Showing posts with label best baby video monitors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label best baby video monitors. Show all posts

Monday, October 6, 2014

DXG USA DXG-535VP HD Riviera 720p High-Definition Camcorder Luxe Collection, Pink

DXG USA DXG-535VP HD Riviera 720p High-Definition Camcorder Luxe Collection, PinkFor the price and design, my fiance loved it. It was perfect and the price can't be beat. Hi resolution is what we needed for our time away from each other. I got her a 32G memory card and it was perfect for easy transfer to a computer to put on a dvd disc. Highly recommended for just the casual or regular video maker=-)

I absolutely love this camera! First off, it is too cute! Pink with rhinestones!!! The carry case is also adorable! I've gotten so many compliments on the look of this camera! And it takes pretty good video too! Love it!

Buy DXG USA DXG-535VP HD Riviera 720p High-Definition Camcorder Luxe Collection, Pink Now

This is a gift for my 9yr. old daughter. She loves the studded design, color and case. She used it for Christmas and loved the picture quality and easy handling. She loved being able to connect the camera to the TV, PC, and her labtop. The CD disk with a video editing program was great as well.

Read Best Reviews of DXG USA DXG-535VP HD Riviera 720p High-Definition Camcorder Luxe Collection, Pink Here

This is a great camcorder for children ages 7 and up. It comes with great features and shoots excellent 720p videos.

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I have had issues with DXG in the past. Item functions great, then malfunctions or stops working after a few uses and nothing to explain why. No bumps or drops, they just stop functioning. I advised against the purchase, but my daughter wanted "pink". Now she's unhappy and I have to scramble for new "satisfactory color" camera before vacation.

Friday, May 9, 2014

Nikon 1 J2 10.1 MP HD Digital Camera with 10-30mm and 30-110mm VR Lenses (Silver)

Nikon 1 J2 10.1 MP HD Digital Camera with 10-30mm and 30-110mm VR LensesThis camera is just what I was looking for. I have a larger camera but wanted one easy to take along for those surprise photo ops. This one is light enough to take anywhere, takes great pictures and I love the ease of use, just turn the lens and it's ready. The pop up flash is another feature I like. I've been using it for two months and the battery is still going!

This fabulous little camera replaced my larger slr and does not disappoint. The special features are fantastic. It takes amazing clear shots definitely happy with my decision to buy this!

Buy Nikon 1 J2 10.1 MP HD Digital Camera with 10-30mm and 30-110mm VR Lenses (Silver) Now

portable compared to DSLR cameras;

take really good pictures ( the capture is amazing) and also the 10-30 mm lenses

easy to use

can adapt lenses from others manufactures (just in manual mode)

can switch lenses from nikon 1 type or use adapter for f-mount and keep all the automatic modes

make videos in 400 fps and 1200 fps that are amazing!

Read Best Reviews of Nikon 1 J2 10.1 MP HD Digital Camera with 10-30mm and 30-110mm VR Lenses (Silver) Here

i absolutely cannot rave enough about my camera! it's perfect for me & my family. I have 5 kids & 3 of them in sports year round. great action shots!

Want Nikon 1 J2 10.1 MP HD Digital Camera with 10-30mm and 30-110mm VR Lenses (Silver) Discount?

First off, let me say that I am in no way a "pro" in DSLR cameras and consider myself an amateur. This product does not fit MY needs but I'm sure it's an amazing camera with what it was intended to do.

My primary reason for buying this camera was to take pictures of MOVING kids INDOORS which seems to be the major flaw of this camera. I came from a Nikon D3100 (which is the same price as the Nikon 1 J2 fyi) to this camera which was the biggest mistake in my life. My wife wanted it as a fashion accessory since she has a white iPhone and a white iPad and a white computer. She wanted to get a white Nikon 1 since she was so impressed with the D3100 and wanted to stick with Nikon in a slimmer fashion.

EVERY picture we took of this camera came out BLURRY and GRAINY. Even though I am a DSLR amateur, I am not internet illiterate and I spent days finding every trick in the book to get this camera to work better. Everything from manually changing ISO settings to shutter speeds to vibration reduction technology, to specific guides tailored to the J1/J2 about reducing blurriness and graininess, etc. I've pretty much done everything and I had little to no improvement. I want to use this camera as a point and shoot, not have to go in and manually change settings for every type of picture I want to take. All I had to do on the D3100 was change a dial settings for like "baby mode" or "fast moving scene mode" unlike this camera which just have gimmicky dial settings I would never use.

From reading previous reviews of the J1 model, I kind of knew what I was getting myself into. I knew the quality would not be as good as the D3100, but my wife and I felt like the smaller profile and custom color options would be worth the sacrifice. As I am typing this, my wife is packing up the J2 right now and we are re-buying a D3100 again. We have done side-by-side comparison shots taken from my older D3100 and the J2 and the difference is night and day. This is while I never even had to touch a single setting in the D3100 ever. I can actually see the pores on my kids' faces while crisp and clear while all I see in the J2 pictures are blurry and grainy photos which don't even look much better than ones taken from my iPhone5. I even bought the $250 30-110 zoom lens so I know I don't have a faulty lens or something.

Again, I'm sure this camera is amazing for outdoor, stationary, natural light shots but not for my uses. Maybe if I was a professional, I could spend 3 minutes tweaking the camera every time I wanted to take a different type of picture but that's not what I bought it for. Do yourself a favor, just buy a D3100 camera that's the same price, slightly bulkier/heavier, if you want crisp, clear, high quality, high resolution photos in an easy point-and-shoot format and call it a day.

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Sunday, March 30, 2014

Sony DSC-W670/B 16.1MP Cybershot Digital Camera with 2.7-Inch LCD Screen (Black)

Sony DSC-W670/B 16.1MP Cybershot Digital Camera with 2.7-Inch LCD ScreenSHORT VERSION:

Working Pocket Camera for a low price, I would recommend this camera (especially if you are looking for a cheap digital camera). I would not purchase this camera to take on your honeymoon or a spring break adventure. It is not waterproof and doesn't seem very durable compared to other pocket cameras.

Still the camera works great.

LONG VERSION:

I've owned around 30 digital cameras from all different brands including: Nikon, Canon, Sony , Panasonic, Konica-Minolta. I use the Canon rebel series cameras the most, but like to have a pocket camera from time to time. I have stuck with mostly Canon cameras over the last 7 years. Nothing against any other company, I just have liked using Cannon. I take daily photographs for a children's summer camp for 11 weeks out of the year. I'm rough on cameras and usually get around 3 years or less out of most of my Canon Rebel Series cameras... but that is not what I am reviewing today....

I haven't bought a Sony camera in about 7 years or so the last one was a Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H5, which is 7.2 Mega pixel camera and not really a true pocket camera due to it's size....

Sony Cybershot DSC-H5 7.2MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilization Zoom

Anyway, I wasn't expecting much from this lightning deal camera, but for the price I decided to give it a try. I've only played around with this for a day, so I may update this review later on. (If I don't, assume I'm still pleased with this camera)

FIRST IMPRESSION:

When I first held the DSC-W670 I thought I had gotten what I paid for in a cheap camera. The plastic seems a little thinner than most cameras and it didn't feel very solid. When you press on the case you can hear the plastic "creak" as it bends and flexes. (Not saying this is flimsy just slightly less solid than most) So I don't know how well this will hold up, given my track record of being rough on cameras.

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT POCKET CAMERAS?

The one thing that can make or break a pocket camera is all the "bells & whistles" Some of these cameras have come up with cool gimmicks and even some useful tools so that any "idiot" can get some great shots.

I played around with a few of the features of the DSC-W670 I haven't really used much before on a pocket camera. The 1st was the panorama picture setting this feature has been out for a while on a lot of the pocket cams and is a cool gimmick. I guess I won't have to use the auto-stitch feature in Photoshop as much now.... The panorama setting works well on the DSC-W670. There are 3 settings: 360 degree photo, wide (which seems to be a little over 180 degrees) and standard panorama (which seems to be a little greater than 90 to 100 degrees).

To take a panoramic photo, just toggle the camera to that setting using a 3 position switch on the side use the menu button to select the size and then follow the on screen instructions to show you how to sweep your camera to the right. It tells you when to stop...

The other feature that I thought was cool, that I had not used before, was the `Smile Shutter" option. To activate this setting while in normal photo mode, press the button with the smiley face. The camera places a box around any detected faces. When the subject smiles, you will see a meter bar fill up on the left side of the LCD screen, and when the bar reaches the set level the camera automatically takes a photo for you (You never have to press any buttons). The default level is mid range and the subject needs to show some teeth in the smile to activate the camera to take the picture. So if you are trying to use this on someone who gives you a half smile, you will need to adjust the settings or be good at telling jokes....

This feature is a true gimmick feature I don't know that I would actually use this feature a lot myself. We did test it as an alternative to using a timer for group shots. It took a few tries to get it to go off, but it did work.

Everyone was laughing at me as we tested this. I said, "Ok everyone, come over here and don't smile at the camera, I want to get a group shot." Once everyone was set finally I said, "One, two, three ... SMILE" and we waited and nothing happened... "Ok try again, normal faces everyone... ok now 1,2,3 Smile!" The camera snapped a photo on that attempt.

I remember every Christmas growing up, we got a great shot of my uncle walking to get in the picture and was caught by the timer going off before he was set in place.... Might give this a try this year. I have a large family and this feature seems to work better when a little closer to the subject and when fewer people are in the frame... So I'm not going to expect too much, but if it works I'll come back and let you know.

ONE PROBLEM:

The only problem I have had with this camera is in the door to the battery and memory card compartment. It is spring-loaded like most of these cameras and has a lock that you slide to allow the door to open. In order to open my camera's battery compartment, I have to move the switch to the open position and then tap the camera in my palm to get the door to swing open. I think it is designed to open automatically, yet mine gets hung up almost every time. I've only had it pop open (like it should) a handful of times while testing it. There is nothing to grip to pull the door open, you just have to tap and shake it until it opens. I might just have a defective door. It was a cheap camera and I can live with this, so I'm not going to waste any time calling customer service or returning the camera. Although, this leads me to believe that the door may be the first thing to break on this camera. (remember, I said I'm rough on cameras...)

The battery has it's own lock inside the compartment, so it isn't pushing against the door like some of the other pocket cameras I've had. (Which I think is a good thing!) If you've bought and used several pocket cameras over the last few years, I'm sure you've had at least one with a battery door issue. I've got another camera that has the battery compartment held closed with a piece of duct tape.

FINAL THOUGHT:

A good pocket camera for the price. I wasn't expecting much and was pleasantly surprised at how well this camera works. Sometimes when a deal is too good to be true, there is a reason. I think this camera is truly a good deal. It is not as good as any of the $200+ pocket cameras, but I would have still been satisfied with this camera if I had paid as much as $140 for it.

If you are thinking about buying one of these cameras and you have any question or things you want me to test out first just let me know and I'll try to help.

I got this camera specifically to replace an old one and in anticipation of an international trip that would take us out of the country for three weeks ..... thru Greece, Turkey and Cyprus. Yes, very historical and photo worthy places! This was the ONLY camera we used and we shot over 800 photos. All but two were perfect and the two that weren't were not the fault of the camera but of the operators......The battery held up well we charged it only once a day and only with heavy use. The videos also came out well better if you have a tripod but there is decent stabilization built in. Get extra memory cards if you want to take a lot of photos (over 1000) and can't download and reformat between shootings.

Buy Sony DSC-W670/B 16.1MP Cybershot Digital Camera with 2.7-Inch LCD Screen (Black) Now

I'm not a camera geek & prefer to use point & shoot cameras. I've been using my daughter's Cybershot DSC-W50, but she'll be moving out soon so I decided to purchase this Cybershot for myself. It was a $79 lightning deal. So for the price point this is a good camera.

I haven't printed any photos yet, but have added them to my laptop & the web. The LCD screen is grainy & bothers me, but the photos have been okay. The flash seems to be overly bright, but does a great job of taking pics in a low light area. Most of my early pics were taken at night with low lighting. (update-I just discovered that the LCD screen is grainy because it's the default setting which saves battery life. To change Disp. Resolution, choose MENU, scroll to the Toolbox icon)

A few settings are easy to access, many more are accessed by using the menu button & scrolling through the various options.

Several memory cards can be used. Here's a list of the ones that will take still images, as well as, video:

Memory Stick PRO Duo Mark2

Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo

Memory Stick Micro (M2) Mark2

each of these need to be Class 4 or faster: SD memory card, SDHC memory card, microSD memory card, & microSDHC memory card

There is approx. 56MB on internal memory

There is an on-screen help manual.

This camera does not have the Carl Zeiss lens.

I uploaded a few photos that were taken in low light situations using the automatic setting.

I purchased the Case Logic DCB-302 Compact Case for Camera Black which has room for the camera, USB cord, battery & extra memory card. One thing I've noticed is that my camera has turned on a couple times while in this case. I searched for a hard case, but wanted more room so I decided on this one.

Battery life doesn't seem to be as good as my daughter's Cybershot. I haven't used my camera much and fully charged it after I took the first few pics the battery appears to be down by 1/2 already.

I will update my review when I try the Panorama feature & as I continue to use the camera.

UPDATE:

Macro seems to be part of the auto setting. From what I can tell, it can't be set manually. I did a little research on macro and learned that the minimum distance macro kicks in will vary by camera. The auto macro setting for this camera is designated by a flower icon & doesn't appear when I think it should & it blinks off easily. I have to experiment with minimum distance until the flower icon shows up. This frustrates me. Remember I'm not a camera geek so maybe it's user error on my part.

I also want to mention that this camera seems to take longer to focus than I'm used to.

And, finally, I suggest that you purchase at least one spare battery because the battery doesn't hold its charge very long.

Read Best Reviews of Sony DSC-W670/B 16.1MP Cybershot Digital Camera with 2.7-Inch LCD Screen (Black) Here

This camera was purchased to be carried in a small purse. It serves that purpose well but like so many of it's kind could use a view finder. Looking at the screen in the sun can cancel out the viewing area and you have no idea where you are aiming. The button to take the picture isn't the easiest that I have used. I do like the zoom and the picture quality is fine. It is small enough that I can carry it in a small purse but for my more serious photography I prefer my mid-size camera.

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Sent it back it wouldn't communicate with my laptop. Sony told me this camera is sold only in Latin America and Canada.

Why did they send it to Amazon ??

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Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Nikon Coolpix S710 14.5MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Wide Angle Optical Vibration Reduction (VR) Zoom

Nikon Coolpix S710 14.5MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Wide Angle Optical Vibration Reduction ZoomI purchased this camera in five months ago. The picture quality is very good but it started developing problems after 3 months. It will not retain the time and date. It started to freeze up nd could only be turned off or on by removing batteries.

I sent it for repair at Nikon authorized center and was quickly told that this defect is not covered under warranty and will cost $99.00 to repair.

I strongly advise against the purchase of this series since I spoke to many coolpix owners and found out they have problems as well.

I am a pro photographer specializing in scenic imaging that is sold at the National Parks in the American Southwest. My products feature 360 degree VR photography in Flash and Quicktime. I often volunteer to take pictures of families and other groups of people at the Parks with their cameras so they can all be in a picture. So I have been handling these cool little point and shoot cameras, and I have seen the great pictures they take when my friends come back from trips and put on slide shows. So I decided the mini point and shoots have evolved enough so I should get one and experiment with using it for my work sometimes. I bought a top of the line, 12.5 mp Fujifilm FinePix F100fd. I returned it after one week. The pictures were muddy and had to be downsized to about 5 mp before they were sharp enough to use. And the "manual" controls just didn't cut it.

So I ordered the Nikon S710 in deep red to try next. It is a great little camera! The design is brilliant. It is a tiny work of art. I love it and you will too! I use Nikon SLR and DSLR cameras all the time, and the controls on this tiny point and shoot S710 work exactly the same as the controls on my expensive DSLR Nikons. The color out of this little camera is spot on, and the images are sharp and very much usable at the highest resolution, 14.5 mp! I like the lens. It can't match full size Nikon lenses for regular FX (35 mm) cameras, but it's pretty close. The high iso capabilities of the S710 are good. The vibration filtering works great and you can get some beautiful photos in low light situations with no tripod. I bought a mini tripod with the camera for $5 that works fine and got a nice, two tone burgundy and black case from LowePro for $15 that holds the camera, an extra battery and SDHC card, and the tiny tripod carries great slid through the belt loop, so I have a pretty complete kit that weighs less than a pound and fits in a pocket!

The ergonomics are superior and the camera feels natural in my big hands and its comfortable to hold and keeping my fingers away from the flash is just automatic. The buttons and select wheel work and feel just right and the menus in icon mode make sense and work intuitively.

The only thing I would suggest Nikon do to improve the camera is to provide a firmware update that allows you to save images in RAW format.

Some reviewers have complained about the camera being slow. It seems plenty fast to me and I have not found its speed an issue. The case is stainless steel and the finish has proved very durable so far and looks great! I love this camera and take it with me everywhere I go. I am flying to Chicago in a couple of weeks to see Etta James and go to a Cubs game and this kit is the only camera I am taking along.

Buy Nikon Coolpix S710 14.5MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Wide Angle Optical Vibration Reduction (VR) Zoom Now

I have a D-SLR that I use on a regular basis since photography is my hobby. I wanted a small camera that I could put in my pocket or purse instead of carrying my backpack of camera & lens around when I was just out & about. This camera takes as nice of pictures as my Canon and I am able to adjust the f/stop & shutter speed as well. There are around 16 pre-set modes that are helpful. The 14.5 mp is an added bonus if I want to enlarge my photographs. The case is sturdy and it does come with a ac charger & USB cable. I used a SDHC class 6 memory card to remove any lag time between pictures and for good video footage. You will not be disappointed.

Read Best Reviews of Nikon Coolpix S710 14.5MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Wide Angle Optical Vibration Reduction (VR) Zoom Here

As many of those providing poor to bad reviews, I had this camera about 3 to 4 months before I had the problem with the lens error as many have described. I had to always make certain the camera was well charged so this problem did not occur regularly. In addition, I have also experienced the problem where the camera does not maintain the time and every time I go to use it I have to set the date and time before I can take a picture with the camera. I also agree that it is not structurally sound.

I am very disappointed with this Nikon camera!!!

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My sister and I bought two Nikon Coolpix S710 cameras and they were both a great disappointment. My camera's lens broke before I even started using it. I turned it on for my trip to Washington D.C. but the screen said there was a lens error that couldn't be fixed. I tried turning it on/off, taking out the battery, shaking it, but nothing worked. In the end, I had to ship it back for a new one and I only had it for two days!

My sister's camera worked once before it had problems turning on/off. She would need to remove the battery and reinsert it every time. She will also be returning her camera.

I definitely do not recommend this camera to anyone.

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Sunday, November 3, 2013

SecurityMan ToolCam inspection camera handgrip with LED light and detachable wireless LCD monitor

SecurityMan ToolCam inspection camera handgrip with LED light and detachable wireless LCD monitorIt depends on what you're using this for, but if you want to look for small defects like a small crack on the surface this isn't the camera to use.

When it gets too close to the item (1"?) there is no detail and it's out of focus. Sometimes turning the light down helps a little, which makes the picture grainy.

The monitor is also not the greatest resolution for finding tiny faults, but you can connect it to a bigger TV if you can find the right cable (not included).

It comes with a cube type wall charger for the monitor (TV) portion. It doesn't charge the camera/light pistol assembly which takes 4 AA batteries (not included).

For anything that you don't have to look at very closely, this is a good deal. The pictures are good with the adjustable brightness on the LED.

The wireless works perfectly so you can move the handle however you need to, watching the monitor wherever it's convenient to put it.

Comes with a nice box that makes it easy to put away.

A good deal for the price depending on what you need to see.

Great camera. Same camera 1/2 the price at Harbor Freight. No need for wireless as screen detaches. Comes in very handy!

Buy SecurityMan ToolCam inspection camera handgrip with LED light and detachable wireless LCD monitor Now

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Swann SECURANET-4 Bulldog LCD Combo Kit

Swann SECURANET-4 Bulldog LCD Combo KitPlacing the cameras was the hardest part of the setup, the system needs longer camera cables. I did find the enclosed instructions quite lacking in detail and vague, making the DVR programming difficult. The obvious outsourced Tech Support was horrific, as the person I actually talked to had such a thick accent, I could not understand him. Otherwise, the system works great! It has already caught a late night prowler in real time monitoring, allowing me to confront him and eject him from the property.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

X-Rite EODIS3 i1Display Pro

X-Rite EODIS3 i1Display ProList of relevant hardware:

Apple 15.4-inch MacBook Pro MC723LL/A (hi-res antiglare)

Dell 24-inch UltraSharp U2410

Apple LED Cinema Display 27-Inch MC007LL/A

2007 Apple MacBook

I am a software engineer by trade, a photography enthusiast (Canon DSLR with Aperture) and a home video editor (Canon AVCHD with Final Cut Pro) at nights and weekends. I have been using a borrowed Spyder3Pro (S3P for short), which is a reference for this review.

X-Rite is perhaps the largest name in color matching products. It owns PANTONE and makes some of the most respected products. i1 Display Pro (i1D Pro for short) is its latest offering. The hardware is about the size of a memory card reader and smaller than S3P. Unlike S3P, i1D Pro has only the counterweight, lacking suction cups. The counterweight can be moved along the entire cable run. Counterweight is fine for most computer displays, but unusable when calibrating very large HDTV that some people use as a monitor or for HTPC (you will need to hold i1D Pro with your hand over 2 minute calibration run).

All in all, i1D Pro feels substantial and more high-end than S3P. It has a built-in diffuser to measure ambient light and it is capable of calibrating CRT, LCD (CCFL, variations of LED), and even projectors. It has a flare correction feature to compensate for glossy flat screen displays, such as 27" LED Cinema Display.

iD Pro includes i1Profiler software that runs on both Windows (untested) and Mac (tested on 10.7 Lion). Installation was mostly uneventful (and no reboot required), although it did prompt to me update to 1.1.1 (from 1.1.0) and register and activate the product (it otherwise becomes a 30-day trial demo app). The app resembles Apple's Aperture. Coming from S3P and television calibration experiences, I am pretty familiar with the art of display calibration and profiling. So I found the app to be fairly straightforward. Unlike S3P software, i1Profiler can calibrate luminance level as well.

I used advanced mode to calibrate all 4 displays. First, using the app's white patch measurement feature, I set luminance on my displays to as close to 100 cd/m2 as possible (by tinkering with brightness and/or contrast). 100 cd/m2 is below industry's recommended 120-140 range, but I find 120 to be just too darn bright.

The manual and online help are on the inadequate side, so if you are not familiar with profiling, you may want to visit the support section on X-Rite's website to get additional clarification. On the positive side, aside from selecting backlighting type (CCFL and white LED in my case) and luminance level, default recommended values are all good and should be ideal for all but advanced users with discriminating needs.

2 minutes later, I got ICC profiles with better color saturation, more accurate color, more natural whites, and/or deeper black level than S3P (when looking at before and after for various RAW files). The differences are sometimes subtle, but never worse and generally better. Comparing results to Mac OS X's default ICC profiles is much more dramatic, which tends to be very blue with limited color saturation and contrast level. Mac OS X's calibration mode can yield better results than the default, but still dramatically worse than i1D Pro's profiles.

On multi-monitor setup, dragging i1Profiler app from one display to another will let you calibrate other displays. The app can also measure your monitor for uniformity and color accuracy.

That said, the application did crash few times and UI is a bit unrefined here and there. For instance, all important measure button is often hidden, requiring a scroll down. Help icon next to some controls do not reveal any hints of any kind.

A companion piece is i1Profiler Tray, which can run continuously to remind you to recalibrate and uses i1D Pro to adjust for change in ambient light as needed. I am not a fan of ambience compensation, but it does work much better than Apple's built-in feature.

Also included is PANTONE Color Manager software.

I have owned this product for about 2 weeks now and here are my experiences with it. This monitor calibrator is truly fantastic when it comes to its manin purpose calibrating colors on your monitor it is extremely accurate and the process is much faster than any other calibrator I've seen out there. I really enjoy the automatic profile adjustment feature based on the current ambient light conditions, kudos to that.

However, my review is 3 star only because the software is really, really buggy on OS X Lion. In order for the ambient light adjustment to work, there is a small utility called iProfiler that runs in the background. This utility (I've downloaded the latest version from X-Rite web site which is v1.2.0) has a memory leak problem the memory consumption grows from 20 Mb to 800 Mb in less than 24 hrs (monitoring utilizing iStats). I have contacted X-Rite technical support and they are aware of this issue and have recommended turning off this feature. As such I cannot utilize this unit to its full capacity, and I am somewhat disappointed for the premium price I've paid for this product, I would expect a premium quality software.

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I've been using an olde i1 color calibrator for years, and even though the original maker was swallowed by XRite, they have been supporting the no-longer-sold device until now. No joke, XRite sent me an email about upcoming OSX Lion compatibility of that specific software just last week six years after my purchase! So when I had the opportunity to review the current flagship model of a company that takes care of its customers, I jumped on the opportunity.

The device is thoughtfully made: Its big lens is protected by a diffuser which swivels off for measuring and also acts as a stand, and there is protective felt so not to scratch your monitor. Definitely an upgrade from the plasticky feel and clipon protector on my old device! It's a bit odd that the i1Pro goes on the monitor with its narrower edge rather than flat like the others I know of, so you have to make extra sure that it sits flushly. But it's no big deal.

As for documentation: there isn't any, unless you count the little leaflet which tells you to install the software before plugging in the meter. Speaking of the installer, it puts on Pantone software as well by default, without a word about what it does or whether you need it. It's some sort of color management which retails for $40, but not pertinent to monitor calibration. I suppose this is one aspect of a "Pro" package, but at the risk of appearing amateurish, I think a manual if not a tutorial would have been in order at this price point.

There were some additional hurdles to get the software to work on my system: on an WinXP machine (I know, not the newest) it would crash upon PC boot, and I had to consult the FAQ and download two updates from XRite's web site. Also, the generated profiles didn't "take" initially, which caused various uninstalls of drivers, etc. It took me a few hours to sort out that the Intel custom control panel had to go but "XRGamma" had to remain in the Win Startup folder.

The software has an Easy Mode which requires only two things: your monitor's backlight technology (CFL, LED, Wide-Gamut), and your preferred illuminant... yeah, not much help about the latter either, and the default is D65 ("sun at noon") which seemed too blue to me. I eventually went with D55 ("Viewing booth"). The Advanced Mode lets you do more things like ambient light readings, a monitor uniformity test, and flare compensation (for those glossy displays) those may be a little over the top for a hobbyist, but I can see how this would be beneficial in a small graphic outfit, weeding out lemon monitors and calibrate imaging work stations to a tee. The license is quite open to such a use by the way: all it states is that you have to own the monitors.

The process is FAST. My old colorimeter mucked around for at least 15 minutes, but this one is done after two. And I believe it made a much better profile than the old (cheaper) one: pictures look better from the start now, and the color space is larger when viewed at in Microsoft's color applet.

In short, the i1Display Pro works well. The lack of documentation is shameful and the software isn't perfect yet, BUT I think the i1 pro has a serious edge over cheaper colorimeters in speed and accuracy.

Read Best Reviews of X-Rite EODIS3 i1Display Pro Here

I am a part-time professional photographer who shoots only RAW (of course), with custom white balance, and in the Adobe RGB color space. Color is imperative to me all the way through the process even though the majority of clients seem to only view images on computer monitor's these days, which of course is a normally horrible method (consumer end) for viewing quality images. Either way, I do not mind spending money for quality color management. In this regard, I still cannot believe how expensive this item is compared to other proven solutions.

I used this product on a Dell U2410 monitor in the Adobe RGB color space in a dual monitor setup. I found the software a little clunky on a Windows 7 system w/ 16 GB of RAM. It could have had something to do with my pre-existing installation of Datacolor's Spyder 3 color calibration system. The manual leaves much to be desired, but that is an ongoing trend among all manufacturers. The lens on the device is among the biggest I have seen. The increased lens size is becoming standard among all manufacturers these days. The easy mode calibration only requires minimal information to achieve calibration whereas the advanced mode incorporates ambient light, flare adjustment, and some other features most people will never use. I will say that compared to my Datacolor, calibration is lightning fast with this device and dead on in terms of accuracy. Datacolor only yields slightly different results which could be owed to the subjectivity of viewing (we all see color differently by the way).

Is this device necessary and/or is it worth paying for? Well, clearly once you get beyond the point and shoot level of photography, color balance (and white balance) should be priorities. However, most people who do not study a color balanced workflow, will screw up somewhere. One screw up, and your final images could potentially end up worse than when you started (i.e. forgetting to convert from Adobe RGB to SRGB for monitor display). If you decide to go color managed, you are either all in or out; there is no half way. So, if you take the time, color calibration is critical. But, there are cheaper alternatives I would start with. The end difference between this device and a cheaper version (not too cheap) is minimal and barely, if at all, noticed.

Butit is a great color calibrator beyond doubt.

PSBefore installing or using this device DISABLE ALL COLOR MANAGEMENT applications including any System controls such as Intel color management. Also, visit the X-rite website for latest software release and update your graphics card driver if you don't already do that on a regular basis. I would also do a system reboot.

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I'm a professional HDTV calibrator with over $20,000 invested in equipment and training so I was a bit skeptical that this relatively inexpensive device would do the job. While it can't compare to the absolute accuracy of my professional equipment it's certainly a viable alternative for the DIY home theater enthusiast and a far better solution than using a calibration DVD to adjust your new HDTV to deliver optimum video performance. It's relatively easy to use and the results are a definite and substantial improvement compared to how most displays come adjusted (or not adjusted as is often the case) from the factory. So, if you don't want to spend the $$$ to hire a professional this Xrite unit is the next best thing and you can use it to "tune up" every display in your house. A good investment for anyone who wants better pictures.

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Sunday, September 22, 2013

Bell & Howell DV2300HDZ 23x 1080p HD Digital Video Camera Camcorder with 8GB Card + Battery + F

Bell & Howell DV2300HDZ 23x 1080p HD Digital Video Camera Camcorder with 8GB Card + Battery + Flex Tripod + Accessory KitSo, my husband (a videographer) and I looked at the more expensive cameras (Sony, Canon), but since this was just to be my "fun" camera, we went with something a little cheaper. It has a lot of great features for a casual-user camera nice size screen, easy to use menu and controls, good stability, face recognition, etc. In my living room, with lower light, still not bad quality video. For the camera function, it's a little more touchy. Best photos are going to come by using the tripod that came with it (or another one). Otherwise, the photos tend to blur. And whatever you do, don't use the flash in anything other than the dark if you do, it will totally wash out what you are shooting. It's just too powerful of a flash. Also, we thought that the light could be used on the camera to spotlight things in video mode. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case (unless we just haven't found the right control yet.) But, all in all, if you're looking for a camcorder or camera to shoot home movies and casual photos, it's a great camera for the price, and you'll enjoy the product.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm VR + 55-200mm VR Lens with 16GB Card + Filters + Case

Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm VR + 55-200mm VR Lens with 16GB Card + Filters + Case + Tripod + Accessory KitI ordered this package on Amazon after doing my research at a lot of local electronics shops plus one very well-respected camera shop. I found this to be much less expensive on amazon and I thought this package was absolutely perfect...exactly what I wanted. It included everything except a USB which is a standard connection so I happened to have one around the house that worked. I cannot tell you how many people have seen my pics and are now ordering this camera. It's easy to use for those who want to use in fully automatic mode, but it will allow you to use it fully manually as well, and at many different steps in between fully manual and automatic. I ordered this through Cameta Camera and took a HUGE gamble trying to get it a week before our disney world trip. I did not pay for extra shipping and their shipping window extended after the time I was leaving on my trip. However, I was extremely impressed that they were able to get it in my hands within 5 days of ordering it, in perfect time for me to practice a day before we left, and take along on our vacation. (I was even more impressed because the camera was stalled in Chicago because of a snow storm and still made it to me quickly). Love everything about my purchase from Amazon...NIKON....and Cameta Camera. Recommend to all!!!!

Bought for mom and she says she really likes it!!! Well worth the money and you get more stuff for your money then you would anywhere else!!!

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I love the camera. This was the best deal I could find on everything I wanted! Definitely recommend this package!

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Best deal anywhere for this D3100...I searched high and low for the best deal and this was it..very highly satisfied

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I am new to the game of SLRs but I can say that this package is awesome. I researched and decided that I wanted to start with the NIKON D3100... At target the Nikon d3100 was priced at 449... including the bundle with the 18-55mm and 55-200mm lens it is priced at 899$. This package is great because it includes all the essentials needed when first starting out and a great price. The camera is awesome for an entry level SLR. My pictures look great and it has a built in guide mode to help you get going. Also, it has a built in edit for the pictures which is nice. The camera bag is heavy duty and is built well to protect your stuff inside. It includes the cleaning kit which gets the job done nothing super fancy. The tripod works well. The UV are good. I just leave them on all the time gives added protection for your lens. It included a 16 GB SD card which is more than enough space for starting out. The LCD protector screen thing is junk for me personally I tried using it but ended up just throwing it out. Could be that I don't know how to use them correctly. The package also comes with an SD wallet where you can store all your SD cards helps you find them easier. Cameta camera shipped all this stuff well in the packaging and i received the package very quick I'm very please with what I received and excited to take great shots!!