Optoma BI-EXTGB, Wireless VGA Dongle for TX542, TX612 & TX615

This device would seem to work with straight up text, however my presentations usually have either video in the background or a video itself and this really can't do that at all. Choppy is not even the right word for it. So I'm returning it.

CE PRODUIT EST TRÈS INTÉRESSANT POUR CONNECTER QUATRE PC PORTABLE A LA FOIS ET FACILE POUR L'INSTALLATION.A UTILISER POUR LES DIAPOS, IMAGES ET PHOTOS.

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Samsung SCD23 MiniDV Camcorder with 2.5 LCD

Wow! What a nice little digital "starter" camcorder for casual, fun digital video! As far as I can tell from extensive comparison shoopping, its feature set is just about unbeatable at this price point ...The unit weighs little more than a pound, but has a quality aura about it, with all the buttons and switches feeling quite solid and substantial. I already had several Samsung multimedia devices (MP3 player and DVD player) before my wife bought me this camcorder for Father's Day (thanks, sweetheart!), so I had a certain comfort level with the brand's overall excellent quality.

Here are a few things any prospective buyer should know: Regardless of what the folks at the Samsung spare parts store may tell you, the SC-D23 absolutely DOES accept a memory stick for use as a digital still camera (640 X 480 pixels max resolution); but no stick is included with the camera AND the maximum-capacity memory stick the camera will accept is 16 megs. Also, the USB photo-download capability works only with PCs; therefore, Macintosh computer users will need to purchase a USB memory-stick reader to download their still photos.

Overall the controls are easy to use and fall readily to hand. The LCD display is bright; and the camera's "night pix" capability is lots of fun--it uses infrared light emitted by the camera itself to illuminate objects up to about 10-15 feet away; so you can shoot close-up video in total darkness. The "night pix" video function may not be very practical for the average casual user, but it's a lot of fun to play with and looks very cool green and "Desert-Stormish." The video color quality overall is good, and the sound picked up by the built-in external stereo microphone is also good; although the mic does pick up a bit of the camera's own operational sounds (whirring and such). There is also an external microphone jack.

Pros with this unit: Low price, strong feature set (including built-in light, digital still camera capability, FireWire and USB interfaces, and several video-outs including S-video), good manufacturing quality, nice picture and sound. Cons: No memory stick included, memory stick capacity limited to 16 megabytes; no USB video download capability; no FireWire or S-video cables included, no USB photo download capability for Mac users.

My wife and I plan to use this camera for taking casual video -mostly of our grandchildren; overall, we are extremely pleased with the Samsung SC-D23.

For the price that you're being asked to pay for a digital video camera, this is a great buy! The camera itself works great and I'm very happy with it. There are however, a few details you really need to know before making a purchase.

1. The included battery's life, I found, is really short. If I got two hours out of it, I was doing hand-springs. I ordered an extended-life battery and have been more then OK since. It was very easy to find and didn't cost too much.

2. If you REALLY want to take full-advantage of having a camera that uses DV, you HAVE TO HAVE a computer that has a 1394 Fire-wire connection and the horsepower to operate it properly. I didn't have that at the time and spent about another hundred dollars in extra RAM and a fire-wire card. Just a word of caution too, transferring DV is a BEAST on system resources; make ABSOLUTELY SURE to check your system specs to make sure you can cover the workload.

2a. ... there really is no reason Samsung couldn't have included a fire-wire cable.

3. The camera's quality in low-light (ex. a candle-lit wedding dinner ... grrrr) is really suspect. It's astoundingly good when the lighting is good, but the video quality is really grainy when it isn't. The built-in light certainly helps, but only to a degree.

4. The camera won't recognize more then a 16 Mg memory stick for pictures. I went out and bought a 64 mg card and had to return it.

All that said though, this REALLY IS a great machine. Just realize before you purchase it that there are DEFINETLY extras that you're going to need to pick up to go with it. I didn't do my homework and had to do a ton of running around I could have saved mself. I'd hate to see someone make the same mistake.

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After owning this camcorder for only 14 mos. with less than 5 hrs. useage, the CCD element failed rendering it useless. Samsung customer support would only direct me to a local repair shop. With only a 1 yr. factory warranty ( mine was expired by 2 mos.), it cost me a whopping $197.85 to have it repaired making it a low cost camcorder with a very high price. Samsung doesn't seem to care as they don't stand behind their product.

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Wow! I bought this camera just before Thanksgiving to record some Holiday gatherings. I serously looked at about 20 different units and was torn between the Sony and the Samsung. The Sony has better low light performance but it is 30% more money. This unit is perfect for what I need. I took a video of my Mother making a family receipe in a low light kitchen, at night with only normal lighting (2 60 watt bulbs) and the detail was very good. The more light you have the better the picture but this is true of all cameras not just Samsung. Next we went driving arround looking for property to purchase on a cold partially cloudy day shooting video through the windows or hanging out the door. The detail was amazing. I shot video for over 1.5 hours before the battery died and am very happy with the results.

I bought a 64mg Lexar memory stick and can take up to 340 pictures at 320x240 pixels. These are not high resolution pictures but are good for web. You can also copy pictures from tape to the memory stick with a click of a button. This appears to be a much higher quailty picture. If you want to transfer pictures from the memory stick to your PC you can use the USB cable. If you want to transfer video you must use a Firewire card. Buy an Adaptec card unless you just like to figure out problems. This camera is easy to use and you can just put in a tape and start shooting but you need to read the manual and spend a good 2 hours playing with the unit before you get comfortable with all of the features.

Many of the problems I read about can be overcome by changing settings on the Camera for light levels etc. A solid product with features nobody else has at this price.

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While in record mode, standby... point camera at bright sun or bight light bulb at close distance ... It may take five minutes but my camera started working again... !!! Alleluia!! Seems I have to do this every time I use the camera, but I am happy that this works even though it is less than desirable...Samsung SCD23 seems has a common problem... I have used it infrequently for 3 yrs and It has worked fine until now. All of a sudden and for no reason at all, the LCD went blank and will not record any image. This is due to a faulty CCD??? Still plays tapes and records video... My childrens "hot Wheels" camcorder lasted better than this one!!!! My new baby is starting to walk and I...

Bell & Howell Splash WP7 Waterproof 12.0 MP Digital Camera (Black) with 8GB Card/Reader + Batte

good price for this item it works ok for the price... it worked for what i needed it for but the item does max out at 10 feet deep anything beyond that the buttons will stick..

I made the mistake of buying this waterproof camera based upon one favorable review the only review available. Although this product takes good photos it is bascially useless as an underwater (or above water in broad daylight) camera as it is impossible to see what you are looking at from the available view screen. In many instances I took underwater pictures thinking the camera was turned on when in fact it wasn't it's impossible to tell in the daylight. Once turned on it only stays active for 60 seconds before shutting off and it eats batteries. Because of the glare on the view screen it's almost impossible to see your target let alone get it properly framed. It's too bad really becuase the camera package comes with many extras. Skip this product.

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Sony Cybershot DSCP200/R 7.2MP Digital Camera 3x Optical Zoom (Red)

I just purchased this as a replacement from my Sony P-100 5 mega pixel camera. WOW! This camera is definitely a sleek improvement from past models. Aside from the 7.2 megapixel count, this camera excels in almost every conceivable area relevant to compacts.

First off, this camera starts up in less than a second or so--truly fast compared to other similarly priced cameras. This feature is essential when attempting to capture that oh so special kodak...er...sony moment in a blink.

Secondly, the camera is beautiful. Sony got it right this time when designing a sturdy, compact and lightweight technological masterpiece. True, it's not as small as its even lighter cousin--the T-33, or the Pentax Optio S5n and Casio Exlim models, but it passes the pants pocket test with flying colors. Additionally, when compared to the T-33, this camera uses the regular memory stick size and not the smaller duo like the T-33. Sooooo, if you already own a sony, this is a natural upgrade.

Some other excellent features on the P-200 are the manual overides. You can adjust the shutter speed and aperature which, for a camera in this class, is a true rarity.

I also am enjoying the extremely high quality video mode; although not the most important selling point, having the ability to take camcorder like videos with sound for unlimited amounts of time (unlike 30 second segments from many other cams) is handy.

Another amazing feature is the battery life. I remember my first sony digital camera--the DSC-P50 2.1 mega pixel. It's battery life was dismal. My P-72 was slightly improved, but still suffered from chronic battery munchies. The P-200 fully charged can take pictures for over 200 minutes! If you're on the display modes, it can last almost double that--another breathtaking accomplishment. The info lithium works well in calculating the remaining battery life--a major complaint from owners of other cameras like Canon that lack this feature. Lastly, it is a proprietary battery, so purchasing an additional one is recommended.

Needless to say, the 2" lcd is gorgeous, just like the past sony cameras I've had. It's extremely hi-res and I have no difficulty seeing it in sunlight. The lcd's navigation is similar to earlier sony cams with a few new additions. Sony finally placed a protective screen over the actual lcd to prevent damage...took them long enough, but it's much appreciated.

Overall, I'm tremendously pleased with the picture quality from this puppy. I envision this camera lasting well into early-mid 2006 when Sony will release yet another improvement. Until then, I highly recommend this for most anybody who appreciates quality and functionality incorporated into a lightweight package.

I thought my old Olympus C50 was going to be my last digital camera for a while, but then the P200 was released as an update to the already-excellent P150 and I convinced myself to buy it.

I think Sony did a great job on this camera. It is perfect for those who are tech savvy but really appreciates technology when it is used to make something better without making it cumbersome to use.

The Sony DSC-P200 is first and foremost a point and shoot camera designed to capture every-day life images and the occasional video. To best serve that purpose, it is compact, easy to use, and have an exceptionally quick turn-on time. It's not the smallest camera, but it is compact enough to fit inside small pockets, and substantial enough to be easy to hold. Sony cameras, like most Sony brand products, have excellent user interfaces that are logically laid out and easy to comprehend. I figured out out to use my P200 without reading the manual. I will probably refer to it to see exactly what the scene modes are but that's about it. The large 2 inch LCD on the P200 also makes it much more user friendly than smaller 1.5 or 1.8 inch displays. The turn on time for this camera is one of the best, probably somewhere around a second between pressing the power button to being able to snap a picture. My old Olympus C50 took 3-4 seconds and it was a real bother.

Ease-of-use points aside, this is a 7.2 Megapixel camera and it packs a picture-quality punch that is surpassed only by high end cameras such as the SLR variety. Untill full reviews come out on one of the well known digital camera review sites, I think it is adequate to use reviews for the P150 as a guage. Those reviews have all been very positive on the P150 and the P200 is at least as good as the P150 in terms of picture quality.

Some words about blurrness...

I've heard/read about Sony digital cameras taking blurry pictures and all expert opinion attribute the blurrness to two things: image processor, shaky hand/mount.

There are only a few Sony digital cameras that suffer from blurry pictures caused by an image processor that is too agressive in performing noise reduction. The DSC-W1 is probably the best and most recent example. However, the DSC-P150 does not have this problem, and neither does the P200 according to what I've seen and the pictures I've taken. I tried a DSC-W1 for 2 weeks before returning it so I know first hand what the image processor induced blurryness looks like.

The second cause of blurryness is a classic case of shaky hands. The newer generation of Sony Cameras seem to be programed to prefer a longer shutter open time rather than increase ISO or turn on the flash. It tries to make the most out of available ambient light before making use of adjustments that compromise picture quality. What this results in are shutter speeds as slow as 1/30th of a second before the camera will start using the flash in full auto mode. This combined with 7.2MP of resolution will result in blurry pictures if the hand holding the camera isn't absolutely still. In trying to maximize the picture quality of the camera, Sony has traded off some real-world usability. Whenever I use my P200 to take a picture and see that the shutter speed is 1/40 or slower, I will make a mental note to brace myself when taking the picture, or at least use both hands.

All things considered, it's hard to imagine a more perfect combination of everyday usability and performance. The P200 is perfectly at home snapping birth-day party pictures for 4x6 prints, or mounted on a tripod to get that perfect shot for a 8x10 blow-up.

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The DSC-P200 is an amazing piece of technology that demonstrates how far digital photography has come. With a 7.2 MP resolution, 3X zoom, lithium ion battery and a 2" LCD screen squeezed into a tiny package, this camera is truly amazing. The output is no less impressive with quality superior to that of any other camera I have seen.

One of the advantages of a camera this small is its ability to be carried in your clothing without relying on an external carrying case. While this is a great attribute that allows you to bring it to parties for impromptu photos, its apparent fragility is a cause for concern. It would be nice if Sony provided a glove-like camera case or entirely different, ruggedized housing. Of course, many third-party camera cases are available along with what Sony offers, but even the smallest of these will be too large to fit in a shirt or inside sport coat pocket.

In addition to its diminutive size, the camera's portability is also fostered by the lithium ion battery which lasts for nearly two hours. Moreover, with a larger memory chip, you will have everything necessary for a day or more worth of shooting. At the full seven megapixel resolution, photos average about three (3) megabytes each. This means you can store only about ten photos on the included 32 MB Memory Stick, making memory a necessary upgrade. By comparison, my 512 MB Memory Stick allows me to take over 150 maximum resolution 7.2 MP photos. Fortunately, it can be purchased for approximately $55 at Amazon.

Even though I am not a professional photographer or artist, I can definitely appreciate the picture quality. I had the opportunity to directly compare the Sony DSC-P200's quality to that of a Minolta 5 MP camera taking the exact same photo at the same distance. The pictures of a friend and me were taken by a waiter in an upscale restaurant with relatively low lighting. At first glance, they appeared to be of comparable quality. After closer inspection, however, it was clear that the Sony image was superior. In one striking example, the shades of my burgundy shirt were more accurate with less pixilation.

For the amateur photographer, be aware there are many features to be deciphered. As a former engineer and gadget enthusiast, I consider myself a quick study. Yet, I had to spend a couple of hours reading the manual and still have some learning to do. So, don't buy this camera on the way to your daughter's wedding and expect to use it (besides, the battery will be dead anyway).

Many casual photographers may question the need for seven megapixels as this exceeds the resolution of even the largest monitors. For example, a high-end WUXGA (1900 x 1200) wide format monitor only has 2.3 megapixels. However, the camera's superior resolution provides a hidden benefit. Even if you don't want to create large format photos or posters, it does allow for a convenient "off-line" zooming. So if you are at sporting event or show, you can take photos of scenes even too far with 3X magnification. When editing the images on your computer, you can crop the part of the photo desired to effectively zoom into the image you wish to save or share with you friends.

As a Sony Vaio owner, I have the added benefit of being able to slip the Memory Stick directly into my laptop without having to worry about cables or additional drivers. It would be even nicer, though, if Sony provided some sort of wireless connectivity, such as Bluetooth or WiFi. I can see why Sony would skip this feature as current wireless technology would not be sufficient for transfer of several high-resolution photos.

The video capability is a nice frill even though it would not be a key reason for purchasing this camera. I was quite surprised that it produced quality video AND sound recordings. The latter was far crisper than I ever expected. With two gigabyte chips available in 2005, you could record full motion video for nearly 80 minutes. This sounds great, but the camera doesn't record moving scenes very well. Presumably, this is due to internal bandwidth limitations. On this note, it would be nice to provide HDTV video recording, even at a lower frame rate. This would be quite a stretch due to bandwidth limitations/data write speed as HDTV cameras, geared for the professional market, are very expensive.

In summary, the Sony DSC-P200 is an incredible piece of technology that provides tremendous picture quality in a small package. I can't imagine wanting more out of a camera other than a ruggedized housing or high resolution HDTV video, which is quite unrealistic given its size and cost. Given the camera's intended purpose, Sony has done an amazing job. For still photos, the DSC-P200 should be good for a decade or so.

Pros

7.2 MP

Incredible picture quality

Lithium Ion battery

Compact

Cons

No glove-like case

A bit complicated for recreational photographers

Delicate (potentially)

32 MB of standard memory

No Bluetooth

Read Best Reviews of Sony Cybershot DSCP200/R 7.2MP Digital Camera 3x Optical Zoom (Red) Here

I resisted "going digital" for a long time. When I finally took the plunge and compared cameras, the Sony DSC-P200 was the standout. Consider this:

The P200 has a metal case -not plastic.

The lens is a Carl Zeiss -the same German optical firm that makes lenses for Hasselblad and Leica.

The P200 is made in Japan by the same Sony subsidiary that makes the professional digital Betacams used in Hollywood.

The design of this camera deserves an award the placement of the buttons, shifting of the lens to the extreme left side the result is a camera that "feels right" -never do I touch the wrong button, or have to search around for the right function.

The photos? I shot Macro, fluorescent, incandescent, cloudy, and bright sunshine -exposures were excellent and the 7.2 Megapixel Super HAD sensor produced images that did not pixelate until I had enlarged them to 200X!

I bought the Sony DSC-P200 (and I recommend getting a 512MB memory stick -you can get 130 images at the highest quality setting) and the two of us have been inseparable.

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We spent a long time researching the purchase of a new digital camera. My Nikon Coolpix 880 was great when I bought it in 2000, but it's been dropped a few times, and it was a bit heavy/big. I wanted a camera that took great pictures, was light weight and small enough that I could comfortably carry it in my pants pocket.

The Sony Cybershot 7.2 has everything I wanted. It's small, easy to carry in a small purse or pocket, and it takes amazing photographs. The image quality is excellent. I do a lot of scrapbooking and crop a lot of pictures before I print them, so it was important to me to have 7.2 megapixels for enlargement.

The camera is easy to hold I have fairly small hands, and it doesn't feel awkward or big.

As far as construction goes, the Sony Cybershot 7.2 is user friendly. The battery, memory card and charging outlet are behind the same "door". The buttons are aligned so that, for a right-handed person, it's possible to hold the camera and manipulate the image (ie. zoom, change menu options, etc.) with one hand but do use the wrist strap! The LCD resolution is very good, definitely better than my old Nikon, and I was thrilled to find that the pictures look even sharper on the computer! One major problem with my Nikon was that the on/off button could easily be triggered by putting it in the case, so the camera would stay on and eat the battery up. On my new camera, the on/off button is slightly recessed, so it won't turn on accidentally, and the battery life is exceptional 300+ minutes. The turn on speed and the time between shots is very quick about a second. The zoom is excellent as well and gives me a lot of detail.

I didn't buy this camera for the video, but I played around with it to see what it was like, and would seriously consider leaving my other video camera at home now! The microphone is located where you would put your thumb if you held the camera with two hands (unless you were paying attention) and sound quality isn't exceptional, but it definitely works well. If you wanted to narrate, I'd suggest speaking close to the camera.

Drawbacks: Personally, I need to hold the camera with two hands to keep it steady. This is not a big problem at all, but I thought I'd mention it unless I'm trying to catch something on the fly, I don't have a problem keeping the camera steady.

In scene mode, when you bring up the menu, your setting choices (snow, candlelight, portrait, etc.) are represented only by icons, and I find it difficult to remember what each is.

Neither of these problems are (in my opinion) significant, but I thought I'd bring them up in case they are for you. Overall, I couldn't be happier with my purchase.

Opteka CXS-300 Dual-Grip Video Shoulder Stabilizer Support System for DSLR Cameras & Camcorders

I've been looking for not only a rail mount system for my DSLR but a shoulder mount. I found this rig and fell in love with it! Not only is the price awesome but this rig is sturdy and amazing! The awesome universal rail system lets you mount a ton of my gear on there like the follow focus and matte box. The rails are long to so you can adjust it as much as you can. The best part is under the shoulder mount there is a place to put a tri pod shoe. It fits the one for my 501 perfectly! I can go from tri pod to running around in just seconds! Great deal!

This is a great product. I have owned two other shoulder rigs from competitors one which fell apart the other was uncomfortable and cost 3 to 4 times the amount. The Opteka CXS-300 is a solid and comfortable product that supports the indie filmmaker. It perfectly fits my DFocus follow focus and there's enough space on the rig for my audio and monitor mounts. My only criticism is that the tightening levers are a bit stiff, but I highly recomend this product and doing your business with 47st photo for their great efficiency, quality products and friendly customer service.

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For the price this is a fantastic deal. I have looked for camera rigs and was going to settle for Zacuto, until I found this. It has the standard universal 15mm rail system that allowed me to connect my IKan monitor as well as my follow focus and it cost 1/10th the price.

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I think this rig is an excellent value and features very solid construction. I spent a lot of time researching video rigs before deciding on this one and, while I don't regret my choice, there are some considerations to take into account.

The unit seems to be "inspired" by the Red Rock Micro, which is a much more expensive rig. That is a very good thing. The rails, shoulder pad, and handles are excellent. The shoulder pad has a tripod mount at the front (like the Red Rock) and is sturdy and comfortable. The front handles are mounted on fixed asymmetrical rods and they're comfy and attractive. The entire unit is very solid feeling, which is what you want in a rig. The 15mm rails themselves feel smooth, strong, and uniform. I also think the main rails are the perfect length for this type of rig, long enough for lots of customization options.

My major gripe with the unit is with the camera mount. I like that the mount sits low to the rails, since it lets me use a battery grip on my DSLR and still mount a follow focus. Like the rest of the kit, it seems nice and sturdy. However, the mount attaches using an allen wrench and does not hold the camera well at all. It's just absurdly inconvenient. I'm used to having to pull out a quarter to tighten a screw, but needing to keep track of an allen wrench during a shoot is too much. To top it off, even after tightening the screw as much as I dared, I could not get the mount to hold my camera tightly. I think the rubber pads on the mount may actually do more harm than good my camera slides around on them easily.

If you mount a quick release or other plate to the camera mount, you should be able to avoid this problem. I'm replacing the mount entirely, with the low-profile "Barely Mount" from Hondo Garage. I will probably use the original camera mount either with a digital recorder or to rig up a counterweight.

As an aside, I also think the orange wingnuts are rather ugly. The front handles are actually anodized red under the foam, which clashes quite horribly with the orange (it's not visible in the photos, but definitely is on the unit itself). I like that they're metal and chunky, but the color just looks a bit cheap. I may replace them with black ones.

Also, Opteka made a counterweight specifically for this unit (the CBW-2), but it seems to be out of production and is very difficult to find online. I don't mind rigging up my own counterweight system, but keep it in mind.

Despite my complaints, I do highly recommend this rig. A well-made dual rail system with good handles and an excellent shoulder pad usually goes for much more. With a different camera mount, this would be a five star rating from me for sure.

UPDATE: I've done a bit of customization to the rig and am very pleased with the results. I did replace the camera mount with the "Barely Mount" by Hondo Garage (look them up, they're great). This allows me to use the original mount to hold my digital recorder behind the camera. Since the Hondo mount has holes for tripod mounting on the bottom (unlike the original), I am also able to flip the shoulder pad around. I find this 1) more comfortable and 2) an extremely convenient way to mount a counterweight, since the shoulder support is drilled with 1/4" and 3/8" holes on the bottom. I was unable to replace the wingnuts, since they are not the M5 wingnuts usually used on stabilizing rigs. (Possibly M7? Not sure.) I spray painted them black instead and I think the result is much sleeker looking than the orange.

I still think this is a 4/5 star product and I still recommend it highly. For the price, you are getting a very nice set of high-quality components. If you are willing to do a little customizing particularly with the camera mount I think this rig will serve you very well.

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...this is a useful and customisable inline shoulder support that can be used for DSLR as well as HDV cameras... Its design is highly remiscent of a familiar blue accent themed line of gear at a FRACTION of the cost...an excellent and proper price for all that you get...let's face it, the price of the established companies' DSLR rod gear is masochistically overpriced and a complete wallet-rape... Reps from the companies go on about how machining processes and customisation of individual parts are costly, but this is proof that it is not...

This is good, solid [slightly weighty (which is good for stabilising a superlight DSLR)], infinitely adjustable, and affordable... with the multitude of affordable add ons out there, this is a GREAT foundation from which to build up.

I have shot a couple of conventions, several walk n talk segments, a wedding, and assisted with 3 short films with this device...

if you can find it...GET IT!

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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W650 16.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD (Black) (2012

Camera is compact and light weight. It has all the basic features you would need for great pictures and it is fairly easy to use. I was able to play with it for less than 5 minutes and have all the controls figured out without looking at a manual. The battery life seems great as I just got back from a week long vacation and after snapping over 150 photos I still have almost a full battery. I am also very impressed with how great my pictures turned out, vivid colors and great contrast.

I purchased this product as I planned a last-minute visit to the Niagara Falls and, being on a business trip, I had nothing else to immortalize this moment than my smartphone and its lousy camera. After unpacking it, I first tried it indoors and was not impressed at all: mediocre yellowish pictures, noisy and grainy. I tried to disable the (weak) flash and it got worse. I was tempted to return it immediately but decided to give it a try outdoors. When I started to shoot the falls, I became very quickly addicted to this litte gizmo. In most of the cases, the camera is able to deal with the subject, although I would recommend the usage of the advanced scene mode: facing violent contrasts, the camera shoots automatically twice with different exposure parameters, which increases the odds to get a good shot. Smart.

The exposure can be easily fixed manually, using the "manual" mode (in fact, an automatic mode that can be adjusted). In a matter of seconds, over-exposed white water on dark rocks takes texture, to the droplet. It is a bit of trial and error, but delivers quick results. The panorama function works very well, delivery much better pictures than the lousy prints available in the souvenir shop. I also gave it a chance to show how it works with video: better than average sound (if not too much wind), functional and silent zoom and again, surprising image quality. As the light changed due to overcast clouds, I adjusted the settings and the camera obediently followed, again delivering satisfying stills. The zoom works fine. It's not a super-zoom but the resolution is good enough to enable enlargement on the PC.

Happy with the outdoor quality, I decided to give it another try indoors, using the advanced mode P. To my surprise, the various settings, including several white balance modes, enabled to fix the initial issues and I got noise-free, decent-quality pictures under artificial lighting. I fumbled a bit with the flash and while I find it a bit rough, it's within expectations.

Outdoor picture quality is really great for the price I was really positively surprised by the sharpness and color quality, which is still far from SLR standards but surprising for a compact. The autofocus is decent, shutter speed good, transfer speed correct. The camera behaves predictably. It is more limited indoors but still very decent once one gets used to it. I was not disturbed by the lack of functionality to adjust speed or aperture as I'm using it for point-and-shoot, which it does pretty well in general. It's not a function-rich camera, but what's built in is useful and working well (the online manual may need some polishing though).

I'm giving it five stars because this Sony camera exceeds consistently my value-for-money expectations. It cannot be a substitute for more serious hardware (I own a Sony Alpha and my wife is a NEX user) but it is definitively the camera I will take on business trips or in my breast pocket for a casual walk in the park.

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So the image quality isn't perfectbut it's pretty darn close (the only reason this camera got 4 stars instead of 5). I like taking pictures with it. The menu features are really easy to figure out, so it's no trouble changing the settings to my liking. My favorite part of the camera? the Panorama viewI think Sony was genius with that addition! Definitely worth the moneyand Sony has a pretty good name in cameras so you know it's a good investment. Total bonusI love that my camera is rednot just boring black or silver.

Read Best Reviews of Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W650 16.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD (Black) (2012 Here

This is a fantastic camera in it's price class. I was surprised by it's size ( as small as a cell phone ) but with that said, it packs alot of punch. Takes great pictures and is easy to operate. The only drawback is low light pictures aren't as sharp as could be. All in all you get alot for the money with this Sony,

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This a wonderful camera. Camera is compact and light weight. 16 megapixels. You will get a GREAT camera for a little over $100.Very easy to use, takes amazing pictures for the price and size. I would highly recommend anyone buying this camera. it takes video, and panoramic pictures. fast shipping.

Olympus C-8080 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Wide Zoom

The Camedia body design has always been traditional, which I've favored over Sony's outlandish model F717 & F828 body/lens layout. The C8080 has a nicely refined body style. It's a compact 4.75" wide, by 4.7" deep, and 3.4" high. For old-school film SLR users like myself, it resembles that look and feel. The ergonomics is just about perfect. It's a real joy to hold, even with one hand. The controls are easy to see and become acquainted with. The shutter lag is almost undetectable. And if you set it for continuous frames (1.6 fps), it will give you 3 to 5 shots in quick succession. The lens and picture quality is up to par with the previous Camedias. Olympus lenses are outstanding. The 8 megapixels sure help.

The things I like about the C8080 are: 2 memory card slots (CF and XD)and you can toggle between the 2 cards. So if you have a 512 MB capacity for both cards, that's 1024 MB total. If you want more, get an IBM 1GB microdrive. You don't have to download software. Plug into the USB 2 in your PC, and you're in business (Win XP os). The viewfinder is electronic, which saves on battery consumption. The display screen can tilt up or down, and is visible even in bright sunlight. It's very comfortable to hold and shoot. And of course, it's got 8 megapixels. The thing I don't like about the C8080 is you have to remove the battery to charge it.

For pro-level amateurs and professionals, I recommend it highly.

If your like me and dont have a bunch of lenses already there that could be added to the camera as in the Canon Rebel then the next best choice is to try to get a camera that has all you need in one camera. This camera also feels better than any other camera I tried. And I tried them all, HP, Canon, Minolta, Fuji, Sony, and Olympus less expensive older models.

That is what I see is one of the main advantages of the Olympus C-8080. It is a very flexible highly featured camera. The lenses on it feature both wide and telephoto capabilities and Olympus has taken the time to make sure that the lense does well in these areas. They were special produced for this camera.

I have been able to get some excellent image quality out of my Olympus C-8080 so far. By excellent I mean that there is alot of detail in mid tones. Some of the noise artifacts in high contrast areas in other cameras such as purple hazing seem to either not be there or greatly reduced. In other words I have not seen that as an issue. This is attributable to a new CCD for the camera that impliments cyan dots into the color capture system. I love the extra colors I am getting from the CCD on board that has increased my color ranges in blues and greens as well as neutral shadow areas.

Olympus also implimented an anti noise feature in this camera that is said to help with those issues.

This camera is complex. It will take alot of time to be able to use all its featured capabilities. The menu system is intuitive and very customizable.

Am I glad I bought it? Yes definitely.

Also look at the built in historgram. Better than any of the competion. That is because it has a historgram in a historgram. You can learn on line how to use historgrams and then that feature will mean more.

Negatives:

Red laser focus system can be blinding for shooting portraits

lack of stablization system like Minolta uses

Lack of illuminated controls for night shooting

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Make sure your read the last paragraph of this review to see why an outstanding camera gets only three stars.

Before buying this camera I read a variety of professional reviews on various websites. The consensus seemed to be that this was the best of the lot of the new 8 megapixel cameras. As a lifetime Canon owner who also has a Canon D60 6.3mp SLR digital camera I was disappointed that the new Canon Pro1 didn't get as high ratings, but I believe that quality pics beats any brand loyalty that I might have.

I was in the market for one of these new high resolution cameras because I wanted something to carry around for quick shots when I didn't want the trouble of lugging my Canon D60 and a host of lenses.

I took it on a recent trip in to the California coastal mountains. I was totally pleased with the results. The professional reviewers were all concerned with noise in higher ISO settings for this breed of cameras. All of my pictures were shot in the range of ISO 100 to 160 in bright light. I used Photoshop to greatly enlarge pictures taken at 100 and 160 and compared them for noise. ISO 160 pics were noisier, but still printed out clear 7.125 by 9.5 prints. Colors were very accurate, and I noticed no significant distortion.

The large number of buttons and menus posed no real problems for me. You just work yourself gradually into this, and soon you are at ease. I particularly liked the button on the top that allows you to make a custom setting. I use it for ISO settings, making it a breeze to quickly change ISO when I want to.

What criticisms can I make? Here's my brief list:

1. Buttons on the top right of the camera are very crowded, and it takes a while to get used to them, and not be changing the wrong one. I find it somewhat difficult to hold down the custom button and rotate the selector wheel at the same time.

2. I am not too enthralled with the electronic viewfinder. I found it sometimes difficult to see things clearly, and colors were harder to detect as accurately as in a normal viewfinder. I particularly had problems adjusting a circular polarizer filter to best effect.

3. I am used to manually zooming an SLR camera, and the power zoom on the c-8080 is a bit frustrating. It is difficult to zoom to the exact point that you want. You keep over and under zooming it. But I suppose this is a problem found on most power zoom cameras.

As most professional reviewers have noted, this camera is built like the photographic equivalent of a tank. It feels solid and indestructible, a heft that you usually find only on very expensive professional cameras.

Oh yes. Why did I give this camera only a three star rating. When I received the camera the software disk was broken. The disk is important insofar as Olympus is too cheap to provide a complete manual with the camera, and a further 180 pages or so of it are on the disk. Three phone calls and an email, and over a month later I get a software disk in the mail. But it's not for the c-8080. Another phone call and I am told the that the c-8080 disks come only with the camera itself. They have no extras, and I will simply have to do with this one which is written for other cameras. It supposedly will suffice for the camera to computer interface, although the c-8080 is missing from the reference manual of listed cameras. When I first called and waited on hold for a long long time no one even new how to deal with this problem. I was given the run around from department to department to department. You better hope that nothing is damaged in shipment, and that you never ever need tech support from them.

Read Best Reviews of Olympus C-8080 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Wide Zoom Here

After some extensive research on 8-megapixel digital cameras, I decided on the Olympus C-8080 for several reasons. I'll highlight a few of them below.

* The magnesium cased Olympus C-8080 has a quality feel to it in my hands. It feels solid. This camera won't creak or flex when handled like some of the others I tried.

* The Olympus C-8080 power up time is extremely fast which is important for catching those special moments. It has one of the fastest power up times of any 8-megapixel camera.

* The C-8080 has one of the best lenses available in its class with just the right balance of range and speed... The lens is rather large for good light gathering ability. It's also very sharp. At 5x and 28mm 140mm (35mm equivalent) range, some might lean more toward a camera with a broader optical range sacrificing speed and quality. For me, it's about quality not quantity! I find that I often use 28mm indoors where space is limited or for those wide outdoor scenic shots. And 140mm is usually sufficient for most of my 'telephoto' needs. You can also purchase optional adapters for wider angle or more zoom if you find it necessary.

* Battery life on this camera is top notch... it's one of the longest lasting and far superior to most other 8-megapixel cameras. Although I own 2 batteries for my Olympus C-8080, I have yet to need more than one for an entire day of shooting. My findings pretty much mirror what the professional reviewers have tested with regard to long battery life on the Olympus C-8080. I have yet to see my 'low battery' indicator come on!

I should also mention that I wear eye glasses which is a problem for me with some viewfinders. Not so with the Olympus C-8080. The ring surrounding the viewfinder is rubberized and when I place the lens from my eye glasses up against the view finder, I can see the entire frame clearly and comfortably. The viewfinder also has a diopter adjustment to compensate for less than perfect vision.

Some people have commented that the controls on the Olympus are a bit confusing. The camera is very versatile with many features and I've gotten used to the controls. Also, the power on/off button is located fairly close to the shutter release button but I got used to this within just a few minutes. It really isn't a problem. Unless you're seriously lacking in manual dexterity, you'll get used to it very quickly.

Also, don't skimp on the memory card. I have a 512MB xD card in the camera and keep a blank 256MB card in my pocket in case I fill up the first card before getting a chance to download all the images to my PC. I might just get a 512MB CompactFlash card as well since the camera has a slot for both xD and CF style memory cards.

To quote another reviewer, the Olympus C-8080 is the one to get!

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Some thoughts from an amateur having been using it for a while. Note that my overall score is high and I'm very happy with this camera: bang for the buck this is great.

So these comments are deliberately critical since I think that's what most people want to know about. If something really cool stands out such as dark frame subtraction on this camera for us astronomers then I'll point it out.

1. Do not look at this camera as a 'point and shoot, slip it in my pocket' sort of camera. This is big, has many functions and can be overwhelming at first if you're new to this level of camera. That said the functionality and positioning of features is exemplary: for example the dual use of buttons to allow quick access to features and settings. Also, assuming you've got the camera setup how you want it you can flick it on and be snapping away pretty quickly; the 'user setting modes' are great in this regard, since you can save different types of setup to allow quick access.

2. In auto focus mode, the camera can be a little slow to focus and you can miss your intended photo moment frustrating! You can set it to manual focus mode, but that can be slower since there isn't a focus ring for you to turn a-la-SLR. You have to use the buttons to focus and that can be tricky with your eye wedged up to the viewfinder on sunny days!

3. A full printed manual isn't provided it is online on the CD only. I think that is cheap, Olympus!

4. I'm an astrophotographer and so far I've only been able to take piggy-back shots (not a problem with the camera I just need to make some adapters). Dark frame subtraction in night mode is extremely useful, but so far it seems the noise generated by the CCD is too much for it to handle, even in relatively short exposures (on a 75 degree F night at ISO400). I'm going to try slower ASO speeds since that should improve it a litle, and I know cooler evenings will help a great deal, but still not off to a great start. Also, cooling would help but at 800 bucks you can't get everything! ;-) ADDENDUM 9/NOV/04: this camera works OK as an astrophotography camera, but basically you get what you pay for. Because it isn't an SLR, it is difficult to achieve focus using the camera with it's fixed lens, through an eyepieve and into the telescope. hugely magnified and actually too much noise to speak of. I'm persevering, but I'd recommend the extra step to an SLR if you're going to be into astrophotography (Canon 20D)

5. The remote shutter release doesn't plug into the camera: you have to buy a power battery holder and plug the shutter release into that. That seemed a little stupid to me and just an excuse by Olympus to make you buy more stuff.

6. I find it very frustrating that you can't plug the camera in to the mains (with the optional mains adapter) and CHARGE the battery with it still in the camera. You have to remove the battery and use the separate battery charger. That means more stuff to carry and that's annoying.

7. Battery life seemed exceptionally good to me, but because of the charging scenario described above, I would get a spare battery

8. Video quality is good: I've taken a few but for some reason I have to convert them on my PC, presumably because of some coding issues (they import into Adobe Photo Album v2.0 but won't play). ADDENDUM 9/NOV/04: this is now resolved and is not an issue related to this product, but rather some clash in load order between Adobe and Quicktime.

9. I don't like Camedia Master, whatever version. I'd personally recommend the use of a separate photo manager and ditch Camedia. The only useful thing I've gotten out of it so far is stitching some panorama shots together, which worked quite well but it won't stay installed on my PC just to do that! Other software can do that, too!

Overall? I like the camera and it's taking some great shots that have printed onto 11x14 photo paper to produce stunning images. I find it comfortable, easy to use (after a simple learning curve) and everything you'd reasonably expect from a camera at this level.

So far, though, I haven't been that impressed with the night time photography but I'll be able to test that extensively soon so will update this review at that time. ADDENDUM 9/NOV/04: my conclusion for astrophotography is it is worth saving some extra pennies and going for an SLR (the Canon 20D). For daytime shooting, this camera has produced some stunning shots and I'm extremely pleased with it.

Happy shopping

JB

Panasonic Lumix TS20 16.1 MP TOUGH Waterproof Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom (Orange)

I have had this camera for about five months and I absolutely love it. I wanted a waterproof camera so I wouldn't have to worry about ruining it in rain, snow, dirt, or anything else I throw at it.

Here are some my favorite things about this camera:

-It has a really fast shutter speed so it captures subjects in motion without blur.

-It has a burst function that takes lots of pictures in a row, and so far they have come out incredible. I recently went cliff jumping and got some really good progressive shots of people falling in the air.

-The camera has really good speakers when playing back video.

-Picture quality is fantastic for a point and shoot, both inside and out. Some pictures taken in darker rooms turn out grainy, but that has happened with all my other cameras in the past.

-The wrist strap is adjustable so it can be securely fit to your wrist while in the water.

-The interface is really quick and easy to use.

-The camera turns on incredibly fast so it's good for spur of the moment photo-ops.

-You don't have to change settings between photo and video, you just push a different button for video to start recording. This is really nice because on my previous camera I often forgot to switch it back to photo mode and would take videos instead of pictres.

All in all I love this camera. I don't have any complaints about it yet and I would definitely recommend it! I would also recommend buying a spare battery. The charge holds pretty well but if you are using it a lot in a day it's better to be safe and have a spare just in case. Wouldn't want to miss any great opportunities for a picture!

TO ADD ON:

I recently had my camera at the beach and someone dropped it in the sand. All the cracks had sand in them, so I was a little worried. I just filled my sink with water and sat the camera in in for about 10 minutes, and all the sand just fell off. It's like nothing even happened! I was so happy since my previous camera was ruined by sand.

I bought the Panasonic TS20 digital camera for my trip and was very pleased! The camera is made of mostly metal and feels very solid and durable. It is very compact and fits in my pocket without a problem, a big plus+ for traveling and wanting to avoid carrying a big camera. Also, having this camera made me feel more comfortable about not scratching or damaging it because it is made to be handled without the 'white glove' treatment. I'll get to the main point of having this camera; it does take really nice pictures -outdoors / indoor and with good light. Night time pictures can be a bit tricky and you will have to play with the scene settings. Just like MOST small compact cameras, their strong points are NOT taking pictures in low-light situations. Don't forget, this camera is waterproof and can take picture / video under water. I haven't tried this feature, yet. Will this camera replace a DSLR or micro 4/3 camera? Not quite. It will be a great in taking quick snapshots when you want to go out and not worry about carrying an expensive camera/equipment. For example, going out for dinner with your wife/husband and/or friends.... IMHO you really don't want to be carrying any big camera ( I have a micro 4/3 camera and I think it is sometimes a bit big to carry in certain situations). Did I mention that it fits easily in your pocket? If you are looking for professional photos, this will not meet your needs. If you are looking for a rugged, all-around fun, waterproof and durable camera that takes great pictures, the Panasonic TS20 will fit your needs... especially at a reasonable price. Highly recommended!

Buy Panasonic Lumix TS20 16.1 MP TOUGH Waterproof Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom (Orange) Now

I have to admit, that I wanted to like this camera. It was to replace my old and now, not working, Olympus SW720a precursor to the "tough" cameras. That camera went through a lot and kept working, till the screen went white for no apparent reason, but I digress...

This camera is thin & light. It has a 4x zoom (longer than my old cam). It shoots HD video (not SD like my old cam). It doesn't have a lens cover to jam up on sand, like my old cam. More resolution. Panny's "intelligent resolution" to ensure sharper looking images and "intelligent exposure" to brighten some darker areas. I looked forward to using it.

But the image quality was not up to what I expected. Even bright daylight photos, with a forced flash to fill dark detail, when you look at the photos at 100%the images just get muddy and undefined, they lack the detail I'd expect. In darker situations, image quality deteriorates pretty quickly. I tried forcing the ISO to 100. I tried letting the camera pick everything. I tried dropping the frame size in case it was "interpolating" to a higher resolution. Nothing helped. At best, some images are "nice" but none are great. Some suck. Several wee missed because the camera wasn't focused. I meanon the beach, there's my boy, and the whole shot is out of focus. What did it focus on? I have no idea.

The video is rough and heavily compressed. Audio is "eh." Audio in my old camera was bad too. I guess that's the nature of being an underwater camera. But why is the microphone on TOP of the camera when the lens is capturing something in FRONT of the camera.

Battery lasted one day of occasional shooting, with more photos on the beach, but maybe 50 70 shots (I shoot a lot in a row when the kids are doing something interesting) total before I had to recharge the wafer-thin little battery. I admit the camera is thin, easily pocketable. Convenient. But that extra thinness also made it a bit harder to grip while my hands were wet. I'd prefer something chunkier. Then it could have a bigger battery.

I tried to shoot a couple panoramas with the camera. It stitches and crops the image in the camera and, no matter what I did, the panos are very small. Maybe that's just how they arelower resolution than actual stills. A lot lower resolution. Plus, exposure changes throughout the shot made it look weird. But I was impressed at how well it handled houses that would be "bent" because of the wide angle curve of the lens. Sony's in-camera pano mode has fared worse in this regard, but Sony delivers higher resolution stills and the exposure is locked through the pano. Also, Sony reliably gave me a pano each time (even if the pano sucked). The Panny would error out about half the time because I was going too slow, too fast, whatever. I don't know. As I didn't buy this underwater camera for panos, I don't hold that against the score of the camera.

Lastly, there's two places you really expect to use an underwater camerathe pool & the beach. It was fine in the pool and the wrist lanyard was very good. But at the beach, when you get some sand on your hands because, well, it's THE BEACH... the sand gets under the shutter trigger and, again, I was missing photo opportunities because I couldn't press the damm shutter button. The video button still worked, but why would they not expect that SAND might be present at the most common areas on the planet where there's waterthe beach.

Some vigorous sloshing in the sea while pressing the shutter button worked the sand free and I was able to take more pictures.

Pros:

small, lightweight, thin

waterproof, submersible

shoots HD video, big stills

can force the flash, can compensate the exposure, set spot focus/exposure, manually set ISO

has some scene modes that help a little with dark shots

CONS:

high resolution is lost when you actually look at the stills

video is grainy

a little too thin for my hands

debris can get under the shutter button preventing you from taking a picture

sometimes focuses on... nothing

I really wasn't expecting DSLR-like quality, but I wanted better, and I wanted reliability, not missed shots. So I returned it.

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic Lumix TS20 16.1 MP TOUGH Waterproof Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom (Orange) Here

I got this camera a few months ago after researching waterproof digital cameras and reviews extensively. The price has come down a bit from what I paid, but it was worth every penny. My camera has been in the water in San Diego, Cabo San Lucas, and Maui. It has survived in my boardshorts pocket while:

Surfing heard it knock against my board multiple times

body surfing

swimming in river

jumping off 20 ft waterfall

Have taken video underwater with good quality. This camera is great. Hopefully it will last longer than my previous waterproof cam that was by a different manufacturer, but I didn't properly care for that one. I've been more committed to using the suggested maintenance procedures when using this one, like soaking it in a bowl of water after having it in salt water and keeping the seal clean with the brush they provide. The pictures are sharp and defined high quality.

In 7 days in Cabo I didn't have to recharge the battery once. I expect this camera to last for years.

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I bought this camera for my trip to the Bahamas, and I could not be happier with it. I wanted a camera that I could bring with me into the ocean and on the water riders to capture the memories. The camera lived up to its expectations. My underwater pictures and videos came out great. It was very durable and held up and I went on water slides and rapid rivers. The battery lasts long as well. I used the camera for 5 days straight and still have a charge. I would definitely recommend this camera for someone looking to bring the camera to a beach or water park!

Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

This was one of the first lenses that I purchased with my Rebel XT. Now after taking several thousand pictures with it I can honestly say it was well worth the cost. I very rarely have any unsharp pictures with this lens unless it is my own fault by trying to use too slow of a shutter speed without a tripod.

I also have the 180mm f/3.5L Macro Lens, which costs about 3 times more than this lens, and although it is very clear and the extra reach is nice at times especially since it can be used with both the 1.4X and 2X TC's, it is very difficult to use inside without a tripod. The 60mm can be handheld if needed with very good results even if you have to bump your ISO up a little to do so.

I have also used this lens for both inside and outside portrait work with very nice results.

All-in-all, given it's small size and light weight I very rarely leave this lens behind when I go out because you never know when you might see a great macro shot.

I once thought that macro lenses were too specialized and that I would seldom need something so fine that I could photograph the segments in an insect's eye. That was until I bought this lens.

I use it with a Canon 20D. My other lenses include the 17-85 IS zoom (versatile range but slow and not sharp), the 70-200mm f2.8L non-IS zoom (great for those moderate telephoto needs), and a 50mm f1.8 prime (very good for the price). But the 60mm is now my favorite lens, by a large margin. It's on my camera all the time, and the other lenses spend most of their time in the bag.

It's very sharp; it's not heavy or conspicuous, and it handles fine macro photography or standard walking-around work (though not useful for wider angles).

It's a little unfortunate that it doesn't come with a hood Canon must make a fortune selling those hoods at the prices they charge. I'm probably going to have to buy a hood or hope somebody sees it on my Amazon wish list. It also doesn't come with a case, but if you're keeping the lens in a decent camera bag you don't need a case for the lens.

More important than a hood is some kind of support for camera if you're doing any serious macro photography. With the lens wide open at f2.8 and the subject close to the lens you will only have about 1/4 inch (2-3 mm) of depth-of-field. Your breathing can move the camera enough to ruin your composition or knock the subject out of focus. So I'd suggest investing in some kind of small tripod or a bean bag or something to help hold it still. Of course, you can also boost the ISO and thereby get away with a faster shutter speed, but that's at the expense of a slight loss in quality. Depending on how your pictures are being used, that may or may not be important.

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4 starts because otherwise 5 stars is inevitable:

1) Slow autofocus (hunt at times) but is to be expected of a macro lens.

2) built quality not as solid as expected at this price range.

I bought this lens instead for two purpose: Macro and Portrait! I was thinking of buying the 100mm macro plus 85mm f1.8 but this lens saves me buying two lenses! I have been very happy with it as what it is. I don't do flying insects very much so it is not a problem but that said I was able to get 1:1 shot of a fly, see sample here:

[..]

There are other samples in this gallery here:The large aperture (F2.8) means that one could have shallow DOF and great for low light such as this pic:For portrait, I accidentally took this photo during the London Bombing of a women 'Shocked' by the incident unfolding in the public TV display. It was a coincident that her background inmage was the winning Reuter's photo of Tsunami tragedy and the matching colour of their dresses! I was quite far away so was able to capture her from head to toe:This illustrate the capability of both macro and normal photography using this lens. You will not regret it unless your primary aim is to shoot flying insets where longer 100mm or 150mm macro lenses may be needed in this case.

Read Best Reviews of Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens for Canon SLR Cameras Here

I recently purchased this Canon 60mm f/2.8 macro. The images it produces are sharp, and the color is just awesome. I would say the images are on par with those produced by L-series lenses. The only reason why I give it 4 stars is because it is not built like L-series, but it is still solid enough for heavy use but not abuse. It is mostly plastic on the outside. Many complain that this lens hunts while focusing, ususally in low light. I find this sometimes true, but I've found a work-around. If I know I will take portraits or images farther away, I'll manually pre-focus the lens in that range (near infinity). If I know I'll take macro shots, I'll pre-focus toward the macro side. (This lens doesn't have a focus limiter like the Canon Telephoto zooms.) Then I just let the autofocus mechanism fine tune the focus. Since this lens is so versatile (having the ability to take macro AND far away shots), the autofocus mechanism must rack the optics a lot from near to far. So if your focus starts way off, it takes an extra second for the computer to figure out whether you are trying to focus close or far. So it hunts. I find that a rough pre-focus speeds up the autofocus once you are ready to take the image. Once I pre-focus, the lens has no problem autofocusing even in low light. The 52mm filter size is SO convenient. I can re-use my filters from my manual focus Nikon lenses, and filters of this size are inexpensive. Try pricing a 77mm polarizer and you'll see how expensive those get.

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This lens is my favorite as I keep it on my Rebel XT at all times. I enjoy taking macro close-ups and portrait-type shots, which makes this a great lens for everyday use. It is light-weight and not bulky. My last SLR camera (years ago) was a Minolta with 50mm f/1.8 lens, and various other lenses that I rarely used. I usually don't use a zoom lens due to the extra length and weight. Also, most non-professional zoom lenses are much slower at the closest tele-position due to the higher f/stop. With a fixed focal length of 60mm, I don't mind moving myself toward or away from the subject (not a big deal). The pictures always appear to be sharp with good contrast and color saturation.

My opinion on this lens is: "buy it ... you'll like it".

I did ... and I love it.

Good Luck!

Polaroid Professional Grade Digital SLR and Camcorder Microphone

PRO: Fits hot shoe, plugs right in, powered right up.

CON: Not much better than the OEM mic built into Canon 60D. This is supposed to be in "stereo" but I don't hear it, it sounds like the mono mic on the camera.

OTHER: Makes your camera look PRO'ish.

Mic is great but doesn't pic up very far away. still better than using an internal mic on the camera.

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I got this mike from Amazon about two weeks ago and am completely disappointed in its sound quality. For instance, I attended the Senior Center picnic today which had a live band. I noticed on the playback that the sound of the music was muted and constricted compared to the Sony.

I had a small Sony microphone (ECM-MSD) for years on my Sony and Canon camcorders and it worked perfectly with high fidelity and dynamic rich sound until it went bad. I was surprised when the repair shop told me that Sony doesn't make replacement parts for small items like this. But, nevertheless, I will be returning this unit to be replaced by another Sony.

I have been making movies since VHS came on the market, then moved up to Super-8, standard 8mm, mini-disk and finally memory cards. It seems that each generation gets better.

Except for this item, I have had great luck with Amazon.com in the past.

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I needed a second microphone for my backup video camera (Canon T2i) and this one has performed flawlessly. I use it in alot of loud venues/clubs and it picks up what i need it to often without having to rely on an outboard audio source. My only irk is that it's hard to tell when the battery life is going out. But not a big enough issue to give it less than 5 stars.

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I was getting an external mic for my videos so I could reduce white noise in the background and just get better sound all around instead of the internal mic of my T3i, to my surprise the white noise was still there and it was hard for me to tell a difference between the two, I guess I'll have to take it out and use it more considering I got it today and I was only doing test sound with my voice, although I assume it will do fantastic outdoors, I'll probably be more likely to use it indoors :-/ dissapionted

Nikon COOLPIX L120 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 21x NIKKOR Wide-Angle Optical Zoom Lens and 3-Inch L

For anyone looking at getting a decent, mid-level point-and-shoot with the look and feel of an SLR, the Nikon Coolpix L120 is by far the best choice, even with its few shortcomings!

As a semi-professional photographer who primarily shoots film (but is slowly converting to digital) I always have kept at least a digital P&S camera with me to get those "quick" shots that I can't get because of the time involved in setting up the shot in an SLR. My previous camera, the Minolta DiMAGE S414 had been getting long in the tooth and was starting to glitch. A friend gave me his Nikon Coolpix E5200 and I was immediately hooked on Nikon's legendary imaging quality. However, the 5-megapixel sensor in the Coolpix E5200 was short of what I truly needed, so the same friend who gave me the E5200 also let me try out his Coolpix L110. I was blown away with how well the photos turned out! In my quest to buy my own Coolpix L110, I had heard back in February that Nikon was releasing the Coolpix L120, with a 2-megapixel increase over the L110 and several new features. Having read the first reviews of the camera, it seemed like a sure winner, so I took the plunge on March 14th of this year and secured one for myself.

Instantly, I was hooked on it. Right out of the box, this camera is a winner! The settings, user-interface, the sleek design and the nifty zoom selector on the lens barrel makes this camera worth every penny. In the short time I have owned it, I have already taken approximately 1,200 photos with it; everything from nature, bridges, even the sun! (with a solar filter, of course). And with its fantastic 21x optical zoom, I can photograph a car at more than a quarter-mile away and be able to clearly read its license plate!

The only drawback I can see is that Nikon has left out the ability to manually control your aperture and shutter speed settings (instead, leaving that for the Nikon Coolpix P500 which I was unimpressed with). However, those small shortcomings are overwhelmed by the simplicity this camera offers. Itching to get into Panorama photography, without the need for an expensive SLR with built-in panorama stitching? Consider it done! With this camera's Panorama-Assist feature (which overlays a small portion of the image onto the screen for the next shot to be composed), and the supplied Arcsoft Panorama Maker Pro 5 software, Panorama-style photography has never been more affordable. Looking to enhance photos with HDR-like color clarity? Consider that done, also! This camera supplies with it built-in D-Lighting that preserves the color intensity of an image yet bringing out the details otherwise hidden within dark shadows. Also supplied, incase you don't want to edit your images in-camera, is Nikon's own View NX-2, which not only includes D-lighting enhancement filters, it also offers a host of other image-editing capabilities!

In short, this camera has the competition beat! I would recommend it (I have the black version) over anything else.

I purchased the Nikon L120 about a month ago in preparation for a trip we were taking to California. Although I was impressed by several of the features I read about, such as the extended zoom and pseudo-dslr design, I still had some concerns about a couple of features such as the complaints about focusing and lack of manual controls. After shooting about 200 pictures, I am happy to report that I will be keeping the camera.

I'll address my concerns about the reported concerns others expressed. First was the concern over focus. At one point, the camera was having trouble focusing on a shot of the sea and horizon. Everything was blurry and only items within 20-30 ft. would be in focus. I tried several different modes, including landscape and beach, but it did not cure the problem. At that point, I decided to just turn it off and turn it back on and that solved the problem. There must be some issue with the algorithms which pick certain items to focus, but the old "off and on" trick fixed it and I had no other problems, even under similar circumstances. The other issue was of the lack of manual modes. Except for the focus issue, I had no problems with exposure under any conditions, inside, outside, bright lights, dim, flash, portraits, etc.

Now onto the good things. Battery life is very good. I took over 200 pictures with regular alkaline batteries. Although I had lithium batteries ready to go, it has not been necessary to use them. With battery life that good and the fact that it uses 4 AA batteries, I don't think I"ll go to the expense of lithium batteries.

I really like the form factor of the camera. The bulge on the right side is very handy and you can hold it securely with only a couple of fingers. Taking the lense cap on and off is annoying, especially when you forget to take it off after you power it up. However, it's no more annoying than it was in the old days of analog cameras. Also with the plain old lense cap, there are no concerns with sand jamming up exterior shutters. The camera is too large to fit in your shirt pocket but not too big to fit in a coat pocket or purse/backpack. I think it's an acceptable compromise on size. Zoom is excellent. Seals which were several hundred yards away looked like we were right on top of them. I did not experience any shutter lag, although I have not used the camera in burst or sports mode yet. Video mode is about what you would expect for a hand held camera. OK, not great, but works well enough for that quick video when you need more than a still camera.

To sum it up, I like the battery life, picture quality, good assortment of modes, adequate flash range and fantastic zoom. The camera definitely has a few quirks but ones I decided I can live with. I give it a solid 9 out of 10.

Buy Nikon COOLPIX L120 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 21x NIKKOR Wide-Angle Optical Zoom Lens and 3-Inch L Now

Bought this camera and loved the ease of operation and picture quality. I also have the Panasonic DMC-FZ35, which is VERY complicated. I needed something simpler. I learned to use this Nikon after only 1 hour of reading the manual (compared to months still trying to figure out the Panasonic). Was easy getting great pictures. Smile detection and Pet mode worked terrific. Unfortunately, my primary reason for this type of hybrid camera, is for the convenience of camera and HD video in one unit. Video quality on this unit is well below average. I compared it to my Panasonic no comparison. The Panasonic's video was smooth and clear, the Nikon grainy and jerky. I really wanted to keep this camera for it's ease of use and picture quality, but the poor video quality ultimately caused me to return it. Until I find an easy to use camera with good picture and video, I'll continue with the months of trying to figure out the Panasonic.

PROS: Ease of use, great pictures, smile detection, pet mode, easy to understand manual, price.

CONS: Poor video quality

Read Best Reviews of Nikon COOLPIX L120 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 21x NIKKOR Wide-Angle Optical Zoom Lens and 3-Inch L Here

I recieved this camera just a couple of days ago. Wow what a fantastic surprise! My two previous digital cameras were a Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ10 which I purchased in 2009 for a bicycle tour. While the camera had a lot of good things going for it a couple of problems stuck out which I could not tolerate. 1st and foremost it was very poor in bad lighting and the flash did not compinsate. 2nd..it really needed to be held steady any movement created a blurry picture. Declining light only made the issue worse. My other digital is a Nikon Coolpix 4300 which I bought 6 or 7 years ago to handle an online website. I love that camera, great pictures. good in bad light, not much zoom capability but could deal with that. The big problem...It was designed with an odd memory card which is hard to get and did not hold as much as comparable cameras today. I still use this camera for my website.

Good luck with Nikon and poor luck with Lumix I decided to chance another Nikon. Wow again..quick focus, Holds a common SD card, great zoom capabilities, and best of all it opperates very well in poor light conditions, in fact I forced a poor light condition under my desk with no flash and worked beyond belief! Add to those good reviews the fact they have redesigned the zoom key and placed it on the left side on the lens (can you say 35mm like)long, long, long over due.

If your thinking about one...make the plunge. A+A+A+

Want Nikon COOLPIX L120 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 21x NIKKOR Wide-Angle Optical Zoom Lens and 3-Inch L Discount?

I couldn't wait until this camera was released and it was worth the wait! I love how it looks, the bronze is beautiful, and it sits well in my hand. It felt comfortable from the very first holding. I like how the lens cap attaches--can never get lost, but not in my way either. Easy to use right out of the box. After reading the comments on it's predecessor the Nikon L100 and L110, I did two things immediately. I used fresh lithium batteries instead of the ones it came with, and I, after a few too many blurry photos, upped the ISO. The photos are fabulous so far! I am enjoyed playing around with the black and white setting and got some stunning results, just from sitting in my chair indoors, focising on ordinary items and my dog in my living room! I'm having fun experimenting with the different settings in the menu and recently took some very interesting night shots on my street. Macro is stunning. I found some great cases at Target and Walmart, but the one I bought fits so nicely is a small Lowenpro, it was under $20 with room enough for the camera with strap, and a little pouch for an extra set of batteries. I cannot comment on the video, as I have not used this feature yet. I've only had this bronze beauty for two weeks but so far I am very impressed!