Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens + UV Filter + ES-62 Lens Hood + Tripod + Accessory Kit for EOS 50D, 60D

this is a great bundle o have gotten my moneys worth from this buy. the lens is great and the lightweight rip pud has come in hand plenty of times

As expected (from other reviews) this lens has really good results. Only issues (also not any surprise) are the poor build and loud noise the lens make when auto focusing. All in all it is a cheap alternate for a 50mm lens. I still don't understand why Canon would make it this way. Perhaps, they are trying to keep the cost down as well.

Buy Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens + UV Filter + ES-62 Lens Hood + Tripod + Accessory Kit for EOS 50D, 60D Now

Ricoh CX3 10MP CMOS Digital Camera with 10.7x Wide Angle Optical Macro Zoom and 3.0 inch LCD (Light

we had the ricoh cx1 whats just the same almost the same. but i had a issue with indoors with the ricoh cx1. i realize after a while indoor faces came out to pink. so i send it back got my money back and got this one. well this one indoors does a better job, faces come lovely and natural. but i have to play with the ISO and put on 100 or 200 because if not it comes out to hight and then does not look good. but its a nice well made camera.

people dont know much about ricoh en usa . they sell it more in asia and europe. its fast, its very extremly well made cameras and the quality is very good.

sorry my english ...

Olympus Evolt E620 12.3MP Live MOS Digital SLR Camera with Image Stabilization and 2.7 inch Swivel

I've had the E-620 for a few weeks now and am quite pleased. Other options I considered were the Nikon D5000, Canon T1i & XSi, Panasonic G1, Sony A300 & A350, and Pentax K200D & K20D. Some comments with comparison notes:

1) SIZE & WEIGHT -There's no point in having a camera that is so bulky that it doesn't get much use. Only the Panasonic G1 is smaller than the E-620 but not by much. There is a more dramatic difference in the size of the lenses, with Olympus being much smaller than all but Panasonic. Makes for a very compact outfit. For anyone used to the size of film SLRs, the E-620 is very similar. My wife also found it the most comfortable for her to hold.

2) BUILD QUALITY & HANDLING -Very impressed with Olympus here. Solid, dense and with lots of sensibly placed buttons for direct access to settings. The other cameras had a less solid, plasticy feel, and their larger grips still weren't large enough for a comfortable pistol grip with my average size hands. The Sonys, in particular, had awkward button placement. The E-620 has a different style of grip where you hold the camera in the same way as old film SLRs, and is more appropriate to such a small camera. I carry the camera comfortably in my *left* hand, grasping the body and lens barrel with my fingers on the zoom ring; this frees my right hand from having to support the camera while working controls, and leaves my good hand open (I'm a righty).

3) LENSES -The kit zooms from Olympus are reputed to be of higher quality than the others, as well as being more compact. So far I have been very impressed. I didn't want to buy a camera only to feel the kit lenses needed replacing; I'd rather spend on lenses that offer new capabilities, like fast primes or dedicated macro lenses. For anyone interesting in using legacy manual focus lenses, inexpensive adapters are available to attach virtually any MF SLR lens to Olympus bodies; used lenses can be quite inexpensive on eBay. Panasonic is limited by a very small range of lenses. For a two lens kit, the E-620 was the cheapest option.

4) IMAGE QUALITY -I wanted to spend my time taking pictures, not fiddling with them in post-processing; Olympus has the best out-of-camera JPGs of the bunch (Canon and Pentax, in particular, fall short here). Although the smaller Olympus sensors are reputed to be a bit noisier, what noise there is is primarily luminance noise, giving images a film-like grain, rather than the colored blotches of chroma noise. I've found noise very well controlled through ISO1000, even with noise reduction set to LOW. For printing up through 8x10 and monitor display, I don't think noise is a concern up through ISO1600 (certainly with noise reduction set to standard). One caveat: be sure to keep gradation set at NORMAL (the default), not AUTO, unless you really need it; using AUTO gradation will noticeably increase noise.

5) IN BODY STABILIZATION -I prefer in body stabilization to lens-based stabilization for two reasons: in body works with all lenses, and lenses can be more compact. You only carry one body but you are likely to carry multiple lenses, so it pays to keep them small.

6) LIVE VIEW & LCD -Olympus has the best live view implementation (maybe tied with Sony) with quite quick autofocus. This is very important if you want anyone, e.g. my wife or random bystanders, who's used to compact cameras to use your SLR for snapshots or the like. The tilt & swivel LCD is very handy and seemed more natural than Nikon or Sony's implementations.

Overall, I found the E-620 to be the best value for a two lens kit.

Here are a few notes on the other cameras I considered:

Nikon D5000 -Good build & handling, but a bit bulky. Live view isn't great. Much more expensive for a two lens kit than the Olympus.

Canon T1i -Not impressed by the build quality, felt plasticy. Not comfortable for me to hold. Out of camera JPGs not so good. Inferior kit lenses. Much more expensive for a two lens kit than the Olympus.

Canon XSi -Not impressed by the build quality, felt plasticy. Not comfortable for me to hold. Out of camera JPGs not so good. Bulkier than the Olympus. Inferior kit lenses.

Panasonic G1 -Limited lens selection; will take legacy MF lenses but doesn't offer image stabilization with them since it isn't in the body. Plasticy. Not much smaller than the Olympus. More expensive than Olympus for a two lens kit.

Sony A300 & A350 -Hated the button placement--ruled them out on that alone. Live view is very good though.

Pentax K200D & K20D -Poor out of camera JPGs. Great handling and build quality. Short on features. Kit lenses aren't great. No live view / live view useless.

I've had an E-620 for about a month, and with each photo I'm finding more to like about it.

Any camera represents a series of compromises as the manufacturer trades weight vs. features vs. cost vs. ergonomics vs. image quality. Any purchase decision should be based on how those particular trade-offs jibe with the intended use. None of the name-brand cameras in this price range that I've looked at are bad. But, for me and for the type of photography I do now, the E-620 is the closest fit.

Number one is the available lenses. Read the reviews of the kit zooms such as the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS with its chromatic aberration and the Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR DX with its barrel distortion. Unlike the Olympus Zuiko Digital 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 ED, both have front elements that rotate when you focus, making the use of a polarizer or a petal-type hood difficult. Unlike the Olympus, both have manual focus rings that can't be used without shifting the lens out of autofocus. Yes, Canon and Nikon make other lenses that are sharper, faster, heavier and more expensive -so does Olympus. But if you want to use the kit lens, the Olympus one gets better reviews.

Olympus also makes a sharp and handy Zuiko Digital 35mm f/3.5 Macro, which has been spending more time on my E-620 than either of the kit lenses. For me, it's a great walking-around lens, good for both environmental portraits and product shots. On the other hand, if I needed a 600mm f/4 or a 14mm f/2.8, I'd have gotten a Canon or a Nikon.

The E-620 has in-body image stabilization, which means you buy it once and haul it around once, instead of adding weight and cost to every lens. Again, one could argue that at the extreme high end in-lens image stabilization is better, but I don't live at the extreme high end.

I had thought that the E-620's live view would be a gimmick, but it's quite useful zoomed in 10 times for manual focus on a copy standor tripod-mounted camera for macro work. You can easily assign the E-620's Fn button to auto white balance when you need it, and just as easily re-assign it to toggle face detect or autofocus on and off when that's what you prefer.

In the kit with the 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 and the 40-150mm f/4-5.6, the E-620 is currently priced comparably to the Nikon D60 and its kit 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens plus a Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6 VR lens and to the Canon Rebel XS and its kit 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens plus a Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4.0-5.6 IS lens.

The E-620 lacks the D60's manual focus indicator and separate autofocus assist light, while the Nikon lacks the Olympus' dedicated ISO and white balance select buttons and has only three autofocus points. Like the Olympus, the Canon has seven autofocus points, but it has a very awkwardly placed exposure compensation button. All three cameras have a viewfinder with 95 percent frame coverage, but the E-620 has a magnification of 0.96x, compared to 0.8x for the D60 and 0.81x for the Rebel XS.

The E-620; the 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6, the 40-150mm f/4-5.6, the 35mm f/3.5 Macro; and an FL-36R flash in a Domke F-3X bag weigh 6 pounds, less than the equivalent Nikon and Canon kits and far less than what I schlepped around when I was shooting film. The best camera is the one you have with you.

Buy Olympus Evolt E620 12.3MP Live MOS Digital SLR Camera with Image Stabilization and 2.7 inch Swivel Now

I have had the E-620 for about a week and i moved from a E-510. E-510 was my first DSLR and using that over the years i have been very satisfied and happy with the 510 especially due to the in body image stabilization and lens line-up. Liveview was also a plus over competitors but i never really used it unless it was really dark or i needed to manual focus.

Some things on the E-510 that were aging and were kind of the few weak points of the entry level E series was the 3 point autofocus system, small viewfinder and low light focusing. The lcd was so so too but for an SLR i don't see why a high pixel LCD should be important.. sure its good to have one but its not important.

Anyhow the E-620 really improves all these problems and really becomes a strong no compromise camera; worthy of buying just because its excellent.. not because its great value as was the case for me for the E-510.

1) The viewfinder is much larger; suitable for manual focusing.

2) now has 7 points 5 cross (which is better then any entry slr .. d5000, t1i etc included). -now that Ive had sometime to try out the imager AF; ill say that although its not the fastest AF system (talking about the hybrid mode as i don't have compatible lenses for standalone imager mode) -it works very reliably in low light conditions; better then the phase detect sensor on its own. Using liveview to compose night shots many times i found my e510 hunting and eventually taking out of focus shots forcing complete manual focus-hybrid mode definitely lets you use AF in seriously dark conditions.

3) nice flipping LCD which again trumps the other 2 boys in the group in terms of utility.

4) Much better tone curves/gradation/dynamic range.. people argue .. i don't know.. i just know that highlight and shadow information is retained very well. Of course jpgs turn out nice due to the gradation but there is dynamic range improvement visible in raw too.

Some things that have continued to be Olympus selling points

5) in body image stabilization

6) Excellent body quality... compare it to canon entry levels and see what i mean

7) Very strong, potentially the best lens line-up out there. kit lenses being outstanding value for money -you can start taking good photographs right away.. unlike kit lenses from others.

Some other feature like the Art filters and multiple exposure (over laying multiple photos) are just a side for most people. Id say all of them are aesthetically pleasing filters and fun to try-if you use them, you still have your raw file to do off camera processing. But id say that these features to me are like the video recording by canon and nikon -just a pleasant aside but not really what dslr photography has been about (at least in the past).

The issue of high ISO with oly has always been there, some thoughts:

I like the extra ISO steps and use the ISO 160 as standard ( people say 200 gives best DR in comparison to 100 -but i think 160 is slightly better then 200)

In contrast to canons move up to 15MP for the 50D and t1i-Olys move from 10 to 12.3MP you will find actually better high iso performance then the E-510 and 520. ISO 1250 is about comparable to 1600 of others. id say upto ~ 1250 is useable. Notice that 15MP and over the APS-C pixel density actually goes above the 10MP 4/3rd sensor. Essentially low light performance in APS-C cameras has been going down (or staying stable at best) across the board. So if you want to take pictures of football games in pitch dark at 6400 ISO 4/3rds or APS-C is not what you are looking for. Generally the solution to low light is not pumping up the ISO the first course of action is of course flashwith regards to that E-620 allows a lot of functionality with the Fl-36R/50R units including built in wireless flash support (no need for carrying a transmitter)

Over all for an mid entry SLR you will be very happy with the E-620. Another factor is ergonomics and i like holding an Olympus but that you will have to try and compare yourself-happy shooting!

-updated to include thoughts on Imager AF and wireless flash support

Read Best Reviews of Olympus Evolt E620 12.3MP Live MOS Digital SLR Camera with Image Stabilization and 2.7 inch Swivel Here

Hello, I am a seasoned fine art photographer. Outdoors, I photograph landscapes and classic architecture, mostly European. In my studio, I do my own flower studies and reproduce original artwork for artists and crafters. My main system is a Pentax K20D with DA* and DA lenses. I use an Olympus E series as a backup system or when I want to travel light.

I have recently replaced my E-510, that had served me well for one year, with an E-620 two-lens kit. As soon as I got it, I put the camera through a set of field tests consistent with my kind of photography. My conclusion is that with the E-620, Olympus have fully met their 1999 promise to use the 4/3" format to develop small and light cameras and lenses without compromises of quality and price. I was concerned about the diminutive size of the body but I found it to fit my average-sized male hands remarkably well. The feeling is comfortingly solid and the commands are logically placed. I never had a problem with the Olympus control system and this camera is no exception.

The new 12.3Mp sensor is quite good. Depending on light conditions, noise is very low up to ISO800-1600. Dynamic range is definitively improved. Pictures taken in early July of my house and garden at noon in full sun recorded the entire tonal range with no shadow/highlights clipping. Minuscule detail is also captured remarkably well. Co-responsible for this are the two kit lenses, rightly famous for their high quality/price ratio with good corner-to-corner sharpness and low optical distortion and chromatic aberration. Very important to me, the viewfinder is larger with coverage of 95% and magnification of 96%, and allows me to focus manually.

This is my first (transmissive) LCD monitor truly usable in full sun. It is completely articulated, hinged on the side of the camera so that it does not interfere with the head of the tripod (like the Nikon 5000). Even with "only" 230,000 pixels, I still find it to be remarkably bright and sharp. It helps a lot with copy stand work and macro in the field. This is enhanced by the quality of the camera's Live View. The E-620 can use contrast-based autofocus eliminating the need for the sequence mirror down/focus/mirror up. Live View shows a lot of information, live histogram included, and allows for many key regulations. You can choose any area of the picture and enlarge it x5, x7 or x10 for fine focusing. The enlarged view is quite clear and sharp. The new 7-point phase detection autofocus has evolved and feels faster (I use spot autofocus anyway to ensure that I always know where the camera is focusing). Image stabilization on the sensor allows for smaller, less delicate and less expensive lenses. Lab tests indicate that it provides a 2 to 2.5 f/stops gain. The dust suppression system is still the best (some experts say the only one truly effective on the market). The camera offers an unparalleled wealth of manual and automatic regulations through its dedicated buttons and the LCD monitor.

Outside, I use the camera on aperture priority at f/8-11 (to minimize lens diffraction) at a setting as close to ISO200 as possible (the camera's sweet spot for noise and dynamic range). No matter how good the exposure meter is, most of my pictures have always needed compensation. I take as many test pictures as necessary (with the Fn button set to "test picture") to get the proper exposure. The half-pressed shutter button is set to lock focus only. I focus where I want (mostly with an eye on hyperfocus), recompose and take the picture. In studio, I use the Fn button to get a custom white balance and set the camera to Live View and manual focus. I enlarge the subject for fine focusing, take some test pictures to perfect the exposure, and shoot with an extension cable and the "anti-shock" function set to 3 seconds (with anti-shock on, when you press the shutter button the camera lifts the mirror and waits the number of seconds set by you up to 30 before shooting, letting the mirror vibrations subside). Since the camera is on a tripod, I do turn image stabilization off. I shoot Raw+jpeg, use jpeg for family emails and reserve Raw for all my professional work. Developing in Camera Raw 5.4 at 16bit/channel in the ProPhoto color space, processing in Photoshop CS4, upsizing in Genuine Fractals 5, and printing with Epson UltraChrome inks and fine art papers and canvas, I obtain impeccable prints up to at least 24x30".

I believe that the best camera is the one that gets you to carry it around and have fun photographing. Today, it is the Olympus E-620 that does it for me. If Olympus is listening, I would respectfully wish for an AC adapter.

Want Olympus Evolt E620 12.3MP Live MOS Digital SLR Camera with Image Stabilization and 2.7 inch Swivel Discount?

Olympus E-620 is positioned between Olympus beginner and advanced DSLR camera. Currently, Olympus has E-420/450 and E-520 in the lower level class, and E-30 and E-3 in the higher end class. Compared to other popular DSLR cameras, Olympus employs smaller image sensor called 4/3 live MOS sensor. 4/3 means that the native image has 4 : 3 ratio instead of 3 : 2 ratio. This could be plus and minus. The plus is 4 : 3 ratio is widely used in TV screen size and monitors. It is also squarer. In my opinion, it is better for portrait. However, you can adjust the ratio to 3:2, 16:9 or other as you like at the expense of maximum image resolution.

The negative side of this type of sensor is the noise in high ISO. There is appearance of noise in lower ISO level such as ISO 640 or 400 as well. Fortunately, I found the noise is rendered very fine and more pleasing to look at than noise generated from other DSLR or compact cameras. It has the film like feel to it.

WHAT IS NEW COMPARED TO E-420 and E-520?

Compared to Olympus E-420, the E620 is just a tad bigger, but it is now has Image Stabilization that works with Olympus or third party lenses. Compared to both cameras, E-620 has 7 AF points instead of 3. A slightly bigger viewfinder, improved 2.7 swivel LCD screen, wireless flash commander and six art scenes mode.

BODY & HANDLING

Olympus is not the lightest camera around. It weights 521g, which is almost the same as best seller Canon XSi / 450D, but measured 130 x 94 x 60 mm, 2mm shorter and thinner than Canon XSi. The E-620 noticeably smaller than Olympus E-520.

Despite the size, Olympus E-620 is very solid to hold. Thanks to the weight and ergonomic design. The built quality is also a step up from entry level DSLR cameras. It has a nice rubberized texture in the hand and thumb rest on the back.

It has one thumb dial and four-way buttons which you will use to change various settings and navigate the menu. Each of the four-way buttons for navigation and also for access popular settings such as ISO, WB, metering, and AF mode. This is buttons are similar buttons that you often find in compact camera layout.

In addition, there is Super Control Panel. By the touch of INFO button, it will let you navigate and change various important settings in one screen. This is very smart design. Canon and Nikon interface does not come close.

Buttons are considered small compare to other DSLRs, so if you have a big fingers, you might find a bit uncomfortable to find or access the button. Unique to Olympus E-620, it has backlit buttons, which is automatically light on when you are in dark condition. This small feature is significant if you often shoot in low light condition indoor or outdoor. There is also a dedicated live view button, which will activate live view mode instaneously.

Viewfinder (96% coverage, .95 magnification) is slightly bigger than E-520 but still smaller and narrower than other entry level camera. Looking at the viewfinder is like looking at the tunnel, which is uncomfortable. You will notice significant different if you regularly shoot with higher end cameras such as Olympus E-30 or Nikon D90.

Overall, the body design and ergonomic is very good, better than some beginner DSLR cameras on the market. Despite that, you might have balance issue when you mount Olympus pro grade lenses which is heavier than regular kit lens. Olympus has thought about it and provide battery/vertical grip to counter this problem. The only significant downside is the small viewfinder.

LCD SCREEN & AF PERFORMANCE

Olympus E-620 has swivel LCD screen which is helpful for composition and also for people who are used to compose photos using back LCD screen (compact camera users). The resolution of the screen is standard (230k) but it is clearer and more detailed than other DSLR with 230k resolution.

Auto focus in live mode is slower than most compact camera, but works very well in bright or low light condition. Depending on the light condition, it takes a round one to two seconds for the camera to focus.

Aufo focus performance in viewfinder are much faster. Now it has 7 AF points, 5 of them are cross type sensor. AF continuous works very well, it is very quiet and fast. There is nothing to worry about.

To change AF points, there is dedicated button in the top left of the camera, and then you change it using thumb dial. This approach is similar to Canon DSLR cameras, but different from Nikon approach. Nikon uses four way buttons which I prefer more because it is faster and spot on.

IMAGE QUALITY

Image rendered by this camera is generally very good dan very detailed. Thanks to the above Olympus Zuiko lenses. ISO. Unfortunately, noise in in issue. There is noticeable noise especially in shadow area across ISO (low of high). Of course in high ISO, the noise are more prominent. ISO 800 is the limit between acceptable and unacceptable image.

However, to be fair, the noise generated by this camera is not annoying like many other DSLR. It is more film like than electronic noise which is usually generated by camera with CMOS sensor. It is also worth to mention that Olympus prefers to keep details rather than losing it by smearing the noise, which could be good or bad depending on your taste.

ART SCENE MODE

Art scene mode is fairly new in Olympus DSLR cameras. Basically, the camera will process the image directly after you take the picture. The process is very fast and negligible. If you use live view mode, you can see the effect on the screen. This might be fun for people who has no editing or photoshop skills but for advanced / photo enthusiasts, they might want to take original image instead and edit the photo later. In the other words, donft based your decision on buying this camera because of this feature.

OTHER

1. The shutter noise gka-chingh is not very appealing. It is quite loud and sounds cheap.

2. The size of the camera and kit lenses are equally small. It is half the volume of pro grade system, and much more enjoyable to carry on traveling or walking.

3. Evaluative metering is slightly underexposure to protect highlight, but there is also exposure compensation button that you can use to adjust it. I usually set it at +0.7 in various lighting condition.

COMPETITORS

Olympus E520

Olympus E-520 is an older DSLR cameras which is a bit bigger in body size, but have fewer and less sophisticated features. Like E-620, it has built-in image-stabilization, but thatfs about it. E-520 has a smaller viewfinder, non-swivel LCD screen, no backlit buttons, no art scene mode, and only has 3 AF points and 10 megapixel image resolution. But E-520 wins in price. It is approx. $250 cheaper than E-620.

Canon T1i

Canon T1i is $100 more expensive than E-620 but it has movie mode, bigger and hi-res (910k) LCD screen, 11 AF points and compatible with EOS lenses collection.

Pentax k-x

Newcomer Pentax k-x has better image quality in high ISO, very compact size, has a live view mode but in a cheaper package. Pentax kx might be the toughest competitor Olympus must face beside Canon and Nikon cameras.

Nikon D5000

D5000 also has swivel LCD screen, but lack of AF motor that prevent this camera to use older Nikon lenses. Image quality is superb in low or high ISO setting.

CONCLUSION

Olympus E-620 is an interesting camera, it focuses on compact size which is the right thing to do to get advantage of four third sensor. Built quality is better than most beginner DSLRs. There are many dedicated buttons and very friendly menu / control panel so you can find and change setting you want very fast. The ergonomic is also very good especially for average hand man/woman. Featurewise, this camera is very up to date although it lacks movie mode. In addition, it has backlit buttons which is non-existence even in my Nikon D700, a $2500 camera. It also has crystal clear swivel LCD screen. I find myself using it for many occasions. There two weaknesses of this camera, small viewfinder and noticeable noise in ISO 1600 or higher. If Olympus fix this problem in upcoming dSLR while retaining the compact size, this camera will make a great travel or street companion.

Subjective rating relative to beginner DSLR cameras in 2009

Image Quality : 4/5

Features : 5/5

Performance : 5/5

Body and Handling : 4/5

Value for Money : 3/5

Please visit my website for sample images, high iso comparison and size comparison.

Wansview NCH-536MW Wireless/Wired Pan & Tilt H.264 Megapixel IP/Network Camera with Night Vision, I

I was attracted to this camera since it's one of the very few IP cams with greater than VGA resolution.

Setup was straightforward, typical of this sort of product. Understanding networking basics helps a lot. Couldn't get video using Firefox, it tried to use a Quicktime plugin, and couldn't handle the stream. Works OK with IE though. Web server is an enhanced version of what is supplied in the Smarteye H-series camera, very straight-forward to use.

The main problem is just a profound lack of sensitivity. It is far less sensitive than a cheap Foscam I use. In dim room lighting, I get nothing in daylight mode. Totally black. Turning on IR mode, I get enough light for maybe 3-4 feet of range, with brightness cranked full up. I do have the camera mounted upside down, it's possible the IR cut filter is always active, which would explain the lack of IR performance. I'll experiment next time I have the chance.

Performance with daytime lighting is adequate, noticeably better than VGA quality. Motion detect seems inconsistent, but that seems to be common in cheap IP cameras from what I've seen.

-----------

Update after a couple more weeks of use. I was afraid I might have been a bit harsh. Not so. Motion detection is terrible, I'm using a sensitivity of 40 which gives some false alarms due to cloud movement. Camera is pointed down towards the ground from the second story, but shadows still trigger. Unfortunately, sometimes a truck can drive right through the middle of the scene, and the camera won't trigger, or won't trigger until it's already through. Also, the thing can crash when you're administering it, requiring a power cycle to recover it. Real inconvenient when it's 40 miles away.

This was originally a one-star review (see below I left the original review below this update), but in the meanwhile this camera grew on me. Finally, after a few days of begging, Service has actually replied, and sent me a firmware update (without which the camera was essentially useless). I installed the new firmware V1.4.0.1.5 and this update solved all problems I had with the camera. It works great with iSpy, and the video quality is sufficient for my purposes. It is just a pity, that the company refused to realize (despite complaints all over the web not only here on Amazon) that their camera is essentially useless with the original firmware or maybe there are other reasons why it is such a struggle for wansview to give out new firmware...?

Anyway, for me, this camera finally was a good deal, and I already bought two more to set up my home surveillance system.

I still dont want to give it more than 3 stars, because it shouldnt be necessary to go through such a struggle in order to obtain a decently working product.

ORIGINAL REVIEW

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

The camera hardware itself is probably ok, but there are too absolute dealbreakers:

1. The camera seems to be shipped with an outdated firmware (V1.4.0.1.3), full of bugs (brightness bug as mentioned in the above review, cannot set rtps streaming port, cannot access h.264 stream via lan, etc). I looked at the Demo NCH-536MW that the company put up on their website, and the firmware version is V1.4.0.1.4. Here, brightness bug is resolved, I dont know if the stream bugs are also resolved. Furthermore, I stumbled across their downloadable user manual, showing a firmware version V2...

2. Now the crazy thing: I understand, that sometimes products are shipped out prematurely, often with (hopefully) minor bugs still lurking to be discovered. And I am also fine with doing the one or other firmware update on these products myself. But after discovering that firmware updates for this camera can not be found anywhere on the web for download, I sent a friendly request to Wansview for a firmware update. Here is the entire conversation:

Hello, I am desperately looking for a new firmware for my NCH-536MW (purchased via Amazon, but problems with brightness adjustment).

Can you email it to me?

Thank you so much!

J.B.

Dear J.,

I am glad to help you.

But the firmware for NCH536MW is not allowed to be sent.

Dear Wansview Team

The software on my camera is buggy (similar to other users that bought this camera on Amazon just have a look on Amazon!).

The software on my camera is an older version than the software on the Demo camera on your website (my camera has software V1.4.0.1.3, the camera on your Demo site has V1.4.0.1.4 and does not have the brightness bug any more).

The software on my camera is an older version than the software shown on the user manual (user manual shows a software version of V2...).

And you cannot give me the newer version??? Are you serious???

No Answer

Buy Wansview NCH-536MW Wireless/Wired Pan & Tilt H.264 Megapixel IP/Network Camera with Night Vision, I Now

The main attraction of this camera is the tradeoff between the cost and the full list of features it possesses. Comparing it to other brands it is unbeatable: for the cost you get the full featured camera: IP, Pan & tilt, WiFi, SD card, Motion detection, 2 way audio, Infrared, etc. Similar brands with the same list will cost 2X and more.

On top it has higher resolution than many other security cameras, namely HD.

It took me a while to activate it, since I am not a PC wizard, but all features of the camera worked just fine. I tried to activate them all: IR, motion detection, save into the SD card, etc.. no malfunctions. Infrared view at night was great up to about 5 meters, sound quality is reasonable. Pan and tilt are great, huge range, quiet operation.

Picture quality is not perfect, I expected somewhat better from HD, but for a security camera it is OK.

2 minor issues:

1) Infrared was turned ON all night, although I set it to AUTO. I was expecting it to be turned ON only when you access the camera or during a motion detection event.

2) When I tried to access the camera from a notebook with Windows 7 Starter operating system I could not obtain the video, although I could access the camera settings and audio. Not sure what the problem was. I guess it has to do with the ActiveX stuff (whatever that is...). Anyways: with Windows XP is works great.I did not bother to investigate it further since XP is my operating system of all my PCs.

Summary: great value for the money. I consider buy few more for my business security.

Read Best Reviews of Wansview NCH-536MW Wireless/Wired Pan & Tilt H.264 Megapixel IP/Network Camera with Night Vision, I Here

I am amazed by its clarity of video. It takes some time to set it up and get it running and I hope later on this product will be easier to configure.

But so far, this a great video monitoring product especially for the price. I highly recommend it.

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The cam is attractive, produces exclusive output. The cam provides bright videos, I gate much clear video at dim light. Total configuration of this cam is sufficient, very easy to configure. Sound quality is very much clear. Infrared at night is really great.

Minolta NP-600 Lithium-ion Battery for Dimage G400 & G600 Digital Cameras

Working well so far... I've had issues with generic replacement batteries in the past much shorter life span (I got what I paid for) so I prefer to get the brand batteries.

SVGA Super VGA M/M Monitor Cable with ferrites Gold Plated 3 feet 3ft

I've built possibly 50 systems in the last 20 years, and with modifications, reconfigurations, etc, have probably hooked up three times that many monitors at least half of which have been VGA analog connections what this cable is intended to be used for. This is the first such cable I've ever encountered that actually WORKED WRONG. Signal got through to the monitor OK, but it was not the right resolution because the computer could not recognize the monitor type. The exact same computer -monitor combination worked fine with a completely random, generic 6' VGA cable that I pulled from my odds and ends rack. Because of the particular physical configuration of this system I had wanted to use only a 3' cable, but this one clearly won't do. If I had more time I do a test to see exactly how it is mis-wired, but I'm just not that interested. I do not recommend this item. The time wasted in trying to correct system settings when the real problem is malfunction of a minor component like this is hugely disproportionate to the value of the component and can never be recovered.

I like that it comes with thumbscrews for a secure connection. Arrived as advertised and works just fine, and the price is unbeatable

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Good quality, good products, no problems that I can report..I like that it is short so that it is not hanging in the floor and tangled up with all the other wires..

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Samsung SNH-1011 SmartCam IP Camera

Let me tell you this. Previously, my home was burglarized, and burglars destroyed my security DVR by smashing it with sledge hammer. How outrageous.. Since then, I was looking for security devices that secure from those violent acts. That is the reason why I choose an IP camera. I researched through Internet and saw all the comments about how horrible IP camera is. So, I didn't have a high hope on IP cameras but decided to give a try. I ordered each IP camera that available on Amazon, and end up with this SNH-1011. Here is my review for Samsung SNH-1011.

Great picture quality and transmitting speed:

I saw couple of complaints about choppy and lagging video, but I guess Samsung step up with this problem. There are three type of option for bandwidth speeds; High, Medium, Low. I tested all these setting with my Verizon Fios and guess what? With highest setting, there is no delay at all! Medium 0.3 sec delay and low 0.8 sec delay. Not a big deal.

(I just confirmed with Samsung's representative that Samsung will expand their data server within US)

Set up is easy and simple:

The manual that Samsung provides is quite straight forward. You just have to follow their instruction. The downside is there are so many features that need more time set up such as YouTube, Picasa, E-mail notification, and etc. It took me around 35 minute to set whole thing up including other features. Once I set it up, it was working flawlessly.

Web Browsers:

I tested it with several web browsers such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari. As a result, each browser has different installation time and transmitting speed. My preference is Chrome > Internet explorer > Firefox > Safari. Also, Safari does not support bandwidth option somehow. I tried to adjust it, but browser wouldn't let me. It was no big deal to me since I probably use SNH-1011 with either Chrome or Internet explorer.

Android and iPhone App:

SNH-1011 has free app called "SmartCam Mobile". Available on both Android and iPhone App store, but if you such through iPad, it will not show up. You need to switch your setting to see iPhone App compatibility apps. I do not know why Samsung does not list this app to iPad store, but they need to create an app for iPad since iPhone SmartCam Mobile app is does not work efficiently with iPad (stretched image just bothers me).

Slick looking with heavy base:

I love the exterior design of SNH-1011. Looks slick and has bright white color. LED Status light is also big plus (Red, Blue, and Purple). On the bottom of unit, there is a heavy weight component to prevent SNH-1011 to fall down. The weight is just about the right and can be removed.

I believe that Samsung is trying hard to make this SNH-1011 right. Only downside is it does not support cloud storage. To me, 30 sec record through YouTube is not enough. Also, I agreed that there should be way to protect our user ID and password. I'm not quite comfortable with this. If you are not going to use features like Picasa and Youtube, it does not really matter. But asking e-mail address and password seems lack of security feature. I contacted Samsung to ask about this, and they mentioned that they will fix this problem, and also, they will provide cloud service around March. Overall, I'm quite satisfied with my purchase and hoping Samsung will follow up these known issues and make it better.

Samsung/Amazon need to do a better job of informing the buyer that these cameras ONLY work via an external website link to YouTube. They do not work stand-alone on your internal, behind the firewall, home network.

Cameras are nice and small and appear to be of good quality. Don't know if they work because unfortunately, you cannot even turn the camera on without first agreeing to provide Samsung freedom to record and use your pesonal information. It is so bad they won't even let you watch the installation video without giving them your personal information. Secondly, you cannot hook these cameras up to your internal WIFI network; no, you can only access the video security feed via YouTube and Twitter! Are you freeking kidding me, you want me to broadcast video of the personal comings/goings of my household to YouTube and Twitter! You also expect me to provide Samsung, a foreign company, with a permanent tunnel through my firewall; now that is security!

Sure, the Samsung server records my streamed video to a supposedly "secure" portion of YouTube. If you believe anything in the public domain is SECURE you're nuts.

I've tried two other WIFI cameras and neither of them would stay connected on the network. So, I'm off trying yet another brand to see if someone can acutally make a home-security camera that works over secure WIFI.

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I purchased this camera to checking on my cat while I'm at work or leave my house for business trips. I got to say the camera works great. It is not HD quality but by having this, I do not have to worry about my cat all the time. It was pretty easy set up with guide. I'm not quite tech savy but I was able to connect this camera with my wireless router. The picture is very clear and easy to navigate on cell phone. I highly recommend this camera to anyone who wants to use iPhone to check their beloved pets.

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At first I was skeptical of purchasing this product because of the bad reviews. But I decided to try it out because I am a fan of Samsung products and they never let me down. Plus I liked the design and the upload to youtube was very interesting to me.

I received the product very quickly and smoothly without any problems with free shipping. So that was the first positive sign. I remember I really liked the look of it when I first saw it. Good looking camera and I can tell it was not made with cheap materials.

Other things that I liked were the quality of the video, audio, and night vision. The white noise is kept to the bare minimum and does not bother me at all. The video during the day and the night vision is great as well.

The youtube feature on this product is innovative. Others have complained and were worried that strangers can view your recordings; however, you can relax because it will be uploaded as private. I made a new youtube account just for this camera which was very simple.

In sum, I guess this review is for all that is a little skeptical about this camera. But I own it and it works great for me. You can be confident that this will perform what it advertises it to be.

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First of all, I agree this camera is very easy to setup, literally in about a minute or two, you can have the camera up and running. I bought it because it was a Samsung and I have had great success with their products. I also bought it because, it optionally uses a wired setup to the router and since I intended on placing the camera in the room with the router, I might as well have a wired access for faster more reliable use.

If you intend on using this as a baby room monitor or other room in the house that you occupy within the wireless router then, it is a great camera.

However, if you want to use this camera as remote monitoring, using Samsung's website then I say beware. If you want to view the camera with the website, then you are stuck in "relay mode".

This means that you are limited to 3 minutes of use and very slow, grainy response since your video is passing thru Samsung's servers. I called the toll free number that was included in the package. The explanation given was that I am using 2 devices prior to the camera. Namely a cable modem and a router!! Samsung support indicates that they do not support live remote monitoring unless you are connected directly to the modem, not the router!! What's the point of having a wireless camera then?

Samsung clearly missed the mark on this product

update May 23, 2013

Apparently last night Samsung did an update on their website for monitoring this camera. In the process, the deleted all the registration information and I have to re-register with the serial number from my camera. Well, I'm not sitting next to my camera, that's the whole point. Customer service cannot give you your serial number over the phone and they don't know why camera registration's got deleted

Stay away from this camera-

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Nikon D2H Pro Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

I have been working for a major daily newspaper in Baltimore for 2 decades. Perhaps that will qualify me as an expert in photography. I have been shooting digital imagery since the late 1990s. Maybe that qualifies me as an expert in digital photography. This may be longwinded, but it's extensive and can be useful.

I received the Nikon D2H camera -2 bodies total -over one year ago. I think I got them shortly after the D2H system was released in 2003. Since then, I have used them to shoot images of all types -documentary, sports, daytime, available light, flash, and deadofnight -for the paper I work for. This is the only camera I work with.

First, please read the manual. There is a ton of information there, and the information is terrific to begin with. The D2H is highlyconfigurable, with screen after screen that you can set for your own specific use (resist lending the camera to anyone for a long period of time, for your camera may be returned with many of your settings changed so much that it acts like a thoroughly different camera).

I'll just punch right in to the way it feels. The camera is a rather heavy beast, and for some, there can be an amount of shoulder or neck fatigue when using it for hours per day, like I do. But the camera feels well in hand and the controls are easy to move through. I've long since given up using any camera bag. All I have are a fanny pack for a 14mm, 55mm, teleconverters and 2 extra camera batteries and flashes clipped to its belt. And the D2H's hold the 17-35mm Nikon and the 80-200mm Nikon onetouch or the Sigma 120-300mm 2touch.

Shooting is a breeze. The batteries let you shoot long before the need to recharge. I have my D2H set on ISO 200 or 400 most of the time and sacrifice shutter speed for lower ISO as often as I can, because the higher ISOs bring digital noise and a loss in color saturation. Just today, I purchased digital noise plug ins for Photoshop to limit this, and that's a wonderful thing to invest in with this camera when you must shoot action photography with no flash at ISO 800 and above.

I now have little problems with capturing images in even barelylimited lighting. I recently shot stars and a plane wing from my seat of an Airbus at 36,000 feet over the Pacific at 30 seconds wide open @ f/ 2.8, and it looks tons better than night shots via the D1H, which lacked the internal digital noise filter. That filter kicks in at around 1/2 second and longer exposures, and can make you wait as long as your image you've shot to strip your long exposure of much of the digital noise. When you shoot this way (and in general), don't simply react by cranking up ISO because you will not be happy with your results.

The camera can be loud. At over 7 frames per second, it can make you obvious in a quiet room. Shooting sensitive situations can be testy, so limit your shooting to single frames. I wish this camera had an option to silence this camera, but since the mirror has to raise and lower, there's no chance to do this.

Am I happy with the D2H? Definitely, yes. Are there improvements that can be made? Yes. But the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. People have been bailing out of using the Nikon system and going Canon, which has some incredible gear, I won't deny that. But instead of simply giving up on your system of equipment, learn how to use the D2H well and you'll be much happier than ever. And that means you should push its qualities to the max while respecting its limitations.

For instance, white balance. This can be the best thing for you, or the worst thing you've ever dealt with, depending upon how you approach it. Daylight, grey skies, dusk and dawn are easy, because you can set the camera to daylight, flash, shadow (for dusk and dawn times) and even the fluorescent and incandescent tend to be right in the ballpark. But the horrible mixed light or the street lamps that glow blue/green or orangered from mercury vapor can be the death of an image if you don't properly use white balance. Preset white balance is king, here. I can get grey, black and white when I preset in mercury vapor light. And I used the preset for any light that the auto white balance setting can't figure. There is also a setting to dial in kelvin temps as well! If you do this (and I can go on for miles here), you're on your way. So, with trying this D2H, or considering it, read through some of the digital D2H forums and ignore the posts that slam the camera without giving instances. Generally, those who pan the camera have not tried to understand it. I can bang off images to disprove where they suggest this camera will fail. When you have decent light, you'll have a decent image. But when you try to use it without learning how you can maximize the system, you will come about shooting images that are terrible and unprintable.

In closing, I have not been paid by anyone, I have no Nikon stock and have no outside interest in writing this except that I'm giving the D2H credit where it's long overdue.

I ordered this camera in December, have had it since then, and it an amazing camera. First time I have ever had professional camera, and it takes time to learn how to use it. It is not a point and shoot camera. If you want large pictures and like to crop, this may not be the camera for you. However if you want the ability to take great pictures, and learn how to use a professional camera at a great price this is the one to buy.

Ability to have custom curves, which means to have predetermined parameters for different conditions. Ability to chage ISO at random for different conditions. You can pay five thousand dollars for its successor, the Dx2, however for $2000 this is a bargin that you will never find again.

Jim Comfort

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I've had my D2H for 9 months now. I've heard of the magenta skin tones issue but have never seen it..skin tones on my unit are great. It seems this issue plagued a minority of users.

Camera is very fast, exposes well and delivers results. It's primarily designed to be a sports and Photojournalism camera -for situations where speed counts. It's a 4 megapixel wonder -it's true it only has 4 megapixels, but they are 4 GREAT megapixels. Images upsize wonderfully.

I love my unit, and am debating whether to buy a second one as a backup, or wait for the D2X. The price of the D2x is making that decision a bit easier and I'm leaning toward another D2H.

Read Best Reviews of Nikon D2H Pro Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Here

I have the D2H, and make stunningly pleasing photographs with it daily, yes, in 2008. It really is a fantastic camera to use and enjoy. It may only have 4.1 MP, but the resulting RAW files are razor sharp and crisp, beautifully saturated, and nice and quick to download, copy, edit, upload, etc.

Noise-wise, properly handled (expose properly, use lowest ISO necessary), this camera can easily compete with the D200, and match or beat the D2X.

Quality-wise, countless people have made 13x19, 16x20, and even 24x36 prints from this camera with great results. Of course, it would be smart to use a tool like Genuine Fractals to ensure proper DPI, but that's really the case with any camera. The pixels interpolate beautifully, due to a weaker (that's a good thing) anti-aliasing filter on the sensor. Larger , newer sensors often have strong anti-aliasing filters meant to reduce noise, but as a side effect they blur the pixels slightly, reducing the sensor's resolving power. Without this filter being so strong, you can go up to large print sizes gracefully, with a sharp, film-like look, as opposed to pixelation. This coming from experience, not forum postings. :)

I'm sure some technology nerd who's never made a decent photo in his life could find something to whine about with the specs (they always do), but real photographers can appreciate the speed, elegance, and pure utility of this camera.

Moose Peterson raved about this camera, as did Thom Hogan, and Joe Buissink shot it as his main DSLR for years, doing high-end A-list celebrity weddings for $15-70,000 each. I think it's more than adequate for most of us. Photographers who have these and D200s and 300s have said that if they had a money shot, they'd trust the ease of use, clean design, and raw speed of their D2H to get the job done over even the brand new D300. There's just something to be said for the quality and ergonomics of a true pro body that has to be felt to be understood. And considering you can get one of these on Amazon for just $750... that's a pretty great deal.

I can fit 2400 RAW on an 8 gig card, and shoot well... a TON of pics without running out of battery. In fact, I have yet run out of battery charge. I just shot a wedding with it, and none of my shots were noisy (I kept it to ISO 800 and lower), and after shooting all day, I'd only used 1/5 of the battery charge! And my battery is an older one! Wow!

Highly recommended.

Speed: 5/5

ISO performance: 4/5

Ergonomics: 5/5

Battery Life: 5/5

Ease of use: 5/5 [after the 1st half hour :)]

Features: 5/5

Bank for the buck: 5/5

I'd give it an overall 5/5, as the positives far outweigh any flaws.

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I was reluctant to buy an used item like this online. I have used this multiple times and I love it. It was a fantastic value for the price.