Showing posts with label 20 monitor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 20 monitor. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Professional Hard LCD Screen Protector for Nikon D3100 / D3000 Digital SLR Camera

Professional Hard LCD Screen Protector for Nikon D3100 / D3000 Digital SLR CameraFits perfectly in Nikon D3100. First you need to remove the rubber eyecup that comes in the viewfinder of your camera to attach this protector. I thought it could may distort the image, but you can see it just fine. It's made of some kind of plastic and keep your LCD safe from scratches, impacts and cheek contact. I loved my purchase and I feel safe now when showing pics to those who likes to touch the screen.

Fist perfectly on my nikon 3100. good buy to protect screen from sweat or scratches. recomended for all users. g

Buy Professional Hard LCD Screen Protector for Nikon D3100 / D3000 Digital SLR Camera Now

This screen protector is the hard shell, solid, thick plastic type like those found on the D80 and D90.

I have a D90 also and I wanted my D3000 to have a protector like that. This fits the bill.

It stays on pretty well and offers solid protection. I like the look as well.

Read Best Reviews of Professional Hard LCD Screen Protector for Nikon D3100 / D3000 Digital SLR Camera Here

This screen protector is great for protecting my camera LCD from scratches and smudges. Only down side is the eye piece does not stay in place very well. Overall I am happy to have this.

Want Professional Hard LCD Screen Protector for Nikon D3100 / D3000 Digital SLR Camera Discount?

Should be standard it was on my D200. This camera was purchased as a gift and the screen is even larger and I would assume more prone to damage. Get this and don't worry about it. Its easy to clean, clear, and is easily worth the price paid

Monday, April 14, 2014

Canon DC210 DVD Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom

Canon DC210 DVD Camcorder with 35x Optical ZoomJuly 18, 2007: Read my response in the comments section to a question from Jason G regarding VRO.

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If you want a DVD camcorder to shoot videos, make VERY minor edits from the camcorder itself, and then drop in your DVD player -the DC210 is okay. It's easy to use, despite the poorly written user guide. As to its features -it doesn't really stand out in the crowd of similar (less expensive) models.

The audio recording isn't great. From a distance of about 5-6 feet, you'll have difficulty hearing someone who is not projecting their voice.

Regardless, after a weekend of significant frustration, this camcorder is going back.

After talking with Canon, I found out that they chose not to inform their users, or even their retailers, that the output video format in VR mode is "VRO" -a new, largely unsupported format.

Users CANNOT edit their videos without conversion software -which, according to Canon reps, WILL NOT be provided on the Canon site. And, this format is so new, I had difficulty finding conversion software and I was unable to find freeware to convert the VRO video files (get ready to pay between $15-$25 for conversion shareware -in addition to DC210'S $340-$400 pricetag).

Canon does not provide ANY software for this camcorder -their reason: the camcorder is ONLY intended for point-shoot-play. Note: Canon didn't even bother addressing the new "VRO" format in the user manual that came in the box or the PDF file on their site (the term itself isn't in their documentation).

Finally, if you need decent audio via use of an external mic, forget it -Canon also didn't put an external mic jack on the DC210 (Canon's ZR800 does have an external jack).

During my last conversation with a Canon rep, my message was basically "shame on you." Canon has obviously chosen to ignore rapidly increasing consumer interest in video editing, the credit for this going to Microsoft, Pinnacle, and others, who have given us some good, simple tools to do creative editing on home and/or amature videos.

Canon totally missed the boat on this one. They could have been packaged a decent camcorder with, at minimum, some conversion software and a better user-guide, thus encouraging their customers to get out there and shoot lots and lots of video for sharing, presentations, and so on, which I intend to do -with a Sony, JVC, or other camcorder.

I'm giving 2 stars to Canon only because the DC210 does do what they wanted it to do.

Canon gets an "F-" for not shelling out a few extra cents for each camcorder sold to ensure customers have conversion software, and subsequently the capability to easily edit their creations with inexpensive, easy-to-use movie/video editing software.

The very worst available. I spent half of our summer vacation trying to find discs that my pretentious Canon would accept. Only Sony, and only sometimes. Ugh. I used to trust Canon. Now, I will read and write reviews more often.

Buy Canon DC210 DVD Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom Now

I am very satisfied with this camcorder. Picture quality is very good for a standard definition camera and operating it is about as easy as it can get. On-camera editing capabilities are not extensive so if you need those you may want to look at the cameras higher in the lineup.

The only complaint may be with finalizing disks. You have to read the manual carefully as the charger must be plugged in and you have to be in play mode before it will even give you the option to finalize a disk. Fortunately you can change disks then go back and finalize them later.

I have had absolutely zero problems playing back finalized disks. Just put the disk in a DVD player and press play.

Read Best Reviews of Canon DC210 DVD Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom Here

Well, there goes my daughter's first birthday footage. It's on a mini disc, but the only thing that will play it back is the camcorder itself. Won't work on any computer, playstation 2, or even a regular phillips dvd player. The user manual lists functions that aren't even selectable in the various menus. You can initialize the disc but not finalize it... though that's supposed to be an option in the menu. I'm taking it back tonight. What a piece of junk.

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I am a beginner when it comes to camcording and taking pictures. I wanted an easy to use 2-in-1 camera/camcorder. I spent Christmas Eve reading the users guide. I wanted documentation listing steps for a quick setup and use. There is no such thing. What's given is confusing at best. After about 2 hours, I did manage to get things rolling, basically on my own. I thought I did a good job figuring things out, such as initializing the discs, switching between the four basic modes (taking and viewing videos and pictures), making videos, and taking pictures. I was disappointed with the quality I saw on the camcorder, but thought things would look better on my computer or DVD. So I took tons of pictures and videos on Christmas Day. I spent about an hour and a half today (the day after Christmas) learning to convert my pictures for computer/DVD use and finalize the disc. I was tickled to see my pictures on the computer, but all pictures and videos were very grainy, not good quality at all. And I couldn't even get the disc to play in the two DVD players I have. I've spent more time than I wanted to on learning this machine, and I am very disappointed with the results. I could read a little more in the unfriendly users guide about picture qualitiy, but I'm not; I'm going to return it right now!

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Lorex LH108321C8B 8-Camera Network Video Surveillance System with 320GB H.264 DVR (Black)

Lorex LH108321C8B 8-Camera Network Video Surveillance System with 320GB H.264 DVRMy intended use for the eight camera system is home monitoring. The capability of watching my home from other locations is an important feature I plan to utilize. This is my first video monitored security system, so my comments will reflect only my observations of this equipment. I have three PCs in my home on a local area network connected to the Internet with a wireless router. I will be attaching the system to a 22 inch monitor.

After unpacking the box I plugged the DVR into the wall and then connected it to my router with the supplied Ethernet cable. Then I plugged the power supply for the eight cameras into the wall and plugged it into the back of the DVR and attached a camera to it. Then I inserted the DVD into my computer thinking it might have some essential software on it I found four buttons, one for the" user manual " (a hard copy of the manual is included in the box,) "acrobat reader" (if not already loaded on your computer so you can read the manual,) "warranty information" and "buy accessories."

When I plugged the DVR into the router it automatically got a network address and then I put the address in Internet Explorer and a log in screen appeared on my monitor. Passwords are disabled as a default, but I'm sure I will change that setting so it requires a password. When completely installed, the screen shows frames for each of the eight cameras.

The first camera I set up was in a pitch black room (it was evening. I wanted to test the night vision. As soon as someone approached the doorway they appeared on the monitor with the entire room illuminated on the screen. In night vision's usual black and white, at a distance of 12-14 feet, a face was clearly visible and identifiable. Frankly, I was wowed -this was one of those "isn't technology amazing" moments. Next, after temporarily mounting all the cameras, I checked the playback (recording) feature on each camera (automatic default)to ensure that feature was working. So, far, no problems.

Next I needed to get a personal web address to view the cameras remotely from the Internet. On page 44 of the instruction manual the Lorex DDNS website is noted. Once there, I was prompted for my MAC (media access control) address found by going to the "main menu," selecting "advance" and then "info." At that time, a customer server name will also be selected. Perhaps this is obvious, but for security purposes, it would be wise to use something other than the address of the property. The equipment will also be registered at this time, along with a password, user name, etc. After that process is complete, an email will arrive from Lorex with some additional information that is needed to be entered into the DVR to maintain the DDNS connection.

Note, port 80 is used to view the cameras from the Internet outside of your home/business network. The problem is some people may already be using port 80 to host their own website. If you want to change it to a different port, there is information on Lorex's website on how to configure your router to forward to a different port. Then to configure the DVR to use the forwarded port, the instructions are in the user manual Appendix C. Go to the main menu displayed on the monitor and select "advance", "network" and then use the mouse to change the web port from 0080 to something else. Select a number larger than 1024, in order to avoid using a port that may be in use by one of your other devices. Then to monitor your security cameras from the internet, enter your personal web address and follow it with a colon and the new port number. I checked the set-up from a remote address and it worked perfectly it looked the same as viewing it on a web browser on the local area network.

Turning the DVR off is a two step process, and it isn't described well in the manual. And, the process isn't intuitive. First hold the button on either the DVR or remote control down until the DVR goes into standby mode which is reflected on the monitor. In standby mode the screen is blank but the lights are still illuminated on the DVR, so to complete the off process hold the power key in until the DVR lights go out and the fan goes off. If you just push the power button on the DVR in and then let go, nothing happens.

If the DVR needs to be disconnected or in the event of a power loss, all of the changes in settings will be lost, including the time and address. Purchasing a UPS (uninterrupted power supply) and plugging the DVR into it is an essential step to protect against power surges and power loss to ensure continuous recording and avoid repeated re-configuration. And, obviously, the user should not frivilously disconnect the system once it is set up.

Batteries are included with the remote control. Note: there are no buttons on the remote control that light-up so when the batteries are dead it will be a matter of trial and error to determine they need to be replaced. I found the remote had to be aimed straight at the DVR. It didn't respond well if the remote was pointed slightly above, below or to the side.

There is no way to mount the camera in a fixed position where it won't move. No matter what I tried there was always a little play. So, if installed outside, a camera will be vulnerable to a strong wind, an object being hurled at it or even a stick being poked at it, so if possible mount the cameras in a sheltered location.

There is approximately 30 inches of cable attached to the camera that is then plugged into the 60 foot cable. For exterior installations, that section of cable needs to be installed inside a wall because the connections aren't weatherproof. Some security cameras run the cable through the mounting bracket so it isn't exposed at the installation site, and thus it is protected from both the elements and an intruder who can simply cut the cable to steal or disarm the camera. That is not the case with this camera, so there is ample reason to install as much as the cable into the wall as possible, leaving little exposed at the installation site.

The stated temperature range for operation is 4 below zero to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. For my purposes this is an issue because in Colorado, it occasionally gets colder than 4 below. So, my cameras will be installed inside the property aimed through windows. One of the photos I attached shows the monitor with four of the cameras installed. The poorest quality of the group is the one on the upper right corner (camera 2) which is currently pointed through a window screen. That camera will ultimately be installed through clear glass, but I included it because even through the window screen, the picture on my monitor is clear and impressive. That street is 135 feet from the camera. For reference, the distances for each of the remaining three shots on the monitor measured from where the camera is mounted to the picture on the screen are 12 feet, 14 feet and the 25 feet. The 25 foot shot is the one pictured in the single monitor screen photograph, and it is quite clear.

Other than plugging in the DVR, no electricity is required in connecting the cameras, so if you have access either through an attic or basement, and a tool to thread the cables through your walls and a drill, it is a viable do-it-yourself project. Dropping the cables through the wall and fishing them down into an unfinished basement and then to the DVR will, in some locations, require more than the included 60 foot cables. On the website, additional 60 foot cables can be purchased for $24.99 each plus $4.50 for the connector needed to attach the two cables together.

Ultimately I am impressed with this system. Granted, it isn't a commercial grade set-up, but for a homeowner, the price is very reasonable and the cameras have a strikingly clear picture, even in pitch black applications. The downside for me is the temperature range, which although broad, isn't quite broad enough for me to safely install the cameras outside. Exterior installation in Colorado might always be an issue considering the number of snowstorms experienced each winter. The cameras might be frequently covered in snow and not provide helpful pictures even if the temperature range permitted installation.

The cameras work beautifully, and the computer set up was smooth. I haven't attempted to contact customer support so I can't speak to their responsiveness. For me, the wiring issue was minor, but that may or may not be an issue depending upon the installation site. So, far I am very pleased with the system. The ability to check on my dogs and my house remotely, and when home, being able to see who is approaching my driveway and front door, is to me invaluable. I don't know how the system will hold up over time, but I will update the review if I run into any problems.

I purchased this unit about 2 weeks ago. I will say that installation and use ability of the system was good, also live video is very good. The main issue that I have is in watching the video that has been recorded. The whole point of home security system is to have recorded video that I can review later if something happens. So far that has been an almost complete failure. While the unit is recording and it does show me in the web interface of the unit that the files are there, I have been unable to view them. I have tried several PC's and several different versions of IE. (By the way the unit only works with IE it does not work at all with Chrome, Safari, Firefox Etc...) I have tried several times to contact tech support on the matter and have not had a response.

Update: I was finally contacted by tech support 10 days after emailing them; we have corresponded serveral times since then with no luck in fixing my problems.

Update: 1-10-11 This unit is junk, it started dying quickly after I started using it (Fan Died, VGA output Died), and the Support from LOREX is absolute and completely useless. My recommendation is to NEVER, NEVER buy anything from this company!!!!

Buy Lorex LH108321C8B 8-Camera Network Video Surveillance System with 320GB H.264 DVR (Black) Now

I'm no techno whiz, just your above average home DIYer. I felt comfortable with the installation and setup of this system but it is not without it's difficulties. The remote viewing setup was not what I would call simple which involves assiging port numbers on your LAN and port forwarding your router and such, but with a couple of calls to the Lorex technical assistance team all was setup properly. They were very helpful and are able to log onto your computer network and make changes to allow the system to work. However, I'm still not able to use remote viewing because my ISP service is too slow (which is no fault of Lorex). I have sattelite internet and to upgrade from my home plan to the pro plan would cost more than I want to spend. Beside that, the system is easy to operate with either the mouse, remote control, or front panel keys. The video quality is just okay, not great. The DVR's hardrive is noisy (a constant low hum). It will do the job I want it to do which is to allow me to monitor the outside of my home and record activity while I'm gone. It might assist with identifying an intruder by what clothes they wear or what type of vehicle they drive, but I don't think the camera is capable of a tag # or facial recognition unless the subject is very close to the camera. As far as I know, this system is as good of one as you will get for this price. That being said, I am satisfied with my purchase.

Read Best Reviews of Lorex LH108321C8B 8-Camera Network Video Surveillance System with 320GB H.264 DVR (Black) Here

I purchased the Lorex LH108 8 Camera DVR from Amazon and the system arrived within the expected time. The packaging was quite good. The DVR is in one box and the cameras and cables in another box. Both boxes were then inserted into a larger box.

I was particularly impressed with the "Do it yourself" nature of the items. There were small zip lock bags with Rawle plugs and screws for each camera mount (2 per camera). Each camera had a 60' Siamese cable which included the power and BNC connectors, wrapped along a plastic cable holder which when removed allowed the cable to unravel without tangling. This simple feature can only be appreciated when you begin installing with 8 cables being strung together and they begin to tangle while you are on a ladder. The 60' of cable was sufficient for my installation, but I can easily see where there might be the need to extend the cable.

The cameras offered good resolution for distances less than 15'. Beyond that things become increasingly fuzzy. The installation went well. In configuring the DVR, some areas of the user manual could have had more clarity. For example in explaining the network access password, which in this case can be different from the typical user and admin password.

I was able to login on my LAN and view the images remotely. The images were very much compressed and were 80% black and white. I assume this is to allow the images to pass through the outgoing bandwidth I have. This is not a big issue. I also realised that you cannot access the images remotely using any smartphone. You cannot use a Blackberry for example, only a windows based phone, which I did not have. I would have expected this important fact to be stated clearly in the advertising documentation for the product. I configured the DDNS feature using dyndns.com and while I was able to get the login screen, I was unable to login. The login failed on every occassion. I removed the passwords and still the logins failed. However on the LAN I would get the same login screen and be able to login without any problems. It did not make technical sense but I thought maybe "Lorex does not like dyddns.com" so I setup the Lorexddns feature. I had the same problem. I could not login remotely via the Internet, even when the password was removed, yet on the LAN, I had no problem logging in. I have spent several hours on this without success.

I e-mailed tech support about my problem, but have not gotten a response as yet, and don't expect to. It is obvious that the Lorex web site has a strong "sales" focus and very little "support" focus. I called Tech Support and after listening to several minutes of what appeared to be an essay recital, I was able to speak with someone. Tech Support was friendly and very helpful. I gave Tech Support my password and removed the password from the system, but they too could not login. They suggested I update the firmware. I downloaded the firmware and udated the DVR. Of course all the settings would default and you would have to reprogram IP address, passwords, names etc. The DVR still displayed the same login challenges. I will call Tech Support again and update this review. As of this stage I am giving the system a 3 star rating, but if I get to login remotely, then I would rate the system with 4 star. For the money spent, the system is good value....without the challenges hopefully. At this stage, I am dissapointed, but hopeful. If anyone can offer any suggestions to me on fixing my login problems, I would be appreciative.

Want Lorex LH108321C8B 8-Camera Network Video Surveillance System with 320GB H.264 DVR (Black) Discount?

Let me start off by saying we have a small business that consists of a used car lot and repair shop. Every once in a while we have items stolen from cars on the lot or find that someone had dumped their garbage in our dumpsters. The Lorex LH108321C8B 8-Camera Network Video Surveillance System hopefully is going to put a stop to the invaders.

After opening and inspecting the items in the box, we decided where we would set up the cameras to have the best visibility on the premises. We began installing the cameras at 10am and we finished by 3pm. Installation was simple and did not involve any really hard work except drilling holes into the aluminum siding and feeding the camera cables to an upstairs office. Only two screws mount the cameras. The only negative comment I can say about the installation is that the knob to secure the cameras does not "finger" tightened every well. When a strong breeze flew by, the camera would move. We used a wrench to tighten the position of the camera but made sure not to strip it. We connected the DVR to a 20" computer monitor by using an HDMI connector cable. We were impressed with the quality of the images. Colors are vivid and no really noticeable fuzziness. The only thing we noticed with the images is that scenes directly in front of the camera are crystal clear but as you look further past it starts to become less clear. We could not wait to see how the night vision worked. The next morning we reviewed the previous night's recording. It only used 47GB of the hard drive after 18 hours of continuous use. You do have the options of setting up specific times you want the video to record so you use less space on the hard drive. The night vision worked well except in areas where there was floodlights or streetlights. The images from those cameras were fuzzy. Just make sure to mount the cameras in areas that the camera view is not directly facing some type of night lighting. When reviewing the video you are able to pause it and zoom in on images. The DVR interface is extremely easy to navigate. You can select your options manually by using the buttons on the DVR or use the included mouse.

I cannot really comment on the remote access options since we do not intend to use those features. However I will mention that I found it amusing how the instructions had a little picture and stated if you had to be highly skilled for certain connections. Included a one long ground cable which we had no clue where to put it since the directions did not mention it.

The unit only comes with one "warning premises under 24 hour video surveillance" sticker. I wanted to have one warning sticker on all four sides of the building. You are able to purchase additional stickers, cable extensions and accessories directly from the manufacturers website. I ended up buying generic stickers and you can get them really cheap from Amazon, here is the link Security System Warning Stickers, 4-Pack.

Overall, great camera system for a home or small business. Easy to install and operate.

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Samsung 12MP Dig Camera 4.6X Opt 3 In LCD Red

Samsung 12MP Dig Camera 4.6X Opt 3 In LCD RedFirst off let me say that the reviewer that said it is hard to delete your photo's right away simply does not know what he/she is talking about! Obviously they have not read the manual, researched the camera before buying it, or did not spend as much time with it as maybe they should have.

All you have to do to delete a photo or movie clip "right away" is, with your finger make an "X" on the screen (Touch Screen) over the picture, a delete button pops-up you press it and the picture is gone. It literally takes 2 seconds, if that.

Below is my review of what I have discovered so far, mind you I DO NOT Personally own the Camera yet, mine is on the way, but I have toyed with it for probably almost 3 hours already at Best Buy (Went to Best Buy again today just to toy with this Camera some more, Twice! Once by Myself, another with my daughter). I have done extensive research on the TL225 and the TL220 (an incredible amount). The review below was written by me a couple days ago for a different web-site to educate folks on this camera.

Here ya gooo...

I went to Best Buy yesterday and played around with the TL220 (st500 and st550 in Europe and Asia, and is the same cam as the TL225, just less features) for over an hour (no kidding, an employee told me to "Just buy the thing already"lol), and I can not express how much I LOVE this thing!

I have never had so much fun playing around with a camera before! It is sooo user friendly, I picked it up and knew everything within a couple of minutes!

The Pictures it took where pretty good, it didn't do so well with close moving subjects, much blurr, but still pics where clear and the colors where vibrant. I found a Korean site to where a gentleman who bought this Cam posted a TON of Pic's, they all looked wonderful as-well. He also stated that this was a "Very Very good Cam".

My favorite feature that sent me over the top was the "Beauty Shot" mode and front LCD feature! I have scars on my face due to acne (pretty bad scaring), and I went into Best Buy looking greasy and very sweaty (just got off of work). The pictures I took of myself in Beauty Shot mode made me look like a Model!!! I am not kidding, my face went from greasy and nasty in regular pics I was taking of myself, to looking like I belonged on a runway for a photoshoot once in Beauty Mode!!! I was SHOCKED at how perfectly complected my face looked, you could not see one acne scar or blemish, it was amazing! I did not expect this feature to work so well!!!

I took probably 80 or so pic's of myself, I absolutely love the front screen! Yes, I took pics of myself before, but only for web-sites a forum purposes. With this, it was a BLAST!!! I had so much fun with this camera, I did not expect myself to care to much for the front screen, but I will be using it all the time once I pick-up this cam!!

All I was looking for was a decent point and shoot that had great HD video and good quality Pic's for vacationing, and playing with this cam for as long as I did sent me over the edge with all the features it has, I REALLY LOVE IT! I would like to note that my fiance owns the Nikon D90 and I use it often, so I have some decent knowledge on how pictures should look. I also own my share of P&S cams.

The girl at Best Buy told me they Sold Out right away and have the cam on back-order, and that she hears nothing but good things about it (she is actually going to school for photography and said she thinks the cam is a really good buy, and she was not saying this because she works there, I have known her for atleast a year already (from Best Buy) so we are more friends then me being just a customer to her.

I also tested the HD video and it was WONDERFUL! Someone posted 3 test vids on YouTube using the tl220, the new compression format makes it look like HD even when choosing not to watch in HD! Never seen such great quality Vid before in a camera!!! It is also REALLY REALLY cool how you can Pause when recording, and then resume play when you decide to, this way all recordings are on the same file. You can also edit the vid in camera by trimming the vid, meaning takeout parts you don't want and keep what you do want.

I will be getting the TL225 instead of the TL220. It has a bigger screen, metal back instead of the Tl220's plastic back, HDMI inputs (for viewing your Pics and Vid on an HD TV) that the TL220 does not have, and I believe the TL225 has 2 more modes that the TL220 does not have. One is Action mode (which may fix the blurr in moving subjects, it should), and another mode I have which to identify. The TL225 shows 16 different modes in "Smart Capture" mode, and TL220 shows 14. The TL225's also has haptic feedback, which vibrates the screen slightly so the user knows when he/she selects a command, TL220 does not have this. The TL225 also wieghs a half-ounce more then the TL220 due to the choice of displays. One more thing to note is that the TL220 3.0-inch LCD screen resolution has 230,000 dots, while the TL225 has much much higher resolution at 1,152,000 dots on it's 3.5-inch LCD, the highest ever resolution on a Point and Shoot Camera (for you newbe's the higher the resolution the clearer the screen will be and you will be able to see more detail on whatever it is you are taking a picture of). To me, the extra $50 for the TL225 is well worth it if you can offord it.

Note that both Cams (TL220 and TL225) look identical other then the back screen being bigger on the TL225, and the colors they come in. I do wish the TL225 came in Red and Blue, but the orange will have to do for me. I will also be posting this same review for the TL220 for people looking to get that since thats the actual Cam that I toyed with.

I have done sooo much research on these cams in the past 2 weeks it is ridiculous!!lol I will give a more extensive review once I have this puppy to play with for longer then just a couple of hours.

All I have to say is I LOVE THIS CAM and can't wait to get it, it def exceeded my expectations thus far! :)

TL220 Review

PROS

Menu system is fast. For a touchscreen i find it to be more than adequate. Response times don't keep you waiting.

Very "iphone-ish" in the sense that its touch and has features like multi-delete (select as many pictures as you want to delta in one fatal swoop instead of deleting a single image at a time), accelerometer for browsing pictures and tap to focus, which is sweet.

Sweet continuous shoot mode. Seems to capture fractions of a second at a time.

HD Video is very nice. You can trim video on the device itself and select a frame from the video to save as a photo.

Form factor is great. Not the smallest, but the size seems to fit the quality.

5x Optical Zoom is a treat for a point and shoot.

Fast boot to picture: It takes less than 3 seconds to power on the camera and snap your first photo.

I like that it has distinctly different audible beeps for 1) a positive auto focus lock and 2) when its not able to autolock the focus on your subject. Even the front LCD displays a "red Reticle" for bad focus and a "green reticule" for perfect focus when doing self portraits.

Smart Modes: In my low lit living room, the camera auto-detected that there was not adequate light and adjusted itself for the environment. The result, a nice picture with lightened features with no dark spots.

Slide show mode: You can select exactly what pictures you want to play. You don't have to sit through all photos, including the bad ones. It has about 5 different preset audio tracks to play while watching the slide show. Nice touch.

Image Stabilization works in both photo mode and video mode.

Can record video without an audio track if no audio is needed.

CONS:

Front LCD Screen does not turn on when shooting in video

Micro SD a pain to deal with (adapters etc)

When shooting video, when you zoom in or out, the audio cuts out while the lens is in motion. Once the lens stops moving, the audio kicks in again. very odd.

When importing into iPhoto on Snow Leopard, the videos do not have thumbnails or video preview. They appear as black squares in the photo album until played.

You have the ability to attach audio snippets to your pictures while they are in the camera. However, once you import all pictures, the wav file is separated from the picture and it becomes an orphaned file. IT doesn't stay embedded in the picture or data file. So you end up with an SD card full of wav files in your card unless you delete them.

MINOR GRIPES

Battery door seems flimsy. Since this is where the MicroSD card is I'm a bit nervous it may break in the coming months.

Move the clown image for small kids to a more intuitive location in the software (like with the other front LCD settings).

The camera does a nice job at recognizing faces then waiting for them to smile before taking a picture. Problem is that once you sync the pictures to your computer and empty the SD card to make room for the next round of photos, the face recognition goes away and you have to reset those faces you previously detected again. It memorizes up to 20 faces, but they don't stay in the camera permanently. That is unless, you leave the pictures on the camera after syncing them to your laptop.

Only place i noticed some lag was in picture review (scrolling side to side to view pictures).

No mac software included. Only Windows.

Display brightness setting only affects rear LCD, not front facing LCD.

Not intuitive how to set your own start up image when the camera powers on. I found the option but it's not as intuitive as the other menus and I have yet to figure it out.

The camera is HD. Why not include an HD cable to connect to ones TV

MAJOR GRIPE

Speaking of TVs, this morning I hooked up the Samsung TL220 to my TV to play some video that I shot. Boy was that a mistake. Two concerns: One is that when connected to the TV the screen on the camera goes blank. Instead you navigate by looking at the TV where a small mouse cursor appears. This takes some getting used to. Two (and the largest issue here) is that it kills battery life. The camera charged over night, and by 11am (after shooting some baby videos and outputting them to the TV) the battery just died. You get a nice message saying battery is low, and then it shuts off. So, caution when connecting camera to a TV. It burns the battery at both ends!

What I WOULD ADD IN THE NEXT VERSION

SD Card instead of MicroSD (eliminate need for adapters)

Metal case for durability

GPS tagging

BlueTooth transfer

Front video screen enabled when shooting video

IN SUMMARY

Nice camera. I opted for the $299 job which has smaller pixel density on the rear LCD and is 3" instead of 3.5". In my opinion, the extra $50 is a nice option, but the innards are all the same. Plus, i like the ergo-grip that the extra space on the back of the camera offers when you opt for the 3" screen. It inspires confidence that the total stranger i ask to snap my picture wont drop the camera.

4 out of 5 stars.

Well thought out device.

Highly recommended.

Buy Samsung 12MP Dig Camera 4.6X Opt 3 In LCD Red Now

I have to admit I fell for the glam on this cam. Sampled this versus the Sony TSC-90 at Best Buy. The Sony has the "burst" mode and the "ooooo" moment when you can get massive panaromic shots. Both have the "cool" touch screens. The Samsung has the dual-screen feature, which is another "cool" feature with the small LCD on the front for self-portraits. That and the ton of touchy features... I took the plunge at Best Buy and with service plan spent $370. Oh, no SD card included so that's an extra cost.

The Samsung really wants you to do everything with the USB cord. It attaches to a wall plug (like an iPhone does) for recharging (or through USB to computer). It is also the better way to upload your pics. Getting the microSD card out of the camera requires tweezers or great fingernails. Big negative there.

But the bottom line for any camera is picture quality. You can read all the great reviews of the Samsung here about how easy it is, great battery life, etc. But I was vastly disappointed with the quality of most of my pictures, especially low light (which is supposedly another great thing about the camera).

My main camera is a Nikon DSLR and before that a Canon DSLR for comparison sake. I always have a point-and-shoot around for ease of use without the bulky DSLR and lenses. I had hoped this would be that great companion camera, but the quality fell way short of my previous point and shoots (most recent a Nikon Cool Pix in the $150 range).

If you crave clarity and sharpness of your pictures, then the TL220 is not your camera for the price, hence the 2-star rating.

I returned this camera and picked up a Canon Powershot SX120 that has 2 fewer megapixels, no touch screen but much more control than the Samsung at $100 less on the price with significant improvement on picture quality.

Read Best Reviews of Samsung 12MP Dig Camera 4.6X Opt 3 In LCD Red Here

I had a Kodak point and shoot touch screen but had problems with the software and speed of the camera. I came across this camera in a Best Buy first-day-release display and was ready to buy from moment one.

Have you ever used your cell phone camera and you may have that small mirror little space for self-portraits? I'm using it all the time to now have great sized LCD in front is ideal. Friends are always making fun of my photos because I'm always trying to get in them but inevitably I've cut off a head or two.

PROS: The touchscreen is responsive and big, I be lovin' me the haptic feedback (which is also adjustable, yay). The next, and this was amazing to me, it has BUILT IN PHOTO EDITING SOFTWARE. Both on the camera AND when you plug it into your machine. It automatically launches and helps you manage the photos on ANY computer. It doesn't require ANY software install... I practically pee'd my pants when I saw this; why didn't someone think of this sooner? No worries about losing the disc, staying up to date, etc. Oy... brilliant.

The LCD screen also acts as the count-down timer when you take timer-shots with a tri-pod or however, nice add-in, however, the timer is not adjustable (10 seconds only).

CONS: First, when your taking self-shots people tend to stare at the LCD frame instead of in the lens, this causes two issues: 1) it looks like people aren't looking at the camera, and 2) the face detection technology uses an IR eye sensor, so if you don't look into the lens, it won't detect and lock onto the face. Second, I wish there were a one click, or one button activation of the LCD you have to go to the menu option, then select the LCD mode each time you turn the camera on annoying.

Third, I wish there were photo keyword tagging like I had on my Kodak this was INCREDIBLY, and unexpectedly, helpful when going on vacations, etc and taking hundreds on photos then uploading them to computer or Flickr and having them already tagged I smell firmware update :::ahem:::

Fourth, the memory card is a MICRO SD card, NOT a regular SD card. This A) means all your previous SD cards are incompatible and B) you cannot use the eye-fi wireless card now. I get why they went the Micro SD card route, because theoretically you can hot swap between your digital camera and a cell phone so that you can remote upload your photos but I'd rather have to use an adapter and have a regular SD card slot with more options bad move and was almost a deal breaker

Fifth, there's no quick way to delete a photo right after capturing it if you decide you don't want it. You have to hit the play button, then select delete, then confirm. What? Did someone say 'firmware update' :::cough cough:::

Sixth, speaking of egotistical... proprietary Samsung connector jack for charging/PC connecting. Why you gots to hate on the micro/mini-USB connector? The Kodak used the mini-USB and it was nice to be able to charge from my iGo, now iGo in sadness.

Seventh, and not too big of a deal, but I wish the playback volume/speaker for video was slightly louder. I'm not expecting Dolby Surround Sound here, but a little louder for the hearing impaired would be nice...

Eighth, I wish the connector jack was on the side and more so because I wish the camera could also function as a USB web-cam. I mean, I'm not in the porn business or anything, but it'd be nice to consolidate devices where possible, right?

Overall I'm incredibly pleased with the camera some major pros and excellent features I didn't go into detail on, but if you do a yahoo search for technical reviews, you may run into several features that you'll end up finding really useful.

Want Samsung 12MP Dig Camera 4.6X Opt 3 In LCD Red Discount?

Like many others I did my homework before purchasing this camara. I am going to Europe next week and I have owned 4 digital camaras previously.

THIS CAMARA IS SIMPLE "FANTASTIC" and I am trying to highlight it because I want you to know it.

The front viewer is the main reason I bought it. When you are under the Eifel tower with your baby you want a picture of the tower but you also want to be included in the picture, always one of us has to left out. NOT ANYMORE.

If you are a single mother, I am sure you want to be in the pictures with your son/daughter. GREAT way to do it. I turned on the shoot when smile feature and it just works beautifully.

I will try to answer a couple of questions I saw people posted in other reviews. Yes the camara uses micro SD and someone thought that was a problem because of adapters. Not sure why because the camara comes with a USB cable that one plugs into the PC and voila all the pictures are copied to the PC and you don't have to anything else.

It comes with Intelli-Studio software that it's very user friendly and allows you to do all the things that I normally did at Wallgreens kiosks like adding frames, text, turn into blank and white or sephia. You don't even need to install it. FANTASTIC is an understatement.

The zoom is better than most camaras 4.6 is great and the quality of the pictures is superb.

This is a camara for the casual user that likes to take pictures like a pro but doesn't have the time or the money to take classes.

For the guy who goes to bars and want to take pictures and expect them to come out OK; I turned the lights off in my studio, pointed and shooted to my face and the picture came out perfect.

This is something I will never do but if I ever need it, now I know I can do it.

I want to close this with my most sincere congratulation to the engineering team at SAMSUNG. You guys know what you are doing. Keep up the good work !!!

I still haven't take any video o played with all the features in the camara but in the time that I spent with it, I can only say "I am so glad I am taking it with me to Europe"

Monday, January 27, 2014

NetVue NI-1200 IP Waterproof Video Camera (Ivory White)

NetVue NI-1200 IP Waterproof Video CameraI was looking for such a product for quite a while. I studied several products of different brands, like Logitech and Dropcam. Eventually, I decided to buy a NetVue one. I'm happy with this product. It does everything it promises.

It is a very convenient product, allowing me to monitor what happens in my house instantaneously when I am outside. I installed the app in my iPhone. The camera resolution is good enough, and the picture is clear to see what is going on the other side.

It is quite simple to use. Only need a few minutes to setup everything.

I bet this is the best wireless/wired video monitoring camera that you can find on the market. I have used for two weeks and it is awesome so far! Here are the good things about it.

(1) It is very simple to setup. Just follow the instructions and it took me 5 mins to complete it.

(2) They offer free apps and you can view online and videochat anywhere as long as you have the Internet.

(3) The video is extremely smooth and clear. My friend can even "watch" the program on my 73" HDTV from this camera.

(4) Plus, I don't even need a PC or any special software to run this camera. All I need is just a smartphone!

(5) Price is unbeatable. This is the best price I have ever seen for a high-quality video monitoring camera.

Absolutely worth it! I would recommend to all my friends.

Buy NetVue NI-1200 IP Waterproof Video Camera (Ivory White) Now

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Toshiba Gigashot GSC-R60 60GB 2MP Hard Disc Drive Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

Toshiba Gigashot GSC-R60 60GB 2MP Hard Disc Drive Camcorder w/10x Optical ZoomI bought the Camcorder with some hesitation knowing that this is Toshiba's first Hard Drive Camcorder and that they are not noted for making camcorders. My investigation indicated that it basically has Canon lens and optics with the Hard Drive from Toshiba. First some of the bad things that i have encountered:

1. The camera has a focus problem. There is significant difficulty in getting the camera auto focusing especially in dim/low light. In daylight it is much better. Placing the focus to infinity helped a great deal.

2.Does not perform well in Low light, problem common to most Canon Camcorders. I recorded a Graduation Ceremony in a dimly lit hotel hall. With the bright light focused on the people the camera tends to produce too much white for the face. Adjusting the exposure helped somewhat but not very satisfactory.

3. The Hard Drive does get hot working it for some length of time and this places some discomfort on the hands. Not unbearable though.

4. There is indeed some Zoom lens noise picked up by the speaker when no other sound is present. This is however not a major discomfort.

5. Not too good quality stills in Low light dispite the flash. Everything looks too white.

6. Does not have a viewfinder. One has to rely on the screen. Thought that this would affect the battery life significantly but it did not.

7. Does not have an audio or Mic input port. This is a disadvantage for those wanting to record audio from a Mixer or other device.

8. The ACDSee software is really quite basic but gets the job done and a welcome for the novice.

Good things

1. Very well built. Fits the hand nicely. Good feel and weight.

2. Good Quality video in Outdoor lighting. I was indeed surprised at the accuracy of the colors.

3. Very easy to operate. Accessing the menu functions and features were really simple.

4. The output to DVD was very easy and fast. The included software is reasonable but has no editing features. DVD authoring is very limited. Tested importing a clip with Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5 but it had difficulty in conforming the audio. Maybe i need an upgrade to Pro 2.0 to dealt with Dolby Digital.

5. The audio quality is surprisingly quite clean and very sensitive. Has three options to selecting the volume sensitivity.

6. The Battery life is excellent for such a small battery.

7. Very slim and Good Capacity hard drive.

8. No Tapes and limit to recording long events.

9. The included Cradle is very useful for charging and connecting to a the computer and network.

With the price and features compared to the competition Sony's i believe that this is a good value for money buy. This is certainly version 1 stuff from Toshiba/Canon but i am sure that improvements are on the way. Since HHD camcorder are relatively new except for JVC, i believe that all the makers will be tweeking and improving on this new technology and as such no brand will have the ultimate at this time.

For those willing to take the plunge into the HHD video world this is a good start.

Initially, I was very pleased, until using it for a while. I noticed a white spec on the viewing screen. After carefully looking at it, it was a problem inside the lens, not a dead pixel, so the white spec showed up on all dark video and photos.

Other Negatives:

-Terrible in low-light conditions. Camera Light it comes with is nearly useless as it can only pick up objects close up.

-Settings were very bad. If anyone complains all video comes out very white/bland looking, its because the default settings suck. You need to set it to Flourescent 1 or Flourescent 2. This adds a LOT more color. Also change the color setting to Vivid. You will see an amazing difference.

-Photos suck, but thats because its only 2megapixel, which is understandable.

-What I find to be extremely dumb design is that although it allows you to capture photos while recording video, it actually records the flicker of the photo being taken. In otherwords, you can be recording something nice, and want to take a photo. However, during playback, you will see the video flicker or 'black-out' for a second. I find this very annoying. And I would have to stop recording, take the photo, then start a new recording just to avoid this annoying flicker. Same thing with the pause recording feature. It allows u to pause recording if theresnothing interesting, but when it resumes, it does not make a smooth segway, instead u see the same black-out flicker that brings the two video together.

-The batter power is displayed in three portions, White/Yellow/Red. White lasts about an hour, which I was pleased, I figured the other two portions must last somewhat the same. I was very wrong. Yellow lasted about 15-20 minutes and the red lated about 5-10 minutes. I was shocked. I couldn't believe how misleading that was.

Pros:

-Battery life was maybe 90 minutes. I don't believe I hit 2.5 hrs like some other online reviews claimed. Keep in mind, the White/Yellow/Red Battery LifeGauge is not proportional. White means fully charged. When it hits Yellow, it means about 15 minutes left, and Red means about 10 minutes left. So if u have a lot to record and your on Yellow, ur screwed.

-Good Design, easy to use. I learned how to use most of it wihtout the instructional guide. I only used it to understand what the color settings meant, but that wasn't very helpful either More of trial and error.

-Video Quality, I guess is very good for the price.

-You can record w/o the LCD screen flipped up. However, if u change ur mind and want to use the LCD screen to view, but then decide to close the LCD, it powers off. Therefore making it possible, but difficult and confusing to work with the LCD screen off.

Overall:

If it wasn't for the damn white spec inside the lens that show up in the video/photo, I would be very pleased and would keep it, but I am going to return it for that reason. Otherwise, I believe, for the low price, this is outstanding. Battery life of roughly 1.5 hours is good. Takes so-so quality photos might as well bring along ur other digicam.

But I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fact that I dont have to mess around with miniDV's or miniDVD's (which I can imagine the amount of headache, buying, recording, transferring, editing, re-saving onto DVD would cause)

I would reccommend this if you are on a budget. I also reccommend this because its SO EASY TO USE, imagine no miniDV or miniDVD's that have limited recording time. I damn near recorded 15 hours before i transferred to my laptop, which then recorded another 6 or so hours. It was sweet. However, after seeing the photo quality, I want to hold off until these come down in price and quality moves up!

Cheers!

Buy Toshiba Gigashot GSC-R60 60GB 2MP Hard Disc Drive Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom Now

It's just fine.

Pro: A zillion hours of storage, good-enough battery.

Pro: It comes with a cradle.

Con: No other way to interface the harddrive to your computer, no quickie-cable.

Pro: It uses a hard drive

Con: Using the MPEG 2 files in a video editor is hard. The included video editor is SUPER AWFUL, clicking on things results in MINUTES OF FROZEN COMPUTER. Terrible. Am converting videos myself to dv then editing in another app. Am looking at SpeedEDIT too.

Pro: No hardware glitches.

Pro: Comes with a remote. Can take flash photographs with it. Easy and quick on/off.

Con: Its auto focusing is a bit indecisive. v1.0 firmware, japan has newer...Toshiba!!! You think you're focused, then it decides it wants to retry focusing. Much worse in the dark.

Con: UI, while fancy, is tricky to get used to. The rotating wheel thing is fine, but the joystick in the middle of the wheel is a bit too easy to accidentally choose things. Clicking in any direction might bring up, via some swirly special effects, the flash-photograph mode, and the only way to get out of that mode is to press the same direction again, but if you didn't realize you pressed that direction in the first place because it's too-easy to accidentally choose the thing, then you have to futz with it or look at the screen to read the on-screen instruction of how to close that screen.

Definitely worth $450. For $350 you get the 30GB one without the nifty cradle, a steal.

Pro: Sound quality even from the builtin mic is fabulous, spacious.

Read Best Reviews of Toshiba Gigashot GSC-R60 60GB 2MP Hard Disc Drive Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom Here

I have been very satisfied with the results I have gotten from this camera. I wanted something that would allow me to record business and training presentations indoors in moderately lit rooms. This does a great job and lets me record a full week of training (55 hours) without changing tapes or discs. I have also gotten what I think are excellent family shots.

The 2 megapixel still photos are the best I have ever seen out of a camcorder. They are printable up to 8x10 or so.

I do not disagree with the previous reviewer who said the focus searches sometimes, and that you can hear the focus when sounds are low, but nearly all small cameras have this same issue. I am very pleased. A great buy at Amazon's price.

Want Toshiba Gigashot GSC-R60 60GB 2MP Hard Disc Drive Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom Discount?

Terrific value, Intuitive features, simple file transfer and excellent software bundle make this a great average consumer video camera. Transferring movies right to DVD via PC is as simple as I've ever seen. Stability control is on the low end of effective and lighting conditions need to be reasonably bright for the picture to have full depth. That's not to say it doesn't video record OK in normal room lighting only that it is not as sensitive as say a Sony video camera (that costs 1/3rd more)

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Q-See QM6008B-4 High-Resolution 600TVL Cameras (4 Pack), Black

Q-See QM6008B-4 High-Resolution 600TVL Cameras, BlackThese cameras are a good value for the cost but in extreme dark areas they need lighting assistance. In well lit areas they will work great

I honestly owe it to the qsee community on here for their fast response to my question which allowed me to make a fast , but overall good decision. my question was answered and yes they are compatible with the night owl dvr systems and are believe to be compatible with any dvr that consist with bnc type connectors . I have a night owl security camera system that included four(12-IR)security cameras(420tvl) not bad for the price or for the urgency to protect my property a bit since my home had recently been burglarized. the night vision on these night owl is probably good for like 15' and very fuzzy defenition(off coarse not professional grade) although it did the job mean while I always felt I needed to upgrade and after about a month and consistent research/review's I did decide to go with the Qm6008b model and let me tell you that the night vision is great, the day time is even better. Very well built and sturdy. You won't be disappointed. If your property gets a bit of street light like in my case, the night vision is like a regular black and white tv image. I have had the qsee cameras(8) for about 3months and no complaint. The night owls where sold. Shop around and you may find very good deals on them

Buy Q-See QM6008B-4 High-Resolution 600TVL Cameras (4 Pack), Black Now

These Q-See "High-Resolution 600TVL" cameras are a big improvement over the cameras that came in my Zmodo system and can be used to directly replace those cameras using the existing video/power cables. We use a zmodo system for security recording at our shop, and it generally works well except that the cameras do not always provide enough clarity for easy face recognition from a distance. These cameras are significantly better in both image clarity and night vision functionality.

To be clear, this set is the 4 cameras only (with power adapter and cables) and not an actual monitoring/security system. These will all work with the systems from the major brands (Zmodo, Defender, Q-See, etc) or to any device that takes composite video in (most TVs and video recorders).

These are an excellent choice when you want to upgrade just a few cameras on an existing system.

Highly Recommended!

CFH

Read Best Reviews of Q-See QM6008B-4 High-Resolution 600TVL Cameras (4 Pack), Black Here

We bought these as an upgrade from our existing QSM1424 cameras. They have much crisper picture picture and twice the night vision capability. What once an ill defined black blob is now my cat.

Want Q-See QM6008B-4 High-Resolution 600TVL Cameras (4 Pack), Black Discount?

Take heed of the negative reviews for this product. I didn't and wasted money. 1 camera never worked. It came on but no video. A second shows very fuzzy video. I had one existing low res camera so indeed the resolution on these cameras is great, at least on two of the 4. The cable is pretty much crap. I already had cables in place so I didn't have to use the ones in the box. They are very flimsy cables.

Save your money and skip this product. One reviewer said Amazon should remove this product from their inventory and I totally agree. This is the worst purchase I have every made on Amazon.

Save 34% Off

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Sony Alpha NEX E-Mount 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 OSS Zoom Lens with 3 UV/FLD/PL Filters + Cleaning Kit for

Sony Alpha NEX E-Mount 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 OSS Zoom Lens with 3 UV/FLD/PL Filters + Cleaning Kit for NEX-3, NEX-C3, NEX-5, NEX-5N & NEX-7 Digital CamerasA really nice lens great for capturing peoples faces when they are not posing

The lens is large and you may find yourself walking backwards a lot to get the full image but then etc.

The set of filter etc also added to the value.

It is a good product and arrived in the compact, original packaging with no damage. I particularly welcomed the 3 filters, thanks.

Buy Sony Alpha NEX E-Mount 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 OSS Zoom Lens with 3 UV/FLD/PL Filters + Cleaning Kit for Now

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Fujifilm FinePix HS30XR 16 MP Digital Camera Accessory Saver 16GB Bundle !!! (Black)

Fujifilm FinePix HS30XR 16 MP Digital Camera Accessory Saver 16GB Bundle !!!My purchase of the Fujifilm FinePix HS30EXR 16MP Digital Camera with Accessory Bundle was what I expected with the camera.

When the box arrived, I opened it immediately since a corner of the box was bent inward, I was worried! I found the 16GB memory card was missing from the boxed bundle pack of accessories that I had purchased. So I called the supplier (Big Value, Inc.) and they shipped a replacement without any trouble. I also let them know that the box that was delivered was smashed on one corner and that they needed to let the delivery department know that more protective stuffing needed to be put in their boxes before delivery. Then I went through everything in the bundle pack.

1) This FujiFilm Finepix HS30EXR 16MP digital (bridge) camera with extended zoom is of very high quality. I have spent some time playing with it and becoming acquainted with some of the basic features, as I am not familiar with advanced digital features yet. I found thru reading the digital manual from the supplied CD that this camera is very sensitive to lower and higher temperatures. So if you are thinking of purchasing this camera, make certain you read the manual on the CD. It is very helpful so that you don't harm this quality camera. I still have much to learn about this very nice camera but I am VERY PLEASED with this digital camera purchase. I think YOU will, also.

2) The purchased 16 GB Memory Card and Bundle Pack:

A: The 16GB SDHC Memory Card: Once the supplier sent me a new card, after the original one was not found in the delivered box, I tested it and found it to be of sufficient quality. It gets FIVE STARS!

B: The Full Size Photo and Video Tripod: IS OF VERY CHEAP PLASTIC AND NOT GOOD QUALITYI give it a sub-standard ONE STAR!--This Tripod shouldn't even be in the bundle pack. Or the supplier should offer one made of composite materials or metal. SUB-STANDARD-ONE STAR!

C: The 3-pack 58mm Multi Coated Filter Kit (UV, Florescent, Polarizer): These are of High Quality with a felt-lined case. I am very impressed with them. They alone get Five Stars!

D: The USB SDHC Memory Card Reader: I haven't had to use it yet but it is an added feature for someone who might need it. It appears to be of good quality. Since it hasn't been tested yet, I give it FOUR STARS for appearance alone.

E: The Padded Carrying Case w/Strap: This case with strap just barely fits the FujiFilm Finepix HS30EXR 16MP camera and not much else. This case is TINY for a camera case. A larger case should have been supplied. But this little case and strap are of GOOD QUALITY and get FOUR STARS. It would get FIVE stars had it been larger.

F: The Memory Card Wallet: Is small but sufficient. It gets FOUR STARS.

G: The Pack of LCD Screen Protectors : Are of GOOD QUALITY and more than enough to cover not just my FujiFilm Finepix 16 MP HS30EXR digital (bridge) camera but also other electronics I own! They get FIVE STARS from me. They are necessary.

H: The Lens/LCD Cleaning Kit: Is of GOOD QUALITY and necessary. It gets FIVE STARS.

I: The Mini Table Top Tripod: Is of GOOD QUALITY and gets FIVE STARS.

I really like this bridge camera and have had a lot of fun with it since I bought it. Wasn't all that thrilled with the extras it came with, but I kind of knew what to expect so the price made up for that stuff. This is just my personal preference since I am partial to this brand. It has some quirks that Fuji products are known to have, but overall the photos are pretty darn good right off the camera. Like anything else, it takes time to learn the equipment. If you are willing to do that and give it a chance, I think you will be happy with your choice.

Buy Fujifilm FinePix HS30XR 16 MP Digital Camera Accessory Saver 16GB Bundle !!! (Black) Now

No its not a dslr but it is the closest you can get without spending 1000s on all the annoying accessories. You really won't be disappointed.

Read Best Reviews of Fujifilm FinePix HS30XR 16 MP Digital Camera Accessory Saver 16GB Bundle !!! (Black) Here

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Olympus Evolt E330 7.5MP Digital SLR Camera with 14-45mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens

Olympus Evolt E330 7.5MP Digital SLR Camera with 14-45mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom LensI have had the E330 for about 1 month now and couldn't be happier. I looked very closely at the Canon 30D, the Nikon D50 and the Olympus E500. I am really happy I went with the E330. While there is no such thing as a perfect camera, I have found that this one in particular fits my needs and caters to my more creative side with the live view articulated view finder. The Live A and B modes really open a lot of doors that other cameras in its class do not allow. Although it does't look as traditional as the others, the style had grown on me. I opted to get the body only so that I could upgrade the lens to a 14-54mm Zukio which is a wonderful all around lens. I find that the camera feels very good in my hands, although the D50 also had a great feel to it. It is very responsive and handles most situations well. I like to do street photography and the live view articulating lens allows for the taking of pictures without being too obvious. The low light performance is pretty good compared to the other olympus digital SLR with its new sensor, but is still not as good as either the 30D or the D50. This may change however when Lecia releases its 4/3rds mount image stabilized lens which is supposed to be compatible with the Olympus lineup. While I am new to digital SLRs, I consider myself to be a photography enthusiast. I started out with a Sony S85 which was a wonderful camera in many ways, but I have to say I am having a wonderful time learning about a whole new realm of photography with the E330. I highly recommend a good look at this camera if you are looking to get into digital SLRs as it serves not only as a nice crossover camera, but as a midline intermediate SLR that will keep you wanting to get even more creative with your photographic hobby.

With about 30 years of picture taking experience and many pro shoots behind me I went shopping for a new DSLR. I wanted one to serve as an all-around pal and be loaded with pro features that I am accustomed to using. When this camera hit the market I knew I had to try one on for size...especially since no other DSLR has live LCD compositing of frames.

All I can say is this camera has put all of my other 6 cameras in the closet (three of them were film.) Sharp images, easy composition in a giant, bright 2 1/2 LCD screen and ease of use won me over. If you want a simple interface with outstanding pictures you can have it here. If you want the touch of manual adjustment and light handling, ditto.

It is the best camera, all around, that I have ever used or owned. And now the prices are coming down! So what's stopping you?

Buy Olympus Evolt E330 7.5MP Digital SLR Camera with 14-45mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens Now

This is my first digital reflex. I had also looked at the canon 350xt, nikon d50/70, sony R1, but made the choice based on the unique Live View feature and image quality. No other dslr lets you frame using the lcd screen, which I find really useful in lots of shooting situations. The image quality is superb, easily outresolving my previous sony 828, with much faster autofocus and low noise. The colors just pop out of the screen. I can send my pics directly to print without doing any post processing.

I had almost decided on the Sony R1, but it wasn?t as flexible (lacked an optical viewfinder and ability to change lenses)To me is the best of both worlds, digicams (rotating lcd, live framing) and dsrls (optical viewfinder, AF speed, low noise, lenses)

Highly recommended!

Read Best Reviews of Olympus Evolt E330 7.5MP Digital SLR Camera with 14-45mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens Here

This is my first Digital camera and I am really crazy about it's LIVE view feature plus the ability to use it also as a DSLR. I like the way it looks with it's flat top design. It feels solid in my hands and does not have that plastic feel to it at all. A steel body covered in a high-impact polycarbonate plastic. A really good looking camera that handles like a dream. With it's articulating LCD screen combined with Live View street photography is easy since you can use the screen as a waist level finder or at 45 degrees or at straight on viewing. It also takes interchangeable lenses . I bought the camera with the two lens kit comprised of the 14-45 and the 40-150 olympus lenses.So far, I love the 40-150 lens for its excellent sharpness and contrast at the apertures of f11,f16 and f22 when using a tripod with self timer and am still testing the 14-45 lens to find its optimum sharpness at a particular f stop. The self timer is easy to set.As a matter of fact all controls are within easy reach and not that difficult to understand with constant practice on how to move the items within the menu up and down and side to side with an o.k. button to lock in and set what function you want. Sharpness and Contrast levels can be set by the camera but for now I have'nt tried those settings yet. The camera can also be set for Vivid,Sepia, Black and white with different Black and White filter simulations. For now I am delighted with the performance of this camera system and the 40-150. Right now I'm still testing the camera, and the sharpness of it's lenses without filters but it looks like the 40-150 definitely is the real beauty of the two. I want to try it with a Polarizer and also try it out with an enhancing filter. So far I Love what it can do.But then again I've only made 6.5 x 9.5 prints and rarely make them above that size and am more than pleased with the performance of the 40-150 so far. Will update this review as I get to know the camera and the other 14-45 lens better. The camera is a real joy to use. Highly recommended and the more I use it, the more I realize I made the right choice.Just tested the 14-45 kit lens and found out it performs beautifully at f14 and f16. Did some Landscape photography with it using a tripod and using the self timer and am very pleased with its sharpness at the f14 and f16 apertures.I recently photographed Atlantic City Boardwalk scenes with the 14-45 lens and came home with some wonderful pictures shooting at f9 and f10 with my ISO set to 200 and a Polorizing filter. The camera just handles so beautifully. The controls are just where they belong and feels so very solid and comfortable in my hands. On numerous occasions I photographed using the Live View feature at the waist level position. The 7x9.5 inch prints I made were stunning without any sharpening at all.And I just used JPEG.

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I am extremely pleased with this camera. It is my third Olympus camera and I have not been dissapotnted yet. I carried a Nikon for years. The live dispyay is outstanting with its flip out screen to allow for belt level candid shooting or holding the camera above heads in crowds. The 4/3s intigrated system (lens, camera and an external dedicated flash) makes beautiful photographs easy. I also purchased a Zuiko 14-54 mm zoom for this camera in order to have a sharper and faster lens when needed, but I find myself more often than not, mounting the 18-180 super zoom. It produces a beautiful picture and I am spoiled by its versitile range.

I would certainly reccomend this camera to anyone who is serious about beautiful photographs. Olympus has been ahead of the pack in affordable digital cameras and the E-330 is no exception.

Friday, July 19, 2013

D-Link DCS-900 10/100TX Home Security Internet Camera

D-Link DCS-900 10/100TX Home Security Internet CameraI bought this camera as a means to check my house while I am gone on vacation. I never heard of internet cameras before until recently while looking at PC catalogs. I ended up buying the DCS-900 because of the price and the good reviews I read here in Amazon.com. Let me tell what my experience has been so far.

Getting the camera setup on your local LAN is fairly straightforward. As long as you know the IP address of your router and how to do simple network configuration for the camera, you should be up and running in 10 minutes.

On the otherhand, configuring the camera for access from the web took me 2 days of searching for info on the Internet, emails to D-Link technical support, firmware upgrade for my router and constant rereading of the manuals and the D-Link Knowledge Base. Listen carefully because here's what they don't tell you about the product beforehand if you want access your camera from the web.

1) Camera's default port is 80. If you have Cable or DSL broadband, most ISPs do not allow access to port 80 to discourage their customers from setting up webservers on their network. You have to set the camera to some other port like 800 or so.

2) You must be comfortable with setting up your router and understand how port forwarding and virtual server table works. If you have a firewall, then you must make more configuration changes. Make sure you access to your broadband router and you feel comfortable making these changes. D-Link documentation only reference their own routers as examples.

3) If your broadband connection has Dynamic IP addressing which most cable and DSL subscribers do, you have to set up a Dynamic DNS account with services like DynDNS.org or TZO.com. There, you create a DNS address (i.e. ) that will map to the dynamic address of your broadband connection. The software on camera will perform updates to the Dynamic DNS for you if your IP address changes.

4) You will also need a static web service account for the ActiveX Xplug Control software to be located when accessing the camera. Essentially this is a place where you can host webpages onto for access from the Internet. My geocities.com account prevents me from uploading the xplug.ocx file onto the server w/o an upgrade to a premium account at this time.

5) Make sure your router has the latest firmware to support virtual servers. This was the last step that prevented me from making the camera visible on the net.

Soooo....after all these steps, I was very successful in getting my camera up and running just the way I want it. I think this is a great product and I highly recommend it. You do have to have a little bit of network experience to comfortably configure everything.

I can not give it the full five stars because I think the documentation was fairly lacking when it comes to describing what you need to do to set the camera up for Internet access. As a matter of fact, even the description for the camera setup itself was somewhat vague and very terse. However, once you get pass all that, I am happy to say that it all works well!!

Pros

Built in webserver

Reliable

Good Value

Good quality in good lighting

Cons

Hard to configure for novice users (was easy for me)

Heavy on system resources when recording video to hard drive

Picture quality is every grainy in low light

Buy D-Link DCS-900 10/100TX Home Security Internet Camera Now

first off, when I received the unit I thought it was rather big compared to the images on the websites. I wanted to share this advice for those people that does not know how to get this thing started. The original ip address of the unit is 192.168.0.20, which means if you have a home network set at 192.168.1.xxx or 192.168.2.xxx, etc. It will not be able to recognize the camera because it is in a different subnet. So you will have to set your laptop/desktop's ip address to that range between 192.168.0.1 through 192.168.0.254 except 192.168.0.20 (since that belongs to the dcs-900). once you launch the crappy wizard software it will recognize the camera's ip address so you can configure it to your home network address.

I hope this helped a lot of you. :) It only took me 2 minutes to configure this thing.

Read Best Reviews of D-Link DCS-900 10/100TX Home Security Internet Camera Here

I wanted to monitor a construction project in my apartment courtyard, but could not take time off from work. I decided to hook up a Internet camera to my cable modem so I could watch the progress from my desk. After some research I wound up buying the D-Link DCS-900. It was by far the least expensive camera, but it suited my purpose.

I set it up in a window overlooking the project and I was able to watch the workers rebuild the flagstone courtyard. On several occasions, I saw mistakes and was able to call the contractor on his cell phone. I know the project would not have turned out as well as it did if I didn't have this camera.

As others have pointed out, the photo quality is grainy and it will only work in well-lit areas, but if you don't want to empty your wallet, this is a great camera for the price.

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I have three D-Link cameras two DCS-900W and one DCS-950. All three required firmware updates, all three came with obsolete viewing software, two have had to go back for repairs (one 900W and one 950) --and they're giving me problems again. Unfortunately, they're 200 miles from here, and I can't easily get to them, so reliability is an issue with me.

Then there's the documentation issue. There's no hint of the fact that the latest version of their multi-view software (which lets you look at up to four cameras at the same time) doesn't work with anything under Windows XP, or that the only browser that works with the 950 is Internet Explorer. Local setup on a network is fairly easy, but going through a firewall creates problems, the least of which is that it is difficult to test from inside the network. The documentation mentions three ports that need changing, but doesn't explain much about what they do (and the 950 has a fourth port that the documentation doesn't even mention).

The DCS-900 descriptions mention motion sensing, but they don't tell you that this function has to be implemented remotely that is, the camera is set up to stream continuous video to a remote computer, and it is the computer that then monitors for motion and records it when detected.

As to video quality the 950 is fairly decent, but the 900 is much worse. The 950 has a mike for audio, and it works fairly well from inside the firewall, but I still haven't figured out how to access it from outside. And the FAQ on DLink's web site contradicts their manual.

I like the fact that D-Link supplies a program to view multiple cameras at the same time, but not all D-Link cameras work with the same program version, so you can't mix other models or brands. (The D-Link web site has a later version that supports both the 900 and 950 models, but this one has some installation problems and run-time errors.)

My overall impression D-Link rushed this out the door and it shows.