures. Finally I got taken in by the cuteness of the Casio s500 camera. I had it about 1 week and after the cuteness wore off I had to return it as the pictures OVERALL were pretty bad..and lacking detail etc. Next I had a gift cert to "another web site" I decided I'd try the Canon sd450. Well that camera actually is quite good. But I still wasn't THRILLED. So I used 1 more gift cert..to another site..and just had to try this Panasonic FX9 camera. Like a crazy person I kept A-B-eeeing The SD 450 with this FX9. In the end I ended up loving the FX 9 while just liking the Canon. I must say for indoor flesh tones I must give the edge to the SD450. However after much reading I found if you set the white balance manually on the FX9..it looks pretty awesome on people..on everything. Outdoors I just use auto white balance. One major reason I'm SO impressed with this little guy is about the 2nd day I had the FX9 i accidentally dropped in on a VERY hard floor from 5 feet above the floor. It slammed to the ground right on the lcd and slid about 3 feet. I felt sick. But it only had a TINY dust like scratch. Everything still worked...this thing can take abuse ..though that's the last thing I wanted to do to this FX9.

In the end..I found that overall this camera is just awesome. The user inteface will just MAKE you like it. It's SUPER easy to use..and feels solid as a rock. In the end...it's about picture quality.I'd say the pic quality is about as good as it gets in this class..and I ought to know having owned 3 cameras in this category and the FX9 to me is the CLEAR winner!

Buy Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9K 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom (Black) Now

I was originally planning to buy Dimage X1. However, after some researches, I decided to go to Panasonic. This camera is just what I wanted, compact-sized(size of cigarette pack) and image stabilized.

For outside shooting(under daylight), it is not really necessary to change many settings, but automatic shooting is good enough like most cameras. However, this camera shines for indoor shooting with the image stablization.

For those who are new to camera, let me say that image stabilizer is not a miracle-maker letting you to get clean and sharp picture in the middle of earthquake. However, it is capable of compensating shake of hand holding camera good enough if used with some physical stabilization, or if there were nowhere to put your arms, with timed shutter. This camera has 2-sec and 10-sec timer, and I mostly use 2-sec without using flash indoors. (Force of pressing shutter may give camera shake that image stabilizer cannot compensate, so timed shutter is very handy.)

Result? Good enough, although I could see some noise indoors with automatic ISO setting(it usually sets ISO to 200 for some reason).

One thing: most of my indoor shootings are still-life(many times in macro mode). I haven't tested it for portrait yet, but I guess that shooting portrait in some distance may require less concern for hand-shake, unless under low-light condition.

Battery duration seems very good, too. However, extra battery will be nice.

Complaint: (maybe or maybe not)

1. Single file of 6 megapixel picture usually costs between 2 and 2.5 megabytes, but Panasonic only included 16MB memory. Is it a joke?

2. It's not really a complaint, but big LCD screen means more chances of getting scratches. I use the protective film (designed for PDA, so I have to cut it to right size) for all of my digital cameras.

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9K 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom (Black) Here

Ok, I haven't had this camera for a long time yet (a week perhaps), so this review is just what i had gathered from it so far. I might update it some time later.

I must say that this was an excellent buy for me. When i first took it out of the box, i was stunned by the beauty and small size of it (the black finish looks awesome). It's very small and lightweight, even with the battery and sd card in. So, for looks, this camera definetely scores very high.

Some reviews i found when i was deciding whether or not to buy this camera said that the controls were kind of confusing. On the contrary, i found that the controls were relatively easy and only took me about 2 mintues to comprehend. Although i agree that the buttons might be too small for some people with large fingers, I think that it would do for most people (It's great for me).

Two of the major selling points for me when shopping for this camera were the Mega OIS and the large 2.5" LCD. I must say that the OIS works like a charm in low light conditions. It even works in the movie mode. =), i love the movie mode from just a few samples i have taken, they seem to be great. The 2.5" LCD also gives me a great view of the pictures i had just taken. I can tell that the power lcd mode does work, although i cannot say how well yet b/c it has been cloudy everyday since i've gotten the camera.

I also found some reviews saying how flimsy the cover for the battery and sd card compartment was. I, again, find this not the case for me. the cover has a lock/open switch. when its locked, it seems to stay closed; when it's open, it swings open lightly by a spring in the hinge. I honestly cannot say how long the battery life is, but from numerous other reviews, i think it ranks above average.

The performance of the camera is good enough for me. It starts up pretty fast (maybe about 2 seconds?) and has very little shutter lag. The zoom works pretty fast and you can use the extended zoom feature that allows you to extend the optical zoom to 4.1x (compared to the regular 3.0x), but it reduces the number of megapixels as well. The burst shot mode on this camera works fine as far as i can tell. all in all, i think the performance of this p/s ultra-compact is more than adequate.

Now, I didn't give this camera a 5/5 b/c it does have its imperfections (minor ones, but imperfections nonetheless). I cannot say that I'm an expert in image quality (this only being my 2nd digicam, the first a canon powershot s45), but i have noticed more purple fringing than my old camera. The images at the higher isos can sometimes be a bit too noisy for my tastes, but i rarely have to use high iso b/c of the OIS. I've also noticed that in low light, sometimes objects (especially skin) may have a yellowish tint to them. I haven't tested out the flash thoroughly yet, but i've heard that it isn't the best (nor the worst) indoors. Again, these imperfections do not bother me so much, as i rarely print very big sizes, but it might be a major issue for some other people.

I also have some minor gripes about the bundle the camera comes with. The 16 mb sd card that it comes with can store about 5 pictures at max resolution, I mean come on... The wrist strap that the camera comes with looks and feels as if it would fall off your wrist at any second. I had to use the wrist strap that my old camera came with as it had a little thing that allowed you to tighten it around your wrist. I haven't tested the software out yet, so i can't say anything about that. One of the things i like about the bundle is that the battery charger has a built-in plug, so you can just put the battery inside the charger and plug it into an outlet. However, some people may find this a bad thing as you have to take the battery out of the camera in order to charge it. I personally like this better for travel b/c i dun have to carry around a big bulky dock for my camera.

Another thing, when you buy this camera i suggest you also buy some accesories for it, some of which can be:

an extra battery i dun have 1 (and i don't plan on getting one), but i dunno, maybe you don't like charging?

a case it might be hard to find one that fits your needs, but i recently ordered a Lowepro Slider 20 from best buy. It says online that the camera should fit, but i'll have to see for myself in about a week.

LCD screen protector i dunno if it really needs one, but ever since reading those reviews of the fragile Canon SDxxx lcd's i've been a lot more paranoid about them. Plus, it can't hurt to put one on. I mean, hey, a larger lcd does mean a bigger chance that it's gonna get scratched. I'm getting a Brando Workshop Ultra Clear screen protector might be a tad bit too expensive, but i hear it's pretty good.

And last but certainly not least, a SD memory card a MUST have accesory. the 16mb card supplied is a joke! I got a 1GB SanDisk Ultra II and i'm loving it. A good SD card completes this whole package!

I recommend this camera for a person who wants a small, beautifully designed, p/s digital camera, but doesn't need DSLR image quality or to print pictures that big. For any reason whatsoever, whether you want to impress you friends with its good looks, or if you simply want an ultra-compact rather than carry around that bulky SLR, this camera is a good choice. While not without it's imperfections, I think that this camera, bundled with its amazing Mega OIS system, is an excellent buy, but I'll leave the deciding to you.

Happy camera hunting!

btw, since it's almost Christmas, I'd like to say Happy Holidays to all and Happy New Years!

Want Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9K 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom (Black) Discount?

In my opionion, the Panasonic DMC-FX8 and FX9 are the best choices in the ultra compact camera category. I have owned a couple of the Canon SD cameras (SD200 and SD300) and the pictures produced by the FX7/8/9 are vastly superior, esp. with Indoor Shots. The Image Stabilization really helps in Indoor, Low-Light Settings which if you are like me, is where you take the majority of your snapshots. The Canon SD500/550 are arguably better cameras due to their bigger sensor, 7 MPs, and stronger flash BUT they are not small enough to toss into my front pocket (a pre-requisite). As for the cracked LCD screens, google "Canon and Cracked LCD Screen". It is not an isolated problem! The best precaution you can take is two-fold. Buy a LCD screen protector as well as a hard camera case (I review one of each btw).

Finally, the FX8/FX9 have corrected the two major complaints people had with the very popular and well-regarded DMC-FX7. They now boast a faster AF, a longer-lasting battery and 640x480 Movie Mode. If they had manual controls, they would have created the elusive "perfect ultra compact" camera!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Emerson EVO6500 900 MHz Portable Video Observation System

Emerson EVO6500 900 MHz Portable Video Observation Systemafter buying this as a gift for my parents store i had to write a review, this setup is amazing, for starters it states in the manual that it goes 100-330 feet which is better than i expected as the amazon review only states 100 feet. the clarity of the image you see on the monitor is outstanding, i have seen many many other survielance systems and their picture quality is very poor. but with this emerson whether the person is 1 foot or 20 feet from the camera they are totaly in focus, one thing i was worried about is the fact that they have 15 sets of flourescent lights in their store i thought that might interfere with the signal, Not at all!. the sound clarity is excellent also it picks up voices that are 20-25 feet away clear! for a small 5" monitor you would have to see it to believe it, as its incredably clear.

the infrared is great you can still see in almost complete darkness like it was daytime. i had my doubts about it but was amazed again!.

one problem to note is that i we have 3 900 mhz phones in the store, when you are using one of the phones you will have interference with the AUDIO on the monitor, The video is still crystal clear. this would be great also if you had a motorhome or trailer and wanted to mount the camera in the back window to help you back up etc. as it will work intirely on batteries (Camera 8 AA) (Monitor 10 C) Pros Great picture No wires Portable Audio/Video/Infrared ability to use a second camera. Composit audio/video out so you can record on a vcr or watch on a bigger tv. Contrast/brightness/VHold controls on monitor Volume Control on monitor A/B button on monitor and camera(s) shutoff on camera for either power or infrared, plus a/b switch.

Cons 900 mhz so you will get some interference (small amount) you cant leave batteries in the monitor AND plug it into an AC Socket. (which makes it hard to just move the monitor wherever) allthough it is so light that its easy just to find another ac outlet. 2 camera's max

I am going to buy another set plus 2 additional cameras if they come back in stock, if you know someone that has just had a baby get this for them they Will love you for it.

I hope this helps you to make your decision.

It is nice because it is high frequency, which follows to a clear image. It is goo for it's price.

Buy Emerson EVO6500 900 MHz Portable Video Observation System Now

Monday, August 26, 2013

Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital SLR with 18-55mm EF-S IS II Lens & Canon 75-300 Lens + 58m

Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital SLR with 18-55mm EF-S IS II Lens & Canon 75-300 Lens + 58mm 2x Telephoto lens + 58mm Wide Angle Lens W/32GB SDHC Memory+ 2 Extra Batteries + Charger + 3 Piece Filter Kit + UV Filter + Full Size Tripod + Case +Accessory KitI am entirely pleased with the T4i and the lenses 18-55, 75-300, 58mm Wide angle and the 58mm 2x. The other accessories filters, 2 batteries, 2 chargers etc. are what I chose for this package and I am not disappointed. Delivery was timely and surprised me as it got to me from my the Supplier via my Miami Sky-box, to Trinidad in exactly 9 days...with the delivery time they targeted for delivery to Miami spot-on time.

My one disappointment is that the full-sized tripod is a sub-standard product that I will not use for my T4i nor my SONY Camcorder as it is most unstable. I have one of those already and I use it to mount a small LED light when shooting, so this one will also be thrown into light-mount service. I must now purchase a seriously sturdy tripod for my T4i as my other one I use for my Canon G9 camera and the SONY Camcorder.

All in all I am quite pleased...it was a good purchase.Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital SLR with 18-55mm EF-S IS II Lens & Canon 75-300 Lens + 58mm 2x Telephoto lens + 58mm Wide Angle Lens (4 Lens Kit!!!!!!) W/32GB SDHC Memory+ 2 Extra Batteries + Charger + 3 Piece Filter Kit + UV Filter + Full Size...

many of these cheap package deals will send you a recalled camera even after you ask them not to like me. Canon fixed it in 10 days no cost to me. (handle grips can give you a rash and turn white.)

Also if you are buying the T4i DO NOT GET ANY LENS, BUY ONLY STM LENSES!!!!

The new AF feature during video means that any non-STM lens will stutter loudly during filming and the video will be useless!

I recommend the 18-135 STM lens especially if you like a good range and prefer not to carry additional lenses.

Buy Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital SLR with 18-55mm EF-S IS II Lens & Canon 75-300 Lens + 58m Now

The camera and the kit arrived perfectly and on time, however there was a little difference between the the offer and the actual one because there was only one extra battery instead of two.

Additionally, I think that by mistake they sent two sets of 3 pieces of filters instead of one, while the UV filter was not in the box.

The product itself is really great, I am not a photo professional, but as a begginer I enjoyed very much the camera and the accessories, having really goods results in my first pictures.

Read Best Reviews of Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital SLR with 18-55mm EF-S IS II Lens & Canon 75-300 Lens + 58m Here

I have only had this camera since this past Monday 12/10/12 but boy do I love it! I had a 35mm camera a long time ago that I used some for vacations and the like. Because of the cost of buying and developing film I didn't experiment much with it. After my last debacle with my camcorder, where the sun washing out the LCD screen caused me to miss some once in a life time shots and video, I decided it was time for a good camera that would take stills and video. I was looking at either Canon or Nikon. After watching some commercials on the Canon and reading and comparing both I decided that the Canon was the better choice because of the faster fps continuous shooting and better video and still color rendering and many more features. I now love the world of DSLR! You can play and experiment all day and if the pictures are bad just delete them! Because it has been so long since I was serious about the art of taking pictures I have to get up to speed once again and this is the perfect camera for it. If I want to take great pictures all I have to do is put it in auto and zoom and press the shutter button. On the other hand if I want to go for special effects I can take more control and set the camera up manualy. It has many features that set up automatically ie: landscape, sports, hand held night, portrait and more. This camera has SO MANY features that it will take me some time to learn them. But the best news is that I am having fun doing it. It is simple enough for a beginner, like me, or for someone who is more advanced. I would recommend that if you get this camera also purchase David Busch's guide CANON EOS REBEL T4i/650D DIGITAL SLR PHOTOGRAPHY. It is 500 pages on nothing but this camera and all of it's operations from A to Z. Lots of illustrations and way better than trying to read the small factory manual. As for all the other items in the bundle I had no problems. The box arrived with everything that was listed in it.

Cons: The camera bag and tripod are too small for this camera and all the items. I bought extra the Amazon basic backpack and it holds all of this and more. I already have a bigger tripod, for my small camcorder, so I will now use the tripod that came with this bundle for the camcorder and my bigger tripod for this camera. The other con is shipping. You have only one option and that is 3 to 5 days. I thought, at first, that wasn't too bad. But I discovered what that really means is that they take 3 to 5 days to " START " to ship it. It was a week between ordering and arrival. If you are in a hurry there is no other option.

In conclusion I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS CAMERA!! I've been like a kid in a candy store this week and dream of taking pictures with it at night! If you are looking for a DSLR that can make you look like a Pro then this is the camera for you. Don't bother looking any more unless you want different lenses. This is the best $1000+ that I have every spent and I would do it again in a heart beat!

Want Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital SLR with 18-55mm EF-S IS II Lens & Canon 75-300 Lens + 58m Discount?

Camera came 2 days early. Exactly what I expected. Excellent camera,good lenses, and good aftermarket extras (Extra battery, extra charger, class 10 32G card, ect). Everything is good except the camera case I wouldn't trust to hold a disposable camera safely and a tripod that might work for a small point and shoot. It is still a good value even if you throw the junk away.

Save 27% Off