Pandigital 7-Inch Digital Photo Frame with 2 Interchangeable Frames

This is the first digital frame I bought. I know the resolution won't be anywhere close to a computer LCD monitor, but I was still very disappointed when I turned on the frame. The LCD screen is strangely long and narrow (resolution 1440x234), so a normal photo only occupies a small part of the screen, making this product effectively a 4" frame with a lot of black space on both sides. The resolution of the photos is very bad, and photos look a little distorted as well.

Pros:

1) Plug and Play, easy to set up.

2) Exchangeable frames included.

Cons:

1) Very poor resolution.

2) Strange LCD shape. Advertised as a 7", but effectively a 4-5" frame with a lot of unused LCD pixels.

I returned this product and bought a Westinghouse DPF0561 5.6" Frame instead. I like the Westinghouse a lot more. It is even easier to set up, photos look good and actually larger than on the Pandigital 7" frame, and viewing angle is great.

Having recently built a digital picture frame from scratch, I was excited when someone gave us this frame for xmas, to see what a commercial frame would be like. After using it for a few weeks, I have to say that if it wasn't a present I would return it and get one that was built by people who had some sense of innovation.

The Good:

* Screen is bright, images look great

* Resolution is only 640x480 but it will play images up to 10 megapixel and they look pretty good to me. Doesn't seem like you need much higher resolution than that on such a small screen.

* Computer connection worked great I plugged it into my xp box, all drivers installed automatically without the need for a cd and then 4 new removable drives showed up. It would be nice if only the drives with a card in them showed up but this is a minor issue.

The bad:

My main complaint about this picture frame is that the people who made it obviously had no interest in making the sort of product that you enjoy using because it is clear that the inventor appreciated why such a product would be fun to have or what makes it an improvement over what was there before. If I bought this frame in 1999 or if it cost $50, I could have forgiven it for the poor design, but in 2007, for $180, it is completely unacceptable. We live in the future here people, get with the program!

I have not used other frames on the market, but given that you can buy an old tablet pc with a 12" screen on ebay for $70, strap it into a cheap frame and make your own, pc-based screen that works 100 times better than this frame, just by running a screen saver for under $150, I'd say this frame is not worth the money at all. This screen just doesn't deliver the goods for the price.

Some details:

* Menu system is insanely poorly designed for instance, you have to be in a specific menu to adjust the system settings pushing the "setup" button at any other time does nothing despite the fact the the setting are global

* Remote control only works when you are standing about a foot from the computer and pointing it directly at the tiny IR hole in the front of the screen.

* Screen only works as a horizontal frame there is no way set it up as a vertical frame (i.e. as a 480x640 frame) because the frame automatically rotates vertical images and there is no way to turn this "feature" off.

* The slowest slideshow speed setting is 1 minute between images. Your only other option is to have it just be on 1 image that doesn't change.

* No way to connect remotely to the computer or to easily

get images onto the frame without having to take the frame to where your computer is or go through a tedious process with a memory card an the crappy menu system.

* Good viewings angles are limited but this is a general problem with lcd screens

Buy Pandigital 7-Inch Digital Photo Frame with 2 Interchangeable Frames Now

We loaded up some photos and they looked blocky and bad. Immediately returned them. These were photos taken on a Digital Rebel and look great on the computer and in print.

Read Best Reviews of Pandigital 7-Inch Digital Photo Frame with 2 Interchangeable Frames Here

Just bought this photo frame over the weekend. I sat down and downloaded a bunch of photos off my computer onto this frame. It works great. I haven't tried the MP3 music part of it or hooking it up to the TV, but as a digital photo frame...it is worth the money. The cheapest price I have seen it was on sale at Kohls for $99.99 on Power Hour sale.

Want Pandigital 7-Inch Digital Photo Frame with 2 Interchangeable Frames Discount?

I bought this as a gift for my mother and it proved not only to be of fairly poor quality but also very frustrating to use. The issues are as follows:

The screen is low resolution (480 x 234) and a wider aspect ratio than standard digital cameras. The frame crops pictures to fit, which means peoples heads are often cut off.

The instructions are very poorly written.

Copying files from a memory card to the internal memory is a very painful process in which the file must be selected using the remote control, then you must go through a long menu of items to get to 'copy file', after this an 'are you sure?' dialog comes up before the file is actually copied. One reviewer says there is a 'copy all' option while another reviewer says there is no such option. I was not able to find this option in the instructions or using the system. If the option exists it is obscure and not documented at least on the model we got.

We tried to option of copying files to the internal memory from 2 different computers. On an Intel based Macintosh computer we never got it to appear at all. Using a Dell running Windows after a few tries and rebooting we could get it to appear as an external drive but were never able to successfully copy any files.

The whole thing appears to be constructed of the very cheapest plastic available

Videosecu 16 Channel Surveillance Video Audio DVR PC PCI Capture Card 1B4

The Mini DVR is a very safisticated system and I am very pleased with the four purchased for my home security system. Features that make it very desirable include: Small and easy to hide, low power, runs cool, no mechanical disc drive to fail, does not loose it's memory when the power is disconnected, records on motion detection, takes up to a 16 GB SD card, does not need a PC to function, overwrite feature, and can run on battery power. This DVR has a neat pre record feature that when engaged starts recording the video signal 5 seconds before the motion activation is detected. This way it catches everything from the start. Sound feature not used. Came with a slick little device that will hold the SD memory card and plugs into a USB2 port allowing files to be viewed on a PC.

One minor issue not covered in the instructions is when the unit is powered up for the first time and the video output is plugged into a NTSC compatible monitor the picture has a rapid vertical roll to it. When the unit was tested it was set for PAL compatibility and must be reset for NTSC which can be tricky since the screen is rolling making it hard to read. Going through the following sequence by pressing the keys indicated when you first turn it on it will set it to NTSC. 1. Menu 2. OK 3. Right Arrow 4. Right Arrow 5. OK 6. Right Arrow 7. OK. When the DVR set to PAL is plugged into the color quad processor Real Time Color Digital Quad Processor Security-surveillance or area-monitoring systems with Remote controler DIY QD435 1EYthe picture does not roll but is very low quality until the DVR is changed to NTSC.

The settings that work best for me are to record at 5 FPS and not 30 FPS. Set the motion sensitivity to 7 and the record time to 30 seconds. Used this way a 16GB card will record about 8 to 10 days worth of movement of street traffic in our neighborhood.

Canon PowerShot SX160 IS Digital Camera (Red) with 32GB Card + Batteries/Charger + Case + Flex Trip

I like the size of this camera, it's not to small and not to bulky and it can fit in my purse.

I like that it came with a 32 GB card. All the other ones that I looked at only had a 4 or 8GB card

The shipping was fast. I got it within a week.

I would order from here again.

Great doing business with you

es mui buena camara comparadas con muchas marcas la mejor foto. etenido vario modelos canon y e tratado otras marcas y prefiero canon

Buy Canon PowerShot SX160 IS Digital Camera (Red) with 32GB Card + Batteries/Charger + Case + Flex Trip Now

Samsung P400 DLP Lumen Pocket Ultraportable Projector (1.9 Pounds)

I bought this as I often give presentations to small groups and wanted a "portable TV" when traveling. I was torn between this and the Dell M109S. I did a ton of research on both items and bought the Samsung in the end, even though it was $200 more. The Samsung is MUCH brighter, has sound, and can be bought from Amazon with its better customer service than Dell.

I used it to watch an entire movie with a group and they loved it. We projected it onto just the plain wall and the brightness was just fine with a lamp light turned on nearby. You won't be able to use it during broad daylight for a movie (presentation perhaps).

The thing I love about it is that it's on full brightness all the time! My friend bought a $1500 projector a while ago and he's always concerned about bulb time, the brightness level, etc. I don't have to worry about any of it. It's so refreshing to have a projector where you don't have to worry at all about conserving the bulb. It's a HUGE stress reliever. That's what you want in a portable projector, one that you can just pack and go and not worry about everytime you use. The bulb will last the lifetime of the projector.

Yeah, the 800*600 resolution isn't HD, but it's ok. It's good enough for presentations and movies. You're never going to use HD for presentations putting up tons of text onto a screen will drive the audience crazy!

I carry the projector in my laptop bag with all its accessories. So in on medium size bag, I have my Dell M1210, the Samsung P400, and all the necessary wires and power. It's great!

The only negatives are that the power brick is huge! It's about 1/3 to 1/2 the size of the projector. The second negative is the sound. I read reviews that the sound was decent, but it's only decent for presentations. But for movies, it's not the best... having a portable speaker would greatly help. I have the Logitech MM portable speaker which is great and tiny.

And oh! One huge thing that I hadn't read is that the Samsung has a tripod mound. The Dell does NOT. Because these projectors are so small, using a tripod greatly stabilizies the projector.

I have it almost 1 month. It works well. Now I can enjoy 100+" Display with this 600+ dollars. Of course, I need to close the curtain when I use this 150 ANSI lumens only project. But don't forget: It's LED, i.e. it is supposed to be used for 10 hrs, 365 days a year, and 5 years long. And it weights 2 pounds only! I am really satisfied with it... as long as it can operate as long as a normal LED product should do.

Buy Samsung P400 DLP Lumen Pocket Ultraportable Projector (1.9 Pounds) Now

I was very skeptical because of that LED technology and only 150 lumen

but I have to say I am very nicely surprised. Sure with bright light in the room the image is quite dim but who watch movies during the day??? Same thing and quality as in theater. It can be still visible with full light in the room but when you dim the light quality is like in regular LCD screen, really great colors and contrast.

I was thinking about buying 52 inch LCD TV soon to my living room but I've changed my mind, what for paying over 4 time as much money and have 52 inches heavy, non portable screen when I have 80 inches which I can bring with me in my laptop bag! plus I can watch it anywhere I want, on the wall, on the ceiling etc. It's also great addition for a party, I can display some images or video clips on the wall with music from my computer.

For a moment I was undecided between viewsonic PJ513DB projector which was much cheaper but the cost of the bulb is just not worthy. With samsung I don't have to worry about bulbs at all, and it's half the other projectors weight and it's also quieter. Although the power supply is like a brick :) I definitely recommend it.

Read Best Reviews of Samsung P400 DLP Lumen Pocket Ultraportable Projector (1.9 Pounds) Here

This projector is awesome, for what it is. It is best suited for presentations, as the native resolution is 800 x 600. I was able to drive other resolutions, such as 1280 x 960, but the image is relatively fuzzy at those resolutions for looking at small text or web pages. For PowerPoint, I can't tell a lot of difference, and for my slides, the 800 x 600 is fine for PowerPoint.

I am driving this with a MacBook Pro using Apple's DVI->SVGA adapter. Works great out of the box.

Some reviews has mentioned that this projector is challenging in low-light situations. I have found is more than suitable in my office, where I have it sitting on my desk, pointing at a wall for an 80" screen size. The projector is about 10 ft from the wall. With the lights off, the image is, of course, much nicer, but even with the lights on, colors are good and the image is more than readable.

There is a bit of a "screen door" effect when looking at the image up close (a few inches) but it's unlikely your audience is going to be that close to the image.

Physically, the projector is very small. It's about as tall as a package of dental floss and takes up about the same desk space as a paperback book. Although it is very light at 2 lbs, beware that the power supply weighs about 1 lb as well, which I hadn't considered when looking at the weight.

There is a focus knob on the left of the projector, though there is no adjustable foot on the bottom. There is a threaded hole on the bottom for mounting, most likely upside down, and a software setting can be used to flip the image.

The case is very slick plastic that attracts fingerprints, but regardless it is very sharp.

Because the bulb is an LED, the projector puts out very little heat compared to most others, and it doesn't seem to have the complicated shut off procedure that most projectors have. There is a little bit of fan noise from it, but it's low enough that I don't mind having it on my desk.

I was surprised, but the project comes with a remote that enables access to the on-screen menus, toggling the source input, and so on. The remote is about the size of an iPhone, but a bit thinner. It uses a circular battery like a watch does, but I imagine it will last a long time.

So the only real negative for me is the huge and weighty power supply. However, given the low price, the great quality, the eliminated consumable cost of $300 bulbs, this project is perfect for presentations and other low-res work like video conferencing. However, if you want to use it as a desktop monitor, you're going to want something that can do higher res. As another reviewer mentioned, this projector doesn't come with a carrying case, so an older camera bag or something might be handy to protect it before throwing it in your carry-on. I intend to travel with this projector, and will update this review with how it fares in a few months.

I am very, very happy with this product.

Want Samsung P400 DLP Lumen Pocket Ultraportable Projector (1.9 Pounds) Discount?

Unit is nice and compact and easy to operate(great for the business traveler). However, unless the room is darkened a bit, the projector's brightness via the LED technology can be a bit challenging to view. We plan to hold on to the projector but we will be a bit more selective in its use than originally intended.

Clover Electronics HDC518 CCD Super High-Resolution Indoor/Outdoor Color Camera with Night Vision -

I bought this camera to add to my existing swann setup. It has a much better nightime picture than the Maxi Day Night from Swann and it's housing and base are chunky and imposing, but the company seemed to go out of their way to make connection to existing systems annoyingly difficult.

Pros:

Great night picture. Day picture is just like any 100.00 camera.

Chunky, thick metal housing and mounting base. Very reassuring against vandalism.

Great field of view (FOV). It sees a lot wider than the Swann and farther thanks to the extra LEDs.

Cons:

Metal mounting screws are aluminum, forget about them if you drop them in tall grass. Magnets won't pick them up worth a flip.

Power hungry Forget plugging this into the wall far (150') from the camera. It'll go dead as soon as the night LEDs come on.

Proprietary connections. Yes, that's right. This idiot thing doesn't even hook up to BNC connectors unless you use a 100' long adapter cable (supplied). This means if you have an existing system you need to run all new cable for the first 100' or you have a large bundle of cable hanging right beside the camera.

All in all it's a great little camera, and it should be for 250 bux, but the little goofups really hurt it's usability. If I had to do it again I'd just get another Swann Day/Night Maxi.

Save 54% Off

Q-See QD6531Z-K Speed Dome Pan-Tilt Zoom Camera with 3X Optical Zoom and Remote (Grey)

We use the Q-See camera at the family motel business and it works well, especially compared to the many-years-old camera that it replaced.

Installation was easy as long as you can run the 100' of cable safely. In our case, that was not an issue. I would recommend covering the clear portion of the camera's case when installing to protect it from scuffs. The cover is not especially fragile or scratch prone but you will want to keep it clear and clean for the best possible picture.

Speaking of picture, the Q-See does not disappoint. It's not 1080p hidef but the images are loads better than our previous camera. If anything bad ever does happen we feel safer knowing that the surveillance video will be clear. That is all for daylight. For nighttime, I think the 65' range is maybe a bit exaggerated. It's not that the Q-See won't see at night to 65' it's just that you can't make out any usable details at that range. Maybe 50' is more realistic.

If you are considering this purchase for a commercial installation and already have a DVR or monitor then I don't think you'll find any big surprises. Be aware that if you are purchasing this for home use then the connectors are the type used for mostly commercial devices and your TV may not be able to connect. We installed this ourselves and had everything up and running within an hour. I suggest you perform a test run in your office before running the cable and mounting outside or in a hard to reach place.

The sweep patterns are nice and work as expected, allowing you to monitor large areas automatically. I love the remote control. Not having to use a wired controller is something that I didn't think would be a big deal until I got the remote. Using it from any location in the office has been surprisingly helpful.

Final Verdict:

An excellent product for the price. Night vision could be better but for the price is very acceptable. Easy installation, strong metal case.

I would not hesitate to recommend this product.

This camera went up to cover a side lot where there have been a few incidents (usually hit&runs on parked cars and one prowler). The camera I replaced was woefully low resolution and fixed. I'd been considering a new camera but kept thinking I needed something that was HD, 720p or better, but they're all rather expensive, then you really need a HD capable DVR to get the most out of it. So I threw this up in its place to see if there was an improvement. The video quality, while not HD, is very good for an SD feed. The Pan-Tilt-Zoom is responsive and reliable (I've had a lot of issues with that in the past, which gets annoying when you're trying to zone in on a certain image). There hasn't been much activity so I haven't had a reason to mess with it much, but it's satisfactory so far, and like I said, image is great (easily the most important part).

It's a nice sturdy unit, though make sure the dome is protected during installation, I scuffed mine up a little (though it's the side facing the building, so no worries). It mounted very easily with some masonry anchors. The hole pattern was slightly larger than the old one but I was able to run the cabling through the same hole, so thumbs up for that. Hopefully some shenanigans will happen soon in its field of view so I can report back on its effectiveness.

Buy Q-See QD6531Z-K Speed Dome Pan-Tilt Zoom Camera with 3X Optical Zoom and Remote (Grey) Now

This camera replaced an inexpensive one that I thought was adequate but wow what a difference!

I use this in a small astronomical observatory to monitor the movements of the telescope which I operate from a remote location. Because of this use I especially needed good dark vision on the camera. This one has it. The ability to move it and zoom remotely is also a great advantage. I found the picture quality to be very sharp in daylight and although it's not quite as good at night it is the best I've seen on any surveillance camera. The focus adjusts quite well in the zoomed out position but not quite perfect in the zoomed in position. I love the presetable positions which makes it possible to move the camera quickly to a previously established view point.

The case as well as mounting bracket are made of cast metal and feel extremely durable. It was easy to assemble and hook up and even comes with a 100 foot cable to complete the job. The only part I had to supply was the cable connector to connect it to the video in port on the TV monitor.

The only feature that I could want that it doesn't have (at least I haven't found it yet) would be the ability to mount the camera in an upside down position so the camera can tilt up instead of down and then flip the image on the monitor so it doesn't show the object upside down. As it is I had to mount it with the best view available for my unusual application and live with the fact that it doesn't pan horizontally because of the way I have it mounted. If it had that feature it would expand it's usability even further.

I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting a high quality surveillance camera.

Read Best Reviews of Q-See QD6531Z-K Speed Dome Pan-Tilt Zoom Camera with 3X Optical Zoom and Remote (Grey) Here

It's taken me a while to get this reviewed for several reasons.

Firstly, my local alarm company wanted $600 to install it at my house (I declined by the way)

Secondly, I had no DVR to attach it to, I purchased and recommend Q-See QS494-5 4 Channel H.264 Smart Recording DVR with Pre-Installed 500 GB Hard Drive, Black

Thirdly I wanted an ideal location.

It has two different mounting brackets, that's a good thing, as using the bracket as shown in the main picture would require attaching to a brick wall.

Using the other bracket, it can be located under any roof overhang, the range may be a tiny bit less but it works.

It comes with 100ft of cable for channeling from outside to inside, and that cable carries power and signal.

So what next, well you can attach it to your PC or best and recommended, into a compatible DVR.

It's a lot of work, and you need to spend money probably twice as much again as the unit cost, that's not a complaint, you just need to know that before you buy.

Once it's in, well it's very nice.

It's early days for me so this part of the review is scant, picture, zoom, ability to use with phone, PC, laptop or over a network great.

I guess you could just buy the camera and try and it on it's own, I think you need the other stuff, and a professional installation.

Note when looking for a professional installation, most audio companies also install alarm systems.

Want Q-See QD6531Z-K Speed Dome Pan-Tilt Zoom Camera with 3X Optical Zoom and Remote (Grey) Discount?

Master Lock 4843DATSEN Vehicle Back Up and Hitch Alignment Camera with 3.5 Inch Color Monitor

Check out the video

When I got this product it looked so good. It worked straight out of the box as promised. But when it came to everyday life, it was disappointing.

The first problem was that I have a pick up with a crew cab and a long box; the distance from the back of the truck to the cab seemed to be right on the limits of what this camera would do. So when I placed it within the tow-hitch receiver effectively a heavy metal tube the signal from the camera was too weak and when I got a picture on the monitor it was very a jumpy and grainy, and not really of any use.

I got an extension lead for the power cable and moved the camera to the tailgate with the aerial poking over the top of the box. This worked great, even if it ended up leaving scratches on my paintwork a price worth paying to avoid a dent in the bumper! But then I was frightened the camera would be very visible so could easily be stolen. Eventually I found a spot for it under the bumper where it worked acceptably well and was not too obvious.

Then one day I left my phone at home and discovered that as my truck's Bluetooth hands free system searched for the missing phone, so the camera stopped working. Reversing meant waiting for the ten seconds the camera was blank, and then quickly reversing into a space for the ten seconds it worked! Not practical in the average Wal-Mart.

All this would have left it at three stars, but this week the camera has given up the ghost. The wires coming out of the power cord connector had started to perish and caused a short circuit blowing a fuse in the truck. This was quickly repaired, but as I was trying to mend the broken wires I discovered the wires were broken in two more places. Again, I tried to repair it, but discovered that all this power going to the wrong place had blown the circuit board, and the unit no longer works. I got it in March and it died in June not good value. It has not been exposed to extreme conditions of heat or cold, so all I can conclude is that the quality of the materials is sub-standard. But of course, because I have taken it to pieces and tried to re-build it, I can't now send it back.

Such a shame because otherwise I loved it! Why can't they make if of better wires and plastic, then it would get five stars (or perhaps four).

Buy Master Lock 4843DATSEN Vehicle Back Up and Hitch Alignment Camera with 3.5 Inch Color Monitor Now

Purchased master lock back up camera, worked great first time even with vehicle equipped with voice command and blue tooth which I was told would be a problem. The tip to turn on the lights when using was just all that needed to be done. Backed up and hitched my trailer first try. Would highly recommend.

Read Best Reviews of Master Lock 4843DATSEN Vehicle Back Up and Hitch Alignment Camera with 3.5 Inch Color Monitor Here

I purchased this camera due to the ease of installation as well as the positioning of the camera inside the tow receiver. Note to anybody looking to do this... Make sure your tow receiver is open in the back or that it is deep enough to accommodate the camera and the antenna sticking out the back... The camera was slightly too long to fit my aftermarket Reese class III/IV tow receiver... The antenna had to be bent slightly so that I could fit the camera inside the receiver to allow my hitch lock to be used.

As to the use of the camera, in my driveway during the install, the camera worked great... However, as soon as I drove off, the camera lost signal and I either got a very fuzzy picture or complete static... This is caused by the camera antenna being housed inside the hitch receiver (completely metal enclosure). If you use the camera on the tail gate, the picture is fine.

I think that if you have to pay $170 for this camera, there should be a clear picture all the time or at the very least a majority of the time and a way to adjust and troubleshoot it to improve performance.

I contacted Master Lock, and their customer support did not have any suggestions or solutions to my problem. I talked to my father, who is an electrical engineer, and he made a suggestion that has worked in my case and may help anyone else who has reception issues:

What you will need: 50 ohm coaxial cable(connector should fit the antenna connector on the monitor) long enough to route the antenna to the back of the truck (mine was approximately 25'), female/female coaxial adapter (will be used to attach the coaxial cable and "monitor" antenna)

Note: This took me approximately 3 hours to completely finish, although I was figuring it out as I went in terms of where to route cable... also, I did this at night in the dark using a flashlight to see what I was doing :)

1. Attach antenna to end of coaxial cable using the female/female coaxial adapter

2. Attach coaxial cable to the monitor

3. Route cable outside the truck (outside window, along ground for testing purposes) to a spot where your antenna gets clear reception and make note of final location for your antenna (Mine ended up right behind the hitch receiver with the antenna inside one of the holes in the back of the receiver... essentially placing both the camera and antenna right next to each other.)

4 Figure out how you wish to route the coaxial cable from your cab to the back of the truck. My monitor was mounted in the center of my dashboard using the suction cup mount. I routed the cable along the bottom of the windshield and along the drivers side door jamb (I cut a small slit in the weather stripping in the crease and routed the cable through to keep the weather seal integrity) into the engine compartment, where I dropped it down and under the truck. I stayed away from the exhaust pipe and used existing electrical routing to loosely route the cable to the final location. NOTE: Keep the coaxial cable away from any

5. Starting from the monitor, I began to secure the cable, leaving a little slack at the end to allow for monitor reposition in the future. I tucked the cable into the edge of the dashboard to hide the cable. I used electrical tape at the door jamb to secure the cable to the vehicle body to ensure the cable doesn't get pinched by the door or the truck hood, as well as keeping it from moving around. In the engine compartment and under the truck, I zip tied the cable to other electrical wiring, making sure it was pulled tight enough to prevent dragging or unwanted movement.

6. Coil the extra cable (I had about 3-5' extra), leaving enough to reach the final antenna location. I secured the extra cable up inside the bumper where there was an opening with a screw hole using a zip tie.

7. I secured the antenna at the final spot behind the hitch receiver by using a zip tie anchor(stick back)and electrical tape to protect the connection between the antenna and the coaxial cable to help weather proof the connector.

This final setup has yielded a completely clear picture that has no static.

I realize that some people will probably say: "If you plan to route the cable all the way back to the back of the truck, then why not just buy a wired camera? I still have flexibility with the location of the camera if I need to by simply removing the camera and placing it somewhere else, and the camera is still secured best using the hitch lock to prevent theft.

Since Master Lock recommends that you take your camera off when washing your vehicle, I have also weatherproofed the camera setup so that I would not have to remove the camera all the time... NOTE: If you plan to use your hitch receiver often, this method is not for you :). I do not tow anything, so I plan to keep the camera in the hitch receiver for a long time.

What you'll need:

1. A 4 inch by 4 inch piece of clear plastic (I used a clear box that my Ed Hardy Cologne came in)

2. Electrical tape

3. Scissors

Instructions:

1. Using a pen, mark off a 2x2inch square in the center of the piece of plastic (size of your hitch receiver opening)

2. Using scissors, cut out a slightly larger than 1" square from each of the four corners. Your piece of plastic should look like a plus sign at this point. You may want to snip a little extra off the bottom left corner of the square center to allow for your power cable to come out, no more than a millimeter or two.

3. Fold plastic tabs down so that you are looking at a square.

4. Insert the tabs into the hitch receiver so that your camera is now behind a solid piece of clear plastic.

5. Seal the edges of your receiver and plastic lens by using black electrical tape.

VOILA!

**********Update:**********

I have since replaced my weatherproofing rig with a new, removable system:

What you will need:

1. Rubber removable hitch cover (bought mine here on amazon)

2. A roughly 2 inch by 2 inch piece of clear plastic

3. Tape

Instructions: You will be cutting a window in the rubber tail hitch cover for your camera to look through

1. Using a knife (I used a folding knife, but for more precision, maybe an exacto knife would be better), cut along the inside of the hitch cover, first along the bottom edge of the rubber where the flat surface of the hitch cover meets the walls.

2. Cut along the right and left sides of the hitch cover vertically from the inside where the flat surface of the hitch cover meets the walls approximately 1 1.5" in length.

3. Cut from the top of the vertical cut across the hitch cover. This should form a perfect rectangle which should be removed to form the opening for the camera.

4. Take the plastic, and using the same technique listed in the previous instructions for weatherproofing, create a clear window for your hitch cover opening.

5. Either tape or glue the plastic to the hitch cover from the inside of the hitch cover, sealing the rig from the elements.

Want Master Lock 4843DATSEN Vehicle Back Up and Hitch Alignment Camera with 3.5 Inch Color Monitor Discount?

While the idea behind this system is excellent and the easy of installation is more than I expected the system just doesn't work. I cannot get a clear picture no matter how I adjust it. I contacted the company and they attempted to help but nothing they suggested worked. They did admitt that this was a problem with the unit. I have installed other units on previous vehicles that have worked. I had hoped this unit would work as well as they did because it is not hard to install and can easily be transferred. But it just does not provide a clear picture. I would not recommend anyone purchasing the unit.

Save 26% Off

Casio Exilim EX-S8 12 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Black)

This is my second Casio Exilim camera. Second, because with my first one I went to the ocean and it didn't survive. Thanks God I still have all the great pictures it took.

I remember when I purchased my first Exilim, my friends were making jokes that I'm buying a watch, not a camera. But in my opinion Casio makes much better cameras than Canon or Nikon (these are the brands I can compare to). The picture quality is great, the colors are FANTASTIC nothing needs to be improved by PhotoShop ;)

My new EX-S8 already took some amazing pictures, it's nice, light, slim and unexpensive. For me not being a professional photographer the Casio Exilim is absolutely awesome.

We decided to get a second camera. Since we love our Casio Z1000 so much, another Casio was our first choice. This little camera has all the features and then some, campared to the Z1000. If you want a point and shoot that's easy to use and handle, at an affordable price, then this is the camera for you.

The only cons have to do with the battery. It's a dismal 700mAh compared to the 1300mAh for the Z1000. That means the battery life is about 1/2... 1/2 the pics and twice charging.

To make it worse, the battery has to be removed from the camara and placed into a cradle to recharge. It can't be 'plugged and charged' like other cameras and devices. Of course it's not difficult to do, but would you buy a cell phone if you had to remove the battery every time you wanted to charge? Probably not.

The camera is nice; however, the battery issues make us want to look for a different brand camera.

Buy Casio Exilim EX-S8 12 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Black) Now

The camera overall is pretty small, i still think it would have been a little nicer if it was thinner but manageable. The screen is more than adequate, the pictures are pretty decent also, in low ligth enviroments you have to tinker with the settings to get better shots. The only reall problem i have with this camera is the optical zoom which is pretty short. This i a major issue with compact digital cameras. Battery life is decent as well, and the flash is plenty bright. The video recorder is very good as it records in 480-which is dvd quality and it records as much as the memory stick can hold, which is a featuer i love. All in all for a camera under a hundred bucks i think its pretty well rounded and i definately think you should give it a spin.

Naz..

Read Best Reviews of Casio Exilim EX-S8 12 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Black) Here

I would strongly suggest this to someone else as a great camera to buy. I have managed to put it through it's paces a little bit trying to take photos at night, of fireworks, in low lighting and inside and outside and of kids etc.

First the Pros

This is a very slim camera with a large screen on the back. I like the large screen.

I particularly like that the buttons are somewhat flat or recessed so it is difficult to turn this camera by accident or to snag buttons while you are using it.

This is a fairly easy to use camera. If you are looking for a specific situation you can push a button called bs (For best shot) and come up with a series of scenarios you can use to take a good picture (for example, kids, fireworks, flowers etc). I have used several of these and each one has helped me to take better photos. I have used fireworks and have made some lovely fire work photos. They are far from professional or even a hobbyist level but they look good to the casual person. Similarly the one option for children, flowers, and food.

The videos are easy to take and they have a good play back quality.

Overall, this camera is one I would buy again should something happen to this one. This is an easy to use, intuitive camera.

The Cons

The problems I have had with this camera or some of the concerns that you might want to look at before buying.

This camera does not have a view finder. To add the little visual view finder you either add quite a bit more money or more weight and in some instances both. This was not near as important to me as it would be to other people. Second, I have not had this problem and I've been using this for several weeks now but there might be some concern about being able to use the screen view finder in high light levels outside as it makes it hard to see the screen.

When you are using the bs and if you don't use the camera for a few minutes (such as waiting for fireworks to start again) and if the camera goes off, when you want to take your next shot you will have to go through the whole bs process again in order to take photos. It doesn't take much time to touch bs and scroll through the options and click on the one you want. However, should you be trying to capture something fast moving (fireworks for instance) then there is a possibility you will miss it.

There are other cameras out there that are bigger with more options. I like some of the cannons with the swiveling screen and used the swiveling screen way more than I thought I would. However, for something easy to carry, light weight, high speed, with enough options that you won't miss the ones you don't havethis is an excellent camera. I love mine.

Enjoy.

Want Casio Exilim EX-S8 12 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Black) Discount?

I researched this camera for about a week before I purchased it. It was similarly spec'ed to higher priced Nikons and Canons. After reading every review I could find, and comparing every spec listed, I decided it was worth it.

Now, after having it for a few months, I can say without a doubt, it is a great purchase.

It is very reliable and with the Class 10 SDHC card I also purchased for it, incredibly fast. The facial recognition works wonderfully and the image stabilization is very noticeable in the videos I've recorded. I keep this in my pocket wherever I go because it's slim and easy to carry around, and I want to be ready for that crazy thing that no one will believe happened.

If you're on the fence about spending over $100 on a point and shoot, I highly suggest this camera. For $20 less, you can get the same features and quality, minus the famous brand tax.

Sony Cybershot DSCT5 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black)

I owned the predecessor to this camera, the DSC-T1, for 1 year but dropped it in water last week and killed it. I tried drying it out for a few days but when I plugged it into the charger it just got overheated. I liked my DSC-1 and had paid $500 for it so when I was shopping and comparing cameras I was happy to see that Sony upgraded to the DSC-T5 with many improvements in the last year. I got this almost as soon as it hit the stores and paid $345 more technology for a cheaper price. Here are several reasons I chose this camera again over higher MP rivals and brands:

1 I love the slim, sleek design and the large 2.5" viewing screen which is larger than most cameras, large or small, provide.

2 The Carl Zeiss lens takes a very crisp, clear picture with 5.1 MP but you must make minimal adjustments to the built-in configuration with the camera once you take it out of the box. Otherwise, you will see darkened and blurred photos if you use the factory settings.

3 This camera practically fits in the palm of my hand and it does fit into a shirt pocket or a back seat jeans pocket to go anywhere, and it does go everywhere with me. I do not recommend the back seat pocket though. You can also use the supplied wrist strap for portability (and safety) and you should definitely buy a small, padded protective case.

4There is no pop out lens, you just flip down the small plate on the face and you have instant power, ready to snap a pic in 2 seconds.

5 The movie length is only limited to the size of your memory card, unlike most camera that have more MP but are limited to 3 minute movies. Good for when I want to film speeches or mini-movies such as: my 2 nieces having a watermelon eating contest. A 1 GB stick = 12 minute movie. I paid $75 for a 1 GB stick and there is a 2 GB available so far (SanDisk makes a compatible version of the Sony stick and SanDisk is almost half the $)

6 Even though I killed my DSC-T1, the battery, memory, adapters etc are compatible so I can use them all with the DSC-T5 EXCEPT the docking station from the T1 does not fit the T5.

7 The DSC-T5 has a faster shutter speed THANK GOD because the only think I disliked about the T1 is that, by the time I hit the button to take the picture, there was a 3-4 second delay between the flash and the actual picture being taken. Most people lost their smile thinking that the flash meant the picture had been taken. Sony fixed that problem with the T5

8 I seriously considered buying a camera with 8, 10, or 12 MP and pretty much decided on the Canon EOS Digital Rebel because a friend who is a professional photographer has it and he loves it, even better than his Nikon. The Canon shutter speed is much faster and I will probably buy it later when I am ready for a professional camera. However, the Canon is bulky and this Sony is so small and sleek it goes everywhere with me, is very light and I love the compact design. I have a small leather pouch that I had with my T1 and the T5 fits fine. It clips on my belt or I throw it in my purse and I am out the door. You can not do that with the Canon Digital Rebel. Make sure to get a camera bag for this camera, it is very delicate. My leather one was $25, it clips on my belt and it holds the camera, extra memory sticks and an extra battery.

9 The T5 is lighter than my T1 was but the ONLY things I would change are . . . had to be something rightthe camera body on the new T5 is very shiny and glares like a mirror in sunlight. The old T1 had a flat silver surface and no glare. Another thing I wish for is you can not use zoom while in movie mode, but it has a great zoom while in picture mode. The movie screen size can be adjusted and yes, the movie is a little grainy but you see and hear people from 15 feet away with no problem. I would also like to plug the camera into my laptop and store movies directly to my hard drive rather than transferring them later via the supplied cable. However, transfer time from camera to PC is very fast with the supplied USB cable and software and the cable will also plug into your TV for a slide show.

10 If you have patience, the next generation of this camera is due to hit the shelves in Jan 06 and should have a 6 MP with a flat black body optionmuch like the RAZR. Should be other improvements that Sony is just releasing and you can get the latest on that from the Digital Camera Review website where I get valuable info (I swear this is an independent review I do own this camera and I do not write for anybody)

Overall, I like this camera for its convenience and 5.1 MP delivers a very nice photo quality picture. Great convenience.

Inside this tiny little camera is a digital photgraphy powerhouse. My ONLY complaint is you cannot zoom while taking movies. Otherwise, the camera takes beautiful pictures (using one of many settings) and you can even take pictures in a widescreed HD format! The 2.5" LCD screen on the back is so large, you can see every detail of your pictures as you take them. And the biggest plus, your length of movies is limited only by the size of memory stick. If your memory stick is 1GB, you can take one continuous movie using the entire memory (About 14 minutes, depending on subject movement, lighting etc.)

If you use a digital camera for auction purposes, the magnifying glass setting will capture the smallest of detail for super close up photography.

An excellent camera for the price. Don't hesitate, you will be very pleased.

Buy Sony Cybershot DSCT5 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black) Now

This camera really takes good pictures. It is so small and light that it goes just about anywhere. Sony really did a nice job with the Lithium battery. It's one of the few that actually tells you the time you have left to take pictures.

The only thing I could find wrong with this camera is the movie feature. While the sound is good the image is grainy.

Read Best Reviews of Sony Cybershot DSCT5 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black) Here

In the technical specifications above, it says that this camera will take "Memory Stick PRO Media". It will not. It will only take "Memory Stick Duo" and "Memory Stick Pro Duo" memory (the 1/2 size little Sony memory sticks) -such as this part number: SDMSPD-1024-A10

Love the camera.

Want Sony Cybershot DSCT5 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black) Discount?

the online pictures do not do this camera justice... the black color makes it quite elegant, and the combination with silver and the svelte body is downright sexy. Sony has always been known for their design edge, and the T5 does not disappoint. the 2.5" LCD is large and bright, updates instantaneously with movement, and shows lots of detail; the matte coating helps the viewing under bright lighting. the operation of the camera is simple, because Sony has put very few buttons on the camera itself (most of the options will be via the internal menu). by the way, changing shooting options are updated live via the screen, so it's nice to get a glimpse of how that photo will look at EV+7 vs EV-7.

with any camera, the most important part obviously is the actual quality of the photo. with the T5, you're getting 5mp of very nice, clear photos. however, cameras with the internal zoom design tend to produce softer looking results, and T5 is not excluded; this means that at 100% viewing, the details are simply not as sharp as some of the cameras that use an external zoom design. (keep in mind that the tradeoff is very fast start-up times, slim and small body, and less "conspicuousness" -nothing screams "tourist" more than when those zoom lens start popping out.) but 70% and below, the pictures become very sharp and clean, and realistically, no one is buying this camera and expecting to use the photos without resizing, so the lens design can't really be considered a flaw. that said, 8x11 prints are very do-able with this camera. the colors are very natural, though perhaps comparatively cool if you look at Nikon or Canon (it's a matter of preference); if you'd like warmer photos, you can boost the saturation inside the camera menu. under less than optimal conditions (ie, indoors), camera shake becomes a problem, especially with today's diminutive models. T5 doesn't have a image stabilizer, so getting sharp photos indoors can be tricky, and the softness problem (from lens design) gets worse at the same time. i've figured out 2 ways around it. one, you can depress the shutter button completely at once (not the half press focus, then full press shoot); the camera will quickly focus and take the photo, and since you're using 1 motion, you decrease the chance of hand movements. the other is to use Burst mode: take 3-4 photos at once, then choose the best. using this latter method, usually 60-70% of the results i get are quite sharp and suitable for printing.

camera buying today is tricky business; you can't go by just the brand, since even famous makers produce flops (eg, Nikon's S series take pictures that are notorious for their blurry corners despite the reputation of the maker). the Sony T5 does not disappoint overall, because it doesn't have that many flaws; except for the lack of an image stabilizer, it has all the features a point-n-shooter (and even more advanced photographers needing a 2nd camera) will want and handles almost all lighting situations well, producing clean, pleasing results. at the end of the day, a camera is only as good as you learn to operate it; learn the weaknesses of a particular model, figure out how to bypass it, and you'll get great results everytime. with that said, in terms of pricing, design, and photo quality, it doesn't get much better than the T5; you'll not only get good photos, but look good taking them too.