Nikon D3200 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens (Red) with 70-300mm Lens + 32GB

Love this camera and got so many extras with this package. I love taking pictures of my grandchildren at their events and this camera takes awesome pictures!

This was my birthday present to MYSELF. I am the family photographer becasue I don't like photo's of myself and my old camera couldn't be revived. Took the family to Universal studio's and it was wonderful and took great photo's. There is alot to still learn with this product coming from a fully automatic camera but I am excited. Two thumbs up!!

Buy Nikon D3200 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens (Red) with 70-300mm Lens + 32GB Now

BuyCheapCables (10 Feet) Mini DisplayPort (Male) to HDMI (Male) 10'

I had other DP to HDMI cables that were bigger on the DP end so I couldn't use 2 cables on my video card at the same time.

These cable must have the converter on the HDMI end so I was able to use 2 of these on my card.

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JVC Everio GZMG255 2MP 30GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom (Includes Docking Stati

In 2007, I have compared the three camcorders side by side: JVC GZ-MG255, Sony DCR-SR82, and Sony DCR-SR80. I compared for the ability to videotape in low light or natural night light conditions, and without video lights, and in Automatic mode. The JVC GZ-MG255 is the winner and takes best low light videos because it has the largest F 1.2 lens, and largest 1/4 inch CCD. I still have the videos to prove this.

JVC GZ-MG255 has largest F1.2 lens, and the CCD is the largest 1/4 inch, and 2.18 MP Gross Pixels, 1.23 MP Effective Pixels. Bright light videos are great, and low light videos are the best. I still enjoy using my JVC GZ-MG255 to record in low light.

This is a short video clip from my JVC GZ-MG255 camcorder that I took in April 2007 at a dimly lighted nightclub at closing time, and this is a great low light video.

Zoom: Do not get fooled by the manufacturer's current optical zoom "game" or "contest". The better, more expensive, camcorders will have 10X zoom (and that is fine with me).

JVC GZ-MG255 GOOD THINGS:

-JVC GZ-MG255 has the largest F1.2 lens which captures two times more light than the other smaller F1.8 camcorders, and larger 1/4 inch, 2.1 MP CCD for great low light video recordings.

-JVC GZ-MG255 has a built-in great very bright white light Flash for taking still pictures. And with a 10 second Flash self-timer. (The Sony DCR-SR80 and SR82 do not have a built-in Flash for still pictures.)

-JVC "Mod" files are no problem. "Mod" files are actually newer, but are still standard MPEG format, but which some older software may not recognize.

I rank my JVC GZ-MG255 camcorder as #1 and the best because it takes great low light videos due to its largest F 1.2 lens, and large 1/4 inch CCD. Here below is a comparision of 20 other camcorders,

My Rank # 1: Best, Superior Low Light Performance.

-JVC GZ-MG255: Zoom 10X. F1.2 lens; 1/4 inch CCD, Effective 1.23 MP = 1280x960, (Gross 2.18 MP).

Rank # 2:

-Sony DCR-SR200: Zoom 10X. F1.8 lens; 1/3" CMOS, Effective 1.08 MP = 1200x900, (Gross 2.1 MP).

Rank # 3:

-Panasonic SDR-H200: Zoom 10X. F1.8 lens; 1/6" Three-CCDs, Effective 0.64 MP X 3CCDs, (Gross 0.80 MP X 3CCD).

-JVC GZ-MG155: Zoom 32X. F1.8 lens; 1/6" CCD, Effective 0.69 MP = 690KP = 960x720, (Gross 1.07 MP).

-Sony DCR-SR85: Zoom 25X. F1.8 lens; 1/6 inch CCD, Effective 0.69 MP = 960x720, (Gross 1.07 MP).

-Sony DCR-SR65: Zoom 25X. F1.8 lens; 1/6" CCD, Effective 0.69 MP = 960x720, (Gross 1.07 MP).

-Sony DCR-SR82: Zoom 25X. F1.8 lens; 1/6" CCD, Effective 0.69 MP = 960x720, (Gross 1.07 MP).

-Sony DCR-SR62: Zoom 25X. F1.8 lens; 1/6" CCD, Effective 0.69 MP = 960x720, (Gross 1.07 MP).

-Sony DCR-SR80: Zoom 12X. F1.8 lens; 1/5.5" CCD, Effective 0.69 MP = 960x720, (Gross 1.07 MP).

-Sony DCR-SR60: Zoom 12X. F1.8 lens; 1/5.5" CCD, Effective 0.69 MP = 960x720, (Gross 1.07 MP).

-JVC GZ-MG365: Zoom 35X. F1.8 lens, 1/6" CCD, Effective 0.34 MP = 640x480, (Gross 0.68 MP).

-JVC GZ-MG360: Zoom 35X. F1.8 lens, 1/6" CCD, Effective 0.34 MP = 640x480, (Gross 0.68 MP).

-JVC GZ-MG335: Zoom 35X. F1.8 lens, 1/6" CCD, Effective 0.34 MP = 640x480, (Gross 0.68 MP).

-JVC GZ-MG330: Zoom 35X. F1.8 lens, 1/6" CCD, Effective 0.34 MP = 640x480, (Gross 0.68 MP).

-Panasonic SDR-H18: Zoom 32X. F1.8 lens; 1/6" CCD, Effective 0.34 MP = 640x480, (Gross 0.68 MP).

-Sony DCR-SR45: Zoom 40X. F1.8 lens; 1/8" CCD, Effective 0.34 MP = 640x480, (Gross 0.68 MP).

-Sony DCR-SR42: Zoom 40X. F1.8 lens; 1/6" CCD, Effective 0.34 MP = 640x480, (Gross 0.68 MP).

-Sony DCR-SR40: Zoom 20X. F1.8 lens; 1/6" CCD, Effective 0.34 MP = 640x480, (Gross 0.68 MP).

-JVC GZ-MG130: Zoom 34X. F2.0 lens; 1/6" CCD, Effective 0.34 MP = 640x480, (Gross 0.68 MP).

-Panasonic SDR-H60: Zoom 50X. F2.0 lens; 1/6" CCD, Effective 0.40 MP = 640x480, (Gross 0.80 MP).

-Panasonic SDR-H40: Zoom 42X. F1.9 lens; 1/6" CCD, Effective 0.40 MP = 640x480, (Gross 0.80 MP).

My footnotes for these Technical Specifications Facts:

-"Effective MP" is an industry "standard" used for comparision; and is the actual pixels through lens for recording.

-For fair comparison, only listed "Effective MP" for 4:3 Aspect Ratio. ( And not 16:9 Aspect. )

-"MP" = Mega Pixels = 1,000,000 pixels = 1,000 Kilo Pixels (KP).

-"Gross MP" is total pixels on CCD sensor, but all used for lens recording, and should not be used for standard comparisons.

-F1.2 lens is larger aperture hole than F1.8 lens. F1.2 lens captures two times the light than F1.8 lens.

-Only comparing video recording in full "Automatic" mode; and not using any "Manual" or "low light" settings.

-Only comparing mid-priced hard disk drive camcorders in "Standard Definition"; and not comparing "High Definition".

-For equal comparisons, I am only listing "Optical" Zoom; and not "Digital" Zoom.

Let's start off with the good.

GOOD

----

1) Easy to use. The learning curve for the menus and actual operation is pretty shallow. 15-20 minutes tops.

2) Solid AV quality.

3) Compact and sturdy construction.

4) Joystick-based menu controller. None of the fears of LCD breaking that's associated with touch screens.

5) Easy to download any video files to your PC, with or without the software

6) Included Dock

7) Still camera flash

8) MOD video files are simply renamed MPGs, which makes editing easy as pie.

9) Lots of space to record

10) Built-in USB

11) No recorded noise (that I could detect) coming from either the HDD or the zoom.

12) 16:9 widescreen recording. Great feature to have access to even if its not hi-def.

An now for the bad...

BAD

---

1) Included battery only lasts 1hr 15min. You'll definitely need to shell out $150-$200 more for a longer lasting battery and a separate charger.

2) Flash for stills, but no persistent light for video.

3) Low light shooting enhancements come at a price, mainly aperture speed.

4) No viewfinder.

5) MOD files have a small bug that improperly sets the 16:9 flag. The widescreen tag can be easily fixed by a free 3rd party tool though.

6) Placement of the power knob makes turning the unit on or off awkward. The problem stems from an inset push button lock in the knob. Simultaneously pushing the lock and turning the knob is usually best done with your free hand. It's just easier that way.

7) Somewhat flimsy feeling to the AC adapter.

8) Digital zoom is pretty much a waste of time. Compared to the optical, why bother? Way too grainy and over-processed. Then again, what would you expect from digital zoom?

9) Image stabilization for handheld shooting could be better. The jumping becomes more noticeable as you zoom in. A good tripod or monopod is a must.

10) 10x optical zoom is nice, but some people might wish for more without investing in a telephoto lense.

11) It's small. REALLY small. Almost toy-like in size actually. Imagine stacking 3 or 4 iPods. =) Some newbies might be scared of breaking it, even if it is quite sturdy feeling.

12) Only 1 CCD.

With as many drawbacks as I mentioned, you'd think I'd rate the camera lower. Nah. It's a good product. The drawbacks are relatively small and easily forgiven in the grand scheme.

As far as price is concerned, for what you do get, the GZMG255 is actually worth the full list price of $700. So, at the sub-$550 price that many resellers are charging, the GZMG255 is a steal.

Not a pro camera, but definitely not a budget camera either. Spec-wise, it performs nicely in the mid-range. If this is your first camcorder then you could do far worse than the GZMG255.

One particular online review (cnet) was harsh on this camera (6.4/10). I firmly disagree. The GZMG255 is not meant to be a pro-level camera and shouldn't be judged by those standards. Based on a simple price to feature ratio, I'd give it a solid 4/5 (8/10 on their scale.) I might even give it a 4.5/5 or 8.5/10 based solely on practical use.

The GZMG255 offers a high degree of bang for the buck, more so at the recently discounted prices. Not an average cam.

Buy JVC Everio GZMG255 2MP 30GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom (Includes Docking Stati Now

Although missing from the product description, this camera (via the included dock) has Firewire. So I got a 4-pin to 6-pin firewire cable, hooked up to my Mac, and iMovie instantly recognized the camera and imported the clips. No conversion or intermediate steps required. This capability also comes standard with the GZMG155, but the 255 has superior resolution and a flash instead of the light. I started with the GZMG130, but the still camera was worthless. The 255 has great capability for video and stills. The USB port is still available for file transfer, and iPhoto opens right up when you connect.

Read Best Reviews of JVC Everio GZMG255 2MP 30GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom (Includes Docking Stati Here

I use this camera for recording my daughters' gymnastics and basketball/volleyball events. Works great and I can just throw it in my digital camera bag. As stated in other reviews, the still camera feature is OK, but not great. Fine in a pinch.

Unfortunately, the thing that makes it so sweet (compact size) also works against it, if only slightly. For any man with man-sized hands, this camera will be slightly difficult to operate. When your right hand is holding the camera through the grip, your fingers and thumb will extend past the button positions. You'll have to bend your fingers to work the controls. Because of this, starting and stopping the recording feature is sure to introduce a little shake into the video. Use your other hand to steady the camera or use a monopod. Very much a keeper as far as I'm concerned.

Because each recording creates a different file on the enclosed HDD, be sure to stop and start the recording more than you might on other tape-driven cameras.

Windows Media Player will play the .MOD files created with this camera. Windows Movie Maker (included with Vista) will also read these files and allow you to easily add text and transitions. A utility mentioned in another review, SDCopy Beta available from Sektionschef, is a must if you record at 16x9. It's the only way I've been able to set the 16x9 flag on the files and have them play back in the proper format.

Windows Movie Maker will also rotate the video if you take it vertically instead of horizontally.

Using the dock to transfer files to my PC is a snap. It also charges the battery (but not at the same time as the file transfer). Camera must be switched ON for file transfer, OFF for battery charge.

VERY happy with this purchase.

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I rarely post reviews like this, but I put allot of time into purchasing this camera and I am sure there are other people out there in the same boat as I was. I wanted a camera for the primary purpose of shooting some video of my newborn son. I wanted to be able to quickly edit the clips and I wanted to be able to easily get the clips onto sites like YouTube. Compared to what is out there I am not aware of a better camera for this purpose.

This is the first camcorder that I have ever purchased. I have used many, even going all the way back to ones that recorded on a full size VHS tape and hung on your shoulder. The times surely have changed. For my purposes this camera is absolutely perfect. I have a few very minor gripes, but overall I could not be more happy with it.

PROS: Controls: They are easy to navigate and make sense even to a novice.

Size: This thing is as tiny as people describe. It fits into the palm of my hand and even fits into my pocket with ease.

Connections: Everything from a flash card, to USB, to firewire. I am not aware of another camera out there with as man connections as this one.

Price: The cost of this thing has dropped considerably. I picked mine up off of e bay for 340. A pretty sweet deal I think. When you start to factor in the cost of other formats, tapes dvr's, etc. I think it is a no-brainer to go HDD.

CONS: The dreaded .mod file. This next paragraph will save you hours and hours of time. Yes, this camera records in .mod in some apparent trick to get you to commit to JVC's software package which based on every review I have read stinks more than seeing the Giants win the Superbowl. Fear not though, because I have spent the better part of a snowy day bashing through this dreaded format. Do some searches and you will find more than enough information than you need to circumvent this file issue, but if you want to save your time searching here are the steps that I use.

1. Rename the files from .mod to .mpg A program such as (better file rename) makes this time consuming task an absolute breeze. You will have it done in seconds.

2. Delete the .moi files (you do not need them).

3. I have successfully been using NeroVision from Nero 7 Ultra Edition. It works well and is quite simple. You can edit your clips, add effects, and do whatever you want with them. I believe you can obtain this version on the cheap now.

4. The pause button. When you pause and restart it starts a new file, so later you end up with many files if you pause often. (This a minor annoyance).

I have read this camera getting pretty negative reviews other places and I just cannot see why. Granted I am not a professional, nor do I calim to be one, but for what I wanted, this camera is perfect. I would not hesitate to purchase one again. If you are on the fence, look no further.

Nikon Coolpix L3 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (White)

Easy to operate. LOTS & LOTS of functions for taking fun pictures. Easy to upload. Pics are crisp and bright and the movie mode is also great for taking videos. Its also very light and small. It was given to me as a gift. I JUST LOVE THIS CAMERA.

I really like this camera. I had taken my friend's to Europe and took over 300 pics with it and everyone was amazing. So I decided to buy it myself in the white color and love it!! :)

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Motorola Digital Video Baby Monitor with 1.8 Inch Color LCD Screen

Great value monitor, screen size is perfect for my needs and it's 100% digital and secure. Has a belt clip and I really like just walking around with the base unit and watching the baby.

Sound quaility and night vision all what you expect from Motorola. The 2 way communication feature was also a big plus. Love taking to my wife while I am in the other room, makes life easy.

Hope Amazon has the additional cameras soon

All in all it's not a $300 monitor and I am very happy with what I got for the money. I would recommend it to anyone.

I got this monitor shockingly! to check on my son while he sleeps. I didn't need anything with any frills or a huge display since I was kind of on the fence about ordering a video monitor anyway. But I'm quite happy with this monitor. I especially like that it shows the temperature in the bedroom. The night vision works very well and the range of the mobile unit is good; although in my small house, it doesn't get tested to the limits of its abilities. The picture is a bit pixelated, but it's clear enough to see my son and if he's wiggling or screaming. The video unit also has brackets on the bottom so you can hang it on a wall if you wanted to.

The only complaint I have is the mobile unit drains it's battery fairly quickly. My son is still sleeping in our bedroom, so I only use this unit for 2-3 hours maximum a day, and I still have to charge it every other day or so. You can turn the screen on the mobile unit off and it will come back on when baby moves or makes noise, so that saves the battery a little, but it still seems to run out more quickly than I expected it to.

Other than that, it's a great unit for the price and I'm glad we got it.

Buy Motorola Digital Video Baby Monitor with 1.8 Inch Color LCD Screen Now

Overall, this monitor does the job. You can see your baby, the night vision works great. Before this I never had a video monitor, only audio. My biggest complaint is how the sound cuts off. At first I was very nervous to sleep using this monitor because I noticed the sound would go off completely, I thought maybe it broke. Turns out to reduce background noise, the sound turns off until the baby cries/whines. BUT I have seen my baby moving around, and cannot hear it on the monitor since she is not crying. I do not like that, since she sometimes wakes up and does not make any noise it is difficult because I feel I am constantly watching the monitor to see if she is awake but not crying. The "color screen" also, is not much of a color screen. The actual settings on the monitor are in color, but the picture looks black and white to me. And the music from the video unit cannot be controlled on the parent unit, so if you want it turned off you must do it from the video unit. In the end, it works..you can see your child, and hear the baby when he/she is crying. But if you have a child like mine who sometimes just lays in their crib without making noise, this probably is not a good idea. 3/5 stars, I will continue using it but I probably would stick with my audio monitor next time since I cannot always watch the screen to see if shes moving I would rather hear it.

Read Best Reviews of Motorola Digital Video Baby Monitor with 1.8 Inch Color LCD Screen Here

I found this on Groupon and paid $99 for it including shipping.

It is NOT high quality video, and audio is only fair, but it does give peace of mind and does an ok job for the price.

Having two cameras is nice. I have one in the baby room and one in the play area.

The ability to talk back and forth is nice (i often use it as a walkie talkie with my wife).

I wish the picture was better and audio was clearer, but it's not a spy cam it's a monitor.

I still may return it and go with a network wifi cam of some sort, but those seem more of hassle to setup and monitor. I like having an easy handheld monitor.

Overall and OK review.

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This is THE WORST video monitor EVER. I could go on and on about what a disappointment it was right out of the box but held off because I had a newborn and a 2 year old and no time to sit and rant when my days were consumed with getting either or both to sleep... but I digress...

Eight months pass and the worst monitor ever decides to go ka-put. Just up and stops working for no reason at all. Okay, wait, I shouldn't exaggerate... only one of the 2 cameras gave out--the one that happens to be in my baby's room (aka THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE). Sure it was a fluke. But seriously, I hate this monitor so much I think it did it on purpose.

Top 10 reasons to hate this monitor overall (in order):

10. Remember those sketchy pixelated 80's security cam stop motion videos that were so grainy you wondered how they caught the guy? Yeah, this is worse.

9. The battery life. This is a misnomer. Think "battery life support." The second you unplug it, no matter how long it has charged, you get maybe 45mins until you hear the dreaded low battery beep. This is the monitor version of someone coding in a hospital. You need to rush in, ideally with a team of people who know the monitor cord's most recent location and the nearest outlet, so that you can revive the monitor STAT. Sometimes you win, and keep the main monitor going for a little longer. Sometimes, well, you have to go into the next room where the camera monitors are, take off your mask, and slowly shake your head. There was nothing you could do. There just wasn't time. So don't plan on taking the monitor outside with you or anything. Patients in the ICU shouldn't go on walks.

8. The beeping. Oh my GAWSH the BEEPING! For every little stupid thing this idiot monitor beeps warnings so loud it often disturbs the sleeping babe in the next room. I understand that you want to know if you lose connection...but when it loses connection multiple times an hour at random, when nothing has moved in either location, my patience wears thin. Imagine you have finally gotten two kids to sleep. You crawl into the living room, sink into the couch, hoping for fifteen minutes of the rest you remember from long, long ago. You pour a glass of wine, check the monitor again and put it down next to you. Your muscles relax, you draw in a deep breath, and...BEEP BEEP BEEP. It's lost connection. No, wait, it found it again. Ahhh...BEEP BEEP BEEP. Lost connection. Wait, I thought it found the connection, just a moment ago? What Motorola hasn't told you is that the main monitor and the camera monitors aren't on speaking terms. Turns out the camera monitors are passive-aggressive, so they tend to get really defensive just when the main monitor wants to talk. You are now a part of this broken family dynamic. Welcome.

(Note: There is no way to turn all the beeps off--just the one that tells you it's going to die. Then it dies on you and you have no idea).

7. Someone reviewed that you "get what you pay for." You do not. I did not pay for this thing, and I regret the zero dollars. I could have done it pioneer woman style with no monitor and been less frustrated.

6. The "switching camera" feature. This monitor doesn't have a side by side view, it "switches between them every few seconds." This isn't the end of the world, but it doesn't switch directly from one to the other. In between, you will enjoy anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds of black text on a white background, reading "Switching to Baby Camera 1." So if you hear a thump in your little one's room, get comfortable, because you won't be seeing what's going on in there for a while.

5. The talk-back feature. You press and hold the "talk" button. In case you holding down the very large button wasn't enough of a clue, the picture goes away and the word "Talk" shows up, in the black text on white background to which you've become so familiar. So say your piece fast if you want to know what's going on in there.

4. The video quality. It's so terrible I have to mention it again.

3. It says it's a color monitor. It isn't. Even in the brightest daylight it uses night vision. Liars.

2. If you own a computer, or a television, or a radio, or a cell phone, you're going to want to keep that on the other side of the house from this thing. It needs its personal space to function.

1. It stopped working after 8 months. Unacceptable at any price.

There you have it. You have been not only warned but saved from an added frustration on top of the daily real challenges of raising kids. You're welcome. Motorola, no thank you and never again.

The End.

PS I was forced to give it at least 1 star to "rate" it on Amazon but really it deserves NO stars.

Datacolor Spyder4Pro S4P100 Colorimeter for Display Calibration

This is the fourth Datacolor product I own. I still have the original SpyderPro, Spyder2Pro, Spyder3Print and the newest addition the Spyder4Pro. I also own an Eye-One Display but prefer my Spyders any day of the week. The Spyder's user interface ( Wizard ) is so much more user friendly than the Eye-One that I will not recommend the Eye-One to my clients. I've had more tech support questions about the Eye-One than I care to mention.

Besides being a photographer I'm also a freelance Macintosh Tech that installs Mac systems and teaches color management and workflows using Lightroom, Bridge and Photoshop. As mentioned I'll recommend the Spyder to my clients over the Eye-One for a number of reasons. First the monitor profiles are excellent, I can't ask for any better and of course the user interface, the wizard, is much more user friendly than the Eye-One. With the Eye-One Wizard I don't know if it's asking me to do something or if it's telling me the results and I need to do something else, it gets confusing for my clients. Enough said about the Eye-One!... Let's move on to the Spyder4Pro.

The Spyder4Pro package consists of the Spyder4Pro unit, Stand, Software Installation Disk for Mac/Windows and Quick Start Guide. I know this isn't important but the design of the Spyder4Pro is really sleek and sexy! Mama-Mia! The USB cable attached is nicely supple so there's no need to twist the USB cable for the unit to remain flat on the monitor's screen. Also a little trick is to tilt the monitor up slightly so there is additional weight of the Spyder4Pro pressing against the monitor screen for a nice tight "seal". I recommend doing this regardless of profiler brands.

Installing the software is straight forward. Install the software using the installation disk and let the installer find the latest Spyder4Pro driver via the internet. ( Also Datacolor is very, very good about updating their drivers in a timely manner... another big plus with Datacolor ) During installation enter the serial number that's on the DVD sleeve label, the installer will contact Datacolor servers and return a License Code that will be used if you need to re-install the software. There's an option to print the License Code, which I recommend, and also Datacolor emails the License Code to you for safekeeping. I'm going to guess here, once you have the License Code you don't need to be connected to the internet for further installations... I could be wrong!

Once the software is installed attach the Spyder4Pro directly to the computer's USB port if possible. USB hubs/keyboards sometimes don't have enough power to run a unit so this is the best approach. Launch the software and you are greeted by the Spyder4Pro Wizards's Welcome screen. The screen prompts are easy to understand and have a Help and "?" button if further explanation is needed. The first time around you'll be prompted to do a "FullCAL" ( Full Calibration ) and on subsequent calibrations there will be options to not only run "FullCAL" but to "ReCal" and "CheckCAL".

After the "Welcome" screen, that suggests/recommends certain display settings, there is the "Measuring Ambient Light" screen. Place the Spyder4Pro on it's stand in front of your monitor and click the "Next" button and the Spyder4Pro will read the amount of light falling on the monitor. The "Ambient Light Analysis" screen will display the results. You'll have the option to "Keep current settings" or "Accept suggested settings". Select your choice and click "Next" to bring you to the Calibration screen! Hang the Spyder4Pro over the monitor and slide the counter-weight along the USB cable until it's nicely balanced and center the Spyder4Pro right over the outline shape. Click "Next" and the Calibration process begins... I nice feature is the software displays the status of it's brightness readings in realtime and checks the stability of brightness over a period of time. My Apple Cinema Display is getting long-in-the-tooth and I could see that it was having trouble staying stable at the recommended brightness setting. Calibration completed in about 7 minutes and the "Saved Profile" screen appeared. I saved the profile adding the current date in the file name and set the Calibration Reminder for 2 Weeks.

Next is the "SpyderProof Calibrated View" screen where you can switch back and fourth from the profiled calibrated monitor view and uncalibrated monitor view. This gives you an idea on what the profile is doing. Clicking the "Next "button brings us to "Profile Overview" screen where you can compare old and new profiles and how they related to each other in a specific Colorspace. Looking at my results... dang I think I need a new monitor! You can "Quit" or there's an "Advance Analysis" feature that can test the profile's "Gamut", "Tone Response", "Brightness and Contrast", and "White Point at Different OSD Settings". But I'll let you play around with this!

My monitor is dead neutral displaying a grayscale in Photoshop CS5.1 there is no rain-bowing in any of the gray steps. ( Meaning there's NO color banding/color contamination along the grayscale )

Spyder4Pro is great for novices and advance users alike. The software has nice advanced features that users can grow with.

I decided to buy the Spyder after months of procrastinating about the need to calibrate my monitor. I am an amateur photographer with what I think are advanced skills (I get good compliments on my photos, for whatever that's worth :-)) But I did not want to spend the money for color calibration equipment. After so many frustrations dealing with the colors displayed in my images, I started reading some articles about color management and looked into what was available. I noticed that Datacolor seemed to have overall good reviews, so I bought the Pro model #S4P100 since it was priced at $169.00.

When I received it and opened the box, I was impressed with the user guide that they provide. It is a simple guide to show you how to install the software and get the setup started. I am not a technical guy so I appreciate this type of easy to follow guide with illustrations and clear instructions. The install process was easy and the software recognized my monitor (a Dell P2311Hb) automatically. The time to install the software program and do the calibration took a total of about 20 minutes. And what a difference between before and after calibration! I now have a reference for the correct colors and know that what I see on the display is what they should be. It is money well spent and has me asking myself why I waited so long to do it.

I would recommend this product to anyone wanting to manage color on their display. It is worth the investment!

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This is the third colorimeter that I've owned in ten years or so, and my experience in printing color goes back to the film and darkroom days, so I accept that there is no perfect color device.

I was initially disappointed with the first few profiles I created using this product after providing information about my laptop's display. The profiles had either a definite yellow or green cast. They were far better than my uncorrected display, but not really what I needed for accurate viewing and printing.

So I experimented with telling the software that my display's characteristics were different from what I know them to be. Although this laptop has LED backlighting, I finally got a good profile when I entered that it was fluorescent backlighting.

Compared to other calibration software that I've used previously, this software provides very limited options for modifying settings. Mostly, you pick the characteristics of your display from dropdown boxes, and the software then decides on the whitepoint and gamma. There is no obvious way to change them. That is odd for "professional" software. In fact, this is the most basic and least flexible software of the three colorimeters that I have owned. Perhaps I'm overlooking some features, but that is not surprising given that there is no manual--another disappointment for a $169 supposedly professional tool.

Read Best Reviews of Datacolor Spyder4Pro S4P100 Colorimeter for Display Calibration Here

This product is primarily intended for serious to professional photographers and graphic designers with print as a final product. It calibrates your monitor color for accuracy (most monitors are not accurate) so in the post processing workflow, you are accurately processing your images for print. It really is not a "needed product" unless you are a graphic designer or serious to professional photographer with clients and you are printing to final output. Otherwise, I opine you do not need this product. Conversely, if you earn any money from your work, you cannot be a professional unless you calibrate your monitor and utilize it during your workflow. You also need to remember that using this product will not ensure others who digitally see your work will view color rendition accurately because you use this product. Everyone's monitors are calibrated differently, are of varying quality, and many people do not even understand color space or profiling. This is why pros convert images to srgb (standard RGB color space)for digital distribution because it is the "lowest common denominator" and nearly all browsers ONLY display in Srgb and only expensive monitors can display better color profiles. Even then, chances are people are viewing an inaccurate color representation of your image and don't even get me started on what Facebook does to your images.

As a part-time professional, I use a Dell UltraSharp U2410 24-inch Widescreen LCD High Performance Monitor with HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort and HDCP (dual setup which is why I use the Pro series of Spyders) for post processing. I also shoot in the Adobe RGB color space from my camera (Nikon D300s 12.3MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II Lens)and post process in that same color space. This is where the Spyder, combined with a quality monitor like the U2410 really shines because it allows me to work in the wider color gamut (smoother shade transitions). I can then send to the print house in that color space or convert to Srgb (actually the preferred color space for most professional print houses).

I owned previous Spyders including the Datacolor DC S3P100 Spyder 3 Pro. So, I was very familiar with the system. It is incredibly easy to setup and use but you should allow at least 30 minutes for first use. The package contains the Spyder4 unit, stand, rubber cup for CRT monitors, software and a quick guide with detailed instructions on the CD. Before installing, check for a new version of the software as Datacolor frequently updates all its products. Whatever you do, do not lose the serial number included on the CD sleeve. Without that serial number, you cannot install the software.

Prior to installing let your monitors warm up for at least 1/2 hour (I never post process until monitors are warmed up). I also recommend updating your graphics card drivers prior to installing and do a full reboot. Installing the software is easy as is plugging the Spyder into a USB port. Of course, install the software first (it should automatically check for a newer version on install). The Spyder itself is a sleek device. When using it, you will simply follow instructions by lining up the device on the screen with an outline. I suggest you slightly tilt your monitor back for a better "seal" that will block out any light from either side. Also, adjust the light in the room to a setting that you would normally use. The Spyder uses ambient light measurement to calculate how to color map the profile. On the USB there is a counter-weight that goes behind the monitor to stabilize the device. Perfect design in my opinion. On first use you will need to do a full calibration. SIMPLY follow the instructions (no need to rehash them here). Allow some time for this process and do not leave your monitor until you adjust the brightness/whitepoint setting as indicated by the software. On successive calibrations, you have an option of a quick "recalc" which is must faster. I normally do a full calibration every time by habit.

Spyder has never crashed my system (Windows 7) and always performed flawlessly. I think better results are achieved with higher end monitors designed for color accuracy from the start. Either way, if you are in the image or graphics design business, this is a must have product. There are much more expensive options out there. However, Datacolor has always done a fine job by me and I stick with them because of that and the frequency at which they update their drivers. Plus, I can now color profile my Ipad. How cool is that?

SidebarI am unable to rate how well this product works with TV's because I simply do not use it for that purpose.

Want Datacolor Spyder4Pro S4P100 Colorimeter for Display Calibration Discount?

For anyone that doesn't know what this device does, it will create a monitor profile for Windows or Mac to allow for more accurate color. For professionals, accurate color on your monitor is a MUST. For hobbyists, the further you get into photography/videography, the more likely you are to want accurate colors. The Spyder 4 Pro fits this bill.

Packaging:

This part is fairly straightforward. You have a rather wasteful and useless plastic cover that covers the entire box of the Spyder 4. Removing it is just a matter of cutting two pieces of tape (for a more exciting time, I suppose you could rip it open with your teeth). Once that's off, you have a cardboard box covering more protective plastic. The cardboard cover has system requirements and rudimentary directions for using the Spyder.

Install/setup/Manual:

What is it with these companies? The documentation for the Spyder and the i1 Pro is... anemic at best. I would call it a quick start guide at best. It should be noted that the software really does walk you through the process, so a manual isn't strictly needed, but would be nice from a troubleshooting/learning the capability of the device better perspective.

You're given what is essentially a fold up pamphlet. Each step is given in English, Spanish, French German and Italian.

There is, however, some confusion about what is included. There are actually two install and calibration tools shown on the pamphlet. The first is the Spyder 4 Elite/Pro/Express. The other piece shows the install and calibration for Spyder 4 TV HD, which is a different device completely. Well, not completely. You get a different set of accessories with the 4 TV HD (elastic bands). You probably know what device you bought, but the cost side stepping could be confusing.

The setup is fairly easy once you ensure you are looking at the proper set of instructions for your device. Install the software. Plug the device in. Run the Spyder Pro 4.5 software.

You must activate the software to use the device with the datacolor software (there are third party apps for calibration that you can use with this, though you're going to spend almost as much on that software alone as you do for the device itself).

Calibration:

Plug it in, follow the instructions, keep hitting next and you're done. It's bang on simple. In this it is similar to the ColorMUNKI from X-Rite.

Ensure your screen has been powered on for at LEAST 30 minutes. Check your lighting conditions (best to calibrate under the conditions you use most often). Reset your monitor and set it to the 6500k color temperature. Hit next.

Choose your display type and choose the display to be calibrated. You can calibrate multiple monitors with the Pro and Elite models only. There is a work around on this for the Express, though it requires you to rename profiles, uninstall the Spyder software and manage the profiles with Windows separately. Since you should recalibrate your display every month or two (or more if you are a pro), the workaround for using the Express may not be worth the time spent installing the software, calibrating, renaming profiles and then managing in Windows for the few dollars it saves.

It should be noted that there is an included suction cup. ONLY use this on a CRT. Do NOT try to use the suction cup on your LCD!

Choose what you can change within the monitor in terms of color/contrast/brightness. Press next.

The next screen you choose to recalibrate, check calibration or perform a full calibration. First time you need to do a full calibration, but from then on you should be OK with a simple recalibration. I usually leave the gamma/white point/brightness drop downs on the Recommended settings as this is what professionals use, meaning whatever I do on my display should match wherever I may want to print or what have you. Press next.

Check ambient light (Express model doesn't offer this). Accept the recommended brightness/white point and press next (change this only if you know what you want your display to be calibrated to). Press next.

Place the Spyder on your screen. The counter weight is OK, but getting the Spyder to sit in the outline on screen could be a bit annoying depending on your monitor calibration. The i1 Display and ColorMUNKI from X-Rite use this same basic premise for calibration, so it doesn't matter what company you go with from this perspective. Once you have the device situated, press next.

You will see color patches flash on the screen as it goes through the calibration process. When it gets to brightness, where the user needs to manually intervene, it stops. This is where the process can be tedious. This process doesn't self update. What I mean is, you make an adjustment on your screen, you press update in the software to refresh the reading. Compared to the i1 and ColorMUNKI, this is kind of obnoxious. Both of those devices automatically update the reading while you make adjustments. Once you have the reading to match the target as closely as possible, press Continue.

Unplug the Spyder and name your profile. Set the calibration reminder, save and you're done.

It should be noted that you can also run the same type of quality tests with the Spyder 4 Pro as you can with the i1 Display Pro, so it is closer to the i1 Display than it is to the ColorMUNKI.

You can also use the Spyder to calibrate an iPad/iPhone, though I have neither so I cannot comment on how well this does/doesn't work.

Comparison to i1 Display Pro/ColorMUNKI:

Let's get this out of the way. The ColorMUNKI, while nice, is NOT as feature rich as the Spyder Pro 4 Pro. The ColoMUNKI is probably more in line with the base model, the Spyder 4 Express.

In terms of the end point calibration, all three devices provided me with a monitor calibration that was visually the same to me across the board. Neither of the three devices, used to calibrate 2 laptop LCDs and the same monitor (Dell U2410) connected to both laptops were all visually the same to my untrained eye.

For a hobbyist, the ColorMUNKI or the Spyder 4 Pro would be perfect. Given the more granular controls though, I would HIGHLY recommend going with the Spyder 4 Pro if the choice is ColorMUNKI or this.

If the choice is i1 Display Pro or a Spyder 4 device, and you're willing to spend the extra money for the Spyder 4 Elite, either device would be perfectly suited to your use and perform as you would expect. In terms of software and usage, as best I can tell they both offer similar capabilities and both are pretty easy to use. The Spyder 4 may have a leg up given it has a 7 color sensor...I'm not sure what sensor type is in the i1 Display Pro.

If you're a hobbyist and looking to calibrate your display, this device is perfect. It's easy to use and fast. If you're an advanced hobbyist or professional, you are almost certainly better served spending the money on the Elite version.

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Sony Alpha NEX5K/B Digital Camera with 18-55mm Interchangeable Lens - Black

People, I LOVE this camera. I bought it thinking there was an 85% chance I was going to return it, but am happy to tell you that as soon as I uploaded my first pictures, I was smitten. I was most worried about picture quality, because I had previously owned a Sony a200 and a700, and ended up selling both for a Canon and Nikon, because the picture quality just wasn't up to snuff. My most recent camera was a D300s and I would say that the nex5 performs almost as well as it in most situations and even better in a few. And the nex5 video blows the D300s out of the water! Obviously everyone has different needs and preferences from their camera so all I can do is tell you what my needs were and why the nex5 is so great for them.

The picture quality was the most important thing for me, which was more than adequate so the next most important criteria was the LCD. The LCD on my D300s was a complete joke, as I couldn't see squat on that thing in even moderate sunlight. This was extremely frustrating but since it was based on an OVF anyway, I just dealt with it. But I started my photography in this digital age on a Canon S2IS which had a swivelling screen and full-time live-view, and honestly, I've missed that method of taking pictures ever since I moved up to dSLR's. The two things that I wanted most out of the LCD on the nex5 were adequate visibility in bright sunlight, and real-time exposure compensation, so that you know EXACTLY what your picture would look like before you take it. It passed both of these tests with flying colors. The second day I had it, my wife and I went fishing on the river, in the afternoon sun. Live view photography would have been impossible on my D300s but I had no problems with the nex5. Understand that it will get a little washed out, but I was still able to compose as well as I needed and set exposure almost spot on. When I got home and uploaded my pics, this was confirmed for me as they just looked amazing. The best part about it was knowing that I wouldn't have gotten any of those shots with my D300s, simply because I wouldn't have brought the dang thing because I already had a bunch of stuff to carry. The sony just fit in my pocket (cargo pocket, with 18-55) and was out of the way until needed.

The other great things about this little guy are the ISO performance, which is ridiculous (better than D300s) and the high-speed continuous mode. Just to be straight on this, it will take 7, full-resolution photos a second, but locks exposure and focus. If you want it to refocus and adjust exposure, the best it can do is about 2 1/2. Of course there's the panoramic mode (haven't tried it), HDR mode (don't like it), and twilight mode (don't like it). Oh yeah, and I love the detachable flash which is solid as a rock when attached, but since I hardly ever do flash-photography, I love to be able to get it out of the way for the majority of the time.

For me this is the best camera on the market right now. I tested it against the Lumix G2 and thought the picture quality is noticeably better on the Sony (I do think focus is faster on the G2 though certainly a great camera too), not to mention the form factor is so much smaller! But, with all that said, I fully plan on selling it in the fall when the new batch of cameras come out because there are a few things that the nex5 doesn't have that I desperately want.

First of all, the menu sucks. There's no way around it if you ever try to change the settings, you are going to be frustrated by it. I could live with that, but there are other things missing. As good as the LCD is, I really want an EVF, even if I have to have a slightly larger body. I also really need just a few more buttons, namely: ISO, Focus lock, AE lock, but I do like the minimalist approach, because I absolutely hate the millions of buttons that Canon and Nikon throw on their cameras. As I mentioned, the video is very good, and although it does have an exposure control, so you can increase or decrease the brightness by two stops at any time (kind of neat), I need full manual control over video. The only other things that I don't really like are just nagging things that I could live with, but I'm hoping will improve in my next purchase, they are: battery life, screen blackout, and shutter noise. Battery life goes really fast on this camera and spares are ridiculously priced at $70, but I can understand that it takes a lot of juice to run that screen, so I could live with it. The screen does black out when you take pictures for what seems just a hair too long. It's not terrible, and for a $700 camera it's actually very good, but it's just something that would bother me in the long run. The shutter is surprisingly loud. The first day I got it I took a picture of my wife taking a nap on the couch and it actually woke her up! I'm not saying it sounds like a freight train, but unfortunately, I love taking incognito pictures in crowded places and would definitely have to be a little more careful with this little guy.

So, all in all, this is my favorite camera I've ever owned. I mention that I plan on selling it only because I know that the evolution will be to bring more and more functions to this small sized, mirrorless style camera, otherwise I wouldn't. If I had to choose between every camera out there right now, I'd choose this one every time. But I'm keeping a keen eye out for the nex7 and gh2 that should be coming out this fall, and guess that one of those cameras will be pretty much perfect for me.

UPDATE

Now that they've started manufacturing adapters for the NEX, I got myself a Canon FD lens adapter which has really taken the camera to a whole new level. Understand that you will only have manual focus with any adapter but Sony makes it very easy by dedicating the bottom button to MF Assist which zooms in so you can make sure that your focus is sharp! Even though some of the lenses dwarf the tiny little NEX, it still handles very comfortably and efficiently. If you love this camera but are frustrated with the selection (or lack of) of lenses, check out the options on ebay those old lenses are a real bargain now.

I figured I'd share my thoughts for the vast majority of people who most likely purchase some things like I do. We have a 10-month old and my wife and I wanted a camera that would allow us to take awesome pictures. DSLRs were too big to lug around and after reading the specs and seeing the Olympus and Panasonic I decided to hold off until this Sony came out. Very happy that we did. This camera makes you feel like a professional photographer. Don't worry about trying to get that one shot, I just hold the button down and grab tons of photos hoping to get the kid posed with the right facial expressions. We've taken it to the beach, outside in the yard, in the house, etc. and the photos are stunning.

Then there is the absolutely undeniable "coolness factor" of having this camera in your hand as you are snapping photos. It is so small compared to anything else that you are just amazed as to how it feels perfect in your hands. I held the NEX-3 and it's garbage compared to this one. It's not just the difference in movie quality, the NEX-5 has superior quality to the NEX-3 when you play around with them. They shouldn't even sell the NEX-3 when you compare how much worse it feels in your hand. You still hold the lens like a professional would and I love the LCD compared to a viewfinder. Since you can bend it all over the place even in crazy light you can still see the image. Cannot wait to take this on vacation.

The videos are breathtaking. Yes they are amazing. The camera does it's best job trying to auto-focus and there is an occasional time where the video might go out of focus, but even with manually zooming in and out the quality and focus seem to stay extremely well. Keep in mind that since the LCD is your viewing option you may notice your breathing over the audio of the video depending on how you hold it. Didn't bother me though once I corrected for it.

Don't open the box and just expect to start taking amazing photos if you've never had a camera like this before. But it doesn't take long to get adjusted and make your wife wonder why you ever wasted money on a professional photographer. It'll pay for itself within a few years.

As far as I am concerned the target audience for this camera is families or individuals who are sick of crappy photos with a point and shoot. If you want to be a camera snob and dissect the features it has or doesn't has, that's your choice. But I'll never use half the stuff on here and if I do figure it all out, then I'll probably be obsessed with a really nice DSLR and photography as a whole. But I'll always love this camera.

The panoramic mode is really nice too and this camera has taken it from gimmick feature to legitimate. Haven't had a chance to play with 3D yet but that's a gimmick right now and I really could care less.

If you want a small, really cool, well built camera that takes unbelievably awesome pictures and 1080p video...buy the NEX-5!

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Years ago I was a serious amateur photographer using the best SLR gear available. I've been point-and-shoot for the last decade, largely because professional quality DSLRs were quite expensive and too big & heavy to take along on hikes and trips. The Sony NEX5 enticed me to upgrade from my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 (a very good point and shoot). Based on the specs and the initial reviews, the NEX5 seemed to have everything I wanted and needed: small size and weight, interchangeable lenses including lenses from other cameras with adapters, manual control of aperture/ISO/shutter speed when desired as well as sophisticated automatic controls, big CMOS sensor, reasonable price, and SONY reputation for quality. HD video is a nice feature as well.

I've used the camera for the last month. If I had it to do all over again I would wait for the next version or the next offerings from other companies. It isn't that I don't like the camera -it is fun and I'm still likely to string it around my neck when I go out for walk. But it falls short of what I want in several areas:

1) No viewfinder. The LCD display is big and bright, but if you're outdoors with a bright sun on the display you simply cannot see what you're shooting. If you're in automatic mode, you can shoot a bunch of shots and probably will find what you want somewhere in there, but if you're making any manual adjustments or using a lens from another camera, forget it. For me this is a fatal flaw.

2) Useability with other lenses. I have a large collection of high quality Pentax k-mount lenses from my serious amateur phase. How great, I thought, to be able to mount these on the NEX -I'll have great glass and I won't need to buy more lenses. So I bought a K to NEX adapter (about $25 on eBay). I knew would have to manually focus my old lenses on the NEX body, but I had to manually focus them when they were on my Pentax film camera, so I thought that would be fine. In fact, this works well with a short lens and a stationary object. Thus with a 55mm f1.4 Pentax lens and flowers as the subject, I can get some wonderful pictures with the NEX. But I'm mostly a wildlife and landscape photographer where a longer lens is necessary. Slap a 200mm telephoto lens or a big zoom on the NEX and you've got problems of two types. First there is blur because SONY builds its image stabilization system into the lens rather than into the NEX body. So with a 3rd party long lens there is no compensation for hand shake, and your hand will shake with a long lens. Second, you have to manually focus using the LCD display, but see my first point. The only way the NEX will work well with a long lens from another camera system is if you use a tripod, have a stationary subject, and can shield the LCD display from bright sun. This means that if you want to use your NEX for anything that requires a lot of magnification, e.g., sports, birds, many types of landscape, you'll have to pay $800 for the NEX 18-200mm zoom, which isn't available anyhow. When you add $800 for a usable long zoom lens to $700 for the NEX5 kit, you've moved into a price point where you may be better off buying a Pentax or Canon system camera where used lenses and 3rd party lenses are readily available.

3) Menu system. Yes, Sony has improved the menu system with a firmware upgrade, but you still have to click your way through menus on the LCD screen to set anything manually, whereas on other digital SLRs and many high end point-and-shoots there are buttons on the camera body devoted to particular functions. This is a killer on the NEX because there isn't a viewfinder. So you've got a nice shot composed on the LCD screen of the NEX and you would like to increase the exposure -stop, open the menu system on the LCD screen, switch to aperture priority mode, recompose your picture if your subject is still there, stop again, adjust the aperture using the dial on the NEX body and get the readout on the LCD screen, recompose your picture and if the subject is still there: shoot. On a SLR digital camera with a viewfinder and a dedicated button for aperture control you would compose the picture, adjust the aperture with your thumb, and shoot. The menu system won't get in the way of your use of the NEX if you're going to use it only in automatic mode. But if you want to treat it like a real DSLR, forget it.

4) Service. The battery charger that came with my NEX-5 kit, died after the first use. I've spent maybe 3 hours on the phone with various SONY support people and after nearly a month of waiting have been promised that a replacement unit is in the mail to me. Here is a more or less verbatim version of one of my interactions with SONY support:

Me: I was told a week ago that a replacement was being mailed but I've check online with the order number I was given and can't find a record of it.

SONY: We were having problems with our system a while back and maybe your order was lost

Me: Then please place a new order

SONY: Okay, but I'm technical support. You'll need to speak to customer support to get that done.

Me: Can you transfer me.

SONY: You'll have to phone them during regular business hours.

Me: When are regular business hours

SONY: M-F

Me: (It's Saturday morning). Given that you've lost my order and I'm sitting here with a new camera I can't use because the battery has run down, you'll have to do better than telling me to start over on Monday. I would like to speak to a supervisor.

SONY: I understand your concern. It will be best if we move this up to the next level -SONY customer relations.

Me: Great. Can you transfer me.

SONY: I can't because they're only open during regular business hours.

I gave up and ordered a third party battery charger from Amazon that arrived in two days.

The bottomline: If you want the nicest and coolest point-and-shoot our there and don't need a lot of magnification for distant scenes or sports, buy the NEX. You'll like it. If you want a light DSLR for serious photography, wait until SONY or another company gets it right.

Read Best Reviews of Sony Alpha NEX5K/B Digital Camera with 18-55mm Interchangeable Lens - Black Here

I've had the Sony NEX-5 for a little over a week now. I have it with both the 18-55mm and the 16mm. I chose the black body which I think contrasts well with the silver lens. I prefer the 16mm because it has a nice 2.8 aperture which gives me better low light performance.

The camera is fantastic. It feels solid in your hand and the sound of the shutter and vibration of the camera make you want to shoot photos with it. Overall build quality is great. (The body is metal with a plastic grip.)

The controls on the camera are good, but not great. The dedicated video button is nice and I like the location of the playback and power buttons on top. The LCD screen on the back tilts but I haven't had a need to use it much.

The LCD menu controls are probably the biggest limitation on this camera. It is not easy to work with this camera in manual mode and getting to a particular feature can take a lot of scrolling and clicking.

The photos I produce with this camera are excellent. The video is also quite good.

Low light performance is good and I've never had a need for the supplied flash.

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Let me start by saying that I LOVE this camera... as a still camera. The photos it shoots are very impressive. The lenses, though currently limited in range, are very nice (I have them all.) I love the small, compact size, the progressive engineering and innovative technology. As a still camera, I think the NEX 5 is a thing of beauty.

...The problem is that they also promise that it shoots video and it does in short bursts that aren't too close together. The Sony spec states that you can shoot 29 minutes of video at a time. What they don't say is that the reason you can only shoot in limited amounts is because the camera is prone to overheating. They also don't tell you that to get 29 minutes of shooting time out of it you have to shoot in a refrigerator.

I took it to a Mardi Gras Indian Jazz Funeral Second Line in New Orleans yesterday to try out the video feature. I chose this camera over my NEX VG10 because the NEX 5 is smaller, more discreet and easier to manage in a crowd. It's summer in New Orleans and about 100 degrees so I made sure I kept my shots short under 5 minutes and I tried to give the camera some cooling time in between shots. I thought my conscientious method of shooting would prevent the camera from even coming close to overheating, but I was so wrong. After about an hour of shooting on and off, the procession stalled and I found a perch on top of some stairs with a great vantage and waited in the direct sun for the procession to start up again. I had been waiting about 10 minutes with the camera on standby when the procession started rolling. I shot for about 6 minutes, getting the best footage I had gotten all day. I hit the record button to turn off the recording and I got a message that the camera had overheated. It lost my footage!

I took the lens off so it would cool down faster and ran five blocks to get ahead of the procession again and to try to find another high vantage point. Finally I found a pick up truck and jumped up on the back bumper, reattached the lens and hoped for the best when I turned the camera back on. I shot for about three minutes, but the moment was lost it was so hot that the crowd had dwindled considerably.

I'm sure that under better conditions the results would be much better, but I would never try to push 29 minutes of video out of this camera I'd be afraid it would melt the sensor! If you're considering this camera because you want a high quality still camera that you can also use for HD video, be forewarned that you'll have to manage your video shooting very carefully and it may crash in the middle of your video shot. I certainly wouldn't use it to shoot video for anything important.

I would only consider it usable for video in optimum conditions cool weather conditions or indoors and only for very, very short bursts with plenty of cooling time in between with the lens off the body to help dissipate the heat.

I've attached the video that I shot yesterday. The quality is very nice: good saturation, adequate auto white balance and decent audio if you buy the Sony ECMSST1 mic that fits on the smart shoe. Though the NEX lenses have image stabilization, for video it's minimal at best.

Savage 107" x 12yds Background Paper (#16 Chestnut)

This paper backdrop is very high quality and looks phenomenal in portraits. This color is the one that is requested most by people coming for in studio portraits! This brown is the perfect shade to add a color behind that does not take away from the subject you're actually shooting.

It is thick and easy to work with also. If this is your first time working with the large rolls of backdrop paper, make sure you have a clamp readily available to stop the roll when you get it to where you want it. It will continue to unroll if it isn't clamped in place. Also, do not pull it straight down to unroll it. Stand out away from the stand, where you want the end of the paper to be and let it fall into place to avoid any unwanted creases in the paper. This is easiest if you have another set of hands to stop the roll when it gets exactly where you want it.

Awesome quality! Awesome background paper! And I didn't have to spend hours steaming it like I did with my fabric backdrops.

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