Olympus D450 1.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

I started out thinking I was still a year away from affording a new digital camera with the features I wanted. I decided to hold out for a zoom lens and at least 1024 x 768 resolution, or wait. After a lot of research, I knew I wanted an Olympus, because of their excellent optics and their camera-first, digital-device-second approach, and because my Olympus 35mm point-and-shoot had served me well.

I thought my best deal would be on a used or discontinued model; however, because the original price of the 500L, 600L, and 400Z had been so high (in the $800-1200 range), the asking prices for these had not come down as much as I'd hoped, and what I had to be willing to pay had crept up as I shopped. When I saw what the 450Z was going for, I whipped out my credit card. Now that I've played around with it for a few weeks, I can't imagine there's a better digital camera for the money right now. I've compared with a couple of friends that have Nikon CoolPix cameras, and I suppose there's something that's better about them, but I can't honestly tell you what that would be, and the Nikon is twice the money!

The 450Z is an improved version of the well-received 400Z, but at a radically lower street price. Some of this is due to the packaging - the 450Z leaves out the FlashPath floppy adapter (typically $70-90 alone) that was standard in the 400Z -but clearly the manufacturing costs are coming down rapidly.

This camera performs incredibly well on the bottom-line measurement: It takes stunningly detailed and accurate pictures under a wide variety of conditions.

We've gotten used to accepting less than perfection for pictures taken in other than bright sunlight at normal distances. The 450Z adds several categories of picture-taking where you can now get predictable results: Flash, macro (including with flash), indoor lighting, low light, etc. There are just enough features to make the camera useful over the range of conditions, but not so many as to intimidate the snap-shooter. Because of the intelligence of the autofocus, exposure control, and white balance, it is still a great point-and-shoot camera.

Many features are related to getting the picture right at the right resolution, such as spot metering, exposure override, mode (resolution), different flash modes, macro, etc. Other features are related to viewing and managing the pictures you've taken. You can plug the camera into a VCR or TV monitor (RCA video jack) and give a quick slideshow of what's in memory. You can get around the small size of the LCD display (and this is one of the better ones) by zooming in on one segment (out of a 3 x 3 grid) of an image, to make sure the detail is there.

One other feature that other reviewers have found important: The 450Z will store images uncompressed, if you choose (the file size is huge); most other cameras up to this point perform at least some compression, even on high-quality settings.

The only thing I couldn't do well -and this may just take some practice -is action shots. All digital cameras have some lag between the time you decide to pull the trigger and the time the image is committed to memory, and this takes some getting used to, but the 450Z is quicker in this respect than its earlier counterparts. One significant feature is the "burst mode", which allows you to keep capturing images (about 1-2 a second) as long as the shutter button is pressed, and until the buffer fills up (seems to be about 6-10 images).

Most of us get into digital because of the cost and overhead of dealing with film and processing, only to have to scan prints or pay extra to the processor for digital images from film. Depending on resolution, you can get up to 122 images onto the standard 8MB memory card before unloading, and that's very liberating -no more agonizing over whether to take another shot! However, once you play around with it a while, the mind starts to boggle at the possibilities, and film cameras seem like Stone-Age technology (especially since we are approaching the resolution of film with the million-plus pixels you can store in an image now).

The 450Z is a milestone in the improvement of digital cameras, a quantum leap in value vs. features and quality, even compared to other Olympus cameras. You won't believe how easy it is to get breath-taking digital photos. Get one!

I am one who always jumps into new tech stuff during the first or second wave. I have been holding off on a digital camera purchase for more of a value reason than anything else. When I saw this camera loaded with features combined with my experience with Olympus, I knew I was time to buy. I was still slightly fearful that the process from taking shot to downloading it to my harddrive would be cumbersome; however, this was not true.

The software that comes with this camera is powerful yet straight foward and easy to use. The images are great and a lot of fun to have instantly. IT WORKS JUST LIKE A GOOD AUTO FOCUS 35MM.

Cons: Uses batteries quick if you use the LCD and during the download to PC process. It takes a long time to download a 8mb smartmedia card (30-40 pics @ medium quality). It does not come with a case. The LCD is just below the optical eye opening so your fat nose smudges the LCD screen everytime you take a picture.

FINAL WORD: BUY IT --IT'S GREAT along with: 1. Case 2. Rechargable Batteries 3. Get a 3.5" Floppy Smartmedia Reader and skip the download process all together.

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I bought this camera because my wife was tired of scanning pictures for online auctions. When I saw how good the pictures were, and how well they printed on an HP PhotoSmart printer (even the 640x480 as an 8x10 was beautiful!) I realized I had a great match! Get NiMH batteries, for sure, but you can use it without the screen and save power. Also, Olympus sells (and you can get it here at Amazon) a PCMCIA adapter for the SmartMedia cards, which pretends to be a spare hard drive. Cool! Get the 16 or 32 MB Card if you take lots of pics, but at lowest res I get 240+ pics on a 16MB chip.

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I joined the digital parade after an agonizing 6 months of comparison and indecision. I liked the Sony Mavica features, especially the floppy disk method of storing images. I've used my work's Mavica 91 and loved its simplicity and great ability to take indoor pictures without a flash. I also loved the rechargeable 'smart' battery which Sony sells with its product; it actually tells you how much time you have remaining before a battery change is required. It could also do short MPEG motion pictures with sound. The big negative: it's huge and weighed a ton. It's resolution wasn't sufficient either.

I finally ended up with the Olympus 450z because of its high resolution, its available floppy adapter, its many features for the price, and its compact size -its virtually identical to my old 35MM model. It takes great pictures, but isn't as capable in low light conditions as the Mavica 91.

The Panaroma picture capability was a feature which I never thought of using -until I saw the software demo which was included with the camera. It's like magic -it puts together a panarama of pictures into a single composite image. Truly amazing.

In summary, the 450 is a great camera, albeit only slightly better than the 400 and doesn't include the floppy adapter as the 400 did. Great yes, but the price really hasn't dropped as I had hoped. Finally, if you're thinking ahead, you'll order 8 or 12 NiMH batteries and a recharger, a 16 or 32 meg SMART Card, and the Floppy adapter. You've suddenly got yourself a $700-$800 camera outfit. Shop around there are cheaper places to buy your camera.

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As so many others have noted, this is a GREAT camera for the money. It's loaded with features seen only on more expensive digital cameras (changeable ISO values, great low light capability, a true optical zoom lens with the ability to add 2X digital zoom on top...I could go on and on about the *pros*.....there are so many!

Here are the *cons* I've picked up so far:

1. Camera does eats its four AA alkaline batteries quickly, especially if you use the LCD a lot. THE FIX: I purchased rechargeable 1400 mv NiMH Nexcells and a Maha C204F charger for under $40 online and neatly solved this problem.

2. Not the most intuitive menu and button system. THE FIX: reading the manual before trying to use does help. A *quick guide* sheet comes with the camera...keep it handy to figure out those features you don't use often. Now I know how to use the features that are important to me and don't have to refer to the manual any longer.

2. Manual is confusing with three languages/page. THE FIX: English is primarily on the left-hand pages so look there first. Dog-ear the content index page so it's easier to find what you are looking for later, and keep the one-page "quick guide" that comes with the camera handy.

4. If you are going to take panoramic photos, ONLY THE ***OLYMPUS*** SmartMedia CARDS WILL SUPPORT THIS FEATURE! If you purchase less-expensive brands like SanDisk, you won't be able to take panoramas. THE FIX: Purchase Olympus SmartMedia cards on auction sites or at bidding sites online...I bought my Olympus 32 mb card for $45 under the Olympus website price.

5. Slow photo download rate. First of all, I didn't find the serial port download overly slow, especially compared to other digital cameras. However, since camera has to be on during the download, I recommend purchasing an AC Adapter (doesn't have to be Olympus brand) to save on batteries. But if you're a speed freak, then THE FIX: Purchase either the USB or FlashPath Floppy Disk Adapter....either will speed up download time considerably.

Bottom line for me....best camera for the money, hands down! Buy one for yourself and see!

Nikon 1 J2 10.1 MP HD Digital Camera with 10-30mm and 30-110mm VR Lenses (Silver)

This camera is just what I was looking for. I have a larger camera but wanted one easy to take along for those surprise photo ops. This one is light enough to take anywhere, takes great pictures and I love the ease of use, just turn the lens and it's ready. The pop up flash is another feature I like. I've been using it for two months and the battery is still going!

This fabulous little camera replaced my larger slr and does not disappoint. The special features are fantastic. It takes amazing clear shots definitely happy with my decision to buy this!

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portable compared to DSLR cameras;

take really good pictures ( the capture is amazing) and also the 10-30 mm lenses

easy to use

can adapt lenses from others manufactures (just in manual mode)

can switch lenses from nikon 1 type or use adapter for f-mount and keep all the automatic modes

make videos in 400 fps and 1200 fps that are amazing!

Read Best Reviews of Nikon 1 J2 10.1 MP HD Digital Camera with 10-30mm and 30-110mm VR Lenses (Silver) Here

i absolutely cannot rave enough about my camera! it's perfect for me & my family. I have 5 kids & 3 of them in sports year round. great action shots!

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First off, let me say that I am in no way a "pro" in DSLR cameras and consider myself an amateur. This product does not fit MY needs but I'm sure it's an amazing camera with what it was intended to do.

My primary reason for buying this camera was to take pictures of MOVING kids INDOORS which seems to be the major flaw of this camera. I came from a Nikon D3100 (which is the same price as the Nikon 1 J2 fyi) to this camera which was the biggest mistake in my life. My wife wanted it as a fashion accessory since she has a white iPhone and a white iPad and a white computer. She wanted to get a white Nikon 1 since she was so impressed with the D3100 and wanted to stick with Nikon in a slimmer fashion.

EVERY picture we took of this camera came out BLURRY and GRAINY. Even though I am a DSLR amateur, I am not internet illiterate and I spent days finding every trick in the book to get this camera to work better. Everything from manually changing ISO settings to shutter speeds to vibration reduction technology, to specific guides tailored to the J1/J2 about reducing blurriness and graininess, etc. I've pretty much done everything and I had little to no improvement. I want to use this camera as a point and shoot, not have to go in and manually change settings for every type of picture I want to take. All I had to do on the D3100 was change a dial settings for like "baby mode" or "fast moving scene mode" unlike this camera which just have gimmicky dial settings I would never use.

From reading previous reviews of the J1 model, I kind of knew what I was getting myself into. I knew the quality would not be as good as the D3100, but my wife and I felt like the smaller profile and custom color options would be worth the sacrifice. As I am typing this, my wife is packing up the J2 right now and we are re-buying a D3100 again. We have done side-by-side comparison shots taken from my older D3100 and the J2 and the difference is night and day. This is while I never even had to touch a single setting in the D3100 ever. I can actually see the pores on my kids' faces while crisp and clear while all I see in the J2 pictures are blurry and grainy photos which don't even look much better than ones taken from my iPhone5. I even bought the $250 30-110 zoom lens so I know I don't have a faulty lens or something.

Again, I'm sure this camera is amazing for outdoor, stationary, natural light shots but not for my uses. Maybe if I was a professional, I could spend 3 minutes tweaking the camera every time I wanted to take a different type of picture but that's not what I bought it for. Do yourself a favor, just buy a D3100 camera that's the same price, slightly bulkier/heavier, if you want crisp, clear, high quality, high resolution photos in an easy point-and-shoot format and call it a day.

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Sony CCDTRV108 Hi8 Camcorder with 2.5" LCD

I have used many video cameras in my life, but I have never owned one until now. I worked at audio/video stores for several years and saw lots of different formats and brands come and go. Never a fan of the VHS format or its junky little brother, Compact VHS, I knew 8mm was the way to go, at least back then. Nowadays, though, Mini DV seems to be taking over with even smaller cassettes and better picture quality. However, I don't have that kind of money to afford a DV or Digital 8mm camcorder. Yet.

Enter the TRV-108, a nifty little video camera that uses the HiBand 8mm format, superior to 8mm, but certainly not in the ballpark of Digital8 or DV. Still, its compact size and light weight make it easy to carry around almost anywhere and given the first 8mm camcorder I ever used was big enough that part of it sat on my shoulder, this is a great improvement. It comes with a 160 minute `InfoLithium' battery and little else except a lens cap and strap. It takes great pictures and has a nifty menu system navigated by a little wheel at the back that works like like a volume control and when you have selected what you want from the on-screen display, you just press the wheel to make it happen. This makes titling a snap. I do miss the title image-grabbing function from older 8mm cameras, though.

The 2.5" color back lit LCD screen is clear and easy to read in all but the brightest sunlight and failing that, it also has a small .5" black and white display through the view finder. The 40x zoom is fantastic, but you better have steady hands in order to use it. And using the 460x digital zoom is impossible with anything but a tripod. The camera is equipped with a nightshot mode that actually does work, amplifying light in dark areas, making the image more visible, if green. The TRV-108 also comes with some neat digital effects like sepia tone, which gives video a nice old movie look, a pastel effect which gives everything a cartoony look, black and white, 16:9 aspect shots, plus other effects. It can also do snazzy digital fade-ins and fade-outs.

This camera only really has two failings. For the most part, built in camera lights are useless, but the TRV-108 doesn't even have an accessory shoe for mounting an external light source. Something I found kind of maddening to the point where I even toyed with the idea of finding a camera at a garage sale, ripping it apart, and super glue the shoe to the top. Second, while the built-in microphone is very sensitive at picking up voices and ambient sounds, it does not have a foam wind sock. In moderate winds the roar of the air as it passed over the mike caused a lot of noise. And if it's too loud, like when I shot at the base of a waterfall, the noise caused image distortion lines! These two missing features cost the camera a full five-star review.

All in all though, this is a pretty decent little toy. It's not a serious camcorder and a far from a Canon GL-1s or Xl-1s, but for what I use it for, it's still pretty darn good. It's also low cost enough that purchasing it and using it as a good way to find out if you want to go for a bigger and better camera with more features, whether it be a Digital8 or Mini DV camera. It has taught me a lot about framing shots and what a pain the noon day sun can be. The long life of the battery means that, with a little mental effort, you can shoot a full 2 hour tape on one battery. Not bad for a trip to the zoo to send a tape to your folks.

Hi8 is fast fading into oblivion as MiniDV takes over the world and gets cheaper. If you want good video quality, you should go with a namebrand MiniDV camcorder -I recommend Sony, Panasonic and Canon. On the other hand, if you don't shoot a lot of videos and want something cheap, the Hi8 is still a good way to go. (I bought the TRV108 as a gift but tested it before giving it to my uncle-in-law.)

To someone who's used to MiniDV camcorders, the TRV108 feels big. It's actually normal for a 8mm camcorder. The LCD screen is sharp and bright -but as we shall see later, also a battery hog. The traditional eye-piece viewfinder is b&w, which is bad if you want to use it to conserve battery power.

The TRV108 gives out good video quality on Hi8 tapes. I would rate it "high" for a Hi8 model, but even the cheapest MiniDV camcorders (except for Samsung) can match such quality -plus they offer more bells and whistles. One nice thing is the inclusion of Sony's NightShot infrared technology -now you can turn your lights off and make those ghostly videos like in Blair Witch Project and Silence of the Lambs. :) The TRV108 also includes a host of effects you can add to your video footage.

One bad thing, though, is this model does not have the stabilizer. The TRV308 and other more expensive models include Sony's digital stabilizer. On the other hand, digital stabilizers degrade quality, so they work better on a digital camcorder than an analog one like the TRV108. Just make sure you have sturdy hands and arms.

Now the battery. The battery is definitely a problem and you'll want to buy an extra capacity battery. While the LCD turned on, you'll run out of the included battery in a matter of minutes. You can save power by using the b&w viewfinder, but that defeats the purpose of having the LCD, doesn't it? One plus feature is the included AC adapter works at both 110V and 220V.

If you have [the money], I highly recommend a MiniDV camcorder. Otherwise, make the TRV108 your entry-level home video making machine. You just can't beat its price and good quality for a Hi8 model.

Buy Sony CCDTRV108 Hi8 Camcorder with 2.5" LCD Now

I've been waiting and waiting for the best value in a Sony Hi8 Camcorder and by far this is it! This is my very first camcorder. I've been doing a lot of research and comparison on which sony model will suit me best, then this came out. I quickly grabbed it after finding out how reasonably priced it was. I bought it at [a local store] during [a] Sale... I've never laid hand on a camcorder before and I am very pleased to find out how easy it was to operate. I was able to do the playback on my TV and dubbing on my VCR with ease. It has great features, great sound and best of all best picture quality. I know there are a lot of people out there like myself who are not ready to spend a lot of money on a camcorder especially for the very first time. Well, you will not be disappointed with this one! It comes with all the accessories to get you started. Battery charging is very fast, instructions are easy to follow when it comes to recording, playback and editing, the night shot feature is great, best of all the LCD screen is so fun to use especially when you have a "little one" to capture on video. This is definitely as great buy!

Read Best Reviews of Sony CCDTRV108 Hi8 Camcorder with 2.5" LCD Here

This was our family's first camcorder and I'd have to say that it does its job wonderfully. This camcorder has all the basic features you need to create great home videos. Our results so far are very satisfying. The only drawback is that you must buy an extra battery AND a camcorder bag! These are essential accessories that you must get if you plan to travel with your camcorder. What I love about this camcorder is that it could automatically convert to 220V, which is great when you travel. There's also the nightshot feature. I guess what this lacks is the 'image stabilizer.' However, I heard that stabilizers may actually worsen the picture quality on Hi8 camcorders. Whatever the case, we are very happy with our purchase and would highly recommend this product. It's high quality by a great brand and it would last you til you upgrade ...

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My old hi 8 went caput after 10 years use that was very trouble free.The new one has way more features that the 100 and costs much less. ...

I use the viewfinder instead of the display as I am used to it and so far have recorded 3 hours on it and it tells me I have 2 hours left. I used the telephoto constantly which takes power put am very happy with the results

I recharge the battery after use with the no memory effect so no problems. I use the supplied battery for dubbing and it will run 2 hrs in the dubbing mode which is great.

I dub hi 8 super vhs output to a super vhs vcr and do not notice andy difference in the quality of the dub.

Yes there is a more blurry picture if you dub to standard vhs but that is normal.

Unless you want to do some super pro stuff this camera is the one to get. Dave PS get metal evaporated tape for top notch 400 lines picture quality.

Q-See Q25DVR4ES 4 Channel DVR with 250GB Hard Drive, Motion Detection, USB 2.0 & 4 Color Day/Night

After using this system for about 2 weeks, the saying "you get what you pay for" holds true. The DVR works as expected without any issues, and there is good flexibility in the setup for recording based on motion or time periods. Video playback through a USB port is possible too, and the DVR can connected to the LAN via a USB network hub for reviewing the video on a computer. The camera performance at night is limited to a usable 10-15 feet because of the limited number of LED's. The camera performance is rated 1.5 Lux and 380 lines of resolution which is better suited for indoor security because of the limited range and resolution. I upgraded 2 cameras to have 480 lines and 0.1 Lux for the exterior views with a great improvement in image quality. If anyone thinks buying a entry level system like this will duplicate the performance of systems costing 2 to 3 times more, they will be disappointed. If I had to do it again, I would do more research and work with a vendor to buy upgraded cameras and get the LAN port for remote monitoring. However this starter system will suit my needs until I get the mega-house with the $3K video security system.

Ive had this unit for 1 day. the discription says night vision up to 30 ft. try 10ft maxx, after that, almost total darkness. I need to see whats going on not only day but night even more . daylight the cameras are ok, sending the unit back, disapointed....

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Canon ZR600 MiniDV Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom

This camera will satisfy most folks that read Amazon reviews! DV-ing can be an uphill climb for newbies, but with the proper expectations, you can be happy with your purchase and your future use.

I have used this camera for 4 months, and here are my observations:

A few assumptions:

1. Firewire BABY! With almost ALL DV camcorders you will need a 1394 Firewire port on your computer, and a cable (about 10-20 dollars online)

Workaround: none, this is DV! USB is too slow. The SR600 has two ports...make sure you use the port labeled DV. If you want to shell out $200-300 more, go with DVDcamcorder.

2. For Transfer or Editing, Look in your Windows! If you have Windows XP, use the FREE Windows Movie Maker program which copies your movie footage from camera to PC, and allows a little editing. Vista has even more you can do, like copy to a DVD!

3. Don't expect long shoot times... My battery that the camera came with lasts only about 35 minutes, even when I'm not using the LCD screen.

Workaround: buy a $15 dollar 1700mWh battery(larger) on EBAY to have as your main battery, and use the stock one as a backup.

4. Don't get left in the Dark. Reviews state that the camera shoots poorly in poorly lit rooms. This is common with DV cameras.

Workaround: Move camera into P mode, from EASY on the switch near the zoom, and choose NIGHT as option on the LCD (using easy to use Joystick) when you are shooting in lowlight scenes.

AS long as you know the 4 assumptions, this camera is perfect for newbies in DV, right on the money with price, and with good features, like 16:9 WS, Toggle button, and excellent OPTICAL zoom. Wish my sony digital camera had this zoom. IF they had a better battery and included the Firewire cable, I'd give it 5 stars.

I would buy it again, but would opt for the ZR500 for price, or the ZR700 if I wanted to use it to bridge the copying from my VCR to the computer for moviemaker.

OS: Windows XP sp2

PC: 4 yr old DELL Dimension, with Creative lab card with Firewire

Software:

Windows Movie Maker to pull clips from camera, and to Edit movies

DVDFlick (opensource and free) to copy my edited movies to DVD for playing on my home DVD player or computer (moviemaker only copies the .WMV file on a CD or DVD)

Panasonic AY-DVM63PQ Professional DV tapes

This Review is from a previous owner of this Camera

I purchased the Canon ZR600 from Best buy back in late 2006 early 2007 originally looking for a camera to do video notes for class then ended up having this camera be my first personal camera used for television broadcast training and practice at home.

A bit of Background:

I am a legally blind individual I don't have full vision loss, I have more like half the vision of a fully sighted person. E.g. distance and the ability to read small print etc are the greatest challenges for me, however I have had a natural ability to get good results from cameras, even if it's taken extra practice to build skills.

The basics:

The canon ZR600 is a consumer level miniDV camcorder which means the camera has a VTR built in that records to a miniDV Cassette. Many consumer level camcorders are a single CCD e.g. many pro cameras or prosumer cameras are 3 CCDS. This simply affects how they deal with color and lighting. (but no camera) will ever be as good as the human eye, This brings me to my usage with the product.

The zr800 has a wide range of manual settings and automatic settings such as: manual focus manual white balance the option to shoot in 4:3 or 16:9 wide or in this case (anamorphic widescreen)

I strongly recommend any camera operator to learn how to manually white balance and light your set and adjust manual focus etc. Many reviewers who give cameras one star because they say picture sucks is more then likely due to the fact they have no concept of how to professionally set up a shoot, and yes, even for a non professional, knowing the basics a professional would use still apply to getting the best results, remember, the camera's auto settings take a best guess which is usually wrong, and is intended for people who lack camera skills to manually set up the camera. Manual is in most cases the best Especially on lower end cameras. With this in Mind:

The ZR600 does an excellent Job for it's price. Unfortunately, mine met it's death when the tripod fell over. So really i was just learning the manual settings on this camera right when it died. I now have the sony DCR-HC52 MiniDV which has newer technology and does in many aspects produce a closer to professional quality picture if set up correctly. I will review that product as well.

In closing MiniDV is a safe non HD format that is still very reliable to use and get great results.

For those who complain about firewire Most professional video editors have a mac around for that purpose, firewire has been and will be an apple standard though PCs adopted it as well by the name IEEEE1394. If you don't understand the technical requirements for MiniDV don't use it as your format for video. You won't be happy and will unnecessarily be giving a good product bad reviews If you are stuck with usb I'd personally recommend a solid state camcorder that takes flash memory.

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I recieved this camera for christmas, and overall it's a very good camera. I really enjoy filming and editing, and this is the perfect camera for filming. I use it with iMovie, and when I import it [which happens with ease] iMovie makes the picture even better. GREAT PRODUCT!

Read Best Reviews of Canon ZR600 MiniDV Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom Here

Great camera but it is a bit grainy but to be expected from a lower end camera. Performs poorly in low light but once again is to be expected because of its small lens. I would recommend this camera to anybody looking for a good solid DV camera, but as for the picture quality it is not quite at the pro level but it is an mid level camera. If you want a camera to use around the house this is the one. This is also a great camera for entry level film classes because the color quality is good which is needed for green screen. Though if you want to start your own production studio I would recommend a more expensive camera like the Cannon GL1 or GL2.

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First off, I have ALWAYS loved Canon products and this camcorder is no exception. The documentation regarding transferring video to your computer is a little lacking but if you have a firewire card (or if you don't, you can get one from ebay for less than $20), it is Windows that does the actual transferring so it's pretty automatic. The camcorder is very intuative and it takes no time at all to start shooting like a pro (ok, maybe not a pro, but plenty good enough for the home user). Originally I was disappointed with the indoor shots but switching to night mode definitely cleaned up the image alot. I look forward to bringing this camcorder to Canada and Nigara Falls next month to record my honeymoon (well, not ALL of my honeymoon ;) )

BL-VT164WP HD - H.264 Wireless Pan-tilt Network Camera, (White)

I have used Panasonic Network Cameras (C131A and C230A) for years with generally good results, and when my C131A unit failed, I purchased this one, as Amazon referenced this product as a newer version of the C230A. As any users of these Panasonic Network Camera's know, it is not a trivial process to get these cameras up and running with all the port forwarding, and wireless configuration settings, but after a few hours, I did get it functioning with my PC. Turns out though, that unlike the previous Panasonic Network Camera's, this one (BL-VT164W) requires viewer software to be installed on your PC, and to view the picture through this software. Contrary to the package that states "Remote Viewing from any computer or smartphone" no picture can be seen on a MAC, iPhone, or iPad. When you use any non-PC device, it asks to download viewing software, but of course there is no viewing software for any device other than a PC. Panasonic Technical Support verified that this product does not work on a MAC or mobile devices. Waste of time, as this product clearly is not as advertised. Will return.

I was skeptical when ordering this camera, as it has such a poor review rating on Amazon. All other panasonic cameras have excellent track record with consumer, but not these latest BL-VT batches. Why? Panasonic made a foolish decision of designing entire UI around some Windows IE plugin. So if you go to the cameras webpage on anything other than IE, it will not do or show ANYTHING. Even if you go to page with IE at first it shows nothing, you must install the plugin, then tweak IE security setting to allow it to run, and only then can you finally access the admin page. This is a major flow for me as I am mostly an OS X/Apple user. Thankfully there is Virtual Machine, so I was able to get Windows 8 running n OS X, then I spend an hour troubleshooting these tweaks above. And Finally Voila -Admin interface for camera pops up. The interface is powerful and allows many cool configuration tricks -resolution, motion detector, alarm trigger, and so forth.

Contrary to popular belief on these Amazon comments, you can view the camera image in ANY browser, using the . So these pains are onl related to configuring the camera and using some of the advance features. Furthermore, this camera is onvif compliant, so MANY iPhone, Android, OSX, Windows, Linux, and so forth, software supporting onvif will allow you to view the image, pan and tilt, zoom, change resolution, and so forth.

**The One big feature I could not get to work is, two way audio. The methods listed above for viewing video all work well and as far as I could tell miss only one feature, besides configuration tweaks. I could not figure out how to 'speak into the camera' from any iPhone App or non-IE browser. You can hear the sound, but you can not talk back, which is a shame, because using IE Plugin as a client you can speak with the person on the other end, without any additional hardware, which is rad!

So this bring me to this frustration point. I took a leap of faith ordering this camera, having never seen or used a panasonic Ip camera of its class. I was hoping it would look as good as it does on the photos. It looks way better! Its a very well designed piece of hardware. The features are amazing, it has 3 pairs of dry contacts, so you can make it work with ANY standard home automation system, door strike relay, alarm panel, and so forth. The image is good., It not only supports two way audio (with IE only -see above), but the microphone and speaker are built in. It has a well functioning motion and heat sensor. Its is cute to boot! And I think the value is hard to argue with. I could not find many alternatives for IP Cams that cost around $250...this is a VGA price range today. Add the extra features above and and you can hardly find any alternative. The closest maybe Axis M1054, which has no wifi, no pan and tilt, and costs $100 more!

So, yes all this considered, its frustrating that in todays age of so many options interbrowser/interplatform options, some fool at Panasonic decided that the way to go is make this camera fully usable and fully configurable ONLY with the use of an IE plugin and limit their market share to not just window users, but those willing to figure out the plugin install and security tweaks. Its a foolish move, and doubly disappointing when the hardware is so sweet and well thought out. Also it seems that previous version of panasonic cameras have a universal webadmin interface, so this was a conscious change for the worst.

I will keep my camera, because for the price, I am willing to deal with IE only admin panel, and no 2 way sound through iPhone, but I think most people would take the easier route and get an Axis or similar competition camera for more money. So I hope Panasonic reads these little reviews and makes so software changes quick, before this awesome product goes the way of Palm or Motorola. i.e.: companies with amazing hardware, but frustrating as hell UI experience.

Buy BL-VT164WP HD - H.264 Wireless Pan-tilt Network Camera, (White) Now

Bought this camera as a replacement for a BL-C131 that died. I have owned Panasonic cameras from the BL-C30, C131, C230 and now this VT164WP. This is not an improved BL-C230 camera it is an entirely new camera with very little in common. Some improvements, a few steps backward.

It connects to your network much like the older Panasonic cameras. You need to have a working knowledge of IP addresses, port forwarding, and MAC address filtering to set this camera up just like with the older Panasonics. I have my camera connected via a LAN cable to my router. The older cameras had two MACs, one for the hard wired connection, and a seoncd MAC for the wireless interface that was one digit higher than the wired interface MAC. I THINK this camera gets away with one MAC, but I haven't explored that thoroughly. At any rate, the wireless MAC address can be easily viewed under the "Wireless", "Status" menu.

Once you get it on the net, you will find an entirely new user interface when viewing through your web browser. No more PTZ "joystick" type controls in the left control pane. The PTZ controls are below the picture. The presets must be selected from a drop down menu (not the preselect position numbers 1 thru 8), and then you must click a "Go" button. Not nearly as handy as the old interface.

The new sensor provides a clearer picture. The panning range is about the same as the 230 series cameras, but the tilt range is less. The sensitivity in low light situations is improved due to the ability to set sensor shutter speed and thus lengthen the exposure. You will trade off sensitivity for blurry motion, but it does work well and I found a balance between acceptable sharpness with good exposure in dark locations. I rate this feature as an improvement over the older cameras.

The motion detection and controls are all new too. WIth the older cameras you set motion sensitivity and threshold once, it it applied to all positions and the entire viewing screen. Simple, but could be a problem when you had shadows of trees setting off the motion detector needlessly. This new camera has a differeint approach. You set motion sensitivity and threshold separately for each preset position (Home, Far Upper Left, etc.) AND within each preset position you have up to 4 motion zones you can select (by drawing a rectangle on your screen) and set the sensitivity and threshold separate for each zone. What does all this mean? First, if you set the motion for say the Home preset position, then at a later time move the camera once or two clicks to the left or right (or up or down) off of the Home position, your camera will not catch motion it is not in its Home position. You need to set motion detection up for each and every preset postion you have set if you want it to trigger on motion for those positions. This can be a pain, but it does give you much more control over what is captured. Second, for each preset position, you can set up to 4 different zones of motion detection each with a different (or same) sensitivity and threshold. So say you're in your Home position, you could set a zone on the left side to catch all motion with a high sensitivity and low threshold, and on the right side where you have problems with tree shadows moving, you could set a 2nd zone with a lower sensitivity and higher threshold. Again, you can define up to 4 different zones for each position, but you don't have to. For most of my positions I just set one zone to capture the whole viewed area and set the sensitivity and threshold to balance desired captured motion vs false triggers. These new controls can be a bit daunting, and the instruction manual does a very poor job of explaining them in English (nothing new here), but once you experiment with them you'll get the hang of it and have a lot of control over motion detection. Most of the time you'll just set one zone for the entire viewed video area.

And there are additional features new to this camera. A Privacy Zone control where you can select up to two zones that you do not want the camera to display, and backlight compensation where you can set zones that provide very bright illumination and compensate for it. I have not tried these features yet.

Unlike previous Panasonic cameras this camera has no internal memory to capture motion detection and review later. You have to set up email or FTP forwarding to capture triggered motion. I consider this a big disadvantage for my purposes. I really depended on the internal memory to review captured motion. Now I have set the camera to forward all motion to my email address, and I have to perform a lot of email management.

Sidenote: I have no trouble viewing and hearing audio over my Android phone using the IP Cam Viewer app. And I can view the video on my new PC running Windows 7. But I have yet to get audio to come through on my Windows 7 PC. The camera defaults to G.726 audio, and Windows 7 does not natively support the G.726 codec. I downloaded the Sharp G.726 codec to my Win7 laptop and got it to receive the camera's audio, but I have yet to crack the code and get a codec that will work on my new Win7 PC. I'm sure it's me and just a matter of time until I get it working. The camera does allow you to change the audio coding to G.711, and when I do that I receive the audio thru my new PC just fine. But that causes other problems with my Android phones, so I'm gong to stay with the G.726 setting and work through the problems on my new PC. Just a "heads-up."

All in all, this is a new camera, with a new viewer interface and a new control and setup interface. It will take you time to get used to. There are some nice features they added, but they can bog you down at times. There are some mis-steps as well: No internal memory, smaller tilt range, a somewhat confusing interface that is not as nimble as the previous interface. I wish Panasonic had stayted with their previous interface and added the new functionality and setup menus as needed. They just had to go and change things. I doubt I'll be ordering any more of these VT164WP cameras unless Panasonc provides a software/firmware update to the camera that offers going back to their previous interface.

Update 11/8/2012: I finally figured out how to get the audio to come through my new Windows 7 PC. I needed to download and install a new version of Java. After that the G.726 audio comes through fine. I still am mnot happy with the new User Interface. This camera and its interface was obviously designed by "geeks" who play with drivers, ports, and security settings all day. An internet camera for the public should not have to be this difficult to set up and use.

Read Best Reviews of BL-VT164WP HD - H.264 Wireless Pan-tilt Network Camera, (White) Here

Excellent image quality, alarm functionality, and remote access. But, no internal storage of images associated with timers or alarm. Must externally record, FTP to server, or e-mail images in order to subsequently review images associated with alarms. These little cameras continue to work well inside and, if protected from rain, outside down to 15 below zero F.

Want BL-VT164WP HD - H.264 Wireless Pan-tilt Network Camera, (White) Discount?

Almost all IP cameras are a pain to configure and setup and the Panasonic BL-VT164 WP is no different. If your lucky your efforts to setup port forwarding will be successful. Once setup though this camera has better than average image quality in well lighted areas.

I use this camera to remotely monitor and I don't record or require notifications so I can't comment on those features.

Despite other what other reviews say, I was able to view on my iPhone and iPad without the need of an app or other software.

Simply type your external ip address with the port forwarded to and add /cam.

Ex: 62.257.140.9:80/cam

Viewing on Internet with Internet Explorer will require a small download for audio and video control software.

Unfortunately IP cameras are not yet user friendly so expect to do some research and understanding of router setup and port forwarding.

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