Intova Sports Camera with 180-Feet Waterproof Housing

When you see 14 megapixels in the advertising, plus underwater to 180 feet, that sounds like an excellent camera. My brother-in-law bought one and we and our spouses took a trip for several dives in the Caribbean. My brother-in-law had his Intova IC 14, my husband had a Canon HV20 in an enclosure, and my sister-in-law and I each had a SeaLife DC1200. We all took video, three of us took stills, and then came the moment of combining our photography into a video presentation of our experience.

My husband has done photo work for nearly thirty years, first running a chemical finishing lab and more recently doing digital graphic arts. He is entirely into color correction, contrast balancing, curve adjustments, and the rest. His concerns rose quickly when he tried to optimize the pictures and video from the Intova IC 14, as opposed to that of the other cameras. Our SeaLife pictures, both still and video, were taken with a warm undersea filter in place, and this gave a somewhat overly orange cast. My husband was able to color correct these quite easily to good color differentiation throughout each scene.

The Intova and Canon images, video and still, were taken in sea blue, without filtering. The color corrected Canon video clips retained a noticeable amount of green cast in the foreground and magenta in the distance, which is a tendency when color correcting straight undersea blue, but in differing light levels color shifts could be greatly reduced, and the video images were clear and realistic, pleasant to see. Meanwhile, the Intova footage had a chunky look from the beginning, from which no fine detail could be extracted. After that, due to lack of color depth, it was not possible to noticeably reduce a severe magenta-green transition. The scenes looked like a Martian landscape, basically with the water bright purple and the ocean floor bright green, in a flat, high contrast presentation. It was frankly difficult to watch once one had seen the other results, with the only other alternative being to turn everything back to a deep blue. The highlights were washed out, the shadows were blocked, there was little subtlety of light transition, and low resolution of detail, and also a bothersome light fringe around dark objects. There was not enough depth of information in the Intova video material to correct that harshness at all. While the Canon video showed subtle details, nothing similar could be brought out from the Intova material.

After a long delay, I have at last successfully attached a short video that compares image qualities of the Intova, the Sealife, and the Canon cameras that we used. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so watch the video to compare better.

With still photos, the SeaLife cameras gave quite a good consumer quality result. Color correction from warm filtering yielded good color differentiation after color correction. Comparing apples and oranges a little bit, the stills from the Intova, which were heavily blue cast, could not be color corrected. First, its deep shadows appear black, but they contain much red, while the highlights are blue. Even color adjustment of the image helps to neutralize the blue, but in that process the shadows begin to pop out with a volcanic red. Preliminary reduction of red in the shadows helps somewhat; you can keep the shadows dark instead of having the volcanic effect. However, the color depth for most of the picture is not much. If you take away the blue, the picture fades, because other colors are barely there at all. Color balancing at best gives a pretty much black-and-white remnant.

We have yet to try warm filtering of the Intova still images in a sea blue environment. Maybe that would help, although the color depth seen so far is a concern. Even if that makes things better for stills, there really seems no helping the video image quality. My husband took a closer look at the camera, to see if something had been overlooked. He made sure that the video was set to its highest quality and most natural settings, and then he took some samples inside a nicely sunlit home living room, thinking that this might give pretty good results. What came out looked much like it was from a $5 computer camera. There seems to be no getting past the chunkiness and the fringing. Yes, this camera will take undersea pictures, and if that is all you see, you might be delighted with the good memories. You will be able to make out what the scene was about, kind of like the home movies of yesteryear with their accepted fuzziness and their particular jumps from green to magenta to blue, due to different film batches. If you ever compare the results from the Intova IC 14 to what other cameras can do, though, you will probably wish that you had recorded your precious moments in a different way. Other cameras can make your visual presentation much more like really being there, and that better honors what you pay for your plane ticket.

Since the original writing of this review, my brother-in-law bought a SeaLife D1400, which does a better job, and he is through using the Intova. My sister-in-law asked my husband to remove all non-essential footage from the Intova from the record of our trip, because it was so distracting alongside the other video.

When we moved to Hawaii my husband started research on cameras and underwater housings. We already had 2 other cameras that are great but not able to go underwater. When he found this one, it sounded great. He bought it locally without ever testing it out in the store. The first couple of times he used it, the pictures he took were horrible. Extremely grainy, blurry, and many were very out of focus. We thought it was just the settings he used or maybe because it was the first underwater camera that he had ever used. The next time we went to the beach we took all 3 cameras (this Intova, an Olympus Stylus and a Canon Rebel EOS t3) and I took several pictures with each one on the beach (the Intova without the housing). The Intova actually has 2 megapixels MORE than my Canon t3 but you would NEVER know it. The pictures that the Intova takes are awful. The 14 megapixels actually look like about 5. Both of our Android phones take MUCH better pictures than this camera.

We decided to give it a try underwater again and took it with us snorkeling. While it did a bit better underwater than on the beach without the housing, the pictures are still really grainy, out of focus and blurry. It is extremely hard to see the screen through the housing under water so you cannot see what you have the camera pointed at and cannot see how far you are zoomed in to the subject you are trying to focus on. The buttons on the housing are hard to push.We are definitely on the hunt for a different underwater camera because this one in a word, sucks.

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Purchased this camera for a trip to Cozumel. The camera took great pictures. I didn't have any issues with the case leaking. The only issue I had was with one of my SD cards.

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This camera is so easy to use and takes beautiful underwater photos and video. Check out my You tube video of a tiger shark on a recent scuba dive to Beqa Lagoon, Fiji.

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Opteka VLB-3 Video Light/Microphone Dual Cold Shoe Y-shaped Splitter Bracket (Includes Sony AIS Ada

The bracket is made of metal and very sturdy. The shoe adapter is plastic and doesn't tighten down very well it strips if you over tighten, which I found out is very easy to do and makes the bracket useless.

I happen to have a metal cold shoe adapter (HDE 1/4"20 Tripod Screw to Hot Shoe Adapter) and added a wing-nut on top and it works great. This basically makes it the same cost as the more expensive Cool-lux Light & Sound Bracket, Camcorder Dual Mount Bracket for Video Lights & Microphones which looks like it already comes with a metal shoe adapter.

I have a 160 LED light and Rode mic attached, the same as manufacturer picture implies (but mounted the other with Rod mic on the higher bracket since the other way blocks some of the light). Considering the weight it holds the plastic shoe adapter might have snapped anyway.

I own a small camera so I had in mind to put a light and a microphone, when I tried to tide the plastic thing went loose, I had to put some Teflon to make sure doesn't fall.

If wasn't for that I would recommend this product.

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The bottom hot shoe on this is just too big to fit on any camera that I have. It does come with a sony adaptor, but I have never used it since I do not have a sony camera. I had to file down the edges on the hot shoe so it would fit on top of my camera. I am surprised at such low quality from Opteka

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So this right out of the box wouldn't even stay tightened. It would just re-run through the threads.

I had to ninja this item which I bought simultaneously together.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005005EEM/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00

So now, with that it finally stays. There are versions that are full metal, and just know this won't even hold its own weight on your hotshoe, let alone a light, Rode VideoMic or anything beyond.

If you get this and ninja it or a better version, grab this too.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CNPK3M/ref=oh_details_o02_s01_i00

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A very cheap product. Does not come with hotshoe adapter for Sony alpha series like promised and when mine arrived one of the metal brackets was completely bent shut, making it useless. Obviously a company not focused on quality. Obviously not going with opteka ever again.

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Axis 0202024 Camera Station 1 Year Support Extension

This is an upgrade to the Axis Camera Station software. You are given the licence for the upgrade. The software itself can be downloaded atThe previous reviewer showed a bit of ignorance on how software upgrades are sold these days, which is to be given a licence key for use with your existing version for the upgrade and download the softer from the manufacturer. I am very happy for my Axis Camera Station and chose to upgrade to the latest. One Android App I am interested in for my smartphone requires the latest version. I recommend it highly. You can also test it for 30 days by going to the Axis.com site above before buying.

This is not the Axis Camera Station software that the description leads you to believe. This is simply a paper license, with no software included.

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Fujifilm Finepix E500 4MP Digital Camera with 3.2x Optical Zoom

I own a Fuji 3600 and it is an amazing camera and when I bought it, it cost about $350. The E500 by Fuji is a camera that is almost an equivalent to the 3600, but cost about half the price. The E500 offers 4megapixel quality, which is more than enough for any normal user. There are 9 different shooting modes, and then there is also a black and white option, and a chrome option. The quality of the LCD screen is the best I have seen on a digital camera, it is much better than the grainy crap that is offered on the HP digitals. The camera has a movie mode that includes sound and it takes an alright video (If you want a movie, buy a camcorder). An interesting thing about the E500 is how it stores pictures on the XD card it uses. I have some pictures already taking some space up on the card and when it tells how many shots are left with the different qualities, it says that there are 194 1mp pics available and 144 2mp pics available. The difference should be larger, but the quality of all the shots are great, no matter the quality setting. The camera also has a very good night mode that will get a ton of use. The pop up flash is a common feature on many of the digital cameras and it isn't a problem (unless you are too lazy to have your finger punch a button). The worst thing about the camera is the time between shots. It takes about 8-10 seconds after the flash of the first shot went off before you can take your second picture. The zoom on the camera is very good. The camera overall is great and I would recommend it for anyone. I bought mine at Niceelectronics.com for about $188 dollars (total including shipping and handling), much cheaper than the advertised Amazon price. And don't waste your time looking at Canon, because their cameras have a fault that is much too consistent for my taste. In many of their cameras the lens will no longer return to the camera and it will say error F18. Three of my colleagues have had the same issue at some point or another with the Canon cameras. Fuji and Nikon are the best way to go when looking for a reliable digital camera. This is a great camera.

I was looking for a digital camera that had an equivilent lense to a 28mm. I was discouraged by so many nifty cameras that only went down to a 38mm equivilent. The difference here with that wide angle is phenominal. The biggest point I'd say is indoor, close up (not macro, but a party for example). Capturing a group of people at a close distance is much easier than having to take steps backwards up to fit every one into the photo.

A must have is the docking station. For one thing it includes a couple of rechargable batteries (the docking station is also the charging unit). A big plus for me was not having the hassle of finding the USB cable whenever I wanted to upload pictures to the computer. I find it very convenient. The docking station is not a significant expense, and you're getting an awesome camera at a really great price.

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Pros:

* Low Price for 4MP

* metal face

* good looks

* light weight

* 2" LCD

* lots of manual controls

* good quality images

* Optional cradle makes charging and image transfer a breeze.

* Webcam feature if you use Windows XP full version.

Cons:

* Poor night shot capability but can be adjusted by software.

* To install FinePix Viewer software on Windows XP-upgrade version, you must go thru "My Computer..." or call tech. support.

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I recently purchased a Fuji E500, and it has been great. The only reason any of my pictures turn out bad is because I am an idiot who doesn't know how to work a camera or because I don't have something to steady my hand with. The "macro" mode takes amazing pictures, and the other modes do good as well.

It has lots of options that I don't play with because I don't know what they mean, and if you don't really know much about cameraing the instructions don't help much. The presets work very well, however.

The only bad thing I have to say about the camera is that the zoom can get grainy when it is maxed, but that happens with any digital zoom I hear.

Buy one. The Amazon shops have them pretty cheap for what you get.

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This camera is a great size! I love it! Takes excellent pictures, fits perfectly in your diaper bag (I'm a new mom). Colors are so vibrant, love being able to take black and white or color just by changing a button. I took some black and white photos of my son's feet and blew them up to an 8x10. I get so many compliments on that photo. I highly recommend this camera. It is easy to use, the user manual and software are well designed. The only suggestion I make is invest in rechargeable double A batteries. Also love the larger LCD screen, makes viewing photos easy. We took this on several vacations and have used it to make holiday photo cards.

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Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera Body & EF-S 18-55mm IS II Lens with 75-300mm III

CAMERA AND LENSES:

The Camera and lenses (obviously) are the key points in this package; They are brand new, genuine (I've registered them with Canon), and covered by a limited warranty.

The camera (and kit lens) is definitely something I don't regret as it takes great pictures (in my opinion) better than the Rebel Xs AND it takes HD video. These qualities make it a great starter camera for me (before I decide to go pro).

The 75-300mm lens is also a great addition, as it helps you get closer to wildlife and to those "Out of Reach" objects.

THE EQUIPMENT:

The Equipment set is great for a beginner as it includes items that are essential (such as the Extra Battery, SD Card, tripod, UV filters, and case). You'd be buying them elsewhere, but on the flip side...

The case isn't recommended, as it has buckles and not a zipper for the main compartment. It is frustratingly inconvenient to try and get your camera out in a hurry when you have 4 buckles to undo. Buckles also mean that there are open gaps in between each buckle that make you worry that something (like a lens) would fall out.

The tripod is okay if you need one, as it works and that is about it (it does have a level on it, for what that's worth). If you are looking for a great tripod, I'd say go and buy one elsewhere for $100-200; you are just getting your money's worth in this package deal tripod.

The 16GB SD card I received was a Transcend, so a decent name-brand. It's size makes it ideal for video; your still pictures will not fill this up if you are emptying them after a shoot.

The Memory Card wallet is only needed if you have more than 1 SD card. The card reader is useful if your computer doesn't have a built in card reader.

Screen Protector and UV filters are very, very, very advised to have. They protect the camera from yourself (finger smudges, facial oils, etc) and scratches and the actual lens from scratches, finger prints, dust, etc. also...

IN SUMMARY:

If you just want to get started and have a budget, this is for you.

If you have a bigger budget, buy the camera individually and buy some quality equipment using this set as a reference for what you should put on your checklist.

Credibility: myself (visit )

Overall the T-3 is a great camera to begin digital SLR photography with. It is very easy to pick up and shoot with. As you get more familiar with how all the settings affect your photos it makes the transition from auto mode to full manual an easy one. The start up time is fast which helps when you're in a hurry to get a great shot and the auto focus seems pretty quick. I was really impressed with how great all of the pictures turned out after the first day of shooting with it. The only slight downside I found was that it feels a little light and doesn't have much heft to it. While this makes it great to lug around all day it does feel a little unbalanced with a longer lens on it. I bought the full package with case, tri-pod, card, filters and lens cleaning kit. I didn't expect to get top of line accessories but was really un-happy with the quality of the case and lens cleaning kit. They were of very poor quality. My advice would be to get the T-3 with body and lens and skip on the kit with accessories and buy your own.

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Has everything needed to start shooting right away. the lens combination provides a wide range for shooting, and the extra battery, UV filters, memory card and case provide what most users will need. The camera is a good starter digital SLR, easy to use, affordable yet sophisticated enough to get some very high quality shots. I like the included tripod: it's stable, with a quick release mount & bubble levels for ease of use, and a built-in handle & case w/strap for easy portability. I'm not as impressed with the case. It's a decent size, but leaves little room for additional accessories. Also, I'm finding that small bits of lint attract themselves from the interior to the lenses, so they need to be checked & blown/brushed clean when swapping lenses. Overall I'm extremely happy with this kit. It replaces an old 35mm SLR & accessories that were stolen and the insurance settlement paid for nearly the entire kit: not bad considering the vast difference between a 25+ year old manual focus film camera and a modern fully automatic digital camera.

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There are a number of T3 camera accessory kits available from Cameta Camera. The Canon T3 is a great camera. Tripod is good but not the best. It is light-weight, has multi-segmented legs that allow you to set the camera at variable heights. It comes with a zippered case and shoulder strap. The extra battery is top quality. The camera carry case is fully padded with adjustable panels to customize the internal pockets to your requirements. There is an external, front, zippered pocket as well as another zippered pocket built into the underside of the case cover. Memory card is a class10. There are 2 Vivitar UV filters, one for each Canon lens. Battery charger is compact and light-weight. Both camera lens are Canon original products with full warranty coverage. You register the camera and lens at the Canon website. This camera and accessory kit from Cameta was perfect for me. Delivery was on time. Everything came in a large box with the camera, lens, and each accessory individually packed in the original manufacturer's packaging. Cameta Camera did a follow-up email to ensure I was pleased with their offering. They seem to be genuinely interested in your satisfaction. Great package and a great value.

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This is my first "real" camera and its ease of use is great. The quality of the pictures is great, the kit that included the camera with lens, the big lens, two filters, 16GB card, a card reader, card holder, carrying case, camera strap, tri-pod, cleaning kit, spare battery, battery charger and lens protectors was the most complete kit I have seen for the best price. I was at another large discount/warehouse store the other day and saw the same camera and lens, a 4GB card and a cleaning kit for $75 more than this one.

I would recommend this to anyone!

Nikon D5000 Digital SLR Camera w/ 18-55mm VR Lens + UV Filter + 16GB Card + (2x) Batteries + Cameta

I have been using my D-5000 for nearly 3 months, and don't have anything bad to say about it. The 18-55mm lens is kind of limiting and will eventually upgrade to a better lens for more detailed shots. Definitely a great buy and I would recommand it for first time D-SLR buyers like myself!

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

I have to say, "Wow I love this lens."

I'd recommend this lens for three kinds of people:

1) People who want to get a taste of the L-series lenses who need a lens in the 70-200mm focal length relatively inexpensively;

2) People who already own the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS lens who have to lug that huge thing around for a long time;

3) People who want a L-series 70-200mm lens who don't NEED f/2.8 or IS.

Call me a wimp, but shooting 1000-2000 shots a day in the field with the 70-200mm f/2.8 IS gets tiring, especially if you're hand-holding. This lens is relatively inexpensive for being L-series glass, the difference in optical quality is almost imperceptible from the f/2.8, and it's sturdy and ergonomic enough to use all day long.

When I plan on shooting the whole day, especially over the course of several days, this is the lens I take with me, NOT the f/2.8 IS. It's shorter, narrower, and lighter. While you may not feel the difference when shooting for a couple of hours, take two people of equal endurance and strength and give them the f/4 and f/2.8 IS and send them out for a day and you know who is going to come back with the sore arms when the day is over.

On a 1.6x FOVCF body, the 70-200mm focal range makes this lens a little tight; but at 1.3x or 1.0x FOVCF, this focal length range is quite awesome. When I travel, I like to pair this lens with the 17-40mm f/4 and use my feet to fill the gap between 40 and 70mm (I also take along el-cheapo 50mm f/1.8 so I can shoot in low light, and the 1.4x teleconverter to give myself an effective 450mm reach) -all of this is a good, lightweight, relatively inexpensive package. Also, while being quite a chunk of pocket change, this lens is nowhere near as expensive as the f/2.8 versions, and so it's a lot less of something to worry about when traveling or shooting under adverse conditions.

As so far, I have found NOTHING that I do not like about this lens (well, except for the one-stop loss from f/2.8).

I have to say that if you are looking for a single lens to do General Purpose work, this is not it. This lens is for specfic purposes. This lens works best as one-half of a pair, taking the upper useful focal lengths, while you use something like the 17-40mm f/4L or the 24-70mm f/2.8L to handle lower range of focal lengths. If you're looking for a carry-everywhere never-change lens, try the 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens. It's a great value, the focal length range is in the sweet spot, and the optics are not bad.

Otherwise, if you fit into one of the three categories at the beginning of this post, I would highly recommend this lens to you.

In my opinion, this Canon lens provides the best value in Canon's entire line up of "L" glass (lenses). If you have never used an L lens before, this will open your eyes to what you have been missing. Very fast focusing, very sharp images, very little chromatic abberation, and consistent quality through the entire zoom and aperature range.

One note; with a widest aperature of f/4 and a long focal length, you will not be able to take indoor photos without excellent lighting or a flash. I've tried to take photos of ice hockey, where the rinks are notoriously poorly lit, and had very little success. Even with a tripod it is a challenge to maintain a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the action of a kids game (yes, even with ISO at 800). But in good lighting or outdoors in the daytime, this lense rocks.

Great sports photos. Great nature photos. This lense is extremely versatile. I have even used it with flash indoors for portrait photography.

There is not too much to mention on the negative side. Its size and color do make it stand out a bit in public, and people may thing you are a professional photographer. I've also noted that the depth-of-field with a wide open aperature, especially at f4, is very narrow. As long as you've been careful to focus on your subject, the background will be blurry. But focus on something other than your subject and you may find your subject to be blurry.

All in all, this is one great lens that will let you take very sharp photos. And it is a bargain price compared to its f/2.8 and f/2.8IS sibliings.

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Like many people my decision on a telephoto zoom lens came down to buying the Canon 70-200mm f/4L or the Canon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM. The trade offs seemed clear at first. The former performs slightly better (see Canon website for MTF data), is better designed & built, is faster and has the "L" lens status. User comments and ratings (at more than one site) are slightly more favorable for the L lens. The 70-300mm has an improved IS and of course a longer focal length. Both cost about the same so money was not a factor in my decision.

I eventually decided on the L lens and was initially disappointed. Photos ranged from wonderful to not very good at all. In fact, I almost returned the lens. Eventually I figured out the problem. My yard is heavily shaded so most of the initial photo's were taken in low light and I had selected shutter speeds that were too slow. To avoid camera shake you need to shoot at the reciprocal of the focal length or faster. Sounds simple but with the Digital Rebel XT (which I was using) you need to consider the camera's 1.6 multiplication factor. So at 200mm you need a shutter speed of 1/320 or faster not 1/200 like I initially thought. Once I made the speed adjustment things changed for the better.

Still I have some mixed feelings about my decision. When the light is good this is a fantastic lens but with the IS feature offered on the 70-300mm I would probably get photos that I will miss with this lens.

I can't fault the performance of this lens for its limitations and I have given it 5 stars. In other words it does what it is supposed to do very well but my message to other buyers is to consider where you are most likely to use the lens before buying. Remember IS becomes increasingly important as you extend the focal length. If your camera is already extending it by a factor of 1.6 you may find IS a very attractive feature.

(Note the 70-300mm has a recall on certain model numbers because of problems when using the lens in a portrait position.) By the way, I purchased from Amazon and it was a flawless transaction!

Read Best Reviews of Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras Here

I love this lens! Every year, I shoot a two-day 4-on-4 flag football tournament. With this lens, I consistently capture better photos than the other photographers with longer lenses. At f/4, it's fast enough to give you all the flexability in the world. Since it's a constant aperature throughout the length of the zoom range, your focus remains almost constant, so that you can cheat and get away with changing the zoom after you've got a focus lock.

While it's true that this lense will never "grow up to be" the f/2.8 70-200, at half the wieght and half the cost, it's worth it if you're looking at lugging around your camera for hours on end.

...P>One Warning: If you've never shot with a Canon Professional lens ('L' series lenses), you're in for a real treat. You'll have a very difficult time justifying buying anything for your Canon's in the future that's not an 'L' lens, and that can get VERY expensive.

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Like many aspiring amateur photographers I've "climbed the ladder" of Canon lenses in search of the lens (or set of lenses) that best fit my shooting needs. I've been leaning toward sports and nature, with only a sprinkling of portrait and macro photos, thus I've bought and used the range of Canon's telephoto zoom lenses. You can almost compare them as if you were shopping for a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), where type of use, speed, price, and durability will be your deciding factors. Here are my summarized thoughts on three of the more popular telephoto zoom lenses:

70-300 IS (Ford Explorer) Big zoom, least expensive of the bunch, handy Image stabilization, great for outdoor sports, but slower AF than the rest. May be "sharp" enough for your needs, though discernibly less so than an L series lens.

70-200 F/4 (Honda Pilot) Pro grade build and optics, fast and quiet AF, lighter and much cheaper than the F/2.8. Great all purpose lens that is light enough to be a carry-around lens for trips and hikes.

70-200 F/2.8 (Porsche Cayenne) Impressively sharp and fast. Can handle lower light conditions such as indoor sports, but heavier and more expensive than those above. My left bicep is discernibly larger thanks to hoisting this lens.

Advantages In the 70-200 F/4 Canon has created a harmony of features making it the all purpose middle of the line lens that is almost as affordable as the 70-300 IS, yet with the weather-proofing, durable build, optical performance, and tack sharpness close to the 70-200 f/2.8.

The 70-200 F/4 focuses very fast, very quietly and very accurately thanks to Canon's excellent Ring USM (Ultrasonic Motor). FTM (Full Time Manual) focusing is enabled. The focus and zoom rings are very nicely sized and turn very smoothly. The lens does not extend during zooming and thanks to its inner focusing system the front element does not rotate allowing easy use of a polarized filter.

Drawbacks If you're shooting indoors without a flash (concerts, some sports), the F/4 may not be fast enough for your needs. Also, the F/4 does NOT come with a dedicated tripod mount but it is available as an option ($60+) either in black or white.

Overall This is the affordable all purpose stud of the Canon Telephoto zoom lens line that should find a nice home in most photographers' bags. Unless you have low light or specialized uses, this lens should be high on your list of "To Buy" items. Highly Recommended!

CIB CUC8795-4 Four 600TVL Outdoor CCD Bullet Infrared Day Night Security Came...

nice cameras great shipping would recommend. i ordered 4 and i love them very clear. night vision is good. so far no problems . am going to install these same cameras for my neighbor

I have installed at least 30 of these in different applications. I had only 1 failure which the vendor promptly corrected. The image quality is comparable to cameras costing three times as much.

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Olympus SZ30 16 MP Digital Camera, Wide-Angle 24x Optical Zoom with Multi-Recording Capability and

Update 8-21-2011

I found the youtube feature on the video settings. It offers different video quality settings and some optimized ofr youtube. ALso, the burst feature is amazin, yesterday I tok a burst of 35 photos in the space of 5 seconds! Amazing.....

First off, I own several "digital" cameras and have also previously had a few long zoom cameras.I don't like "big" cameras because I don't like lugging them around. So when I have owned long zoom cameras in the past, though I have liked them, tended to not use them much because I didn't like carrying them around, thus always ended up selling them.

I have been keeping an eye out for a small point and shoot with a 20+ optical zoom and stumbled upon this one by chance on the Olympus web-site.

I was impressed by what I saw, read a few reviews and ordered it off amazon.com (of course!) and received it the very next day. Right out of the box, the quality of the build stood out, it was also well laid out and I was delighted to find the battery was almost fully charged.

I headed over to a nearby park and snapped off some photos and a few video clips.

The quality of the photos and video were excellent, I used some of the "magic" settings which are special effects, I usually dismiss these types of effects as gimmicks but found some of them to be impressive.

Pluses

The photos have really nice colors and look very life-like (which is what a camera should be capable of!)

The zoom is quiet and smooth

Zoom works with HD and sound (the SP800UZ did not and went straight back!)

You can take photos while shooting HD video (though not sure yet where it saves them)

It can shoot HD video and say, 480 x 640 video (great for youtube etc or emailing) at the same time which is very impressive.

Super Panoramic mode, best I have seen yet.

It has a lot of features, easy for beginners

Takes 3D photos (didn't realize it could until I got it...more icing on the cake lol

Minuses

No Printed manual,you really need one for this camera, even though it is easy for beginners, some features are pretty advanced.

All the promotional material keep saying YOUTUBE! yet so far I have not found any feature directly related to it (if you have please post a comment)

This is a very well built camera, meant to last with some features that are very advanced. If you are looking for a long zoom, with HD video capability and good quality prints, this is for you, the icing on the cake is all the other amazing features you get! I have taken a few pic's in 3D but have not done anything with them. I will do an update when I have used the camera a bit more. Oh and I love the gunmetal gray color!

For such a small camera, I am very impressed!

I have had this camera for about a week now and so far I am very satisfied. I got this camera because I don't like caring around my digital camera for photos and my HD Camcorder for video. While this is in no way a complete replacement for my Digital SLR and my HD Camcorder, it does the job well quite well and is well worth having an all in one in my pocket. I will still use my stand alone devices for those planned events when I want the very best. For general day to day shots of family and fun times it is perfect and at a fair price.

PROS:

You can operate the zoom while shooting video. Not all cameras do this.

You can take full res snap shots while recording video. Again, the Multi-Recording is why I bought this.

You can shoot multi sized photos or videos simultaneously. This is great for a having a lower res copy ready for upload instantly.

The zoom is 24x optical and it fits in my pocket. The speed of the glass is very good considering the focal range of this unit.

You can capture about 29 minutes continuos video at full 1080 (4GB limit on file size for SD cards)

I was concerned about not having a view finder, but so far I can see the display well enough in daylight.

CONS

The noise of the zoom and auto-focus motor is picked up when recording video, not very noticeable when there are other sounds being recorded, but very noticeable when there's relative silence.(my old canon camera produced a constant high pitch whine throughout all videos. This is only when zooming and focus and less noticable.(Again, this is not a true replcement for a dedicated camcorder.)

There seems to be a 2 snapshot limit of still pics while recording video. I'm not certain if that is a setting I can change or what the deal is. Even if it is just 2, that's workable for me. I would typically be taking stills and then decide to have video as well, which this camera makes effortless to do. There's a dedicated record button and off you go.

Some pics will have "soft" details when viewed close up at full res. This is fairly common though on most point and shoots. (Again, not a true replacement of high DSLR) However, most shots can have nice sharp detail when you take some time to properly compose the shot.

Maybe this is just me, but I always think that if something feels heavy it's built better. This feels too light in that regard, but like I said, maybe that's just me. :)

I highly reccomend this for the reasons and purpose that I have stated using it for. All cameras have some drawbacks, but none of those I listed prohibit me from reccomending it. They are relatively minor considering.

Buy Olympus SZ30 16 MP Digital Camera, Wide-Angle 24x Optical Zoom with Multi-Recording Capability and Now

This going to be a quick and dirty review. I got this camera just over a week ago to replace my Canon A720IS. My Canon is a great camera and gives great shots and is solid as a rock. All the paint is warn off all the edges from accompanying me on hunting, camping, traveling and daily use. But I had a family todo and wanted a long zoom and HD video. I spent a lot of time checking out cameras from Sony, Nikon, Panasonic, Canon and others and none had everything I wanted. Then at the last minute I found the SZ-30mr. It was so new I could not find any hands on reviews but it had everything I was looking for and took a leap of faith, bared my credit card and bought it. I was not disappointed. I was so busy before traveling for a wedding/reunion for which I bought this camera for, I did not get a chance to learn it. However, it was not that difficult. And I was able master it enough to get the job done. I bought a 16 gig SD card, a spare battery and external charger. I like the external charger since it does not take the camera out of action during charging. Plus the cable is propitiatory and makes it one more thing to carry and get lost and does not work with anything else. I spent a week traveling for a wedding/family reunion and took tons of pictures and videos. Every morning I would change the battery. I was able to video 90 percent of the time of a wedding ceremony at full 1080i and take full resolution 16 megapixel stills at the same time as well as taking many videos and stills at the reception before the battery gave out and of course like an idiot I left the spare battery in the charger! But by that that time toasts had been made, cakes were cut and dances were made and anything I did miss was not important. I'm a picture taking fool so for most anyone else I think battery life is fine. In just over a week of heavy use I took just over 5 GIG of video and images.

I have not had time to analyze in any quantitative way to the quality of the images since I've been back BUT by just reviewing them on my net book on the road and on a 47" HD TV at the resort, using an external HDMI cable from the camera, the pictures look great and the HD videos are impressive. OH, Oh, the panorama mode is absolutely fantastic! Just sweep across the scene and your done. And panorama play back from the camera is great. Which brings up playback using the camera. By hooking up a "D" type HDMI cable ($29 from Radio Shack) you can play back pictures and videos to a HD TV. At home I discovered my Panasonic TV remote would control the playback, at the resort I could not get the remote to work so I had to use the camera controls manually but better than nothing and it was fun reviewing the event with the family while there. It was nice not to have to carry my big laptop and cables and setups to play back images.

Another fun thing we did is we had the family movies from the 40s and 50s placed on DVD and while there at the reunion we watched it. While my older brother and sister narrated and made comments of where and who were in the silent movie I videoed the video and recorded their comments. I plan on taking the sound track from my video and add it to the silent movies on the DVD. This way I we can preserve so much that would have been lost. I would never have know that little old lady in the movie was my Great Great grand mother if my brother and sister had not pointed her out! I was able to record over an hour and fifteen minutes of continuous recording. It was at a lower resolution but all I waned was the audio and the some video to make sure I get it synced properly.

The camera is pretty responsive. Some comment on the wait time between pictures but remember people, your dealing with 16 megapixels! You really need a class 10 SD card to speed up the storage time. Cut that back to 8MP and cycle time is much faster. The wide angle is perfect for the indoor group shots. Let's be frank, no one in their right mind has the right to take 600mm telephoto shots hand held. However on a sunny day with the ISO kicked up I was able to get some impressive results just seeing what I could do with it. I believe many people don't know how to take pictures and just mash down the button like a cheap Instamatic without pausing in the intermediate position long enough to allow the camera time to focus giving blurry images. If the exposure button is used properly this camera gives excellent results.

The only beefs I have with this camera are minor. The biggest problem is the Mode dial moves too easily. Every time I pulled it out of my pocket I had to check the mode because it get changed so easily. It needs to be either harder to turn or have some kind of locking device. Also, the markings are hard to read if you are far sighted with out reading glasses. It would be nice to have it labled in multi colors so you don't have to put on your glasses to know where your at. Another comment is the bezel ring around the closed lens has a edge on it that is sharp and does not feel good and drags on the fabric of the pocket when pulling out. I may take some sandpaper and smooth that out. The last issue I have is the finish on the camera. I like to take candid pictures with out having people freezing up and not acting normal or those with camera phobia covering their faces or turning away when a camera is brought out. The finish on this camera is very shinny and chrome like. This thing sparkles and shines like a lit up disco ball in your hands! I was amazed how distracting it was for me when I was in front of it especially in sun light. I may do some buffing on it.

In closing, I love this camera!

Read Best Reviews of Olympus SZ30 16 MP Digital Camera, Wide-Angle 24x Optical Zoom with Multi-Recording Capability and Here

This camera has a lot of great features and some of the pictures I've taken are really good. I think the challenge with this kind of camera is learning which shooting mode works best to get the best picture in a certain situation. Some reviewers complained for example that it is slow -but in action mode, the response is practically instant. Some reviewers complained that the pictures aren't sharp -but I find it takes very sharp pictures if the focus is good. It's easy to be out of focus or blurry with a megazoom like this -but isn't that true of any zoom at 24X?

So far my thoughts on each feature are:

1. picture quality -great

2. wide-angle -great

3. Zoom -great

4. LCD screen -great

6. speed -great (in action mode, or burst mode)

7. button layout -good

8. video -haven't tried yet -but its 1080 HD so ...

9. panorama -good

10. flash -great

11. MR mode -why?

12. 3D mode -really need that?

13. Magic mode -why?

14. Battery life -great.

15. Super-macro mode -great.

16. In low light -good

17. Ease of use -great for simple pictures, for anything challenging, its okay with manual

18. Size and Weight -great

19. Menus -okay

19. Software -poor -I probably won't use that.

Negatives ...

1. Non-standard USB cable connector.

2. Can't shoot and charge at the same time.

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This camera is EXACTLY what we were looking for! The zoom is awesome all options are very easy to use. The video comes out great & having the hand grip makes it feel very secure, but can still fit in your pocket. No complaints thus far -HOWEVER when ordering remember to order a memory card! NOWHERE on the Amazon site does it tell you what is included with the camera & an Amazon customer service rep could not tell us either! But we are completely satisfied with this product. Great for ameteurs on the go!

Lorex LIVE Wireless Security Cameras (White)

Overall not worth buying. The picture quality is sub-par, it is supposed to color but closer to black & white. The picture is grainy and has intermittent interference. We don't have anything (that I know of) that could be generating the interference. I know this is an inexpensive system but I was hoping for a decent picture without interference.

I am returning it and will try another brand.

when we found out we were having twins, we had a hard time finding a solution for a video baby monitor, times 2 (can you say, expensive?!)! we decided instead to find an affordable security set that came with two cameras. we chose the lorex live wireless cams and they have been PERFECT! we love the easy setup and simplicity of moving the receiver from room to room when needed. the only small disappointment is the sound, a little crackly/staticy, but we have a traditional baby monitor as well (old school walkie-talkie style) and just turn the volume down on the tv and use the other monitor for sound. we turn to the "twin channel" as i like to call it every night before bed, so we don't have to disturb them by going into their room. it has been so helpful for peace of mind and a quick check when they are napping, and the price is AWESOME for how much we've used it. the video quality is also great, MUCH better than most actual "baby" video monitors on the market. the night vision is super crisp as well -which is great for watching them sleep at night. overall i would definitely recommend this product, and as always, amazon shipped fast and cheap and delivered another great product!

Buy Lorex LIVE Wireless Security Cameras (White) Now

These cameras arrived when I expected them to, but they are not worth the money. I set them up, and firstly, they don't reach very far before they're overcome with static and the batteries are drained within minutes.

Read Best Reviews of Lorex LIVE Wireless Security Cameras (White) Here

This item is a good low cost method of providing closet circuit observation. Downside is that the range between the camera and the receiver is limited and receiver often needs to be moved and antenna adjusted to get decent picture.

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I have looked at a few surveillance systems to monitor our twins. You can't do better than this system unless you want to spend a whole lot more. Number one thing to consider, do you need a perfect picture? If you do, go with a corded unit or digital. One is hard to set up and one is costly. Number 2 thing to remember, WIFI runs on 2.4gh. If you get a camera with a 2.4gh you will HATE it if you have wifi yourself, or around you! Trust me on this one, I tried one. If it is 2.4gh DIGITAL it will work, but only digital. I noticed most wireless camera systems are 2.4gh (not digital), so they are all junk for the common user (there are 7 wifi routers in my range). We have had this unit in use for 1.5 years and never had an issue outside of some intermittent static. This Lorex unit runs off a 900mhz. Plugs into video and one audio rca jack. The night vision is ok in total darkness and great with a little light. I feel that if the other negative reviewers purchased the cameras in competition with this unit (as I did) they would know this is a great value and there are always flaws with wireless. When using both cameras it shows each pic for about 2 seconds. I purchased this LW1002W under $100.

Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens with 32GB Card + .45x Wide Angl

Great camera and good price on the bundle. The kit lens is actually pretty good too which is unusual. I have added another lens and think my needs are complete.

Package has a lot of items I would have had to buy separately and some others probably not so much but overall a very good deal, minus one star because immediately after it was purchased, the price of the Nikon D5100 and 18-55mm package was reduced by $50.

Buy Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens with 32GB Card + .45x Wide Angl Now

Excelente compra, realmente el producto es muy bueno. Estoy en mis primeros pasos en la fotografia y se que voy a disfrutar mucho esta compra.

Read Best Reviews of Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens with 32GB Card + .45x Wide Angl Here

Clover 4 channel IP Addressable Standalone Digital Video Recorder.

I bought the no hard drive version of this recorder and added my own HDs. Replaced my analog time lapse VCRs which were a pain to maintain. The IP addressable feature is handy if you want to keep sight on your premises through the Internet. We recently traveled overseas and I was able to log in and see the views. Setting up the IP accessing from the Net is almost only for the geeks. Two options are mentioned in the manual for setting up the DDNS access, via dyndns.org and cloverdvr.com. The latter does not even exist (rechecked at the time of this writing) so I have to take a point off. Another thing to note is that while it takes video input from four cameras there is only one audio source input.

Update: My recorder lasted only 9 months. Poor electronics quality. Supposedly, has a 2-year warranty but I have to spend $30 to ship it to them and to include $30 for return and have no idea how long they will keep it. Instead, for $89 I can get another brand recorder of same type right here from Amazon.

(Wanted to change the stars to one, but was not able to do that.)

Belkin NetCam Wireless IP Camera for Tablet and Smartphone with Night Vision and Digital Audio

I give this more of a 3 1/2 stars...

I recently began looking into home video surveillance and home automation and acquired some products from a different manufacturer that lets you control video, thermostats, doors, lights, etc.. through a smartphone. My issue with that set of products is the need for monthly subscription to use it as well as the high prices of the components. I was very excited when I got the opportunity to try the Belkin video camera as it was cheaper and does not require a monthly subscription. Sure, it doesn't have all the home automation features that the other system has but I was more concerned with the video monitoring anyway. Overall I am pleased with how it works but there is definitely room for improvement.

Getting the camera up and running was actually quite easy and did not require me to hook it up to a computer or my home router. I simply connected it to my phone as a wifi connection, followed the instructions and then flipped a switch on the back of the camera to go into video mode. The app I downloaded to control it was for my Iphone 4S. Initially, when the first picture came up I was terribly disappointed in the quality. It looked like complete haze. That's when I realized that the box had been outside for a while and the lens was simply covered in fog. I wiped it down and it looked much better.

The video quality while viewing it over a wi-fi network on my Iphone was very good. The camera angle is very wide so I can get a good portion of my first floor including my front door. You can modify the quality of the video through the app so if you have less bandwidth, it will send a lower quality stream. However, even at its best quality, its only 640x480. Over a 3G connection, I had to manually turn down the video quality in order for it to be displayed but I didn't really notice much of a degradation in quality. Guessing it's because the iphone screen is so small that it really doesn't matter.

Here are the things I like about the camera

1. Cheaper than others I looked at. Compared to the Nexia line of cameras, this is priced much better

2. No subscription required to use it

3. Quality is about as good as the Nexia ones I use

4. Night vision is pretty good. All black and white but pretty clear

5. Sound!!!! Yes, this has the ability to stream audio as well which my nexia camera does not

6. Recording to the Iphone rather than some cloud server that limits your space

7. Like my more expensive solution, this does e-mail alerts based on motion

Here are the things that can be improved

1. The video is severely delayed and choppy. This does not produce "real time" video like the nexia and seems to only capture a frame or two every few seconds regardless of what type of connection I am on

2. Manual adjustment is annoying. This seems like it could be an easy update to the app to allow the app to automatically adjust the quality settings when bandwidth is limited. Waiting for a a minute or two and then getting a "sorry" message is annoying. Please build in auto adjust for this.

3. Load times can be long compared to other camera I have.

Like I said, more of a 3 and a half stars with the ability for this to be a 4 star if they can improve the video fps and the bandwidth detection. If those can be addressed either in software or a newer camera, this could be my solution for video surveillance around my house. Will be a lot cheaper than paying a monthly fee for something that does the same thing!

I foster dogs and got this camera to watch them when I'm out of the house. It's really great for my needs. I put it on my mantle in my living room and the view is pretty wide so I can see the whole room. I have an iphone and nexus7 and it works on both. I setup the notifications and was getting them every few minutes when the dogs moved, so I stopped using it but it seemed to work really well.

The only reason I'm giving it a 4 not a 5 is the audio could be better.

Buy Belkin NetCam Wireless IP Camera for Tablet and Smartphone with Night Vision and Digital Audio Now

I was looking for a simple camera for home security purpose, I am a simple user, I just want something easy to set up and easy to use.

This Camera fits the bill. Originally, I was having a problem in set up. Came to find out, It was due to the slowness of my DSL, (you got what you pay for in sellecting Verizon). After a few click to adjust the resolution, it worked fine.

I have tested it for two days, day and night, both works really well. I only want to take a look a look at my home and see if my kids are okay, This satifies my need. I am not looking for a 24/7 security system, but something that I can click on my cell phone and instantly checking on my kids and make sure they are okay.

The wide angle pretty much covers my living room when I place the camera at the corner, which by the way blends well with my fixtures. Nothing sticks out like a sore thumb.

Night visions works well as it continues to allow me to check up on my kids while I am driving home and got stuck in the freeway. It is this peace of mind that I was looking for and this simple camera gives me just that.

Read Best Reviews of Belkin NetCam Wireless IP Camera for Tablet and Smartphone with Night Vision and Digital Audio Here

I'll start with what is good about this camera:

1. Small, reasonably well built.

2. Good night vision. I can see across the room for about 20 ft in total darkness.

3. Easy set up: hint...when setting up, put the camera as close to your wifi router as possible. The signal strength is poor, and it can take for ever to connect, and usually doesn't connect at all. Other than that, set up is as simple as can be.

4. With good connection, the camera is very stable. I've had it running 24/7 for a week now without issue.

5. Motion detector image capture...email notification works well.

Why I wouldn't use this camera?

1. Wifi strength is poor. I'm placing it 50 feet away, granted there are 2 interior walls in between, and signal drops off constantly.

2. Although the camera does have an ethernet port, the port is non-functional...compounding the weak wifi signal issue.

3. Software sucks... You can't view the camera on a computer. You must use their iphone app. The app sucks. Worse of any camera app out there. First off, it crashes all the time. Second even on 4g LTE it has a hard time pulling videos through. I'd have to downgrade the video quality substantially to get a video connection. Third is it hardly works on Ipads...crashes more often than on the iphone.

4. Worse, most irritating part is that this camera is proprietary. You can't view the camera with Blue iris or any other app/program. This makes point #3 even worse. I'm not an expert by any means, but I simply can't get this camera to behave like a typical IP cam.

5. Poor value. This camera doesn't tilt, pan, or zoom....for $100 bucks I'd go elsewhere.

What would I recommend? I now have done a ton of research and own 2 other systems...the Foscam 8910 and the Logitech Alert. Here's my opinion of the 3 system for what it's worth:

1. My favorite is the Logitech Alert. You want this if you have a newer house with normal electrical wiring. By that I mean not spliced, added on, modified, etc. The construction quality is best of the 3 by a mile. Image quality during day, dim, and dark times are the best by far. Set up is simple and brainless. Signal connection and stability is much better than wifi. Open architecture means you can view your camera through VLC, Blue iris, etc...so if Logitech goes belly up, your camera is still functional. What I don't like about the Alert system is that there is no tilt/pan/zoom....false advertisement. The software only support 6 cameras, although you can view more if you use Blue iris. The app does suck, but you can use Blue iris which works great on both iphone and ipad. These are more expensive (hint....much cheaper if you use the 'configure' option on Logitech's site)but are the best out there.

2. Foscam is pretty good. Image quality is on par with the Belkin. There's true tilt and pan, the ethernet port works, stable, fast, and the software and flexibility is just unbeatable.

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Let me start with the summary, since the review is a very long one. This is an indoor camera. Great picture quality (non HD), very easy to set up and operate, works well with Android tablet (I don't have any iOS device to test with, but I'd imagine it works just as well, or better) and you can let any number of friends view the camera they don't need to own a camera. But there is one potential security issue with the camera.

The flaw with this camera could be a deal breaker for some people, so I will mention it first. You need to create an account with Belkin, and anyone with access to the account will be able able access your camera.

There is no way around that if you want to use this camera. You cannot operate it in "local only" mode (connect to the camera directly). There should be a way, but Belkin is not telling us what it is. If I find out through reverse engineering, I will update this review.

Why is this important? If someone manages to guess your password, or if Belkin's security is compromised, you have no way of preventing people from looking into your house unless you turn it off. With other IP cameras, the password is only stored locally on the device, and is much less prone to being hacked. With some network expertise, you can create VPN tunnels that you need to connect to before you can view those type of cameras. You don't have such a choice with this one.

This won't be an issue if the camera is being set up in a public area (for example, a restaurant). At home, however, I feel uncomfortable knowing that a stranger could be peering into my house.

OK, now that this is out of the way, let us go on to the other features of this camera.

Build quality : The camera is nicely constructed, smooth plastic shell that fits nicely together. The base is weighed down by a heavy metal washer at the base, so it will not topple over easily. The power supply cord is long 10 feet (I measured). The stated output is 5V, 1.5A.

Setup : the camera is very easy to configure, as long as you have an Android or iOS smartphone or a tablet. There is a little switch at the back of the camera the only switch there, in fact. In the "up" position, it is in setup mode. In the "down" position, it is in camera mode. You should have received it in setup mode.

When in setup mode, the camera powers up (by plugging in the power cable) and presents a wireless access point for your device to connect to. Use your phone or tablet's wifi setup to connect to it. There's no password. After you're connected, launch the app, which will guide you through the rest of the setup. If you messed something up, exit the app and launch it again. It will guide you through the steps all over again connect to your home wifi router and register an account with Belkin or log in to an existing account.

Operation : Using the camera only requires you to flip the switch over to camera mode after you're done with the setup. Run the app, log in, and you're presented with a list of your cameras. Click on it and you can view it. You can also view the camera through your computer's browser by going to netcam dot belkin dot com (sorry for the minor obfuscation Amazon seems to block most URLs I type in). In Firefox I'm prompted to install the iSecurity+ plugin, but I can use it with the old video player.

(Edit 3/26 : n let me know in the comments below that it seems no longer possible to create an account from the login page. Not sure if this is temporary I will check with Belkin and see what they say. For the moment the following paragraph is no longer valid)

You can create an account on a browser and view cameras that other people share with you even if you don't own a Netcam. Anyone you share the camera with will need to do this. There are also public cameras available. At the time of this writing, there are two public netcams listed both from the Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority.

(Edit 3/26 : above paragraph is currently invalid I need to find out from Belkin if it is permanently disabled)

From the app or the browser, you can view your own cameras, your friends' cameras, and invite friends (by sending them an email) to view your cameras, and to revoke access to your camera. You can also set your own camera to "private" mode (meaning you're the only account that can view it).

Infra-red works well, but in auto mode, the IR comes on whenever light level drops low enough, even when the camera is not being viewed. Alternatively you can set IR explicitly on or off (need to go into setup screen to do this). You cannot control the IR that someone shares with you, and motion detection will not work in the dark if IR is off. The IR LEDs gives off a faint reddish glow when in operation that's visible when it is very dark.

There is no local (in-camera) recording capability. Recording is done by your phone using the app.

Email motion detection alerts appear to work OK. You get an email with two photos when motion is detected. There doesn't appear to be a way to throttle the number of emails sent, so if you happen to have the camera pointed at a busy scene, be prepared for a flood of emails. A slowly changing scene will not trigger motion detection for example, shadows cast by the sun moving slowly across the room will not trip it.

Performance : The camera has a very clear picture and sound is decent. There is a small delay in video (about 0.25 seconds) and a much longer one in the audio (about 2 seconds). I was able to connect from outside my home network to the camera without needing to configure anything on my home router. In fact, I had the camera connected to a wireless router, that's connected to another wireless router (two layers of NAT), both with uPNP and port forwarding disabled. This suggests that the camera is connecting to Belkin's servers instead of the other way around.

Power consumption : I measured this with a Kill-a-Watt. Power consumption is very low. I measured it at 2W when the IR is off, and 3W when IR is on. Changing frame rate, picture quality, and other parameters didn't affect power consumption in any way that can be measured by the Kill-a-Watt. I left it on for 24 hours and it reported a total energy consumption of 0.05 kWh. Assuming IR is left on auto, this device will consume under 2 kWh in a month less than 50 cents for the typical user.

The power plug can take 100-240V @ 50-60Hz. The output is 5V 1.5A.

So, again, in summary has great image quality (640 x 480), has sound, really easy to set up, it just works without having to configure anything with your home router, but the password is stored at Belkin's server.

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