Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens with 32GB Card + .45x Wide Angl

It is a nice camera, and don't get me wrong, it can take some amazing pictures, but not right out of the box. I was comparing it to a Nikon Coolpix L810 auto mode to auto mode, and the L810 actually takes much sharper photos than the D3100! I was using the same subject, at the same location and at the same time. The only variable was the camera. Again, this was on auto mode, and I know that DSLR users warn against auto mode, but this is an entry level DSLR, so I would think Nikon would be paying more attention to the fact that the beginner is likely to expect auto mode to be "beginner proof".

Once I gave up on the auto setting, I used the settings recommended on kenrockwell.com, and I began to see some sharp photos. I have since began to have a better understanding of what the different settings mean, and I am no longer frustrated with the camera, but I recommend that you understand what the manual is telling you (it's pretty good), and don't expect great photos on the first use if you are a DSLR beginner.

The video mode should only be used in manual focus. The sound of the auto focus motor will dominate any audio you might be capturing with the video, but that may improve with other lenses. ...but again, the video mode on the Coolpix L810 was much better. Even though the resolution was not as good, the video (using auto focus) was at least a usable video with the L810.

F.Y.I. I am using the lens provided in the kit, and I know that I will be replacing it later, but that is another day.

I only give four stars because there isn't a four and a half, and I feel that a $500.00 camera should outperform a $200.00 one on any setting, especially when they are the same brand.

Canon PowerShot ELPH 130 IS 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 8x Optical Zoom 28mm Wide-Angle Lens and 72

I'll note right off the bat -I've been interested in photography for many years and have been honing my skills, but I am not a professional photographer. As a result, I can only speak to the qualities of this camera that might appeal to beginner/intermediate photographers. I owned a previous version of the Canon PowerShot and enjoyed it so much that I decided to purchase this newer model.

First, the basic specs. This camera has a 28mm wide-angle lens, a 16 megapixel sensor, DIGIC 4 image processor, image stabilization, settings for shooting in specific conditions (snow, fireworks, etc.) and numerous special effects (black and white, sepia, miniature, pinhole camera, etc.). It has sensitivity up to ISO 1600, which is perfect for those who often shoot in low lighting situations. With this type of camera, however, you're just not going to get the excellent low-light resolution that you will with cameras at a higher price point. This is only noticeable if you're zoomed in on an image taken at a higher ISO; the resolution in brighter conditions is excellent.

One of my favorite features about the camera is its 8x optical zoom; this is a great improvement upon the previous model I've owned. The image quality and stabilization at a higher zoom is excellent, resulting in perfect images every time.

The LCD screen is bright and a great size. It's easy to review previous pictures and compose a shot using the screen.

Although I haven't done much beyond simple experimentation with the movie settings, the camera can shoot 720p HD video (25 frames per second). The few videos I have recorded have been clear, crisp, and high-quality. It's not a feature I will use often, but it is an attractive feature for those wanting to capture shorter clips of sporting events, concerts, etc.

Thus far, the battery life has been great. There is an "eco" mode that conserves battery power without reducing image quality or camera performance.

Other features that may be of interest include:

* Wi-Fi capability to directly upload pictures

* "Smart shutter," which automatically takes a picture when a person smiles or gets into frame

* Face ID detection

* Color accent effect, which retains just one color and makes the rest of the photo black and white

Overall, I highly recommend this point-and-shoot camera for amateur photographers or for those who simply want a small, portable camera in addition to a DSLR. The image quality is great, and the price is very competitive. Enjoy!

The Canon PowerShot ELPH 130 is the latest Canon PowerShot I've owned, making it probably the third or fourth in about 8 years that I've been using Canon cameras. What draws me to Canon is the amazing picture quality and the ability to truly customize settings, almost as with a digital SLR, without the bulkiness or hefty price tag.

This camera is ultra compact. It's perfect for taking with you on hikes, travel, to parties, events, and for any type of photography. The new features that I'll comment on make it definitely worth the money.

First, the ability to resize images brings it in line with other makes, like Sony, that have offered that ability for years now. If you are traveling and running low on memory card capacity, then the resize capability is a lifesaver.

Second, the WiFi feature is great. It requires you to install a program on your computer or an app on your smartphone, and after initial setup, you can transfer images almost instantly from the camera to another device. This is great, as in the past I have taken both my camera and my smartphone with me on travels so that I could take professional shots (with the camera) and shots for social media (with my phone). Not anymore. Now, it's possible to snap amazing photos with this camera, come back to the hotel, and use the establishment's WiFi to transfer photos to your smartphone, then from there to Facebook, emails, etc.

Finally, the 8x optical zoom is amazing. All photos are crisp, sharp, and have excellent lighting. I couldn't ask for more.

If you're on the fence as to which camera is right for you, the Canon PowerShot ELPH 130 is the answer.

Buy Canon PowerShot ELPH 130 IS 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 8x Optical Zoom 28mm Wide-Angle Lens and 72 Now

I just received this camera today. I had done extensive research and comparison with other Canon Elph models before choosing this one.

A few factors led to my decision:

1. I wanted high resolution and high optical zoom capability. Optical zoom is so important because that governs how much raw info you can capture. Digital zoom is just software and ultimately will result in pixellation.

2. The Wifi capability was intriguing, but not a deal breaker.

3. The price point was well under $200 ($169) and this was far below the MSRP. A note on this I would have opted for a higher priced camera but this is a second camera to be used on an upcoming trip where I did not want to lug my Canon Rebel EOS and all of its lenses. I would not have chosen an Elph as a primary camera but for travel, it seemed to be ideal.

4. In keeping with the above, I also wanted something I could drop in my fanny pack or shirt pocket (although I am not likely to do that shirt pocket that is.)

5. I chose Canon because of familiarity with the brand and generally good experience with an older Elph I bought for my wife, and of course the EOS and lenses.

6. I definitely did not want the touch screen that was offered on some new models simply because although convenient they are a royal pain and I often mis-touch the screen requiring go backs, or cancellations and do overs. For a device this size, buttons seemed to be a better choice. I do use the touch screen on my Motorola Razr Droid Maxx and have learned to live with its idiosynchracies. I also read some really negative reviews on the touch screens and didn't want to be a guinea pig.

So, now that you understand what my decision factors were, here is what I have learned experimenting for the past few hours:

PRO

It is intuitively easy to use, and if you know the menu system on one Canon, you will know it here as well.

It is so small and compact, yet the controls are easy to use and they are responsive.

The installation process (software & User's Guide) was relatively easy, and I was able to copy the PDF file to my Google Drive so I will have it while travelling (sans computer).

The images are incredibly crisp and clear with good to excellent color rendition at the M1 (medium) resolution setting. I usually opt for the highest resolution, but I'll explain why I didn't in the CONS. I would suggest you always opt for the highest resolution you can since you can always reduce an image without losing clarity, but if you choose too low a resolution, you will experience pixellation on digital enlargement.

CONS

The WiFi capability seems like a really nice feature, but you better not be using Windows XP if you want to WiFi the pics to your computer. You can use a USB connection however. There is a disclaimer in the documentation that the WiFi will only work with Windows 7 or 8. You can however WiFi to your smartphone (Droid or iPhone with the appropriate app from Google Playstore or Apple) and then share pics from there, or upload them to your computer via the cloud.

The write speed to the SDHC card is uncomfortably slow if you are shooting rapidly, and using very high resolution. The difference between L and M1 is incredible. With the L resolution, you wait what appears to be an interminable time before you can shoot the next picture. It's not really that bad, but it is in the "seconds" range. If it is perceptible enough to be annoying, when testing, it will also be so when out in the field, particularly with action shots.

It would have been nice if Canon included a memory card in the package, but I understand they are trying to keep the price competitive. I'm sure I paid less for a 16GB card than they would have charged.

It also would have been nice if Canon had included a case. My wife's older Canon Elph came with a quality leather case. I purchased an after market CaseLogic case for much less than Canon would have charged.

Battery life I haven't had an opportunity to really test this yet, but I am a little worried since the User Guide states that I will only get about 200 pics per fully charged battery. Of course there are many variables that contribute to this (i.e., resolution, read/write time to card, ECO mode or not, flash usage or not.) It's almost impossible to predict exactly how well I will do here, so we'll just have to wait and see. My concern is that I am going to Scandinavia and Russia, and while I shouldn't have any difficulty charging the battery with the appropriate voltage adaptors, I will probably buy a second battery so I always have a spare charged.

(CORRECTION: You will not need a voltage adaptor. The charger clearly states 110-240 volts input. You may need physical plug adapters, although most European hotels have "American" outlets for electric shavers, etc.)

Also note that it took almost two hours to charge the "cold" battery completely. This will probably be shorter when starting with a partially charged battery.

I have not had an opportunity yet to test the myriad of other features, such as the various shooting scenarios, lighting conditions, portrait vs scenic, close up vs panorama. I will test these and report back when I have information with meaningful metrics. If necessary, I will adjust the 5 stars at that time, but for now, I will give Canon the benefit of the doubt based upon my previous experience with the brand.

BOTTOM LINE I would buy it again, and I am completely comfortable with my decision to not opt for a higher end model with a touch screen.

Hope this has been helpful.

============================================================================

****Update 1 5/18/2013

Well, the learning saga continues. It's sort of an adventure. I actually successfully set up a WiFi connection between the camera and my home network with the target device being my Motorola Razr Droid smartphone.

The basic steps are to download and install the Canon app for your smartphone and configure it with some very simple settings. Then configure the camera with the name of the target device (which you assigned in the previous step.) You then need to scan for WiFi nets from the camera and select the appropriate net, enter the key, and you are pretty much in business. You are then ready to share the pics from the phone via email, Facebook or whatever mechanism or website you choose. Play with it; it won't bite.

After a little juggling with the settings, I actually sent the pictures to the phone. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the most difficult, I would give this about a 4. Time expended: about 40 minutes. Not bad. And the next time will be even easier.

My next task will be to try to set this up on an open WiFi network somewhere else. I imagine I will have to identify the phone again, and let the camera search the available networks.

I also noticed that it gave me an option to connect to another network which is probably the Canon cloud. The name of the network seemed to identify Canon, the camera model and a sequence number. I haven't tried that yet, but I probably will later.

In addition, I can use the phone as a wireless access point, so I may be able to send pics to the phone without being on a network ... essentially a point-to-point net of two devices, the phone and the camera.

I'm trying to get as much of this exploration done before my trip next month so I don't get frustrated when under pressure. So far, so good. Still five stars!

============================================================================

Read Best Reviews of Canon PowerShot ELPH 130 IS 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 8x Optical Zoom 28mm Wide-Angle Lens and 72 Here

Great camera. I love it. The pictures are incredible and clear resolution at 16MP. I also have a Canon T3i and travel alot. But during travels, the size of the Canon T3i makes it very impractical and heavy. So the ELPH 130 is my travel camera. It goes on my hip and takes great pictures. I especially love the CMOS capability, which makes it a very nice camera for close quarters and limited lighting. I strongly recommend this camera to anyone looking to buy a camera that takes professional quality pictures at a fraction of the cost of a large professional camera.

Want Canon PowerShot ELPH 130 IS 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 8x Optical Zoom 28mm Wide-Angle Lens and 72 Discount?

I purchased this camera early in March and the price is already reduced by $20+ ! Anyway, I am mostly happy with my purchase. What I like: size and light weight, several settings for special effects and different shooting situations, easy to figure out, wifi. What I don't like: I use an android tablet and do not have the ability to use Canon Image Maker to download and play with my photos...it requires a cd rom to install the program components, :-(. I was able to download an app to allow the wifi to download to my tablet gallery, but can't make use of what the canon software would allow me to do. This is a big disappointment. So far, I havent had any problems with battery life....I just came back from vacation and took several hundred pictures with no problems.

Nikon D7000 16.2MP DX-Format CMOS Digital SLR with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only)

I am a photography teacher in NYC and online. (See my Amazon profile for my website.) I teach beginner and intermediate photography students every week. I've also been a professional photographer for the last five years with images published in The New York Times, GQ, New York Magazine, Women's Wear Daily, The New York Observer, The Village Voice and Time Out New York.

(This review is for beginner photographers.)

If you're a beginner, you're most likely asking yourself: Nikon or Canon? Really, I feel confident in saying that you can't go wrong with either. I've used both brand's cameras extensively and find that they both offer amazing image quality with well-built, solid cameras that, if taken care of, will last decades. There are two differences between the cameras, though, that can be taken into consideration.

The user-interface: If cameras were computers, Nikons would be PCs and Canons would be MACs. PCs are built for people not afraid of technology whereas Macs are built for people who want things super-easy. Nikons excel at customization options which means you'll see so many more options with the Advanced features of a Nikon than you will with a Canon. Canons, on the other hand, excel at ease-of-use for beginners. Canons offer less advanced options and can be easier to learn on. This can be frustrating down the line, though, once you've learned a lot about photography. At that point you may want all of the options that Nikon offers and be frustrated with your Canon. If you're someone who really likes to delve deep into your hobbies or if you're intent on becoming a professional photographer, I'd say a Nikon would be your best bet. If you're someone who wants to learn the basics of photography and only imagine yourself being a hobbyist, Canon would be a better option for you.

Where Nikon excels: Flash photography. I often find myself in situations where I'm shooting event photography (weddings, movie premiers, benefits and galas) where I need to use a lot of flash. For this kind of photography, I'll always prefer to be shooting with a Nikon. Nikon's flash metering (how the camera magically decides how much light to fire out of the flash) is much more consistent than Canon's. You can take a Canon and shoot the same scene three times in a row with flash and all three images will be at different brightness levels. You can do the same thing with a Nikon and all three images will be wonderfully the same. If you're somebody who plans on shooting a lot with flash (indoor photography, event photography, etc.) you'll want to consider going with Nikon.

Where Canon excels: Richness of colors. I've been in numerous situations where I've been on the red carpet taking the exact same picture as the photographer next to me. I'll have a Canon and the person next to me will have a Nikon. This has provided quite a few opportunities to compare the images side-by-side. What I've found is that the colors on the Canon's images look richer and make the image pop more. If I'm doing fine art photography (anything I'd like to someday hang in a gallery), I'll always want to be shooting with a Canon for this reason.

If you're set on Nikon, there are three cameras you should be considering and it all comes down to what your budget is:

D7000 $1,400 without lens

D5100 $750 without lens

D3100 $600 only available with lens

(current prices as of 2/19/11)

Here's what you get for spending extra money (each camera compared to the one below it):

D3100 vs. D5100:

The D3100 is an EXCELLENT camera so if you only have $550 to spend total on camera and lens then go out and buy this camera. You won't regret it. If you're considering spending more money, here's what you'll get from the D5100 in comparison:

-Better performance in low light situations.

-A higher resolution screen on the back of the camera so you can see your images more clearly and make out if they actually turned out well.

-An external mic jack. (If you're planning on shooting video with an external mic, you'll want the D5100 over the D3100.)

-A flip out screen (handy if you want to put your camera anywhere but at your eye level and be able to see what your camera is about to capture before you shoot it)

-Faster continuous shooting. If you're often shooting sports or any fast moving subject, continuous shooting allows you to capture multiple images in a single second. The D3100 shoots at three frames per second whereas the D5100 shoots at four frames per second.

-Higher ISO options. The D5100 offers one more stop of ISO than the D3100 does. If you don't know what ISO means (or what a stop is) just know that this allows you to more easily shoot images in low-light situations.

-Longer battery life. The D5100's battery will last 20% longer than the D3100

The two advantages of the D3100 over the D5100 are: less expensive and less weight. Whenever a camera is less expensive, it means you'll have more in your budget for the lens. The D3100 weighs 10% lighter and is 10% smaller than the D5100.

D5100 vs. D7000:

The D5100 is Nikon's latest and greatest and is even newer than the D7000. Phenomenal camera! If you're stuck, though, between the D5100 and the D7000, here's what you'll get by spending more money on the D7000:

-More focus points. When using auto-focus, the D7000 will have an easier time focusing on what you want it to focus on.

-60% longer lasting batteries.

-Faster continuous shooting. If you're often shooting sports or any fast moving subject, continuous shooting allows you to capture multiple images in a single second. The D5100 shoots at four frames per second whereas the D7000 shoots at six frames per second.

-Weather sealed. This means you can shoot with the D7000 in the rain.

-Two memory card slots. This is really a cool feature. The D7000 has two memory card slots which means you'll be less likely to find yourself standing in front of a gorgeous scene with no more memory left.

-Faster shutter speed. The fastest shutter speed on the D5100 is 1/4000th of a second; on the D7000: 1/8000th of a second. To be honest, I can't think of any practical reason why this would benefit you unless you're planning on shooting some really bright scenes like directly into the sun.

Advantages of the D5100 over the D7000:

-A flip out screen (handy if you want to put your camera anywhere but at your eye level and be able to see what your camera is about to capture before you shoot it)

-Smaller and lighter: The D5100 is 10% smaller and 30% lighter than the D7000. This is something to consider if you plan on carrying your camera around with you a lot.

-Less expensive so you can spend more on your lens!

If I can clarify any of this, please email me!

-JP Pullos, photography teacher, NYC and online (see my Amazon profile for my website)

This is very simple, if you are a Nikon shooter looking for a new camera then stop reading and buy this camera. It's that good.

Handling

This camera is brilliant to hold and use. Nikon has done it again and has made the user interface more usable and streamlined. What to change flash modes. Press the flash pop-up button and rotate the control wheel. Sweet. Want to change create and use a User defined mode? There are two. Set your mode up. Go to the menu and save it. To use it rotate the shooting mode dial to U1 or U2. Presto you are there. In the D300 and D700 you to have to setup things in the menu and switch in the menu. Also, there were 2 sets of things you could change and they were not all inclusive. It was all horribly confusing and I never used it. Speaking of shooting modes. There is now one position on the shooting mode dial for scene mode shooting. You change through the different scene modes with the control wheel and the type scene shows up on the back screen. Sweet. I can go on and on but needless to say Nikon have really improved their interface. One caveat, I don't think it is quite up to par with the GH1 to change exposure compensation (IMO the most important control) but still a huge step in the correct direction in handling. I like the handling of the D7000 better than either the D700/300.

Low Light Shooting

The D300 wasn't that great for Hi ISO. It shoots clean at 400 ISO and usable up to 1600. (The D90 and D300s were better) The D700 was fantastic. Clean at 1600 ISO and usable up to 6400. It opened up new worlds. The D7000 is close to the equal of the D700. Enough said. Just to give you an example. The bouquet toss at a reception is often done in poor light. By using 1600 instead of 400 you get the equivalent of 4 times more light. At ISO400 you flash may need to use 1/4 power and you can get 1 maybe 2 shots of the toss and catch before the flash needs to recharge. At ISO1600 your flash would only need to use 1/16th power and now you can get 5-6 shots. This is huge.

Picture Quality

Like all modern DSLRs it takes great pictures. I don't pixel peep so I can't really say that I notice a difference between the pictures from the D7000 and any of my 12mp cameras. It makes really nice pictures and that is all I care about.

Useful Photography Features (Not Marketing Features)

--100% view finder! Big bright with 100% coverage. No more guessing of your framing. (It is not as bright as the D700. However, it is 100% vice 95%)

--2 SD slots When your getting paid to shoot a wedding or any gig, my card broke is not an excuse. Very useful feature. For the home user put two smaller cards rather than one big card and save some money.

--Smaller and lighter than D300, D700, D3s, D3xWhen you stand on your feet for 9 hours shooting the wedding and reception, you start to feel every ounce you are carrying. Often you will be carrying two bodies with a fast tele zoom and fast wide zoom. That starts to get heavy. Light weight here we come.

--2016-Segment RGB Meterfor spot on exposure and white balance--No one touches Nikon on this and this one is fantastic.

--1/8000th -Very useful for shooting into the sun wide open with a bright lens

--1/250 -Could be better (1/500th for D40) but could be much worse. Auto FP helps.

--Magnesium body and better sealing -Shoot in dusty environments without messing up the inside your camera.

--Uses the ML-L3 infra red remote -Small and cheap. IR sensor on the front and back of the camera.

--Autofocus focus motor for non-AF-S lenses

Marketing Features that will sometimes be Useful

--16Mp -Nikon was obviously getting creamed in the marketing wars on this. This is going to lead to bigger files requiring larger hard drives and faster computers. Occasionally it will be useful if you can't frame as close as you would like and you need to crop or you need to print big. Alien Skin Blow Up 2, Image Resizing Plug-in Software for Photoshop, Macintosh & Windows and Genuine Fractals 6 Professional Edition 1-user Full are two very nice programs that can increase the size of your photos for printing large. 16 MP is nice by not necessary.

--39 Point Auto Focus -To me in some ways this is better than the 51 point of the D300 and D700 as that gets too unwieldy. However, you really don't even need 39. However, still useful on occasion.

--6 frames per second-I very rarely ever put my camera in 3 frames per second. When I do so it fills the card quickly. If you are shooting the big game then 6 is nice. Or it is nice for some cool special effects shots. Other than that you won't really find yourself using it that much.

Video

The other thing I am not really going to dwell on is the video capabilities. In my opinion all the various video options are mostly marketing hype really targeted at a niche market. Shallow depth of field video is difficult and time consuming to shoot and edit properly. The average family home user has neither the time nor inclination to do this. With that said, it is nice to only have to carry one device to take still pictures and video. So I do enjoy that feature, however 1080 is not really necessary. In fact with up converting DVD players standard def is still very usable and takes up far less space. Suffice it to say that the video capabilities are very good and should do anything a home user would need it to do. Can be used for pro Videos as demonstrated by Chase Jarvis.

Intangibles

This is a very nice camera and it feels very solid in your hands. It feels far more substantial than the D40/D90 without feeling like a brick the way the D300/D700 do. I am sure the D300 has more marketing features than the D7000 but I would have to research them to figure out what they are.

Conclusion

In the end it all comes down to what is important to you. Smaller weight and size is becoming much more important to me and this camera is a very good trade off of features for size and weight. Anything that is missing I don't even use so I am not sure what it may be. My D700 was recently stolen and while I miss it, the D7000 is a worthy replacement for it. I opted to get the D7000 and Panasonic GH2 and save the $300 difference for a lens.

Pros

--100% view finder!

--6 fps (7D is 8. However, I think this number is overhyped in most cases. Even shooting at 3 FPS will fill up you card with photos that look remarkably similar) 8+ is needed for professionals shooting professional sports. Not enthusiast shooting High School etc.

--16mp sensor (a marketing increase but still nice to allow some room for cropping)

--14 bit photos

--39 point auto focus sensors (19 cross point) this is a bit of a marketing thing but it is still nice and it does not matter about the 51 on D300s and above. Still very nice.

--2016 scene meter compares against data base for WB setting and color settings

--Excellent battery life

--MD-11 Optional Battery Grip

--2 SD card slots for back up redundancy or double the card space! Outstanding

--Magnesium used to make camera stronger

Cons

--16mp senor (takes up more storage on your hard drive) (12mp JPG 3mb 12 mp RAW = 12 mb 16mp JPEG = 5 mb 16 mp RAW = 16 mb. This is for 12 bit. 14 bit would require more)

--Camera heavier than it used to be

--No swivel screen after using the GH1 extensively you really miss this when shooting at weird angles. You especially miss it for macro photography.

--No full time live view Ditto from above. Live view is what you see is what you get. Forgot to change white balance-you will see that when people are yellow, blue or green. Have it set in manual and blowing everything out-you'll see that as a white screen.

Decision Matrix

Nikon

For the Nikon shooter this is a no brainer. If you are in the market for a camera, then skip the D300s. The D700 is getting long in the tooth and many people are buying the D7000 while waiting for D800. If you already own a D700 then this camera is a very good complement to it. Use the money you saved over the more expensive camera to buy a nice lens.

Here is a breakdown vs other Nikon DSLRs

D3100-Two completely different classes with the D7000 being worth the difference in many. However at the end of the day they will both make nice pictures. Also, the lenses are more important than the camera. You can get the D3100 and 18-200mm for the same price. Something to think about.

D5000-Good sensor and nice camera. D3100 comments also apply here.

D90--Tough choice. The best DX sensor of its generation and still better than most. If you can't quite stretch to the D7000, this is a very tempting proposition.

D300S-Irrelevant. The D7000 has a much better sensor, is smaller, lighter, cheaper, and better metering.

Nikon D700-Would be a good complement to the D7000. Use D7000 when you need the 1.5x crop on the long end and a deeper depth of field due to the smaller chip (about 1 stop deeper) and D700 for when you want to isolate a subject with a shallow depth of field or you want to use the full width of a wide angle such as the 14-24mm. If you don't need the shallower depth of field of a FX sensor and you have the lenses to cover the 1.5x crop then the D7000 should suit just fine. D3s and D3x -Different leagues altogether. However, the D7000 is 90% of the camera for 1/4 to 1/6th the money.

Canon

The 7D is an outstanding camera and while I think the D7000 is a better camera (better sensor, 2 SD card slots, 2016 RGB metering, Price) it is not that much better to warrant switching if you are already invested in lenses.

Sony

The Sony SLT-A55 is a great camera but not in the league of the D7000. However it is $350 less and does have so unique properties. It is rumored to have the same sensor as the D7000 but Nikon always does their magic and makes it better (D3x vs A900). The translucent mirror allows for fast shooting but loses 1/3 a stop of light. Still a very nice camera.

Non-DSLR Owner or DSLR owner with just the Kit Lens

When you are buying a DSLR, you are really buying into the lens system. So factor that into you decision making matrix. For that reason, if you have not spent a fortune on lenses yet then I recommend the m4/3 as in my opinion that is the future. The sensor of the top m4/3(GH2) is every bit as good if not better than the current crop of DX sensors and almost as good as the D7000. It is getting to the point, the sensor doesn't matter as much. At this point handling, size and weight start to become more important.

With this in mind I would recommend the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 16.05 MP Live MOS Interchangeable Lens Camera with 3-inch Free-Angle Touch Screen LCD and 14-42mm Hybrid Lens (Black) to anyone not invested in a lens system. It is smaller, lighter, more capable on the video side and in many ways better on the stills side. It needs a faster flash sync speed, faster shutter speed and the construction is not up to Nikon or Canon standards (In all fairness this cuts down on weight and I have not had a failure with my GH1.) It is probably not quite as good at the high ISO. On the positive side it has a multi-aspect sensor as it is actually an 18mp sensor (16:9, 2:3, and 4:3 will all be 16mp not crops of one aspect ratio) It sells for $899 body only, $999 with the 14-42mm and $1499 with the fantastic 14-140mm 10x zoom. The lack of a mirror flipping up is a benefit in all cases. Also, you can use just about any lens ever made on this camera. Nikon, Leica, Canon, Pentax, C Lenses. You lose auto focus on any auto focus lenses and there is no accurate way to adjust your aperture on G series lenses. While the GH1 sensor was by far the best M4/3 sensor and equaled most DX sensors of its generation, it did not quite stand up to the D90 sensor. I expect the D7000 to have a higher Dynamic Range and be an overall better sensor. However, that difference will not be noticeable to the lay users. What you get is a noticeably smaller and lighter camera that out handles any DSLR on the market and has the best video capabilities. In my opinion the GH2 will be the best all-around camera of its generation. The GH1 is the camera I reach for 90% of the time when I shoot for pleasure. When Panasonic puts out a full Pro line of lenses, I will use it more in the Pro situations. I am sure the GH2 will be my new go to camera.

Buy Nikon D7000 16.2MP DX-Format CMOS Digital SLR with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only) Now

Just take it for granted that this takes amazing pictures under all conditions, including low light, and that it contains all the manual controls that you'd ever want.

Instead, here's some things that the camera does that you might not have heard about:

* Built-in EyeFi support

If you've used EyeFi SD cards before, you probably assumed that it would work with the D7000, since the D7000 now uses SD cards instead of CF. But not only do you not have to mess around with SD-to-CF adapters, the camera is actually EyeFi aware-you can choose to have it upload or not upload on a slot-by-slot basis (so you might have it automatically upload the RAW files you saved to an EyeFi Pro card in slot 1, but not bother to upload the JPEGs you saved to the EyeFi Explorer card in slot 2), and there is also an icon that appears on the Info display to indicate that there are files waiting to upload, that the upload is in progress or disabled, etc.

The Nikon Wifi adapter is going for $400. A 4GB, class 6 EyeFi card goes for $40. If you really want to move RAW files, snag the Pro version for $80. Yes, the Nikon adapter does things that EyeFi can't, but if you just want to get your files onto a PC without pulling the card, why spend 10X the money?

You're stuck with the usual limitations of the EyeFi card, but I fully expect to use this feature a LOT with studio portraits-yeah, it only takes 10 seconds to pull the card and have Windows recognize that you added it, then another 5 seconds to eject the card and stick it back in the camera. But if you just want a quick check that your exposure or focus is where you want it, wouldn't you rather just hit a single key and see your last shot, then get right back into the flow? You may want to drop your JPEG file sizes to speed up the transfer.

* In-camera RAW file processing

The camera contains a ton of built-in settings-in addition to the basics like Standard, Normal, Landscape, etc, you also get all the various Scene modes, which are basically variations on those main settings.

RAW processing allows you to see how the shot would have looked had you used one of those other modes. In other words, you shoot in Normal, which basically applies no processing to the image, then select the RAW file, and choose how you'd like to adjust it. You can change the white balance settings, exposure, basic picture setting (landscape, portrait, etc), noise reduction, color space, and dynamic lighting. With the exception of the advanced details on the basic picture settings, you see a preview of how your change will affect the picture.

If you like it, just hit EXEcute and it writes out a JPEG to your card. Don't like it, just back out and nothing's saved.

This means that you don't have to worry that shooting in Vivid is going to result in an oversaturated image, or you can punch something up even more after the fact. The only real drawback here to me is that it is going to kick out a JPEG, so if you're planning on doing further editing in Photoshop, this may not be the best route. But if you're just looking to go right from the camera to the web, or want to get an idea of how playing with custom settings will affect your shots, this is a massive shortcut to taking and then deleting a ton of shots. (And keep in mind that Photoshop will allow you to mess with most of these settings when importing RAW files anyway, and the plugin D7000-compatible RAW plugin had a release candidate posted yesterday, so you can finally open your RAW shots.)

And a related feature that's in most other Nikons, but that you might not know about-you can define your own basic picture settings. Want something that's super-saturated and super-contrasty? Just hit a few buttons, choose a name, and you're done. On the older Nikons, you had to edit the basic profile itself, now, you can use one as a starting point and adjust from there. Much cleaner.

* User-defined settings on the control knob

Not as hidden as the first two, but I can't emphasize how cool this feature is. Here's the situation I was in last night-I was shooting a singing contest in a dimly-lit venue. I was allowed to use a flash, but I didn't want to constantly be blasting the singers while they were performing.

I defined one setting as shutter priority, 1/60th, ISO Hi 2, center-weighted metering & focus, no flash. The second setting was automatic, ISO auto, full metering and autofocus, flash enabled. I'd take a couple shots in U2 with the flash, close the flash down and switch to U1 and shoot a half a dozen shots, then switch back to U2 and use the flash for a couple more shots. There was no fumbling for controls, no worrying that I changed the shutter speed without realizing it when changing between Auto and S-every time I went from U2 to U1, all my settings were reset to where I put them before the event started.

I don't think I ever felt as confident about my camera settings in a rapidly changing situation as I did last night-with just a simple twist of a knob, I was able to change to a completely different shooting configuration with absolute confidence that it was what I wanted.

To me, the utility of this is almost endless-I'll probably set up one setting for studio portraits, and the other for landscape stuff. If I was still shooting news, I'd probably be swapping between flash and no-flash configurations. For sports, I'd change between action modes and post-game portraits.

The only thing that would make this even better would be if I could import and export settings for later use-even if you use the "Save/Load" settings option to back up your current configuration to a memory card, it doesn't appear that this information is stored. However, it may be a bug in the Load settings feature, as a number of my settings were incorrectly reset when I tried to load in settings. Either way, it would work better if I could treat these like custom basic picture settings, saving them by name and loading them at will.

* Built-in interval timer shooting

Want to take time-lapse pictures? Just set up your camera on the tripod, specify when you want it to start, how many pictures to take overall, and how many pictures to take each interval and walk away. When it's time to start taking pictures, the camera will automatically focus and shoot, then go back to waiting for the next shot. No messing around with tethering, 3rd party software, whatever-it's all in the camera, and it's all super-easy to set up. You'll find yourself taking pictures of your living room just to see what your cat actually does all day while you're at work.

* Zoom in live view

This might just be "new to me," but I found it to be very cool for manually adjusting focus when on a tripod-frame your basic shot, then change to live view. From there, zoom in with the magnifying glass key, and move around the image with the navigation pad until you find the point you want to focus on, then manually focus. Since you can zoom into a tiny portion of the overall image, you can see that you're getting exactly the focus point you want before you take the shot. One gotcha that I always forget, though-don't forget to pick your aperture BEFORE going into live view, as you can't change it once live view has started.

* Adjustable shooting rate

Again, might be "new to me," but in addition to blasting away at 6fps, you can manually adjust that from 1 to 5 FPS in order to get a different effect. You obviously need to be using a fast enough shutter speed to support your choice-if you're at 1/2 a second, you're not going to shoot faster than 2FPS.

As I mentioned in one of my other reviews, I used to be a semi-pro photographer-I was the photo editor for both a weekly and a daily paper, I've shot tons of sports and news photos, and landscape photography is my hobby. I've recently gotten back into portrait photography as well. While I never owned as many cameras as a true pro would have (that semimeans that I never made enough money at it to be able to really spring for equipment), I have shot with a lot of other people's equipment, and I can honestly say that this is the best camera I've ever used.

Read Best Reviews of Nikon D7000 16.2MP DX-Format CMOS Digital SLR with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only) Here

Hundreds of general reviews of the D7000 have already been written, so instead of trying to reinvent that wheel I will address specific issues that people who are thinking of upgrading may find helpful. If you currently own a D80 the upgrade is a no-brainer. Just do it, you won't regret it. If you're using a D90, as I was before, you may be considering the upgrade to a D7000 a bit more skeptically.

I am a serious amateur/hobbyist with more than 50 years of experience in photography, and have progressed from a D50 to a D80 to a D90 (each owned for two years), to the D7000 purchased two months ago.

Initially I wondered if the upgrade from a D90 would really be worth it. Well, it definitely is. The D7000 isn't an upgrade to the D90 in the traditional sense that we tend to think of upgrades, it's a whole NEW CAMERA. The improvements I'm most impressed with that matter most to me personally for my kind of photography?

1. New sensor with greater dynamic range and superior high-ISO performance. The first DX body to come close to approximating FX cameras in these areas.

2. New 39-point AF module that puts the D80 and D90's 11-point AF to shame in AF-C and makes easy work of any kind of action photography. Not only faster and more precise autofocusing, but also a significantly improved method for quickly choosing different AF modes.

3. Improved layout of buttons and controls on the body, but with a nearly identical menu structure to the D90 that makes it easy to learn and implement everything, including the D7000's new features. The learning curve should be minimal coming from a D80 or D90. And there are enough similarities to the D300 to make it an easy transition.

4. Metering, especially matrix metering, is more accurate in a wider variety of lighting conditions -definitely improved over the D90 and a major improvement over the D80. A camera's meter readings are always suggestions, not commandments, and EV compensation is often necessary. But the D7000's matrix metering gets the exposure very close to right the vast majority of the time.

5. The D7000's light touch (hair trigger) shutter release takes a little getting used to, but it definitely minimizes the chance of camera motion blur when taking a picture. I understand that D300 and D700 users won't notice much difference in the touch, but it's a major improvement if you're coming from any of Nikon's consumer DSLRs.

6. The 6 fps continuous mode is plenty fast enough to capture very fast action like birds in flight. And the new dial configuration makes it easier than ever to change shooting modes quickly.

7. Programmable U1 and U2 modes eliminate time-consuming menu diving and button pushing when you want to switch instantaneously between settings for different situations (landscape or scenic shots vs. action photography, for example).

8. The introduction of several "pro body features" in a consumer camera like AF fine tuning, which is not something you need all the time or want to use indiscriminately, but it's wonderful to have when you need it.

9. Better construction gives the D7000 a "pro feel" not present in other consumer grade Nikon bodies. A subjective opinion, I know, but just picking up a D7000 tells you that you're handling a very solid, serious piece of equipment.

10. Yes, we all bemoaned the introduction of a new D7000 battery. But this new EN-EL15 is a powerhouse that will give the Energizer Bunny a run for his money. A very positive new enhancement.

11. Last but not least (lest we forget the real purpose of a camera), I am taking better pictures (technically, at least) with my D7000 than I did with my D90 -and doing so much more easily and efficiently. Compared to the 2-3 months it took me to adapt to the D80 and D90 when I upgraded to those bodies before I began getting really satisfactory results, there hasn't been any such prolonged learning curve with my D7000.

I have not commented on the D7000's video capabilities because I don't shoot video with it. I have noted that autofocusing with any lens in Live View is rather slow, even in good light, and many lenses may have difficulty achieving an accurate focus lock in low light. And a few lenses may fail to autofocus in Live View at all. This is not really important to me because I very rarely use this feature, but it is something to be aware of.

A word about lenses: Achieving the best results with the higher resolution of the 16MP D7000 does require good lenses. The 18-105 VR kit lens is adequate and will yield perfectly satisfactory results. However, obtaining the superior image quality that the camera is capable of calls for better quality glass. For an excellent general purpose "walkaround" lens that is also a Best Buy at $449, I personally recommend the Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM Lens for Nikon Mount Digital SLR Cameras. I prefer this Sigma to the somewhat overpriced Nikon 16-85 VR. To cover the telephoto range, I would suggest adding the excellent Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED IF AF-S VR Nikkor Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras to your arsenal.

I hope Amazon shoppers for the D7000 body only who thinking of upgrading from a previous DSLR find my observations helpful.

UPDATE ON 03/16/11 --

Here is a link to my Flickr photostream if you would like view some of the photos I have taken with the D7000. They include the EXIF info and were taken with the Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM and Nikon 70-300 VR.One feature I didn't mention in my original review is in-camera editing. This is not something new, but it's much more robust in the D7000 and I use it quite a bit. For example, JPEG shooters will appreciate the in-camera WB adjustment that lets you correct color balance that's way off right in the camera and then make subtle adjustments in post processing. Likewise, in-camera B&W and sepia conversions produce images with a full tonal gradient for later creative manipulation on the computer. Both of these are handy time-savers, and your original image always remains intact. The in-camera cropping options have also been expanded to include virtually all of the popular formats and provide excellent flexibility for basic cropping.

The more I use my D7000, the more I appreciate what a significant upgrade it is to the D90.

Want Nikon D7000 16.2MP DX-Format CMOS Digital SLR with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only) Discount?

This is very simple, if you are a Nikon shooter looking for a new camera then stop reading and buy this camera. It's that good.

Handling

This camera is brilliant to hold and use. Nikon has done it again and has made the user interface more usable and streamlined. What to change flash modes. Press the flash pop-up button and rotate the control wheel. Sweet. Want to change create and use a User defined mode? There are two. Set your mode up. Go to the menu and save it. To use it rotate the shooting mode dial to U1 or U2. Presto you are there. In the D300 and D700 you to have to setup things in the menu and switch in the menu. Also, there were 2 sets of things you could change and they were not all inclusive. It was all horribly confusing and I never used it. Speaking of shooting modes. There is now one position on the shooting mode dial for scene mode shooting. You change through the different scene modes with the control wheel and the type scene shows up on the back screen. Sweet. I can go on and on but needless to say Nikon have really improved their interface. One caveat, I don't think it is quite up to par with the GH1 to change exposure compensation (IMO the most important control) but still a huge step in the correct direction in handling. I like the handling of the D7000 better than either the D700/300.

Low Light Shooting

The D300 wasn't that great for Hi ISO. It shoots clean at 400 ISO and usable up to 1600. (The D90 and D300s were better) The D700 was fantastic. Clean at 1600 ISO and usable up to 6400. It opened up new worlds. The D7000 is close to the equal of the D700. Enough said. Just to give you an example. The bouquet toss at a reception is often done in poor light. By using 1600 instead of 400 you get the equivalent of 4 times more light. At ISO400 you flash may need to use 1/4 power and you can get 1 maybe 2 shots of the toss and catch before the flash needs to recharge. At ISO1600 your flash would only need to use 1/16th power and now you can get 5-6 shots. This is huge.

Picture Quality

Like all modern DSLRs it takes great pictures. I don't pixel peep so I can't really say that I notice a difference between the pictures from the D7000 and any of my 12mp cameras. It makes really nice pictures and that is all I care about.

Useful Photography Features (Not Marketing Features)

--100% view finder! Big bright with 100% coverage. No more guessing of your framing. (It is not as bright as the D700. However, it is 100% vice 95%)

--2 SD slots When your getting paid to shoot a wedding or any gig, my card broke is not an excuse. Very useful feature. For the home user put two smaller cards rather than one big card and save some money.

--Smaller and lighter than D300, D700, D3s, D3xWhen you stand on your feet for 9 hours shooting the wedding and reception, you start to feel every ounce you are carrying. Often you will be carrying two bodies with a fast tele zoom and fast wide zoom. That starts to get heavy. Light weight here we come.

--2016-Segment RGB Meterfor spot on exposure and white balance--No one touches Nikon on this and this one is fantastic.

--1/8000th -Very useful for shooting into the sun wide open with a bright lens

--1/250 -Could be better (1/500th for D40) but could be much worse. Auto FP helps.

--Magnesium body and better sealing -Shoot in dusty environments without messing up the inside your camera.

--Uses the ML-L3 infra red remote -Small and cheap. IR sensor on the front and back of the camera.

--Autofocus focus motor for non-AF-S lenses

Marketing Features that will sometimes be Useful

--16Mp -Nikon was obviously getting creamed in the marketing wars on this. This is going to lead to bigger files requiring larger hard drives and faster computers. Occasionally it will be useful if you can't frame as close as you would like and you need to crop or you need to print big. Alien Skin Blow Up 2, Image Resizing Plug-in Software for Photoshop, Macintosh & Windows and Genuine Fractals 6 Professional Edition 1-user Full are two very nice programs that can increase the size of your photos for printing large. 16 MP is nice by not necessary.

--39 Point Auto Focus -To me in some ways this is better than the 51 point of the D300 and D700 as that gets too unwieldy. However, you really don't even need 39. However, still useful on occasion.

--6 frames per second-I very rarely ever put my camera in 3 frames per second. When I do so it fills the card quickly. If you are shooting the big game then 6 is nice. Or it is nice for some cool special effects shots. Other than that you won't really find yourself using it that much.

Video

The other thing I am not really going to dwell on is the video capabilities. In my opinion all the various video options are mostly marketing hype really targeted at a niche market. Shallow depth of field video is difficult and time consuming to shoot and edit properly. The average family home user has neither the time nor inclination to do this. With that said, it is nice to only have to carry one device to take still pictures and video. So I do enjoy that feature, however 1080 is not really necessary. In fact with up converting DVD players standard def is still very usable and takes up far less space. Suffice it to say that the video capabilities are very good and should do anything a home user would need it to do. Can be used for pro Videos as demonstrated by Chase Jarvis.

Intangibles

This is a very nice camera and it feels very solid in your hands. It feels far more substantial than the D40/D90 without feeling like a brick the way the D300/D700 do. I am sure the D300 has more marketing features than the D7000 but I would have to research them to figure out what they are. As for the lens, I am not really that hot on this lens. It will do fine but the Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S ED VR II Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon DX-Format Digital SLR Cameras is far more useful. Also, you can buy the Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens and Nikon 55-200mm f/4-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR [Vibration Reduction] Zoom Nikkor Lens for about the same price as the difference between this and the body only.

Conclusion

In the end it all comes down to what is important to you. Smaller weight and size is becoming much more important to me and this camera is a very good trade off of features for size and weight. Anything that is missing I don't even use so I am not sure what it may be. My D700 was recently stolen and while I miss it, the D7000 is a worthy replacement for it. I opted to get the D7000 and Panasonic GH2 and save the $300 difference for a lens.

Pros

--100% view finder!

--6 fps (7D is 8. However, I think this number is overhyped in most cases. Even shooting at 3 FPS will fill up you card with photos that look remarkably similar) 8+ is needed for professionals shooting professional sports. Not enthusiast shooting High School etc.

--16mp sensor (a marketing increase but still nice to allow some room for cropping)

--14 bit photos

--39 point auto focus sensors (19 cross point) this is a bit of a marketing thing but it is still nice and it does not matter about the 51 on D300s and above. Still very nice.

--2016 scene meter compares against data base for WB setting and color settings

--Excellent battery life

--MD-11 Optional Battery Grip

--2 SD card slots for back up redundancy or double the card space! Outstanding

--Magnesium used to make camera stronger

Cons

--16mp senor (takes up more storage on your hard drive) (12mp JPG 3mb 12 mp RAW = 12 mb 16mp JPEG = 5 mb 16 mp RAW = 16 mb. This is for 12 bit. 14 bit would require more)

--Camera heavier than it used to be

--No swivel screen after using the GH1 extensively you really miss this when shooting at weird angles. You especially miss it for macro photography.

--No full time live view Ditto from above. Live view is what you see is what you get. Forgot to change white balance-you will see that when people are yellow, blue or green. Have it set in manual and blowing everything out-you'll see that as a white screen.

Decision Matrix

Nikon

For the Nikon shooter this is a no brainer. If you are in the market for a camera, then skip the D300s. The D700 is getting long in the tooth and many people are buying the D7000 while waiting for D800. If you already own a D700 then this camera is a very good complement to it. Use the money you saved over the more expensive camera to buy a nice lens.

Here is a breakdown vs other Nikon DSLRs

D3100-Two completely different classes with the D7000 being worth the difference in many. However at the end of the day they will both make nice pictures. Also, the lenses are more important than the camera. You can get the D3100 and 18-200mm for the same price. Something to think about.

D5000-Good sensor and nice camera. D3100 comments also apply here.

D90--Tough choice. The best DX sensor of its generation and still better than most. If you can't quite stretch to the D7000, this is a very tempting proposition.

D300S-Irrelevant. The D7000 has a much better sensor, is smaller, lighter, cheaper, and better metering.

Nikon D700-Would be a good complement to the D7000. Use D7000 when you need the 1.5x crop on the long end and a deeper depth of field due to the smaller chip (about 1 stop deeper) and D700 for when you want to isolate a subject with a shallow depth of field or you want to use the full width of a wide angle such as the 14-24mm. If you don't need the shallower depth of field of a FX sensor and you have the lenses to cover the 1.5x crop then the D7000 should suit just fine. D3s and D3x -Different leagues altogether. However, the D7000 is 90% of the camera for 1/4 to 1/6th the money.

Canon

The 7D is an outstanding camera and while I think the D7000 is a better camera (better sensor, 2 SD card slots, 2016 RGB metering, Price) it is not that much better to warrant switching if you are already invested in lenses.

Sony

The Sony SLT-A55 is a great camera but not in the league of the D7000. However it is $350 less and does have so unique properties. It is rumored to have the same sensor as the D7000 but Nikon always does their magic and makes it better (D3x vs A900). The translucent mirror allows for fast shooting but loses 1/3 a stop of light. Still a very nice camera.

Non-DSLR Owner or DSLR owner with just the Kit Lens

When you are buying a DSLR, you are really buying into the lens system. So factor that into you decision making matrix. For that reason, if you have not spent a fortune on lenses yet then I recommend the m4/3 as in my opinion that is the future. The sensor of the top m4/3(GH2) is every bit as good if not better than the current crop of DX sensors and almost as good as the D7000. It is getting to the point, the sensor doesn't matter as much. At this point handling, size and weight start to become more important.

With this in mind I would recommend the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 16.05 MP Live MOS Interchangeable Lens Camera with 3-inch Free-Angle Touch Screen LCD and 14-42mm Hybrid Lens (Black) to anyone not invested in a lens system. It is smaller, lighter, more capable on the video side and in many ways better on the stills side. It needs a faster flash sync speed, faster shutter speed and the construction is not up to Nikon or Canon standards (In all fairness this cuts down on weight and I have not had a failure with my GH1.) It is probably not quite as good at the high ISO. On the positive side it has a multi-aspect sensor as it is actually an 18mp sensor (16:9, 2:3, and 4:3 will all be 16mp not crops of one aspect ratio) It sells for $899 body only, $999 with the 14-42mm and $1499 with the fantastic 14-140mm 10x zoom. The lack of a mirror flipping up is a benefit in all cases. Also, you can use just about any lens ever made on this camera. Nikon, Leica, Canon, Pentax, C Lenses. You lose auto focus on any auto focus lenses and there is no accurate way to adjust your aperture on G series lenses. While the GH1 sensor was by far the best M4/3 sensor and equaled most DX sensors of its generation, it did not quite stand up to the D90 sensor. I expect the D7000 to have a higher Dynamic Range and be an overall better sensor. However, that difference will not be noticeable to the lay users. What you get is a noticeably smaller and lighter camera that out handles any DSLR on the market and has the best video capabilities. In my opinion the GH2 will be the best all-around camera of its generation. The GH1 is the camera I reach for 90% of the time when I shoot for pleasure. When Panasonic puts out a full Pro line of lenses, I will use it more in the Pro situations. I am sure the GH2 will be my new go to camera.

Save 10% Off

Nikon D5200 W/ 18-55mm AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens + Sigma 70-300mm Zoom Lens + Case + 32GB + Filte

I purchased this package a little over a year ago. It came with two Li rechargeable batteries. One was from Nikon, but the second was not. The second one fit too tightly, and I had to sandpaper it down a little to make it fit. I was using it recently when it ran out of juice much too soon. When I went to remove it from the camera it was so snug that I had to use a pocket knife to get it out. This is a sure sign that the battery is going bad. In retrospect, I now believe that it had begun failing when I received it. I can't help but feel that I had been sent a used (possibly reconditioned) battery. Other than that, the camera and other accessories were as advertised.

LOVE this camera!! I was undecided for a long time...between Nikon and Cannon and then all the different types of cameras. I made the right descision!! It is perfect! I priced around and this package is well worth the money....

Buy Nikon D5200 W/ 18-55mm AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens + Sigma 70-300mm Zoom Lens + Case + 32GB + Filte Now

Always wanted to jump into a DSLR Csmera. Intimidating to purchase from the multitude of products.

As always when you buy you find those "why not this" choices, like the Nikon D90...cheaper etc etc but side by side comparisons I still prefer the D5000 and what i paid for this package.

Read Best Reviews of Nikon D5200 W/ 18-55mm AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens + Sigma 70-300mm Zoom Lens + Case + 32GB + Filte Here

Polaroid Pro Video Condenser Shotgun Microphone For The Nikon 1 J1, V1, D40, D40x, D50, D60, D70, D

i have the nikon d5000 and this mic i ordered dosent even have the right input for it.. please beware and buy somewhere else the customer service was just a answering message and they never called me back with my issue... buyer beware!!!! ur better off going to radioshack and having them pick a mic for u

The announcement indicates that the microphone is compatible with Nikon D5000, however this is not true. D5000 does not have the connector to use this microphone.

Buy Polaroid Pro Video Condenser Shotgun Microphone For The Nikon 1 J1, V1, D40, D40x, D50, D60, D70, D Now

This is my first review, but I feel obligated to share my experience with this particular item.

I initially got it for the use of my D5000, since the product advertised that it was compatible. This got me pretty excited because the audio on that body is really despicable and useless when sound is concerned. I got it pretty promptly, but was disappointed to see that it required a mic input that the D5000 unfortunately lacked, so buyer beware. It's somewhat my fault for neglecting to check that small detail, but the title was very misleading.

But to be fair, I should really base my review on the item, right? Well it's not too satisfactory in that department either. I got the opportunity to test it on the newer D5100 model, and the audio with the external microphone is marginally different. Tested multiple times in loud situations, I found that it helps lessen distortion and peaking, but just a fraction better than the inbody microphone of the D5100. Keep in mind that the model I have has exceptionally good audio recording already, and tested the quality with loud live music. So if your camera really has poor sound, it might be worth the price.

I should also give it credit for being really easy to use right out of the box. I just had to put in the battery, plug it in, and switched it on. However, the light would flicker once when I switched to on, but wouldn't stay lit to signify that it was continually on. A small issue, but was something I noticed.

Read Best Reviews of Polaroid Pro Video Condenser Shotgun Microphone For The Nikon 1 J1, V1, D40, D40x, D50, D60, D70, D Here

I'll admit right away that I don't have this product, but I did notice that it says Nikon 1 J1. I have a J1, it doesn't even have a mic input so there is no way that this mic would work with it. I'm just writing this review not to hate on it but just in case someone is considering the J1 and thinks that the thing has a Mic Input because of this.

Want Polaroid Pro Video Condenser Shotgun Microphone For The Nikon 1 J1, V1, D40, D40x, D50, D60, D70, D Discount?

Confused about the complaints relating to the D5000... Nowhere does it say this mic is compatible with that model. D3000, D3200, D7000... yes, but not the D5000. Maybe buyers should be sure to read the details on the product before being critical of things it isn't meant to do.

The mic seems to be fine for the price and what it's intended to do.

Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18.0 MP Digital SLR Camera Body & EF-S 18-135mm IS Lens with 32GB Card + Batter

This camera is awesome! I have just started using it in the easy mode and the pictures look great! The quality is wonderful and it is easy to use. I am planning on reading about the more advanced features soon. I am also looking into photography classes. I bought this camera to capture photos of our new baby and now I am thinking of taking his monthly pictures rather than taking him to a professional.

Nikon D3200 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens (Black) + 55-200mm VR Lens + 16

The Nikon D3200 is an excellent high-resolution camera with multiple settings and options yet still easy to use for novice photographers. The bundle of lenses, case, tripod, etc provides pretty much everything needed. One issue is the two telephoto and wide-angle lenses need additional adapters. Otherwise, no complaints.

This was a fantastic purchase. The photos are phenomenol. The colors looks like they have been enhanced they are so vidid.

The package was a great savings. I would highly recommend!

Buy Nikon D3200 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens (Black) + 55-200mm VR Lens + 16 Now

I love this camera and the extra 55-200 lens that comes with it. The accessory kit that comes with it is very basic and a bit sub-standard though. The bag is great and the tripod is adequate for home use but the extra tele and macro lens are not the best quality and tend to distort the pics you take while using them. I love the camera though. It takes great photos and the auto-focus option makes it really simple to get really good shots, even for the novice. Love it.

Read Best Reviews of Nikon D3200 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens (Black) + 55-200mm VR Lens + 16 Here

I did a lot of research before buying a DSLR and finally settled on the Nikon D3200 package and I couldn't be happier. I had been using a Nikkromat film camera for many years and knew that Nikon made great products. To be fair some of my friends own Canons and they seem wonderful as well but I'm a bit of a Nikon fan I guess. The kit that I bought came with an 18-55 lens and a 55-200 lens both of which suit my needs perfectly. I use the camera mostly to get reference material for my drawings and paintings, so I need to be able to get great close-ups and long distance shots and this camera really delivers. I know some people complain about the lens you get with kits but these are both Nikon lens and produce fantastic results. Would highly recommend this camera kit.

Want Nikon D3200 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens (Black) + 55-200mm VR Lens + 16 Discount?

I bought this to replace my olympus DSLR. It is light and the pictures are phenomenal! The camera is easy to use and the accessories are fantastic.

Nikon D80 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-135mm AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens

[Following is a reprint of my body only review. I placed a review of the lens at the end.]

The Nikon D80, destined to replace the popular D70 series, is a great camera for Nikon fans who wish to upgrade from their D50s, 70s or 100s. It's also attractive enough to maybe get a few people to jump ship!

Here's the highlights:

1) 10.2 megapixel. A substantial upgrade from the 6mp of the older cameras, performance should be very comparable to the highly regarded D200 camera;

2) 11-point AF system. Similar again to the D200 in performance (though not as easy to change);

3) Large viewfinder (.94x magnification). Again, taken from the D200, this is a clear improvement over the previous cameras. Spec wise, this is also better than all the competition, even though other, personal preference factors need to be taken into consideration (such as layout of LCDs and focusing points).;

4) 2.5" LCD. Not only is it larger, it can also be viewed at a much wider angle--particularly handy when locked to a tripod.

The camera is small for Nikon (about like the D50), but has a good, firm grip for those with medium to larger hands. Controls are well thought out--easy to get to and use. Dampening of mirror noise is better than its competition.

Nikon's use of the SDHC format should be commended. These small cards will have no real disadvantage to the older CF hards once the HC versions start hitting the shelves, and should relieve the danger of "bent pins".

Things you've liked about previous Nikons have been retained. The D80 uses inexpensive wireless & wired remotes, and it still allows the built-in flash to control other Nikon Speedlights remotely.

Compared to the competition, the Canon Rebel XTi & Sony Alpha 100, the Nikon starts a bit in the hole, considering it's the most expensive camera (by $200 & $100, respectively). The XTi offers a nice "anti-dust" hardware & software solution; while the Sony offers in camera stablization. Both use the rear LCD for info status. While many may prefer the traditional LCD on top (like the D80), the rear LCD does have the advantage of being considerably larger text for older eyes (and on the Alpha, rotates when you rotate the camera for verticals). Too bad the D80 doesn't give you this option as well.

The XTi is smaller and lighter, maybe too small for many people. The XTi also does not offer wireless capability with the built-in flash (like D80/A100). It's battery (hence capacity) is a bit smaller.

The Alpha 100 being Sony's first modern digital SLR means that getting lenses and accessories my be a bit more difficult (even though it uses a lot from the older Maxxum cameras). It's also a bit noiser in its operations.

The D80 adds more AF selections than either of the above cameras, has nice enhancements like grid lines and double exposures. It also comes with a protective cover for the rear LCD.

Lens wise, they greatly outnumber those offered by Sony, particularly in any considered "Pro" grade. While Canon can compete in "Pro" grade with Nikon (particularly in longer length lenses), Nikon has a bit of advantage in wider angles for digital. Nikon only offers one size digital sensor, where as Canon must offer two series (for 3 different chip sizes).

Is the D80 worth the money? For anyone with Nikon lenses, undoubtedly. My recommendation for anyone with Canon EF or Minolta Maxxum lenses: look at those cameras first...but be sure to look at the D80 before you buy.

Lens review: Tremendous! The Nikkor 18-135 gives everybody what they want, an affordable lens with above average quality.

First, the 18-135 range is excellent for a kit lens, equivalent of a 27-200 in 35mm photography. It looks great, zooms smoothly, and balances well. The Silent Wave focusing motor is quiet, quick and smooth, and allows immediate manual focus (no hunting for switches). The internal focus is great for anyone using polarizing filters, and allows for a more efficient tulip shaped lens hood (supplied).

Second, the image quality is very good. The aperture is of average size, so don't expect images to jump out like large aperture lenses, but quality is good throughout the range.

Third, Nikon always includes a better than average 5 year warranty in the US on their lenses.

The only negative is that I always prefer a metal lens mount to a plastic one, although the latter keeps both the weight and cost down.

Since this camera just hit the streets less than 2 weeks ago, I obviously haven't had this for a super long time, but I moved to the D80 as an upgrade from the terrific D50, and the D80 takes care of every single minor nitpick I had with the D50, and then takes it even beyond that. Moreover, since I moved from the D50 and not a D70-series, I was thrilled that the D80 uses Secure Digital (SD) flash cards, which I used for not only my D50, but for my Casio EX-Z750 point and shoot as well.

As with the D50, the D80 just feels terrific in my hand. I was concerned initially because the ergonomics of the grip have been ever so slightly modified (more like that of the D70s than the D50), and I really liked the feel of the D50. However, once I got the D80 and actually started using it and shooting with it, the concern evaporated quickly. The D80 is a complete success ergonomically... it feels solid and substantial without being excessively heavy. Nikon has really always excelled in this niche, which isn't something that shows up in most reviews or on any test charts. Moreover, the controls are very logically placed, easy to identify and use in real-world photography, and the menus are intuitive and highly functional.

This camera is FAST. It's senseless to really even try to quantify it because the numbers (less than 0.1 second to start up) just don't convey how instantaneous shooting with this camera is. There's no discernible shutter lag, and shot-to-shot time is as fast as you need it to be. The D80 can fire up to 3 frames per second, up to 100 JPGs deep. Amazing for a sub-$1,000 camera.

The things missing from the D50 that the D80 addresses? Backlit LCD, superimposable gridlines in the finder, depth of field preview, one-button bracketing, bright and large viewfinder, one-touch zooming on picture playback, ISO equivalency down to 100, and a snap-on clear plastic cover for the monitor.

As a bonus, some of the in-camera retouching options are fantastic. You can take a color shot, then convert it to B&W with a red filter (still preserving your original image). You can utilize red-eye reduction (in the uncommon instances when it occurs at all), and Nikon's D-lighting is the digital equivalent of dodging and burning, and I love it. There is even a color balance shift function which is fun to play with.

The autofocusing on the camera is staggeringly fast when coupled with the right lens. (I recommend the Nikon 18-70mm DX lens; I'm not a fan of the kit lenses offered with the D80. They're very good optically, but the build quality is lacking for my personal tastes.) Like other Nikon dSLRs, the D80 has an independent AF-assist light (some other cameras rely on the flash unit for this). For AF lenses utilizing the screw-driven focusing mechanism, there is a noticeable increase in focusing speed over the D50. You can also employ an 11-segment dynamic AF grid and select which segment will be used for the point of focus.

A word about the pop-up flash: It's brilliant. Rarely does a camera with a built-in flash get it right so often with such consistency. I took numerous flash photos in sometimes varying and difficult lighting situations, and the D80 nailed it every single time.

The LCD is the best I've seen to date on any camera. Plenty of cameras have 2.5" monitors now, but this one has 230,000 pixels and is gorgeously sharp and detailed. You can view it from any angle in a 170-degree arc. Similarly, the viewfinder is a major improvement over both the D50 and the D70 series. Rather than utilizing a cheaper pentamirror like some of the competition, Nikon elects to use a genuine pentaprism which allows the finder to be nice and bright. Additionally, the diopter control knob with detents for each setting is a welcome change from the slider on the D50.

Image quality is superb, as one would expect from a 10.2 MP dSLR. I like sharp, vivid pictures, and the D80 delivers. Different processing algorithms can be selected in the menu to yield different degrees of sharpness and saturation. I haven't had any of my photos from the D80 printed out yet; only viewed them on a 19" monitor, but they look terrific. The D80 can also shoot NEF (RAW) files simultaneously with JPGs in one of three compression modes. Very nice.

Battery life is exceptional. It's fantastic on the D50, even better on the D80. A six-segment display on the top LCD panel shows you how much life remains, or you can go to the menu and see how many shots have been fired since the battery was recharged, an exact percentage (to 1%) of life remaining, and the battery's "charge life" remaining (since any rechargeable battery has a finite number of charge cycles in it).

I bought the 2-lens package from Cameta Camera (available through Amazon, though you can call the camera store directly and get the same package for $40 less than Amazon charges). For my needs, the Tamron 28-80mm lens is, quite frankly, virtually worthless, so it immediately went on eBay, and I bought a new Nikon 18-70mm DX lens in its place (a vastly superior lens). However, the Tamron 70-300mm Di LD Macro lens that's included is a surprisingly good piece of glass. I've shot nature and architectural-type photos with the D80 and the Tamron 70-300mm and was very pleasantly surprised at the results. The lens seems to be quite clear and sharp, it focuses quickly with no "hunting," and the 1:2 macro ratio is terrific. The short end of the zoom range on the 70-300mm is excellent for portrait work; this is enhanced by the foreshortening effect of the long lens. Coupled with the excellent Nikon 18-70mm lens, I have essentially the entire range of useful focal lengths covered (although those 12-24mm super wides do make me drool a bit!). Like many Nikon users, I'd love to have the 18-200mm VR lens, but I'm unwilling to pay a $200-300 premium over its list price simply because it's hard to find anywhere in stock nearly a year after its release. I'll wait.

As for the D80, though, if you have any interest in owning a serious dSLR, buy this camera and don't even think twice about it. For 2006 and likely for 2007, it's the right choice. The D80 is highly recommended as the perfect camera for the advanced amateur or enthusiast photographer. It bridges the gap between the D50 and the D200 perfectly. Pair this camera up with a high-quality lens, and a good photographer will have a tool with which stunning images can be made.

Buy Nikon D80 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-135mm AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens Now

Obviously, I am enamored with the Nikon D80. As one who has extensively used the D100, D70s, and D200, I was curious as to how the D80 would "shake out" in comparison with these fine cameras. The answer is that it does very well indeed.

The most obvious improvement in D80 over the D70s and D100 is the upgrade from 6.1 to 10.2 Megapixels--the same as its "Big Brother," the D200 This is not a major issue for many users, as a 6.1 MP image (uncropped) looks essentially exactly the same as a 10.2 MP image. However, if the user intends to crop images in post-processing, the larger amount of resolution becomes important--the more megapixels the more detail when images are cropped. Shooters of wildlife, for example, will appreciate the additional resolution of the D80, as it is often necessary to photograph wildlife at a distance and then crop the image to cause the subject to dominate the frame.

The other very obvious D80 improvements are the larger viewfinder and larger rear-LCD. These are very welcome improvements, also borrowed from the D200. The viewfinder is wide, bright, and a literal joy to use. Combined with the 11-point autofocus system (basically the same as that of the D200 although with some differences in options) the viewfinder makes the D80 a powerhouse camera for moving subjects, or for framing the subject in places other than the center of the image.

The autofocus is fast and sure. I literally never use manual focus with the D80--the autofocus is just too good not to use for almost every conceivable situation.

The 2.5 inch rear LCD is bright and vivid--a joy to use. This too, as mentioned above, is borrowed from the D200. The menu selections in the D80 closely track those of the D200 and are largely pretty intuitive for anyone who is somewhat familiar with the Nikon system.

A few nits. First of all, the D80 does not have a selection for focus-priority continuous focus mode. This is unfortunate, as such an option (present on the D200) allows fast action shots using continuous-focus with surety that the subject is, in fact, in focus. Happily, this absence (which I predict and hope Nikon will correct in a later firmware revision) is not a huge loss. I have shot hundreds of images of fast-flying birds using continuous focus with the D80 and the images are almost all perfectly focused. The user can trust the D80 in continuous focus mode, focus priority or no.

Nikon chose to equip the D80 with SD cards rather than CF cards. Why Nikon did this is a mystery to many of us as the D80 clearly is an upgrade to the wonderful D70s, which uses CF cards. Further, the D80 is a fantastic backup camera for D200 users, and the D200, of course, also uses CF cards rather than SD cards. CF cards would have been a more logical choice in my opinion for the D80. Fortunately, the cost of these media is dropping so fast that this is less of an issue than it would have been a few years ago.

The D80 sucks up power a lot faster than the D70s. That 2.5 inch LCD entails higher power use as a price. Most users will want to own a spare battery.

As to ergonomics, the D80 is terrific! I have just finished an 8 day stay on Maui, Hawaii, during which my D80 was literally always with me. The weight of the camera is low, and its bulk, reasonable. There is no digital SLR I would rather carry for an extended period than the compact D80. The placement of the various controls is excellent, and pretty intuitive. The quality of the D80 body construction is standard Nikon-Prosumer grade, which is to say, excellent albeit not as heavy-duty as the metal-body D200.

Overall, the D80 is destined to become one of the great Nikon cameras that will find a place with users all over the world.

Read Best Reviews of Nikon D80 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-135mm AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens Here

To date, in my opinion this DSLR is by far the best Camera for the money. The image quality is outstanding. I upgrade to the D80 just last week, moving up from my D70s, and I can say that after 10 minuets of shooting, it was worth every penny, in face it should be worth more than its going for. It has the feel of my D70s but better, I always found the D70s to be a little bit too bulky. The D80 is a little smaller, and a lot easier on my hands (I have large hands too), I did however find it to be a little short from top to bottom.

I also purchased the MB-D80 Battery Grip, this fixed my fitment issue. Not only does this allow you to add another battery (Or 6AA which is great for a pinch with two dead Li-ions), vertical shutter release, Aperture, shutter setting scroll knob,and AE-l AF-L Lock button. It also makes the whole camera more steady and a little bit more heavy, which is a good thing, this means less lens blur especially for zoom lens (like the 18-135). Look at the $4,000 Nikon D2X and the D80 with MB-D80 Battery grip side by side, this gives you an idea of the professionalism, simply in the camera size and layout.

Getting back to the D80, This is basically a D200 mini, if you will. Other than the smaller body, and the slightly different auto exposure metering system, you are holding a D200 for $700 less. In short, if you are looking to upgrade from a D50, D70(s) Cannon Rebel Xt, or would like a worthy back up, or even your first DSLR. This is it, a professional grade camera, with easy to use features, and even better all around quality.Its great for anyone really.

Nikkor lens are amazing quality as well, I have always preferred them to Cannon's. If you are thinking about getting the 18-135mm with the D80, I would recommend it. Overall, the lens is sharp and clear, with a great range that does not sacrifice too much considering the range. I would however recommend getting the Nikkor 18-200mm VR over this lens if you can afford the extra money. I have used both(and own the 18-135) and they are both great lenses, but if you are Serious the 18-200 VR will be the only lens you would ever need in that range, the Vibration Reduction (VR) will remove blur for up to four stops higher than what you would normally be able to shoot at.This is great for low light, and considering how great the D80 performs in low light anyways with its built in Noise Reduction and wonderful ISO quality, even at 1600. Its a perfect combination for anyone who is half way serious about pictures. I am a Photography Student, and even my professor is astonished with the resolution and quality.

I hope this helps a little bit!

Want Nikon D80 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-135mm AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens Discount?

I resisted "going digital" until now, but my wife got me a D80 for Christmas. I've worked in photography but for many years it has been a hobby (which I prefer), and I've owned Nikon F2, F3HP, Bronica 6x6, and various 4x5 view cameras. One thing I've always struggled with in using the highly convenient 35mm SLR format is enlargement capability with such small format images. Once you've used 4x5 it's hard to settle for the graininess and low resolution of most 35mm films (Kodachrome excepted). But the 10 megapixel D80 may finally solve this for me.

The D80 + 18-135mm ED lens is an amazing package, and I salute Nikon for offering the new digital SLR this way. The capabilities of the D80 with this lens are impressive--and far beyond my rudimentary digital knowledge at this point. But learning how it all works is going to be a whole heck of a lot of fun.

Most of my reluctance over "going digital" evaporated the first time I plugged the D80's USB cord into my computer and watched the images I'd just taken load automatically into Adobe Photoshop Elements. Literally a few moments later I watched a beautiful slide show of my images--with music to boot--play across the computer screen with incredible clarity and resolution. Wistful memories of Kodachrome? Well yes, but I think I'll get over them with this camera.

One worry I had as an eyeglass wearer was whether the D80's viewfinder and eyepiece would allow me to see the entire image plus the exposure info while shooting---other digital SLRs I've tried were problematic in this. But I find the view through the D80 eyepiece is nearly as good as my F3 High Eyepoint body. This is significant and telling to me, since the D80 is decidedly an amateur camera while the F3 was Nikon's flagship pro SLR in its day.

Criticisms: not many at this point. The camera feels too light to me, but I'm used to the F3/MD3 motor drive combo, which most photographers today would think a punishment to carry and use. I'm inclined to say that the array of options in programming, exposure adjustment, autofocus, etc. is dizzying to me, and I'm not sure how much of it is really necessary. But, again, I think it will be fun playing with all the obscure settings.

An amazing machine, highly recommended--even for old guys like me.

******************

Update: After using the D80 for a month I just purchased the MB-D80 battery pack for it, and my reaction to using this combination is that the basic camera doesn't feel complete to me without the vertical grip and the extension of the standard grip that the battery pack provides. Granted the MB-D80 adds quite a bit of bulk to the camera, but being used to motor driven F3s and F2s it still feels quite trim and light to me. It also makes the D80 more like my F3/MD3 in that I can use AA batteries in an emergency. Great accessory for a very nice camera.

Canon FS21 Dual Flash Memory Camcorder w/16GB Internal Memory & 48x Advanced Zoom - 2009 MODEL

First off, let's be clear, this is a standard definition camera. Even thought Cannon's high-definition camcorders (HF) series are within about $100 of the price of this camera, I decided to stay with standard definition (for now) for the following reasons:

1. I wanted ease of transfer and an easy ability to edit and burn DVD's of my videos without having to upgrade my whole set up to handle the HD recording format.

2. Video editing times for HD video are ridiculously, painflully long. I have a quad core with 8 GB of ram and the time to compile a video project was crazy. I simply think the HD video has outpaced current home computing power. Maybe in another couple years computers will catch up.

3. Most of the software that I've tried that have the capability of editing and burning hi-def video are very unstable. Again, I just think that the home editing technology hasn't caught up withthe video technology yet. there seems to be a lot of compatibility issues with the MPEG4-AVC / H.264 high definition media format.

So I decided to stick with a standard definition camera (for now). I chose this camera because:

1. Dual flash drive memory format. I'm so sick of dealing with direct to DVD or DV video cameras, and all of the issues of transfering and converting that information to the computer. I wanted something that got recorded directly to solid state...no more read errors or disc errors. This fits the bill wonderfully! Video gets recorded directly to camera's internal memory, plug it into the computer and it downloads quickly and painlessly to and MPEG format. No more dealing with .VOB DVD files! Two thumbs up here.

2. Cannon optical zoom. Very good zoom. Maintains quality throughout the zoom range. Prior to this camera, the most zoom I ever had in a cam corder was 10 time optical. Having this much zoom is a big bonus.

3. Built in light and mike jack. Although the built in video light isn't tremendously powerful, it is better than no light at all. And I love the external mike jack. I can record performaces of friends bands with an audio line out directly from the PA console. Makes for super sound quality in otherwise difficult audio conditions. Most cameras at this price point don't have either option.

4. Cannon name. I've always gone back and forth between Cannon, Nikon, and Panasonic for camera/video products. Althought this is a generalization, Cannon always seems to have the most accurate colors. Especially in the blues...Cannon seems to have the "bluest" blues and the competitors always seem to have a purplish tint to their blues.

My experience has been good. I confess I have been a bit disappointed with the video quality, but i have to keep reminding myself this is a standard definition camera. It looks as good if not slightly better than my past video cameras. I was hoping the video quality would be significantly better, but perhaps that was just an unrealistic expectation on my part.

I've had no problems with the included softare. Everything installed easy as pie and began downloading test videos without any error. The resulting files downloaded to the computer are MPeg files, which are able to be played by a host of media players (Windows Media Player, Real Player, VLC Media player, etc.) as well as the bundled software. I e-mailed some files to family and they were able to open in WMP by double clicking on the attachment. I'm so happy with the ease of downloading, sharing, and editing files that I wish I bought a camera like this years ago.

I will say that the included video editing software is OK, but if you want to do anything other than the most basic trimming and joining of clips for burning to a DVD, you will need third party software. I could get by with what's included, by as I've gotten better and more practice at creating and editing home movies, I'm enjoying a lot of the flashy feature of my third party video editing software. But for basic DVD creation, the software is adequate.

Finally, the camera is very compact and lightweight. No more big camera bags to lug around. I can fit this in my jacket pocket. Overall very happy with this camrea. I was looking for something that was much more user friendly than my past error-riddled cameras, and I found it.

I've been very disappointed with my Canon FS21. The drivers are still not up on their web site and I have not been able to find any articles. Specifically, it has just been a huge chore to download the video files (pictures work just fine) to my Vista machine. I do some IT work, so I set up an XP machine and thought I'd be done with it, but it is still a hassle.

Working with the software is most of my problem. There are several editing programs (video and audio) that came with the camcorder. That means I keep having to try the various programs when I tweak something to try to get it to work. I really with there was one program and then more importantly some help on the Canon (or the software vendor's) web site.

The picture for the videos is not as good as I expected either. I knew that its weakness was in low light from other reviews, but it is pretty unusable if it is even kind of dark (there is a little light, but it isn't enough to overcome the weaknesses). Also, it is just kind of pixelated in its highest def. I bought a Canon FS21 in December for $300 less that is just a better camcorder.

Amazon was great, I needed it right away and paid for the improved shipping and it came when it was supposed to.

My final complaint is that I went to the Canon web site and made a review just like this one (back then I gave it 2 stars overall) and they took it down. I promise I didn't swear or anything! That disappointed me a lot because I had used their site to choose it and I guess now I know why I ended up bummed about my purchase and their support of it.

Buy Canon FS21 Dual Flash Memory Camcorder w/16GB Internal Memory & 48x Advanced Zoom - 2009 MODEL Now

Bought this Canon FS21 over a year ago to make videos from my deer blind. Bought it because of the Consumer Reports ratings (#1). Read reviews on web and most stated difficulties transfering videos to home computers. I should have paid attention to the reviews on editing videos and transfering to home computer. To this day, have not been able to achieve either. The software that comes with the camera is a total piece of @@@@@. Again, I should have paid more attention to the reviews. Totaly dissatisfied with this camera and feel really stupid for buying it.

Read Best Reviews of Canon FS21 Dual Flash Memory Camcorder w/16GB Internal Memory & 48x Advanced Zoom - 2009 MODEL Here

I got this camera in an emergency for my disney family vacation. Not sure until i recieved this puppy. Once I saw it out of the box. I was impressed with size and ease of use. video quality is good. but photo quality is not that great unless u have a very good light. all in acceptable. I did not do a big research yet with software and all.But copied all the vidoes to my sdhc card and downloaded to usb drive and uploaded to youtube with no problem.

I hope this helps

Want Canon FS21 Dual Flash Memory Camcorder w/16GB Internal Memory & 48x Advanced Zoom - 2009 MODEL Discount?

I have used the Canon FS21 to record several soccer matches and a family gathering since I purchased it several weeks ago. I have not been disappointed with any aspect of this camera. The manual was quickly read, and if I were to be honest with myself I would have to admit that there are features on this camera that I have not yet used or understand. However, that has not prevented me from creating several very satisfactory DVDs of high school soccer tournaments.