Sigma SD14 14MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

The SD10 had problems. The battery charge system was just weird. The camera was not up to the hype when light was poor. But the images with good light were stunning. So it was with some angst, sustained by a delayed product release, that I opened my camera SD14. Very early on I knew I had a problem in that the camera hung... motion? But I got off some really spectacular images before sending it to NY repairs. They got it back quickly. I suspect something loose.

Well the images are simply wonderful. Just so you know, I have cameras at 5 & 6 times the price considered high end professional. I can get lots more pixels, but the color quality is not better.

The real test was low light. All the digital cameras fail in low light. So just a matter of how bad. OK, something is new here. This camera is far better in dim light than the SD10. When it starts to fail to low light the images become blotchy like camoflage rather than sandy as the GRGB cameras tend.

The SD14 X3F RAW images do well in Adobe's new Lightroom, and interestingly with the many controls for image modification in that program, there are none that set this camera aside (for punishment for being different).

The SD10 used a 1 GByte card but did not take larger. I tested the SD14 on 1 Gig (mechanical IBM type) and on 2 Gig, and 4 Gig, and 8 Gig CFII cards. Though, beware, some cards do badly with certain cameras across the board. So, I cannot say that ALL CFII's are OK. But I was able to find cards that worked a large range of memory capacity.

The camera saves images as RAW or JPEG. You can select two "color spaces", sRGB or AdobeRGB. I found that odd. Why not a 16 bit option? I suspect that is simply understood for RAW.

The booklet that comes with the camera may be the clearest such booklet of any camera. There were a few minor areas where referring the user to other sources seemed lazy(C1----v C2----v C3----v for camera strobes might be obvious to those who have these but ought to be explained to those who don't and maybe might want to).

Also the SD14 can shoot "tethered" a huge fact that gets barely any mention other than an arrow pointing at the port. Those who do that, know, but maybe some need to learn how?

The camera body is nicely shaped, the controls are very logical, and shooting is easy.

There is something about the color. The SD10 drove me nuts because I had to charge batteries in shifts (they didn't all fit in the charger at once... grrrr). I almost dismissed this camera from that experience alone. The low light limits of the SD10 were also hard to take. But, that color. Seems even better in the SD14. It is not like other cameras. Just isn't. Very pleasing rich deep textural color.

So, down side? Well Sigma is not a magnet for lenses made by other manufacturers. So you will probably be a Sigma all the way person. But the Sigma lenses I used were quite good and cost way way less than other brands. There is a specific flash kind for the flash shoe. So, maybe your current flash might not work? The built-in flash, does what built in flashes do.

The SD14 battery system is quite nice. There is a built-in dust protector to assist lens swaps very nice.

Want to do very high end photography with a wide array of lenses without going broke? Look at this model.

I own this camera and it is true that it isn't the most elegant body on the planet, nor is it feature rich. It struggles at high ISO settings and its LCD display is sub-par. The fps speed is slow and it takes a long time to write to the CF card from the buffer. You are stuck with Sigma lenses and I can't say that the 14.1 MP rating is s true 14.1 MP. But at the end of the day, when used for what it is intended to take pictures it produces the most beautiful and stunningly real, film like, dynamic, true color results. If you want features and functionality but lower quality pictures, go ahead and buy another camera, one without a Foveon sensor. If your after the best digital pictures available, shoot with the different cameras and review the results in a blind test. Chances are you will be a Sigma owner like me. That is what I did and I chose the Sigma.

Buy Sigma SD14 14MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Now

I've owned the SD9 and now the SD14. The only two lenses I own for the SD are the Sigma 150/EX Macro and the 10-20/EX zoom. I shoot predominately Canon (1Ds/2, 1D/2, 30D and assorted lenses) but have a soft spot for the Foveon X3 technology, which produces a "look" that is difficult to replicate using a non-X3 "CFA" sensor (the type used in all other dSLRs).

First, don't be caught up in the various hyperbolic statements by Foveon/Sigma marketing and X3 zealots. The SD14 is really a 4.5 (not 14) megapixel camera. Photographs are two-dimensional (flat) representations. An 8x10 photo is still 8x10 even when you stack three red, green, and blues ones on top of each other. The SD14 has "only" 4.5MP in an X/Y space, which is all that matters. It's *how* the SD14 captures each one of those pixels that gives it an advantage over cameras with similar resolution. When it comes to resolving detail, the SD14 is roughly equivalent to the current crop of 8-10MP digital SLRs, and due to the unique nature of how its sensor captures those details gives it an edge to some believers. I like to use the SD for macro and some landscape photography, but since my acquisition of the 16MP Canon 1Ds Mk2 the SD14 has gotten little use. The SD14 easily matches both of my 8MP 1D/2 and 30D for both genres of photography, and in some ways produces images more to my personal tastes, but the 1Ds is clearly superior (as it should be for an $8,000 camera body).

If you like the unique results the SD14 is capable of, and your style of photography does not require advanced features like fast shooting, a high-performance AF system, and some other features found in most competing brands then the SD may be just the thing for you. Since landscapes don't run around and most macro subjects don't either it is perfect for these tasks -especially at its current low price around $800. However, if your photography style is mixed and you may just as frequently find yourself capturing quick, fleeting subjects, or you need a deep buffer with a fast frame rate (ie: a responsive camera) then the SD14 is definitely NOT the body for you. The autofocus (AF) system is generations behind those in even the low end of modern dSLRs such as the Nikon D80 or Canon 40D, and leagues behind the current crop of high performance offerings like the Canon 1D or Nikon D3 or D300 series.

In short, most 10MP cameras can and do offer more compelling features, etc with likewise similar image quality, but for a narrow set of parameters the Foveon-equipped SD14 brings a "uniqueness" to the image capture that no other camera can offer. If that is your primary criteria then I can recommend the SD14. Unfortunately, much of this advantage evaporates once the image is put to print.

So, thumbs up if you're a landscape or macrophile. Otherwise the average customer would be better served by most of the more capable brands' offerings.

Read Best Reviews of Sigma SD14 14MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Here

I own a Canon 5D and Nikon D3 and my Sigma SD14's image quality is on par with both of these cameras.

However,...

... it does have a few shortfalls. Such as:

1. In low light conditions,... shadows will have "blotchy" noise and speckles of magenta compared to the same shot taken with a 5D/D3 at the same ISO settings. This can even happen in daylight conditions where there is a very wide dynamic range. The SD14 will expose correctly for the image, but the deep shadows will at times fail to render details in the shadows and those blotchy/magenta characteristics will appear.

2. Poorer AWB in mixed lighting than the 5D/D3.

3. Small buffer. If you need to keep up with action (sports, etc..), then you will be disappointed that after a burst of 6-8 shots the camera will lock up and take 5-20 seconds to write all that data to the card. And faster CF cards won't help. It is the buffer. The fact is that the processing is complicated and does not process quickly for fast shooting environments. Yes it will shoot 3fps, but the buffer is so small that you only get a little over a handful of shots and then the camera needs time to process that burst.

The positives?

1. ISO 50-200 in daylight conditions is spectacular. I prefer the SD14 over my 5D/D3 up to 200 ISO.

2. Image sharpness is amazingly crisp and has a 3D type feel that you can only appreciate if you have shot with this camera and a Canon/Nikon in the same shooting conditions. I have done so from the same tripod to compare shots taken with similar lenses in the same lighting conditions and can attest to the differences.

3. You can use Canon speedlites to use within wireless ETTL setups. I have two Sigma EF 500 DG flash units and three Canon 580EX II speedlights. I set the Canon's to ETTL slaves and the two sigma's to wireless and then the camera to wireless. You can set all of the flash units to either channel 1, 2 or 3, then match that with the camera's channel output to fire off all the flashes. The camera meters properly using this mix of flash units. I found all this out by accident. I was testing out the 5D and wireless flash setup VS. the SD14 and wireless flash setup. I had left the 2 Canon speedlights on while I fired off the SD14's and expected only the sigma EF 500 DG units to fire. The canons did as well and the SD14 metered for all four properly.

I'd have to go further into details to review all the pros and cons. I'll just say that as a 5D and D3 owner, the SD14 can hang in image quality. And in good daylight environments I prefer it to the IQ of either the 5D or D3. The SD14 is at a minimum, on par with both respectively and often trumps those two when lighting is strong.

Also, the dynamic range of the SD14 seems to be wider than reported. I don't know why. In lightroom I'm amazed at the amount of details I can recover in the highlights VS. 5D/D3. Maybe it is the fact that because the SD14 captures R,G,B on each pixel, those hightlights are of better quality and it is able to pull those details out of the highlights for that reason. I don't know. It just "is what it is".

Well worth the purchase. The far lower price point makes up for it's low light performance. Using flash or strong daylight environments, the SD14 can hang with ANY $2000-$5000 DSLR.

Want Sigma SD14 14MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Discount?

I will start the review with a disclaimer that I had the chance to beta-test this camera before release; That also means I have had a few months experience in shooting with the camera.

I will start out with a little history. A few years ago, Sigma released the SD-9 and SD-10 digital cameras. They were widely hailed to have excellent image quality, but the trouble for some buyers was that the cameras did not have some convinced features that other cameras offered, like in-camera JPEG or on-camera flash, and so they went on to other systems.

Fast forward to today and the SD-14. Sigma has addressed all the little aspects of usability and features that people have asked for, like in-camera JPEG, on camera flash, PC-Sync socket, and many other little features. But best of all, in addition to adding more resolution, they also improved the image quality from the sensor even further the camera has even more dynamic range, and much better high ISO support than before with everything up to 800 working really well and even 1600 being usable. This is a camera with a feature set that just about anyone can make use of, and leave the choice of the body to image quality rather than body features.

When considering a camera like the SD-14, it really is important to understand the difference the Foveon sensor makes as this camera really is different than any other camera on the market today. Look at sample images (look at full-size sample images, not shrunken down web versions!). Read about the Foveon sensor. The use that information to make up your mind if this is the right camera for you. For fine art work or landscapes, I'm really not sure there is anything better.

Sigma deserves a lot of credit for daring to continue updating the camera line with this unique sensor in a market full of otherwise very similar choices (except for Fuji, props there).

You can read more here about the Foveon and Bayer sensors compared in terms of detail captured and the information about resolution charts you should know:And you can find full-size sample images either on the Sigma-sd14.com web site or here in the user galleries:

NEC Display Solutions NP-M300XS 1024 x 768 3000 Lumens LCD Short Throw Projector 2000:1

I've purchased 2 of these units. One for work and one for my church. This is a really nice projector! The short throw lens has finally allowed me to mount a projector in a location that was impossible before. The specs on this projector state the largest screen diameter is 100" diagonal can't be mounted farther than approx. 3 feet from the screen. For my church I'm using this to display a 130" diagonal image about 5 feet back. I can't get the sides of the image completely straight but it's very close and hardly noticeable by anything less than a trained eye. The unit I've placed in the board room at work is mounted 3 feet away from the screen and mounted very close to the ceiling. Presenters never get blinded by the light or get in the way of the image because it's mounted a couple inches from the top of the ceiling.

With short throw projectors like this the lumens needed can be quite a bit less because it's mounted so close to the screen. For my church we almost bought a 8000 lumens projector for $8500 mounted 13 feet from the screen. With this NEC projector we could have bought 8 of them for the same price and the brightness is acceptable in a room with a lot of light pollution. If your situation allows for any sort of way to reduce the light on a bright sunny day this projector mounted a few feet from the screen will project very nice bright image.

NOTE: Our church has floor to ceiling windows on both sides with no curtains to stop the light as well as bright stage lights so finding a projector bright enough was quite a challenge. This unit did the trick for us. Ideally we'd like more lumens as some pictures that are a bit dark and/or with dark skinned people do not display that well but for the price this can't be beat.

The best LCD I have ever bought. Looks great on my 14' screen.I highly recommend it. Buy one. You'll like it.

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Own 4 of these units.

Use them for my entertainment company.

Great short throw and nice quality for a nice price.

I do own some SHARP models, but this one is the shortest throw and bright colors.

Read Best Reviews of NEC Display Solutions NP-M300XS 1024 x 768 3000 Lumens LCD Short Throw Projector 2000:1 Here

Canon Powershot A410 3.2MP Digital Camera with 3.2x Optical Zoom

Sample pictures at (snipurl com jfki) replace the spaces with a dot and a forwardslash. bandwidth maybe refreshes every hour.

Pros:

mostly over the a510:

·The video mode although choppy is still a few fps(frames per second) better than the a510.

·Auto white balancing occurs during video recording which the a510 doesn't have and it also allows you to zoom 2x while recording.

·Very fast menu navigation and picture viewing. A lot faster than the a510.

·Better shot to shot times(without flash) than the a510.

·Although it is still at USB 1.1 speed, this time Canon got it right with making the plug and play hardware standards compliant with Windows. Basically meaing when you plug the camera in your USB port, windows will show it as a drive letter allowing you to copy the pictures over to your computer without any additional software unlike the a510 which requires you to use Canon's own propietary software.

·Very slick rectangular design, curved edges, and a dark silver color, with all the buttons perfectly in the right place(if your right handed).

·Seems to conserve a lot less battery power than the a510 especially when recording videos witch the a510 would drain at.

·Battery life seems to just go on forever if you don't use the flash.

·Very sufficient manual controls for an entry level camera

Cons:

·I found the a510 , although slower, to be slighty better in picture quality because of more manual control available and less purple fringing than the a410.

·The LCD is smaller, but because of the faster digic II processor you can quickly zoom-in and pan the pictures very very fast.

ONE OF THE BEST FEATURES:

Canon included a feature not found in many entry level cameras. It is a feature I use very often in different indoor to outdoor environments. It is the EVALUATE WHITE BALANCE. Just place the small rectangle in the LCD view on what is supposed to be white and hit set and the a410 automatically adjusts the picture respectively. This drastically improves pictures taken in indoor lowlight environments so much that you don't even have to use the flash in less than adequatly lit rooms. It also keeps the your white walls looking white and not yellow. This improves indoors and night shots but you should still consider putting the camera on a solid surface and set the timer to 3 secs in order to avoid any potential blurring from trembling hands. This feature also doesn't show 'natural' whites but it is still very much pleasant.

I purchased this camera new after discounts for $100 + tax + shipping and for the price difference, smooth operation, high performance, and convenience in hookup/operation compared to the a510 it outweighs the minimal picture quality difference.

By far the best entry level digital camera currently on the market.

Please take few seconds to view the sample images or rate my review if it was helpful. Thanks.

This is a superb camera at an unbelievable price. The camera body is very attractive, it's light and portable, and the controls are very easy and intuitive to use. 3.2MP is more than enough for very high quality prints, though I did add a 512k card. Don't get all caught up with worrying about 3mp vs 5mp vs 7mp unless you plan to print lots of poster size images. Now I can take and store 400 pictures on one battery charge with the LCD on. Simply amazing technology.

I compared all kinds of cameras under $500, and this one not only does everything I need, but it's very affordable. This will keep me happy for many years to come. Now what to do with all the $$$ I saved...

Update: June 2008 I still love this camera and continue to use it frequently.

Update: May 2010 I still love this camera and see no reason to upgrade, it rocks! This baby has now been around the world and taken amazing shots everywhere, day and night.

Thank you Cannon! We need more companies like you instead of the usual cyclical consumption greedy bastard, engineered failure garbage that we usually get at WalMart.

I'm a Cannon fan for life because of this amazing camera.

Buy Canon Powershot A410 3.2MP Digital Camera with 3.2x Optical Zoom Now

This relatively new (August 2005) camera is a very interesting offering from Canon, one of the top makers of digicams. As you can see from the other comments here, there are lots of positive things to say about it, given its very reasonable price.

So it will be a great camera for lots of people, especially those new to digital photography. But it has some key features that you might not notice, so be sure to consider these points:

At 4.1 x 2 x 1.6 in, this is not a tiny camera, though not large by any means.

The wide angle only goes to the equivalent of 41mm lots of other cameras go to 35mm. You will likely notice, some of the time, that you have a hard time getting everything into the shot.

Even with the great Canon lenses and electronics, the picture quality won't equal that of other cameras, as this uses a very tiny sensor chip to pick up the images.

This won't be a great camera in low light. The "fastest" ISO setting is 200.

Not a huge point, but it doesn't have an especially high quality video mode. (The silver lining, you probably won't need a high speed memory card!)

The LCD is a little small by current standards, at 1.5"

The camera uses standard size batteries. Some prefer that to buying proprietary battery packs, but it does mean you'll have to buy some NiMH (not NiCad) rechargeable batteries, and a charger, and carry them when you travel.

Being able to get a new Canon at this price is a great option, just be sure it's right for you. If you're still using a film camera, and paying for film developing and prints you don't want, it will probably pay for itself!

Read Best Reviews of Canon Powershot A410 3.2MP Digital Camera with 3.2x Optical Zoom Here

I picked out and received the Canon PowerShot A410 as a Christmas gift. I wanted a low to mid priced digital camera with optical zoom and the Canon PowerShot had the features I wanted at the right price. It is my first real digital camera and considering the price it has definitely exceeded my expectations.

Setup was easy and without hassle. There is a basic and an advanced manual and the basic one is all you should need to look at to get started taking pictures, even if you are not familiar with digital cameras. You can read the advanced manual later when you are ready to try other features of the camera.

The display is small, but still easy to read (and I am legally blind with 20/200 vision.) In playback mode you can zoom to 10x to check the quality and clarity of your pictures. Menu and setting text is sharp and easy to read. Some of the icons are a bit small, but when you change a non-text setting, like the flash, the icon is briefly shown larger before shrinking and moving to the corner of the screen.

There are 4 resolutions and with each you can choose either Super Fine, Fine or Normal. The Super Fine setting is the best quality and Normal allows you to take more pictures. The resolution sizes and the average number of pictures you can take with the included 16MB card are: (2048x1536 SF=9, F=16, N=33), (1600x1200 SF=14, F=26, N=50), (1024x768 SF=25, F=45, N=80) and (640x480 SF=56, F=88, N=138.) There is also a 1600x1200 postcard mode which includes the ability to embed a time/date stamp on the picture.

In addition to the 3.2 optical zoom, there is a 3.2(approximate) digital zoom. Digital zoom is off by default so you have to turn it on. When its on you can zoom to 10x. The first 3.2x of the zoom is optical, then the zoom pauses for a second and the rest up to 10x is digital. The 3.2x digital zoom is also available in the macro mode which doesn't have optical zoom.

There are several pre-defined modes for taking pictures in daylight, night, etc. And there are also some interesting effects available. One that I like is color swap which lets you substitute one color with another. It can for example let you change the color of your carpeting while leaving everything else (of different colors) the same. It works pretty well, though sometimes shades of colors like brown and red are treated the same.

There are 3 video modes to choose from. None have audio. The modes are: 640 x 480 x 10 fps, 320 x 240 x 20 fps and 160 x 120 x 15 fps. In the 640 x 480 mode you can zoom digitally to 2x while recording. Approximate recording times with the 16MB card are 640x480: 23 seconds, 320x240: 33 seconds and 160x120: 1 minute 47 seconds. With a larger memory card you can record videos up to 3 minutes in length.

For the most part, the default settings were right for the photos I take. I have found that changing the ISO setting from the default of 50 to "Auto" takes pictures which have more accurate lighting. I also use the White Balance Evaluation for some pictures. See the example (with the Furby) that I posted to see comparison pictures taken with and without white balance. Usually White Balance is not needed, but for some photos it makes a big difference.

Some cautions and cons:

You should put the camera in playback mode when it is turned off. If not and you accidently turn it on the lens will try to extend, even if in the packaging. I saw no mention of this in the manual, but discovered it myself the first time I was putting the camera away. There did not appear to be any permanent harm, however the camera did beep when it couldn't fully extend the lens.

As others have mentioned, the highest ISO speed setting is 200, which makes it difficult to take pictures in low light conditions without the flash and without a tripod (or very steady hands!)

Battery usage does seem a bit fast, especially when the camera is connected to the computer. The manual suggests getting the AC adapter for when connecting the camera to the computer which I may do. The first time I get the low battery warning on a set of batteries has always been just after having the camera connected to the computer.

The included 16MB memory card is probably too small for most people, especially if you want to take videos. But memory cards are relatively cheap, so get a 128 or 256 MB card and you can take plenty of pictures and videos.

Want Canon Powershot A410 3.2MP Digital Camera with 3.2x Optical Zoom Discount?

Canon produces reliable cameras that don't eat batteries like some of the other brands, and the A410 is simple for beginners but has enough options to grow with, including a fair zoom (x3) and a macro setting for super close ups. Its small though only fairly slim, a tad thicker than a pack of cigarettes, so it won't slide in your front pants pocket but it will fit. Avoid the expensive kit you'll get offered, instead get a less expensive AA battery charger and buy the case by itself if you want one. An extra Memory card is a nice option if you are away from your computer on vacation and want to store a lot of photos but the included card is fine for around home. If you have a Mac the Canon will load photos right away into iPhoto without having to load the included software.

Deluxe DB ROTH Accessory STARTER KIT For The Flip Video Ultra, UltraHD, Ultra 2nd Generation Camcor

All the stuff included is very useful and neccesary for keeping your pictures/videos looking good. The service was great and i hope to make more orders from them!

Low price. I love my kit, having two tripods comes in handy, one is tall, and one is short, perfect for all applications! The Carrier bad is the perfect size to fit everything!

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I got my husband this for Christmas to go with his camera. The shipping was fast. Packaged neatly. All the parts work well and it was a great deal.

Read Best Reviews of Deluxe DB ROTH Accessory STARTER KIT For The Flip Video Ultra, UltraHD, Ultra 2nd Generation Camcor Here

I bought this starter kit as a gift for a person receiving a flip Camera. The tripod and bag alone are worth the cost. The large tripod is a heavy duty, easy to carry around and is sturdier than my other tripod I bought alone. The mini tripod I am not sure if they will use but nice to know it is there if needed. The bag to carry everything in is nice as you can not only put the items for the camera, but if you have another camera or misc, it will hold all of it.

Want Deluxe DB ROTH Accessory STARTER KIT For The Flip Video Ultra, UltraHD, Ultra 2nd Generation Camcor Discount?

This Deluxe DB Roth Accessory starter kit works perfectly for my Flip Video UltraHD camera, and even included extra accessories that I can use for other electronics. The kit components are all high quality, either Polaroid or another high-end brand, well-made and do their intended job. It is probably impossible to get a better deal than this and so, with free SUPER SAVER shipping from Amazon, how could you pass this up? ❤ it! I bought it with Raw Organic Cocoa Nibs (16 oz) by CBH and, with the *free* SUPER SAVER shipping, paid less than I would have otherwise (you can buy this product and pay shipping, but it makes more sense to combine products that offer SUPER SAVER shipping and save). Happy filming~*

Nikon D5200 W/ 18-55mm AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens + Sigma 70-300mm Zoom Lens + Case + 32GB + Filte

I purchased this package a little over a year ago. It came with two Li rechargeable batteries. One was from Nikon, but the second was not. The second one fit too tightly, and I had to sandpaper it down a little to make it fit. I was using it recently when it ran out of juice much too soon. When I went to remove it from the camera it was so snug that I had to use a pocket knife to get it out. This is a sure sign that the battery is going bad. In retrospect, I now believe that it had begun failing when I received it. I can't help but feel that I had been sent a used (possibly reconditioned) battery. Other than that, the camera and other accessories were as advertised.

LOVE this camera!! I was undecided for a long time...between Nikon and Cannon and then all the different types of cameras. I made the right descision!! It is perfect! I priced around and this package is well worth the money....

Buy Nikon D5200 W/ 18-55mm AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens + Sigma 70-300mm Zoom Lens + Case + 32GB + Filte Now

Always wanted to jump into a DSLR Csmera. Intimidating to purchase from the multitude of products.

As always when you buy you find those "why not this" choices, like the Nikon D90...cheaper etc etc but side by side comparisons I still prefer the D5000 and what i paid for this package.

Read Best Reviews of Nikon D5200 W/ 18-55mm AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens + Sigma 70-300mm Zoom Lens + Case + 32GB + Filte Here

Sony DSCS75 Cyber-shot 3MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

What can I say? I really like this camera! I'm a 35mm photo-hobbiest that previously owned/used a Mavica FD-81, and was looking for something that was smaller, faster, and took cleaner pictures. I originally was looking at the S50, but with that model on it's way out (being replaced by the S55 possibly, depending on sales of the P50...I'm told), I looked into (and bought) this model.

This camera may actually begin to replace my 35mm. First off, the camera's lens takes some excellent pictures: clarity, color, etc. Combined with the tons of manual override features, it gives me the visual control I found lacking in other models (you can even disable the digital zoom altogether, a big feature for me). And the LCD capabilities also stand out against the competitors: (1) you don't have to use it (a view window is provided, which is centered to the lens...so you really get what you see) and this almost triples your battery life, and (2) LCD image review allows you to zoom in/out of pictures to verify that you got the details you were looking for. Expansion speaking, Sony uses the memory stick technology in their cameras (I can share my 64 MB sticks between my mp3 player and this), it has a slot to attach a more professional model flash, and the camera lens supports add-ons. As well, the speed is phenominal it takes the pictures quick...and you don't have to half-press the button to focus before you take the pic...just press once and it'll auto-focus and take the picture on it's own.

There are only two real downsides of note to the S75: (1) size and (2) ease of image distribution. There are a lot of cameras out there that are both smaller and lighter; however, I found this model to have the same size and feel as my Nikon 35mm, so that didn't bother me. As well, I miss being able to use the straight-to-disk feature of the Mavica. Also, beware out of the box it's set to 2048x1536 fine (which will blow up to poster-size without pixilating, BTW) which will eat up the 8MB stick in about 5 pics...reducing it down to 1280x960 let me fit a lot more before I upgraded my memory stick.

If size and weight is your ultimate selling point, take a look at the P1 or the P50; but if you want the pictures and the control of a real 35mm, this is definitely the camera for you.

This camara is NOT for somebody that want to just take a few snapshots every once and a while to stick on a web page, and maybe make a print once in a blue moon for a really good shot. If you want something like that, there are camaras that are smaller, lighter, cheaper, and easier to use.

This camara is NOT for somebody who is a photo fanatic. If you want razor-sharp prints the size of posters, or if you want to take pictures of hummingbirds in flight, there are camaras that have interchangeable lenses, higher resolution and better image controls.

If you are semi-serious about your photography, require a good lens, decent control over the photos, and spectacular batter life, this camara is an excellent value.

Equipped with an excellent (if bulky) Zeiss lens, this camara can produce much better pictures than other three (and even four) mega-pixel camaras that only have tiny, small things. One thing you must remember is that mega-pixels are useless if the lens cannot deliver detail that fine to the camara. This lens can. The 3MP it has will do just fine for any size print up to and including 8x10's.

The user interface for the camara is simple enough, which makes up for the somewhat lousy manual. My only complaint about the controls is that the cursor movement button is hard to center correctly. This is a minor point, as I have never had it cause a problem other than me having to hit the button twice.

The pictures are razor sharp and the camara is capable of perfect white balance. (For those that don't know, bad white balance is what causes some pictures under flourescent light to look green, and incadescents look yellow.) All you have to do to adjust it to perfect every time is to keep a white index card in your camara case and then use the "one touch" balance control to re-calibrate it in a couple of seconds.

You can make small movies with this unit, but they aren't suitable for anything but posting to the web. Let's face it, this isn't a camcorder.

The included rechargable lithium battery is more than enough for a full day or two of shooting, but if you won't have access to a car or electrical outlet, it could be a problem, since it isn't a AA you can pick up at any corner store. (That means that you can't use this camara for your 10-week trek through the wilderness.)

This camara includes only an insultingly small 8 MB memory stick. However, I believe that everyone with a 3MP camara should own a 128MB chip, and NO camara maker includes one that big. Buy one when you buy the camara. Since other manufacturers besides Sony now make them, they are very reasonably priced.

You can buy accessories like a flash, an adapter for 52mm filters, additional lenses, etc., but the cheaper non-sony brands are tough (but not impossible) to find.

The included software (MGI Photosuite) is not really that good, but not bad for a bundled package. I reccommend, and use, Microsoft Picture It! Digital Image Pro.

All in all, for the price this camara costs, it is the best available and has no competition.

P.S. If you have windows XP, you MUST change the USB Transfer mode from the default. If you don't, it won't work. See the manual and the sony website for details.

Buy Sony DSCS75 Cyber-shot 3MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom Now

The image quality of the Sony has lived up to my high expectations; it is incredible. As a long-time amateur 35mm photographer and professional graphic artist, I really wanted a true digital SLR digital (couldn't afford $3k with lenses), but as a digital rangefinder, I am giving away very little with the DSC-S75. The manual mode combined with available spot metering gives me the control I need, and the controls are very easy to set much easier than on most film SLR's. The overall size is small, but the rubber grip gives me a good place to hold it steady. Compared to the Nikon 995, the build quality is obviously superior. The heft of the controls is superb, and the materials are first-rate. The Nikon feels like it is made by Fisher Price. The image quality of the Sony is crisper and the colors truer, to boot. Tell me again why the Nikon is more expensive. The battery lasts a LONG time. It lasted more than 2 hours with the LCD on the whole time and with a lot of flash use. I had presupposed that I'd need a second battery, but I am sure I will get tired of shooting before this camera does on any given shoot.

I will list my quibbles here in hopes that Sony might see them and rectify them, but they by no means outweigh my extreme satisfaction with this camera.

Quibbles:

*Needs more white balance presets For now I use the one-push calibration, but if you don't have a gray card or a sheet of paper handy, more than 2 measly presets would be nice.

*AF lock is awkward to use It works, but not well at all. You have to push a button to lock focus AFTER releasing the shutter button from its halfway down position, and you risk the focus going blurry again (catching it in the middle of its trying to refocus) before you engage the lock button.

*Manual is lacking in detail There is no guide relating recommended apertures to distances for the different settings of the flash. You either use auto mode or you take guesses at the correct f stop. It also doesn't explain what the camera does with the flash in auto mode. I am sure I'll figure all this out with some experimentation, but as a techie I like to know EXACTLY what is going on.

*Metering only shows +-2 stops, and doesn't work at all when in aperture or shutter priority mode and the camera deigns that there isn't enough light to get to the desired exposure. It just blinks a light at you.

*The 8mb memory stick is a joke. 128mb sticks are now available for [$$$], but this must be factored into the price.

Read Best Reviews of Sony DSCS75 Cyber-shot 3MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom Here

I was dead set on getting on of the Sony P1s it was small and took high quality pictures. Sadly, the store had run out, but an enterprising showroom assistant suggested checking out the DCS-75 instead. I'm so glad I did! This camera is amazing. I've never owned a digital camera before and wonder why I waited so long now. 3.3 Megapixels is probably more than enough for most people for snapshots I have the setting down to 640 x 480 and don't go much above 1280 x 960 for anything. However, should you want to, the camera can take 2048 x 1536 and can save in a variety of formats, including .TIFF. It will even take movies of up to about 1 minute, although the quality of the movies is not fabulous. There are some standard special effects settings too (if you don't trust youself with Photoshop or the like)such as black & white and negative. The menu system is easy to understand although I'd recommend having a quick look through the instruction booklet to find out about all the extras. I found it easy to find my way round the camera after only one reading. The camera has a nice chunky feel like and old school 35mm and the handgrip feels good and secure. The LCD is a sensible size at about 1.5 inches (although like all LCDs is hard to see in very bright light)and combined with the viewfinder makes it very easy to focus and frame in just about any light. An adjustable LCD would have been even better, but there you are. The only thing that I found wrong with this camera was the piddly little 8mb Memory Stick. I would strongly reccomend getting a 32 or 64 Mb, as the 8 meg will fill up in about 10 shots if you go for size and quality. Also some sort of protective covering offered with the camera would be nice: I bought the semi-hard carrying case for it after dropping on a corner and denting the aluminium casing... What more can I say a fabulous camera.

Want Sony DSCS75 Cyber-shot 3MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom Discount?

I probably spent 2to 3 hours researching my anticipated purchase of a digital camera. I told myself that I would spend no more than a couple of hundred dollars but the more I looked into it, the more I realized that a decent camera could not be bought for that price. So I changed my goal to find a camera that had all the features I would need for the least amount of money. I must have read everything on the net about digital camera's that ever was and I started narrowing down the list to a few names, then finally all roads kept pointing at the DSC S75. So I found a deal and made the leap, fully expecting to be a little disappointed when the camera finally arrived. The camera arrived and I began shooting the same day. Yeah, there was a bit to learn, but the more I learned, the more impressed I got. The quality of the pics are quite amazing. Oh, I also bought the Lexar 128mb stick so I would not have to keep deleting the pics cause I had no more room. I got a fantastic deal here on Amazon on that, even better than you can get on Ebay. I also bought the HP photosmart 1115 printer and it arrived about 3 days after the camera did. Anyway, back to the pics. They came out super good. Now I am hooked, I just ordered the flash, and now I am checking out the telephoto lense options. Photography many years ago was a big hobby of mine, and I do believe this camera has brought that interest back to life. This camera has auto settings, aperture priority options as well as shutter priority. This camera has so many cool things to take advantage of that I guess it will be a while till I get proficient with all the possibilities. I wanted to be brief with this review, but with this camera that is difficult. I can just say that I am glad I did my homework, I feel like I got an "A" on the exam. Oh, just thought I pass this one on to you, I read a professional reviewers article on this camera, he that said this camera was probably the best digital camera under the $5000 professional range. I thought he might be biased, but now I am not so sure.

CIB CUC8756 480TVL Outdoor CCD Bullet Infrared Day Night Security Camera w/ S...

480TVL Outdoor CCD Bullet Infrared Day and Night Cam Very Clear View in the day and at night, we purchased these before and decided to buy the same ones simply because we were very happy with the clearity of the view in day and night. We used outdoors for years and still very clear and very strong and durable. Great little cams.

I have had these in operation for almost 2 years. I have the hooked to a motion sensing 4 channel DVR. Tow of the cams are working great and sending me feeds when motion is detected. One of the cameras has black lines the scroll up which trigger the motion and I get false positives.

This also has the Sony HAD sensor and I am ok with the picture, but expected better. no biggie for the price I paid.

So one of 3 failed in 2 years I would still buy more, but the 720 line cameras have hit the market...

Buy CIB CUC8756 480TVL Outdoor CCD Bullet Infrared Day Night Security Camera w/ S... Now

The Smallest Night Vision Spy Camera.520tvl Cctv Mini Color 0.008lux Audio SPY Camera MC493A-12 Ac.

The camera is one of the smallest board cameras and has a larger field of view than some. This may be a plus or minus depending if your useing it for overall security or idenification purposes. The low light actually is not as good as the larger styles due to the small lens size. Audio was acceptible and small on the board mount makes it stable with less waffle that some of the others. Good for what it is but if your looking for "Night Vision" this is not built for that, an infred style is what is needed. With a small amount of light in the area your wanting to target this works and can be put in a tighter location.

Hi, the product is really good but the add i read about the camera said night vision and at night you don't see nothing but I used it anyway for personal use. I how the video come out,(clear, colors, everything) nice, just don't work at night, plus the service was very good. They tall me a date and come to my door very soon, a lot of time before they said. That was good, very good.

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Nikon D5100 16.2MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens and S

This review is aimed at people who are new to photography, as I am in the same boat. There are much more thorough reviews on Amazon for people who are already serious photographers.

General Impression:

Wonderful camera gives you control of parameters (such as f/stop, ISO, shutter speed) when you want to play with them or get creative and will auto-select them when you just want to take pictures. This was important to me as I am still learning to adjust them to my liking but don't want to miss out on pictures because I'm fumbling around with buttons.

Construction/Feel:

After going to Best Buy to physically hold the Canon T3i and Nikon d5100, I immediately decided on the Nikon. It felt much better in my hands and just looked better in general. Both were fairly light which is nice but also means they are made from quite a bit of plastic not a problem though as this keeps the price down and I don't drop things.

Controls:

I have been pleased with the placement of the physical buttons on the camera as well as the menus. I mainly shoot in the A, S, and M modes and the little wheel you turn to adjust the shutter speed/aperture is right where your thumb falls. If you're in M mode, there is an aperture button to hold down just behind the shutter button which is also easy to reach with the camera up to your eye. Lastly, the Fn button can be programmed to control the ISO level so you can hold it down while spinning the wheel to change that without putting the camera down. I have heard people complain that the Live View switch is annoying to get to but have found it intuitive.

There are a few controls that I wish were changeable without having to dig through a menu though. For instance, to change the focus mode from area to single point requires you to have the LCD screen turned around, then press the I button, then scroll around to change it. This is the case for a few other things like metering, shutter mode, etc. I can't really complain, though, because those are features that go on a serious photographer's camera that costs about twice as much as this model.

Auto Focus:

The 11-point AF on this camera has been a dream to use. I almost always keep the camera set to single point servo autofocus so I can select the point I want it to focus to. As long as you have some contrast, it is very quick and accurate to focus. This camera does not have a build in focus motor which means the lens must have it built in. As a result, older lenses or those build for the professional Nikons may not allow for autofocus. This hasn't been a big issues as most of the lenses I would want already have the motor built in, and if they don't, people survived for a long time manually focusing it probably builds character. I was torn between getting the Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED AF-S DX Nikkor Wide-Angle Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Camerasand Tokina AT-X116PRDXN AT-X PRO DX 11-16mm Ultra-wide Angle Lens for Nikonand ended up sticking with the Tokina even though it would not autofocus on this camera. I haven't had any issues with focusing manually with it as the ultra-wide angles are easy to focus anyway.

Noise:

A lot of the reviews I read before purchasing this camera talked about how well it shot in low light I would have to agree. Looking at pictures from my old point and shoot at ISO 800 have horrible noise while I can shoot this at 1600 without any, and can go up to 3200 with only minimal touch ups in Lightroom needed. This has to be the single biggest advantage of digital over film being able to change ISO on the fly and still being able to get great pictures at ISO 3200 is wonderful.

Image Quality:

I won't offer too many opinions in this section, but I have not seen anything but great quality in the RAW pictures I've taken. Basically I understand that if a picture doesn't come out right, the fault lies with me and not the camera. The camera is capable of much better pictures than I am capable of taking. When I do everything right (which is becoming a little more frequent) I am amazed of the result. Great colors, great contrast, low noise, etc.

Battery Life:

I purchased an extra battery before I went on a few business trips just in case, but ended up never being close to needing it. The battery just lasts and lasts and never seems to drain. For instance, last weekend I took 381 shots (some using live view) and the battery meter was still at 75%. No complaints in this department.

Flash:

The built in flash is pretty puny, which seems to be par for the course. It does provide some nice fill lighting if you're outside taking pictures where there are some shadows on your subject, but for shooting inside it's marginal at best. I bought the very reasonably priced Nikon SB-400 AF Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras and have been very pleased with the combo. The external flash adds the ability to bounce light off the ceiling and not waste the camera battery while doing so. This camera does not have the Nikon flash commander ability, but I don't think that should be expected in a camera at this price point. If I ever start buying 3 remote flashes for studio shooting, there is a good chance I will have already upgraded cameras.

I'll end by saying that this has been an absolutely wonderful camera to learn to shoot on. Before I purchased it or started shooting, I ordered and read two books,Complete Digital Photography, 6th EditionThe Digital Photography Book, Volume 1 so I would have some clue what I wanted in a camera. They are both wonderful books and should be required reading for all new photographers.

As a disclaimer: up till 3 months ago I was never in to photography, never owned an SLR and never had any real interest to. So know that everything I say in this review is based on very little experience.

I checked prices all over and this was absolutely the best deal. This camera is amazing. Everytime I use it I learn something new about it. I love the 300mm lense and the macro is so very cool. The video is amazing quality and so easy to use. I am having a blast with this camera. I am not a professional. I had an old Nikon E4040 35mm that I loved. Then I got a simple digital point and shoot. Now I have this amazing camera. I have lots to learn still but already it was money well spent. Oh be careful with the tripod, it is not heavy duty. I did buy a higher end tripod to better safe guard my camera. The batteries do last a long time and it is great having two. The battery drains faster when shooting video as expected. The size of the SD card is wonderful. My old Nikon lenses did fit the camera and work but the quality is not the same as the new lenses. I love shoping with Amazon!

Buy Nikon D5100 16.2MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens and S Now

Comes With:

Nikon D5100 Camera

Nikkor Zoom Lense 18-55mm (Vibration Reduction & Auto Focus)

Sigma Zoom Lense 70-300mm (Vibration Reduction & Auto Focus)

Battery in addition to the one it comes with

59" lightweight tripod w/ case

HDMI Cable to hook up camera to TV

16gig Memory Card

Memory Card Reader USB

Memory Card Wallet (roughly 1.5"x2")

Screen Protectors (3)

Cleaning Kit

Camera Case w/ 2 side and 1 front pocket

DVD Camera Tips

I was a little sceptical about the sigma lens, but it shoots like a dream. The only problem is, I can't find lens filters that fit both lens as sigma is larger than the Nikkor. The Camera Case is perfect for storage and "safe environment" use. I would recommend looking into a "Camera Backpack" if you want to go to sporting events, hiking, beach or crowded areas. I would also suggest "Nikon D5100 For Dummies" as this book covers everything you need/wish to know.

In my opinion, it beats all other cameras in the "under $1000" price range, then on top of it you get all the other goodies!

Read Best Reviews of Nikon D5100 16.2MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens and S Here

Is my first SLR cam, what can I say?

This bundle kit is a good way to start.

The camera is amazing, has many features for professional photography.

The lenses are perfect to a starter user.

The pack is complete. In addition I bought faster SD cards and a extra batteries and Lowe Pro back pack (which I recommend for this cam)

Hope you can enjot it as I'm doing right now!

Want Nikon D5100 16.2MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens and S Discount?

As a professional award wining artistic and creative photographer, I have use Nikon products for more than 25 years and have always trusted the Nikon. I have used a Fuji S3 for about 8 years, which is built on the Nikon Body for professional work, I suspect that I have shot more that 500,000 images during that time and the camera still does a fine job, howbeit when it started showing signs of shutter and mirror drag, I started research for a new replacement camera, Now being retired I wanted something that gave me ease of use, but also the bells and whistles to do artistic and creative nature photography with dependability and quality image files. A friend obtained the Nikon 3100, so by reviewing his camera, and testing lens and such, the Nikon D5100 met the requirements and at a price fitting my budget. The bundle seems to be the best deal, but I did not have use of some if the items, which made a good gift to a want to be photographer. Overall, I am 100% pleased.

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Panasonic PV-L454 VHS-C Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom

The PV-L424 is a pretty cool piece of gear. (With virtually no reviews)

We just got it yesterday for $419. It can be found a little cheaper, but check store reviews...

We almost bought the PCV-L552 for its big view finder and 27x optical zoom, but after a lot of digging on obscure web sites, we found that older camera suffers from a dew detector light that goes off too easily, shutting down the camera for hours. The PV-L424 just came out in 2004.

The 20x PV-L424 optical zoom is amazing. Things still look good at 40x digital, can read a UPC bar code from across the room. Things look tolerable at 120x, but ridiculous at 750k. There a single digit from the bar code fills the screen and is almost unreadable due to pixilation.

It's kind of slim, better looking than the photo.

Menus and controls seem intelligently laid out. What's used most seems to have a single button for it.

I like the way the LCD screen swivels around so that you could actually dictate into it and see yourself. It's smart enough to know to flip the image right side up when I do that.

I can't say anything yet for the durability.

We chose this VHS-C thing because I think all playback equipment for formats other than this and DVD will be difficult to find in 50 years. And the DVDs suffer from $10 disk costs (for 30 minutes) and the resolution won't match the MiniDVs until they change the image format to MPEG2. The PV-L424 seems like a great inexpensive holdover until the DVDs mature.

This camcorder was purchased as a gift for my daughter and used about 12 times over a 6 month period before experiencing intermittent failures. The labor warranty on this unit is only 90 days and labor costs for repair approach the original cost. It is unconscionable for Panasonic to market a defective product like this. This reflects poorly on their other products and unless they address this issue with me, I will avoid their products and advise others to avoid their products as well. I might chalk this up to one defective unit if I hadn't read other accounts of the same issue. This is a manufacturing or design defect that has not been addressed by Panasonic.

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I've had this palmcorder for longer than I can remember and it hasn't broken down once. The only thing that had to be replaced was the battery pack. ABSOLUTELY get it, its such a great camera

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic PV-L454 VHS-C Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom Here

I like the size and weight, but it is taking forever to get the right tapes.

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Sony Handycam DCR-DVD101 AV Cable - TV Video Cord for Sony Handycam DCR-DVD101

I needed this cable to make a medical video documenting my child's condition & couldn't find one anywhere. This is the exact cable for the handycam model listed & works perfectly! Thank you!! Super fast shipping too!

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