Nikon COOLPIX S9100 12.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 18x NIKKOR ED Wide-Angle Optical Zoom Lens and

Folks, this purchase came after 3 solid days of research using everything from Amazon, CNet, Infosyncworld, to YouTube. You are here, reading reviews, as I was at the beginning of my search for a great quality digital camera that was neither high-end nor cheap. Let me begin by saying that I just purchased this camera and have not gone over extensive testing myself, but rest assured that you should NOT take Amazon.com reviews for digital cameras (and a lot of other things for that matter) as the gospel. Why? Because too many people come on here, bashing good equipment when the vast majority of the time it is user error. Please, do yourself a favor and do research using professional analysis by people that test these things out and that take pictures and video that you can see for YOURSELF.

I ignored all of the reviews that didn't specifically point towards any sort of systematic malfunction and that solely complained about image quality or other things that are easily altered and messed up using settings. And also reviews that complained about their camera breaking -yeah I don't care HOW far you think you dropped it from...dropping electronics and it breaking then giving it a negative review is absurd. After narrowing my search down to the Canon S95, the Canon SX230, the Nikon s8100 and the Nikon s9100, I chose the Nikon S9100.

WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR:

1. a compact camera...not too small, not too big

2. advanced enough to get my feet wet in the world of digital photography

3. offers 1080 HD video

4. optical zoom of at LEAST 10X

5. Under $450 as I'm not ready to purchase a dSLR

6. utmost picture quality offered by a point & shoot (to include low-light performance)

WHAT MY RESEARCH TOLD ME:

1. professional review websites, not amazon reviewers, know what they are talking about when it comes to digital camera picture/video quality and they back it up with samples

2. not to rely on a handful of negative reviews to sway my decision

3. Nikon and Canon were the 2 most reliable brands offering products that met my requirements

4. cameras are going to offer stuff I don't need, won't use

5. pretty much all of the cameras are battery hogs

6. the memory card can influence camera performance/speed (wonder how many negative reviewers trashed the Nikon for their lack of putting a quality card in it eh)

MY FINAL 2 CHOICES:

1. Nikon s9100

Why over the s8100?

-well, the image quality is virtually identical DESPITE what some of the Amazon reviewers are saying because they pretty much use the same imaging system.

-s9100 has slight upgrades to scene modes, video, etc...

-s9100 is the newer model and has just dropped to a reasonable price as compared to the s8100

2. Canon sx230

Why over the S95?

-the s95 didn't shoot 1080 video (it is a 2010 model)

-the s95 had a lot of manual controls I am not ready for at this point and that I'd probably not use (this is a PRO for a lot of people)

-the s95 would likely be upgraded in the near future with a 2011 model

-the s95 cost roughly $50 more and didn't really give me anything the sx230 wouldn't at my usage level

So, How'd I decide on the Nikon S9100 over the Canon SX230:

Menu System: Canon I really liked the canon menu system and it was really fast to navigate. However, the Nikon menu was just as fast, just not as fancy or "pretty" as the Canon.

Image Quality: Tie; I found pictures taken at the store to be the same, and reviews online touted both cameras as being excellent in both low-light and bright light.

Video Quality: Tie

Picture/Video Stabilization: Picture: Tie; Video: Canon

Zoom: Nikon

Effects: Tie however the Nikon approaches some of the effects a little bit different. Canon does offer a few effects the Nikon didn't like a miniature video effect.

Audio: Tie however you will hear the zoom in your videos if you use it while recording.

Form Factor: Canon the Canon was more sleek and curvy

Comfortability: Nikon the Nikon just fit my hand better

Price: Nikon the Nikon was roughly $40 less.

In the end I REALLY liked both cameras. I'm no pro photographer, but I didn't want a battery operated purse toy either. So I don't think I would have gone wrong either way, however I just couldn't justify spending $40 more for the Canon when it really didn't offer me anything more features (that I'd use) over the Nikon. I wouldn't use the GPS function on the Canon...it is a battery hog anyway, EVEN when the camera is off unless you turn the feature off. I wouldn't really use a few of the extra effects the Canon had, and the Nikon had the better zoom. Despite Nikon's menus not being as pretty, nor the back of the camera being as pretty. I liked it's LCD screen better and was able to understand the menus just fine. In the end it was the price point and the fact the Canon had features I didn't want that led me to purchasing the Nikon.

So there it is folks (if you made it this far). Please do research and compare yourself before making a purchase based on consumer reviews. I would take a lot of these reviews with a grain of salt unless you see systematic issues EVERYONE is having with mechanical failures or hardware issues. Check out the resources I listed at the top of this article and you can't go wrong. But if you do, just be aware of the return policy and take comfort in knowing you can return.

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UPDATE 5/26/11

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Now that I've owned the camera for a little bit longer I thought I'd post another update to answer a few more questions folks might have or like to know about. I initially gave this 5 starts without owning it very long based on my initial experience with the camera and the feature set it had based on what I needed/wanted and the price point. My review is still excellent, but now I'd give it 4.5 stars due to the way it chargers and the necessity to purchase additional equip for the type of functionality I'm used to. I've been an exclusive Canon owner in the past, but this Nikon is a gem.

1. Picture Quality: Crystal clear. I have no issues with blur. Make sure you take good care of the camera and keep the lens clean.

2. Zoom: Incredible. Such a high zoom for the price point. Probably the best zoom you will find on a point & shoot.

3. Battery: Battery life is as expected. You will need to purchase at least 1 more EN12 battery as backup.

4. Charging: This camera charges with the battery inside. You charge the camera via USB into your computer or into a wall outlet. If you want to charge the battery separately you will need to purchase a separate wall mount battery charger (~$25-35 bucks). This is one reason I am lowering my review to 4.5 stars is because I feel the battery charger should have come with the camera. Charging is a big deal and we all like to be able to charge a battery AND still use the camera. You can't do that with this camera unless you buy a separate battery and the wall mount charger. That being said, it IS nice to be able to charge this camera via USB into your computer.

5. Compatibility: I have a MAC and I have zero issues. You can use iPhoto, or Picasa (from Google) or whatever else and it works fine. Also, it uses the same batteries as the S8100 and a few other models so if you are upgrading you can use your same batteries.

6. Flash: The flash works great. It has plenty of power and turns any photos in a completely dark area into a crisp colorful bright photo.

7. Size: The size is just about right. For a point & shoot, this is just about as big as you get before entering the DSLR realm. It is not pocket friendly, but is purse/bag friendly. The reason this camera is a bit bigger is to accommodate the awesome zoom as well as the larger LCD screen and flash.

8. LCD Screen: Perfect size LCD screen to view. Consider investing ~7-8 bucks into a plastic screen protector so it won't get scratched.

9. Controls: As I previously reviewed, the back of the Nikon is not as sleek or ergonomic as the Canon model(s), but nevertheless the design works fine for my hands (medium sized male hands). I am able to cleanly press all buttons and functions with no problem and I don't feel them to be cheap or to be faulty in any way.

10. Video: Great video, but stabilization will be an issue, especially at high zooms. But I knew this going in. Consider getting a tripod for serious video shooting, or prepare to film at a low zoom.

11. Effects/Modes: I love the effects and modes in this camera. You can create a lot of artistic effects without needing to use Photoshop or other expensive programs. IE. black and white photos that specifically highlight/target a single color palette illuminating a single color in your shot resulting in dramatic and beautiful shots. (by far my fav effect).

All-in-all, I'm very happy with my purchase. I just noticed the price dropped again making this camera even more of a great value. If you are looking for a small ultra portable purse camera for dinner and whatnot, look elsewhere. This one is inbetween the small point & shoots and the DSLRs. If you are looking for a high quality, yet compact enough to carry around and produce amazing shots, this is your camera. I'd say for the best review check out Infosyncworld's video review on their website or on YouTube for a closer look at it's size and capabilities.

Now I'm no professional photographer, but I am picky about how my pictures look. I have a good eye, and can be very anal about details in my photos. I've seen this camera get some bad reviews lately, and I am really perplexed by this. I looked at lots of other cameras. some costing more and some less. This was by far the best point and shoot pocket-able mega zoom out there, I thought. I read some negative reviews about sluggish focus and blurred images from here and from Best Buy's web site. I don't know if a bad batch of cameras went out? I did have some focus issues right out of the box when I started using the camera; but after inspecting the camera I noticed a nice big greasy finger print right on the lens. I'm pretty sure it wasn't from me, but I wouldn't bet my life on it though. After cleaning the lens, I have had no focus issues. The only thing I can say about the focus is that when indoors, sometimes you need to take a step back and use more zoom to get focus lock, and sometimes you might need to take a step forward and use less zoom to achieve focus lock. This happens rarely though. Most of the time my S9100 focuses fast and true. Low light shots are great indoors and out. Auto mode works pretty good for about 90% of my shots, and the rest I use the various setting or scene modes to capture the shot I want. Now I'm not saying every shot I take is perfect and clear. As with any camera digital or film. You have to expect a few bad shots. That's why I always try to take more that one shot when possible. the lcd is gorgeous. I find that if the pictures look good on the camera, they will look good on my computer. Of course different computers will yield different results. On my laptop the pictures look a bit drab or dull, but on my desk top with a high res monitor the pictures are real vivid and pleasing to the eye. I've had the camera now for almost two weeks and I love it. The long zoom is great, but even with image stabilizing enabled you will need a steady hand for clear shots at higher zoom levels. The video from the camera plays nice and smooth on my computer when I use windows media player; but when I tried quick time the video was choppy. In video mode you can take pics while recording, which is nice. There is no shutter sound when you take the picture, therefore no shutter sound in the video. You will however hear the zoom lens in your videos under quiet situations. It's not very loud, but it is noticeable. The camera starts up quick with little delay from shot to shot. I do recommend a class 6 or higher memory card. It made a big difference for me in burst mode. The camera can fire off 5 shots at a rate of 9.5 fps, but write times with a class 4 were painfully slow. I had to wait a good 9 to 10 seconds before my next shot. I am now using a class 10 and that time has been cut down to about 3 to 4 seconds. A bit of advice on memory cards. Make sure you look at the minimum and maximum write times. Not all class tens or sixes are equal. I saw a lot of class 10 cards with the same write speeds as higher end class 6 cards. I did upload a bunch of pictures so everyone can judge for themselves on quality. I guess the best advice I can give is try some test shots using various scene modes for other than there intended purpose. That's what I try to do when possible. I'll take a few pictures of the same shot using different settings. Then I view them on the computer later to see what looks best. Some other things I would like to touch on. A complaint I heard a lot about on the S8100 is the battery level wasn't displayed until the camera needed charging. It is now displayed always on the S9100. Another complaint was about flash placement on the S8100. It's in the same place for this one, but for me there is still enough room behind the flash for my finger. The flash no longer pops up automatically. It now pops up by activating a little switch on the side of the camera. This I actually like. I never cared for auto pop up flashes. Some people have complained about placement of the shutter button. That of course is an individual preference and shouldn't effect a rating. I like where it is on this camera, no problems at all. The other buttons and dials all seem to be good places and easy to activate or use. The camera itself is pretty easy to use. The interface is simple and clean. Settings are easy to get to and not buried under five or six sub menus. All in all, this is a great little camera.

Buy Nikon COOLPIX S9100 12.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 18x NIKKOR ED Wide-Angle Optical Zoom Lens and Now

The specs for the S9100 looked promising but it produced fuzzy and often out of focus still pictures making it unacceptable. In the end, I found the Nikon S8100 to have superior picture quality.

I started by taking 50 or so pictures in a variety of setting using the S9100's default settings. The results looked ok on the camera's 3" screen but once loaded to my PC, poor focusing & fuzzy/soft edges were evident in almost every photo. I wasn't ready to give up on the S9100 so I spent the next couple of days reading the manual and even buying my second choice (Nikon's S8100) for a direct comparison. I am upgrading from a Sony DSC-P200 (3x zoom, 7.2 MP) which produces good pictures but has a small field of view, only a 3X zoom and only does so so in low light. So my final comparison was between all 3 cameras.

After reading the S9100's manual I adjusted some of the default settings in the hope it would improve the photo quality:

* Auto Focus (AF) mode: I selected Center mode instead of the default. This tells the camera to focus on the center of the screen instead of the default. The default attempts to guess at what you want to focus on which in my experience was the closest object.

* ISO Setting: I changed the default to limit the ISO range to 400 max (Suggested in some other/similar Nikon camera reviews).

* Auto vs. Scene modes: For indoor photos I selected the indoor scene mode.

Of the 3 changes to the default setting above, only the AF Center change seemed to impact my test photos. I was able to tell the camera what object I wanted to focus on but even then focus was hit or miss.

With the S9100 settings tweaked I again took the same 50 or so photos I took earlier using the factory default setting and compared them to the same shots taken with the Nikon S8100 and Sony DSC-P200. The results:

Even when the S9100 appeared to focus on the proper object the photos were still fuzzy/soft when views on my pc. The more I zoomed in on the photos on my PC the more I could see the flaws. When I viewed the same photos taken on the Nikon S8100 and Sony DSC-P200 for the most part they were superior/crisper than the S9100 though the Sony could not zoom in nearly as close as the S9100 or S8100. The test photos were not particularly challenging... Indoors with lights on and Outdoors in midday daylight With/without flash, wide/ zoomed, Auto/ indoor scene modes and focusing on various objects only some of which should challenge the AF. If the S9100 can't handle these basic shots there's no point testing more challenging tasks like low light, fast action or HD video.

Conclusion: The S8100 has superior (But by no means prefect) picture quality in these basic everyday situations and has the zoom upgrade I was looking for, it's a keeper. The S9100's poor picture quality is a show stopper, it's going back.

Considering the specs how could this be? I'm no expert but one possible cause is the image stabilization process... The S8100 uses Lens shift and S9100 uses Senor shift. Of course perhaps I happened to get a defective camera.

For those of you who are wonder what I mean by Fuzzy/Soft. A picture of a couch with patterns in the pillows... the edge of the pillow with a wall in behind it looked fuzzy and the pattern on the pillow looking as if the lines in the patterns were blended/feathered with the S9100 but sharper/crisper with the S8100. Pictures that involved text, whether it be a birthday card on a hutch or the lighting instructions on my grill, were clear and easily read in the s8100 photos but blurred/fuzzy to the point where I could only guess what the words were with the S9100.

Read Best Reviews of Nikon COOLPIX S9100 12.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 18x NIKKOR ED Wide-Angle Optical Zoom Lens and Here

I usually use a cumbersome system consisting of a Nikon D300 and

numerous accessories. Naturally I don't carry this gear with me all

the time, and I wanted a small camera as a constant companion and as a

backup. I ordered the Nikon S9100 before it was reviewed. While I was

waiting to receive it the first reviews came out, and I admit I

was worried by the negative comments describing the S9100's purported

poor focusing ability. Perhaps, as one reviewer remarked, there is a

bad batch out there, but I am pleased to say that my copy of the 9100

has no trouble focusing. In fact it does everything I wanted it to,

and I'm very pleased with it. You don't have the control you have with a

full blown DSLR but this marvel of technology fits amazing abilities into a

very small package. In fact it has some abilities that my D300

doesn't have, specifically the easy panorama facility, and the option to

take videos (of up to half an hour in length). The one feature that

sold me on this particular point and shoot is its incredible zoom

range. I would recommend the S9100 to anybody who wants to combine

maximum portability with extreme ability.

Want Nikon COOLPIX S9100 12.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 18x NIKKOR ED Wide-Angle Optical Zoom Lens and Discount?

When I went to Best Buy, it was only to play with the SLR camera's. I couldn't decide between the Nikon D3100, or the Canon Rebel. After getting a new job as a food photographer, I wanted to upgrade from my current camera, the Kodak Z981, to something with a few more options. I've ALWAYS used only Kodak cameras because of their user friendly operation and editing software. Unfortunately, after only 10 minutes with the SLR's, I realized it was WAAAAAY more camera than I was ever going to use...and I couldn't operate it if my life depended on it. I was getting ready to leave when I figured I'd check out what was new in the world of regular digital cameras. That's when I ran into this little guy.

I talked with a very knowledgeable Best Buy associate who, after explaining exactly what I want and need in a camera, pointed me to this camera, and the Nikon Coolpix P500. After playing with both of them and finding them very similar (the only major difference being the P500 has a 35X zoom, which I don't need), I really liked the size of this camera. I never thought in a million years I would go this small when purchasing a new camera, but I absolutely love it.

I've taken numerous photos with this camera (mainly of food, since that's what I do), and they are stunning (I've shared some above)! There's actually a 'Food' setting under scene mode, but I prefer the 'Close-up' setting...makes the colors seem a bit more vivid IMO. I've taken pictures of my son playing outside using both Auto Mode and Sports Mode, and they came out crisp and clear...no blurry hands and legs!

This camera is super easy to use and you can jump right into taking pictures with ease. I only needed to consult the user manual about a couple things, like how to delete multiple photos at once. If you're a Nikon veteran though, you probably already know how to do this on one of their cameras. I didn't download the software that came with this, the ViewNX 2 program. When I plugged the camera into my computer I was able to send my photos to my Kodak EasyShare Program. I'm just not ready to part with my photo editing software yet, so I'll keep Kodak around for that purpose.

Overall, I ABSOLUTELY recommend this camera. If I could change anything about it, it would two things. I would love to switch the Mode Dial and the Shutter Release Button around. I think the shutter button is just a bit too far in towards the middle of the camera. The ideal place for it would be on the far right edge of the top of the camera, where the mode dial currently is. Also, the little door on the bottom of the camera that opens to reveal the USB port is a little flimsy and annoying. It's a rubbery flap you have to pop open then spin around out of the way so you can plug the cord in. It's a cumbersome design since this port gets so much use...it's not only how you get pics onto your computer (unless you take your memory card out and do it that way), but it's also how you charge the battery. OH...and THAT is awesome! To charge your battery, just plug the camera into the wall or your computer...no buying new batteries or having to remove them from the camera to put them in a charger (my Kodak was like that...4 AA batteries that have to be removed and placed in a wall charger...VERY aggravating to have to remember to bring the charger with us on vacations. Even more aggravating when I forget).

Well, I think that about covers it. This is a great little camera, but don't be fooled by it's small size. It has TONS of features, settings, editing options right on the camera itself (my favorite is Miniature Mode), and an 18X zoom! I'm a little sad to be ending my lifelong relationship with Kodak cameras but, judging by how great this Nikon has been in the few short weeks I've had it, I think I'll get over it.

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Wansview Outdoor Waterproof Wifi Wireless/wired Ip Camera with Night Vision, Motion Detection Alarm

This cam is a Wansview NC543W.

UPDATE: 2.12.2013

Cam is still functional :) What I thought was wonky color balance is I believe due to no IR cut filter, the IR emitters are always on which screws up the color balance.

UPDATE: 3/15/2012

The cam still works! Yea! The color balance is still awful. Boo!

UPDATE: 4/19/2011

It took about five days of emailing back and forth to finally get ATC-whatever-LLC of Naperville, IL interested in sending me a new cam. Customer service after the sale with ATC-whatever-LLC of Naperville, IL is very poor. I would never buy another product from them ever again.

UPDATE: 3/30/2011

The cam stopped working about two or three weeks ago. If I power-cycled the cam, it would work for about five minutes and then become unresponsive. Wansview emailed me the firmware after I contacted them about the problem, loaded the firmware and then the cam seemed to work okay. After about an hour of operation, it was broken again. I'm done with this cam. I think (not sure though) this cam appears in different permutations Smarteye for one. Dealing with Chinese support via email was very cordial and they were responsive, but completely unproductive.

After reading the seller's (not Amazon unfortunately it was ATC-whatever-LLC) return policy, it was a bit convoluted and I'm not sure what the warranty policy is. After reading ATC's diatribe about returns, I think I'm going to throw the cam away and never buy a product from ATC-whatever-LLC again and probably never buy a Wansview cam or its other variation, the Smarteye (assuming I'm correct about the relationship.)

What a shame...

--End of update--

NOTE: All features and functions will work in Internet Explorer (like two way sound.) You can view the video in Firefox/Safari/Chrome/etc., but you will not have full features and functionality.

I have several webcams keeping an eye on our ranch and I do have a bit of experience with higher-end models (Toshiba/Panasonic) so this review will evaluate this cam relative to my experience.

Basically, you shouldn't expect a ~$90 cam to perform like a ~$900 dollar one. There are a lot of trade-offs with the low-end models a poor quality manual (in this case written in 'Chinglish') that assumes you already know most of what they are attempting to describe to you (they don't want to spend a penny more on a tech writer than absolutely necessary.)

The firmware might not be as fully developed as other higher-priced cams case in point with this one is there are no real color balance controls. You get 50 or 60 hertz or outdoor mode. In lower light conditions, the color balance is really, *really* bad. The color balance might be really bad in brighter light, but I don't know since that is not my application for this cam. And the image sensor might not be first quality and size of it makes a huge difference. This cam will display a max resolution of 640x480, not too bad and a useful size.

So what about this cam?

For about 90 bucks, it is a pretty good deal. Here are some caveats and features:

it is a good deal if you do not need detailed step-by-step instructions to set it up

it is a good deal if color balance isn't a big issue

it is a good deal if you can deal with a *very* incomplete manual it has no explanation about the audio out, audio in, alarm connections, or any API (application programming interface.) In fact, it is like Wanssview allocated xx dollars (Yen?) to the manual when that amount was reached, they pulled the plug on the tech writer. To be blunt, the user manual sucked big-time

the IR (infrared) night view was very good. I don't know about the range since my objective is to keep an eye on an automatic animal feeder which was only about eight feet away from the cam. In total darkness, I can plainly see the feeder in all detail. I was impressed!

it has no built-in microphone or speaker, but has the capability of both. The microphone feature does work I tried it!

in lower light the cam is not particularly fast you will get image blur on an alarm trigger

If you buy this cam, "OSD" means On Screen Display this is not mentioned anywhere in the manual. For "Motion Detect Armed" Motion Detect Sensibility [sic] 1 is the least sensitive and 10 is the most it took an email to China to figure this out. 7 seems to work the best for me.

If 90 bucks won't make a difference with your kids eating and having adequate clothing or not, buy this cam and play with it. If 90 bucks *is* a big deal to you, I would stick with Linksys, Dlink, Panasonic, etc.

Update 7/26/12:

All of these cameras seem to have the same "flashing" problem. It isn't clear if it is the "IR Cut" filter or some other problem. They also might as well be black-and-white given how terrible the color is. If something happened and video from this camera needed to be submitted to authoritiesit would be next to impossible to actually identify anyone in it.

The "flashing" problem seems to occur at a particular light level (much too bright for the "IR Cut" filter if it is working normally), so at least twice a day (or more often in changing weather conditions) the cameras brightness rapidly changes between light and dark for 30 minutes or more. This triggers both the camera's internal "motion detector", as well as the motion detection algorithms in security DVR software like Blue Iris or iSpy. In other wordsyour mailbox, FTP server, or DVR will fill up with completely useless images, very quickly.

Technical support via email says a "Factory Reset" will fix the problem. Not only doesn't it fix the problembut you then have to set everything up again from scratch, which is a problem if you are using them via WiFi in a not-easily-accessible location.

Alsomounting these cameras outdoors means you pretty much have to cut and splice the 5v power cord, and use a lot of tape or an outdoor box to keep the connectors in. They come with a short cable and a set of connectors that you would have to drill a 1.5" hole in the wall to route inside. The power supply is only indoor rated, and is too big to put in an "In-Use" covered GFCI box. Of courseyou can't return them without the factory-provided power supply...

Update 6/12/12:

I dropped my rating to two stars.

While probably still a good value for the money, these cameras have at least one serious issue. I returned one, but the replacement has the same problem. A friend of mine bought two cameras at the same time I did, and has the same issue with hers as-well. The cameras flip randomly between their "IR CUT" filter and normal in certain lighting conditions. This causes random light/dark flashing at various times throughout the day. This flashing, besides being extremely annoying, also trips the "motion alarm", sending hundreds (or in the case of one of my camerasthousands) of bogus motion alarm pictures out. If you use their software to record videoyou will get many-many hours of nothing but flashing video filling up your HDD.

One solution I found online is to either color-over or tape-over the light sensor on the camera. Tried thatdoesn't work. I requested support on Wansview's Web site a week ago, and have heard nothing. There also aren't any firmware updates available for these cameras. I guess we can keep returning them for new ones, but since this is happening on 4 out of 4 (actually 5 if I count the one I've already returned) it's pretty clear it is a manufacturing defect. All four came from different vendors (via Amazon) Wansview should just give one the option to turn the stupid filter OFF! They do seem to work quite well at night, but during the daythey are almost useless for hours at a time.

Leaving my old review here for reference...

I recently bought two of this most-recent version of Wansview outdoor security camera: NC543W. The camera has a solid aluminum housing and appears to be well-sealed from the elements. I bought three similar cameras last year. They are cheap and the picture quality definitely isn't HD, but they are very usable.

The camera's I bought last year came with terrible "Chinelish" manuals that were almost impossible to read. They also didn't come with any kind of viewing/recording software, forcing me to use marginally-implemented browser-based viewers or 3rd-party software. I'm very happy to say that this has changed for these two most-recent purchases. More effort was clearly put into the user's manual, and the included "multi-view" software works very well. The really big bonus with the viewer software is the ability to record video, as opposed to just still images.

As another bonusthe cameras will work with uPnP routers (or you can manually set up tunneling) and Wansview provides a DDNS server, making it very easy to set the cameras up for remote viewing. The manual does a decent job of describing the setup for this, but non-geeks may need to get a bit of help configuring their router if necessary.

The camera has an "automatic" software color filter that is supposed to just kick in when in IR nigh-vision mode. I suspect this may be causing problems for some. I've found the color during the day to be very acceptable. In low-light there is a definite color shift, mostly noticeable at dusk and dawn.

I really only have two issues with these cameras, preventing a 5-star rating:

I can't get the Internet Explorer version of their Web viewer to work. I've tried it on three computers. The plugin install seems to "blow up" and I get nothing but a blank view. It's possible this is due to over-zealous security settings on my part, but I'm not going to lower my standards to install a plugin. I don't get any kind of an error message or pop-up. The other browser version works just fine on Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. It also works great on iPhone and iPad, although there are some great 3rd party camera viewers for them, as well as Android, that work fine with these cameras.

It is difficult to accomplish a good outdoor mount of them due to the length of the connector cable and the size of the network jack. If you want an inexpensive "clean" installyou pretty much have to drill a 1" hole to route the cables through to the inside. The power adapter and its cable are not outdoor rated, and it doesn't appear any of the other connectors will last long outdoors without some kind of protection. It's probably possible to cram everything into a water-tight exterior box, which is something I'm going to experiment with. I'd much rather drill a small hole for the power adapter cable (and network cable, if necessary) than a 1" one. Tacking things up under an eave seems to be the cheapest option, and I don't believe that will make it through winter. Power-over-Ethernet would make things easier, but would likely raise the price of the camera.

Like I saidit's a great camera for the price. If you want good color balance and a higher resolution with more featureslook at spending 3-10x as much. If you want a reliable (at least in my experience) security camera and don't have a lot of money to spendthis is a great deal.

One bit of adviceit is difficult to tweak the motion-sensor sensitivity, especially outdoors where things like trees and shrubs blowing in the wind can set it off. This isn't really the fault of the camerait's just the nature of such systems. These cameras can generate a LOT of email, so if you use that method of "alarm" notificationsget yourself another email account with a lot of space on one of the big providers. That way you won't flood your personal email account. If you use FTPyou will want to frequently audit the server's disk usage, or use an automated process to delete older uploads. If using the multi-view software to record videobe sure to enable the feature that automatically deletes older videos if you are running out of disk space. I recommend using a dedicated partition or external disk.

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Review Update of 7/25/11

A NEW (replacement) Wansview NC543/W outdoor wireless IP camera arrived today! The seller honored their (3-year) warranty by returning a New camera, not a refurbished unit! Based on this experience, I highly recomment the (Chicago) seller and Wansview camreas! The other two cameras are still working Great on my wireless network!

Review Update of 7/23/11

I was just notified that the seller was sending me a new camera to replace the defective camera. If that's true, I'm impressed! I'll post a final review when it arrives.

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Review Update on Wansview Warranty Problem

Perhaps I was too hasty in my first review, so I have changed it. I finally received a RMA & address to return the camera, which was returned on 7/13/2011. I'll post another update when the camera is returned.

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This review is about a Wansview NC543W warranty problem.

I purchased three of these cameras in a popular auction Website in Nov.Dec. 2010. They have worked very well since installation (only about 6 7 months), until recently when one camera just "died". It has no power and you cannot communicate with the camera via a CAT5E cable nor wirelessly. Additionally, the camera does not show up with the "IP Camera Tool" that looks for any camera on the LAN, even when it's plugged directly into the router.

The problem I have is not so much with the camera, although I'm beginning to be concerned with the quality of Wansview products. My biggest concern and problem is with the Chicago, IL seller in trying to get warranty repair/replacement/RMA shipping instructions. At first they were very helpful in trying to understand the details of the problem. Although it took a little time & patience, when all the details were provided, the seller agreed to examine my defective camera, and replace it.

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Product died within a few hours on being installed. No support by the company, nor will they exchange it under their 'warranty'.

Avoid this company and its products.

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This camera same as HooToo HT-IP212 Outdoor Wired/Wireless Surveillance Camera. Same problems:I am very disappointed with this camera. In the wireless mode camera works only within 10Ft. This is it.

I am Computer and Network Engineer with 17 years of experience. I am setting up a various PCs and computer based devises all day long. I know how network works very well. This camera is a POS.

Do Not Buy it unless you want to use it as a hard wired camera. You can connect RJ 45 directly to you Router. But if you have to run a wire, than you do not need the wireless component.

Software is not too bad, but camera sometimes loses its network settings and you will need to re-set it again.

eForCity 25ft Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable, Version 1.3, 1080p, Black

I ordered 2 cables and could not use them right away, after thirty days I hooked them up and the hdmi would not produce a clear picture or audio. I tried other cables I had that were shorter to test the system. all perfect picture! I do not reccomend this seller or this product. DO NOT TAKE A CHANCE! Try Aurum Ultra series for better quality at an affordable price!

Please do not go out and spend $$$$ on expensive HDMI cables

if you do not actually need them. These work just fine.

I am using them in applications where the video and sound are going

from a laptop to a 60 inch LCD HDTV and from a Blu-ray player to a 52

inch LCD HDTV. Both work perfectly. I have heard you need higher quality

cables for carrying multi-channel surround sound signals, but I think that is

a lot snobbery and wishful thinking.

The male ends of these HDMI cables fit nice and snug in the female receptacles

of the various equipment I am using.

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Works really well to connect my tablet to my tv and being able to see everything. Quality is great and sound is perfect

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JVC GRDVM80U MiniDV Digital Camcorder with Built-in Digital Still Mode

I bought this one, and then returned it a month later. The main reason is that the GR-DVM90U is about the same price, and there are two features that are well worth the upgrade to the 90U. The first is the memory card for digital stills. The 80U doesn't have it -digital stills are stored on the Mini-DV cassette. This is incredibly inconvenient. The second feature is a flash for digital stills. It makes a huge difference, and I have taken some pretty good quality stills with my new 90U. If you already have a digital camera, and don't want to use this camcorder for stills, the 80U is OK. However, if you want to use it for stills, it's well worth it to upgrade to the 90U.

When I first saw this tiny DV camcorder, I said to myself, "wow, I can't believe this is so small! It must be really expensive." Wrong. In fact, despite the engineering required to reduce the size of this camcorder to something so small that one wonders how a lens, LCD, battery, and MiniDV tape even fit in it, JVC has managed to offer this for a really great price. Now, with amazon.com's $... price tag, this item is simply irresistable. While many buyers will not immediately appreciate the small size of the camcorder before actually using it, thinking that they don't mind lugging around something that is 2-3x its volume (as most DV camcorders are), what happens is that you find yourself able and willing to carry this thing around with you almost wherever you go, and suddenly filming becomes something that can be done anywhere, anytime rather than something you have to plan for in advance. This advantage alone is almost priceless. Additionally, the GR-DVM80U takes excellent video. The lens is tack-sharp, and the digital image stabalization, while slightly reducing image quality, works quite well. The 680K pixel CCD is not good enough to take decent stills but no DV cameras take good stills. Color saturation is excellent, with little or no chromatic aberation. So what's wrong with this little guy? If, as I am, you are into digital video editng with your computer (despite claims by many DV camcorder manufacturers, the editing function that are built into the camcorders are pretty much useless), the GR-DVM80U may not be your best bet. Unfortunately, this camcorder is not as compatible with the majority of editing software, both on the mac and PC side, as are many of the Sony and Canon camcorders. Many applications had trouble recognizing this JVC, including one which failed to establish any communication. My strong recommendation is that if you plan on using the camcorder for computer editing, please check with the software company to ensure that their software is compatible with this camera. In conclusion, this tiny, extremely low-priced camera is a simply fantastic piece of electronics, much better for its size and price than any other DV camera I have used (from Sony, Canon, or Panasonic). Image quality is excellent, build quality is superior, and even when I dropped it three feet on a hard surface, nothing resulted except for a minor scratch! If you plan on doing video editing, this may not be the camera for you, unless you specifically ensure that it works with your particular application. Otherwise, I stronly recomment this product to all DV enthusiasts!

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I've had the 50U for 3 years and it has never disappointed me. It is compact, rugged and handsome. The quality of the movies is excellent (mini DVs), and the quality of the still pictures is good (though not as good as any of the >2 megapixel cameras available). The drawbacks, as I see them, are the expense of the media (the mini DVs for film and the MultiMediaCards for stills are about the most expensive choices around), the limited still photo resolution (yields slightly grainy 5 x 7s), a fairly noisy motor, and an eyepiece cover that tends to allow blowing dirt or sand to enter the optics more frequently than I'd like. Nonetheless, the 80U, adding image stabilization, makes this camera an all-around winner, and at this price too good a deal to pass up.

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I got the camcorder about a month ago but only spend about 2 weeks with it because it was in the repair shop most of the time. It seems that this camcorder is incompatible with TDK tapes. There were no mention of it anywhere in the manual or in the packaging. They should at least include a recent updated notice on the problem. After using the TDK tape for 15 minutes, the picture became distorted and the message "Head cleaning required" appeared. I took it to the shop and the technician said the video heads were damage and need to be replaced. After calling JVC on the phone, they told me alot of people had call in about the same problem. I'm surprised no one mention it in their reviews or I would have stay away from the TDK tapes.

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Do not buy a JVC camcorder!!! Just a couple of months after buying a JVC GRDVM80U an "E04" error start popping in th screen. Apparently the machinery is very sensitive to tapes lubricants and other compounds. Cleaning the head is not enough the camara just becomes useless (Well, you can probably fix it for $350, but then it will break down again soon) Search the web for "E04 JVC" and you'll know how frequent and fustrating this error is and I was surprised to learn it is not restricted to this model. JVC just ignores the problem and blames the tape manufacturers. It might function as an average camera if you are willing to give up using a tape ... and recording.

HDE® Mini Display Port to HDMI Adapter Cable - 6 ft.

Works for Surface Pro. Lots cheaper than Microsoft. I wish it was black rather than Apple white, but that doesn't affect function.

Hooked it up, searched in youtube for relevant video to determine settings to send vid and audio to tv. Did not plug into my home theatre receiver yet only because it was just a quick hookup. Initially, without tweaking any settings on the mac all I got was the wallpaper of the mac. After viewing the youtube video, this is how I did the settings:

1) go to Systems Preferences, click on Display (the menu will be seen on the tv)

2) click on Arrangement and click on Mirror Display

3) go back to the menu and click Sound and select hdmi cable and that will get the sound through hdmi to your tv.

and that's all there is to it. The link I used was

And under $9 for the cable. Not bad.

Update 5/9/2012 connected to a/v receiver and watched a netflix streamed movie. Worked perfectly. A note of caution, if you purchase an extension to use with this cable you may not get the result you want. I got "unsupported signal...." with a skinny 10 ft cable. Other reviewers said the same thing for that cable. You might be better off opting for a longer mini display port to hdmi instead.

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It really works well. I did end up having to use an aux cord for sound, my macbook pro was purchased in early 2010. Apparently middle 2010 they updated the hdmi output thing to include sound. So just know that if you purchased your macbook pro early in 2010 or before you will need an aux cord too.

I'm very satisfied with the picture of the screen on my tv, I didn't expect it to look so clear!!

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Works for video but I can't get the sound to come through my tv. Although it should using my Mac....nothing has worked, so we use the laptop for the sound.

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I've been using this cable for about two weeks now in order to connect my mid-2009 macbook pro to my new LED-LCD monitor. It works great! The cable seems to be constructed decently and the ends seem to fit fine without much jiggle. I will say that on the macbook side of the cable, I'm using a cable clip to just relieve some potential strain that the cable could pose on the computer (this isn't necessary, but I just don't want to risk port damage over time).

I'll address one more thing. If you want to connect your mac to an HDMI monitor/tv, you could either use a cable like this, or an adapter like (http://www.amazon.com/DisplayPort-Female-Adapter-Cable-Macbook/dp/B008X6C4I4/ref=sr_1_18?m=A3V6BK4D0HKA8F&s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1362155897&sr=1-18). The only reason you might want to go with an adapter is if you already have an extra HDMI cable, or you frequently hook your computer up to projection/presentation equipment. Keep in mind that HDMI is a digital signal, so even a cheap cable should be fine. It's not like analog, where extra shielding can make a big difference).

Anyways, I'd recommend this cable highly.

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Eleqtronics4U Premier HDMI Cable - 2 Meter (6.6 Feet), 24k Gold contacts, V1.3, Ferrite Cores: Blu-

What a great cable. Fast shipping and it works beautifully. My big screen TV has never looked better. The shipping was quick, the seller provided great service. I am going to buy 5 more since these cables are better quality than what my cable service provided for me. Eleqtronics4u, great job!

Eleqtronics4U's HDMI Cables work great! I recently purchased one for my Apple TV, and was amazed by the clarity of the picture and sound. I have been forced to purchase much more expensive cables in the past, only because I did not know any better but I will never spend $50-100 on HDMI cables again. You will never be able to tell a difference between this cable and a more expensive HDMI cable purchased at a home theater store. I would highly recommend this product for any application needing an HDMI cable

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I still can't believe retail stores want 70 to 100 bucks for this!!

I have never used one until this one and when it came, it was easy to figure out what to do. Plug it in and play.

I use it to connect my laptop to my HDtv and watch movies/ listen to Pandora/ use the computer from the comfort of my sofa!

If you are older, this is a great way to use a laptop without having the tiny screen issue.

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I have purchased many HDMI cables over the years, and often succumb to the $70-100 price tags of the Monster Cables available at Best Buy and other retail stores. I recently purchased an Apple Tv, a Playstation 3 and got a new HD DVR cable box to hook up to my 60" Pioneer Elite Plasma TV. Expressing my disinterest in wanting to spend another $300 in video cables, I was referred to Eleqtronics4U by a friend. I reviewed Eleqtronics4U's product description and they seemed to have all of the same features as a monster cable, but I was still skeptical about the price. I went ahead and ordered three cables anyway, and hooked up my components. When I fired up my Blu Ray player the Picture was amazing, and I had the same experience with all of my components!!!!! Compared to a Monster cable, I could not tell any difference whatsoever. I have since spread the word to all of my friends who are investing in Home theater equipment. I will never pay outrageous store prices for HDMI cables again. I would highly recommend these cables, they are identical in performance to a monster cable but they are the best deal you'll find!!

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I am always socked at the price of HDMI cables in the stores. I have bought several different "price points" over the years and still cannot see or hear a difference. This cable connects my Roku to a large HD TV with no issues at all !

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Professional Cable MDP-HDMI Mini DisplayPort to HDMI 6-in Cable - White

The product description says that this adapter supports "compressed audio", and one of the other reviewers said they got audio from a MacBook Pro through it. It didn't work for me. I plugged it in, got perfect video through my HDMI switching receiver to my TV, but no audio. The System Preferences "Sound" panel does not show a second audio output device.

I then ordered another adapter that specifically says that it supports audio out from new MBPs, and that one works. My receiver now appears as a 2nd audio output device in System Preferences, and when I select it the sound works.

This adapter is great if all you want is video out, or if you have a pre-mid-2010 MacBookPro that doesn't output audio through DisplayPort anyway. However, if you want audio out from a new MBP, do not get this.

The description is misleading, I think. It makes it seem like it would support sound output. I think most people would buy this to use with an MBP. Don't waste peoples' time just say that it doesn't support audio from an MBP in the description. Also, I emailed the vendor and they haven't responded for 3 days now. Oh well, at least it was only ~$7 with shipping.

I placed my order despite some negative reviews I've read regarding this product---and I'm glad I did!

The product looks and feels like an OEM from apple (nice white color, not grayish). It's plug and play, I didn't even have to adjust anything on my macbook pro. As soon as i got it, i hooked it up on my MBP to my samsung 5 series HDTV and played online movies, youtube, etc and it worked like a charm! I was surprised it even carried the audio! (SOME REVIEWERS SAID THERES NO AUDIO).....and BTW, the seller shipped it fast too.

Great deal. I'm very pleased!

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Not much to say, other than this product works great for connecting your Apple laptop to your TV or other HDMI interface. Just be aware that the display port on the Apple laptops is purely that display only. So, you will need to connect the audio port from your laptop to audio in on your TV if you want your sound to come out of the same display device you are connecting to.

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It can take the video from the mac to the tv, but no audio like an HDMI cable should.. so its not what I was hoping for.

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This works great with my MacBook Pro. My TV and it Avatar-ed to each other is a beautiful thing--on the eyes. No sound transfer. Lame.

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Optoma PRO250X 2800 Lumen XGA DLP Multimedia Projector

I've had this projector for about 2 1/2 years connected to a Mac mini for image and movie projection. The colors have been hard to control overall. Just this past week, I have started to notice dead pixels up to 7 now. With light use, I am surprised that this happened after only 2 years. Before the dead pixels, I would have recommended this projector for light use, but now I would look for a better option.

Bought this in a hurry 14 months ago. Over 2000 hours on the lamp so far.

Great picture for nightly movies with dinner. Foreign films, comedy, everything plays well for a family of film buffs. Easy size adjust for various aspect ratios. Lacks focus control on remote, but fine for our ceiling mount.

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Loved this projector at first but after about a year it started showing a few dead pixels, which rapidly spread so that the picture was totally worthless. Replaced it with another of the same model, only to have the new one start showing dead pixels after just 2 months. Again, projector is great except for this problem, and this problem is supposedly rare for dlp projectors, but two out of two is not rare enough for me!

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I'd recommend this. Though, I can't tell how durable it is until after years of use but operation and controls are very good, color is as good as LCD monitor, and brightness is ample even at lower intensity setting.

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These things claim great bulb life, And that may be true. But it doesn't look like I'm going to find out first hand. The rate at which these (white) dead pixels are multiplying... It's going to be like I'm watching Star Wars all the time within a week.

Q-See QM6008B-2 High-Resolution 600TVL Cameras Black

You can't beat the Q-see quality/value ratio. I paid 80 dollars for a two pack and ended up ordering two to replace some k-guard 420 TVL cameras. There is a 4 pack available but at the time of writing this, the 4 pack was 299! You can really tell the difference between 420 and 600 tvl. I would say about the difference between VHS and DVD quality; not HD but decent enough to make out faces much more so then the 420.

I have mine mounted underneath the eaves of my roof above some motion security lights; I cannot tell the difference between when the motion lights are off vs on, the night vision is that good. (There is a little clicking noise when the camera activates the physical B&W filter, I'm not sure how reliable that will be over the life of the product, but it sounds well made if that makes sense) However, my roof line is pretty short so the eaves are only 10 maybe 12 feet above the ground and during the night the IR blasters are so powerful they really blow out white areas and the camera has to self adjust which it does, but probably not fast enough to catch the face of an intruder. I would say it took .5 maybe 1 second to adjust to the blow out. That being said, this only occurs when someone is really close to the lens, so if your camera is mounted up high I don't see this being a problem. The quality is very good and will help in identifying faces.

Included in the box are two 60ft cables, decent quality, and a BNC to RCA adapter so you could plug the cameras straight into a monitor with RCA in for testing.

There is also a little tip sheet indicating first use may show a really dark picture. To resolve that you have to put your hand over the lens for 10 seconds to "calibrate" the camera... I did not have to do this and they worked right out of the box.

The main reason I bought these was to upgrade from 420 tvl to 600 tvl but I was very impressed the build quality of the cameras over my previous k-guard ones. The cables are routed through the mount so its impossible that they can get cut. However there is a routed slot in the base to route the cable out the bottom if your installation doesn't permit the other option. The glare shade is removable and adjustable but there are no slots that it slides into or locks into place in any way. It just kind of "hugs" the contours of the camera body, but it is very snug and I don't see it coming off accidentally.

What you see in the amazon picture is what you get, a very nice darker shade of silver (anodized?), very bright IR blaster, good quality auto-focus 600 tvl sensor (if a little slow to adjust) and excellent build quality at this price point. I highly recommend them!

These are absolutely great cameras for the price. Quality is much better than 400 line cameras. Video is sharp both at night and during the day.

But, if it were possible to give a 4.5 instead I would have dinged them half a point for the mounts. Getting correct aim is more of a challenge with the supplied brackets then a ball-type joint would have been. There are three different joints you have to play with. If you're at the top of a 24' ladder trying to get the aim correct, it's a little challenging. But the video quality is worth it (since I didn't fall and kill myself in the aiming process :).

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UPDATE: 12.18.12, My review was written when these cameras were purchased at seventy-nine dollars for the 2-pack. At that price I would still consider them a five star camera. However, the price has jumped to one-hundred-forty-nine dollars for the pair. The previous price did count for at least one star. Luckily I bought another pair before the price increase.

The cameras are well made and appear vandal proof. All metal construction with removable shield that I painted white to make them a bit more stealthy (see pic).

60' cables and power adapter are included making these cameras truly plug and play. 600 TVL provides a decent image but don't expect crystal clear images at distances over 50 feet. The IR works but is somewhat grainy at 60+ feet.

I use these with a Q-See QS458 8 Channel DVR. They are too sensitive at level 1 so I backed them down to Level 2 sensitivity. No more false recordings from the palm tree in the front yard.

Installation is moderately easy for a DIY'er. To make them truly vandal proof you need to pass the cables through the middle of the mount that way they cannot be cut. Or mount them high enough to prevent cutting (see pic).

By piecing your surveillance system together, instead of buying a kit, you can save money and get better cameras. These 2 600 TVL cameras, plus a QS458 DVR w/ 1tb HDD Video Rated was only $321. I bought the DVR w/o a HDD so I could add a better HDD than what is normally included on the kit deals.

While I was up in the attic running camera cables I also ran an extra CAT5 cable from the router to the DVR. This puts the surveillance system on the network allowing us to view the cameras from anywhere, even our Android phones.

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This Q-See bundle is a fantastic value because you get 2 cameras, not just one. For non-professional-grade monitoring at a low cost, I would definitely recommend this product. The cameras are constructed of metal and are quite sturdy. The cables are Y shaped on both ends, and color-coded and labeled as to which end connects to the DVR and which end connects to the camera. One small AC adapter powers both cameras. I used a BNC to RCA adapter to connect the cameras to my TV. The cable routes through the base and then through your wall, so it can't be cut from the outside by vandals or intruders. Setup was quite easy and I was ready to test out my cameras within 10 minutes of unboxing. I didn't have to calibrate the sensors.

I tested the camera in normal household lighting, dim indoor and outdoor lighting, and total darkness. Under normal lighting, faces were easy to recognize. Under low lighting or darkness, the camera switches to infrared mode (color drops off) and faces become a bit harder to distinguish, but not by much. This isn't a problem unless you are trying to identify the faces of total strangers from more than 20 ft away. Clothes and other features are still clearly visible and sharp. There's no lag or interference, and what surprised me was the camera being able to catch specs of dust floating around in front of the lens! (My basement is dusty).

I put one of the camera in a room of total darkness and panned it around. The infrared sensors worked impressively. I saw all my furniture and clutter in bright grey scale, with no loss of clarity. Aiming it down an unlit corridor, I got about 30 ft of clear visibility towards the back of the house. For outdoor monitoring, effective range varies a lot with lighting conditions and obstructions. You'll have to play around with placement to get the best angles and performance from the infrared LEDs. For best results, you shouldn't have any objects in your line of sight close to the camera, as the infrared will bounce off these surfaces and blow out the image to white. I had some rose bush branches near my lens, for example, which limited the range of the camera. After repositioning to a clear line of sight, I got a good view of my neighbor's porch about 30-35 ft away. I think this is the ideal radius for outdoor night-time monitoring with the Q-See. But again, your mileage may vary.

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had a haze and circle at night-had to return cameras-not clear -very disappointed-have to shop around again-will try to increase TVL ,this one was 600 TVL.see if that makes a different

Olympus PEN E-P2 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5

I got mine on Saturday from a camera store here in Austin. The camera is nice and small but feels very solid. I was interested in the EP1 but could never get my mind around the practice of viewing and focusing on the back LCD screen. I was interested in this product segment because I have a collection of the Pen F half frame film cameras that this one is based on. I was very happy to learn that several people are making adapters that will allow me to use those old Pen F lenses on the EP2. I am looking forward to using two of my old favorites, the 60mm f1.5 and the 70mm f2.

I took the EP2 and the kit zoom lens out for a three hour spin yesterday morning. It was 30 degrees outside and the first thing I discovered is that this is not a camera with an interface you can use with gloves on. The buttons are too small and require too much pressure with gloves.

In daylight I didn't notice any real problem with focusing. It was not as slow as I was led to believe. BUT, it does do this little "focus on either side of sharp" and then lock and shoot that takes a few tenths of a second each time you autofocus. The cure is to switch the focus on control to the fn button or the ael button and then you can focus once and shoot until the subject/camera distance changes. It's definitely not bad. I also tried a bunch of low light focusing later in the evening and, with 60 watt household lights in various fixtures the focus locked pretty well.

You would be unwise to buy this camera without the EVF (electronic viewfinder). In my opinion this is what makes this camera and cameras like the Panasonic GF1 special. It's a great finder. Almost as clear and clean as a great optical finder. Better than the optical finders on the Olympus e300 and e520 cameras that I also own.

Here's why I really love the camera. I spent years and years shooting with a Hasselblad and I love composing images as squares. Several DSLR's with "LIve View" are available that can be configured to shoot different aspect ratios in Jpeg. Including the square. But when shooting portraits those cameras go through too much time consuming labor to use it effectively and the effect can only be seen on the rear LCD screen. On the EP2 this is not the case. The exposure is relatively instantaneous. And the camera can be used in a square format which you can view through the EVF.. You basically wind up with a 6x6 camera that shoots 9 megapixel files (the crop of the 12 megapixel sensor to square) at three frames per second.

The color and sharpness, even with the kit lens, is superb. Out of camera jpegs are something Olympus is famous for and this camera is even better than it's predecessors. I've also processed a few raw files with Capture One 5.01 and they are great but not that much better than a well exposed Jpeg.

I wrote a little review of the shooting experience on my blog.

At the end of the first paragraph is a link to a gallery of images. The image at the top of the blog is full size. Click on it to see just how sharp the files are.

The only unhappy note I have about the camera is that the BLS battery was "only" good for around 300 images. I always buy a spare battery when I buy a new camera so I had one in my pocket when the first battery became depleted. Keep in mind that it never got about 35degrees (f) while I was shooting and cold really messes with batteries. I presume you might be able to hit the 500 shot mark with warmer weather.

Finally, I am excited to shoot HD video with this camera. With adapters I'll be able to use some of the great lenses I've bought for my regular Olympus cameras.

Here is my con list:

1. The batteries could last longer....

2. The EVF plugs into a port under the hot shoe. It also takes over the hotshoe. This means that you can't use the hot shoe or even trigger a flash if the EVF is plugged in. This is a big deal. I wish the camera had a little pc terminal somewhere. Then I could use the EVF and still be able to trigger studio flashes.

3. Same thing for microphones. If you want to use an outboard mic for recording sound you'll need to use the same connection port. So you get to choose between EVF and microphone.

4. I wish there were more dedicated Olympus lenses for this format. I'd love a 20 or 25mm prime lens with a fast aperture. I think that would be sooooo cool. Maybe that's down the road.

All in all this is the camera I've wanted for a while. I am happy with it. It gets only four stars because of the multi-function port. On image quality it's five star. If they drop in price after the launch I will try to buy a second body. Have fun deciding between this and the Panasonic GF-1.

Bottom line: this camera represents a fantastic compromise between price, portability and picture quality. For those who can't take their big DSLRs everywhere they want to take pictures, this is the best camera I've found. Folks who are moving up from point and shoots should get a "real" DSLR as their move-up camera; this thing is really for those who already have DSLRs and looking for a great 2nd camera.

Likes:

Image quality, feel, size, weight. Really, you get great pictures up to ISO 400 (and I'm picky), and ISO 800 is completely usable. This is my replacement for a Canon G9, and this camera is just a little bit bigger and TONS better.

This is a system with multiple manufacturers. I'll be able to upgrade bodies and lenses from different companies without worrying about compatibility. Panasonic may make a better body a year or two from now -no worries, I'll just buy it and know my lenses will just work.

The 14-42 lens is really sharp. I've ordered the 45-200 and pre-ordered the super-wide 7-14 zoom. They all weigh about a pound. I also have a Gitzo Traveler. My travel photo kit will be quite nice, small and light. Ahhhhh!

I synch external 3rd-party strobes at 1/320th of a second. Very, very nice.

The electronic viewfinder is bright and clear. I really like the diopter correction.

Just OK:

The autofocus isn't as good as my prime DSLR (a Canon 1ds iii, so you know from whence I speak!), but is a heck of a lot better than normal point & shoots. The autozoom function while manual focusing is a nice touch, but in moderated-to-low light is too noisy to get tack-sharp focus. A "preview" button would be a nice workaround, but only if it was just used to temporarily freeze the zoomed view and show a quick focus check.

Dislikes:

As *everyone* says, you have your choice of one option at a time: strobe, electronic viewfinder, or external microphone connection. Arghhh!

The USB connector is some darned combo AV / USB thing. It is NOT compatible with standard USB cables. My suggestion: don't take the cable with you on the road, but instead use a separate card reader to download pictures.

The battery it came with is lame. Get a higher capacity battery for $9. In fact, get two! Maximal Power DB OLY BLS-1 Replacement Battery for Olympus Digital Camera/Camcorder (Black)

I really wish they made a very little strobe for this other than the Olympus FL-14 Flash for Olympus E-P1 Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera. The FL-14 is lame (no tilt or swivel, low power), but the FL-36R is too big. The ideal setup would be to just use a wireless trigger and move the strobe off-axis.

The user interface is a little weird. I actually had to read the manual. I suspect this is just because I'm a Canon-head, but be warned. I'm getting used to it, which mostly means going into the secret setup menu (you have to turn on the detailed setup menu) and customizing things. One strong suggestion: set Auto-ISO to 100-400. No real penalty in picture quality at ISO 400, and you won't mind if the camera swings between 100 and 400 as it pleases.

The user interface requires you to use the wheel often, e.g. to change the f-stop/shutter tradeoff in "P" mode. It's way too easy to push on the ring and accidentally change a setting (e.g. ISO 100 --> 6400!). This has happened to me a few times.

The bracketing feature is useless for HDRs. You only get to change by 1 EV; you need two or three.

(In response to an excellent comment, here's a follow-up...)

I agree that ISO 1600 is "really good," but in my opinion 400 is the highest ISO that maintains the best quality. In fact, there's really no noise to clean up -even in solid red areas of the picture. 800 and above, you're trading off quality for sensitivity. I suspect we're really agreeing with each other, but I could have been more explicit. So, here goes: this thing has near-DSLR image quality in a very small, nice package. If you make huge prints, stick to 400 or lower (advice that's also relevant for all but the highest-end DSLRs); judicious use of Noise Ninja, et al, may allow you to push a bit past 400, but you're literally pushing your luck. ISO 1600 is fine for smaller prints, and more than fine for web pages, etc.

For the numerically inclined, here's the noise index from Noise Ninja:

ISO 100 11

ISO 200 14

ISO 400 20

ISO 800 28

ISO 1600 46

ISO 3200 99

ISO 6400 148

My rule of thumb: 20 and under is near-perfect, 20-30 is quite usable, and 40+ has issues.

And since I've written my original review, I've come to appreciate the auto-tracking continuous focus mode. I have my Fn key mapped to MF (manual focus), so I can bounce back and forth easily. I sure wish the camera had a few more mappable buttons, though. I'd really like to also get access to the white balance set command as well as the depth of field preview. Oh, well.

Also, I built a dual-illuminant DNG Color Profile for my E-P2. Amazing improvement! I was able to take a picture of the target on my LCD, bring the pic into Lightroom (where the profile is automatically applied), and then see that the colors of my displayed image exactly match the original. Nice stuff. Just google "dng color dual illuminant" to see how to do it.

As you can tell from the above, I also built some Noise Ninja profiles. Feel free to get them at

Finally, the nice guy who runs epaperpress made ptlens work with the E-P2 about an hour after I asked him to. I highly suggest using ptlens from Photoshop to correct barrel distortion, etc.

Buy Olympus PEN E-P2 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5 Now

I've been shooting with SLR's for years now. The quality for me has always overridden the fact that the systems were bulky and cumbersome to shoot with. But I had felt that the "fun" had sort of been sucked out of my photography. It's hard to be spontaneous with a large SLR and large lenses. Luckily for me, those days are over. The fun is back.

The Olympus E-P2 is simply fantastic. You've got SLR quality in a near pocketable package, and the result has opened up avenues of photography that haven't been available to me in years.

I've missed countless opportunities to take pictures because of the sheer mass of my SLR system and not wanting to lug it around. This little camera will stay with me more frequently and just begs to be used. You get the convenience of the point and shoot, but the quality you crave in your pictures.

Pros of this camera:

High ISO is really good. Pretty clean all the way up to 3200, and certainly printable.

Movie mode is of very high quality. Somebody with good lenses and a creative mind can make some magic here.

Ability to use old lenses with an adapter. Very nice feature, and the manual focus mode is especially nice because it magifies what you are trying to focus on automatically.

Picture quality has amazing detail and color. Olympus color is in full force here.

Portability. (I recommend getting the nice Panasonic 20mm 1.7 lens. It takes the quality and portability up a notch, and gives you a top notch low light system)

Viewfinder is really top notch and large and bright. This allows for viewing of pictures and movies out in the sun(something you couldn't really do with any camera before now).

Built in image stabilization, which will work on even old lenses up to 4 stops.

Negatives:

Slightly slower focus than an SLR(and even the panny GF1). Not bad though and for a live view system it's pretty peppy.

No built in flash. Not a negative for me. Built in flash results are atrocious. I got the little FL-14 for flash in a pinch.

Cost. A little pricey for everyone, but it's actually worth the money for everything you get.

This is really a nice camera. If you have legacy 4/3 lenses you can attach and autofocus them. If you have other system lenses you can use them with an adapter and they work well. The obvious competitor, the Panny GF1 is also a nice camera. Both have strengths and weaknesses but in the end I'm really happy I got the Olympus E-P2. It's stylish, uber powerful, portable, and just downright cool. I still can't believe how small it is. Quite an amazing achievement to fit this technology in this small of a body.

Read Best Reviews of Olympus PEN E-P2 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5 Here

I bought this camera for its light weight and high ISO performance. No disapointment in either area. My main camera is a Sony a700 with 18-250 zoom as my walkaround lens. I have a nine month old dgthr and the two together can be a bit much to carry. I am very happy with the portability of this camera the color and image quality is great. The autofocus is tricky and too slow in dim light. The manual focus has a 7x magnifier that activates when you turn the focus ring. I do a lot of night shooting and got great results with manual focus. The spot meter is REALLY touchy. I am getting pretty good at spot metering and then using exposure lock so I don't have to reset in manual. The camera is so good looking I can't put it down. The Olympus raw converter is adequate. I do not own photoshop. Occasionally I have to adjust white balance. That's it.

The video in this camera is terrific. I have a sony mini DVD camcorder which I will proobably never use again now that I have this camera.

This camera has a steep learning curve but if you love photography, you will love the ride. I started shooting my own 35 mm with a Honeywell Pentax in 1974. A teacher loaned my his Oly Pen in 1973. This camera brings back a lot of precious memories in incredible color and image quality.

It is NOT a point shoot. It is a real camera. I recommend it highly

Want Olympus PEN E-P2 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5 Discount?

We're lucky when we shop for something and our choice is limited to two options. Such is the case with micro fourth-thirds cameras. The format has been around for at least 40 years, but digital micro four-thirds is new. The format appeals to photobugs because it represents a good compromise between the image quality of consumer SLRs and the size of compact cameras. The image sensor is only a third smaller than that of an SLR, but nine times the size of a typical compact camera. Since sensor size is intimately correlated with goodies like background blur ("bokeh") and lower color noise, along with the fact that pictures taken with bigger sensors are deeper and more accurate, micro four-thirds is a boon. With a compact prime ("pancake") lens attached, it's not too big for a coat pocket. Add to this that the lenses are interchangeable and the format is friendly (via adapter) to every imaginable lens mount --including legacy manual-focus classics often available inexpensively on eBay or molding away on your old film SLR body. This all adds up to an irresistible proposition for the early adopter whose neck hurts from hauling around a big hunk of metal and glass.

But as mentioned, there are two: The Olympus Pen (in this case we'll look at the E-P2) and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1. Which is better? Like so many things in a competitive economy, it's a set of trade-offs--the two cameras excel at different things. The best choice likely depends on your picture-taking. Let's compare the two, feature for feature.

1) Looks. When I first saw the Olympus E-P1 in silver, I fell in love with it. It's a beautiful camera. Soon the E-P2 came along and, though it's a far better camera, until recently it came only in black. Okay, it's not exactly black but more of a metallic dark grey in the body and black in the extremities. Personally, I don't like grey and black together. You might. Notheless, I thought the black Pen looked better than the Lumix so I bought it. Later, I got a closer look at the Lumix. Now I believe the Lumix is every bit as retro and handsome as the Olympus, but in a more Leica-ish, rangefinder-y way. This only makes sense since Lumix is a sister company to Leica. For looks, I'd say if you like silver the Olympus wins, if you like black the Lumix wins.

2) Fit and finish. The Lumix is built like a brick shithouse. You can squeeze it hard and there's no "give." Not that the Olympus is chintzy, it's just not as solid. Lumix wins.

3) Autofocus. This is critical. If you shoot action or have any other reason to use faster AF, the Panny wins hands down. If you use old manual lenses it couldn't matter less, but if your primary goal is to shoot kid soccer games using modern kit lenses, the faster AF is a decisive advantage for the Lumix.

4) High ISO. The Olympus measures at significantly lower noise in lowlit, high ISO situations (which is a good thing because the camera has no built-in flash). If you're allergic to flash photography and like indoor portraiture, this could be a significant factor in favor of the Olympus Pen.

5) Flash. The Panasonic has a built-in flash and, as mentioned, the Olympus doesn't. The outboard flash designed for the Pen system (FL-14) will set you back an extra hundy, and though it looks very cool and retro, it tends to blare a bit. It also can't be tilted to "bounce," off ceilings, and only has limited exposure compensation. If you need flash for parties and bad Facebook shots, Lumix wins.

6) Electronic viewfinder (EVF). The Pen balances out the flash disadvantage here. The base kit ships with an outboard viewfinder. The Lumix requires you to to buy one for more than a hundred bucks. More importantly (since this is photography so money ain't a thing) the Olympus viewfinder is better, brighter, and more adjustable than the Lumix. You may not even think you need a viewfinder until you try an EVF on a micro four-thirds camera. If you want to use manual lenses it's absolutely crucial. Both the Lumix and the Pen have manual focus assist so if, like me, your eyesight sucks, a press of a button will temporarily zoom you in so you can manually adjust focus on, say, the subject's eyelashes. It then pops back to normal so you can compose the shot. The keystrokes to accomplish this are more involved when you use old manual lenses. In the case of the Olympus, you have to put the camera in a specific mode to make MF assist engage with one keystroke. It then stays zoomed until you repeat the same keystroke, which can be awkward. The Lumix zooms itself back out automatically, even with legacy glass, but it requires two keystrokes to zoom in, so there's the same amount of button pushing. To me it seems more intuitive to have the MF assist self-cancel (unless I'm still struggling with finding focus when it does). In spite of this slight advantage, and that the Lumix has a higher-resolution LCD, the viewfinder on the Oly is included, and it spanks the finder on the Lumix. And no, they don't work mounted on each other's bodies. Olympus wins

7) Menu system. The Pen takes a lot of heat for having convoluted menus. To my mind these complaints rendered invalid by a simple setting whereby virtually every menu item is available in a single screen-view that you can navigate to with the touch of a convenient scroll wheel whereupon you can change any setting pretty much instantly. You almost never need to navigate the formal menus. I'm not sure if a similar feature exists on the Lumix, but it seems likely that if you have a Leica D-Lux 3 or 4 (Panasonic LX-2 or 3) you'll like the Panasonic better for its familiar menu system. In truth, this is likely a tie.

8) Kit lens. I prefer prime lenses and to date the finest prime created for the digital micro four-thirds format is the Panasonic Lumix 20mm f/2. It's a jewel, and works on both cameras. Even if you have the Pen you'll want to buy it. Yet it ships in the Panny prime-lens kit. On the other hand, if you like or need zoom lenses, the Oly zoom lens that ships with their zoom kit is better than the zoom that comes in the optional Panasonic kit, if only because it's retractable, making the camera pretty compact for having a fairly long focal range. Keep in mind that the micro four-thirds "crop factor" means that the effective length of a lens in this format is twice the actual (1:1) length of a lens. So the Lumix kit's prime 20mm is actually equivalent to an old-school "normal" lens. As a side note, not only is lens shopping cheaper in micro four-thirds thanks to old manual lenses (just don't develop a jones for Leica M-glass) but the 200% comparable focal length means you can get by with fewer specialty lenses. That 400mm white-ass golf lens that sets you back $8 grand and gets you punched by Sean Penn, in four-thirds format is accomplished by a little 200mm brand-x lens. But if you like prime lenses: Advantage Lumix. If you like zoom lenses: Advantage Pen.

9) Image stabilizer. Now this was the overwhelmingly decisive factor for me. I take natural light photos in some pretty dark places. Great legacy lenses and even the better optics in the modern world tend not to have their own internal image stabilizers. The Olympus has great in-body image stabilization. The Lumix doesn't. This means that any lens, no matter how old, is image stabilized on the Pen body. You not only don't have to buy stabilized lenses (which in many cases can be a $1K upgrade), but you can buy slower lenses. Combined with the strong high ISO performance, instead of a maximum aperture of f/1.4, you might be able to get away with a max aperture f/2 or even f/4. Look up Leica 50mm lenses and compare the price of the f/4 with the f/2.8 and the f/1.8 and finally the f/.90. Opening the aperture a few steps can add thousands faster than Nancy Pelosi's bar tab. And in the case of most manufacturers, at its most open aperture settings, the lens with the smaller maximum aperture outperforms the more expensive lens (that is, at f/5.6, the Canon 50mm f/1.4 beats the Canon 50mm f/1.2 in term of sharpness and distortion, and for less than a tenth of the cost). What this means in practice is that you should always buy a fast lens for the way it renders at its widest setting. If an in-body stabilizer effectively widens that widest setting by allowing you to increase your shutter speed in low light, it may very well negate the need for extravagant glass (or better yet, allow you to buy slower glass from an extravagant manufacturer). Big win: Olympus.

Which brings us to the skinny: The Olympus E-P2 and the Panasonic Lumix GF1 test as indistinguishable in image quality. They both take great pictures, share the same lenses, and are fun as hell.

If your thing is portraits, flowers (ugh), still-lifes, pets (ugh) and landscapes, and you don't shoot a lot of action, the Olympus wins for its in-body stabilization and high iso performance.

If your thing is action, hyper kids, sports, and other chaos, and you're hard on your cameras, the Lumix is better. It's also better if you need a flash--for instance if you bring cameras to dark parties or tend to shoot in Auto Mode.

You really can't go wrong either way.

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