Accell UltraAV B088C-010B Display Port Cable (3m)

This item works perfectly well and replaced a 6 ft long cable that came with my 24" Dell UltraSharp Monitor. The main reason for my review is that I saw many bad reviews on DisplayPort cables and not enough good ones which made my decision making process rather difficult. Cable prices range from less than $10 to more than $70 for the same length cable. I couldn't tell what the high priced cables offered relative to the cheap ones. I avoided the cables that did not specifically state they supported Audio. I use this cable to connect my HP Elitebook to the Dell UltraSharp monitor. I use my computer for all business applications and a VoIP telephone line. I do not use my computer for HD movies, music, etc., but based on what I can see, I don't think you will have a problem with such applications.

I am happy I made this purchase. I can tell you, you do not need to spend more than $20 for this product. If you want to wing it on the cheaper cables, that's cool. But please do not spend more than $20!

I bought a new computer at work and needed to put the tower further away from the monitors. The standard 6 foot cables were not long enough. These new almost 10 foot cables fit the bill and work perfectly.

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I paid too much for this cable because I was in a pinch but Accell always produces great product. You can buy with confidence knowing you will get first rate product but they are gouging on the price. Sorry I'm in the CE induistry and know what this stuff cost VS what they charge. Performance the same as $6 cable but when you buy it fromm Accell you extend your chances it will not fail. Peace of mind for additional 70%? Take a chance that you will be one of the 99 out of 100 and save 70% with the cheaper cable

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Nikon Coolpix L16 Digital Camera (Black)

I've had this camera for a few months and it works well in the aspects of taking pictures and recording video. The pictures are clear and the videos have nice quality.The user-interface is very friendly and easy to use. The different modes are great and it really comes down to shooting with the right mode and settings to get the best out of your pictures. A great feature is "DLighting" which will brighten any picture if the photo was too dark. Nikon's cameras are easy to use and are reliable.There are some negatives to this camera as well. Something that has come to be a little bit of a problem is the fact that this camera uses two double-A batteries instead of rechargeable ion batteries, which is bad because the batteries exhaust quickly after continuous use,like viewing your photos, and eventually die. Also, the buttons on the camera become problematic. They lose their firmness and become weak and squeaky after a few months use. Also, the arm-strap that comes w/ the camera,(which is to be attached to the side) is completely and utterly useless. It offers no security because there is no tightening/loosening function, and unless your arms are as thick as a dictionary, the camera will fly right off your hand.

This camera is a good starter camera. It doesn't zoom in super far, but the anti-shake is great.

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this camera replaced one that was stolen from me so i had the disk and cable already.it is a good entry level digital camera.

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This camera has several really annoying quirks. First of all, it takes it forever to focus when you first turn it on. On a stationary subject, expect to make 3-4 attempts for it to focus. This is about 5-10 seconds. Hard to capture special moments when it takes 10 seconds to take a picture. Also, if you attempt to focus it on any subject, even one you JUST took a picture of, expect another 2-3 focus attempts and 5+ seconds between pictures. The face recognition is great, as is the anti-shake and the pictures look great, but what a hassle. AA batteries are a bonus, as you can just switch them out. The camera is a little bulky for sliding it in your pocket, but not impossible.

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We just openened the camera today and we were impressed. It is sleek, has a big lcd viewer and takes sharp pictures. If you are not interested in options and just want to snap some shots, this is very user friendly. However, if you like B/W photos and adjusting lighting and scenes, etc, this camera will impress as well. It comes with 2 AA but I just use my rechargeable AA's we had in our old Canon camera, always a great investment. Would definitely recommend.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Micro 4/3 Digital Camera & 12-50mm Lens (Silver/Black) with M.Zuiko 40-150mm

This camera is a great bring-along substitute for a full size dslr...I love it's compactness, but also the wonderful pictures it takes. It give me the opportunity to take great pictures anytime, anywhere, without having all that big camera baggage with me!

The camera was a no brainer, but choosing Cameta made the whole sale a breeze. Delivery was on time and the packaging was incredible. Everything was snug and safe in the box, making it easy to unpack and use quickly.

Everything was brand new and exactly as described, functioning perfectly when used. I can see why Cameta is so popular and I'll use them at the next available chance. Thanks Cameta for the great values and outstanding customer service.

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Sony Alpha NEX-3 Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera w/18-55mm Lens (Red)- 14.2 Mpix

I've never owned an SLR camera, just basic point-and-shoot digital cameras, so my review is coming from that perspective, rather than someone used to the features available on most SLRs.

First off, the "intelligent auto" is by far superior to any automatic mode I've ever experienced before. I've had a tendency to use "programmable auto" or even "manual" mode on my previous cameras any time I really wanted the color balance, shutter speed, and ISO settings to end up the way I'd want. I probably never have to do that with this camera, other than for low-light, slow-shutter photos (the default for the camera is to up the ISO instead of slowing the shutter beyond a certain point). That's not to say that I don't like playing around with the manual settings anyhow -I do -but I really don't have to in order to get good photos. Many of the other automatic-type features are also great, such as the facial recognition (which works great about 80% of the time -has trouble with faces turned at an angle, though) and the smile-detecting auto-shutter.

The video quality is phenomenal, and I like that there isn't some unnatural limit on the length (I want to say the limit is about half an hour or so for HD quality, but I've never come close to reaching that). This will basically serve as my camcorder, and unless I'm planning to record a play or something, I think it'll be more than sufficient for that purpose.

The only downside I've encountered so far is tied to the lens more than to the camera -I didn't realize how much I'd miss the ability to zoom in and out. There's only so much you can do with cropping, and sometimes getting closer to the target just isn't feasible. So, I'd probably suggest buying the camera with one of the other lenses if you're torn between this one (for compact/portability) and another, more flexible lens. This lens is the smallest, but it's still not really going to be pocket-sized (unless you have massive cargo pockets or something). I'm almost certainly going to get another lens sometime soon, and once I do that I expect I'll be using the other lens a lot more than this one.

Other than that... the battery life improved greatly when I downloaded the firmware update from Sony. Make sure you do that -it's not clearly explained in the product manual, but it's pretty straightforward if you look it up on the Sony product support website.

In sum, I got this because my wife was going to be giving birth to our first child, and I wanted to be able to take good-quality family photos for the next few years. So far, I think I made the right choice.

im not professional, but i know how DSLRs work and how to take some decent photos, i will say for the price you might as well get a DSLR, but i wanted something more portable. This definately works.

it is very small and has the same sized sensor as a regular sony SLR (let alone nikon or canon) not full frame but its large meaning photos turn out great. i got the mount adapter and a portrait lens and wow, the bokeh is wonderful. the pictures are very crisp and clear. Battery life was not too great because you always have to use the LCD screen to take photos, but i wasnt too into view finders anyway. when i want to i might sell this one in a year or 2 to get a sony SLT camera but those have some issues too. for now this is the best small form factor camera around. hands down.

new lenses are coming out in 2011 as well with the emount system.

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This is a great little DSLR. With the 16mm F2.8 wide angle lens, it fits in our pocket and acts like the best point and shoot camera ever--it also shoots hi-def video.

This camera really shines when you change the lenses and do some serious shooting. It has all the functionality you want in a DSLR in a small package. Best of all, if you already have a DSLR and are looking for a good back up, or you shoot 35mm and want to use the lenses from your non-digital SLR, you can buy an after market adapter for your lenses that will mount them to the NEX-3 and its big brother the NEX-5. The drawback to this camera is that the Sony lenses can be more expensive than the camera and they don't offer the same performance as other lenses.

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I am LOVING the camera for its picture taking skills. Low light pictures turn out great and the colors really pop, the depth of field offered by the large sensor make the picture really come alive.

As a trade off, obviously, zoom lenses are expensive to come by. Lucky with a 14 megapixel sensor cropping has decent results.

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I am a handicapped man whose balance is almost nonexistent, and whose hands have a pretty bad tremor, but even I can take wonderful shots with this, and when I loaned the camera to my able-bodied friend the results were truly painterly. The automatic focus features are really easy to use, and the results are very, very nice. The only reason I wouldn't say "stop looking and buy this,"is the flimsy and badly designed flash attachment. This camera's sensor does take great shots even in the twilight, but it's not magic and needs the flash when it's dark. The flash attachment hooks tenuously via pins into some holes on the top of the camera concealed by a lid that feels as if it may break if used much.(As does the lid over the USB port.) The flash attachment falls off at the slightest tap, and often if the camera is merely hanging from my waist. It is just a matter of time before it falls into the sea or somewhere else where it's irrecoverable. I have complained to Sony about this, but stunningly I received no reply. Sadly, I cannot recommend this otherwise nice little camera until Sony fixes the flash. (If one spends the best part of $500 on a camera, one should expect a decent flash.)

(ipdate, Dec. 21, 2011) I have been told the flash has a thumb-screw, and so it does. Small and hard to reach, but it's there. I was prepared to completely re-write this reveiw, without any negative comments, but the thumb-screw had no discernible tightening effects whatsoever. (Maybe mine is just defective.)

Canon EOS 60D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens + Gadget Bag

I checked out this camera at Best Buy and really liked it. The price there was $999 for just the body and lens. For the same price here, I got the camera, lens, extra battery, SD card, a great tripod, and the list goes on.

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Panasonic HDmi Input Module for 8 Series Disp Compatible 9 Series Plasma

I ordered this to install in my TH-50PHD7UY Plasma in order

to use the HDMI output from my upscaling DVD recorder as well

as the Component input. Installation was easy and it works

like a charm, even though it is not advertised to work in

the series 7 sets.

I have to remember these modules were designed for the Panasonic Professional/industrial model. These adapters are heavy duty in every way, its easy to see why they're so expensive but if you want HDMI for your new Panny you don't have a whole lot of choice.

Easy and simple installation. Just remove 4 screws, insert module which glides exactly and blind mates perfectly inside the TV housing. Screw into place, plug in your new HDMI cable and you are in business. No pesky set-up routines to deal with, its plug and play.

A side note...on the old Panasonic plasmas, several models were designed to work with ONLY Panasonic, Sony, or Monster HDMI cables. I don't know if this is still the case or not, but if you plug in a generic cable to your Panasonic and it doesn't work you'll know what the problem is. The price of Panasonic cables has come down dramatically in the last few months, and I was able to find a 10 foot cable for less than $35.

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If you can work a screwdriver, you can install this product. I bought this HDMI input for my Panasonic TH-50PH9UK, and I had it installed within 5 minutes. It appears to be a secure connection, too. The way my HDTV is configured, the HDMI input faces downward, so I was worried that the cord might fall out occassionally. After two months, I have had no problems. I am almost certain to buy a second card for my HDTV so that I can connect my upconverting DVD player to it (the first one is connected to my cable box).

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This product works as expected and was easy to install. It took me about 3 minutes to put it in.

I purchased this item because I wanted to maximize the benefit of an HDMI

connection to my Panasonic Professional Monitor coming from a new AV Receiver.

With the addition of a Satellite TV subscription,

(including HD and dual tuner DVR). I am now able to enjoy new Monitor in High Definition. It looks great.

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So you bought a Panny "industrial" plasma to save some money and you want to have an HDMI connection. Well, friend, this blade is for you.

Others have already reviewed the virtues of the easy install, which I agree with wholeheartedly. If you are installing this yourself, be sure to pad the ground with several blankets before laying down your precious plasma. Face down is NOT a recommended way to move, store or even lay your plasma. I had to do this for the install, and I can report the TV was fine.

Does it work with HDMI 1.3? Yes. I have a PS3 and an Onkyo 805 receiver and everything passes through flawlessly. Granted, the Panny plasmas aren't "Deep Color" compatable and they don't have the Lip Synch abilities, but there was no "handshake" issues with using a purely HDMI setup.

Don't bemoan the lack of inputs on these professional plasmas. Let your receiver do the switching and buy this blade!

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Nikon D3200 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens (Black) + 55-300mm VR Lens + 32

I had a Nikon SLR camera for years until it was stolen while traveling overseas! I love the new upgrade to digital and video for all the obvious reasons. I've been pleasantly surprised to find how user friendly and light the D3200 is. A distinct advantage for travelers. I'm still working my way through all the manual setting options (not hard, just limited time on my part), but the automatic is point and shoot ready. Nikon's easy lense exchange is terrific as always. Cameeta Camera put together a super package. Everything came quickly, brand new and in perfect condition. The lenses are very good for general use. D3200 comes with installed flash and red eye, but not a separate hot foot flash for bouncing light. These two lenses will do everything I need from kid sports to hiking the Rockies. Camera bag is heavy duty and durable for storage or car travel, but a bit bulky for air travel. The close up lenses came in handy for school science project displays. Great deal!

This is a great camera which gives you super quality pictures. The tripod and other accessories were also of a good quality.

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Love this camera great for a beginner. And will be able to use for a long time as we learn photography. The price for the package deal was great too.

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I've wanted a Nikon for years. It's a great camera and the options that are built in just "ROCK!" I,m very happy with my New Nikon.

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The camera is amazing. I'm glad I got the package with both lenses. It made it easy to take the long shots and the close ups of my family.I just came back from a vacation in the Caribbean and just viewed my pictures on my 50 inch plasma TV. They look perfect in every way.

Canon VIXIA HFS100 HD Flash Memory Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom - 2009 MODEL

I have owned a small wedding videography company for 5 years and after using the HFS10 for a week I am incredibly pleased with it. Please note the HFS10 is identical to the HFS100 except the HFS10 also comes with 32GB of internal flash memory.

If you want the smallest camcorder you can get without sacrificing video quality in any way, than this is the camcorder for you. I am amazed at how small this thing is while still having a professional grade lens. This is the same Canon lens as on their GL2 which is probably the most popular entry level professional camcorder ever (which I have owned for a few years).

Pros:

1.) Professional camera lens with superb HD video quality (even in low light situations). I cannot express enough how amazing the pictures look.

2.) Accepts up to 32 GB of SDHC Flash memory

A.) Flash memory is instant. No waiting for tapes to wind or hard drives to spin. The camera goes from off to red light recording in less than 2 seconds.

B.) Flash memory helps keep the camera small.

C.) Flash memory protects data from being lost due to the camera being dropped or hit (a real problem with hard drive cameras).

3.) The still picture quality, even with the built in flash, is unbelievable for a camcorder. I feel like I am shooting with my Rebel XTi.

4.) I love the auto open and close lens cover. It only opens when you are actually shooting. If the camera is off or if you are reviewing it immediately closes.

5.) Menus are very easy to navigate.

Cons:

1.) Doesn't come with an HDMI cable. Since it doesn't take a normal sized HDMI cable I think there is no excuse for that.

2.) Doesn't come with a battery charger. You either have to spend $50 to get one or recharge batteries using the camcorder itself.

3.) No internal memory, however it's $200 more for the HFS10 for only 32GB of internal storage and that is way too much. It should have only cost an extra $100. Unless you need to be able to record more than 2.5 hours of shooting without changing SDHC cards, then get this camera because a 32GB class 6 SDHC card only costs $100.

4.) Only comes with the BP-809 battery which doesn't even last an hour. So you will need to buy the BP-827 which costs another $150. The BP-827 does stick out from the back just a slight bit, but not even an inch and is totally not noticeable nor does it add any real weight.

5.) 10X optical zoom is a little slim for my liking. I am used to 20X.

This camcorder is basically a professional lens barrel with an LCD on the side which gives you the best picture quality possible while keeping the size incredibly small. I cannot encourage you enough to get this camcorder.

I'll try to cover what others haven't. Yes, the images are sharp and the colors are faithful. That goes for both video and stills. I'll try to post an image of a flower as an example of a still shot. Posting video's problematic. One of the key reasons I chose this camcorder is its still image capabilities. I followed other reviewer's recommendations and purchase the separate battery charger and BP-827 battery. And I purchase the optional video light, VFL-2 which is light and small.

If you're new to video, it's a commitment. Taking good videos requires concentration, and at least a little bit of practice. Though the camcorder is truly compact, the supporting equipment is an order of magnitude more bulky than with today's point and shoot digital camera. You can slip an excellent point and shoot in your pocket; video demands a case for the charger, cables, optional video light and power supply at a minimum. Then there's the mandatory downloading and editing.

This camcorder has so many features and choices that you'll need to refer to the manual and once you understand the way the menu system works, it's fairly intuitive. There are five resolution choices for video. Similar for stills. On the other hand, you can start creating videos and stills out of the box; they may not quite match your preferences though. The complexity of the options shouldn't stop anyone; you don't have to take advantage of all the features. To get what you want, you'll need to spend maybe an hour with the camera and manual. The you can pretty much ignore the details if you wish.

The screen image is readable, even in bright sunlight. And even better with a little tilt to put it in shadow. The controls are OK though the zoom is just a tad awkward for my stubby fingers. Record/Stop is convenient and the camera sits well in your hand. No big deal. Tougher I suppose if you're left handed.

I have a couple of 16G, class 6 SDHC cards because they're at the right price point. They're good for 1 hour 18 minutes at the highest resolution and that pretty well matches the included battery capability. That's a LOT of video, though an hour of video may end up as only a few minutes of edited material worth keeping.

So far I haven't figured out how to get the video directly off the flash card so it can be edited with the software. I have to download it from the camera using the included software. It may be a problem with the Corel editing software I'm trying to use. The included software seems to have limited editing capabilities, but that may reflect my inexperience as a user. The manual for the software is lengthy, but so far, not particularly useful. (added 17 May 09, With more time the Corel Video Studio 12 is perfect, cheap, and has all the features I need and I've been able to pull the video directly off the SDHC card without using the camera, very convenient).

The zoom's what you'd expect. The optical zoom is magnificent. The digital has two setting, one to 40X and one to 200X. The 40X setting's good, the 200X looses a lot and I really can't imagine a useful application, perhaps very great distances with infinite focus. Only the optical zoom works with stills.

What I like best: great images, the 3 second "pre-record" feature, beautiful stills, OK sound with the built-in microphone, pop-up flash and video light, and yeah, again crisp images.

What I don't like: not crazy about the software, no separate charger, no case or good case recommendation (see below). Trivial compared to what I like.

Finding a suitable case wasn't obvious. Tough search. I'm happy with a USA Gear Pro Series "Gear S-6" for $14.95 from Amazon through Accessory Genie. See my reviews of that case and the Case Logic TBC-5 Medium Case I didn't like for this application.

Buy Canon VIXIA HFS100 HD Flash Memory Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom - 2009 MODEL Now

MY BACKGROUND: techno-geek engineer, camera and camcorder enthusiast, not a pro videographer or pro photographer. I purchased this product from Amazon (great price!) and have explored its capabilities VERY thoroughly for nine months. I use this camcorder to capture magic moments in the life of our 15 month-old daughter.

REVIEW IN A PARAGRAPH:

Highly recommended for being one of the best full HD (60i/30p @ 1920x1080) "prosumer" camcorders at this price level. Yes, the convenient SD flash memory is so much better than messy digital tape. The Auto Focus often works even after you attach the recommended accessory lenses or filters. We love this video camera! However you only see the exceptionally vibrant and very-close-to-broadcast-quality video IF you shoot under very bright indoor light lighting conditions (or outdoor on sunny day, or a cloudy day that still manages to be bright) ; otherwise, in less intense indoor lighting the video looks good but nothing that your eyes will perceive as close-to-broadcast-HD quality. (NOTE: this drawback of lower performance in less light is typical to ALL camcorders at this price point, and this one is the least affected by it.) Qualifier: no "video professional" with trained eyes would ever mistake the best video from this camcorder for being close to true broadcast-quality HD, but I do claim that the typical non-professional WILL perceive it as being stunningly close.

An example will help explain what is meant by "very bright indoor lighting": if we shoot video at our kitchen table (under direct overhead lighting of five unshaded 75-watt incandescent bulbs) even that much light is NOT enough light to get the best video this camcorder can produce. However, if I put two separate inexpensive flood lights (each using two standard 150-watt incandescent bulbs, so in total 600 Watts!) directly on the subject from about five feet away, then the resulting HD video is so close to broadcast-quality on brightness, crispness, and color intensity that friends and family are stunned when seeing it on a big-screen LCD. For great indoor video, you'll need something like two easily movable floor lamps / floods that you can position to put at least 600 watts of incandescent light (or equiv.) onto your subject. If your home decor doesn't suffer to much for it, you can check out the inexpensive 72" Tochiere brushed metal Floor Lamps available from low-cost department store starting with "T" named after something you aim at. Get about three or four of those to move quickly around the house; you'll have plenty of light for shooting video.

YOU MAY NOT KNOW THIS ABOUT THE S10/S100:

1) Shoots astoundingly great photos and can even do continuous-mode 8-megapixel snapshots at 5 frames/second. You will not miss your baby's momentary smile when you can shoot continuous stills at 5 f/sec, but if you do that for several minutes you will have A LOT of still images to parse!

2) The AF sensor is located INSIDE the lens ring, meaning the AF usually keeps working even with a variety (but not all) lens attachments.

3) It has the weird proprietary Canon Mini Advanced Accessory Shoe, so your previously existing Universal Hot Shoe accessories (such as camera external flash) will not fit this camcorder. You can buy a small adapter, but that can only convert to a universal COLD shoe.

4) It may have a 8.6Mp CMOS sensor, but it only utilizes 6Mp of that sensor when shooting movies. However, the video still looks great.

5) This camcorder records to its memory in 60i; when you set its recording mode to say "24PF" or "30PF" it merely changes its post shooting CONVERSION method. If your goal is something like 24p, you will get better results to simply shoot in its native format, and do your own conversion in post using a higher-end 3rd party utility such as Cineform Neo Scene. NOTE: many report better video end result by using Cineform Neo Scene (or similar) to convert ALL of the S10/S100 AVCHD files for editing as visually lossless (but much larger) CineForm AVI or MOV files.

6) Get a Blu-ray burner (~$200) for your PC, and you can directly burn this camcorder's video onto Blu-ray disks, yielding permanent media containing stunning video when seen on a big screen HD LCD.

KNOW THIS BEFORE YOU BUY:

This is NOT a sub $1000 investment; it is more like $1600+ (because you'll need to buy multiple must-have accessories). Plus, you'll likely discover your PC isn't fast enough to edit the very CPU-intensive AVCHD video, so you'll need to buy a very fast PC (which will cost you another $1500, or more). My total outlay is now over four grand, when I also include the cost of the faster PC we had to buy.

This will better explain how the "total package" must include the critically-needed accessories: imagine you shoot video of your child's soccer game in the park, only to discover your video is garbage because of wind noise. You see, to get acceptable sound when shooting under even slight wind conditions, ANY camcorder must use an external video mic equipped with a "dead cat" wind screen. Next, imagine you are sitting w/friends at dinner and you point the camera to capture mom holding baby on the opposite side of the table, but can't get them into the frame because you need to buy a wide-angle lens. And there are a half-dozen other critically-needed video accessories you'll find you must buy to cover different shooting conditions; otherwise, you are gonna get embarrassingly mediocre video. This holds true for any camcorder, not just this one.

CONCLUSION: if this camcorder AND the minimally-required accessories (and new PC!) is outside your budget, then you're better offer buying a less-expensive camcorder so you can then also buy its critically needed accessories because that lower cost (but more complete system) will yield better final video product, even if the video happens to be slightly lower resolution and not as crisp as you get from this Canon camcorder.

OK, let's say you're not worried about your budget. You've got money to burn. That's why I posted this review, to offer tips on the best "minimal set of accessories" for this Canon camcorder. I spent many hours reading online reviews specific to the S100, then I bought a variety of recommended accessories and tested them, figured out which are critically-needed for good video, parsing them down to this list of MUST-HAVE accessories to get great video from the S100:

-> PC w/Intel Core i7-920 2.66GHz (or similar), at least 4GB (or more) SDRAM, ATI Radeon HD 4850 (or better) video card, Blu-ray Disc Burner, plus a good 1080x1920 LCD monitor OR matching dual-LCD-monitors (1080x1920) highly recommended for video editing. OR: (expensive choice) Mac Pro Quad-Core (or 8 Core), with 3GB SDRAM (or more). Plus in either case you need at least a 1TB (2TB is better) in a RAID0 (or RAID10) array for needed read/write speeds; alternatively, you could go without the RAID and instead temporarily edit your video off a super-fast SSD (Intel X25-M, or similar), but you'll still need a large conventional hard drive (min 2TB) for archiving your video.

-> Video editing software. Limit your choices to software built to handle AVCHD format, such as: Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 9 (PC Windows, lowest cost but powerful), OR: Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 (expensive but considered very good, well-reviewed). NOTES: the Canon Pixela video editing software included w/this camcorder is horrible. WARNING: before you buy ANY version 9 of Sony Vegas Movie Studio, be sure you read the reviews explaining the "crashes during render" which the only known fix can be a bit too "complex" for non-geek types and involves downloading CFF explorer from ntcore, installing it, then running CFFExplorer as Administrator and MANUALLY re-setting the 2GB limit flag in about FIVE different Sony Vegas run files so they can handle > than 2gig address space. This complex solution is found in the site sonycreativesoftware, go to Support > Forums.

-> Canon DM-100 Directional Stereo Microphone (I strongly recommend this Canon mic, as it does both mono shotgun mode, and also 90-degree and 120-degree stereo modes, and the S100 interacts w/this mic through the Mini Advanced Accessory Shoe), However, some pro's seem to prefer the Rode mics, such as Rode Stereo VideoMic + Dead Kitten wind screen, OR the Rode (shotgun) VideoMic. NOTES: for Rode camcorder mics to mount on S10/S100, you should google something like "Mini Advanced Accessory Shoe to Universal Shoe Adapter" to find the adapter you'll need.

-> Canon BP-819 Lithium Ion Battery Pack for HF10, HF100 HF S & HF M Camcorders (expensive!). It doubles the std battery capacity (1780mAh vs. 890 mAh), giving you about two hours or typical recording time, compared w/one hr for the standard battery. The Canon BP-827 Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Vixia HG, HF S & HF M Camcorders(very expensive!) triples the capacity to 2670mAh, OR consider a great MONEY SAVER: for only $40 to $60 for 2700mAh non-OEM (non-Canon) battery, including the non-OEM battery charger (Note: the S100 will NOT charge these non-intelligent batteries or show battery time remaining, so that extra non-OEM charger is req'd, and consider the non-OEM battery available with LED power level indicator). Try a Google search string such as "BP-827 Canon Compatible Battery LED+Charger Kit"

-> Canon 2590B002 CG-800 Lithium Ion Battery Charger for 800 Series Batteries. OR: find the $20 non-OEM charger, see search string above.

-> SanDisk 32GB Ultra 15MB/s SDHC SD Card (SDSDH-032G-P36, Retail Packaging). Since the price is now so close, you might as well get the 15MB/sec instead of the Class 4 version. Canon explicitly states the Canon S10 / S100 is compatible with the SanDisk DHC SD Cards of at least Class 4.

-> Canon SC2000 Soft Carrying Case. Alternative: (less expensive) Lowepro Edit 120 Bag (or similar)

-> Tiffen P/N 58UVP 58mm UV Glass Filter, OR: Tiffen 58CLR 58mm Glass (protection) Filter, OR: Tiffen W58DIGULTCLR 58mm Ultra Clear Glass (protection) Filter

-> Moderate Wide-angle lenses: S10/S100 user community prefers the HD6600PRO58 or SRW-6600-58LE over the Raynox HD-7000PRO 0.7x Wideangle Lens. While Raynox claims slightly better optical performance of HD-7000PRO on S10/S100 vs HD6600PRO58 or SRW-6600-58LE (yet the pro users disagree claiming the HD6600PRO58 or SRW-6600-58LE have great optics). Be aware big drawbacks of the HD-7000PRO are high price, and it is a VERY heavy lens. The HD6600PRO58 or SRW-6600-58LE are said to avoid vignetting ONLY up to 5X zoom, (HD-7000PRO to 10X) but who uses a wide-angle lens beyond 5X zoom level anyway? (As for the Canon WD-H58 Wide Converter, plenty of pro's are saying that is a POS lens which is also far more expensive than the superior Raynox lenses mentioned above.) Many also note that the "expensive looking" profile and Industrial Design of those Raynox lenses somehow gives the Canon S10 / S100 a much "sexier" looking profile in a high-end camcorder kind of way, and yet the Canon WD-H58 just doesn't give your camcorder the same *bling*

-> HoodMan HD-300 LCD hood to shade the display from the sun. Tip: do a google search for Canon HV forum to find some good threads on accessories.

-> Tiffen 58CP, 58mm Circular Polarizer Filter, OR: Hoya B58CRPL, OR Tiffen 58WIDCP. Helps "pop" the clouds out against blue sky, and greatly reduces reflections on sunny days.

Nice-to-have Accessories:

-> Tiffen 58mm 812 Warming Filter

-> Tiffen 82mm Digital Ultra Clear Protective Filter (use if you buy the Raynox HD-7000, buy different size for the HD6600PRO58 or SRW-6600-58LE)

-> 0.45x or 0.50x Wideangle Lens.

-> Steadicam or similar. This is a VERY light camera, so easly shakes in hand when used without Steadicam.

WARNINGS: Do not buy the cheap Tripp Lite Mini-HDMI to HDMI Cable. They are worthless. I recommend the Sony Mini-HDMI to HDMI cables.

Read Best Reviews of Canon VIXIA HFS100 HD Flash Memory Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom - 2009 MODEL Here

First off, the HD quality is amazing. I'm not a professional, but it looks like broadcast quality to me. I really like the camcorder, it fits comfortably in my hands. The controls are easy to use, and the lcd is bright and easy to see. It is not nearly as small as the Canon VIXIA HF100 Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom, but its quality makes up for the bigger size. Its size is really almost all lens, the lcd and electronics don't add much space to it.

I spent a lot of time trying to decide between the Canon VIXIA HFS100 HD Flash Memory Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom and the Canon VIXIA HFS10 HD Dual Flash Memory w/32GB Internal Memory & 10x Optical Zoom. The only difference between the two devices is the 32GB built-in memory. While that might sound like a nice feature, 32GB for $200 extra is ridiculously expensive. Also, 32GB is not that much if you are recording @ full quality.

I found a solution which gave me A LOT more memory at a fraction of the cost. I got a MoFoto 500GB Portable Photo & Video Storage to backup the SDHC cards when they fill up. This gave me over 460GB more storage space than I would have gotten with the Canon VIXIA HFS10 HD Dual Flash Memory w/32GB Internal Memory & 10x Optical Zoom. I'm really happy with my solution.

This also saved me a lot of money over buying anotherSanDisk 16gb Extreme® III 30MB/s Edition SDHC High Performance Card.

I agree with other reviewers that the battery it comes with doesn't last very long. Get the Canon BP-827 Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Vixia HG 20/21, HF11/10 & 100 Camcorders, even though it's way over priced. I've ordered mine.

If you want to see the quality, just google for HFS100 sample footage, there is a lot starting to show up on the web/youtube.

Bottom line, buy this. I couldn't find anything better, and I'm really happy with it. You get some amazing quality at a reasonable price.

Want Canon VIXIA HFS100 HD Flash Memory Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom - 2009 MODEL Discount?

This camera is getting great reviews here and on the net, but having owned one for a while, I have some positive comments and usability tips I haven't seen elsewhere. (By the way, I've owned SLR's and camcorders since the 70's; including the old VHS on-the-shouldder camcorders. My previous camcorder, while I'll keep handy, is a Canon Optura 300 DV camcorder. I also still use a Canon Powershot G3.).

1) Many net reviews knock the lack a view finder. Not a problem for me. I've shot lots of vacation video, on and off busses, and and out of taxis, lots of soccer games and band concerts. The tiltable LCD allows you to point or position a camera in many ways in which it would be impossible to use a view finder. So I got out of the habit of using a viewfinder years ago, except when trying to carefully compose a still shot. I now use the available gray 3x3 overlay grid to help with composition.

2) Compactness. I didn't have to buy a new bag. The HF S100 fits well into the same bags I used for my PowerShot G3 and Optura 300; even better than the Optura 300 because I'd have to remove the Optura's extended battery. The BP-819 I purchased for my HF S100 can stay in the camera all the time; much better for those vacation situations where I'd have to grab the camera out of the bag and be shooting within seconds.

3) Remote control can be used from behind the camera (receiver is on the visible side of the LCD). This is more of a usability comparison with my Optura 300 and PowerShot, but consider the following comments when considering other cameras, or using a camera with this capability:

When shooting, you don't have to touch the camera, great for not jiggling the camera for stills (I've previously used the timer), but also shooting video without having to jar the camera on the tripod.

For shooting a soccer game or band concert from in the stands, I raise the tripod head as high as possible, and use the remote in my left hand to start/stop the recording, zoom, change settings, etc. My right hand just controls the tripod's pan/tilt handle.

4) AVCHD is very handy. One reason this became important to me is I have a 1st generation HDTV without an HDMI input. I also don't have a BlueRay burner. Before I bought the camera, I agonized over how I would look at the video except on my computer.

Sony Playstation 3 to the rescue. After shooting my initial test videos, I had what I initially thought was a silly idea; plug the camera into one of the PS3's USB ports. What's the worst that could happen, except that the two devices don't communicate?

To my surprise; the PS3s menu showed it communicating with the camera, and the camera indicated I needed to choose between a DVD burner mode and computer mode. I set it to computer mode.

Then after selected the camera's icon on the PS3, after waiting a few seconds, it started playing the video clips on the camera!

One unhandy thing about using the PS3 exactly that way, is it didn't allow me to choose which clips to view, it plays from the beginning of the 1st clip.

To get around that, I import the video from the camera to my computer as one would normaly would (except it's much faster than tape; ~20 min for 13 Gig). But my PIXELA library is on an external 500 Gig drive.

After safely ejecting the external drive from the computer, I carry it a few steps to the PS3, and plug it into a USB port.

From the PS3, I choose Options -> Display All, which allows me to navigate into the drive's PIXELA library, and choose which clips to play individually. (I also have PS3 Media Server installed on my computer, but my home network can't keep up; the resultant video stutters, with dropped frames, etc.)

So lacking HDMI in my home entertainment system hasn't been a handicap; thanks to my PS3.

Another BIG surprise as a first time AVCHD user: HD DVDs.

I initially thought the manual was mentioning creating a regular DVD, which is also possible.

But in fact, when creating an AVCHD DVD from the PIXELA software, you're actually burning/storing BlueRay compatible files and directories on the DVD, such as with data.

Pop the resultant DVD into the BlueRay player (in my case my PS3), and you're looking at your editted video (with menus, etc.) in full HD!

5) Low light capability. One of the big reasons I finally chose this camera over cheaper alternatives, is the comparatively big image sensor, and published specs (how many lux required).

My first real use of the camera was a night baseball game. With default settings (NOT "Night" setting for example), the recorded video not only looks natural with the baseball stadium lights, but the dark areas are free of noise, with nicely saturated color. So in that situation, you get the nice HD perception of looking through a window at the game, without the noise I've seen with my older video cameras.

I've also shot video indoors, including a banquet, intentionally testing by shooting from the back of the banquet hall, zoomed in (optical only) toward the front where the speaking and awards are happening under the room's lights, not extra lighting. Again, the final video looks pleasing and natural on my HDTV.

6) PIXELA ImageMixer software. I'm sure this package can't hold a candle to iMovie or FinalCutPro, but it can do basic editting, and the gui allows you to browse through and view video clips directly in the library. I've also created MPEG4, and .mov versions of a particular movie. The .mov seems to have better quality than the mpeg4, with the same file size.

What I'm missing from my latest Canon cameras (I also own a PowerShot 590) is Stitch Assist. I fell in love with Stitch Assist (for panoramic stills), which I first used with my PowerShot G3, and also with my Optura 300. It surprises me that Canon is leaving out this feature. I'll have to learn how to do without it, because I really enjoy panoramic photos I have hanging. The old PowerShot G3 still has a job.

In conclusion, my new Canon HF S100 does everything (well just about) that I need it to do, compactly and with pleasing results. So it gets my 5 stars.

Olympus SEMA-1 ME-51S External Microphone Set with Adapter & Case + Tripod + Accessory Kit for

I wanted the Olympus External Mic and adapter for my OM-D.

I wanted another tripod and a different style of tripod than my Vanguards.

As far as the other stuff I have a nice collection of that stuff now for my various needs.

So all and all I am very happy with my purchase in fact the tripod did impress me!

Nikon Coolpix P520 GPS Digital Camera (Red) with 32GB Card + Battery & Charger + Case + Tripod

The Coolpix P520 camera is great for a point & shoot camera. It has plenty of picture settings to satisfy most non-SLR camera users. Comfortable in the hand and not nearly as heavy as I had expected. Some have reviewed it saying it felt cheap but I find its construction to be solid. I love the color (Red) and would not change it but the glossy finish is definitely a fingerprint magnet. All said, the camera is a good value and I would recommend it to anyone looking to score some quality photos.

The accessories that come with this kit are pretty much a good value as well with one exception. The case that is included with the kit is a waste of good material. First of all, it's to small for even the camera to fit properly let alone any of the accessories. And the first time I tried to open the top, one of the two zippers jammed and ultimately broke. Good thing the were two zippers on it. The remaining items in this kit are of good value.

On a side note...if you are looking for a good camera case then try the Think Tank Sub Urban Disguise 30 Shoulder Bag. It looks great, has plenty of room for your camera and loads of cool nooks and crannies all over the bag for all of the accessories. It even has a place for your tablet.

I was blown away by how amazing this camera is and very impressed by the high quality of all the included accessories. I will definitely be recommending this company to anyone looking to buy a camera.

Buy Nikon Coolpix P520 GPS Digital Camera (Red) with 32GB Card + Battery & Charger + Case + Tripod Now

Great camera. High end 'point and shoot' camera. I bought it for the wifi capabilities, have not used that part of it yet because the wifi plug has been backordered. It would have been nice to have that or the wifi SD card included in the package. That being said, it was a nice package deal with the extra SD card, extra battery & charger, all the items that I would have needed to purchase additional for the camera. The pic quality is awesome. With the 18mg all the pic's keep their clarity even when zoomed for editing! The 42x optical zoom is amazing outdoors! Indoors if I go the full 42x zoom, I can't seem to get it to focus, but that may be me, I'm still learning the camera. So far I am loving this camera. I did not want an SLR but I wanted SLR quality, this camera seems to fit the bill for me...Oh, and LOVE the dark red color!! LoL...

Read Best Reviews of Nikon Coolpix P520 GPS Digital Camera (Red) with 32GB Card + Battery & Charger + Case + Tripod Here

Perfect and excellent article. I will use them with my new Halcyon 1500 mAH Lithium Ion Replacement EN-EL5 Battery. Very useful to have everytime battery charged.

Want Nikon Coolpix P520 GPS Digital Camera (Red) with 32GB Card + Battery & Charger + Case + Tripod Discount?

Purse's not so good. Tripod is bad, too fragile and legs don't slide easylly. Rest of the bundle is awsome. Yes,I recomend.