Remmington Security 00760 B/W Camera with Built-in Microphone

This product has excellent picture quality for the price and was very easy to install and set up.

Camera pretty much worthless. Even under a roof the camera wont adjust to any light from the sun even tho the camera is way under the roof.No good for any type of outdoor security in tha day time.

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Sony DCR-SR68 80GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder (Blue)

I bought this with 3 basic needs, 1.I wanted something compact, 2. I wanted the capability to take pictures. 3. I wanted it to have a night vision light. You would think these 3 things would be easy to find in many cameras at a decent price range, but they were not! So how did this fair up? This camera is one of the most compact, even smaller than I expected. 2. It's picture taking ability I was least impressed with. It was pretty grainy. 3. The night vision light was pretty weak, but hey I expected that for such a small camera. The battery life with the standard battery was about avg. 4 hrs. As far as working the camera, it was VERY simple, figured it out in 5 minutes w/o reading instructions, needless to say, there are VERY few menu screens, touch screen is kinda nice, but would also liked to have the capability to tape w/the viewfinder closed. All in all, i'm pretty happy w/the purchase, just don't buy it if you want it to take good pictures, i've had phones that took clearer pictures.

I bought this at a store, not Amazon. I read good reviews about earlier models, and was a bit hesitant to buy this camera because a few people said the video quality was bad. I took the risk, but they were right. The video (and digital picture) quality are unacceptable. Even in decent lighting, the pictures are very dark and grainy, as if they were taken by an old webcam. Even at high quality, there was no improvement. Also, the autofocus was very poor and did not adjust to fast-moving subjects. Don't be fooled if you try it in a store; the LCD screen has great resolution (better than an iPod) but when you see the video on a computer screen (even when not blown to full size) or on a projection screen, the video quality is so bad. It looks average on a traditional TV. And the zoom mic also does not capture sound effectively. I was going to use this for business videography, but it would have been embarrassing to use this camcorder. I suspect similar camcorders (i.e. 1/6 CCD) may have similar inferior quality. The size, zoom quality, and touch screen might be nice features, but my Canon A570 digital camera from four years ago took better video.

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I purchased this camera at a store, believing the SONY brand name and previous good reviews about similar Sony camcorders. There are several flaws to this product.

Cons

1. Picture quality is very poor, Indoor and outdoor pictures in good light appear with a bluish tint all over. If you wear a white /gray cloth it appears bluish on video. Like wise the sunlight coming inside your house through window /blinds all appears light blue!! Even with good lighting the quality of images are very bad, lacks sharpness, This in comparison to my old Panasonic PV GS120 is not even close to true color. If you view the pictures on a TV screen it will definitely appear lacking the sharpness. If you are transferring the video to computer using the supplied software it appears very blurry and grainy.

2. There is no way you can charge the battery when camcorder is in use even if there is a spare battery because the battery charging is done hooking up the AC adapter to the camcorder! This seems really stupid. Sony could have made a battery slot on the AC adapter to do this.

3. There is no separate viewfinder. So if the LCD is brokeneverything is gone.

4. Audio quality does not seem to be that good but average.

5. I can not find the resolution of the camera for still shots, nothing is mentioned in the manual either. You can not shoot a still picture while recording the video, you have to capture it from the video shots already made. Yea the resolution does not matter in that case.

6. Battery life approximately less than an hour

7. The LED for lighting seems silly

Pros

1. Small size, you can carry in Pants pocket

2. Provision to use SDHC card instead of the "Sony's own" memory stick duo only. I have not used one yet though.

3. LCD is very clear and sharp (good resolution), and it responds well to the touch.

4. Video transfer is quick and easy once the basic Sony software is installed. I would use some other software to edit it though.

5. 80 GB storage space is great

6. The Sony software has a calendar to see events on a chronological order, that looks great if you are time conscious about the video

Overall I am not satisfied with this camcorder. I will return it soon.

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I'm disappointed in Sony's response to my camera's errors. I would expect a much better response.

"Buffer Overflow" problem, along with lost data. Hard drive errors.

I would not recommend anyone to purchase this camera.

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I had been looking for a second video camera, one with a sizeable internal hard drive to store a lot of footage. I was partial to Sony, having purchased many Sony products over the years that gave good service. I did my homework and checked out reviews and Tech websites. Finally I settled on this camcorder. When it arrived, I was excited to test it out. I took some footage of my garden, about one minute. Then I downloaded the clip into my computer. Gasp! It didn't look crisp and clear. It looked hazy and fuzzy. To compare, I took a comparable video with my other camcorder and downloaded it into my computer. Much different. Better! Crisper! Clearer! What I had been used to. The second camera, let me say, is also a Sony, but one that uses mini-video-tape. I compared the size of the files downloaded on my computer, each roughly one minute long. Whereas the file from the old Sony was about 276 MB's, the file from the new camcorder was about 75 MB's, about one-fourth the size, more compressed. No wonder!! I called Sony, and registered my complaint. No comment or suggestion on how to improve performance. I called Vanns, the vendor, to arrange a return. The only good thing about the transaction was the great service from Vanns. A prompt refund. No questions asked. Of course, I had to pay the return postage. I saw some very glowing reviews on this product before I bought it. The only thing I can say is these people probably had nothing to compare the quality of the video to. Otherwise, I can't imagine how anyone can think that this is a camcorder that delivers high-quality or even decent-quality videos.

JVC Everio GZHD3 3CCD 60GB Hard Disk Drive High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabili

EASY TO USE:

If you spend 10-minutes fooling around with the menu and all the buttons, you get the hang of it really quick. I will probably never use the advanced manual functions, but from the look of it manual function menus they seem easy to operate. I would, for this price, expect that there'd be a manual focus ring rather than a screen-based tool for manual focus. The buttons that you use the most like the zoom control, record button, and snapshot button, are in the right places. The camera overall is heavier than a SD camera but not bad at all. It feels sturdy and the battery doesn't add noticable heft to the device. Connecting to the TV with an HDMI cable is easy because it uses a real, full-size HDMI port and automatically activates it when you plug it in. This might be common to all camcorders, but you can use an HDMI hi-def TV as a huge viewfinder if you want... which potentially could be useful.

IMAGE CLARITY:

This is an HD camera, so naturally I expect the image quality to be very, very good. It is crisp but I feel as if it is a little bit grainy, especially in low light. I was not impressed by it at all and I'm highly considering returning it. The 3CCD system is supposed to reproduce the best colors but I felt as if reds and blues were muted of course I'm no color theory-trained person. The first few times I used this were during a snow storm to record the beating we were getting here in Minneapolis and at an ice-skating rink. Not the two biggest color-rich environments but still I saw colors and details that the camera screen didn't see and to me, for an HD 3CCD camera, I feel it should have.

ZOOM & FOCUS:

The optical zoom operates at the right speed I'd say. The camera focuses fairly quickly, though I question why it doesn't go any faster. The big problem is, when you get passed approx. 6x it starts to lose its ability to focus up-close. So say you are sitting at your desk that is against a wall and you want to zoon in on the face of the person in the artwork on that wall. You zoom, zoom, zoom all the way to 10x which gets you close enough to fill the entire screen with the person's little face in the artwork. But it's blurry. The camera actually automatically backs-out the zoom until it is able to focus. I find that ridiculous. I zoomed in that far because I wanted to see the face of the person in the artwork fill the entire screen from the distance at which I was holding the camera. If you move the camera closer manually, it does a better job but is still obviously limited. I was dissapointed here.

LOW LIGHT:

I'm not expecting greatness in low light. I realize that top movie cameras even need lighting to capture people properly at light. But while at the ice skating rink, they turned the lights down low for that romantic feel (I suppose) and all of a sudden everyone's face disappeared and colors significantly reduced. It wasn't dark, it was amber-like; there was actually quite a bit of light remaining. I tried the night-mode which immediately increased the camera's ability to see light to where I think it should have been able to do w/out a setting but it became choppy and lost all use the shutter speed slowed. Why in the world would I want the shutter speed to slow so much that the filming looks like I'm making a slasher movie all choppy and traily. The only use of it is to plant the camera on a tripod and make people walk very slowly. It doesn't have that green-looking night-vision mode like Sonys do, which, even though its not in prestine color, allows you to see things happening at night, which is the point. The only time it does "well" at night is when there is a light bulb in the area and it picks up the light well from that for a certain distance away from the light source. Then it just sort of reverts back to its dismal low-light capability around the edges. I was dissapointed here.

Picture quality, focus, and low-light ability are like the kitchen and bathroom of a house. You can have just okay features otherwise, but if these features aren't great, you just don't have a good camera. I don't consider these features to be great, especially for a camera with an MSRP of over $1,000. I got it for $830 for Marcus Audio through Amazon.com. I think I'd be willing to pay $700 for it as it is.

I'll update you if I decide to return it (and let you know if Marcus Audio is a pain in the butt to return a product to). I need to see if the Sony or other brands are any better. I need something that is good in low light. I don't need the best colors at low-light, but I need to see faces. Problem is, trying to test these things without a salesperson looming over you at Best Buy or Circuit City is a pain because they never have power, they are usually screwed up because some kid took a billion pictures or videos with it and hit a bunch of buttons, or they are attached to an alarm system that keeps going off. Annoying. Hence my love of Amazon.com.

I love this camera!! It's very simple to use and has many features to support most video/photo adjustments the average person would want to make to take a great shot. My wife likes it and she's not particularly tech-savvy. I'm a software developer so I tend to do well with technology.

I was drawn to the camera because of the HDD digital storage and it seemed to be high quality when compared with others that I experimented with in it's class without being bulky, or having an awkward or complicated user interface. Once I discovered this unit at my favorite technology retail store, I did a lot of research on the device its features and usability, and tried to find it's weaknesses from any professional review I could locate. I did all my searching on the Internet. What I found was that nearly all the reviews were raving when compared with others (it was a leader in major publishers). The weakness that was pointed out by only a few reviews was that it seems to have an ever so slight difficulty managing orange toned colors. Particularly in bad lighting. This was an acceptable downside to me considering how well it outperformed many other areas in autofocus, zoom, anti-wobble (stabilization for shaky hands), shutter speed, backlighting, flash (with anti-red-eye), color accuracy (despite the orange issue), viewfinder, user interface, digital storage speed, and quality of resulting video. The photography aspect doesn't come lacking either. However, the orange issue applies also to stills. BTW, (reviewer note) this is more apparent to me since the interior of my house is painted with earth tones. The camera doesn't have any trouble at all in natural (outdoor) lighting.

The camera's hard drive also has a shock-proof feature to protect the hard drive in a fall, an input jack for an optional external microphone, 10x/40x/300x zoom, and several other features. Another professional review was displeased with the built in microphone (I haven't noticed this problem). But that's certainly eliminated with the optional external microphone and mount-point. Another great usability feature is that the most common scene capture adjustments you would want to make can be set from a mini on-screen popup menu, the more uncommonly used adjustments are made via the main menu. The popup menu can be accessed and adjusted during video recording (which would also be noticed on the resulting video).

One downside I have encountered is that the file output is not a common output format (perhaps it is to support higher quality video recordings). MOD is this file format. I don't know what that is so I end up converting all my movies to MPG. If I didn't have a way to record a script on my computer this batch conversion process would have been very frustrating and time consuming.

The user manual was straight-forward and thorough. I read the whole thing in a few sittings when I bought it and have been very glad I did. I couldn't have gotten up to speed with it nearly so fast. Firstly, the user interface has very few controls, very few buttons. That's what I wanted, but it meant that I would have to learn to navigate the menus in order to know where to find what I wanted to execute it quickly in live action. The manual certainly met my needs in that area. So there is a learning curve. It's been 15 months (birth of our first-born) since I bought it and I'll be returning to the manual for a refresher on those infrequently used features which could be helping me and I've simply forgotten.

Overall, the camera is easy to adjust and get into the action quickly. I personnally dislike having to make a party wait for the camera man to adjust his (complicated) camera. I didn't want to be that camera man. This camera has been an excellent fit.

I know the 3CCD is a major innovation but I don't remember much about it but it takes great videos and pictures. I certainly recommend it, but I

can't give it 5 stars for the orange tone management. Probably a 4.5!!

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Bought the camera 1 month ago from Amazon. Easy to use and download software (I'm not a techi). I needed to spend some time to get used to the editing software with the camera, but now I can use most basic functions. Microphone can pick up any adjustments you make to the camera while filming, so just try to use adjustments sparingly. Excellent HD camera for the price. Happy with the purchase and will probably upgrade camera with microphone to help pick up speeches etc...

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I bought this Video Camera a month before just for a Trip to Peru Last Year..While I was on the plane arriving to the city of Cuzco from Lima I was filming the magnificent view that I had from my window when suddenly it just cut off. then I turned back on...then it gave a message Error Message..

I panicked first! I didn't really paid any attention to the message...I just turn it off completely.. When I arrived to the Hotel I turned it back on...and then I found out the message said..

Hard Drive Error...and I had already like an hour of filming around City of Lima and La Punta...I did everything I could to try to get it back to normal operation..nothing seems to work..

I told my wife..the only choice that I had it's to format the Hard Drive...maybe it will work....I was dead wrong...it didn't work..the Hard Drive Error..not Hard Drive no memory to record..

then I went to ruins (Machu Picchu) I just took pictures I was so disappointed, upset with JVC Camera Performance...Cuzco it's about 11,800 ft high..at the third day of my trip to Machu Picchu, I went back to Lima, Peru. I turned it back on. And It just worked Perfectly, ever since...I Can't Recommend this camera if you're a planning a trip If Altitude is involve...picture quality in daylight is great, AT NIGHT it's very disappointing..

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This is my 3rd 'family' camcorder and the best one thus far. When my son started playing high school football it only took me one season to realize that the current camcorder wasn't getting the job done. Not only that but the conversion from tapes to DVD was SO painful. I did a lot of research on what I was going to need to shoot action movement at night. For the money that I was willing to spend this was the camera that came out on top. I have not been disappointed to date. By his junior year I was back to researching exactly what college coachs wanted in the way of a 'high light' DVD and realized that I already had the tool to give them exactly what they wanted. I have no doughts that the HD quality DVD and the ability I had to zoom into the line and single him out from the stands made a diffence in his choice college offering him a try out. The only draw back was the software that comes with it. I dumped that and use the full version of Power Producer and Power Director. I have just recently started using it to shoot indoors activities (ceremonies and functions) and have added a Rode shotgun microphone to get better sound. This camcorder has been well worth the money spent and I would absolutely buy it again. Be sure you buy an extra battery or two though. The standard battery last about (just) until half time of a high school football game. The larger batter last longer but NOT as long as it advertises.

TRENDnet SecurView Wireless Pan/Tilt/Zoom Internet Surveillance Camera TV-IP410W (White)

This is a pretty good camera for the price. My requirements were that I was looking for a camera to access remotely to check my home from time to time and to e-mail snapshots based on motion detection.

First, let me list the pros:

1. Initial setup is pretty good. Sets up quickly and is functioning in about 10 minutes.

2. Picture quality is impressive.

3. Camera has a multitude of setup options that allow for some serious fine tuning.

4. Accessing the camera remotely is easy even with dynamic ip addresses.

Now the one and only con:

1. Motion detect e-mail capability is non-existent, unless you're running your own SMTP server.

While the setup went well, I spent roughly a week configuring the camera excatly the way I wanted it to work. Trying different configurations and settings to see what the best combination was. Much of this time was spent trying to configure the motion detect e-mail alerting system to work. After going back and forth with tech support they verified that virtually all e-mail providers require secure authentication which the IP410W is not capable of. So after setting up my own local SMTP server, it's now working just not the way I had envisioned it when I purchase the camera. Thus I had to drop one star and give it only 4 of 5 stars.

Just a warning to anyone contemplating mixing this camera with the older Trendnet cameras (IP-100W or IP-400W). In investigating this, it turns out that the newer cameras use a new "chip", and require different software to monitor the cameras on your PC.

I have two Trendnet cameras, the IP-100W (fixed), and IP-400W (moveable) set up at my house. I wanted to add a third camera, and thought that the IP-410W (newer design) would be a good option.

I verified with tech support at the company, that the new software (SecureView) works only on the new cameras, and the old software (IPview) only works on the old cameras.

They do sell other software that can work for both, but that will cost $300-$400.

Thought others should know.

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This cam is a sort of stripped down model of the Trendnet IP422W.

The IP410 supports only a wired 10/100Mbit Ethernet connection (No WiFi) and doesn't feature audio recording or MPEG4 compression. Additionally there are no IR LEDs so there is no night vision mode as in the IP422 (Both are indoor cams). However it's cheaper and if you're running a wired camera network (which is more reliable than WiFi) this is a better option that the IP422, assuming you don't need the additional features (although I think they should have left in the MPEG4 feature since it's standard in most new IP cams). The capture resolution can be as high as 640x480 up to 30FPS (just like the IP422). See my review of the Trendnet IP422 for additional details.

JAN2012 UPDATE: The IP410/422 is now an older model, see my review of the TRENDnet TV-IP602WN ProView Wireless Pan/Tilt/Zoom Internet Surveillance Camera

FEB2012 UPDATE: If you have a TV-IP410 hardware revision 1.x your camera may have a critical firmware bug allowing live images to be viewed BYPASSING AUTHENTICATION. If you have a TV-IP410 with firmware lower than V1.1.1 build 50 your camera is INSECURE! There is a firmware update on Trendnet's support site to fix the problem (which affects many Trendnet cameras).

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Camera fairly easy to set up and use. The image clarity is not as sharp as I had hoped for.

Two major issues. First, after a couple of weeks issues developed with the camera dropping the wireless signal. After dropping the signal the camera needs to be rebooted. No problem if you are at home with the camera but if you are away and viewing remotely and the camera needs to be rebooted you're out of luck until you return home. After researching the problem I found that this is a common issue experienced by other users.

Secondly, after six weeks, the camera would not capture any image at all.....there was only a pure white screen. Tried rebooting, clean install, clean hardwired install on another computer, replaced cables, etc. Finally, submitted a help ticket to Trendnet.....waited a week, no answer. Submitted another ticket. After another week, still no answer. I'm afraid to send the camera back to Trendnet due to their lack of response so I'm getting ready to pack it up and send it back to Amazon. They can deal with Trendnet.

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I installed the camera in my livingroom as a security device. I tested all the functions including motion detection and automatic emailing and it works without a glitch. I even found how to make it work with Zoneminder.

The only minor issue is that you have to use IE to activate some functions like recording on demand, which don't work in Firefox.

Besides that, great little camera for the price.

AmazonBasics HDMI to DVI Adapter Cable (9.8 Feet/3.0 Meters)

I use this cord to attach a Blu Ray player to my 6 year old Toshiba projection TV (720p) which does not have HDMI ports. The picture is very good and the length of the cord allows me to run it through the top of the etertainment center, down the back, and then into the TV.

Pricing these from other big box stores found this to be about 1/3 of the price. Those store will tell you that their product is better, lasts longer, not as much heat, blah, blah. Well...

1) I see no difference in picture quality between this and more expensive brand names.

2) Heat? Off an HDMI>DVI cable. Ummmm, I have no idea what the Best Buy guy was talking about.

3) I can buy this one 3 times and still spend less money.

This is the best bet all around

Many Windows based notebooks are now equipped with VGA & HDMI ports, but no DVI port. Many external monitors are equipped with VGA & DVI ports, but no HDMI port. While the analog VGA connection works, a digital connection works better. As it happens DVI is simply a subset of the HDMI standard.

This cable works great for making digital connections from a notebook with a HDMI port to an external monitor with a DVI port.

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I use to connect my PC to the TV and the length is excellent, the field is strong, however, should suggest buying "Belkin Audio Y Cable Splitter 1-Mini Plug/2-RCA Plugs (6ft)" with this, because DVI does not transmit sound only video, but in general is just what the doctor recommended me

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Purchased this cable to connect a PC (DVI out) to a 1080p flat panel (HDMI in) to use the flat panel as a monitor and to watch movies from the PC (including Blu Ray). No complaint with the image quality at all, but keep in mind that this kind of setup requires separate cable(s) for sound. This cable meets/exceeds the requirements for my setup, so I recommend this cable without reservation. Don't let the low price concern you, as the quality is just fine. Seems like a major waste of money to buy a big brand name cable that would do the same thing at SEVERAL times the price. I have purchased a few of those high-end, high-price cables previously and they are very good, but I can't discern a difference in the image quality.

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The cable works great. because it is a DVI connector on the back of the computer, no sound will go to the TV via this cable. I would recommend the HDMI to HDMI if you would want sound also.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 12.1MP Digital Camera with 18x POWER Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7

As a serious amateur, I've been fortunate enough to own a number of point and shoots including Panasonic, Fuji, several Nikon's, & a couple of Canon's. All have had their strong points and I'm not a brand loyalist by any means, but after a couple of weeks, I must say I absolutely love this camera.

My first impressions were ones of pleasant shock. The camera seemed smaller than in the pictures and if it seemed smaller, it seemed doubly more so in terms of weight. Compared to my SLR this thing is an absolute lightweight but very well built and certainly heavier than the smaller 'in your pocket' point and shoots. A great balance...although I wouldn't want to drop it. Some strategically placed silicone on the housing would make this a bit more rugged without much if any impact on cost. Powerup is about as fast as you can bring the camera up to your face amongst the best of the point and shoots. Controls are easy to use and I like the mini joystick for making on the fly adjustments in manual and scene modes. The menus are fairly well laid out although some items I had to resort to the manual to find their location for the first time.

The iA or Intelligent Auto function gave consistently above par picture quality, although I was always able to tweak it better myself (this could have been as much preference as anything). The AVCHD and HD movies worked absolutely flawless with my Transcend 16 GB SDHC Class 6 Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC6E [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]. (NOTE:Make sure you lowlevel format these SDHC cards a COUPLE of times BEFORE first use). I do wish that you could use the normal shutter release instead of the dedicated movie button on the back face when in movie mode. I kept forgetting and tried to stop the movies using the shutter button instead of the record button. Minor nuisance, but will be overcome as I get my brain wrapped around the change in button locations.

The battery worked well past 300 stills and about 35 clips, so I am very pleased with it with the LCD display being used for most of the shots. I purchase another spare battery;Lenmar DLP006 Lithium-ion Digital Camera/Camcorder Battery Equivelent to the Panasonic CGR-S006A Battery, also available here at Amazon, and it appears to be working about as well as the original Panasonic (a great buy). The EVF or Electronic View Finder was very handy, although most of the overlaid information is very hard to distinguish in the small EVF. I CAN'T BELIEVE PANASONIC DIDN'T INCLUDE A RUBBER BOOT FOR THE EVF! Please someone, anyone, make it as an accessory.

The EZ or Extra Zoom function is quite handy. Using this feature, you can shoot at lower resolutions and get more effective zooming power out of the camera...over 30x and it works very well. The LCD screen is clear and crisp, but its performance in high ambient light is about average. Thank goodness for the electronic view finder mentioned above.

Image stabilization is the absolute best amongst my camera collection and is especially noticeable in low light and full zoom. I was pleasantly surprised how well I could take indoor pictures at night with a simple tweak of the exposure. Far better than any of my other point and shoots, although nowhere near my SLR.

The standard 3picture burst mode was fairly standard and unimpressive, but the 10pics per second for speed priority and 6 pics per second in image priority burst mode worked well for catching difficult shots like geese landing on the water and children jumping out of swings, but I still wish the resolution and picture quality was better in these modes. Still, for a point and shoot, it's ability to catch the fast action is at the top of it's class.

The lens cap interferes with zoom, but the camera will kindly remind you that you have left it on with a 17,000 volt discharge...just kidding...it will tell you on the LCD screen.

UPDATE: A new megazoom runoff was conducted by Digital Photography Review in June of '07 and can be seen here: or you can cut to the results here:

To say the FZ35 stacked up well would be an understatement, but as they point out in the above review, you will likely not be disappointed with any of the other fine cameras in the pack. The review, however, will help you to pick one that works best for your needs and preferences. (I'm still super happy and winning contests with my amateur photos).

LIKES: Ease of use, picture quality, zoom and extra zoom, HD movie, lightweight, stop action. BEST Point and Shoot I've ever owned ! ! !

DISLIKES: (all minor) No eyepiece boot for EVF, lens cap interferes with zoom, tripod mount interferes with battery/memory door when in use. Only 10 sec. max on the built in timer.

I previously purchased the Canon SX20is and used 2 weeks. I found the images just a bit too soft for my taste. Too bad because all other facets of the camera was great. But, to me image quality is everything. If it can't produce a crisp image, I don't want it. Perhaps I was spoiled by the excellent SX10is I was switching from.

Desperate for an inexpensive Hi Def video camera for a client project, I decided to give the dual Panasonic FZ35 a try. I had used a Panasonic LX2 for several years and liked it, so I figured why not even though Panasonic is not a manufacturer one would normally think of first for a high quality still camera.

So far, I have been pleasantly surprised!

What I like about the FZ35:

1. The super sharp Leica lens! Having 18x zoom in such a small package.(Sharper than SX20is)

2. Metal tripod mount

3. VERY Reasonable price for all the features included. Seems a bargain to me.

4. The fact you also get very nice HD video in one package is a bonus.

5. Excellent macro mode. If you like macrophotography you'll like this camera.

6. Relatively simple controls/interface once familiar. (You do have to read the manual)

7. Has 46mm filter threads for add ons.

8. Full time battery indicator.

9. Optional wide angle and telephoto lenses are available if desired.

10 Better than most image stabilization system.

11. Many focus & exposure options.

What I'm not so crazy about:

1. Buttons & switches are quite small and seem rather delicate.

2. Manual as PDF (what a pain). I'll take mine paper, thank you.

You might as well print it out right away. You're gonna need it!

3. Smallish Electronic ViewFinder (Not just this one either. They all leave me wanting.)

4. Construction and light weight give a slight feeling of cheapness.

5. Proprietary Panasonic battery.

6. Location of media card in battery compartment.

Is it perfect? Nope. Are any of them? Even the $5,000 ones?

What do I miss most when switching from my NIKON? That bright, super clear viewfinder.

Will it clip highlights? Sure, if you don't set it up right. They all do. High dynamic range is not usually a feature on most consumer cameras.

Can it take a sharp picture? You Bet! In macro especially, you'll love the clarity of the image.

Newbies purchasing this ... make no mistake, this is a complex little piece of gear. Sure, you can use it on intelligent AUTO if you want, but what a waste. You have to LEARN this camera to get the most out of it. And don't expect to learn it in a day or even a week. Used properly it will yield beautiful, sharp images. Buy it and shoot, shoot, shoot and you'll get the hang of it. Why not? The "film" is cheap!

By the way, purchase a Class 6 SD card right away. That way if you want to play with the HD movie function you can. Some cheap SD cards can't write fast enough for HD video use. If you have a hi def TV you'll love it.

Beware though, HD video files get HUGE fast! Uploads to YouTube (or anywhere else) can take quite awhile. A 1 minute, 36 sec. clip equals 491 MB and over 4 hrs to upload via DSL.

If you get serious about HD video, or enjoy doing critical focus photography, PLEASE, buy a decent tripod and USE it. Camera movement is the main enemy of sharpness. At the low ISO settings required to get the most out of these small sensors, keeping the camera still is extremely important. Don't expect stabilization systems to entirely solve "jitter" problems at very low shutter speeds!

High end users take note: In the Custom controls there is an separate adjustment for contrast, saturation, noise reduction and sharpness. YEA ! Somebody is listening.

Nov. 5, 2009. I've made nearly 1000 shots with this camera and I'm impressed and still very happy with it.

October 2010, I've made thousands of images and still am impressed by its sharpness. The price has dropped to under $300 now and I consider this an excellent buy. The sharpness of this camera is the standard to which my next one will be held. Image quality is hard to beat for the money.

Buy Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 12.1MP Digital Camera with 18x POWER Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 Now

This is the first of the Panasonic Lumix superzooms that I've had an opportunity to use extensively. I regularly use both small point and shoot digital cameras (Canon SD550 and a waterproofed Canon S100) and digital SLRs (Canon 5D and Rebel XTi), but this is definitely a different sort of beast. It's nearly the size and weight of a DSLR with a lens that is noticeably long in use. It's sold as straddling the line between the two categories and it initially seems that way. But the more that I think about it, the more I think this camera really fills a different niche. If you're a serious photographer, a DSLR is really the way to go. You get full control over the images, a large sensor size, a selection of lenses, and filter options. If you're that person, this is hardly a replacement, and for the compact point and shooter this is a massive camera. Where this camera wins out is for a very simple kit covering wide angle (27mm equivalent for a 35mm camera) and the stunning 18x zoom. You'll be able to do most everything passably with this camera and with no additional lenses. Maybe this is the camera to put in the glovebox of your car? It'll always be there, and you can get most any shot with it. No preparation needed. Okay, enough thinking about who wants the camera, how does it work?

Well, it works pretty darned well. The image stabilizer seems to work extremely well, especially at moderate zoom (say 50-150mm equivalent), the battery lasted about 300 shots with some flash use in there, and image quality (subjective, not measured scientifically) was quite good. The camera was a bit slow to react at times though and the face detection works only occasionally. Still, that leaves this a solid camera for what I think is a quite good price. If you're not going to take advantage of the DSLR capabilities, this is a good functional camera for you. Or an excellent second camera for simplicity.

Pros: 18x zoom with a genuine wide angle, solid construction, good battery life, image stabilization that works, one size might well fit many

Cons: big for a point and shoot, slow acting at times, gimmicky features are, well, gimmicks

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 12.1MP Digital Camera with 18x POWER Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 Here

(Copy of a review posted on the UK site this is the FZ38 over there)

This is an initial review after one day of ownership, which I'll revise. My previous experience of digital cameras is limited to a Nikon Coolpix compact, now about 7 years old, and this camera is intended to replace the Nikon film SLR and three lenses which I've lugged around on holidays for 10-15 years. So some things that are amazing me will be just what you expect if you're used to similar cameras.

From that standpoint, the first thing to amaze me is the weight. Complete with battery, SDHC card, lens cap, lens hood and shoulder strap, it's 1lb 1oz on the kitchen scales. And there's very little to add in the accessory line a clear and polarising filter (unlike some 'bridge' cameras, this one has a filter screw thread), spare battery, blower brush and mini-tripod from old stock and a new bag, and we're done. This probably means the full kit weighing less than the SLR with mid-range zoom.

One reason for persevering with the SLR was being able to use an 18-35 mm lens for wide-angle shots. As the wide end of this camera is only equivalent to 27mm, I was pleased to see the panorama assist facility, and will be testing out the "stitching" software supplied with it to see whether I can still get a picture of a cathedral from the square in front of it. (An initial experiment suggests that given a level tripod, some good results should be available). At the narrow end, you don't get the same power as the 24x or 26x alternatives, but with my previous range of 18-300mm, I used the 300 end less often than the 18, so probably not a big issue unless you're snapping birds or cricketers. (You can have 32x if you reduce image size to 3Gb, but a very quick comparison suggests that unless stuck for memory space you may as well use 18x/12Mb and crop the picture later.)

The next big surprise was the quality of the results from "Intelligent Auto" mode. As soon as the battery was charged, I went outside and snapped away without worrying about where the sun was, or anything else I'd have pondered with the SLR. Results were very good, so you can do some very lazy photography, and if one or all users of the camera have never cared about shutter speeds and exposure compensation, it barely matters Intelligent Auto and some other top-wheel choices like the scene mode will do most of the work.

I haven't yet tried the movie-making side, though that's not of great interest to me.

Various minor points:

The supplied Photofun Studio 4 software says that it doesn't support 64-bit Windows Vista, but does install and seems to work OK.

You do NOT get a printed copy of the full manual, just a short 'Getting started' guide. The full manual in PDF is supplied on CD and you can find it and read it on the Panasonic website before buying, but I would have liked to have to whole thing spare time on holidays is an ideal time for reading it. As and when we have a netbook PC for keeping and editing pictures, this issue will disappear!

The lens hood is easy enough to fit but its guide mark is unhelpfully placed on the bottom of the camera and common-sense fitting by eye without inverting the camera works just as well. The lens cap fits on the screw-in ring to which you attach the hood, though I've not yet checked whether you can stick this whole lot in front of a lens-protecting filter without vignetting or other trouble.

The square "+/-" symbol on the display may cause mild panic if you're used to an old SLR's top-panel display, where the symbol itself indicates under/overexposure. On the FZ38, it doesn't unless there is a number next to it. The display options are worth exploring the guidelines option is a boon for lining up, and when displaying pictures, you can optionally show a lot of information like shutter speed and aperture. Another user interface issue is that some selections are made without the equivalent of an "OK" button and some with, so at first you may find yourself pressing the "Menu/Set" button too often, despite the camera's efforts to guide you.

One problem with the user interface is more significant some lists of option choices use graphical symbols whose meaning may not be obvious. In some cases (like the ones shown when you select portrait with the mode wheel) these have explanatory captions (my favourite is "Smooth skin shoot potrait's skin more smoothly" misspelled and a bit repetitious, but they tried). In others, there's no help try Setup LCD mode, where your choices are "Off", "A*" and "*" with no help about what LCD mode is or what these settings mean. You have to go to the full manual in PDF to find out. Depending on your experience, other symbols may be obvious, and explanation might be irritating, so there's probably scope for some kind of "expert/beginner" setting which determines how much is explained. This is the one that stops me upping the rating to five stars.

The electronic viewfinder works well as an alternative to the screen, once adjusted with the diopter wheel. The display is exactly the same you can even look at your stored pics with the viewfinder.

The battery is good for 470 shots based on the CIPA standard, but the manual warns you that this is based on a particular usage pattern "e.g. when recording once every 2 minutes, the number decreases to about 117. So a spare battery is probably worth buying. The charger is good for voltages 110-240, so for foreign trips you only need the kind of adaptor that makes the plug fit.

Want Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 12.1MP Digital Camera with 18x POWER Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 Discount?

I've had the FZ35 for about 3 weeks now. I have found nothing of substance to gripe about yet. The camera has a lot of features and since I have a day job it will take a while to really learn how to get the most from this camera, but the effort is worth it. Getting started is easy with the simple booklet that comes in the box; yes, it would be nice to have the entire manual in print but I downloaded to my laptop and read a little more each week as I fiddle with the camera, so slowly but surely I'm getting the big picture, so to speak, of how to operate the fz35.

I finally got around to using the supplied video cables tonight and learned I could hook the camera up to the hdtv. This past Sunday morning was sunny and inviting so I went into the yard and took pictures of flowers and assorted closeups mostly, in the fish pond, butterflies, even a hummingbird, using the different settings and priorities, the flash, and so forth. Tonight I watched a slide show of all the pictures on my hdtv, complete with music (it's programmed into the camera in several different styles). The picture quality on the tv was incredibly good; several photos were extreme closeups of a butterfly on the ground and the particles of dirt below the butterfy's wings were clearly visible on my 37" screen.

Picture quality and features aside, this camera is easy to use for the beginner who can gradually improve their skills by using the shutter speed/aperture priorities or manual mode, or automatic, or choose one of the many scene modes depending upon the situation. The camera boots up quickly and the delay between shots is acceptable, if not blazingly fast. (There is a setting for taking several shots in quick sequence, if needed.) The flash is strong and recycles fairly quickly. the camera won't fit in your pocket unless you're Captain Kangaroo, but with its accessories it'll fit into a small camera bag. I purchased the wide angle and exta zoom lenses because they came on sale, but really, you don't need them given the range of the supplied Leica lens. The controls are fairly easy to use and intuitive; I really like the design of one convenient button to toggle directly back and forth between the lens finder and the lcd screen on the back of the camera; all digital cameras don't feature that.

Sure, not much is perfect in life, but this camera is close enough for me.

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Manfrotto 311K Video Monitor Platform 311 with Super Clamp and Double Ball Joint 155 - Replaces 315

This is one of the finest designed, engineered and manufactured tripod accessories for a laptop for tethered photography or to hold a monitor, depending on your needs. I cannot believe how well designed and how solid this Manfrotto product is. In addition and perhaps more important, it took only 3-5 minutes to install it on to my tripod. My MacBook fits just perfectly on it and it is adjustable, as I had expected. The two straps that accompany the stand are also well made and well connected to the stand itself. The straps designed for the stand, however, are made to be optional, since both can easily be removed...This device is well worth the price and should last and be functional for many, many years. Treat your photography and computer equipment with care& respect, by starting with the Manfrotto 311K Video Monitor/Laptop Platform 311...You even might try dancing on it.Manfrotto 311K Video Monitor Platform 311 with Super Clamp and Double Ball Joint 155 Replaces 3152K (Gray)

This was much too small for any of my laptops, and the 'ridges' on the edges will scratch the heck out of anything that is larger than it's small footprint. Based on the previous review I bought this to put my laptop on the tripod, and now regret it... Will be returning.

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Precision Design EW-83J Lens Hood for Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens with UV Filter + Accesso

all items arrived in good order, no complaints, good package for the price, althought u might not need so many things, but for long term can always be useful for the price.

I actually bought this for a Canon 17-40 f/4 L lens, for use on a 40D. L series glass is made for full-frame shots, and given the 40D has a APS-C 1.6 factor sensor, the stock hood doesn't work...REALLY doesn't work. This one does NOT vignette at 17mm, fits right snug (I've been living in The South too damn long...), and even though it doesn't have the fuzzy fluffy flocking crap on the inside of the barrel like the Canon EW-83J does, it keeps flare controlled like it should.

Anyone ever compare this to the Canon? I'd love to know.

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