Motorola Additional Camera for Motorola MBP33 Baby Monitor

Researched the product heavily and when it worked, it was great. Gradually, night vision got weaker and weaker until it no longer worked. Six weeks was the life of this product. We called Motorola customer service and were told we'd receive emailed instructions on returning for a replacement. The phone agent said they could ship a replacement and send a box for the defective unit. Turns out this was untrue. Shipping it back, even after only six weeks, is the buyer's reponsibility to pay for and pack up. And then there is a 2-3 week turnaround time. I guess Motorola expects us to buy another baby monitor during the interim. I really like it but for what we paid ($250 for system with extra camera) I expect a little more goodwill. Don't make this mistake. Maybe our defective unit is in the minority but it's a hassle when it happens to you.

We bought this system a couple months ago and it works great! We added an extra cam a couple weeks ago. When we hooked it up we thought we recieved a lemon. Before I returned it to Amazon, I figured I would call motorola to see if I was doing something wrong. They informed me that this model MBP33 DOES NOT have the rotating feature. Its the MBP36 that rotates, etc. Hope that helps anyone that is looking for that specific feature with the additional camera.

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Please beware when purchasing. Although this camera is compatible with the 3.5" screen MBP36 Baby Monitor, it does NOT pan/rotate. Very annoying especially since this is the product that is LINKED to from the MBP36 page. :(

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We loved this monitor so much, we bought another camera for our second kid. I struggled with whether I could just pass the toddler's camera on down to the baby ... but decided I need to know how he was sleeping just a little longer. I'm glad we did, especially since the baby doesn't sleep well it's good to know how the toddler is doing without actually going in. Our model number doesn't have the pan/move/tilt or whatever so I don't know how that is.

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Have the main camera and its screen a couple of years ago. Now I have a new baby, and this suits perfectly to switch one napper to the other

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Sony Alpha NEX E-Mount 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 OSS Zoom Lens with Sony Case + 32GB Card + (2) NP-FW50 Ba

I had a NEX 5 and wanted a zoom lens after a trip to the Amazon River (not the website). After much review, this looked like what I wanted with the filters, batteries, etc etc. The order was shipped quickly, and everything was in the package as advertised. I would order from them again.

GTMax 6 FT Micro-HDMI to HDMI Cable for Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7 inch , Kindle Fire HD 8.9 inch / Ki

purchasing of this micro-mini hdmi cable has allowed me to view kindle content on my 42" hi-def monitor. it also allows the greater sound capacity of the monitor to be utilized.

the hook-up is very simple and i can watch from my bed with ease. the only thing i might do over would be to order the longer version of the cable. i chose the 6 foot which requires me to get up to change control settings whereas a 9 foot would allow me ease to minipulate without doing so. a very good feature.

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LG HX350T 720p LED Front Projector with Digital TV Tuner

• The HX350T offers XGA resolution in a small compact size and comes with a carrying case
• The projector provides a bright image (300 lumens) but is still extremely portable weighing in at 1.7 pounds
• The built in file viewer allows you to view Microsoft Office documents, images and DivX videos without having to connect to your computer
• 30,000 hours of lamp life means you will likely never need to replace the lamp
• The built-in ATSC digital TV tuner allows you to use your projector like a big screen TV

I am as pleased with this LG HX350T 720p Front Projector Black as I could possibly be. Video projection has been improving by the proverbial leaps and bounds and this particular one is an example of a type which didn't even exist just a few years ago.

It is essentially a PORTABLE giant screen television its image can be far larger than almost any other television you could buy and like those 'regular' flat-screen TVs, it has other video and computer capabilities thrown in! (It can even play directly from an external USB hard drive or USB thumb drive.)

Its dimensions are amazing: 2.4" height by 6.3" width by 5.3" depth, tiny by any standard (smaller, as I show in the video, than most portable radios). It is packed with many of the necessary cables or adapters most people will need (though it would have been nice had an HDMI cable been included too).

It even comes with a very well-padded carrying case which has plenty of room inside for the projector itself, its power supply, the included cleaning cloth, the supplied cables, and any other cables/accessories you may wish to carry about. The case offers plenty of protection against damage.

It uses a common video projection technology with a twist: DLP, which is familiar to many people, but, instead of a color wheel, with all its attendant faults (VERY noticeable "rainbow" effects, color fringing, noise, etc.), it uses LED technology, thus offering the best of both worlds: DLP without video artifacts.

However I do have to tell you that in certain rare circumstances I have been able to see some very minor "rainbow" color flashes; please note that I am unusually sensitive to such artifacts (my wife cannot see them). This may be due to the sequential nature of LED pulsing. In any case it is far less distracting than that of ANY "regular" color-wheel-equipped DLP projector I have ever seen. I think that many, possibly most, people will not notice any such artifacts at all.

As you'll be able to see in the video, the image it produces, even in daylight, is VERY bright indeed. At night, or in a darkened room, it looks even better! You need never worry about brightness there's all you'll ever need or want, night or day. (The brightness in the video is set to default, 50%.) As a matter of fact, if your image is smaller, you may even want to reduce the brightness.

Black and white images look really, really good and color images are truly spectacular. Unlike LCD 'flat-screen' televisions, there is no fall-off in light regardless of your viewing angle.

Its native resolution is 1024 x 768 (1.33:1) but it can be adjusted to different ratios, such as 1.78:1 (16:9 which is what I'm currently using) and some others. (I wish the projector's native resolution were 16:9 instead of 4:3 but this is not necessarily a disadvantage.)

As you can also see in the video, illumination is quite uniform across the image, with no bright or dim spots. There is no pixelation that I can see. And the image is sharp very sharp indeed. The fact that it is a 720p projector makes NO apparent visible difference when viewing 1080i television or 1080p Blu-ray discs, at least to my wife and to me. The large, sharp image is breathtaking.

As it uses LED technology, there is no actual projection bulb as with most other projectors. The LEDs, which supply the light output, are rated for 30,000(!) hours that means that if you ran it FOUR HOURS A DAY EVERY SINGLE DAY (with no exceptions), this projector would last for over twenty (20) years! And that's with no maintenance at all (other than an maybe an occasional wiping or dusting the case).

Connections? Just about any you could possibly need: composite video, VGA, HDMI, a USB port (for viewing of photos and documents, playing MP3 music files, watching videos), a means for connecting component video (the three-cable type), a 3.5mm (1/8") audio input, a 3.5mm headphone/external speaker jack, AND a coaxial antenna port.

Why an antenna (and cable) connection? Because this projector has its own TV tuner built-in! It can handle your cable connection or even an ordinary TV antenna; it will play any type of television signals available in the United States (including the old analog ones of which, at our location, we still can get two channels).

It has a 1.0 Watt/Channel stereo amplifier built in and, attached via its headphone jack to amplified computer speakers (or, as I am connecting it, to a stereo amplifier), it produces full, rich sound. (Obviously you can also use headphones.) Its built-in speakers are of little value, however.

Unlike most projectors with which I am familiar, this one is very quiet; I have it positioned right next to my reclining chair and I can barely hear it.

It turns on instantly; likewise it turns off instantly.

Any disadvantages? Yes one possible one. Its lens is of the fixed focal-length type rather than a zoom lens. That means that to adjust picture size, you must physically move the projector back and forth (just like in the old days with an 8mm home movie projector). Some people may find this to be a disadvantage in certain rooms.

But I think that this is a small price to pay. Fixed focal-length lenses are inherently sharper than variable focal-length (zoom) ones. And as this projector is so tiny, it is easy to move it to wherever you'd like.

It can be mounted on a stand, a table, a ceiling-mount, or (as it comes with the proper fitting) a tripod (as you'll see in the video). It can even be used for rear-projection (the image can be reversed).

As my room has a flat-white-painted wall, I need no screen. But even if you do need a screen, the additional cost is not too high.

This projector is as flexible a unit as can be imagined.

While as of this writing I have had mine for only a short time, I have watched a number of DVDs, Blu-ray discs, TV, and streaming video via this projector and I am very, very impressed.

For its portability, convenience, versatility, and maintenance-free operation, I think that this LG HG350T is one of the best of its type. Can it be matched? Maybe. Can it be beat? I don't think so. Did I mention that it appears to be constructed with the highest level of integrity? It is and that should be just another reason you would want one. (It comes with a 2-year warranty, parts and labor.)

Now think about this: I have mine mounted (in my relatively small room), approximately six and a half feet from the wall (as mentioned the wall is painted flat white). At the 16:9 ratio setting, I'm getting an approximately 68" (diagonal) image. 68"!

How much would a 68" flat-screen TV cost? A whale of a lot more than this projector does!

Since I created the video placed here, I have removed that old Proton video monitor and I now have the whole wall (between the wire sculpture and the painting seen in the video) to use. When I project using the native 4:3 ratio, the image diagonal is 72"!

And the viewing angle matters not!

Please consider that the size of the image I am getting is completely dependent on the size of my room, the available space on my white-painted wall, and the 'throw' distance available in my case 6 1/2 feet. If your room is larger, if your wall has more available space (or if you have a bigger screen), and if you can have a longer 'throw,' then your image can be much larger. I understand that creating a 100' diagonal image is no problem for this projector and you may even be able to achieve an even larger one.

The color settings "out of the box" are so good that, unlike with most video projectors, you may not need to 'tweak' the settings at all (though you can if you wish; a nice touch is that, if you totally 'mess them up,' you need only click on the Reset option in the particular setting's options and that setting instantly changes back to its factory default). In my opinion, these default settings are good enough for most people (including me).

There are also two "Expert" color settings with which you can experiment should you desire to do so. In their sub-menus are contained just about every color adjustment possible (and even these have the reset-to-default button). You could adjust these settings using one of those Blu-ray or DVD color calibration discs.

You can move this projector into any room of your house or even out of doors.

Personally I think that, if you are the least bit interested in having the largest, highest quality, image in your house, at a reasonable price, you should really consider buying this LG HX350T video projector.

Basically what I am saying is that, instead of buying a relatively cumbersome flat-screen television, why not buy this portable unit instead? It's much less expensive, it's much more versatile, and its picture quality is, at the very LEAST, the equal of any flat-screen TV I have ever seen (plasma or LCD). And the picture size is much larger.

I can't praise it highly enough. My wife and I, as well as a couple of friends, have been truly astounded by the capabilities and the video quality of this tiny LG projector. DVDs and Blu-rays looks superb as do TV and video output from a USB source. Sound is first-class. The price is amazing. And its portability is second to none. For what more could you ask?

I'd be willing to bet that if you buy one, you'll be as pleased with it as we are.

I sincerely thank each and every person who has taken the time to read this, to watch my video, and who has considered my opinions.

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This projector is well suited to business travelers or teachers who can't assume there will be compatible on-site presentation equipment for small groups. It also has possibilities for home use, especially for those who might only occasionally want a large-screen image at some location (Super Bowl party, video for family gathering, etc.), since it's easy to set up, move and store. The onboard TV tuner may add to the home appeal for those who still rely on broadcast TV.

Compact and light

For the business traveler, this unit has many attractions. It's remarkably compact and light. The included carrying case (sturdy, soft-sided, well compartmented, including a strap with shoulder pad) is 9 x 11 x

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras

The short version:

Pros:

The optical quality is great, the speed is terrific, and it compares well to the 70-200mm lens that people like to say blows this out of the water (I believe they are wrong but we will get into that later) and finally, the price cannot be beaten. Buy it.

Cons:

No hood, extends as it zooms, and the quality of the picture in low light situation lessens a little.

The long version:

I am writing this in simple terms. I found several, several reviews on this lens but they were all in technical terms and leaves you scratching your head a little. So, if you are like me maybe this review will help you.

I bought this lens a couple months ago from US1Photo.com (check these guys out. They regularly have significant sales and terrific customer service). I use this lens with a Canon 40D.

I take several types and styles of pictures so I needed a lens that would do the best job at several things and have a very affordable price (right at or less than $1,000). I looked through new, used, third party (Tamron, Sigma, etc) lenses, and read too many reviews and looked at too many images to count, and spent four hours in a photography store playing with lenses before I decided to spend money and take advantage of this lens. All in all I spent about a week's worth of time in research and testing before I bought this lens.

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Edit:

Okay, so amazon won't let me put a link here. This is how you find me.

~Go to Flickr

~Then type in a "/" then "photos" then "/" and last type in "gman_five0"

And that should take you there.

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Test of comment #1:

~The Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM does not track moving objects very well and the farther to the end of the zoom the slower the tracking.

(Flickr Gallery page 2)

This, I have found, to be completely wrong. I have used the lens at several sporting events and found that it tracks rather nicely. I was able to track every step of a base-runner from first base to second, slide, and recovery after the play without losing ONE shot.

To see what I am talking about check out my gallery on Flickr. The older ones are NOT done with this lens or camera and taken, actually, several years ago. I will reference the pictures in question.

Safe, Got There By a Mile, Breaking Up That Double Play (please note that as time goes on from the date that this was posted the pictures may have been re-moved). Also, "Safe" was used instead of another shot taken at the same time and angle with a 70-200mm IS lens.

To take these shots I used "AI focus" and the "H" settings on my camera for quicker tracking and the H settings for about 6 frames per second.

Test of Comment #2:

~The 200-300mm range is nice in theory, but a tack-sharp photo from the 70-200mm f/4L at 200mm is going to look better cropped than a 300mm full-frame photo from this lens.

Again, I found this to be wrong. Though I have no actual "full sized" picture for this if you comment back with an email address then we can arrange a viewing of one. Otherwise, take my word for it, I own several lenses and this one stacks up well.

(Ref Flickr Gallery)

The pictures from the Dance Theater and Tashina were all taken at the 200-300mm focus lengths. Again, they are not full sized because of photo pirates, but if you email me we can see about full sized shots.

Test of Comment #3:

~The IS motor is loud

I do not know what these people are talking about, but if you call that loud...

On the other hand, I have heard (once), the sound of the IS motor, but if you are not listening for it you will not even notice it.

Things I have found about the lens:

If you spend some time with the lens will be one of your best friends. It is a great lens especially for people on a budget (like me). To take the best pictures you cannot just twist it on and go to shooting. Take the time to LEARN about the lens (change shutter speeds, ISO settings, aperture, white balances, etc) and it will show you where it shines just like the L series lenses and the 70-200mm IS.

This lens has a solid make and feels like it will last forever. Then again, as you zoom the lens does extend and is plastic. So, watch out if you are doing sports. You may get it knocked off. It did well for me, though. Extending while zooming makes putting a hood on the lens a bit (very little; so little that you cannot tell) awkward and it looks kinda goofy.

I like the lens because it is not as bulky as the 70-200mm lens and it is extremely mobile. It is as quick as some other lenses, not as quick as some, and quicker than others. It will give you great quality pictures. It does have its limits, however: in low light situations not being able to take it back a couple stops and get a wider aperture will not give you the same shot as a 70-200mm. Then again, like I said, it doesn't drop to that f/2.8 and does not cost all that money. This has been the single drawback for me about the lens.

I use this lens for portraits (Tashina, Samantha), for sports (see gallery), and music (Shawn Pander See Gallery). So, it's pretty versatile. I have yet to use with it flash, but that is because I simply do not like to use flash. I have yet to use it in a studio setting, but when I do I will amend this review and add a couple of those pictures as well.

This lens comes highly recommended from me. I am not a big time, highly paid, or well known photographer. I just like to shoot and like what I shoot to be of the best quality that I can have AND afford at the time. So, if you are like me and cannot spend the needed $1,500 $1,700 on a 70-200mm IS lens then spend your money on this lens. You will not be sorry for it.

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On another note, comments are welcome. This is my first ever review on here so let me know if there anything else that you would like to know about and I will do my best to answer the question in the most plain terms as possible.

After debating between this and the 70-200 L series I decided to purchase this lens. I have been pleasantly surprised by the results. I also own the 17-85 and the 50mm 1.8 lenses and I have found that I have gotten the "most pleasing" results from this lens. The pictures have been very sharp from my 20D even in the 200mm 300mm range. I've also been happy with the quality of the bokeh.

The primary drawback I see is that the AF tends to hunt a fair amount when confronted with low contrast images. That being said, I used it for some flying bird shooting at the wildlife refuge and was surprised to see how many of the shots were in sharp focus. However, it was a little bit of all or nothing. Several shots were also wildly out of focus. Since the lens is fairly slow to focus, you never know what you're gonna get with such a fast moving object against the distant sky.

I had much more consistent results when shooting soccer, softball and football in the park. The AF speed did not present an issue for any of these activities and the results were excellent.

I wish the lens were a little less expensive but I the prints I have gotten from my 13 X 19 printer have been worth the extra money.

Buy Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras Now

I bought this lens as a replacement for the earlier 75-300mm IS lens. I was generally happy with that lens, but it had definite limitations I needed to shoot at f8 or f11 and bump up the ISO to get a decent shutter speed.

This new version seems sharp at full zoom even wide open, allowing me to use a lower ISO setting. Size is similar to older version, but the IS seems more effective looking through the lens when it kicks in you can actually see the image become more stable and less shaky. I got this over the Canon 70-200 f4 L because of the extra reach, smaller size (slightly) and the images I've seen from both are very similar.

UPDATE: There have been reports of soft images when using this lens in a verticle orientation however I have not experienced this on my copy. I'm happy to say that after months of using this lens, I still consider it great.

Read Best Reviews of Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras Here

I owned this lens' predecessor, the Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS. That lens was horrible. When I read many good things about this new 70-300mm IS lens, I thought it was time to upgrade. But, it was difficult to decide whether buy this lens or the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L. I bought this lens and it was my mistake.

While it has numerous improvements over the 75-300mm IS, there are still some shortcomings with this lens that keep it from competing with the similar-priced 70-200mm f/4L.

First, starting at around 150mm-200mm and getting worse as you approach 300mm, this lens gives images that look soft (no, I'm not using any filters!). This is not an issue of focus, but of low-cost consumer-grade optics. You can stop the lens down and get some improvement, but then you lose your depth of field. (EDIT: The sharpness problem with my lens was the result of using it in portrait-orientation, a defect among the first batches of this lens. Canon repaired the lens for free and it became sharper, no matter the orientation, but still not as good as the 70-200mm f/4L).

Second, the focusing speed is slow. New in this lens is variable-speed focusing; as the zoom passes 200mm, the focusing speed slows. I assume this is to prevent the missed-focus hunting common with its predecessor. But, this makes it harder to track moving objects and keep them in focus.

Third, this lens suffers from very ugly purple chromatic aberration. This lens really shows this problem too, in that even small bright objects develop purple halos.

Finally, the lens gets larger as you zoom, the lens gets larger when you focus, the front of the lens moves when focusing, the focus ring moves when auto-focusing, the zoom retracts by itself when pointed upward (EDIT: last item was fixed by Canon during the above-mentioned service), and I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting... But none of these problems exist with the 70-200mm f/4L.

This is not "the hidden L lens" as one reviewer said, it is nothing but a common consumer lens with a big price tag. The IS feature is the single sole benefit. If you have very shaky hands you might just need this lens. If you have very steady hands, with IS you can use this lens in the dark of night (assuming you have a very still subject). The 200-300mm range is nice in theory, but a tack-sharp photo from the 70-200mm f/4L at 200mm is going to look better cropped than a 300mm full-frame photo from this lens.

If what you want is a very high quality lens that will give you sharp photos in daylight; buy the 70-200mm f/4L lens instead, it even comes with a hood. The hood for the 70-300mm IS lens is another $40, making the 70-200mm f/4L a lower priced lens (and it even comes with a bag!).

UPDATE 10/3/11: I'm now using my 70-200 f/4L with a Canon 7D and it is fantastic. I cannot fathom why people even consider this 70-300 given the economical availability of the 70/200 f/4L. The extra 100mm and IS isn't worth it given the major drawbacks of expanding size, rotating front element, plastic construction, and lack of comparative quality. You don't need IS as much as you think you do, especially if you've been taught how to shoot steady and follow the simple rule of using exposure speeds that are numerically higher than your current zoom setting (at 200mm make sure it's at 1/200 exposure time or faster).

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The Canon EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM telephoto zoom lens replaces the first Image Stabilizer lens of its kind, the Canon 75-300mm f4-5.6 telephoto zoom lens. It offers now up to three as opposed to two apertures in image stabilizing mode, as well as slightly wider focal length. The current June 2006 Popular Photography issue has a fine test report on this lens, showing that it is capable of excellent contrast and resolution in the range from 70mm to 200mm; at 300mm, both contrast and resolution decline slightly to very good, but still an excellent result for a zoom lens in this class. It is also fully compatible with Canon's digital SLR cameras (112-480mm equivalent), with improved lens coatings optimised for digital sensors. Without question this is an excellent lens for the Canon photographer interested in excellent nature and landscape photography, without resorting to a sturdy tripod to hold both the camera and lens; thus it is also quite suitable for handhold panning shots at most outdoor sporting events held under good weather conditions.

Canon DC22 2.2MP DVD Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

While I have some reservations about this camcorder, I believe that it is the best mini-DVD recorder for most people.

Briefly: this camcorder is easy to use, can take decent pictures and excellent video at a reasonable price.

Number one on my list was that it needed to be easy enough for my technophobic wife. Operation is as simple as 1,2,3,4: Turn it on, put in a blank DVD, press record/stop, finalize the disc.

There are a plethora of manual controls if you want to go beyond auto mode. You can choose from two manual modes: scn & P. Scn is for an intermediate user who knows what the outside conditions are but isn't ready to control every aspect of shutter speed, white balance & so forth. There are 8 scn settings, including sports, snow, fireworks and night. The expert user can select P mode and can control even the most obscure settings. I prefer to use auto mode most of the time and when appropriate switch to scn.

Now, inspite of my 5-star rating, the DC22 isn't perfect. I'm very concerned that one of my kids will get ahold of it and it will be sionara. It is delicate. There is a lot of technology crammed into this small camera. Another gripe is that the joystick is difficult to use. You use the joystick frequently because it is the primary way to navigate the menu screens and change your settings in the function screens. I frequently have to repeatedly press down on the joystick before it will take. While these are major issues, I made my rating based on the competition.

Sony gets the ratings in most magazines. I disagree. Sony camcorder use propietary technology such as the Sony memory stick which you don't find at every Walmart & Target. Also, the reviews will tell you that the Sony's that offer still photography aren't much better than a cell phone. When it comes to the lense & the chip technology, Canon holds its own. And, personally the Canon feels better in my hand. But, you can be the judge of that.

Briefly, about the still quality: It is as good as you can find on a camcorder. However, the colors often appear more vibrant than they really are and the still detail is not as good as even a 3.2 megapixal Canon camera. I prefer the prints over a disposable, but I would rather have a Canon Powershot model for this duty.

Here are some other nice features. It uses mini-SD cards. You should have no trouble finding 1-2 gig cards that will handle 1,000-2,000 stills at one time. It includes a standard usb cable for transferring stills. It includes a cable that does have a proprietary camera end but the other end has standard AV attachments for plugging into a tv or other video device. With this cable you can transfer video data either way. It also has a rechargeable battery that lasts 1 1/2 hours and a power cable that can be used for recharging and for general operation of the camcorder.

As far as the media type, DVD-R, it is the standard. Why would anyone get a mini DVD camera that uses other formats? DVD-R is what will play on your home DVD player. If you recorded on DVD+R or even DVD+/-R DL (this recorder can use DVD-R DL) you would be limited to playing your DVD's on this DVD player or loading them onto your pc and editing them. If that's your gig, the editing software is easy to use and can create professional looking event DVD's.

I recommend this camcorder for most people. If you prefer to edit your videos and create a final product with the highest quality video possible, it is still no match for mini DV players. But lets face it, my wife wants to point and shoot and play it for friends without having to do a lot of work. And the last thing I want to do is sit at a pc for hours going over raw video footage in order to create semi-professional movies. Also, don't waste an extra $200 getting the DC40. The stills suffer from the same coloration issues so even though it offers 4.3 megapixals, it won't replace your still camera.

****Revised 1/30/07****

Per request, here is my take on DVD type. I prefer to use DVD-R at the 20 or 30 minute quality. There's very little difference in quality. However, if you attempt to record at the 60 minute/per disk quality, you will notice a difference. It's easy enough to change DVD's during filming. Just open it and stick a new one in. It takes 10-15 seconds before you can begin recording again, so you probably won't miss much. The reasons for choosing DVD-R over DVD-RW and DVD-R/RW DL are cost, durability and universality. DVD-R disks will play in any DVD player... not so with the DL disks. You will need a Dual Layer compatible player. DVD-RW degrades more particularly if you erase and re-record. The surface is softer because it is made to be burned to, erased and re-burned. Therefore there is a greater risk of data loss. Now you might wonder about erasing useless video and/or editing. If I want an edited video (which I usually don't), I would copy the raw footage to a pc and then edit and burn a new (preferably full-size) DVD-R.

Received this item as a gift, was so thrilled to have it for the kids first day of school. Luckily I was playing around with it the day before and found out what a piece of crap this camera is. I recorded and then tried to finalize and found that the amera could not read the disc amazing since it s the canon one that they even provided with the camera!! Then I lost everything I recorded. So, I tried 3 other dvd-r discs -which are not cheap and the frikin camera could not read those either. What a piece of crap -lost everything. I read the manual and even called the Canon people -all they were able to tell me is geesh, that is not supposed to happen. I can only hope 6th ave. will accept the return tomorrow. Please stear clear of this item, unless you like to record things and only see them once and them loose them.

Buy Canon DC22 2.2MP DVD Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom Now

This is my second DC 22. I bought my first one 5 or 6 years ago, and only had to by another one because my first one quit reading discs recently. I like the dvd format and the ease of use. Great Camcorder!

Read Best Reviews of Canon DC22 2.2MP DVD Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom Here

I am just learning to use this camera. I loaded the supplied Roxio MyDVD for Canon software on my computer and plugged in the USB cable. When you go to the video capture screen it says that this version of the software, MyDVD LE, does not support image capture. After a few phone calls back and forth with the Canon service center (in Virgina, not India which is nice), we found that you should NOT go to video capture. Duh, you have to click on DVD_Video and then on top, "Open Disc". This will read the disc in the camera via the USB cable. Oh, and you should finalize the disc before doing this as it might not work otherwise. It is probably faster to put the mini-disc in your computer's DVD drive if it has one. But don't forget to Finalize the disc in the camera before doing this.

The camera itself has been working well. Tonight I'm going to try out the Fireworks mode to see how that works.

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We received this camera as a gift. We loved the features and the nice crisp image... until we tried to watch it on anything other than the camera's own tiny screen. My husband is pretty computer-savvy, but we couldn't get the camera to connect via USB without crashing the computer. Every time. The roxio "my DVD" software, in a word, sucks. You must register to use it, and it makes us re-register every time we boot up. Plus, it won't access the DVD. Finally, you can supposedly "finalize" the DVD to watch it directly on a DVD player or computer, but "finalizing" only ruins the DVD, so your memories are kaput.

My in-laws got us a Canon because optics were supposed to be the most important thing about a camera. But we found out the hard way that being able to watch the videos may be even more important than image quality. Who knew that for close to $400, that was even in question? Canon should offer a product recall to everyone who bought this piece of junk.

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Sony Cybershot DSCW1 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black)

I purchased this camera on July 29, 2004 and have been very happy with it's performance. It takes great pictures, easy to use, great menu's and it is very good looking. The DSC-W1 has exceeded all my expectations and has been a pleasure to use. If you are in the market for a point and shoot, plus, numerous and easy adjustments, your'll love this camera.

Great camera although a little slow when taking pictures in low light conditions. I got a kick out of the bad review from Dec 22, 2006. The same thing happened to my DSC-W1, although it is not megaPixels dying. The dark spots are caused by dirt trapped inside the camera from using it in a dusty location. I had mine cleaned (including CCD) and the dark spots are now gone.

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Likes: The camera has an infinity (sideways 8)feature for focus. I really like this feature! Many of the new cameras only have auto focus and because of this the new cameras blur too much making the video useless in tight shots. So this is a real plus for this camera.

Dislikes: In video mode you CAN NOT zoom in or out of your subject while recording a video.

Dislikes: The Battery door on this camera breaks very easily. A trick I found was to buy a screw that fits the tri-pod hole and get a washer big enough to cover the broken battery door.

If you can find a good used one buy it. but to pay $300 plus for a new one is not worth it.

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Although I received this camera as a gift in 2004 ... I still have never found another digital camera I like as well. It is easy to use and takes great pictures. I have purchased (2) new cameras for my children ... a 9mp and a 10mp (not Sony) and my Sony still takes the best pictures in the house. Don't know what I'll do if it ever stops working. It has been a very durable camera and I love the video mode when I have to take short videos as I dont have to haul video camera with me too.

Great quality!

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You got it... I loved this camera until I was on vacation in New Zealand and my mega pixels started to die. Yes, within two weeks of the first one dying... three of the mega pixels died leaving me with these nasty looking black circles in all of my shots. I sent it back to have it repaired and they told me it would be the same price as buying a new camera. So... after a year of a decent camera, I found it just didn't last for the money. I am back on the market for a new camera. I wouldn't recommend it because of that purpose and the cost of having it repaired after a year when it could also break. On the plus side, I loved that it was black and could fit in my pocket.

Canon XF100 Professional Camcorder with 10x HD Video lens, Compact Flash (CF) Recording

Having had an XA10 briefly before buying the XF100 I was able to make some direct comparisons.

Bottom line is that the XF100 offers more hard BUTTONS, a huge advantage to any semi-pro user or above, because digging through the menu on site is tedious and time consuming. The codec is also MPEG2 50mbs 4:2:2 color, which means the color accuracy is MUCH better than the XA10 and editing will be much faster and easier to render. It actually meets minimum broadcast specs for the BBC which is pretty amazing for the price range. A more flexible but finicky image. At each shoot, you'll be spending a little more time getting white balance, lighting and picture settings just right vs the XA10's simpler use.

OUT OF THE BOX SHOOTING: No, don't do that. You'll want to do 2 things right away. Google "Custom Picture Profiles" and use the ones called XF1MOJO, HI-GAIN and TRUVID to start. They alter many different aspects of the picture to allow for great looking footage. If you don't do this, you're likely to get grainy footage even in good light and night shots will be unusable. You'll also want to set the LCD screen to BRIGHT if you want to see in in the sunlight while shooting.

LOW LIGHT/NIGHT SHOTS: Use a custom picture profile setup for this and most importantly DO NOT go above 9db GAIN. Auto mode will rocket up to 24db instantly and produce one of the grainiest pictures you can imagine. Keep it below 9 and you'll be pleased. I hooked my camera up to our HDTV and lowered the light while toying with different settings, this was very effective for me to learn what worked and how in that setting.

EDITING: Using both XA10 footage (H264) and XF100 (MPEG2), Adobe CS6, W7x64 still lagged badly and took roughly 2-3x as long for any renders using an 8 core system. The XF100 footage flowed easily and smoothly and rendered faster than realtime in HD on my system while the the H264 not only took longer but caused some odd glitches in Adobe from time to time.

SMALL POINTS: The build quality feels more solid than the XA10, which is also pretty good. The XF100 is very light and while that's nice, it also means you'll be relying on the image stabilization a bit more, which for the most part works well. Full size HDMI out. New firmware (which you probably won't need is out so make sure yours is up to date, do this 1st as it erases all presets). It adds some useful features and is worth doing at canon's website.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE: 60p in 1080 mode, as it is, you can get there but only in 1280x720, which is still a pretty good resolution, no other camera in the class offers it either at the present time. How about a wireless remote that doesn't require pressing TWO buttons to use, I couldn't believe it, absolutely useless in the field, buying a LANC remote for this need is pretty much required due to this. More Custom Picture Profiles would have been nice, they offer three hard presets, which I've yet to find a use for. SDcard options, currently no internal memory and you must buy the pricey Compact Flash Memory. The x400 Transcend works fine BTW, it's the cheapest so far. Adapters for SD cards don't work so don't bother.

WHY STILL GET AN XA10? If you're in need of XLR audio and don't want to step up to the XF100, I guess it makes sense. For my money, I'd just get the Vixia for $700 less and you'll have almost the same thing minus the inputs. If you are an AUTO type of shooter, the XA10 will please you, but if you need to adjust lots of settings, it WILL be a little frustrating. The OUT OF THE BOX experience with the XA10 is pretty good, the presets it offers are very usable and produced excellent quality with little fiddling, while the XF100 will require more setup and fine tuning.

I've spent only a week with each camera at this point so keep that in mind as you consider what I had to say about these cameras. Overall, they're both excellent, but just serve different needs. I make a living with my cameras, so what's important to me might not matter much to others.

UPDATE: Dec 7 2012: After a few months using the camera and shooting a half dozen commercial shoots with it, I can say it's produced very nice footage. Outdoor shoots on sunny days I've been able to go full auto and get outstanding results with absolutely beautiful color reproduction. Low light still requires the settings above but have also been very very good. Auto focus works fine but I've had a few instances where it wanders, can't fault the camera really but manual focus with the MAG button makes this a breeze in the field (thank you Canon).

I've since gotten a x600 card to go with x400s and they work together but you have make sure to set them up properly in the menu and that they have "green" lights on both or it won't automatically start recording on the 2nd card when you need it Pay attention the first time and you'll know what I mean and avoid losing any shots. I've learned the x600 is really only necessary for overcranking as I've had not a single error with any of the x400s @ 1920x1080 30fps, at double the price it's something to consider.

AUDIO: I use a non XLR Rode mic 99% of the time but the onboard audio is usable in a pinch under the right conditions. XLR is the way to go so if you're getting new gear look into it.

Finally, I picked up a 2nd battery, a larger Wasabi and it's been fantastic, I know some people said they didn't get accurate remaining times, but I had no problems at all and at a fraction of the price of Canon batteries, you just can't beat them. No little lights on the back of the battery but other than that you get a lot more juice for your money.

I spent about four months comparing the Canon XF100 to the Canon 7D, and several Sony video cameras. I used mutiple lens on the Canon 7d...testing for depth of field, low light comparisons, etc. For the Indy movie we are shooting now, the Canon XF100 became the perfect choice. Ease of use, 2-3 hours of battery use, double slots for the compact flash cards (one for backup), great low light, the ability to continue a shot for more than 12 minutes (Canon7d), the ability to chose MF or AF, and no need to purchase all the peripherals that you need when you use a DLSR for video. If you can find this camera, its incredible and easy to use. The only drawback is the editing. If you have a 32 bit Windows platform, you will have to upgrade to a new computer for 64 bit if you plan on editing with Adobe Premiere Pro, Avid, or the earlier versions of Final Cut Pro. FCPro X at this time is not set up for the Canon XF series.

Buy Canon XF100 Professional Camcorder with 10x HD Video lens, Compact Flash (CF) Recording Now

If you're looking to step into the beginnings of a professional level video camera, the XF100 will do the job. Among the features I like best are: 4:2:2 color space, XLR audio inputs, and a versatile zoom lens. These are just a few, there are many more. To provide a thorough review of the XF100, I made this video, which includes an un-boxing, a look at the features, and a short, actual test of the camera. I immediately noticed an improvement in my productions including my video blog and YouTube material, not to mention material submitted to professional news organizations. For a high-quality stream of this review, see my blog, which is mentioned in my Amazon profile, or can be found through my website. The higher quality version was far too large to load here.

Read Best Reviews of Canon XF100 Professional Camcorder with 10x HD Video lens, Compact Flash (CF) Recording Here

I was looking for a camcorder to improve upon the image and sound quality that I got from my Canon VIXIA HFS10, and after a lot of research I decided on this one. I haven't been disappointed.

For me the most important feature was the dual XLR inputs, because for documentary shooting, where the voices of my subjects are critical, I can't rely on the onboard microphone. I need at least to add a shotgun on top, or on a boom pole if I have someone else to operate it. Additionally, it helps to have a wireless lavaliere set up and the ability to record both inputs to different channels, and control their levels independently. All that's possible, and quite easy, with this camcorder.

The image quality, also, is a serious step up. I can get good shots indoors as long as it's not dark, and excellent quality during the daytime and at night in a well-lit street. This will record up to 50Mbps, using Canon's XF Codec, which can be edited without difficulty and without the need for conversion using Adobe's Premiere Pro CS6 but should be usable in almost any up-to-date semi-professional editing program.

It records onto compact flash cards, and can hold up to two at once. It can be set to record sequentially, so that as soon as the one card is full it will begin recording to the other without any time lag. You can also remove and replace the card that's not currently recording even with the camera on, so you could keep recording for as long as you like. I use the SanDisk Extreme CompactFlash 32GB Memory Cards, and they work great. It also holds an optional SD card for recording photos and for storing customized camera settings, that can be selected from the menu.

The battery this comes with shoots for about 3 hours, but you can pick up an additional battery that will keep it running for over 8 hours. They've done a good job with providing custom buttons for commonly used functions, and there are ten additional buttons that can be customized to a wide range of additional functions that you'd otherwise have to access through the menu. You can set the focus wheel to manual focus, zoom, or iris and adjust its sensitivity levels to fit your needs. I set one of the custom buttons to the peak function, which shows me where I have sharp edges and helps me when I'm focusing manually.

There's an eyepiece for those who prefer to shoot that way but the LCD screen contains the menu features, and can be rotated in all directions. There's a removable microphone mount on top I found that my shotgun mike didn't fit in there snuggly, so I went to the hardware store and bought three rubber o-rings to place on my mike. Now it fits in there nicely.

I've been shooting with this for a couple of months now, and have gotten great results. There's a lot more that I could say about it, but most of what you need to know is available lots of other places. I wish it had better image quality in very low light situations, but it's better at that than any camera in its price and feature range that I've come across. Like I said I think it's ideal for the low-end and independent documentary filmmaker and other similar uses, such as commercial videos and weddings. Because it is light and has a smaller profile it would also be quite useful on a higher level production when shooting needs to be somewhat discreet and not call attention to itself or scream that a movie's being made. It's worked great for my needs as a low-end independent documentary filmmaker. I've been very happy with it.

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Bottom line. Its a three thousand dollar camera with 422 and 1920x1080. Makes a fantastic cheap second camera next to my 5d. XLR imputs. Thinking about purchasing another. Its maybe too light, but that isnt necessarily a bad thing. Shoots very well in low light situations. I just shot a video in a one room school house with no electricity at dusk and was able to get the shots without using the infrared. Ya it was a little bit grainy, but I got the shots and I got paid. Ya you can find things to complain about it, but its a three thousand dollar camera. Simple plug in to work with FCP7.

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