Showing posts with label cctv security. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cctv security. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

PhotoBert Photo CheatSheet for Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera

PhotoBert Photo CheatSheet for Nikon D5100 Digital SLR CameraThis was a great buy for the price.. it even came before christmas. the packaging was great so that it didnt get damaged in shipping. i will be ordering from them time and time again..... this really helped my wife out in learning new things about her Nikon.

This laminated tri-fold card is a great quick reference for the D5100. It's not intended to answer every question you have about camera settings, but it sure addresses the most common questions. Obviously, the more you use your camera, the less often you may need to refer to the guide, but I've had my D5100 for about six months and I still find useful information on the CheatSheet. A couple of very helpful items are the Information Display and the Viewfinder Display which describes all the numbers and symbols you see when looking at or through the camera. Each section shows the features of a particular menu and which buttons to press to get to additional options as well as providing a short description of each. You can tell there was a lot of thought put into the CheatSheet because I'd be hard pressed to think of any issue you might have that isn't addressed on the card unless you're a very advanced user. This is great for those just starting out and those photographers at the intermediate level looking for a quick answer. Excellent resource.

Buy PhotoBert Photo CheatSheet for Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera Now

I recently purchased a NIKON 5100 w/manual on how to use it. Of course, trying to take the nearly 500 pg. book out into the field when shooting would be impossible, so I ordered "the cheat sheet". It is absolutely awesome, so much in fact that I made 2 more copies to carry in smaller backpacks that I take w/me on occasions that I might not need the entire camera bag. I just can't say enough how incredibly everything is covered in so much detail in so little room.

Read Best Reviews of PhotoBert Photo CheatSheet for Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera Here

Monday, September 1, 2014

Olympus OM-D E-M5 16MP Live MOS Interchangeable Lens Camera with 3.0-Inch Tilting OLED Touchscreen

Olympus OM-D E-M5 16MP Live MOS Interchangeable Lens Camera with 3.0-Inch Tilting OLED TouchscreenI've been invested in the m43 format since the launch of the E-P1 in summer 2009, successively moving up to the E-PL2, E-P3 and now the OM-D E-M5. Features have been added and the cameras tweaked with each generation, and it's safe to say that Olympus have produced their best m43 camera yet in the E-M5. But there is a lot of competition out there, and the robust E-M5 with built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) may not be the best option for everyone. Let me walk you through my experience using the camera having upgraded from past models. (Note I'm based in Japan, which is why I have the camera early).

[Size and Weight]

My initial reason for choosing the mirrorless m43 (micro four thirds) format was a desire to have a high quality imaging sensor inside a compact camera body. I did not want to carry around the bulk and weight of a DSLR camera, but was tired of the poor performance from point and shoot cameras, especially in low light. The Olympus PEN series met my needs perfectly in this respect, and have retained their small form factor throughout the range, despite consistently improving and adding features.

The E-M5 is no exception it is the same width as the E-P3, with a little extra height because of the EVF on top of the camera and 50g heavier, weighing in at 425g with battery. In pictures online, it can look rather large, but after holding the camera in my hands, it became clear just how small it really is. The E-M5 is certainly not a pocket camera (although it will fit into large coat pockets), but the form-factor and equally small, lightweight m43 lenses mean it is an excellent choice for hiking and travelling, especially if you value its robust body and weather sealing.

[Build Quality]

The E-M5 boasts a tough magnesium alloy shell and weather sealing. Videos posted online showing the camera having water poured on it and shooting out in the rain are testament to its high quality construction, although do note that `splash-proof' is not `water-proof'. You probably shouldn't submerge the camera in water, and note too, that you'll need weather-sealed lenses to fully utilise the benefits (as of today, only the 12-50mm kit lens is weather-sealed, with a 60mm weather-sealed macro lens on the way).

The camera has a lovely heft to it when held in the hand and suitably good grip certainly heavier than most point and shoot cameras, but lighter than most DSLR cameras. In contrast to the PEN cameras, the E-M5 has a slightly protruding thumb `hook' on the back that really aids stability, as well as a nice grip (with the option of an external grip and additional battery holder available separately to help when using larger lenses).

[Functionality]

The biggest departure from the previous PEN models is undoubtedly the bult-in EVF and two dials on top of the camera. The EVF is similar to the VF-2 that Olympus sold separately to complement the PEN cameras and provides a bright and useful display. For users who like viewfinders, this is a long-awaited addition and most people will not be disappointed. The 100% field-of-view 1.15x EVF is, as current technology goes, one of the best (although the magnification is not as good as the GH-2 EVF with 1.42x, providing a larger image).

The two dials on top of the camera allow access to various functions, but most people will use them to change the aperture, shutter and exposure compensation. You can also assign functions such as manual mode or focus zoom to one of 3 function buttons on the camera. The rear control pad is also customisable, meaning it is finally possible to access all of the main settings without having to dive into the detailed menu system.

One of the most pleasing things for me was finally being able to use the camera while wearing gloves (something I could not do easily with the previous PEN cameras). Although it can still be difficult to use the rear control pad while wearing gloves, the main settings assigned to the dials and function buttons are easily useable. Another little tweak that I love is the offset tripod mount (to accommodate for the additional grip the E-M5 is able to use). This means that I can now change the battery while the camera is mounted to a tripod plate. Thumbs up!

The 9fps shooting speed mentioned is without AF and IBIS turned on, but it's certainly a welcome addition over previous PEN models. I've used it for bracketing shots when creating HDR photos. You can shoot a maximum of 7 photos in bracketing mode to capture the dynamic range of the scene and then combine them later in software. Using the 9fps speed, this is done in an instant, and it may even make handheld HDR bracketing possible. It's also worth noting that the E-M5 is compatible with 3rd party intervalometers such as the JJC TM-J that support the Olympus RM-UC1 remote to do timelapse shooting.

[Autofocus Speed]

The m43 cameras have made incredible progress in improving autofocus speed since their initial launch and are far better than the sluggish focus of the original E-P1. Previous Panasonic cameras like the GH-2 held the crown, but in the latest generation of PEN cameras and with the new OM-D line, autofocus speed matches the Panasonic models and even surpasses it in some tests. The bottom line is that the E-M5 can hold its own against consumer DSLRs in autofocus speeds, with perhaps two caveats: 1) that AF slows down in low light and 2) that AF tracking when shooting sports is still not quite as good as DSLR rivals. That said, the E-M5 has some big improvements in this area, and can quite reasonably track moving objects while shooting at a respectable 4fps.

[Sensor and Noise Performance]

One of the bigger criticisms of the E-P3 and other PEN cameras was the ageing 12MP sensor inside the camera. While it was still perfectly good for shooting at lower ISOs, its performance suffered when moving up, especially beyond ISO1600. The Panasonic GH-2 arguably had the best noise performance of a m43 camera up until now, but the E-M5 can be said to claim this crown. A new 16MP sensor inside the camera offers about 1 1.5 'stops' of improvement in noise performance. Basically this means that if you thought ISO1600 on the previous PEN cameras was acceptable, you will likely be happy with ISO3200 on the E-M5.

As usual, Olympus offer lovely Jpegs with gorgeous colours straight out of the camera for users who do not like to post-process their images in software. But for users who do, the Raw files offer more flexibility and noticeably increased dynamic range over previous PEN cameras (also about 1 1.5 'stops' improvement), allowing highlights and shadows to be pulled back. Practically speaking this means less white skies and richer colours! Noise is also very well controlled and easily reduced in software afterwards.

[In-Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS)]

The image stabilisation built into the camera body is, in my opinion, one of the strongest reasons for considering the PEN line or OM-D line over other mirrorless cameras like the Sony NEX series or Panasonic cameras. The previous IBIS system built into the PEN cameras was already good, but Olympus have found a way to improve it even further. Marketing tells us it's a 5-axis IBIS system that constantly stabilises the sensor, and indeed it does. You can see it kick in as the sensor moves into position when you power on the camera.

The biggest area this offers improvement in is the video mode (although naturally, still shots also benefit). The E-P3 was notorious for its rolling shutter and jellylike wobble when it received even the slightest bump. The E-M5 and its new IBIS system completely removes this wobble and significantly reduces the rolling shutter effect. What this means is that you can take very smooth videos handheld, so much so that you might even have been mistaken for using a steadicam in some cases. It isn't a substitute for a steadicam however, and walking with the camera will still introduce a minor amount of image `shifting' as the sensor compensates for the movement. But handheld panning and careful walking with the camera is as smooth as could be.

[Touchscreen]

One of the most interesting and pleasing features of my E-P3 was the capacitive touchscreen. Perfectly implemented with just 3 `modes' off, on to focus, or on to focus and take picture. Some might view this feature as a gimmick, but I found it exceptionally useful. Rather than focus and recompose the shot like in traditional cameras, you can simply compose your shot and lightly touch the screen to focus on your desired area and take the shot. I found it very useful for macro work, as well as general shooting when out with friends. The E-M5 continues this feature, and the beautiful OLED screen works like a charm.

[Lens Selection]

Another reason I chose the m43 format (supported by Olympus and Panasonic, as well as other 3rd party makers) over competing cameras such as the Sony NEX series is the large selection of lenses available. This still continues to be the case. Using a bright prime lens such as the Panasonic 25mm f/1.4 and coupled with the improved high ISO noise performance, I find the E-M5 to be formidable in low light. (If you are on a budget, consider the equally-excellent Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens or Olympus 45mm f/1.8 portrait lens).

It obviously will not match a full frame sensor's performance, but the difference between the E-M5 sensor and the larger APS-C sized sensors like the one in the Sony NEX series is very small. A larger sensor means better noise performance (cleaner pictures), but a smaller sensor means smaller and lighter-weight lenses can be made for the camera. All things considered, I find the m43 system to provide the best balance between all these factors, with the E-M5 and GH-2 providing the best sensor performance among m43 cameras.

[Criticisms]

I do not have any serious criticisms of the camera, but rather a few niggling complaints that I will list below.

The camera makes a low fan-like/humming noise when switched on that is audible in quiet environments. This is normal and a result of the always-on new IBIS system. Most users will not be able to hear it in regular shooting. Also note that the noise is lowered and essentially gone when in video mode, meaning it does not affect video. However, it is worth noting as many will be surprised when first turning the camera on and it may prove annoying for some people who shoot often in quiet environments.

The position of the viewfinder and small size of the camera mean that for left-eyed shooters, you may find your nose slightly squashed against your thumb when holding the camera. If concerned about this, it would be best to check at a store first. I found using my right eye avoided this problem.

No built-in flash. Although an extra mini flash unit is provided in the box, users who value having a flash built into the camera body may be disappointed. I used to value this feature until I realised I rarely use the built-in flash at all (and quite often it isn't powerful enough to improve pictures). For those occasions where I need a flash however, I can take the little flash unit with me.

New battery. The battery used is not the same as previous PEN cameras, meaning you'll need to buy replacement batteries (I take 2 spares on a heavy day's shoot). Olympus are usually good with this though, and I think we can expect the new battery will be used across the OM-D line in future models.

High cost and lots of customisability. This isn't really a negative so much as a realistic assessment. For many point and shoot upgraders, the E-M5 may be more than you need. Indeed, the camera is larger than other PEN models and offers lots of flexibility to customise controls (meaning the menus are suitably packed with features). Although you can just use the camera in P or iAuto mode, you can find much cheaper PEN cameras that will still offer great image quality in a smaller package. For those who want the best possible image quality and value the EVF and extra controls, the E-M5 will not disappoint.

[Final Thoughts]

I've never owned a m43 Panasonic camera myself, so it would be unfair of me to compare the E-M5 to the GH-2 (its nearest competitor), but for the image quality I've seen online, the two cameras are close, with the edge for the E-M5. You may also find the Panasonic G-3 a cheaper alternative that offers competitive image quality. Similarly, the Sony NEX cameras such as the NEX-5N and the Fuji XPro1 will give you better image quality than m43 cameras, but at the expense of a wide-ranging and small lens selection and at the expense of functionality.

There isn't a great deal I'm left wanting from the E-M5. Perhaps faster AF tracking for sports and full speed AF support for older 43 lenses when used with an adapter (there does not seem to have been much improvement here between the E-P3 and E-M5). Also, 1/8000 second max shutter speed and ISO 100 (the range begins at ISO200, like previous PEN models) would be welcome. A mic-out port for monitoring video using external headphones and 24p mode would also be nice.

It will be exciting to see what Olympus can innovate next to improve upon the camera. But for the time being, I feel happy awarding it 5 stars when compared to other cameras within the same class. If you feel the niggling faults are serious however, feel free to subtract one.

First, who I am: I'm an avid street photographer who usually has 1-2 gallery showings a year and occaisionally gets my photos picked up by the papers--I've been into photography for alomost 50 years and teach it at the university level. While I bought the camera with the 12-50mm kit lens, most of my shooting has been with the Panasonic/Leica 25mm f:1.4 lens, as I just prefer shooting with a fast, standard focal length, prime lens. I'm just telling you this because some of the things that might wow me might be inconsequential to a novice photographer who just wants to point and shoot (although the camera does that as well).

All of that out of the way, this camera is just plain nuts (in a good way). Unless you're really splitting hairs, this tiny little camera can pull in virtually the same shots that a big, bulky, pro DSLR can. Honest. I've been getting stunning images in the most photographically problematic situations ever since I started shooting with this thing--If you don't believe me, go to and do your own side by side comparisons. Did I say it was small? Not only can you carry it with you all day, but when you hold it in your hands you just know that the magesium frame is going to take all the abuse you can throw at it. This camera doesn't just look like the legendary Olympus OM-1 & 2 cameras from the 1970's it's inheritted the very same strong and sveldt spirit which made them so appreciated by both professional photojournalists and enthusiasts.

Aside from the size and image quality, this camera is also blistering fast with its autofocus--as in how can it do it that fast? But as frosting on the cake, the auto zoom-in of the EVF when manually focussing makes going that route a snap, even for somebody with poor eyesight, like me--way beyond what one can do easily on a DSLR. And while a mere 9 frames per second might just be so-so for a pro DSLR, it's plenty fast for more than 99% of the photographers out there. I could go on and on.

The worst part of owning this camera now is that every day I have to look at well over $10,000 in my DSLR gear which I haven't touched since getting this mighy mite.

If you're serious about photography and want a cary-with-you-anywhere-do-anything camera, and you can afford the serious money that Olympus is asking for this camera, just do it.

Buy Olympus OM-D E-M5 16MP Live MOS Interchangeable Lens Camera with 3.0-Inch Tilting OLED Touchscreen Now

SIMPLY A JOY TO USE

I took a leap of faith and sold my precious X100 to buy this camera. I've had the EM-5 for almost a month now and I just love it. To me it's almost the perfect camera. I enjoy using it every time and it makes photography fun for me again.

WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR

A small lightweight camera with great versatility for outdoor hikes, indoor portraits and low light photography. The X100 was charming and produced beautiful OTC jpegs, but it did not have the versatility of an all-in-one camera that I was looking for to replace my DSLR. Focusing was too slow for taking pictures of my nieces or any action photography, focal length was not ideal for portraits or wild life shots, and video recording features were limited. It did excel at street photography but I wanted more.

WHAT I FOUND IN THE EM-5

Since you can change the lens, the possibilities are endless with the EM-5. Especially when paired with an exceptional lens like the Olympus 45mm or Panasonic 25mm, the Olympus can produce some breathtaking results. There are more controls and settings for movie recording. With lenses that feature MSC, zooming and focusing is absolutely silent. You can also add external mic input with an adapter and there are custom settings galore! It is more of an investment than the X100 with all the lenses but that depends on what you want out of it. IBIS let's me slow down the shutter speed to 1/20 of a second hand held so I don't have to stick to 1/60th and crank up the ISO.

IMAGE QUALITY

Although the EM-5 has a smaller the sensor, the image quality is very high. I would even say that the raw files from the EM-5 are equal or sometimes better than the X100. I still prefer the X100's beautiful jpeg engine but the EM-5 jpegs with noise reduction off and sharpening tone down are also superb. It's amazing how much detail you can get out of the raw files with the small 16MP sensor. I was initially worried that I would be sacrificing some image quality jumping into the EM-5 but my worries are non existent now. I don't hesitate cranking the ISO up to 6400 either, especially if I know it's not for prints. But do yourself a favor and get at least one tack sharp prime lens for the EM-5 (Olympus 12mm, 45mm, or Panasonic's 20mm and 25mm) so you can appreciate this camera.

FOCUSING

With an MSC lens, focus is blazing fast and accurate. DSLRs might still have the advantage in extremely low light but the size tradeoff isn't worth it to me. X100 can not compete here at all. 3D Tracking only works with slow moving object but maybe a future firmware will make it more useful.

BUILD QUALITY

I wish the EM-5 was made in Japan like the X100 but the build quality is solid. What drove me crazy was dust getting into the viewfinder of the X100, but the EM-5 is dust proof and weather sealed. The paint is not impervious to wear but neither was the X100. They both feel like quality cameras in your hands.

HANDLING

The EM-5 feels more compact to me and has the perception of a more compact camera (unless you stick a giant telephoto lens on it). I like the layout of the X100 better and it feels less cramped. But with the optional hand grip or a half case, the EM-5 would be perfect. Buttons on the X100 feels a bit more responsive and I loved how you can add your own custom shutter button. However, the EM-5 camera setting don't get bumped around in your bag like the X100 since the dials are not notched to specific values. (There were times when I had exp compensation set to +/1 without noticing.) You can pretty much customize everything on the EM-5 which was something users complained about on the X100. (Took them a year to update the firmware just so you can set the raw button to something else useful.) Both the EVF and tilting OLED screens display images beautifully, and I'm usually not a fan of EVFs. The touchscreen is great advantage for selective focusing and quickly changing settings. The X100's hybrid viewfinder was extremely cool but the EM-5's EVF and tilting screen combo is much more practical. I do miss the X100's aperture ring on the lens, intuitive controls, and quiet leaf shutter with 1/2000 flash sync, but overall the speed and customization of EM-5 wins over the X100. Both of them have convoluted menus but with the EM-5, once you've customized everything, there's very little need to go back.

LOOKS AND FEATURES

X100 is gorgeous and has a classic look but my silver EM-5 is a close second, especially with a silver lens... stunner. EM-5 has features out the wazoo! More than you'll ever need probably. I especially like the diorama art filter and being able to take 3D photos. X100 is simple and their classic film filters will be missed, but the EM-5's 5-axis IBIS and 9fps shooting is killer.

QUIRKS ON THE EM5

IBIS humming is there and noticeable indoors. The EVF auto switch sensor is very close to the lcd screen so sometimes it switches when you're touching the screen. Left side ports are hard to get to without first tilting the lcd screen out. I don't mind these few quirks since the X100's list of quirks was much longer and annoying.

CONCLUSION

I do not regret selling my X100 or my Canon DSLR at all. With the right lenses, the EM-5 does everything I want/need it to. Image quality is superb and almost all the settings can be customized. Everything is packaged in a nice compact and weathersealed body that's reasonably priced for what it delivers. It lets you shoot photos without getting frustrated and gives you more creative freedom than most cameras on the market. I did not care for the m4/3 system before but the lens selection is awesome and is still growing. The EM-5 made me a believer that you can have everything you want in a camera without lugging around a 25lb kit. Unless you want to shell out for a Leica or need the quality of a medium format camera, I see no reason to get anything else until Olympus makes and EM-6.

P.S. I don't compare the EM-5 to the original OM series. I think it's irrelevant and snobby. They both great photographic achievements in compact photography during their time. I hate useless reviews like on DigitalRev.com where all they talk about is how it's not like the original OM series... rubbish. The EM-5 is like nothing else in it's market and should be commended for it. Yeah the Nex-7 and X Pro 1 has APS-C sensors but how many lenses are available for those systems? X Pro1 focusing is still slow and it's a clunky camera that's not really compact anymore. The Nex-7's EVF, although crispy, is quite laggy, not as enjoyable to use overall. The Panasonic GX1 might have a 16mp sensor but it's what you do with the sensor that counts. If you're looking at this camera, it's really a no brainer when you get features here that you only find in top of the line DSLRs.

Read Best Reviews of Olympus OM-D E-M5 16MP Live MOS Interchangeable Lens Camera with 3.0-Inch Tilting OLED Touchscreen Here

Size Smaller than I thought! It just feels so right on my hands. It feels solid. Not too light. Definitely not too heavy. I'm sure the extension of HLD-6 would make it even comfortable to hold... but I don't think it's worth $300 given my satisfaction over its ergonomics.

Buttons Still getting used to the orientation. I've owned previous PEN series so the menu is not that hard to absorb.

EVF Nothing great to write home about. It's OK... but not as great as the NEX-7's (drop by at your local camera store & compare). I'm not very picky regarding the feature since I don't use it as much as the 3-inch screen.

New IBIS Just awesome. I actually have better pictures coming out of my Panny 100-300mm lens, on the long end of the zoom handheld! (not 100% of the time though, but that's user-error due to handheld test).

Flippity screen Very very useful. I prefer to take pictures of children at their eye level so this helps A LOT without having to kneel or bend down as much. Also very useful on over-the-head shots. I just wish it was the same articulating screen as Panny's G-series. Oh, well.

Touch screen Another COOL feature. Great for stolen shots. Not fast enough for active children at play.

14-42mm Lens Nothing special. But I prefer this over the 12-50mm lens since I don't care for videos & weather seal stuff. Not to mention $200 cheaper at half the size! I'm sure others would disagree.

Humming sound Yeah, it's there. Only noticeable in a quiet room. I had some friends around our house to drool over the camera & none of them commented on the humming sound. I guess it only matters if someone is looking for it. Not about to consider this an issue.

Lugs It has grown to be a pain. At such a small footprint for a camera, right hand tends to hit that annoying triangle coil (for the neckstrap). I read some suggestions regarding the matter, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to alter it... Yet.

Images I'm coming from a previous user of the E-PM1 & E-PL2 & I must say that the images are just STUNNING! I will have to do more test shots with my panny 25mm 1.4 & oly 45mm 1.8 to compare.

I know that this is a brief review of the camera. I will update more about its functions in the future.

--------------------- UPDATE 04/28/2012 -----------------------

I just added some pictures, on Amazon's gallery, with some various lenses. For those in doubt if the silver prime lenses would not look good in the all-black E-M5, you may be surprise by its color-combo (or not).

Want Olympus OM-D E-M5 16MP Live MOS Interchangeable Lens Camera with 3.0-Inch Tilting OLED Touchscreen Discount?

This is my fifth Micro 4/3 camera, having previously bought the G1, GH1, GH2, and E-P3. Full disclosure: Olympus gave me an E-PM1 as part of their Pen Ready promotion. However, I bought the OM-D E-M5 with my own money and in fact paid almost $150 extra to get one when all the stores were out of stock.

Pros (from my subjective point of view):

-Very fast AF

-Great image quality sensor

-Great available lens choices

-Good looking camera

-Great flip screen (I prefer to fully articulated flip and twist type)

-Great integrated viewfinder

-Best in-body image stabilization I have ever used.

-Subdued, pleasing shutter release sound and feel.

Cons:

-Heavier than I would have liked.

-Small, mushy-feeling buttons

-Doesn't correct color fringing automatically like Panasonic cameras do

-Confusing menus

There are other Pros (like weather sealing and terrific in-camera JPEG engine) and Cons (like limited AF tracking ability and limited manual controls during video) which don't matter to me at all but might matter to someone else.

Bottom line is that I love the camera. Sure there are flaws, but it gets 5 stars from me because I prefer it to any other camera in today's market.

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Sunday, August 17, 2014

PowerShot A2500 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and 720p HD Video Recording (Black)

PowerShot A2500 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and 720p HD Video Recordingshutter speed is a little slower than i anticipated, however; it is a good working camera, very small. would buy again.

Bought this little camera at Wal-Mart for 99.00. Very pleased as a amateur photographer just wanting the occasional picture to put on my computer. Thanks to Canon. They make good products.

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Easy to use and review pics. Takes good pictures too for small, compact camera. My second Canon a good buy!

Read Best Reviews of PowerShot A2500 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and 720p HD Video Recording (Black) Here

As a long time Canon compact camera user my favorite new features on the A2500 are...

The Canon PowerShot A2500 does not just stop at taking images but is rather adept at handling videos as well. It is capable of producing 720p HD files at the touch of a button. One of the thoughtful things about this camera is the inclusion of the movie button. You do not have to fidget about with all sorts of controls in order to get the video going. Rather you go back to that simple button and the rest is history.

Another nice feature is that this product is newly minted with an ECO mode which is designed to reduce the power consumption on your camera.

The Canon brand has made cameras its specialty and the Canon PowerShot A2500 holds true to type. This model brings out all the features that you would expect of a camera of its class but has the added advantage of making it easier for the consumer to access those features. In other words you get the best of both worlds with a great camera and easy usage.

Verdict:

There are no major surprises with the Canon PowerShot A2500. It is a great camera that does what it says on the box.

If you are looking for the next model up check out the Canon SD330 as it has another level of features and quality.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B5HE3UU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00B5HE3UU&linkCode=as2&tag=stupisms-20

Want PowerShot A2500 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and 720p HD Video Recording (Black) Discount?

I give this camera a 4 out of 5 because its not to small and not to big. It is light and small enought to fit in you shirt pocket. It comes with a rechargeable battery which last pretty long and cuts out having to purchase disposable batteries that doesn't last very long after a few flashes. This camera is more than suitable for any Vacations or Special Occasions and I would recommend this to anyone who want to have a Vacation or Occasion they dont want to forget. The PowerShot A2500 16.0 MP DIGITAL CAMERA WITH 5x OPTICAL ZOOM AND 720p HD VIDEO RECORDING will freeze that moment, that beautiful memory in time for you in excellent picture quality.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

StarTech.com MDP2DPMM10 10-Feet Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort Adapter Cable - M/M

StarTech.com MDP2DPMM10 10-Feet Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort Adapter Cable - M/MCable is not VESA compliant. Hence, you will have issues with waking up your connected display when resuming your computer from a soft (screen only off) or hard (low power state) sleep. Pin 20 is connected. Hence, both the display and computer try to provide 3.3V on pin 20. This causes link negotiation issues, which leads to the aforementioned inability to "wake" the connected display. Tested on 2 different displays and 2 different computers with mini display ports, for a total of 4 configurations that all showed that the cable is at fault.

I tried many adapters to achieve the best resolution that my new Dell 30-inch monitor offered. Took many days and this was the ONLY adapter that worked.

While I was able to get the normal and very good resolution of HDMI adapter/cords (1900) and okay but higher resolution with VGA (2048 x 1280), this ten buck cord did the trick. It caused a great deal of flickering of the screen until I enabled MIRRORING and made sure that Overscan was off. At first the cord and the monitor and my laptop were, shall we say, in negotiations on what resolution would be provided. Staying in the system preferences, display boxes, clicking and un-clicking mirroring, I was able to get the maximum resolution of the monitor which is 2540 x1600. I tried the Apple Minidisplay port to dual-link display port adapter and that was a waste of time and it will be returned shortly. The resolution it gave was around 1600x but it looked horrible, made the monitor appear as one of the original and huge CRT monitors from the 80s. I highly recommend this cord, nice gold plated connections and I will likely buy another.

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I bought this cable to use with my new 13" MacBook Pro, connecting with a new Dell 30 inch monitor, U3011. The monitor kept falling into sleep mode and I had continual issues, which I thought were a compatibility problem between my new Macbook Pro and the monitor. I then found this mini display port adapter cable from another manufacturer and since installing it I have had zero issues in regards to performance and compatibility between my MacBook Pro and my new Dell monitor. This Star Tech cable has some serious compatibility and intermittent problems when being used with the new MacBook Pro connecting to Dell monitor U3011.

I purchased my replacement cable from circuit assembly and I am now running 100% error-free.

Read Best Reviews of StarTech.com MDP2DPMM10 10-Feet Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort Adapter Cable - M/M Here

Cable worked out of the box, simply and with no drama. I use it to connect an incredible Microcenter Auria WQHD (2560x1440) resolution $400 monitor to my 2012 iMac 27", using the displayport/thunderbolt port on back of iMac. The cable is a great value and worked w/o any problems. Could not be more happier with value and performance.

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Well, what else can you really say for a review of a cable? The price is right and it functions perfectly.

My motivation for writing a review is for a niche group of consumers who may which to know this tidbit of information -I'm using this to connect my work laptop, a PC, to my home display -a 27" Apple iMac. The iMac doubles as an external display with an HDPC-compliant source, and I can confirm that this cable works just fine in this configuration for both video and audio.

Recommended without reservations!

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Tuesday, June 10, 2014

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

Canon EOS 60D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens + Gadget Bag + 16GB + BT + UV Filter + Wide Angle with Macro LensI checked out this camera at Best Buy and really liked it. The price there was $999 for just the body and lens. For the same price here, I got the camera, lens, extra battery, SD card, a great tripod, and the list goes on.

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Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Pentax K-r 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Black Body)

Pentax K-r 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCDOver the past four years, I've owned an *ist DL, a K100D and a K2000. The new Pentax K-r feels like a huge improvement over its already excellent predecessors.

NEW FEATURES:

The most obvious improvements are the great new features. The K-r now has a dedicated focus assist lamp. In short, it's unintrusive compared to a strobing popup flash and it works great. I can't believe it took Pentax this long to give us this feature.

The K-r also supports both a proprietary lithium ion battery and AA batteries. You'll have to find a special adapter to use AA batteries though. Unfortunately, Pentax didn't bundle the adapter with the body.

K-x users will also be familiar with the in-camera HDR feature. The K-r includes several HDR settings including auto, standard, strong 1, strong 2, and strong 3. HDR mode is easily accessed by pressing the Info button.

Movie mode is available once again, but it's still not particularly robust. You can shoot in 720p at 25fps, which is an odd frame rate. AF isn't available while you're shooting, but I've found that manual focusing is easy enough with the right lens. I didn't have any problems with my FA 35mm.

Auto white-balancing is greatly improved over the K100D and the K2000 also. You can now shoot in tungsten light without having to manually set the WB. No more horribly yellow photos indoors followed by extremely blue photos outdoors when you forget to white balance again!

Finally, my favorite new feature is the selectable 11-point AF. When it's enabled, you can press the OK button to bring up the point selection interface and use the arrow keys to select your focus point. When you're done, press and hold the OK button to close the menu so you can use the arrow keys for other shortcuts again.

INTERFACE:

With each new release, Pentax's interface has improved and the K-r is no exception. For people coming from the older *ist DL and K100D bodies, you'll immediately notice that the four arrow buttons now have double purposes. Instead of pressing FN + right to get to the ISO menu, you just need to press the right arrow button. Users of the K2000 will find the interface very familiar, but still improved. The Info button now brings up the grid of commonly used settings such as HDR modes, JPG/RAW, metering settings, AF mode, etc. Each setting is represented with an icon or text label and moving the cursor over the setting allows you to quickly cycle through the different modes using the dial. It's similar to pressing the OK button the K2000, but now with more options and fewer button presses.

When you preview your last JPG photo, you also get the option to save it as raw. This only works with the last photo taken, probably because the camera only stores the raw data for one photo at a time. This is a great feature for those who prefer to shoot in JPG and still occasionally use raw.

BUILD QUALITY:

The build quality of the K-r is as solid as every previous Pentax dSLR body that I've owned. The battery compartment latch is slightly improved over the K2000 and the K100D. It's a little hard to describe the new latch, but it's easy to use and much harder to accidentally open.

PERFORMANCE:

I loved the low light performance of my K100D and I enjoyed the newer interface and faster AF of my K2000. The K-r again gets the best of both worlds with very clean photos at ISO 1600 and even faster and more decisive autofocus. It's also now capable of shooting at 6fps in continuous mode.

OVERALL:

The Pentax K-r has really exceeded my expectations. The improved performance combined with the new features makes the K-r a joy to use. It's an excellent entry-level dSLR that it will satisfy even more seasoned photographers who want a compact spare body.

I upgraded from the Pentax K-2000 to the Pentax K-R. I have only had the camera a few days but I already have a good impression.

First, the LCD display is good, really good. A huge upgrade from the one on the Pentax K-2000. With this screen it is easy to verify the right focus, love it.

The camera is very fast. Fast at focusing, talking the pictures and fast going through the menus. Now, activate some of the special features like filters or lens distortion correction and things slow down. I think it is a fair exchange.

The camera brings a new battery that last a LONG time. In theory you could use AA batteries but you need a $35.00 adapter that the camera did not bring. I'm not going to spend $35 for an adapter, I would rather pay for another battery for that money. Pentax dropped the ball on this one.

The visible focus points make a BIG difference. I had defaulted the K-2000 to center only focusing to avoid problems. I had been doing this for so long that I didn't realize how useful it would be to have an 11 point focus system. This is a big improvement.

Live view is a LOT faster than the reviews give it credit for. I had NO PROBLEMS telling people to pose and using the face recognition in live view to take the picture. Once you focus it does a zoom in on the focus point for a second. I like the feature as it lets me verify focus.

The biggest surprise was the low light capabilities of the camera. I can shoot at ISO 1600 without having to worry about noise. Even if I shoot RAW there is not much noise to talk about at ISO 1600. ISO 3200 is still very usable and with some Photoshop using Raw files they are easy to make usable for 8 X 11 pictures. The K-R is a HUGE improvement from the K-2000 in this area.

Build and Handling: It feels just like a K-2000 and from the outside it has few differences. The biggest change was the menus as they have been GREATLY improved making finding and changing settings very easy. The camera is still noisy and in a quiet environment it will be noticed as you take the picture. Since I shoot a lot in Church environments I would have rather have a silent camera.

Low Point: The video is not really a big feature. Mono sound, you can only record up to 20 minutes as the sensor heats up too much, 25 fps, no automatic refocus, no aperture control after the movie starts. In short, don't buy the K-R for the movie mode, that is just a basic feature in the camera. Live view is the REAL improvement.

So I find the K-R a very good upgrade from the K-2000. The pictures look great and the low light pictures are excellent. Only two issues are the basic video feature and the lack of the AA adapter in the package. The fast focus, fast shooting, improve LCD, visible focus points, amazing low light pictures and live view make the K-R a great upgrade for K-2000 users.

Buy Pentax K-r 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Black Body) Now

As a Canon 5DII shooter needing a compact SLR for hiking or backup on trips I got a good deal on this K-r and immediately set out to find fault with it. I had the box ready to send it back. My nitpicking was in vain; I like this little guy!

I let my Pentax K20D go to my son to get more pics of the grandkids out of him, leaving me without a Pentax body. I already own a couple of Pentax digital lenses, and I thought that a compact DSLR was preferable to holding a miniature camera out like a baby with a dirty diaper to compose, or dealing with one of several miserable electronic viewfinders.

The K-r has a bigger, clearer LCD screen than the K20D, image quality is noticeably better in the shadows than the K20D, and the penta-mirror optical viewfinder competes well with its CaNikon peers (at this price level). The ergonomics fit me fine, and the interface is very simple. In fact, I am familiar with Canon and Nikon SLR's and I find the Pentax interface to be straightforward and well thought-out. LiveView is very smooth in use, and is a great help in focusing a manual-focus lens, such as for macro use.

Unlike my Canon 5D2, proper exposure reads in the middle, without any underor overexposure that I can see. If colors look too cartoonish for you, simply select the Natural jpg mode. As other reviewers say, there IS a tendency to blow out strong highlights. If the picture is that important to you, shoot RAW and be extra careful. Setting minus Exposure Compensation and processing for the highlights (Adobe Camera RAW) should not cause noisy shadows with the K-r. Set the K-r to shoot your RAWs in the DNG format, and do your processing in ACR. In my testing, hot spots in the scene, such as a sunlit white wall, really do show up hot. You must adjust for that with ANY camera. Also, you will have SOME blown specular highlights with any digital camera in some situations. Finally, use at least a Class 6 card, or it'll be slow writing to the card.

In summary, the K-r is compact (especially with the DA 21 or DA 70 pancake lenses) and competent. It's a pleasure to carry around in a small bag. It is feather-light without being at all flimsy. Great buys in Pentax lenses for the K-r include the new 35mm f2.4, the old FA 35mm f2, the F and FA 50's, and the F and FA 28's. The 55-300 tele zoom is decent, but don't expect Canon L performance ($350 lens vs $1,200). If you MUST have a zoom, an excellent choice would be Tamron's 17-50 f 2.8. The Tammie is significantly better than the Pentax kit zoom, which is, in turn, not junk, just a cheap zoom. Don't shell out for the Tamron Image Stabilization; get the non-IS version. You already have in-body IS with the K-r.

The Pentax K5, for double the money, gets you a brighter viewfinder, better weather-sealing, better high ISO images and bigger files. At about $550, The K-r is a good buy. You can expect the price to come down even more as the next "latest and greatest" comes out.

Read Best Reviews of Pentax K-r 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Black Body) Here

Ordered this camera from Emmy Photo. The original camera that I was sent had the light meter calibration off by more than 2 stops. Sent back and promptly received a replacement unit. The LED display on this second unit began to fail within a matter of weeks. Emmy will not take back the second camera, so am sending back to Pentax.

Note added in postscript: I contacted Pentax today regarding warranty service, and was told that I was responsible for shipping and insurance costs sending this unit back to them for repairs. I was further told that I should expect turnaround of up to 4 weeks.

When I requested free shipping and exchange for a new unit given that I had been sent two defective units in a row, I was told that "this is not Pentax's warranty policy".

Want Pentax K-r 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Black Body) Discount?

From the factory, the K-r front focusing was really bad (tested 3 lens: 18-55mm f3.5-5.6, 28-90mm f3.5-5.6, and 35mm f2.4). I had to AF Fine Adjust to -10. I then found a nifty app called PK_Tether, which allows you to put Pentax cameras (K-x, K7, K5, K-r, K20D, K10D, K200) into debug mode. That enables you to get to the Debug menu and do AF calibration. I am not sure what the max is but I went as high as -19. You would want to reset the AF Fine Adjustment to 0 before using the calibration. That way you can do fine adjustment from the calibrated setting.

Other than the front focusing issue, the K-r could use the individual AF fine adjustment setting for up to 20 lens feature available on the K7 and K5. Otherwise, the K-r is a great camera with the fix mentioned above.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III 21.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III 21.1MP Digital SLR CameraWell if you are looking at this fine piece of Photographic equipment odds are you have been to the Canon website and read the specs. I will touch on a few of the items I have noticed since I purchased mine and have been using it.

1st. The feel, just like the 1D M3, this beast is solid. Not too heavy, but solid in the hand. And here in Alaska, I do put the weather sealing to a test, and just like my trusty 1D M3, the 1Ds passes with flying colors.

2nd. Yes its 21.1 MP, but that should not be your main consideration to buy it. Yah 18x12 @ 300Dpi out of the Camera is nice, but nost people dont print over 16x20, and I have sold a lot of prints from my old 20D at that size or even upto 20x30, as long as you shoot it right in the first place. But this is also a drawback as well. Because of the large file size, esp in Raw, and most, if not all, buyers of this body will/should be shooting in raw, be aware that you will need larger CF cards for it. At least 8gig, I use 12Gig for mine, extreme 3's and they work great! Also be aware if you use the internal high iso noise processing, it slows down the buffering a lot!!!

3rd. Full Frame, just like the earlier 1Ds models its a ful frame sensor. That means 2 things, not only does a 17mm or 14mm lens again be a true wide angle lens, but also with the larger sensor the pixels are more refined and this gives better color and less grain.

4th. The colors of the images in the files. WOW Again the 14bit processors are great!!! Esp for raw, where you can import it in as 16bit for the finer details. One draw back is if you use Photoshop, you will need CS3 to do the raw Conversions, unless you use the Canon program.

5th. You are approaching the image quality of a Dig MF camera, with the portability of a Dslr! Not to mention you can use all the Canon EF lenses, and this camera really should only be used with L series lenses when possible, except for the fisheye as its not made in an L series but the quality is very good anyways. As the Quality of the optics is what affects the quality of the image the most, other than settings in the camera, ie shutterspeed and AV, ISO, etc...

6th. Wonderful Accesories for the camera. I love my wft-e2a. I use it on my 1D M3 a lot and it works great on the 1ds as well. Its a great way to control your camera remotely or to send your files to a remote computer for processing and such while you are still shooting.

This Camera is great. I have used the new nikon d3, and its a much improved camera over the past models, but it does not compare to the top of the line Canon!!!! This camera will not let you down. The noise if shot right is not even noticed until iso 1600 and then you still got to look. ISO 3200 is still great (about the same noise/grain my buddy had on his d200 at iso 400!!!!!)! If you are a Pro and need a camera that can perform the best and give wonderful results, this is it. It kicks butt compared to anything else in the DSLR market!!!

I owned this camera since spring of 2008,

So at the point of writing this review, I used it for nearly a year.

Now, if you are earlier owner, you might have experienced a problem or two.

I was unfortunately one of the owner experienced problem, and had to ship it back to Canon for the warranty repair. So, I was not exactly happy about paying expensive FEDEX freight.

But, rest assured, no other nasty problem occurred after warranty repair, and this camera has been workhorse of my photography.

Now, let get on the review.

This is really wonderful 21.1MP camera, and it is well worth the money.

But, you have to determine if you need to use one.

At the time of release, there were no other full size sensor camera with this resolutions.

Of course, it has been since passed by other manufacture... but I will not going to that comparison.

For Professional User.

Important thing about this camera is economics.

I own EOS 5D as well, and when non-commissioned or low paid project, I tend to bring 5D instead of 1DS MK3.

It is due to the fact, overall operational cost tend to be higher on the 1DS MK3 so if does not paid well, there will be no point to bring it out.

But, if it does paid well. there are enough justification to own this system, and you should used it as much as you can.

And this system is really reliable, once you get past some getting used to.

One more note,

Now I do own several different system including Hasselblad Medium format.

Medium Format Digital System is superior system when you are working in the control lighting environment. However, it is rather difficult to work with in the outside activity.

If you are studio photographer with magazine or commercial client, and do occasional out side shoot, you should own both medium format and this camera.

If you are professional just wondering about medium format and full size sensor camera,but without pressing need, then do not bother with medium format.

People who uses medium format digital normally has pressing reason such as satisfying client's specifications to own such system.

And it is not really versatile system no matter how medium format camera maker and digital back manufacture portray.

Canon 1DS MK3 is really versatile system, and it will satisfy most of design agency, publisher or stock photo agency's requirement, and L lens system are reasonably priced for the performance when looking at the economics.

For Semi Pro or High Amateurs User

For semi professional. 1DS MK3 is not going to make best economic argument, if you do not shoot studio.

If you are part time photographer who shoots mainly events or doing photo journalism.

I will recommend 1DMK3 over 1DSMK3.

Also, for photo journalist purpose, nowadays 5D MK2 actually makes a lot more sense than getting 1DS MK3 due to the their HD capability.

And for the photo journalist, it is not that good idea to carry bulky system.

But, for an amateur user with a lot of spending money,

It is one of the best system to get taste of what real pro are using.

And it does not cost like price of new BMW, and for the financially resourceful amateur, 7 to 8 grand may not be much of money.

When I got 1DS MK3 there were several amateur photographer I taught how to use this camera...

Surprising thing is, there are quiet many of amateur owner, and with very limited instruction to them,

They were able to create very good quality images.

So, kudos to the Canon for new 1DS MK3 interface.

It is actually easier for 1DS first timer than older 1DS MK2 for instance.

Of course, people who were used to with 1DS MK2 or older tend to disagree on this.

Now here are list of main advantage.

1. It is 21.1MP, more than most of commercial assignment requires.

2. Color depth of 14bit per channel is really useful for RAW work flow process.

3. Economical compared to the expensive medium format system, and still get comparable or sometimes superior result if conditions are right.

4. Build like tank, and it can take a quiet bit of abuse.

5. For user who are used to with 20D~50D, 5D MK1~MK2, it is really easy to learn interface.

6. Dust cleaning is really useful.

7. AF + Canon L Lens combinations is superior to the other known system in the market as of 2008-9

8. Liveview is useful to shoot architecture, land scape, and products.

9. RAW file format is supported well by the major commercial software.

10.CF slot and SDHC slot actually helps. It did not occurred to me until I run out of memory card on the locations, and had to run to the nearby local drug store. At least they carry cheap SD/SDHC at any large drug store chains, and it is a lot easier to find those store than locating nearby large electronic store...

11. Battery Life is excellent, it will easily cover half day events with nearly a thousand of picture even with taxing RAW + JPEG shoot.

12. Due to its weight and form factor, it is a lot easier to balance with long heavy lens.

13. When used with L lens, it is somewhat comparable with expensive medium format digital back.

14. Silent shutter mode is somewhat useful.

Now here are list of disadvantage.

1. It is slightly new form factor for Canon, and there are chance you had to send it to the warranty repair if you got the earlier production model.

2.There are something wrong with design of wireless port cap. It is relatively easy to lose one since it sometimes fell off with limited torque applied. I lost several of them already... though I stocked half dozen cap after I lost my first cap.

3. It is heavy and bulky. Thus some times not a ideal for certain situations.

4. Compared to Nikon D3X, it has slightly poor SNR on the third party software RAW processing software, so certain journalistic style shoot might suffer. If you shoot in the studio controlled lighting environment, that should not be a much of issue.

5. Many of RAW development software is actually more well tuned for Nikon, This might to be due to the amount of info Canon release to the third party software developer.

6. It is hard to justify its price for the many of users.

7. However everyone else claimed, it still can not replace medium format digital camera. Lens resolution and clarity of images is not there yet. Of course, that is when looking at 1:1 images side by side.

8. Silent shutter mode is not that quiet compared to some of the most quiet camera in the market. So, application such as close quarter Jazz or Classical music shot are still off the table.

Overall, I will recommend this camera to who,

If you are photographer that shoot tons of weddings at high fee structure, you should get one. Otherwise, EOS 5D nowadays makes very attractive choice.

If you are commercial photographer with clients and sufficient invest in Canon system, why are you waiting?

If you are amateur with deep pockets, this is a camera to get, and impress your photography teacher!

I will not recommend to someone,

Trek photographer who need lighter weight gear or those wild life photographer needs of faster fps should consider other offering from Canon.

Any journalistic style should consider 1D MK3 first unless you shoot tons of interview photo.

Shooting for hobby or fine arts purpose should really consider 5D mk2 before taking financial plunge of 1DS MK3

If you think it is heavy for you, do not get it. It will be too heavy for you after few hours of holding camera.

Buy Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III 21.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Now

In every way Canon has done it again. This camera is lighter, faster, and produces bigger, better files than the mk2. If you make a living shooting pictures, buy it, you may never have to upgrade again. If Photography is your hobby or passion and you can afford it this should be your last camera.

My five favorite improvements in no particular order.

Faster and more accurate autofocus

Less noise at high ISO making 3200 a viable choice.

File quality that beats many 22MP medium format digital backs.

Live preview, it's cool, fun, and useful.

Improved handling due to lighter more balanced feel

Yes I know number three will get me in trouble but the price, faster handling, and much broader lens selection make it great choice in the 22 to 30MP range. The 39MP backs are clearly more detailed and smoother but this Canon will push many a P25 and H3D-22 onto ebay in the next year.

Canon has set the standard again the mk3 is truly brilliant. The only better deal may be the well cared for used mk2's easily found on ebay.

I just wanted to add a comment regarding cost. Now that my second mk2 has found a new home I can evaluate the true cost of an $8000.00 dslr. I paid $7300.00 each for my mk2s. Sold them for an average of $3620.00 making the cost if you add in an extra battery and firewire cables for three years around $4000.00 each. I anticipate this kind of return for the mk3s and considering they will work in a high demand professional environment for three years or so I'd say the mk3 is a ridiculous bargain.

By the way both of my mk3s have performed flawlessly and were spot on with regards to viewfinder alignment.

Read Best Reviews of Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III 21.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Here

I've had the 1Ds Mark III for over a month now and have shot in churches, outdoors and in the studio. It excels in every environment. The first thing you'll notice is the immensely big, bright viewfinder. It barely feels like looking through something! The LCD display is very good as well. Build is very solid. I've used it with the Canon 85mm 1.2 II L and the Canon 70-200mm 2.8 IS L. Both deliver outstanding results and are hand-holdable. The new automatic dust-removal system is very good, leaving only a couple of spots against the blue sky when shot at small apertures, when there used to be countless on the 5D. Image quality is fantastic, and the images are huge, making cropping while retaining a big image easy. The menu system is very easy to operate, custom functions offer a plethora of options. Shutter sound is wonderful, and at 5fps very fast for 21MP. It's expensive for sure, but definitely worth it.

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Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III 21.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

I am an advanced amateur and was using the 5D Mark I for the past 2.5 years. I loved the images but hated the focusing. In any kind of shot that involved focusing on a subject moving at walking speed, (or less) the 5D would fail to snap into focus. The second shot would never be in focus. In lower light situations (typical interior lighting, not candles), the 5D was even worse. Sometimes the focusing would force the lens to go to maximum close/distance as the 5D hunted for focus even when the lens was basically in focus to start this was guaranteed to miss the shot.

The 1Ds, on the other hand, is great at focusing. Super fast, subjects snap into focus quickly, and focusing continues onto 2nd shots and more. And it will focus on lenses that are 5.6 and above something the 5D did not do (try a telephoto with a filter or extender). From what I can read, the new 5D Mark II has basically the same focusing system so it is not improved in this area.

What kind of shots am I talking about? Shots of people,kids, basketball, soccer, bands, parades, candids on the street, street life, travel, animals in the wild or at home I would include most everything except still life/landscape photos. Generally any shot you would not be making with a tripod is a situation where the 1Ds' focusing is vastly superior to the 5D.

High resolution is great. But out of focus shots are not keepers.

Finally, the 1Ds Mark III is much more solid than the 5D everything from the controls to the shutter sound. I love this camera. My only wish is that it were the same size as the 5D since most shoulde camera bags don't account for its height. I don't mind the weight since the the weight of the lenses I am carrying is much heavier than the camera.

Friday, February 21, 2014

CIB CUC8795-4 Four 600TVL Outdoor CCD Bullet Infrared Day Night Security Came...

CIB CUC8795-4 Four 600TVL Outdoor CCD Bullet Infrared Day Night Security Came...nice cameras great shipping would recommend. i ordered 4 and i love them very clear. night vision is good. so far no problems . am going to install these same cameras for my neighbor

I have installed at least 30 of these in different applications. I had only 1 failure which the vendor promptly corrected. The image quality is comparable to cameras costing three times as much.

Buy CIB CUC8795-4 Four 600TVL Outdoor CCD Bullet Infrared Day Night Security Came... Now

Monday, September 2, 2013

Nikon D5200 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens (Black) with 55-300mm VR Lens +

Nikon D5200 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens with 55-300mm VR Lens + 64GB Card + Battery + Backpack Case + Filters + Accessory KitI bought this bundle after a long research and it is as displayed. the only reason I didn't gave it a five star is that it doesn't contain the 18-55 lens hood, but I think the oringinal nikkor lens has the hood. but I am not sure

Monday, August 12, 2013

Sony DSCP92 Cyber-shot 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

Sony DSCP92 Cyber-shot 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical ZoomI got this camera less than a week ago and I have nothing but good things to say about it. The photos that it takes are amazing. It is wonderful to get the 5MP quality at such a price and with such features. Also, its acceptance of the Memory Stick Pros just makes me giddy. 1GB o' photos at 5MP? Yes please. It is so light and compact. I can carry it easily in my pocket (which already has my cell phone in it). Being able to choose the quality of the movies that one makes is truly a bonus as well, as one does not need to waste quality on MPGs that are simply going to be e-mailed. Very well thought out design. I'd expect nothing less from Sony.

(Still, it does not begin to compare to my Nikon SLR, but at a tiny fraction of the cost of the body and lenses, it seems like quite a nice trade-off. Plus, I don't have to fumble with lenses, filters, and the like in order to catch a shot. This will be a great hanging-out-with-the-friends camera for sure!)

My friends brought it to me from the US (i bought it at AMAZON), in a week i threw away my old film camera, even though i thought before that the pictures i had are excelent! To tell you the truth, i was expecting something really cool, but when i got this baby, and printed several pictures afterwards i was simply blown away by the quality of prints, colors, sharpness and etc.

Words of warning: when you get it, you will suddenly start shooting and shooting and shooting, so buy the second set of batteries and the bigger memory stick! It's a must!

Buy Sony DSCP92 Cyber-shot 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom Now

I've had this product for 4 months now, so I feel I'm ready to write my review.

When I bought this camera, there were two things that compelled me to select this camera over others. the 5-mega-pixels, and the fact that it was made by Sony, a company that I've come to trust.

I'm sure you've probably already heard what's good about this camera, so I'm just going to skip all that and cover what I think the buyer should be aware of, namely... what they can expect to go wrong.

The point-and-shoot architecture is very intuitive, but not for professionals. One thing I was looking forward to with this camera was playing around with the manual camera settings. I quickly lost interest in this because you can't change the shutter speed, which is what I really wanted to play with.

The size of the camera is nice. It's a little smaller than the 1-time use film cameras, although much heavier. maybe about the weight of a small coffee cup.

The 3x optical zoom is great, but going beyond 3x the camera starts to use digital zoom. You can get up to 12x, but the picture quality really, really drops off beyond about 6x.

The camera takes pictures in standard computer screen proportions (although it has one wide-screen option). This is great for computers, but can pose a problem for people wanting to actually develop their pictures, as standard picture sizes are proportionally wider than computer screens. The top and/or bottom of your pictures may get cut off.

For indoor pictures, there is a problem. To function as a hand-held camera, you either have to have ROCK steady hands, or extremely bright lighting. Anything other than this will give you some problems with blurry pictures. After about a month of finding shelves and countertops or books to set my camera on for picture-taking, I bought a 5 dollar tripod that has expanded my options for using the camera and also just made it less troublesome on the whole. Taking pictures in the pre-set "landscape" mode can also result in blurry pictures, even if the lighting is magnificent.

The battery life can be troublesome, but a fully-charged set of batteries can last you an entire, fairly rigorous day of picture taking. I suggest buying an extra set of batteries, but if you can tolerate the thought of needing to take a picture, but having your batteries be in the charger, then it's not necessary.

When you turn on the camera, the lens twists and moves out of the body. This very cool to watch, I think... but compared to other cameras it is a little noisy; perhaps about the decibel level of a person next to you listening to loud music on poor-quality headphones. It's not annoying, because the sound only happens when you turn the camera on or off, or use the zoom feature.

There is a strange sound I discovered that is always going with this camera when it is on though. It's inaudible for the most part, but if you hold your ear directly against the display screen, you hear all sorts of cool mechanical beeps and stuff. it's probably not too healthy to do this... but it can't be worse than talking on a cell-phone all day :-P

The 16mb memory stick has got to be some sort of cosmic joke. You can fit at most 5 high quality pictures on it. I suggest, nay, DEMAND that you get AT LEAST a 128mb memory stick. But, keep the 16mb around as backup (you never know when you will run out of space and need to take one quick picture).

The screen was great, no pixels on mine were burnt out (check for burnt out pixels on your camera if you are buying from a retail store where you actually get to test the camera before buying it). But the screen is missing something. Most Japanese cameras and cell-phones put a clear, hard-plastic cover on these screens, which is very useful for those people who always feel they need to touch and point (those wierd colors that you see when you touch the screen are BAD).

The movie mode is nice for catching moments like kissing your lover, friend's falling off their skateboards, and so on. But don't plan on becoming the next Steven Spielberg with this. The camera will record directly to .mpg format, which is nice because you can play this format on almost any computer without needing to install anything. I say 'almost' only because I'm sure there are some linux distros that don't include a video player.

The cord that hooks your camera up to an AV-in port is great. you can watch your movies in decent quality on the TV screen, and do a slideshow type thing of your pictures. I like to use this in conjunction with my VCR to record movies, this gets MUCH better quality than the built-in video mode and records to a VHS, which can be handy. But the cord is rather short, so I can't record anything outside or in another room.

The USB hook-up to your computer is very handy. And transferring a full load (128mb) of data to my computer never takes more than 2 minutes, which I think is very reasonable considering how easy it is to set up. The camera will pop up in your computer and you can browse it just as you would any regular folder. Your pictures are stored as JPG pictures (of course) and in windows xp, you can switch to 'thumbnail' view and find the picture you are looking for right away. I have had some problems getting my computer to detect the USB connection, but I've always been able to fix this by rebooting.

This is a great camera. Under the right conditions and with a fair amount of awareness, you can take magnificent pictures. But it's not the magical camera that is going to work perfectly all the time and under every possible circumstance. I don't think such a camera exists. If you want 5 megapixels of power and a name like Sony, this is the camera for you.

Read Best Reviews of Sony DSCP92 Cyber-shot 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom Here

If you love photography, if you like digital imaging, if you like making fun MPEGs, and if you enjoy shooting high quality pictures, then you gotta have this camera. I have never seen such an easy-to-use camera. Like with most Sony digital cameras, the DSC-P92's user-friendliness and image and lens quality are what it's all about. Having family living all around the world, it is also great fun to make short MPEGs and send them through e-mail.

Want Sony DSCP92 Cyber-shot 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom Discount?

Friday, July 19, 2013

Battery Adapter Base Plate LP-E6 for Canon 5D Mark II / 5D Mark III / 60D / 7D / Lilliput Monitor 5

Battery Adapter Base Plate LP-E6 for Canon 5D Mark II / 5D Mark III / 60D / 7D / Lilliput Monitor 569GL, 665GL, 667GL, 5D-II, 5D-II/P, 5D-II/O/P Lilliput Monitor AccessoryEnded up returning this, the battery holder is just way too tight. After jamming the LP-E6 in there, trying to take it out of the monitor when attached lead to the entire base plate coming off and having to wrestle with the battery to get it back out. Not something you can really afford to do when shooting a wedding, time is of the essence and the monitor already eats up the batteries. Maybe we just had a bad one but quality control needs to be checked or it needs to just widen the holster by a centimeter or less so they slide in easier.