Cowboy Studio MovieKit with Shoulder Mount, Shoulder Support Pad for Video Camcorder Camera DV/DC

I ordered this rig solely because I needed something to help stabilize my shots and didn't have more than $100 to spend. I didn't expect a whole lot from it, but was pleasantly surprised.

Pros:

* It's very sturdy considering the materials and the price. I have no problems trusting it with my GH1, though I might be a bit wary with something significantly heavier (or more expensive).

* Very comfortable to use.

* Very versatile. I can customize all the angles and positioning to fit me, which is nice since I have a relatively small frame.

* Folds to be very compact, small enough to fit into most camera bags.

* Plenty of 1/4-20 mounting points for accessories (sound recorders, monitors, etc.).

* Looks professional enough that you wouldn't be embarrassed to use it around clients or actors, etc. (unlike a lot of DIY or other cheap rigs).

Cons:

* Would be nice if there was an easier way to add counterweight when using it as a shoulder rig (it has a 1/4-20 threaded hole that can be used, but there's no easy way to attach weights).

* A couple of the plastic bushings are a little stiff. Like maybe the inside isn't perfectly round.

Really, for the money you're not going to find anything more versatile or better quality. Most decent DSLR rigs start at around $400 and go up from there. For $80, this thing is a steal. I know some people who are wary of cheap rigs like this, thinking that if it breaks in the middle of a shoot, they'll be screwed. But at this price, you could just buy a spare to keep around (which is probably what I'll do) and still spend less than half what most rigs cost.

I have just recently purchased the Premium Movie Kit Shoulder Mount from cowboy studios and I can offer the following review:

When I saw this camera mount I really liked it. After I got it I still like it, but there are some things to point out.

First the good:

* I received it extremely fast.

* This mount is light weight which helps when you are doing a lot of hand held camera work.

* There are lots of places that weights could be attached for a "steadicam" like arrangement, or other camera accessories could be attached

* It can fold up very compact which makes transportation and storage much easier.

* It has many points of articulation which allow for different ways to set it up, or adjust it to fit you comfortably.

* It can be used as a low stand that can position your camera for great high shots. The ends of the "arms" have threaded holes. It might be possible to attach some wheels so that the mount can be rolled along the ground for a moving high shot.

The not so good:

* It is a bit expensive for what it actually is.

* It does not feel too sturdy, meaning that rough handling could cause parts to break. Also, I would not overload it with a large, heavy camera and accessories.

* It seems to be primarily made of plastic and aluminum. This is ok, but for the price I think it could have been made with sturdier materials. The plastic can break or strip if forced and the metal parts can bend with force. If you take care when manipulating joints and tightening the knobs you should be ok, just don't force things.

* There is a knobbed screw that allows you to connect your camera where your quick release plate would go. This is another part where, for the price, I think it could have been a better design. It is quite cumbersome to attach your camera, especially if it is a large video camera, while trying to hold the mount. I would have really liked to see some sort of quick release plate design here.

* No case or travel bag is included. Not a huge deal, but because it is so portable it would be nice to have something to help keep it clean or make it easier to carry.

* When I received it there was no instruction manual even though the product description on amazon states "About the usage and use, pls see the above pictures or user manual." I did contact cowboy studios regarding the instructions after I could not find it on their site for download (there are other products on their site with downloadable instructions, but not this one) and I was given a link to a youtube video which covered its usage (though it was more of an improvisation on how to use it, meaning I got the impression that the model demoing the mount didn't really know and was just kind of figuring it out on the spot). I did fool around with it before I got the link to the video, and I was pretty sure I had the usage right. The video simply confirmed that I did.

The long and the short of it is this: I like this camera mount and I think I will get some good use out of it provided I take care of it. I feel that, for the materials used and the lack of a quick release plate for the camera, the price is a bit high. It is hard to justify calling it a "premium" camera mount. If it was made out of stronger materials you could, but to me it's more of a light duty mount. You can; however, use it to get some creative shots.

I would recommend it as it does help to steady your shot and allow you to move around while remaining aware of your surroundings. Add some weights and you could have a nice poor man's steadicam. One thing to keep in mind is that the camera is potentially extended out away from your body quite a bit. This will move your center of gravity out forward. If you trip while walking forward and shooting, your camera goes lens first into the ground.

I only gave it 3 starts mostly due to the materials used and the lack of a quick release plate vs the price. If it had these two features it would be well worth the price. Without these features, I would expect it to be in the $40-$50 range; certainly not $159 as the list price is suggested.

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I must say that for the price I am very impressed with this item. It feels sturdy, and it's very customizable and flexible. I use it with an Iphone4 inside an MCam, and it fits on fantastically. The other fun thing about this is that there are littl holes and tripod mounts all over this thing. Someone like me, that likes to really play with what I have and change it around, this is very exciting.

The only thing this is missing is a rod system for mounting a follow focus or matte box. But if you don't need that, this will do exactly what you need it to do. A really great buy!

Read Best Reviews of Cowboy Studio MovieKit with Shoulder Mount, Shoulder Support Pad for Video Camcorder Camera DV/DC Here

gift for son who is a professional videographer-he liked it a lot-he uses it every day on his job-appreciated it

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My boyfriend asked me to purchase this for him so he can shoot his DSLR for movements with stability. He loves it, and been using it ever since. He said it's comfortable on the shoulder, and it's easy to maneuvering. It is also not heavy so it's great for traveling and shooting for extensive period.

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PTC 30ft Premium GOLD Series HDMI FLAT Cable - 24AWG and CL2 rated for inside wall applications

The connectors are quite long, the jacket is stiff, and bending it sideways is nearly impossible. If you need something flat but also need to make bends in the flat, forget it. Don't get it expecting to fit more cables in a raceway, as it is overall quite bulkey. If you need to make a straight run under a carpet, or under a minimum clearance wall mount, it would work great. The whole cable seems exceptionally robust and durable.

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Nikon 1 J3 14.2 MP HD Digital Camera with 10-100mm VR 1 NIKKOR Lens (Beige)

Five stars for the excellent photo quality,usability, lightness of the camera and ease of interchanging lenses. I am by no means a professional photographer but decided to step up the quality of photos from my old point and shoot digital camera. After taking a variety of photos and video with this camera over the course of an hour or so the quality of both are incredible and I found the camera very simple to use. It does have a steep price tag but for me it is an excellent camera! I will miss the gps capabilities of my old camera, but the higher quality pics make the trade off worth it for me.

I own a Nikon DSLR with some lenses and I would rank myself as an amateur photographer, mainly focused on travel and family (my 3year old son mostly) photos. Both are areas in which the camera really excelled my expectations.

First, the camera is, if I can call it, a "small DSLR" in terms of capabilities. Second, with the FT-1 mount (too expensive, but cheaper than having to buy extra lenses), it is compatible with my Nikkor lenses. Third, the super-fast focus which is great for capturing my son's deeds, especially with the Best Moment Capture Mode (Great feature!!!). Finally, it is light, small and always at hand (the main problem with my big DSLR). So, if you own a Nikon DSLR it is a sure purchase.

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I love this camera! I am just a beginner photographer, meaning I have taken no classes and I love learning how the different functions on the camera work!

Great Camera!

Read Best Reviews of Nikon 1 J3 14.2 MP HD Digital Camera with 10-100mm VR 1 NIKKOR Lens (Beige) Here

I purchased this camera because I wanted something better than my cell phone that would be compact to carry around. This camera is about the size of a compact point and shoot without the lens attached and with the lens, it's not much bigger. You get SLR quality photos in a package that's a lot smaller. The only drawback to the camera is the auto-focus doesn't offer much versatility. The camera's AF will focus on whatever is the closest thing in the frame. It makes it a little more difficult to produce the artistic, background in focus, subject blurred and vice versus type pictures. But since it does have AF, it's a great camera for those looking for more than a compact point and shoot but don't need or want the bulk of a DSLR.

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Takes great pictures easy to use just the right size for my Daughter to use. She loves it. very well made

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Nikon D70S Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-70mm and 55-200mm Nikkor Lenses

The other reviews and the description seem to properly describe this camera. I am writing this review to give you the perspective of someone who started out with film SLR cameras in school, then got a digital 5MP camera and have used that for years and am now finally getting into Digital SLR photography. This is a big step back into the professional circle for me, and I'm anxious to get out to the zoo or to some vacation spot in the mountains to do my professional photography once again. I purchased this camera almost a month ago and my opinion is that it is the best camera ever made under $2,000. This camera has everything you can need.

I want to warn you, get the full set with the lense. This lense sells for almost $400 and is about the best all around lense you can find. Don't go for the cheap models. I wrote a list about this camera that may appear on this page for you to look at, but be sure that you get the ML-L3 wireless remote (for $20, how can you go wrong) and a spare battery (2,000 pictures sounds like a lot, and I haven't needed to recharge in this month that I've had the camera, but remember that when you go on a trip you may forget to recharge and you don't want to get stuck). Also, get a tripod (try the Slik Tripods U9000, I wrote a review of it and I find it to be the best buy around for a light-weight tripod that acts like a much heavier one) and get a carrying case (the jury is still out, I haven't found one that I like, I want one that will hold two cameras, 4 lenses, a large flash and a bunch of accessories).

If you aren't sure if the D70s is worth the money over the D50 or the D70, it is. The improved autofocusing system is much better than the others and the larger LCD is worth all the tea in China! I leave the LCD protector that came with it on and have no problem seeing my pictures, even outside. Although this is a larger camera than the D50, it isn't much of a difference and you will regret going with the cheaper camera.

If your budget was lower, save up and buy this camera. I bought a CoolPix 5000 a few years back and always kicked myself for not going with the D100. Now I've gone with the best camera on the market and I'm perfectly happy. Plus, I have the satisfaction of knowing that none of my friends can show me a better camera (unless they spent $4,000 or more on a D2X or D2H, and none of my friends can afford to do that)!!!

When Nikon has brought out an `s' camera, it is virtually a sure thing that this is a camera you want to get your hands on. The D70s is not an exception. With essentially instant-on (.2 seconds), improved built in flash, a larger and brighter lcd screen, and especially the abilitry to take up to 144 exposures at 3 frames per second make this an incredible improvement to the existing D70. Imagine the sports or wildlife exposures you have the chance to get with this capability!

The D70s is the digital SLR to record daily life and life events. With a 6.1 megapixel resolution limits the size of prints you can make with it to about 11" by 17". If this is not a problem for you then this is your digital camera. It has wonderful color resolution and great auto-focus capabilities. When you are ready, it is a fully capable manual camera.

The D70s comes bundled with the excellent and compact 18-70 Nikkor Lens and one EN-EL3a battery. To get started with the camera I suggest the following in addition:

* One extra EN-EL3a Lithium-Ion Battery.

* Two 2GB 80X CompactFlash cards with write acceleration (WA) technology.

Note: Nikon recommends either the SanDisk SDCFH (Ultra II), SDCFX (Extreme/Extreme III) or Lexar Media 80X WA CompactFlash™ card for best performance.

* One CF card reader for your computer. Firewire or USB connection depending upon your needs.

As time and money permit you may want to add the following:

* A telephoto lens for wildlife and sporting events. The 70-300mm F4-5.6G AF Nikkor is a great value and complements the bundled lens nicely. If money is not an object step up to the 70-300ED or the 70-200 F2.8 with vibration reduction.

* A good macro lens such as the AF Micro Nikkor 105mm f2.8.

* Polarizing filters for both the kit lens and the telephoto. Get Nikon filters there is no sense in spending money for Nikkor lenses and then putting junk filters on them.

* A bag to carry all this stuff.

This will get you nicely started. Further down the line you may wish to get the following:

* A speedlight. Either the SB 600 or 800.

* A tripod and ballhead.

Be sure to check prices at B&H Photo as well as those shown here. They have a tremendous selection and have long been known and trusted by serious photographers. In addition I would suggest that anyone who buys a D70 join Nikonians. There or literally tens of thousands of people who are more than happy to help you with any question you may have about Nikon Cameras, lenses and other equipment as well as help you with your photography skills. And, bet of all, it's free! Go to nikonians.org.

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After spending hours reading many reviews, switching back & forth to Canon then Nikon, I finally decided to buy the Nikon D70s.

Very happy I did.

What strikes me on this camera is the controls & settings are extremely intuitive. I'm the typical male with big hands, and every button seems to be placed right where I expect them to be. I had the opportunity to play around with a Rebel XT afterwards, and not only did the camera feel very awkward (too small), the quick settings buttons & knob did not feel as "natural" as they do on the D70s ...far from it. I would be extremely disappointed today to be an owner of a Rebel XT , and see what a D70 feels like post-purchase.

Many people are picking a D50 over the D70s to save some money, and truthfully I think people should think twice about it.

Key missing features on the D50:

Grid Lines in the viewfinder.

Shortcut button for metering. I change my metering mode alot, would be annoying to do it thru the menu each time.

Front dial knob. Might sound insignificant, but after a while you do get used to controlling Aperture & Shutter speed on their respective front or back knob, especially in manual mode.

Illuminated top LCD. If you take alot of night photos, you will miss that feature alot. You could use a mini-flashlight held in your mouth, but personally I'd grow tired of relying that each time I have to go out at night.

Wireless flash. Probably a gimmick for most, but usefull once you know how to exploit it.

Shortcut button for bracketing. Not that usefull if you shoot in Raw, but can be great for JPEG landscape photos that have alot of hightlights and shadows.

Compactflash memory card. SD cards on the D50? ouch. Compactflash is the most common media type, and the more affordable when it comes to price/storage. The odds are about 10:1 that in 2-3 years, if you upgrade to a better model than the D50, your new SLR would need Compactflash media. That's easily a 150-200$ waste right there, if you own something like 2-3 x 2GB memory cards (you will get to a point where you'll want more than one card).

All-in-all, I love this camera and I doubt many will be disappointed with theirs. I would suggest you buy a flash unit like the SB-600 as well. It opens up a whole new world of indoors photography , both in terms of photo quality, and shooting speed (with the onboard flash you cannot shoot in bursts).

P.S. After you've purchased a flash unit, start saving money for a zoom lens. The 18-70mm kit lens is nice, but the zoom limit of 70mm will be become very apparent not long after you've purchased your camera. Take a loot at the new 18-200 VR ;)

P.S.2. There is something I dislike alot on the camera , and it's the fact it doesn't support high-speed USB 2.0. Yuck, I lost patience with the slow speed after a day only (transferring 2 gigs worth of photos does take quite a while), so I bought a compaqflash reader. Only 20$, but the camera should have been up to that standard, considering it's a recent model.

Enjoy

Read Best Reviews of Nikon D70S Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-70mm and 55-200mm Nikkor Lenses Here

When Nikon brings out an `s' camera, it is virtually a sure thing that this is a camera you want to get your hands on. The D70s is not an exception. With essentially instant-on (.2 seconds), improved built in flash, a larger and brighter lcd screen, and especially the ability to take up to 144 exposures at 3 frames per second make this an incredible improvement to the existing D70. Imagine the sports or wildlife exposures you have the chance to get with this capability!

The D70s is the digital SLR to record daily life and life events. With a 6.1 mega pixel resolution limits the size of prints you can make with it to about 11" by 17". If this is not a problem for you then this is your digital camera. If you want to be able to make larger prints with good resolution, then you need to spend a great deal more money for a higher resolution digital camera (about $5,000) or stick with film. I keep my old N90 for these purposes.

Buy the D70s without the bundled 18-70 Nikon lens if (1) you already have a bundle of Nikon lenses; or (2) if you want a more capable first lens for your camera. If you want a more capable lens I strongly recommend the Nikon 24-120 lens. It cost $500 from B&H photo and will wind up being the lens you always keep on your camera. Its equivalent range in film cameras is 36-180 in other words slight wide angle to more than satisfactory telephoto. This is the fourth generation of this lens by Nikon and it now has all the bells and whistles: Nikons best ed glass for super sharp and clear pictures, silent wave motor for extremely fast focusing, and vibration reduction to eliminate the shakes in low light. Nikon has other excellent zooms and you may want to look at them but I can highly recommend this lens as one to have if you never want to miss a shot of the kids or what is happening at the instant.

* One extra EN-EL3a Lithium-Ion Battery.

* Two 2GB 80X CompactFlash cards with write acceleration (WA) technology.

Note: Nikon recommends the SanDisk SDCFH (Ultra II), SDCFX (Extreme/Extreme III) or Lexar Media 80X WA CompactFlash™ card for best performance.

* One CF card reader for your computer. Firewire or USB connection depending upon your needs.

As time and money permit you may want to add the following:

* A telephoto lens for wildlife and sporting events. The 70-300mm F4-5.6G AF Nikon is a great value and complements the bundled lens nicely. If money is not an object step up to the 70-300ED or the 70-200 F2.8 with vibration reduction.

* A good macro lens such as the AF Micro Nikon 105mm f2.8.

* Polarizing filters for both the kit lens and the telephoto. Get Nikon filters there is no sense in spending money for Nikon lenses and then putting junk filters on them.

* A bag to carry all this stuff.

This will get you nicely started. Further down the line you may wish to get the following:

* A speedlight. Either the SB 600 or 800.

* A tripod and ballhead.

Be sure to check prices at B&H Photo as well as those shown here. They have a tremendous selection and have long been known and trusted by serious photographers. In addition I would suggest that anyone who buys a D70 join Nikonians. There or literally tens of thousands of people who are more than happy to help you with any question you may have about Nikon Cameras, lenses and other equipment as well as help you with your photography skills. And, bet of all, it's free! Go to nikonians.org.

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I was shooting pictures of a BMW X3 for a magazine test-drive article. My San Francisco-based editor was along for the ride. When I pulled out my Canon EOS 1V, she exclaimed, "You still shooting film?" Yes, I am. Or more accurately, was. For even a slow-moving guy like me, when fate steps in to help me make the decision, I get it.

Here's the deal: My favorite film Fuji Velvia 50 was discontinued. My E-6 film processor went out of business. A friend a Nikon Tech Rep spent an hour convincing me that digital was the best way to go for my magazine work. Finally, he said that the Nikon D70s was the sweet spot when you consider price, quality and performance. Bottom line, this is the camera to have if I was going to dip my toe in the digital water. When I expressed a concern about the number of megapixels, he made a point that 6 megapixels was all I needed. I was still worried but he showed me sample prints and I was convinced. Oh yeah, my editor has the old Nikon D70 and she has shot several covers with it and lots of full page shots. They too looked good so I placed my order for a D70s.

I have just received it so I don't have a lot to say about the camera except that it feels great in my hand. The manual is very well written. The controls are just where they need to be experienced Nikon users will feel at home immediately.

Another selling point It uses compact flash cards so I can share them with my Canon point-and-shoots. In fact, I almost bought the D50 a good camera that's a lot cheaper but it uses the SD format cards. An expense that would blow the savings away as soon as I bought a couple of 1 gig cards.

The built-in flash is a bit weak for pro use but since it's there, I don't have to buy a new flash just yet.

I plan to use the D70s in 2006 for all my magazine work and thereby save its cost in film and procesing. If it all works out as planned, I'll upgrade to the D200 when the price drops a bit on that camera and then use this one as my backup.

Five stars for now we'll see later.

Update I shot at the Cloisters in NYC on Christmas Eve. The camera was easy to handle. The pictures had good color. Afterward, I made a large blow up (8X12) from a JPEG (Fine, Large) and the picture was quite sharp and had good tonal range.

Still looking good.

Second Update A shot I took with the D70s with a Nikon 80-200 f:2.8 just was published as the cover picture and it's amazing. Seriously sharp, good color and (dare I say) better than film. And that's with just 6 megapixels. I believe that most readers (meaning all non-pros AND many profesionals) would find this camera all you need and more.

One or two minor gripes after 6 months of hard use and a few raves. The motor drive is too slow for motorsports 3 fps is not enough. The build-in flash is convenient but with my 20-35 F:2.8 on the camera, anything shot close-up gets a nasty shadow.

The battery still rocks hundreds of shots and no charge needed.

As for storage with a 2 Gig card, it's like 10 rolls of film in the camera. Two 2 Gig cards and you could do a week's vacation without recharging and downloading.

I have 3 articles I wrote and illustrated with this camera coming out in a couple of weeks. More on the camera then.

PS The new Nikon N80 is a 10MP camera (like the D200) that tells me that the D70s is not long for this world. Discount / closeout / good used camera buys are sure to follow.

JVC GRDVL120U MiniDV Digital CyberCam Video Camera with 2.5" LCD & B/W Viewfinder

After researching the least expensive MiniDV camcorder models on the market, I finally decided the JVC GR-DVL120 packed the most punch for the price. My review does focus on some of the negatives, but in general, I am satisfied with my camcorder.

The Amazon.com editor's review mentions that the camera has a 16x optical zoom. Unless their are sub-models of the DVL120, this claim is false. The optical zoom is 10x. Regardless, the 10x optical zoom seems suitable.

JVC lets you know that the camera can perform a 700x digital, but this is essentially zoom overkill. There is a setting to stop the digital zoom at 40x, which is plenty zoomed-in. Of course, the farther you zoom in the more shaky the picture. The camera has a digital stabilizer, but the effects are not noticeable. I have no other experience with digital image stabilizers, so I do not know what to expect. Overall, the camera picture is relatively stable for a handheld camcorder. So far, the Night Alive feature has proved very ineffective. It appears that this feature mimics the strobe feature of the camera. I was hoping for more of a "green" view when the low-light feature was turned on, but that may exist only in more expensive camcorders. If you're looking for low-light or fantastically stable images, then this camera may not be for you.

The camera does include numerous other features such as b/w mode, old time movie mode, sepia, strobe, slow and a few others.

The camera does have an automatic mode and a manual mode. The automatic mode is a quick-start way of recording video -the only options that you really need to deal with in automatic mode are the zoom and record on/off buttons. In the manual mode, you have the ability to adjust the white balance (I have not tried this yet), shutter speed and manual focus. The manual focus is a nice option to have, but I found that it somewhat challenging to use and not as versatile in its manual range as I'd hoped. Not a big disappointment though because again, this is a value camcorder and the fact that it does have a manual focus at all is a plus. The camera has a still shot button, which I find more of a nuisance than an added bonus because it is near the zoom feature, so it is sometimes accidentally punched. There is no memory card for data, so the still photo is saved to the MiniDV tape. Do not buy this camcorder if you want both a camcorder and a digital camera combination!

Other features included are editing functions such as wipes and faders. I do not use these because I typically add effects on the back end with my computer. This brings me to one of the coolest features of MiniDV -the ability to connect your camcorder to your computer. The camera does not include the FireWire cable needed to connect to your computer, but they are relatively inexpensive and well worth it if your computer has a FireWire port. I use a program that came with my Dell to control my camcorder from my computer and record video through the FireWire to my computer. All video-to-computer transfers are made in real-time. The digital transfer keeps video quality as good as when you recorded it. The camcorder does include the necessary RCA cables needed to hook up to a television or VCR (with RCA inputs).

The AC adaptor plugs directly into the camera, so you do not need a separate bulky adaptor. The battery only lasts approximately one hour when using the color view-screen (1.25 hours with the small b/w viewfinder), which isn't that long, but is probably suitable for most consumers. Of course, extra batteries are available.

For someone looking to buy a low-priced MiniDV camcorder for general uses, the GR-DVL120 is a great value.

The picture quality is oustanding.

My father owns a ... Sony 3 CCD mini-DV camcorder and when he saw the playback on my ... JVC mini DV camcorder, he said the picture quality was very impressive.

This JVC's picture quality is as good as any min DV camcorder!

Basically the only reason for the price difference is for the EXTRAS--the more money, the more features you get and also the better build. One look at the ...sony camcorder and you know that it is a serious professional grade product. But, for just the picture quality, this ... JVC's picture quality is the same as the ...Sony! The JVC records up to 520 lines of resolution, the ... Sony records up to 530 lines. The more expensive JVC also records up to 530 lines.

But............... on the miniDV cassettes out there, it says that it records up to 500 lines of resolution!!!!!

So basically, all you get is up to 500 lines of resolution even if your camcorder can record up to 530 lines!

A dvd player can play up to 500 lines of resolution, but again since the pre-recorded DVDs out there have only about 480 lines of resolution, all you see is 480 lines even if you buy a [expensive] DVD player!

Bottom line, the JVC is an excellent camcorder for the price.

If you are deciding between mini-DV and Digital-8, it's a no brainer---------always go for mini-DV because it has more lines of resolution and all the professional camcorders out there are mini-DV.

Buy JVC GRDVL120U MiniDV Digital CyberCam Video Camera with 2.5" LCD & B/W Viewfinder Now

This is a great camera for the price. ...The camera is light, easy to use and has great picture quality. I would recommend this camera to anyone looking for a nice digial video camera. I have seen several reviews of the camera online and all say that this is a great camera for the money. There are better cameras out there but you are looking at spending several hundred more for one of those cameras.

This camera was a breeze to use with my Apple Powerbook to do video editing with Imovie. No configuration was needed to use the camera with the laptop. I just hooked up the firewire to the laptop and used Imovie to edit and export the film to Quicktime or back to the camera. One note, a firewire cable is not included with this camera so if you are planning on editing via computer you will need to pick one up.

Overall I would highly recommend this camera to anyone who wants a DV camera that is easy to use and not very expensive.

Read Best Reviews of JVC GRDVL120U MiniDV Digital CyberCam Video Camera with 2.5" LCD & B/W Viewfinder Here

I would recommend this product for beginning/amateur video enthusiasts for the ease of use. Although because it is limited by its price range, some features are cut out or needed, which is obviously placed in JVC's higher models. I use it to edit simple home movies using the IEEE Firewire output to my PC and it runs great on most software. I have only one problem with it though: I actually DO a lot of editing and I have to plug the AC adapter to the camera everytime, but the problem is, the plug in the camera is in the wrong place forcing the AC wire to be in this obtuse position bending the wires out of shape. It's not in a real bad condition yet, but i'm predicting in a couple of months or so after use, it will probably be damaged to a higher degree. JVC needs to place the AC outlet somewhere on the side in order to get rid of this problem. But other than that, its a good camera.

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Overall this camcorder is very good.

Pros-

1. Video Quality

2. Ease of use

3. Price

Cons-

1. No USB capability

2. Video takes up much memory on computer.

3. Quality in low light.

4. Battery Life.

If you plan on buying this camcorder, make sure you get a firewire card. Next, If you plan to to do a lot of shooting indoors or near a power supply the battery is fine. If you will be in the great outdoors, make sure you buy an extra or better batter. The battery that comes with the camera, lasts only for about an hour.

If you plan on doing editing, make sure you have a good program on your computer. The software that comes with the camera is very bad. Also, if you want to take digital pictures with your camcorder, you dont want this one.

Although there are many cons with this camcorder there are also many pros. I use windows movie maker 2 which I donwloaded for free from microsoft.com. It films great movies, but they take up a lot of memory. Also, the optical zoom is great. It is 16x, which is awesome. Overall I would recomend this camcorder to any amatuer filmaker or person who just want to record and edit home movies. If you are a very serious filmaker, you should buy a more expensive camcorder.

Canon EOS Rebel T3 Digital SLR Camera Body & EF-S 18-55mm IS II Lens with 16GB Card + .45x Wide

this is the best we love it. we got it about 2 months ago and it takes such good pics we can even get good pics of are 1 1/2 year old who is on the go none stop they are just as clear as if he was standing still. this is so worth getting if you have kids and the battery last forever. we will never go back to any other kind of camera. the bundle is such a good deal at wal mart just the camera is 540.00 and all the stuff in the kit is good its not cheap like some kits are. love it !!!!!!!!

The camera and accessories were the perfect thing for the jump to a dsl camera. All the things neccessary to get started and at a price half of those available locally. THANX

Buy Canon EOS Rebel T3 Digital SLR Camera Body & EF-S 18-55mm IS II Lens with 16GB Card + .45x Wide Now

I bought this camera to keep up with the other women in my husbands family. they all have digital slr's. I bought this with the money I received from my baby shower. New baby New camera. I researched alot. about 15 hours of research went into this. I loved what was offered in this bundle and the price was great. It came with everything listed, nicely packaged and within five days of my order. I loved unpacking it all and laying it out on my dining room table. chirstmas for mamma! The camers does not seem light weight to me like in some of the reviews. It is firm and heavy. The camera takes great pictures and better then the other women. yeah me! Its easy to understand yet, I can take it several steps further and become more creative and professional. The manual software it came with is very instructional. The photo software works great but is not as good as some professional software I have used. The two lenses work great, althrough I was confusd at first about how to get them on. The cleaning kit is sweet, The card is large enough to hold aton of pictures. The extras seeme fine and good quality to me. I was not expecting top notch, didnt get it but, they are better then I thought they would be. Tripod is steady. The case was too bulky for me to carry so I bought a sling case, which works perfectly for me and everything fits. I love this bundle. You cant beat this camera for the price. I also evaluated the megapixal against 18 megapixal. this is aobut 12,000 compared to 18,000 megapixals which is not a big differance expecially if you compare the much more expensive price for the higher megapixel. so, a great buy.

Read Best Reviews of Canon EOS Rebel T3 Digital SLR Camera Body & EF-S 18-55mm IS II Lens with 16GB Card + .45x Wide Here

Great camera with awesome features. The package comes with all the accessories that you could want for everyday shooting. I would recommend this product package to others. The shipper was very helpful in letting me know about the backordered items.

Want Canon EOS Rebel T3 Digital SLR Camera Body & EF-S 18-55mm IS II Lens with 16GB Card + .45x Wide Discount?

The Canon Rebel t3 is great for people who want to take great pictures using an optical viewfinder so they can actually see what they are shooting in every shot. For those who don't care about always seeing the shot and are willing to guess at it frequently it also has a very good screen (far better than most) which can be used. For people who want to be creative and sometimes make their own settings instead of the automated ones for special effects, etc. it also allows that. A good bit to learn in so using it, but good tutorials come with. Unfortunately, for that creativity Canon provides only a rather brief summary type written manual to carry along. There is, however, a complete on line manual so you eventually will be able to remember all you need to know to be creative. It's just a bit hard to practice with the so-called manual since dragging your computer along for taking creative shots, loading the CD, reading it....well you get the picture! Or maybe you won't!!

Nikon D7100 Digital SLR Camera Body with 55-200mm VR Lens + 32GB Card + Backpack + Battery + Filter

Love the features of this camera. Spent a lot of time deciding between the Canon Rebel and Nikon. For my photography interests this was absolutely the best choice! Love the auto focus lens, 24 mega pixel feature and all the items in the package. This camera produces amazing sharpness and clarity of color. Took track pictures from the stands and was like I was close by with the 55-200mm lens. The Vibration Reduction is amazing as well. I highly recommend this camera!

DEFENDER 21026 SENTINEL 4-Channel Smart Security DVR with 4 Hi-Resolution Outdoor Security Cameras

Update: 6/24/13 poor customer service. Only communication is with online chat which takes them literally minutes to respond. RMA requires a copy of receipt which I don't have and you pay shipping. Emails are unanswered. 2 to 4 weeks expected return. And, from my experience, who knows how they will test it and if they don't find anything wrong they just send it back. A security system with no support isn't worth the risk.

Update: I've spent a day trying to solve issues. Unfortunately they require you to use an online chat window which would be fine but it can take several minuts for them to even check it. While it's obvious there is a board issue with the DVR they keep having me try things like Internet providers and refusing to accept that it's broken. I have a feeling once they get their act together I will have to send it in which means no security setup for probably weeks.

Update: 6/18/13 while I could still view the cams from anywhere there was no indication that the unit wasn't recording. However, wanting to do some checking I found it hadn't recorded for several days and when I needed it! Contacting support (online chat only) they had me reformat the hard drive. I don't know what is going on and they couldn't guarantee it wouldn't happen again and now my warranty is just about over. 8 cameras and no DVR will suck. They did tell me if it failed again in the next week I could send it in. Great, so no unit at all for several weeks if that happens. I should note my Q-See and Panasonic have never had a problem.

Update: I needed support recently after trying their online form, which bombed (error message came up) and phone, which the message said to use online form, I finally got someone on their online chat, after about a half hour. But I did get my answer!

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

I actually installed and used this system: cables, cameras, DVR, and software.

This is my fourth system. The first is a wireless Panasonic Network Cam which has been running 24/7 for about 4 years with absolutely no problems but it's an indoor cam pointing out a window and the DVR is a Windows server it is my favorite. My second system included 2 cameras, great length of cable for each but it did not include a DVR and could only be used by using an online service I dumped that one. My third system has been a QSee four camera system which included a 320gb DVR. The system has worked for a few years as well capturing video based on motion detection. I had a couple of blind spots and needed an extra camera or two; the Defender 21029 comes with 8 outdoor cameras and a 500gb DVR.

Defender Hardware

Out of the box there is no documentation except a little piece of paper showing all of the parts. It comes with one of those little CDs but without auto run. You will find a PDF manual but nothing that talks about installing software or using the software or web version (they are similar yet different) only about the software that is in the DVR itself which is similar to the other two yet different and does not use a keyboard mouse only which can be a pain in the butt to use prefer not. No online knowledge base as of this writing.

Installation is a real pain in the butt. You have to string cables all over the house to get the right setup. That's what makes these systems less desirable. Even though their example shows a cable running through the wall I prefer to hide my cables so I ran all of them through the attic and most hang under the eve. The included cables weren't long enough for 3 of my locations.

The cameras that came with my unit are the worse out of all of my systems. While you can tell what is going on they are washed out and the colors don't come close green leaves come out purple. Adjustment does not help a great deal.

The DVR does provide motion detection for any camera which is the best way to go; it makes it easier to find things because that is all that is recorded.

Take note: if someone does break in they could steal the DVR so it too needs to be hidden or locked up.

Software

Hardware manufactures rarely make great software and they don't realize that is what really makes hardware great or what's the use? The Defender software comes in 3 flavors: internal, an app, and web browser web browser being the best but not great.

While better then the QSee, Defender software does malfunction and would sometimes just crash for no reason.

It only allows playback up to 8x fast forward where QSee was up to 16x which was nice to have.

Playback only allows you to search/view 4 at a time and the only view is a timeline with a slider which is not easy to control and select a specific time or starting point.

One other annoyance, which was also with the QSee, PTZ controls are always displayed and take up room on the screen even though you don't get cameras that can be controlled and you probably won't add them to an inexpensive system like this.

The software doesn't use the name you gave each camera instead uses CH1 for channel 1, etc so when you need to select the cameras for playback you have to remember which channel has the camera you want to view since you can only view 4 at a time out of the 8. But you can playback all 4 cameras at once.

Sometimes I would make changes to the settings and it would save while other times a message pops up and says Failed.

Try to set the password for a user and it maxes out at 6 characters but then you try to save it it says you must have MORE than 6 characters. Then sometimes it does work but you must have 6 characters exactly.

While it says you can assign different types of users I haven't found that. I prefer to be able to differentiate between a local user and a remote user but you can't.

Interesting note

I have to wonder if the Defender and the QSee (and probably other brands) aren't made by the same manufacture and companies buy them up and add software because the hardware is nearly identical (model differences) including mice, remote controls, ports, cabling etc.

Conclusion

I could probably write a book on these things but that should give you an idea. It would cost a considerable amount to set up 8 wireless cameras and a DVR or server; cable type systems like this are much more affordable. On the Defender website this system lists for $800 but on sale for $550 way over priced. Amazon sells it for $400 which is about right for an 8 camera system like this. It does work and will record activity going on giving you some peace of mind.

This Defender Sentinel Surveillance System works well for my needs and is also a very good value. To be perfectly clear, this is not a high-end system with high definition cameras, but it isn't priced like a high-end system either. This is somewhat of a budget system that exceeded my expectations for what you get and how well it works. Here are my observations:

Note: We already own a Zmodo Surveillance System (PKD-DK0865-500GB) used to monitor our small business, so it was easy for me to switch out the main DVR unit and cameras to do a side-by-side comparison. The Defender and Zmodo systems have roughly the same specs and features, but the Defender is a little more expensive (at the time of this review), so is it worth it? The answer for us would be "yes" since the cameras on this system are clearer and have much better night vision clarity and range. I will be making comparisons as appropriate.

Our Use We recently bought an old but very large building for my wife's business and needed a way to monitor the six exits and the retail shop space.

Included:

* Main Control Unit this is a fairly small unit (smaller than most DVD players)

* 8-Cameras these are also fairly small, good physical quality and include mounting hardware

* USB Mouse connects to Control Unit

* Remote Control gives access to all menu functions (batteries included)

* Required Cables 65' Video/Power cables

* Power Supplies one for the Control Unit and two for the cameras (uses splitters to distribute the power between the cameras)

* Window Warning Stickers

* Software CD

Features:

+ Camera; IR Illumination for night vision

+ User configurable Options; Privacy Zones (blackout areas in the display), Motion Zones (areas where motion triggers an alarm)

+ Network Access; Can be viewed by a PC on the local network

+ Alarm Notification; Audible alert and E-Mail capability (which works very well)

+ Display Options; Includes a VGA monitor connection and BNC/video out for TV viewing

+ Remote Control; Really makes it easy to quickly access features

+ Remote User Access; Can be viewed remotely on PC/MAC, iPhone, and Android

Pros:

+ Setup; Basic configuration is very easy

+ Image Quality; Good for basic security needs in both bright and dark settings, better than the Zmodo cameras

+ Night Vision; Surprisingly good clarity and range, also much better than the Zmodo system

+ Value; Lots of cameras and features at a reasonable cost

+ Options; Can be made to do everything we need it to do

+ No Exposed Camera Wires; Wires can pass though the mounting hardware so are hidden and protected, an advantage over the Zmodo mounts, or you can choose to have the wires run outside the mounts if you don't want to put holes through the wall

Cons:

Slightly Washed Out Colors; Colors are somewhat muted, but can be individually adjusted in the controls to get the best possible picture for the lighting condition

Hints/Notes:

* Alarmed Events can be recorded and searched on later

* A 500GB Hard Drive can record up to two years of video on this system

* Placing a camera too close to a window will cause the IR to reflect and blind the camera when it shifts into night vision mode

* Supports PTZ Cameras (not included); we use Zmodo Home Indoor Pan Tilt Surveillance Camera with IR Night Vision for 80 feet

This system covers my needs very well and provides a lot of advanced features that are nice to find on a budget system.

Highly Recommended!

CFH

Buy DEFENDER 21026 SENTINEL 4-Channel Smart Security DVR with 4 Hi-Resolution Outdoor Security Cameras Now

I purchased this item because of the claim of "DVD quality resolution". Once installed did I realize that car license plates still could not be read.

I already owned the Defender SN502-4CH-001 model and the image quality is almost exactly the same! I also had an issue with one of the cameras and called customer support about getting the defective camera replaced .They required that you send the defective camera back before getting a replacement even though I provided a receipt and was under the warranty.

Defender USA also claims that you can record 6 months of footage with the 500 GB hard drive. This claim is a lie. The most you can store is about 4 weeks!

I have always been a loyal Amazon customer and feel disappointed that Defender USA was able to sell its items on this website. From past experience, Amazon customer service has been great but it sometimes falls short when third party companies are involved.

Buyers beware when looking to buy one of these systems. Don't make them same mistake I made.

Read Best Reviews of DEFENDER 21026 SENTINEL 4-Channel Smart Security DVR with 4 Hi-Resolution Outdoor Security Cameras Here

Operating a home recording studio these days makes owning a home surveillance system a must. Along with an alarm this is a necessity now. One major theft and I am out of business. While this system can not prevent a theft, it can record it and has all the capabilities to ALERT me that it is happening.

f you are at all familiar with surveillance/recording system you will soon be right at home with the Defender. The Defender system has everything you need to keep an eye on things, whether you are on premises or off. Very easy communication with your system via the web makes this ideal for checking your home or business while away. Once you set things up on software, you can easily review your recordings or watch in real time from remote locations. The email alert feature is really a smart idea and although I have had no breach in security YET, I am sure to appreciate an electronic "heads up" if the need arises.

The system comes well packaged in two small boxes, one holding cameras and cabling and the other holding the DVR and software. Everything arrived in perfect condition, ready for installation and use. (you obviously need a PC and Monitor to operate this system)

Build quality of the cameras, mounts, and DVR is very good. Cabling is not the thickest but more than serviceable and shielded . Almost all your cabling will be hidden and not exposed to the elements. A basic rule of thumb for the DVR portion of this system is to keep the DVR in a COOL place with PLENTY OF ventilation. Since this is the key component of the system, we keep the DVR in our studio computer room which is climate controlled 24/7.

Installation is not for the timid. If you have any doubts or are just not mechanically inclined, get someone to help you or HIRE a professional at least for the install of the cameras and running of cables. There WILL be holes drilled in your exterior/interior walls as this is not a wireless system.

The documentation is spotty and almost appears to be written in pidgin English. Basically all the info you need is there on disc and on Defenders website AND Defender offers real time chat for any problems you encounter or instruction you may need. (both web and phone support) In my case this system replaces a very antiquated VHS based unit so going all digital was a welcome change and something worth the small learning curve to implement.

Besides remote accessing of the software and 4 channel video output, the other favorite feature of mine is the ability to record viewable video during the night.

Maxwell Smart of CONROL never had anything this sophisticated.

Video quality is more than adequate with 480i at 704 x 480 and by using H.264 compression the picture is pretty crisp and artifact free. A MAJOR improvement from my old VHS based system! Of course accessing your video feeds is very similar to home DVR use as far as random access goes and searching by timer/day.

Currently sold for under $400, this system gives you all the tools you need to keep watch on your home or business, an easy way to access the system from a remote location and provides decent usable video quality both during the day and at night. Coupled with the free tech support offered, the Defender Sentinel 4 Channel system will run rings around any older system and should provide years of service as long as you take care of the DVR.

If you need to know what's going on at all times, this system will do the job for you. (since this is a hard disc based system you always need to remember ALL hard discs eventually fail so a redundant backup system is recommended for critical applications) Very cool and I can easily recommend it.

Want DEFENDER 21026 SENTINEL 4-Channel Smart Security DVR with 4 Hi-Resolution Outdoor Security Cameras Discount?

My use of this system so far has admittedly been just a little silly. I'm not ready just yet to fully install it (partly because I wanted to have a sense of how well it works before I start drilling holes in walls that can't be un-drilled as part of installing it), but I decided to hook up a couple of cameras so that I could get on with testing it. I've been having fun using it to monitor a robin's nest on the back of the house.

It's been a really good way for me to get a sense of how well I could follow what was happening in front of the camera, how well the night vision works, and to test other features like alarms. I was actually able to go into the system's software and designate the area around the nest itself as being of interest, and had the system beeping to alert me whenever the parents came back to the nest to feed their young without giving me false alarms when things moved elsewhere within the camera's view. (It was way more fun as a way of testing than sending someone else out to walk in front of the cameras for me!)

The clarity of the images has really surprised me with how good it is. The colors can be a little off at times, but the clarity is nicer than I expected. You have the option to set the system to different resolutions. It also has the ability to be hooked to a computer monitor, along with 2 connection points designed to use a television as a display.

Overall, I'm very impressed with it so far and I think that it's definitely worth the amount they're charging here. There are a few things that I took off a star for that are mainly interface issues. For example, in the menus in the system there are options available to be checked and unchecked that are not supported by this particular model. There's also plenty of room on many pages that they could have offered slightly more explanation in place of what options meant, rather than requiring you to switch back and forth between the system's interface and a PDF of the manual to figure out what you're doing (or whether you're even doing anything, in the case of the options that are meaningless for this particular version).

These issues are pretty minor because they don't stop you from actually successfully doing anything with the system that you might want to do. They're just an avoidable annoyance that holds me back a from being entirely comfortable with giving it 5 stars for now.

Some Edits for more detail:

The network cable that comes with the system is Cat5e. If you're in doubt about whether this is good enough for the speed of your local network, you're almost definitely fine. Only networks where all of the components are very high speed will benefit from a Cat6 cable. Plan to order one if you happen to need that, though.

I'm still disappointed in the quality of the documentation. The URL they point you to for networking information sends you to a 'we have reorganized our site, start from our main page' page. It wouldn't have taken much effort for them to move you to at least the support page (where you can easily get to networking information) instead of the main page of the site. There are a lot of little spots like that where things could be more polished.

There's good news and bad news on the using-birds-for-testing front. The bad news is that, after I had been watching the babies frequently for more than a week (I got to like glancing over to see what they were up to on the nearby TV while I worked at the computer), they disappeared from their nest a couple of days before they were due to start learning to fly. The good news is that I was able to find out what happened, because the camera captured the entire thing. They were attacked by what appears to have been a rat snake. While it was distressing to lose them and to see the attack transpire on video (it was in the middle of the night, so it was caught on the night-vision mode), I guess that at least proves that you can use this system to find out who's responsible when something bad happens on your property.

JVC Everio GZHD7 3CCD 60GB Hard Disk Drive High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabili

If you are more than a casual video user or if you have bought a video camera more than twice in the last 10 years I would say that you probably need a high end HD camera to satisfy you. For me, someone who has only owned 1 other video camera in the last 10 years I find this camera to be amazing. I do not shoot professionally and if i did there are many great HD solutions in the 3-6 grand range. Since this is not my business and I do not have money to burn this was the camera that satisfied all my needs. Those needs were: no tapes, large hard drive, HD quality or something far, far better than my old mini DV camera. I also needed to be able to archive the files on my mac which is a dual 800mhz G4 and possibly edit on the mac in imovie. This camera does all of that, and quite easily I might add.

I had no problems installing the codec that came with the camera for quicktime. Once I opened a clip in quicktime it did not play properly, however once I imported it into imovie it worked fine. I edited simple edits, added new audio and was satisfied for what I need. After all, all I will be doing with this is shooting the wife and kids.

JVC recommends A 1.25 Gigahertz G4 or higher, so do not complain about the camera not working smoothly on your mac unless you meet those requirements. They are stated on the GZHD7 box. I suggest the newest mac with 2 gigs of ram at least. In my experience, more RAM makes all the difference in the world. Eventually I plan to get a new mac to be able to handle the footage.

I have a 1080i sony plasma TV. The picture looked great. There was some banding of subtle gradients I shot. It was acceptable to me. Also the banding was not apparent on my mac in imovie. I think because my TV is already 2 years old it is not up to the same standards as the GZHD7 camera and my mac. Bottom line is the camera was producing better images on my mac than on my TV. Now all this is nonsense because I will be using this to mostly shoot video of my family and friends for recreational use. Compared to what my dad shot of us when we were kids and then the sandy grainy video we used in the 90s this camera is AMAZING. The quality is good enough for me and I would also add that any film student on a zero budget could easily get by with this. Like I said earlier, if you have the means and require perfect HD video, spend the few extra grand and go for the gold.

I have had this camcorder for about three weeks and have some useful information for the user and prospective buyer. I would also like to offer my opinions. Firstly, I bought this camera because I often need manual controls for focus etc. This camcorder fits the bill. I also didn't want a touch screen. I don't know why users want to plan on having to scratch and grunge up their display by having to touch it. I hate a screen that has been damaged and/or is dirty. This is what you ask for when you have a touch screen. This model uses, instead, a small joy stick which will help keep your screen nice and clear.

I was puzzled by the placement of the mounting hole on the bottom which is not centered as it should be. The professional lens is very nice and yields a quality picture. I have ordered two additional lenses to expand the 10X zoom range which is not enough for wildlife photography, my main use for this camcorder. The optional GL-V1846U Tele Conversion Lens is heavy. Perhaps it weighs as much as the camcorder. This makes the whole assembly front-heavy but not excessive. Using this lens, you will get a tunnel effect at 1X on the zoom. This will disappear at 2X and beyond. I have not yet received the GL-V0746U Wide Conversion Lens but expect that it will also be heavy. Together, these lenses will expand the total potential range from 0.7X to 18X (a span of over 25X).

A number of users on forums have had questions about how to use the TOD files that this camcorder produces. My platform is Windows XP. The camcorder comes with a Cyberlink software package that includes three programs: PowerCinema, PowerDirector and PowerProducer. PowerCinema allows you to browse and save video clips to your PC using a USB interface. You can play these TOD files from your PC's hard disk or directly from the camcorder. Few software packages know what to do with TOD files (even Cyberlink's). PowerDirector is an NLE video editor and when you go to import the TOD files, it converts them to MPG files in the process. What I do is to import them just for the side effect of getting the MPG files. PowerProducer seems to be a DVD authoring package. Now for the bad part. Many people have complained about the OIS not working very well. I can live with that because, with the higher resolution, you need to get used to using a tripod (or some other mechanical stablizer) anyway.

Users have reported that Pinnacle can use TODs directly but I have stopped using that package because it has some really bad behavior (including corrupting your project file when it crashes often). As it stands the MPG files are unusable for anything but static or nearly static scenes.

The pixel-shifting technique used in this camcorder allows its half-resolution triplet of CCD's (960 X 540) to stretch the images to full 1920 X 1080i so the image quality is probably below theoretical 1080i (but still better than 540i). Imagine what JVC could do with true 1920 X 1080 CCD's. This technique could produce a camcorder that rivals the Big Red One professional cinematic camcorder at a small fraction of the cost. At 3840 X 2160, its images could approach the 4K resolution of some very expensive equipment. My hat goes off to JVC.

Buy JVC Everio GZHD7 3CCD 60GB Hard Disk Drive High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabili Now

First of all let me deny all the idiotic reviews that keep copying one another that this camera produces inferior video. This is 3ccd baby produces unmatched quality footage with perfect color separation, great sharpness and smooth operations. Technically speaking this camcorder is way over the category it was placed in. HD7 has a Fujinon PRO lens with 3(!!!) AS EL elements and it has consistent 1,8-1.9 aperture all across the range while Canon and Sony are 3 on the tele end.

I also deny any credibility to "reports" that claim its weak low light performance. I own vx2100 that is THE BEST low light camera for any price below $5000 and this hd7 is very near.

The optical image stabilization works very well, it is not supposed to suppress all shaking but for what it is billed it produces! I have absolutely no problems with it. In fact the image stabilization in this JVC keeps up MUCH BETTER than Sony VX2100! I linked two cams and shot the same footage with both. JVC wins easily and unequivocally.

I edit with FinalCut and using the free utility I downloaded from Internet all the footage is ready for edit in two minutes. The 60Gb of the drive makes a superb storage. To mention this camera has all the belts and whistles of full scale pro or near pro camcorder and if you know what you are looking for it is a steal for the money. Not to mention that it is pleasure to hold camera, quality made and convenient to operate.

Well, this camera awarded "Best expert camcorder of the year 2007" by META(!!!), so if you you are looking for a camcorder under $2000 it is a best you can get. You can get slightly better one for $3000 but it will not be so nicely compact and ready for the action.

I was stunned to see how competition tries to discredit superior product by pouring fake review supported by morons.

Do not use software included with the camcorder. Download free MPEG StreamClip that is SUPERB program!

For a full Professional review and complete instruction how to use it with Final Cut go to digitalcontentproducer.com and look for first and second parts of the review on this camcorder, it includes complete illustrated instructions! I use in Final Cut and I do not use FireWire with this camcorder at all!

I download full resolution footage via usb2 just like described in aforementioned review and footage is very quickly and without conversion in full quality is available is for editing (it can simply unwrap it in the same format as it is on the hard drive of gz-hd7).

I can't comment on iMovie as I do not use one. But for Final Cut it is a snap. BTW, also allows shooting events (like plays for example) that last longer that cassette allowed).

If you buy a camcorder to enjoy convenience, great image quality and boundless creativity it is the best thing you can buy.

Read Best Reviews of JVC Everio GZHD7 3CCD 60GB Hard Disk Drive High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabili Here

I bought this camera and the JVC CU-VD40 Share Station DVD Burner for HD Everio Camcorders. Our goal was to get an HD camera that was the best, and tape our kids, etc in HD. When we wanted to send a copy of the big game off to Grandma's house so she could pop it into her DVD (in SD) we could just push a button and make it so. If you look at the JVC website this combo should fit the bill! So, $2000 later... The camera is really nice, easy to use, full of useful features, and is well built. My wife and I both sat down, read the manual and figured it out in very little time. We videotaped the dog doing a trick and went and played it on our plasma. Nice picture! Shot a few more dog tricks and kids and then we decided to open the CU-VD40 "Share Station" and hook it up. Piece of cake, very intuitive in fact I'll bet my 8 year old could burn a DVD off this thing. It's literally as easy as plug it in-click-click-click-burn. Here's the rub: the "DVD Burner" spits out a DVD of your selected recordings that CAN ONLY BE PLAYED BACK ON THE CU-VD40. I asked JVC why they call it a share station... Exactly who am I able "share" this with? This unit spits out a DVD "that cannot be played on normal DVD players" (manual, page 47 small print). So I called JVC who denied it but when I pointed it out, they confirmed it. The CU-VD40 is essentially an "archiving" burner. At $400, I'd say its the most expensive DVD archiving method known to man. The manual also said the DVD could be played back on a PC... Not the 3 PC's in my house. So, if you're an HD movie maker and love to burn things to your PC and edit them YOU CANNOT BEAT THIS CAMERA. If you don't like having to go through a PC, but would rather just burn a DVD on the fly not gonna happen. JVC's Tech Support solution: Shoot your video in SD and it will work like a charm.... Ummmm why did I just buy a $1600 HD camera if I'm going to wind up shooting in SD. Anyway, after more research, I found nobody has a solution that will do this (shoot in HD and burn in SD). So I kept the camera and returned the CU-VD40. The camera is just too good to return.

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I bought this camera as an upgrade from my trusty Canon GL1. The light weight, compact size, high def, three CCDs, and hard drive recording are real pluses. I was considering the Sony HDR-SR1 AVC HD 30GB but was concerned about the inability to edit their new format. I edit my video in Adobe Premiere Pro and burn DVDs. Video is stored on the hard drive in *.TOD format, which is uneditable. However, included software converts it to MPEG-2 for editing. I assume the *.TOD format will allow the video to be converted to future video formats. Each video sequence is recorded as a separate file with ascending numbers (001 999)._

The picture quality is superb, the camera fits one's hand well and the controls are well placed. To avoid shaky video, I would recommend using the viewfinder rather than the LCD screen. Holding the camera in outstretched arms drastically decreases stability. In addition, LCD screens are hard to visualize in outdoor light. The only missing feature is 5.1 Dolby surround sound (available only on the Sony unit (one CCD)); however, I wonder how practical that feature is on a compact camera with small mics. I often remove sound tracks from my videos and add appropriate background music during editing.

I am looking forward to an upcoming European trip, after which I will edit and prepare a DVD. Apparently, HD can be burned to single or dual-density discs (I believe 20 to 40 minutes per disc). My next purchase will be a Blu-Ray burner.

Nikon D3100 Digital Camera + Nikon 18-55 VR Zoom Lens + Nikon 70-300 Telephoto Zoom Lens + .40x Sup

Best camera we have ever owned. We have used it on several special occasional and have some great pictures. We are still learning what all the features do so far we love it!!!!

Canon ZR900 MiniDV Camcorder with 37x Optical Zoom

I am forced to write the review because of totally uneducated review left by "E. Robles "VJ Pike". He apparently never went to the menu section of the camera. When i get any electronic item, the first thing I do, is to go to the Menu and play around with the setting. If he had ever visited the Menu section, let alone play around with it, he wouldn't have written an embarrassing and incorrect review. While I agree with SDHC part is falsely advertised, markers and 41x zoom are not.

Go to Menu->Camera Setup->Zoom and you can select between 37x, Advanced 41x, and 2000x digital+optical zoom options.

Go to Menu->Display Setup->Marker and you can select level marker and grid options.

These are not falsely advertised, but the user did not have the opportunity to find out. I wonder if he bought the same camera or thought he did and bought something else.

Regarding the camera, its a solid performer. Zoom is more than enough. Video quality is pretty good although not the best (For something less than 200$ what do you expect? HD?).

The external mic jack is a big plus. It's very light and fits right into my hands. Mini DV allows me to get uncompressed video out of my tape. Manual controls are adequate, although they could have thrown in more controls for spot exposure, more focus controls.

One drawback is the picture is grainy when shooting in low light. Also it could have had still picture mode to a sd card or something.

I paid 185$ for this camera. I certainly am not complaining. It does what its supposed to do and it does it pretty well. I am more than satisfied with what I got for what I paid.

It is a good camcorder for the price. My only complaint is that it is firewire which limits the ability for Windows based systems to utilize the device. The 900 has only tape whereas the 950 used SDHC memory. I actually purchased the ZR950 after this purchase to get the USB connection and I am much happier.

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This camcorder performs well and does everything I was looking for.

Easy to move video to computer.

User friendly menu.

Zoom is steady until it reaches near maximum.

Small in in-obtrusive.

Easy to carry and set up.

Sound quality is very good.

Over all, excellent buy for the money.

I would highly recommend.

Del Montana

Read Best Reviews of Canon ZR900 MiniDV Camcorder with 37x Optical Zoom Here

This is a good overall camcorder. Very light and small with an excellent zoom. The video shot in well lit areas, and that shot outside, is excellent quality. Dimmer environments produce more grainy results. I'm sure all camcorders suffer from this problem, however. Expect some noise from the tape drive in very quiet situations, but it is not unreasonable. I would recomend this to a friend.

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Canon ZR900 MiniDV Camcorder with 41x Optical Zoom

Bought this camcorder as a graduation gift for my 13 year old niece. She already has an iMac and a digital camcorder so this camera fit in perfectly and she is able to take great videos and edit them in iMovie. She loves to make movies with her ZR900 and the the size, features and price is right.

We already have an entire DVD put together of our 4th of July party just two weeks ago.

Sony Cybershot DSCV3 7.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom

I own several photo equipment and nothing will suit every situation. For huge enlargements needed for professional work nothing beats medium and large format film. Which is not what these cameras are made for. In the 7MP range the V3 is the best choice. Fairly priced and very good quality picture in a reasonably compact body.

Canon G6 may have a little better quality image, but what is also important for snapshots is shutter lag time, that is the time between the moment you press the button and when the picture is taken. Here the V3 is unbeatable with less than 0.1 sec. This means that you won't loose the photo or have a blur instead of your children recorded. This is why I bought this camera, it is better to have a little less detail looking through a lupe than loosing the picture. Despite the startup time, 3 sec, which is not too long I think that this camera beats the other 7MPs because of the smaller shutter lag.

Another thing that helps is that it accepts Compactflash. the only problem is having to buy a MS pro to be able to record high quality video, but I can live with that.

When I can carry heavy stuff I bring film equipment or my Canon 10D. Otherwise the V3 is my choice, the ultra compact ones just don't have good enough picture quality for printing and the shutter lag is usually unbearable, so I think it is better to carry something a little bigger.

If you want very high quality pictures, film like quality, you have to buy bulkier equipment like the Canon 20D (US$1,500.00). And for professional work Canon 1DS Mark II or a medium format digital, but then you have to spend from US$8,000.00 to US$25,000.00.

So there is no point in people complaining about picture quality in a compact US$700,00 digital camera that delivers pictures with about the same quality as its competition. Sony makes very good digital cameras, not miracles.

I Own a Sony DSC-F828, and really wasn't looking for another camera, but the fact of the matter is that since the 828 is essentially a SLR camera, once you had the flash Etc. you got yourself one heavy piece of equipment!So seeing as we had a new baby coming along I found my self in the market for something lighter, but I was determined that it have as much of the power and capabilities as my 828.This was a tall order! The first camera wasn't a Sony at all it was the Canon G6 wich all in all was a fine camera and one I considered seriously until I saw the V3 on sony's web site. I sell camera's at BestBuy as one of my many jobs and I can tell you that that for every G6 we sell we sell 4 V3's heres why. First of all is the general design of the body, the G6 is essentially a box with a lens stuck on it! While the V3 is smaller and more contoured in shape and feel. One minus here, and I'm sure you've heard about this before... the eye piece on the V3 is poorly placed, and virtually useless, but with that big beautiful 2.5 LCD screen on the back you wont need it! As far as optics the G6 and V3 are just about dead even both having 4X optical, I give this one to Sony also because next to Canon I fell Ziess lenses are superior in optics and quality. (just an opinion) Next moving to flash ability, as far as on board flash this one goes to the Canon, the onboard with the V3 is useless for anything more than 5 or 6 feet away the Canon fared slightly better, both cameras equip with a hot shoe for an external flash, an when you slap the Sony X-32 flash on the V3 the results or nothing short of astounding again blowing the G6 out of the water! Another quick note on the V3 flash, if you plan on buying the V3's lense hood from Sony or here at Amazon include an external flash in your budjet! The hood does cause shadowing!! Word to the wise. As far as function the V3 has a extremely fast start up time, 1.1 or 1.3 seconds,The G6 was a little slower. Getting into speed hear me when I tell you this...if you want a camera faster than this you need to start looking at SLR's. This ain't no Nikon 2600 or a Canon A85, the V3 and G6 are both extremely fast cameras, again I found the V3 to be faster ( remember because of my job I get to do hands on comparisons) On virtually every other score I found the V3 to be the better of the two cameras heres a quick list of some of the biggest advantages the V3 has:

1.BIG LCD screen!! At last you can see what your shooting! Don't bother with the eye piece however, it just about useless!

2.Easy to read and navagate menus. If you want to start messing around with shutters and apatures this is your camera.The scene settings are great too, but I recomend using "P" mode for most of your picture taking! (just remember to have a tri-pod ready in low light!)

3. Video, video, video Sony is the undisputed king of on board digital camera video! Great sound, great Resolution It aint DVC, but it ain't bad either! You can get upto 44Minutes worth on a 1GB card (stick)! NO MORE CLIPS!!

4. Decent battery life. About 220 minutes per charge. Im not sure about the G6 (A friend of mine owns one, and he said he got about the same.)

5. Dual memory capability! A huge plus here! The ability to carry twice the memory ready and available right on the camera!Just flick the switch!If you are a volume picture taker this is a Gift from above for you. One minus however the V3 can't use Micro-Drives. (Maybe on next years model!?!?) The V4?

6. Picture. The V3 takes clearer shrper pictures than it's counterpart, bottom line. Not to mention the fact that you can crop your shots within the camera, and even select the resolution of the new image!! Fantastic! Beat the snot out of the G6 in ambient and low light settings. The G6 does have better ISO response, but not by enough for me to reccomend it over the V3.

7. A sane, Useful array of shutter speeds, and apature settings. I hate it when a camera adds a 40 or 60 second shutter delay, or a 1/2000 shutter speed, and then charges you 300 or 400 bucks for your trouble! Most mortal picture takers like you and me don't need these! (hell Im a professional photographer and I rarely do) the V3 shutter speeds range from 30 seconds all the way up to a scorching 1/1000, the apatures are set up likewise, It's a nice selection of speeds, allowing the use some really nice creativity options!

the apaturesThe Bottom Line, and what is it?

Sony has again set the new standard for so called point and shoot cameras, by increasing functionality and power while maintaining a compact size.Just search through Amazon here and you will be astounded at all the extra's available for this little camera! I like to call these new cameras Hybrids because they combine a little of both worlds. Sony proved they are the masters at this when they released the DSC-F828 which in my opinion is one of the most amazing digital cameras ever made! Tempramental but amazing! And that is where I can best describe the V3, It has many of the features and most of power of its predacessor (F-828) but is much more user friendly and tolerent of misgudgement on the photographers part. With the G6 like the 828 I found I have to work for great shots (not that I mind working) but with the V3 they just seemed to happen. The camera seems to act like an extension of yourself, and that is what any great camera should do. So to Sony I say Bravo again!! I bought one for my father, one for me and every damn accessory for it I can lay my hands on! If your ready this could be and will be the last digital camera you'll ever have to buy. To the Canon people out there don't get mad, the G6 is a fantastic camera in every sense of the words, but the V3 is an experience in photography not just another tool for taking snapshots!Sorry!

This is (if you'll excuse the pun) the best buy!

Buy Sony Cybershot DSCV3 7.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom Now

If one is looking at this camera you should be glad that this camera can record not only on Memory stick but also on CompactFlash Type I cards. So, for anyone trying to upgrade from Sony digicams with plenty of Memory Sticks, you can't beat this one. Also, for all those who complain about expensive Memory sticks, you have no reason to complain on this Sony ;-)!

V3 has lot of advanced features professional photographers demand like those found in F717 while having all the auto features needed for normal family photographer.

For someone trying to move from V-1 to V-3, you will be glad about the higer capacity battery and larger LCD, while you will miss the compactness of V-1. If you prefer smaller pocketable size, this will not fit your needs. You should consider DSC-W1.

I feel V3's main strength is it's capability to take excellent indoor pictures. As a dad of two, I take most of my pictures indoors at parties and home and this camera stands up to the best digital camera I used for indoor photography namely, Sony's DSC-F717.

Read Best Reviews of Sony Cybershot DSCV3 7.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom Here

This camera though very similar to the Canon G6 comes out ahead in some aspects:

1) Cool Sleek Black Body with a nice feel and made out of metal and plastic;

2) Several Night shooting modes including a very nice laser hologram focus tool;

3) Dual memory slots for CF and MS;

4) This one is the killer: Full Screen VGA video (G6 does not even come close);

5) Pictures are more detailed and sharper than G6.

6) Great 2.5-inch LCD which auto-brightens in low light

7) Full on high speed USB2.0. Canon G6 has the older slower USB 1.0.

I have always found the Sonys to be more reliable than the Canons.. So as far as this one is concerened..I went for the Sony

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Took about 100-150 photographs before realizing this camera needed a little help with both indoor and outdoor photographs.

Indoor: The onboard flash is just not sufficient. Large amounts of redeye, pets eyes looked like something off a horror movie and picture colors weren't the quality I was expecting. I spent 3-4 hours touching up my first set of pictures with photo software (not included). I purchased the HVL-F32X flash and the whole indoor world changed. Redeye almost totally disappeared, my pets look friendly again and colors were much richer and fuller. So add $140-150 to the price for an external flash, don't go cheap here.

Outdoor: Pictures weren't as crisp as expected. I believe it was caused by sunlight glare and the cameras aperture choice, so I added the VAD-VHA adapter and a Circular Polarizer which helped along with opening the aperture a little. Other online reviews can explain how to do this.

So my second set of photos needed almost no editing and I am very impressed by the quality. The camera is solid and time from shot to shot is amazingly fast. I am using a High-Speed MSX-512N Sony memory stick and a 256MB SanDisk Ultra II CF Card. I noticed the write speed on the memory stick are slightly faster than the CF card. But to be honest, I don't think the difference is that much to justify the extra cost of the memory stick.

HD 720P WiFi IP Camera Monitor Video Motion Detection Webcam-Wansview NCH531MW

The camera's mount only allows the camera to be mounted vertically on the stand; we have one camera mounted sideways and the software does not allow you to rotate the picture. All feed is sideways from the camera. Overall it gives me most convenient service.