VideoSecu High Sensitive Preamp Tiny Spy Microphone Audio Pickup Device Kit for Security Camera Sou

I use this microphone with other professional mics for bird and wildlife audio as well as general security. Please note LOUDNESS is determined by the gain (think volume control) of the security unit circuits not just this microphone. More about that below if you wish to read on. For now I will say that this mic, being "powered", has a low noise level and a high sensitivity in a 60 degree cone to the the general direction it is pointing. It is very transparent but does not have (or need) outstanding fidelity. It has AGC (automatic gain control) to even out the loud and soft sounds and that is a good feature. It is ideal for security uses and the price is right! Is it loud enough to capture the elusive noise you WANT to record with your security DVR? It depends on you DVR audio circuits and how quiet of a noise you EXPECT to record. You will just have to try it but I suspect that most "powered" security mics will record at about the same loudness. In a nutshell, this one seems to be a very good value.

Details My microphones all go through an audio mixer before patching into the security DVR or other recorder. Yes, I have meters to monitor and adjust loudness too. Also, I listen with headphones to avoid any chance of feedback loops. If I want any mic to be louder (more sensitive to faint sounds in the lingo of an audio engineer) I turn up the mixer's gain. In theory the more you amplify a microphone signal the fainter and more distant the sound you can hear but there are always limits in the real world, huh?

Turn any mic way, way up and you may hear the rumble from your home's fridge motor, furnace, AC, cars on distant roads, etc (a general low frequency rumble). Also, the more you turn it up the more "line noise" you hear. Line noise sounds like static and can become so loud that it drowns out the distant noise you want to hear. WARNING: Opening a door or speaking anywhere near the mic with the volume cranked up will blow the headphones right off your head and probably ruin your hearing too. Please note that most security DVR systems do NOT have an audio gain control or volume knob. Audio gain in a security system might be useful to folks who complain that a certain mic only recorded things a few feet away!

They do make expensive, professional microphones for videographers and film makers that are very sensitive to distant, quiet noises while keeping background static and noise to a minimum (think about recording roaring lions from 500 yards). Some use a parabolic collector (like a satellite dish) and some called shotgun mics are long, skinny things that listen to a very narrow tunnel of sound much like binoculars or a zoom lens that looks far away but at a very small area. Search Amazon for "parabolic microphone" to see such toy and professional microphones.

Back to this security mic. Actually this "powered, active electronics" mic has less noise and is better for security recording than some professional microphone costing hundreds of dollars. You see, security mics have high gain, low noise and AGC. For any audio geeks out there, this mic is much quieter with MORE gain than any dynamic mic but with less dynamic range. I would have to use a phantom powered or active electronics professional mic to get as much sheer gain with as low a noise floor as this cheap security mic!

In conclusion, for it's intended use this microphone is very good all that you need. But, can you record a grasshopper burp in the next block? Nope! Once again, your mileage (and mic sensitivity) will vary depending on the security DVR you hook it to but I suspect that most security mics will record at about the same "loudness". Try this one and see if it doesn't fill the bill for recording sound around the area your camera covers.

We hooked the audio up to the security system we bought for our home. It works as others said it would. Picks up sound well.

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This microphone is my first and I am very happy with the the way it works, the size is good for concealment.

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The procduct is what it was adverised to be and works very well, a great price and great product.

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This microphone is my first and I am very happy with the the way it works, the size is good for concealment. and i would like to thank

amazon for what they have for god customer services.

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JVC GR-DVL520U MiniDV Digital Camcorder with 2.5 LCD

Looking for my first ever video camera, I stumbled upon this 520A JVC, looks sleek, light weight, fair functionability, 800 000 pixels for digital stills (which is not bad for it's price).

Compared to the sony at a similar price range, it lacked a few added extras which some may find useful :

1. Mpeg (not particularly that useful I suppose if you have firewire)

2. Night scope (the JVC does NOT COmpare to sony's night vision! it just decreases shutter speed)

3. Battery life I think that the sony stamina battery lasts a lot longer than the jvc pack.

4. Quality of video this is debatable I couldn't tell the diffirence though I was told that sony has a better colour.

5. USB streaming

6. B&W viewer it's quite annoying if you're used to a colour viewer. The LCD screen however is very clear. The sony has a TFT active matrix which may be slightly better. I was told that the LCD screen has a shorter life-span.

Compared to the Canon ZX5series some also have an SD Card, the JVC is cheaper, looks sleeker (I think) but similar otherwise.

The SD card is very useful I wouldn't buy one without a card. The battery life could be better. I think it's closer to 1 hour recording time. Even the so called "stamina" battery (which was not original) only lasted

Casio Exilim EX-FH20 9.1 MP Digital Camera with 20x Optical Zoom and 3-Inch LCD (Black)

I purchased this camera from Best Buy on Thursday, and have shot over 30GB worth of photos and videos with it in just 4 days.

The highlights: This camera has every shooting mode under the sun. It will shoot 9 megapixel stills, up to 7 megapixel stills at the incredibly fast rate of 40fps, HD 720p video, and slow motion video ranging from 30-1000fps. It also has a 20x zoom (although I find the zoom to be only slightly longer than my Canon S3 IS "12x zoom", but the wide angle is much wider).

The camera is very easy to setup and use, although I am still trying to figure out some of the more advanced features (like the ability for the camera to automatically take photos when an object enters the frame).

Image quality is pretty good, about the same as my Canon S3 IS. It does much deeper blues and reds than the Canon, and doesn't have as bad chromatic aberration, but it's greens are a little too blue for my taste, and the off-whites need some more yellow. Noise isn't as high as I expected, but do realize this is not a DSLR, it's a small lens and a small sensor.

Lighting seems to be key with this camera. In direct sunlight, it takes amazing photos and videos, but in low-light, the high speed videos begin to suffer. I haven't had any that I took under normal lighting conditions come out unusable, but a few that I took in a very dim office nearly are.

My only complaints are minor, but here they are:

When shooting video, even with continuous AF off, it will still occasionally try to refocus, I find this very annoying

I cannot seem to find the settings to turn on move-in CS (motion-sensor triggers the camera)

While the latest firmware drastically improved write speeds for video, shooting single stills seems to take a long time to write to my class 6 memory card

I really don't like the proprietary USB connection, it is very difficult to find the right angle to get it to plug in because it's so narrow

Pleasant surprises:

Unlike the S3 IS, it remembers your photo and video settings very well, and if you set photos to manual focus and then want to take a video, the video will "pick up" that setting as well

The big 3" screen on the back is beautiful, with the Canon I mostly used the viewfinder, not so with the Casio

Startup time is faster than I expected based on other reviews, from power on to first shot isn't noticeably longer than the S3 IS

The flash is very bright and VERY fast, up to 5fps

Editing videos on the camera is ridiculously easy, hands down the best video editing GUI I've seen on a camera, makes it very easy to just keep the part of the video you want

Build quality is very good, I especially like the rubberized grip, it's much more secure than the Canon, and easier to hold despite it's heavier weight

I'll post a further review after I've spent some more time with it, and hopefully a few of my little quibbles will be fixed in upcoming firmware.

This thing is like a beefed up point-and-shoot. Don't expect the quality of a DSLR. If you do, you will be disappointed.

Pros:

Very nice HD quality (if you have good lighting).

Great outdoor photos.

Great high speed photos (if you have good lighting).

Cons:

Bad pictures in low light or indoors.

Bad video indoors.

Goes through batteries very very quickly.

One really frustrating thing is that you could have a really bright screen on the viewfinder, but when you go to take the picture, all the light just goes away. The picture gets really dark. My old casio (pocket point-and-shoot) used to have a best shot selection that corrected this, but I can't find it on this camera.

If you want to take pictures of you kid playing soccer, this is a great camera. Set the high speed and get all the action.

If you want to shoot in low light, or indoors, look for a DSLR.

If you do get this camera, get 8 rechargeable batteries so you always have four charged and ready.

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Let me just start by saying, aside from the amazing array of features on this camera, it's tons of fun. The SLO-MO is my personal favorite, well, that and the burst mode. While it does have brilliant stills, the video is amazing to shoot with. I love the 30-210 fps mode because it shows the drastic difference between regular speed (which is brilliant already) to slow motion, which really seems like you're entering a wrinkle in time, seriously.

Yesterday I went to a gymnastics meet, and wow, did it blow my mind. Being able to look back and see the girls hurdling down toward the vault at normals speed (which sincerely looks like fast forwarding) and then click right over to 210 mid-shot for some mid air hang time. I can't even believe how gorgeous it is. I'm pretty sure I'm a cinematographer right now, and I won't stop!!

I am actually using this camera for work, as I'm working on marketing, and even while it's my job to hype it I LOVE it just as a p&s camera and easy video, for my own personal use.

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I wanted this camera to take pics of my daughter's basketball games, but my Nikon could not capture the "action" shots I wanted. To be fair though, I did not have a lens fast enough to capture the pics I wanted, and I did not want to spend a $1000+ to get one.

I saw a camera similar to this reviewed in the NYT by David Pogue, and was very interested since from his video demo it seemed like I could finally capture the pics that I wanted. After much research, and indecision I finally decided to bite the bullet. I received it Friday, I took it to my daughter's practice this weekend, and WOW, I have pictures that I could never have taken before. I can capture the shot of when the ball is just leaving my daughter's hand for a lay up, and she, the ball, and the basket are all in perfect focus caught just at that fraction of the second like you see in magazines. The 40 fps is amazing, and when you review the pics, it looks like those flip books that they use to sell at Disneyland. I like to take pics, but I am not the best photographer, with 40 (or 30,15, 10 whatever you want to set the fps at)even I can capture the shot I want.

The pics are sharp not DSLR sharp, but pretty darn good! Previously when I use to take pics, I would get blurred images, but now, I can see everything, its like that fraction of second captured.

The down side of this camera is that it can take a few seconds to write those 40 pictures to your card, and theoretically I could miss that next picture while waiting, but I have so many other pictures now that I CAN use, it doesn't matter as much as I thought it might.

The high speed video, and slow mo work as promised, and are a lot of fun. I haven't played a lot with it since I am more interested in the still side of the camera. What I have played with though is pretty amazing.

Some of the negative reviews that I have seen on the internet seem to slam the camera because there is a softness in the picture quality on some shots, but they seem to be comparing this camera to a DSLR which technically it isn't. For what I want it for action shots of kids (basketball and gymnastics), plus casual pictures this camera is GREAT!

This camera does eat through the batteries, so rechargables are my next purchase.

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I have been filming my golf swing since since 2004 with a standard Canon 30fps camera, and while it gave me great results for so long, it was time to upgrade when this model came out.

Yes, golf is my game, and this camera fits the bill perfectly. While it's not a very good still camera (my 3 year old 5meg Canon is much better), there is no other option for high speed recording.

The Casio takes pictures at 480x360 at 210 fps, which is the typical resolution I record at. Once in a while I mess around with 1000fps (like taking a nice close-up of the ball... fantastic for sand shots), but in reality, 210fps is what you want. You need a fair amount of light to record at 210fps, as you MUST have your shutter speed faster than that (for obvious reasons). The Fh-20 forces a minimum shutter speed based on your frame rate. If I recall correctly, 1/250 is required for 210fps.

I very much recommend the Fh-20 over the fc100, because you can manually adjust the shutter speed, while the FC-100 takes it's best guess. You can also adjust the ISO with the FH-20. So in lower light conditions, you can jack up the ISO (while getting a grainier picture), but keep the shutter speed at a fast enough speed to get a decent picture.

In good lighting conditions, you'll want the shutter speed at 1/2000 or faster. I generally keep it at 1/5000 during the summer in full sunlight. I've messed around with 1/20000, but there's really no point.

You then record to a memory card, and you can then play back on the camera. For a golf swing, I generally don't record more than 3 swings at a time, as it takes too long to fast forward through the swing. You can then trim the video to one swing, or get rid of the extra meaningless video. The Casio has pretty good playback ability on the camera itself, and the display is bright enough in full sunlight. I don't even bring my laptop to the range anymore.

As far as swing analysis, I then copy the videos to my laptop later and can view them with analysis software. About the only limitation is that when you record in 210fps, you cannot play back at 210fps. Therefore your videos will ALWAYS be in slow motion.

The lens is pretty wide, so you can set the camera up very close to the subject and get it in frame. Great for those tight quarters at the driving range. Of course, the closer the camera, the more parallax error there is in the video (google it!!).

A couple of limitations with the camera: There's a 4 gig file limit regardless of memory card size, which corresponds to about 11 minutes of 210fps high speed video in one take. IIRC, that's = to 18 min of high def video. If your intent is to set it and forget it while at the range, that won't work (beyond 11 minutes). It's not a big deal, but something to consider.

Secondly, the still camera is pretty poor. I didn't buy it for that, so I really don't care. There's a thread on which discusses this more in detail and I had uploaded a picture of the same object with my canon vs casio, and you can clearly see the difference.

This camera also features high def mode and standard video. They seem to work pretty well, but I don't have any experience with any other high def cameras to give a valid review on the quality.

Anyway, like I said, this is THE camera to get for sports analysis. You will NOT be disappointed.

Pentax Optio W20 7MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

This is my second Optio (due to an unfortunate accident snorkling in Hawaii) and I can't believe the pictures and adaptability of this camera. The W20 has more features than the W10 I had previously, and this takes even better pictures. I can pick a mode and take great pictures and video, either on land or under water. My only recommendation is to get the silicone cover that is available if you are going to use it underwater. It will keep your fingers from manipulating the lock mechanism that opens the waterproof door to the battery and memory card. The camera is a great size for those of us with larger hands that have a hard time holding the new smaller cameras, and it is an added benefit that the lens never protrudes from the camera body. All of the zoom and focus is internal in the camera. Makes it really easy to slip into a pocket. I liked this style of camera so much I went and bought another one. Even after I compared it to the Olympus and Casio.

I bought this for snorkeling excursions. I have three 7 MP cameras and was tired of using disposable underwater cameras. I used this camera for the first time while on a cruise a week ago. I also took my Sony Cyber-shot 7.2 MP as a back up.

Land Photos: I was very impressed with the quality and the great zoom feature. Easy to use menu and buttons. Pictures were actually better then my Sony ones due to the better zoom.

Underwater: I used it three times during the week under water. I only kept it under for the 30 minutes as stated in the manual for fear of damage. At first it was very hard to see the screen with a mask on, but I finally found the trick is to keep the shutter button pushed 1/2 way so the screen stays on all the time. Buttons very easy to use underwater. Just set it to underwater mode before you go in.

My first set of photos were of nothing, but after a few minutes of practice (on my fin) I got great shots of many fish at different depths. Works best in high light, shallow waters, but in the darker Atlantic at about 20 feet, I also got some nice shots.

Hint: Try and stay above the rocks/coral and in the best available light to get the best photos.

I love this camera and would highly recommend it and did to all who asked.

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I bought this camera over a year ago before deploying to Iraq. I really put it to the test. It managed to survive intense heat, rain, mud, dust storms, and being constantly throw to the ground with me during combat. I carried it with me for over a year and it still takes great pictures.

I haven't used it a great deal underwater although I did test it out in the Lake a couple months ago. It did well.

As far as features I'm not a great expert in that area. It does have an incredible zoom (compared to my last camera-Sony).

I would recommend this to anyone needing a cameara for an "adventure."

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I've had this camera about a month now and am extremely pleased with it. I've taken it into numerous caves, where dripping water and muddy conditions are common, and it has survived being dragged around. Moreover, it has taken fantastic closeups of tiny features. I am amazed at how good the macro feature is, especially when there is virtually no light.

The camera also fared well being dunked in muddy pools on a canyoneering trip. It was so nice to be able to keep taking photos and not worry at all.

Photos from a distance look okay, nothing too spectacular, but the camera exceeds in doing super for what I bought it for: going into wet and dirty places and not worrying about it.

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I own several cameras, and I use each for different kinds of shooting. For snapshot stuff like vacations or parties where you don't want to hassle with a big camera, and are willing to sacrifice some quality, a tiny camera like this is great. Add in the waterproof feature and the great quality videos it shoots, and this thing rocks! I use it for sailing and skiing and all kinds of outdoor activities, and not having to worry about sand and dust and water is the greatest. It's not a 'dumbed-down' camera however. There are lots of sophisticated features that I'd love to see on my expensive cameras, like a detailed histogram that shows blown out and zero-level areas in real time. You can also just put it in "green mode" and point and shoot with reliably good results. The flash chooses pleasing filled exposures, too.

The white balance could use some fine tuning, the dynamic range is not as good as I would like for some outdoor situations, and the microphone gives fairly bad sound quality, but I highly recommend the overall package.

Olympus VG-120 14 MP Digital Camera, 5X Wide-Angle Optical Zoom (26mm), 3" LCD,(Red)

Pros: Takes good pictures in full sun light. Very impressive HD video. easy to use on screen menu.

I took some pictures out door in day light using the cameras' automatic setting, the pictures came out in good quality. In addition I tried the video and the result was impressive.

Cons: Does not work very well in low light environment with the cameras' automatic setting. However, I found that it can take pretty good pictures when I used the manual setting, which I found very easy to use.

I looked around for a nice digital camera in the ballpark of $100. I was about to get the Olympus fe when I found this camera. I've used it for a couple of days now and have found it to be very intuitive and fun to use. Ease of use of a digital camera is an important feature for me and this camera stacks up in every way. The HD video camera is a great feature as well. So far we have been very impressed with the quality of the pictures that our new camera takes.

I would recommend this as a great point and shoot digital camera.

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Camera is small and I can put it in my shirt pocket. Pictures taken with flash are great. Pictures taken outside are excellent, but if I am in the shade taking a picture, everything in the sun is washed out. I'm still trying to figure out what needs to be done to stop that. The HD Movie part is disappointing. Bought the camera from Amazon. As usual, they delivered in record time.

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This camera rocks my socks! I love it, it looks awesome with its black, sexy, chicness. It has awesome effects like punk, fish-eye, panorama etc. It takes clear pictures inside and out with effects like indoor, sunset, fireworks, cuisine, night, sport, and landscape. It feels light but also feels durable. It comes with the cables that you can hook it up to your TV and see the pictures on your camera on your TV, and videos...that is really cool! It is easy to learn how to use it. The sound and picture on the videos is clear. This is just a really good camera and its my third digital camera and it is my best so far. If you are looking to buy this one, you should. When I was looking to buy one, I researched a lot, and I mean a lot, and then I found this one and am so glad that I bought it. I love it! And I know you will too :D

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This camera was a Christmas present for my son. Its a great starter camera, easy to use, tough and water proof. Camera is easy to use because there are only a few buttons on back of camera to worry about. Only thing needed is a memory card.

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Panasonic Professional BT-LH1710 17-Inch LCD Production Monitor

That basically sums up my feeling for this monitor.

Yes, I'm fully aware it is a broadcast/studio/production monitor which commands a far higher price than a consumer monitor, BUT, it's just not that good. Take away the special functions, a $600 PC monitor (IPS or PVA panel) with the right adapters and/or format converters would equal the PQ at a fraction of the cost.

Pros;

1. Metal frame (see below),

2. Typical studio/production functions: cross pulse, underscan, blue only,

3. Four preset & three user adjustable white balance settings (confusing user adjustments, see below) ,

4. Composite, S-video (Y/C), component and two SDI inputs (all loop thru),

5. Three independent user memories,

6. AC or DC operation (removable power cord),

7. Various markers & waveform monitor display (see below),

8. Removable metal stand (see below).

Cons;

1. Very pricey, especially for a 720p panel,

2. Weight. Over 15 lbs with stand. Until you pick it up, 15 lbs doesn't sound like much, but it is!,

3. This appears to be a TN panel (un-confirmed) judging by the poor vertical viewing angles. (side to side angle is better),

4. Uneven backlighting,

5. No DVI input,

6. Noticeable 'green' cast with the D65, D56 or variable 0-65 user settings (but can be adjusted out),

7. User white balance (Var 1-3) are confusing since each control affects both high and low Y levels. Controls are labeled "High" & "Low", but each has "Bias" & "Gain" figures shown, both change while adjusting,

8. Older design introduced in 2005. (1760 replacement introduced in 2008 with a apparent IPS panel with a even hight price tag),

9. Heavy, non tilting stand (2 lbs). No sharp edges, but I wouldn't use it on a surface that would scratch or able to dent easily. Since the vertical viewing angle is poor, something that tilts is imperative,

10. WFM display is very crude and inconsistent. Can't be used for a reliable level readout. (1760's firmware changes the overlay to double the resolution.)

Nikon D7000 16.2 MP Digital SLR Camera & 18-105mm VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens with 55-300mm VR Lens +

The D7000 and lenses are first class. The camera bag is too small, cheap and nasty and will not shut properly with all the goods in it. If the lens is attached to the camera it is a really tight fit.

The zip on the bag is cheap and likely to break. Other accessories are fine though.

Buy the camera and lenses together, the rest of the supplied materials get from your local camera shop.

Delivery was fast efficient and hassle free.

Update: been using this excellent camera for 7 months now, it is really a first class product, produces excellent photographs and is a pleasure to use as it has a simple menu and setting set-up. Recently purchased a seperate remote flash unit for it that compliments the camera and which works perfectly with the camera.

Nikon D7000 16.2 MP Digital SLR Camera & 18-105mm VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens with 55-300mm VR Lens + 16GB Card + Filters + Backpack Case + Tripod + Accessory Kit

Estoy conforme con el artículo. La tienda cumplió en tiempo y forma y volvería a comprar en ella.

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