Olympus SP-720UZ 14MP 26x Opt Zoom 3-Inch LCD Digital Camera - Black

I purchased this camera from a source other than Amazon. The purchase was made because my wife and I were going on a vacation, and our older Canon is no longer working. Overall, we are very pleased with the features and picture quality of this camera. Our trip was to Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Park. We took several hundred pictures and found the pictures had wonderful color and clarity whether shooting the red and white "hoodoos" and cliffs of Bryce Canyon or a closeup of cactus in bloom. A few pictures had less than perfect focus, but at least in some cases, that probably had more to do with the photographer than the camera. We have also used it with good results at an indoor family event, where we got some nice pictures with or without flash.

The only negatives I experienced are relatively minor. At the longest zoom length the camera will struggle to focus on a moving object. No surprise there, I think that's probably one of the toughest things to ask a camera to do. I was also a little disappointed at the shutter lag considering it has a CMOS image sensor which is supposedly quicker than a CCD sensor. You may miss the best pictures of your young grandkids when they aren't able to sit still and hold a pose.

Takes great detailed shots. That's exactly why this item was purchased. Great response in delivery as well! Nice packaging. Would like to know what camera case would be good for this. Would like to have an option to include additional memory as well.

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I purchased this camera for $179 from QVC, wanting a little more zoom than a standard point and shoot. Took camera to Mexico on vacation and used for Xmas also. Any photo taken with the flash appears washed and has white spots that look like overexposure no matter how far or close I stood from the subject. Also flash would not fire in Auto mode ??? Had to set it to other modes to get it to work.

I contacted Olympus since the manual was no help. I sent over 20 emails back and forth to Olympus trying to attach sample photos to show them. Their email server continually rejected all the emails with photos attached even within the file size range they suggested. I finally gave up. I spent $40 at Best Buy for an extra battery also.

I had to send the camera back after making every effort on my end to correct issues. What a disappointment!

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Mitsubishi HC1600 720p DLP Home Theater Projector

• Native 720p Resolution
• 1700 ANSI lumens
• Exclusive Mitsubishi Brilliant Color technology
• 2500:1 contrast ratio
• Up to 3000 hours lamp life

I see today that this projector which I bought two weeks ago for $671 on Amazon is now $654. I had been considering the Panasonic AE-3000 which is the best selling 1080 projector. I happened to see the Mitsu and its low price and I bought it on a whim. I guess my whim threshold is around $675.

The Panasonic is not dropping in price. It has cost about $2,200 for the last half year.

So if the most popular 1080 Panasonic costs three times as the most popular 720 Misubishi, does that mean that the Mitsu is junk?

I don't think so.

When the 1080 projectors first were released a Dutch HT hobbyist group set up an experiment. They took a 1080 and a 720 model from a major manufacturer and showed them to their membership in a controlled setting. Most people thought they looked very much alike but a small majority favored the 720 version.

How could that be? Well 1080 LCD projector were generally less bright then. But the Dutchmen had tried to make the projected images equally bright. In the end they couldn't explain why the lower resolution projectors looked slightly better than the higher resolution machines.

Today 1080 machines are praised by all the reviewers as being sharper than 720 models. But remember these reviewers are all in the video equipment sales business in one way or another. You can't get demo models of new projectors unless you are seen as helpful by the manufacturers. If you imply that the latest technical advance in projectors is trivial you won't get invited to the preview demonstrations or get a test sample to review.

Video front projection equipment is almost never available in a standard store for critical review by the customer. Who has ever seen a 1080 machine side by side with a 720 machine? This makes the front projector customer uniquely vulnerable to a few "impartial" experts.

I'm not saying that there are no differences between a $2,500 or a $7,500 projector and a $650 Mitsu 1600. I'm just pointing out that few of us really are in a position to judge so we are forced to rely on the opinions of web journalists who have an economic stake in the question.

I suspect that under controlled conditions most people would ignore resolution differences between 1080 and 720 projectors. Brightness matters as does ANSI contrast and the Mitsu 1600 has plenty of both. As a DLP machine it has no screen door. Screen door was a 480 problem for LCD projectors. IMHO color differences between projectors are also trivial. Most customers never adjust much of anything and of those that do probably as many misadjust as properly adjust. Some people prefer a rosy tinted picture just as some people liked HiFi speakers with a mid range bump.

I run my projector in a room with a ten foot wide window for which I have opaque drapes. However the Mitsu is so bright I can now watch TV in the daytime with the drapes drawn. Today is overcast and still winter, the screen is brighter than the view out the window. That probably won't be true in August. Nor would I suspect that the image would look very good at High Noon in the Kalihari, but I'm happy.

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Purchased this projector to be the focal point of my 13Ft x 20Ft "man-cave" in my basement-which has now turned into our favorite family room. Paid retail at a big box store to later have it price matched within 30 days for $760 to one of the Amazon sellers price that has a store in the area. With what i saved on the price match on the projector and an Onkyo HTS-5100B, i basically got a killer Bluray player for free. Its incredible what a serious beginner HD Home Theater/Projector rig you can put together under $1500 with products like the Mitsubishi HC1600 on the market.

It is projecting ~12ft onto a floor standing 80" 16:9 silver screen. System consists of an Xbox 360 w/ HD DVD player, a Panasonic DMP-BD55K Bluray player and HD Cable box(Optimum/Cablevision). The Xbox 360 and Bluray player both feed the picture via a 25Ft HDMI cable from an Onkyo HTR576 Receiver. Cable through Component.

Pros: The HC1600 delivered with its excellent brightness and superb image contrast. The picture is quite outstanding regardless of media, fast paced Xbox 360 games like Gears of War2 and NBA2k9 have great colors, sharp and solid contrast, and play without a hickup visually. No scaling lag notable, courtesy of DLP's superior response time. I am very happy with this projector's performance for gaming!

The same can be said of watching HD film Bluray or HD DVD's, the picture really pops for a 720p projector and i found the black levels to be surprisingly good(Go DarkChip2!). The picture puts up a fight against my Samsung 1080p 120hz 61" DLP. When the wife notices, it further cements ones judgement. When you take price/value into consideration, this Mitsubishi has made me a projector convert. Theres no better way to watch film on a large screen. HD Cable looks equally as vibrant via component, however cant say I've tested the VGA port as of yet.

HD cable sports look impressive, just like being at the game. This projector achieves a very bright picture in LOW LAMP mode, achieving a very close to Normal Lamp mode brightness by engaging the Sports Gamma Mode setting, of which sitting directly under the Projector the fan noise is super quiet. I cant say even in normal lamp mode the fan noise has become an issue either, never caught my attention and thats a good thing. I found color good out of the box, but it was not very far from the current sweet spot after a little tinkering with color and contrast settings. I found plenty of flexibility in framing the picture with its shutter functions,digital keystone, and vertical location options. It is currently custom shelf mounted. I have a dimmer switch and we can watch this thing with plenty of ambient light and be very satisfied with the picture. Remote is straight forward, nothing fancy but effective and is backlit.

Cons: If you are one who 'looks' for rainbows you may find'm on occasion.

For me its when I blink my eyes terribly fast or quickly pull your sight away from a moving image and back, its not some sort of 'ghost' that will haunt your viewing experience..lol. I dont suffer from eye fatigue/headaches watching this projector, nor have I had any of the dozen or so people that have auditioned or sat though a whole movie mention it or point it out. So i think the whole rainbows/DLP thing can be grossly taken out of context as most critical things one reads on the internet. I play lots of fast film content and video games through this thing and its not an issue for me.

My only other quirk is the lack of additional HDMI connections, but for a product in this price range I havent found another option that offers multiple HDMI.

Conclusion: I gave it 5 Stars because for the price it is not a pretenderit packs exceptional value and performance for an entry level rig, that is bright enough to use in non light controlled/ambient light filled environments and also serve well as a business projector. The color balance, solid contrast and brightness truly make the HC1600 a viable HDTV solution in the era of LCD and Plasma displays...only ala carte BIGGER picture!;-)

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I won't get too detailed, but this projector was one of two projectors I had in my mind to buy. I bought this unit and the optoma hd65, and I wound up keeping the optoma due to the better color reproduction that the unit produced. The Mitsu has wonderful sharpness and extreme brightness, but overall satisfaction, I went with the Optoma. I actually had a test room with both units running on different screens (side by side) and the optoma right out of the box had much better color. Especially the black detail. The mitsu really had issues with the black detail. If you want a much more extensive review, check out projectorreviews.com. I have nothing to do with them, but they do extensive testing and research.

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I just got my HC1600 projector, so I cant tell about it durability or something like that, but I can say about its image quality.

I was thinking between this Mitsubishi and the Epson Powerlite, also 720p, but $400 above.

So I decided for this one and used the 400 on the Onkyo S5100 Home Theater

I'm very very veeeery happy (one more very..) with my decision.

I'm preatty sure that Epson's Powerlite is a great projector, probably better than this one (it must have a why for the price), but obviously you will buy only one projector and put it on you room, you will not have the other one to compare, and if the one you bought is good enought you will not be sorry for buying that one.

That's what happended with me. I wanted a nice 720p projector and I got a nice 720p projector for a nice price.

I made a screen for it (that's right, a Do It Youself screen) and turned on "my new toy". I may say it is much better than I expected.

As for any projector it is desrible a dark room, so with the light off for me its same image you get with a TV, but with the huge diference that you get a huge screen.

My screen is 67' width, so it's bigger than most large TVs, but you can get a much larger screen if you have enought room.

The high definition image is great, and for me its esential for a projector.

Summarizing, I thing Mitsubishi HC1600 projector is the best choice for a 720p projector. There are other opptions where you gonna expend more money, but if you really have money go for a 1080p projector, that's worth. If you are a Cinema lover and have limited resources, I suggest this projector and if there is any money left use it on you home theater sound, like I did with Onkyo S5100 (which also deserve a big review).

That's it.. good luck

I loved my projector for the first year. Great picture, very little noise, etc. About 14 months after I bought it, it picked up an extremely annoying whine the kind that you get from an off-balance wheel spinning at very high speeds. I blame the deadbeat roommate who was watching it 16 hours a day for weeks on end (apparently lack of rent money isn't the only downside of having an unemployed roommate), but I'm still rather disappointed that the projector couldn't handle it.

Anyway, back to the projector. I'm positive that it's the color wheel (the fan keeps spinning for a while after it shuts down, and it's a very different sound from that). Either a bearing is bad or the wheel is slightly off-balance. I've called Mitsubishi's service line looking for someone who can repair it, but the closest place that Mitsubishi would tell me is in Portland (I'm in Seattle) and they'll charge me about $150 just to come look at it, plus any repair charges. After getting that quote, I decided to try to open it up for a little surgery but I couldn't quite get to the point where the color wheel was exposed.

So now I'm left trying to decide whether it's worth $150 for a chance that someone can fix it for more money or buying a new projector. The funny thing is that I'm considering getting another one because for the price point, this really is a great projector. My recommendation, though, is to go ahead and get the extended warranty because fixing this sure isn't cheap.

Sony NEX-VG30H Handycam

First, please note this review covers the Sony NEX-VG30H camcorder. All NEX-VG30H camcorders come with a 200mm zoom lens included in the package. This review does NOT pertain to the Sony NEX-VG30 camcorder which does NOT come with an included 200mm zoom lens. Note the picture of the item being reviewed has a zoom lens on it.

I have had this camera for a few weeks now and have had time to run it through it's paces. I'm going to do something different and list what I think the pros and cons are to this camera.

Pros:

Zoom control can be programmed to either do digital zoom or operate the power zoom on the lens.

The power zoom on the lens can be programmed for slow, medium or fast zoom using a switch on the side of the lens.

Has both mic and headphone jacks

The electronic viewfinder is crispy clear and allows you to focus it for YOUR vision, eliminating the need to wear glasses or contacts when using the viewfinder. Exposure, battery info, sound level info and more and unobtrusively displayed iin the viewfinder.

All essential controls are easily within reach and the camcorder itself is well balanced.

Picture quality is sharp and clean under most conditions that I have tried it in including motion at 40 mph while shooting out a car window, still scenes such as downtown buildings and people walking, walks in the park and so on. For faster motion than that, I would probably set the cam in 60p mode 28mp/s and downconvert later if needed. I shot mostly in 60i mode at 24mp/s. In brightly lighted conditions, depth of field is awesome with this cam and it does better than most camcorders I've tried in low light conditions as well.

The software isn't too bad but I've seen better video editing software out there than what this comes with.

Cons: a very slight moire effect was noted in a few scenes that had pine tree needles up close and on certain brick structures shot at zoomed out distances. This is fairly normal for most high-megapixel digital cameras and video and is not a `deal-breaker' as far as I'm concerned. Adding a $180 67mm moire filter would fix this if you're that picky. The auto-focus is sometimes (not always) a little slower than I'd like to see. Sony should have included more accessories for the price they're asking for this cam, at least an external battery charger. For those of you who want pro-audio inputs. guess what? Sony in it's infinite wisdom did not include them. Sony wants BIG BUCKS for their XLR adapter that's made for this camcorder so I ended up with the BeachTek DXA-HDV High-Performance Camcorder Adapter at 1/2 the cost.

I strongly suggest buying a 67mm UV filter mainly to protect the zoom lens, which, if broken, can be costly to replace or repair. I also suggest buying an sd memory card that is capable of at least 35mb/s. I would rate this camera a very good buy for the price.

UPDATE: Despite the reservations I made note of above, I have been using this camera for quite some time now and I have to say I have always gotten beautiful HD video out of it. Also, I found a need to add pro audio inputs and if you have that need then I suggest the BeachTek adapter listed below. It works perfect with this camcorder.

The one and only complaint I have about it now is that the camera body with lens attached does not fit well when attaching it to a professional video head (for a tripod) such as the Manfrotto 502 Video Head. The reason for this is that the body of the bottom of the zoom lens protrudes just enough to interfere with sliding the camera body and lens onto the mount. There is a nice workaround for this which unless someone wants me to I won't bother to post here. The camera will fit nicely on a basic consumer tripod that has a round head on it.

Accessories that go well with this are:

Sony LCS-VCD Carrying Case for NEX-VG10 Black

Sony ACVQV10 AC Adaptor/Charger -Black

67mm Ultraviolet UV(C) Haze Multicoated Filter

BeachTek DXA-HDV High-Performance Camcorder Adapter, 20 Hz 20 kHz

OK, I'll go first... I've been looking for a replacement for my hdr-fx1000 that does 1080p60 for sports video (hdr-fx1000 is 1080i60). The nex-vg30 seems to have a lot going for it so I ordered one. Here are my limited (so far), impressions of the product after messing around a few hours at home.

The nex-vg30 feels wonderful to hold. It's solid and well balanced in shooting position. It's a little front heavy when you hold it with one hand when not shooting. The materials seem nice and everything fits well with the exception of the lens hood which gets tangled up with the lens zoom controls when it's in the stored position. The lens will retract all the way with the lens hood in the stored position, but I'm a little concerned that it's rubbing the zoom control.

Speaking of zoom control, there is good news and bad news... The good news is that there is a zoom rocker on the body of the camera that will power zoom the selp18200 lens. The lack of power zoom has derailed all my attempts at using DSLRs as video cameras to date. This one seems very smooth and responsive. The bad news is that the body rocker can control the motorized zoom or the digital zoom, but not both at once. Ideally it would have controlled the optical zoom until it was maxed out and then kicked in the digital zoom. This makes the digital zoom almost useless. I know, digital zoom isn't a great thing, but I had hoped to get away with it on occasion since the camera has a large sensor, and I had high hopes that the video quality would hold up for non critical stuff. I do find the zoom mechanical noise to be rather high at this point. The onboard mic definitely picks up zoom noise in a moderately quiet environment. I'm hoping maybe I have a bad copy of the lens since the same lens is used on the even more expensive nex-ea50 and I'm sure many will find the noise unacceptable.

The optical zoom on the selp18200 is listed at 11x. The hdr-fx1000 has a 20x optical zoom and it does have a longer reach in a side by size comparison. I do wish the nex-vg30 + selp18200 had a little longer reach (or better integrated optical/digital zoom).

The nex-vg30 does allow some degree of manual control. You can control iris, gain and shutter speed. The main problem here is you control them through a very small roller wheel that isn't in a really good place if you're hand holding the camera and changing exposure on the fly. The lens does have a control ring on it, but as far as I can tell it's hard assigned to manual focus. The nex-vg30 does not include controls for picture sharpness/saturation. It does have a gain limit control.

I haven't tried any field video with this camera yet, so I'll reserve impressions on video quality until later. My main fear is that there are no built in ND filters like the hdr-fx1000 has and my main use is filming ski racing in pretty bright conditions. The real test will be to see how well the camera can hold focus on a rapidly moving target while managing changes in auto exposure through bright snow and then shadows.

If you buy the nex-vg30, be warned that it doesn't come with an SD card. This isn't a big deal, but be sure to buy one. It does come with the smallish NP-FV70 battery. The battery enclosure will easily hold a NP-FV100 without the battery sticking out the back. A bigger battery might improve the camera balance a little too. It also doesn't come with an external charger. You have to plug the camera in to charge the battery. For a $2700 camera, Sony is a little cheap on the accessories.

For now I'll give the nex-vg30 4 stars pending some time shooting video under real conditions and looking at the results.

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Nice upgrade from my Canon hv30. Beautiful image. Love the viewfinder and the high-res still photos. Getting used to shooting 60p. Love the ease of manual controls (that work while filming). Still appreciate the Canon for it's small size and powerful sensor.

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finally, i got the NEX-VG30H and used and had no problem, it is so easy using it manually. i would recommend it for beginners and professional as well.

Five stars from me .......

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I am really happy with this camera. Video quality is superb and the interchangeable lenses are a nice thing. I had previously the 20 model and there is a difference like from night to day. In all I think is a good buy and I hope I am going to enjoy it for the coming years.

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Epson PowerLite D6250 Business Projector (XGA Resolution 1024x768) (V11H397020)

Worked out of box, very easy set-up, crisp colors and black & white. Quite, low heat, no cool down time. I would recommend this item to anyone needing a quality projector.

Tripp Lite P502-010-RA 10ft SVGA / VGA Monitor Extension Cable with RGB Coax Gold HD15M / Right-ang

I needed this to hook old emachines to new flat screen tv which had pc plug on back. It was the correct pin number and long enough to reach . It works great.

If you remove (temporarily), the thumb screws from the right angle end, the connector will fit through spaces that a normal VGA end will not. I used this cable to run the VGA signal to my TV that is hanging on an articulated arm that has a space about two inches in diameter to run cables through. I now have this cable, the power cord, one RG6 cable, all of the Wii (original, not U) cables, and four right angle HDMI cables all neatly routed through the bracket.

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I needed a VGA cable that would fit through a cable hole that a conventional connector would not fit through. This one went through perfectly and performs perfectly. It connects my ASUS laptop PC to our 60" Sharp video conference TV.

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Seems to be very well built. I used this to mount a TV monitor on the wall, and the 90 degree connector allowed this. However, the cylindrical bulges near both ends stick out too much, and kept the monitor from mounting flush to the wall, so I had to trim them a little with a knife blade (which worked OK, and was quick; to make it 1/4 inch thinner).

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It works like a Charm. I am kind of xtreme with the order of my computer cables, hate the hanging cables, stuff like that, my laptop does not receive a docking so I have to buy angled wires. Thumbs up.

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Fujifilm Finepix Z1 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Silver)

Ok, I guess I have to start by confessing to being a Fujifilm fan. This is my fifth digicam, the previous four being a Fujifilm FinePix 1300, a Fujifilm FinePix 2800, a Fujifilm F410, and a Fujifilm F420.

What a tiny gadget this is, and it still manages to fit in 5 megapixels, and 3x optical zoom. Very fast start up time too. As an architect, I love to be able to whip out and shoot any scenery, sunset or building that catches my fancy at anytime and this serves just fine. This leads me to mention the one gripe some people might have with it, people with large hands/fingers might have problems accessing the tiny buttons, but not me.

And what a stunning looking gadget it is! It comes in 2 colors; silver (the one I went for) and black. Very slim, slimmer than Kate moss, LOL! Never fails to grab attention when I whip it out. Excellent design! To switch on, you slide back the front panel.

It is very simple to use (you literally snap away once you have set up, which is very easy to do) and shortcut buttons eliminate the need to twiddle in the menu section in search of most options such as different flash settings, different resolution settings, Macro mode (amazing close ups), and many others. There are also some pop ups to guide you, reducing your dependence on the manual (which, like all Fujifilm manuals I have seen, is very detailed and easy to use) except for really major issues.

Like I mentioned, the camera has 3x optical zoom. The zoom lens does not project out of the camera. It instead uses a system where it zooms vertically inside the camera and images are reflected to it. Image quality is not compromised at all.

Images viewed in the large 2.5" LCD display are really clear and bright when it is used as a viewfinder, especially for indoor shots. Depending on the light condition of the environment, the LCD automatically adjusts to compensate, enabling you to view in almost any condition, a very good feature, especially as there is no optical viewfinder. This can also be adjusted manually. Oh, and the LCD is extra toughened to resist scratches/breakage. I unwittingly tested this when I accidentally dropped mine LCD face down on some cobbled street. I picked it up with my heart in my mouth and besides a few scratches on the case, no scratch on the LCD. There is also a new feature that enables you to view past photos taken while taking a new one. Cool!

The AF/AE lock is a breeze to use and takes exceptional shots every time. Photo quality is really amazing. You can pick out fine details in the background of the subject. Colours and contrasts are good and sharp. Flash modes are easy to access and dark indoor shots taken using suppressed flash yielded amazing results. Pictures taken without the flash come out amazingly natural looking, thanks to some new low light feature. Outdoor shots on a bright day are unbelievable in their clarity.

A very useful addition is the introduction of a short cut button to get to the timer; previously, one had to go through the menu which involved quite a number of steps.

The Movie clips with audio are very simple to make, and it is very easy to switch between resolutions (320x240 or 160x120). Results are very good as the movies are shot at 30 frames per second which gives TV quality movies. Best results are obtained where there is a lot of light, e.g. outdoors on a sunny day. However, it is amazing to see how the camera adapts rapidly to changes in light conditions while shooting. Length of clips is restricted only by size of memory card.

The video out function enables you to connect the camera to a TV to view images/movie clips. Very good.

Battery life is very good but it's always best to have a spare. The battery charges rather quickly.

The cradle is stylish looking too. I have mine permanently hooked to my PC and just place the camera on it, switch it on, and the software launches and downloads everything quite fast. The cradle also doubles as a tripod stand receiver.

The FinePixViewer software is very good. It is very easy to view folder contents at a glance, set up a slide show, etc. You get lots of print options from full photo, Index 1x2 (2 photos on a sheet), 2x2, through to 7x5.

Print results are simply breathtaking, whatever the size of paper, up to A3. Colours are rich and images very realistic looking.

This is a camera I would recommend without hesitation. It blows away any other camera in its class or price range. If you are looking for a relatively inexpensive, compact, high resolution camera, look no further. The perfect camera for people like me who don't want to do too much adjusting/setting etc. I hope this review helps you.

I am not new to digital cameras. This camera, overall, is more usable than any digital camera I have or have had. I've owned and used the camera for 7 months as of May 06.

I have owned Olympus, Sony and Fuji Digital cameras. This camera by far, as the easiest menus to navigate and are easy to navigate quickly without reading the instructions. The back display is huge and bright, glass reinforced, which a lot of competitors do not have. This keeps away scratches and smashes. The casing is real metal, so you do not have to baby it, and finally, the size and shape of this camera make it very convenient to carry in the front pocket of jeans with no problems. This is the RAZR of digital cameras, in my opinion. It is ready to take pictures very quickly from when you open the lens cover.

The rechargable battery has never died on me before I ran out a 1 GB memory card.

The flash is adequate but a bit slow to recharge. This is not a problem for me however, because I chose this camera for two unique features, First-"Natural Light Mode"-a "flash off" mode that enhances pictures with natural light. I take most of my pictures, even indoors, with no flash, because I like the look of natural light. This camera is great at capturing under those conditions.

The second feature I like about the camera is called "PhotoChrome" mode-it richens colors and makes pictures sort of a "technicolor" look. Print worthy in many cases. I use this in conjunction with the Natural Light Mode.

The only drawbacks I could think of with this camera is that because of the screen size/vs megapixel, sometimes you think a photo has come out clearly by looking at the screen, but if you didn't use flash and moved (which obviously makes pictures blurry) it will show up blurry at full size when you download it to the PC.

The only reason I rated 4 stars instead of 5 is because in super low light situations the fact that a picture is 5 megapixels but you view it on the LCD tricks you to thinking the picture was captured clearly when you might have a slight blur at full size. This may be true of all cameras, I don't know.

This is an auto focus camera. You will get incredibly clear pictures of close ups and regular photos, but you have to let it focus. This is not a "wail your arms around while on a dance floor and snap pictures" camera. Many people detract from the camera because they want it to be a fixed focus camera for situations like described above. Tempting because it is so portable and stylish, but this camera fills the needs of much more than a fixed focus.

I have a 4 megapixel Fuji S3100 for situations where I need mega zoom, but, who wants to lug around a camera bag on the trip to the mall or walmart or work? I also own a Sony DSC-P72 which is not bad at anything, but isn't great at anything either, and is too big and hogs batteries. Previously I owned Olympus digital cameras. I've found the 5 megapixels of the Z1 more than adequate, and I often shoot in 2 or 3. I have the black edition. It does show finger prints. If I had it to do again I'd choose the silver only for that reason.

I carry this camera often because its so convenient, and often those pictures I'd have missed by only owning a larger camera and not lugging it along are captured because of how convenient it is to carry this camera along. Its no burden at all to travel with, produces great results, battery lasts long, and is durable.

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Positives:

I just bought the Fujifilm FinePix Z1. Took it on a weekend at a beachfront spa on Tampa Bay. Took great pics. Very good lowlight shots. It was a cloudy and rainy day but the color was great. Zoom is 3x and you can digitally zoom in on the pic on screen. BTW, the screen display in back is larger and sharper than I've seen on other cameras. Video and stills are sharp and bright in the display. You can zoom the stills while viewing them.

Easily fits in a pocket. Lens is protected and automatically powers down when you close the sliding cover.

Directions were simple. Transferring pics and movies is easy via USB cable or removing the card and plugging it into my pc card reader.

Negatives:

The supplied card is only 16 megs. Not enough to store one video but good enough to store stills. I recommend buying a larger card. I purchased a 256 meg card and found it easy to store movies.

Speaker is tiny but then, this camera is so small it is understandable.

No case. You'll have to find one that fits. (I'd have rated it 5 stars if the case was included.)

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I bought this camera after being tired of my current Fuji Finepix A340. The A340 is a great camera, but the time btw pix was painfully slow for me. Plus, I needed an excuse to buy a new camera!

The Z1 actually was bought by mistake. I was after a different camera, and hastily bought this one and I am extremely glad I did. At first I was wary of a rechargeable battery and was going to take it back, but I opted to toy with it for a few days first.

The rechargeable battery really is no issue. You get about 200px per charge and there's always the option of buying a backup off ebay for about $40. (Don't fall for the extended warranty crap at some appliance stores. They told me it was $60 and if the battery goes I can get a new one, well since I can get 1.5 batteries for that warranty cost, I opted to take my chances and save my money)

I love the metal case and the practically instant on when sliding the cover. The size is smaller than a deck of cards but it doesn't feel fragile. There is no view finder, which is fine by me, I never use it since I went digital anyway. There a lot of settings and I found that for dark environments, this camera is slick!!! Easily the best dark environment camera I've ever owned.

I'm not a photo expert, I take a lot of pictures, and as long as they are clear, crisp enough to print if I choose, I'm happy. I am sure there are other cameras that others will say are better for this or that but for a casual photo taking endeavor, this Fuji is perfect.

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I bought Z1 about a month ago and gave it to a good friend as a great present a few weeks ago.

.

I just bought another one for me, again.

Before that I had a Fuji F10. I loved it too and gave it to my father in the summer.

I love digital cameras and have tried so many in the last two years, including the Canon Rebel XT which I bought, used, and gave it as a present for a wedding in the family.

I tried many other digital cameras, but the new compact Fuji's beat them all in quality of result. The Z1 also beats most others in compactness, style and feel.

Both Z1 and F10 have automatic sensitivity (ASA) mechanism which is under rated. It is a huge advantage, in my mind.

Don't know why Fuji stopped selling through Ritz Camera. Perhaps because their prices are too low for Ritz to make a nice profit.

Anyway, their prices is low enough to allow you not to think too much and just by it.

There's not much different in quality between Z1 and F10, so I'd recommend the Z1 over the F10. The F10 has a strong green light that helps in focusing in the dark, but the Z1 is doing a good job even without any light.

Gadi

Sony Handycam HDR-CX380 16GB 1080p HD Video Camera Camcorder (Black) with 32GB Card + Battery &

Great camera, super clean video. Going to be using it to film my hunts. Perfect size, fits right in the palm of my hand. Very satisfied!

Hi there,

I wanted to have an HD Camcorder for my trip and I ordered this.

The picture clarity is very good. Also it removes any excess shaking images into a stable one. I liked it.

I take it along with me where I go for my trips!

Buy Sony Handycam HDR-CX380 16GB 1080p HD Video Camera Camcorder (Black) with 32GB Card + Battery & Now

Received the camera bundle is excellent condition. Everything worked when tested out. I'm amazed by the video from this camera. Turned all the settings to the highest quality and did a few tests indoors and outside. It's a bit grainy in the dark. But, why would you be filming in the dark I don't know. Overall my daughter is very happy with the camera.

Read Best Reviews of Sony Handycam HDR-CX380 16GB 1080p HD Video Camera Camcorder (Black) with 32GB Card + Battery & Here

FujiFilm A340 4MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Until this camera, Fuji was consistently my favorite camera brand within the compact category (I am not a professional photographer, as I imagine you aren't if you're looking at this camera in the first place). But we'll get to all that in a second.

Pros:

-Extraordinary price for a 4 megapixel compact camera with 3x optical zoom.

-Scene modes make it easy for newbies to get the proper settings for optimal pictures without knowing what the heck white balance and shutter speed are.

-Sliding lens cover physically protects your lens against scratches from other objects in your pocket, like keys

-A wide variety of manual options for those who are interested in learning about how to use them.

Cons (and there are many):

-Image quality is SIGNIFICANTLY worse than other Fuji cameras. I was so disappointed when I uploaded those first few shots! Fuji, why did you scrap your good sensor and replace it with this piece of junk?

-Menus are extraordinarly tedious to navigate. Fuji should have mapped more controls to seperate buttons instead of grouping almost all of them together in one big menu.

-Zoom/navigation button is difficult to manipulate, especially with only one hand on the camera.

-Amazon's official review says that speed is a priority with this camera, but the start-up time is almost 3 seconds on average (as compared to the Exilim line's 0.5 to 1.0 second times) and the shutter speed is average (as compared to the Exilim line's .05 second shutter speed).

-The sliding lens cover does not protect against dust at all, and feels very flimsy (made of plastic). Constantly feels like it's going to break off.

Moral of the story: you get what you pay for. Invest in a 3 megapixel camera in the same price range, or bite the bullet and pay more money for a better 4.

My husband and I kept debating and debating about whether to purchase a digital camera. We have a 35mm Canon EOS Rebel that takes gorgeous pictures. But, we knew if we got a digital camera, we'd end up using our wonderful camera a lot less. Fortunately, his dad killed our endless debate by purchasing this Fuji for us for Christmas.

I have to say, I like it a lot. There are some things that could be better, but for a 4 MP point-and-shoot, especially at this price, it's great. It's small enough to fit in a coat pocket (definitely not true of our big Canon), and takes very clear pictures. We did upgrade the xD card immediately, for a lot more memory. The flash, as another reviewer mentioned, really works without washing out the scene as you view the picture before snapping, it looks way too dark, but once it's taken, it is wonderful.

The cons, though, are also there though I don't know that they are any worse than any other digital camera. The amazon review mentions speed. I find that you do have to wait quite a while between photos if you use the flash definitely longer than .62 seconds, anyway. This is kind of annoying we have twin 2 year olds, and they don't stand still very long. And, this thing eats batteries. We don't have rechargeable ones, but will definitely be investing in those soon. In some ways, it's nice that it takes AA's you can certainly buy them quickly most anywhere, rather than having to go home and charge it up but you'd better have plenty around.

The 3X zoom just doesn't seem to be enough to me (probably spoiled by our digital camcorder, as well as the Canon), and it is very hard to manipulate quickly. The menus, as others have mentioned, are not terribly intuitive, and they could have added a couple of extra navigation buttons to make it more user-friendly.

However, overall, it's a good little camera. I was set up on the computer with it within a half hour (we don't have the cradle) and the Fuji software is nice, too. I'm sure using it a lot, which is a good sign!

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I just need a camera to take pics of my family and this cam fits the bill perfectly. It is very easy to use and prints well. at just 2mp the pictures came out very much like normal photo prints using household HP printer and photo paper. Good for making the occasional prints, no need to run to the photo developing place. Sending the pics via email is also piece of cake using the FinePix viewer software. no need to fiddle through your files to attache the pics.

The downside is that the buttons are not set up like most digital camera so it take awhile to get used to and I wish they supplied a higher mb picture card. the supplied 16 mb only takes 25 odd pics at medium res so I need to purchase a higher mb xD card.

However, if you're just looking for a simple, no frills, family digital camera then I say this camera is just perfect.

Read Best Reviews of FujiFilm A340 4MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Here

Easy to use, good value, great pics. Spent a lot of time looking at higher priced cameras that were no better. Wished the AC adapter were included in package.

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Pros: Great value, easy to use, takes great pictures indoors & out. Some reviewers seem disapointed they aren't automatically getting "professional" results, but I have a 35mm rig with a half-dozen lenses for when I want to shoot seriously The A340 excels for what it is, which is a great point-and-shoot digital camera that is small enough to keep in your bag or jacket pocket at all times. I used to have an A303 that I loved until a friend dropped it money was tight so I went out to pick up a cheap $99 digital camera and an SD card to get me by, but for a few bucks more I found the A340 bundled with the dock and rechargable battery. The A340 takes great pictures as I expected, plus I am able to use the memory cards I already had from my last camera. At first I thought I would never use the dock (I already have plenty of rechargable batteries and a picture card reader), but the dock also allows you to use the A340 as a webcam!

Cons: The included software is not the most intuitive I've ever used, save yourself some grief and pick up a compatible USB picture card reader so you can just drag and drop your pictures from the card they are available at any decent electronics store for under $10. I'm not real crazy about the xD picture cards they work well and are nice and compact, but only Fuji and Olympus products use them it would be nice if the camera used SD or MMC cards so I could also use them in other devices (although, luckily most of my friends happened to choose a Fuji digital camera also, so we can swap cards if we need to, which is nice). As another reviewer pointed out the xD cards are slightly more expensive, but you can still pick up a 256MB card for around $30 if you shop around. Based upon my previous experience with the A303, I wish the Fuji cameras were a bit more "ruggedized" I suggest buying a good case or pouch to secure your camera!

Sony DCR-TRV11 MiniDV Camcorder with Built-in Digital Still Mode

I have never had my own camcorder before, so I spent days looking at all makes and models trying to learn as much as I could. I even read several reviews here and after having held each one, trying out the features and driving salesmen crazy I finally got the Sony DCR-TRV11.

First, the display screen seems better. I looked at JVC and Panasonic and the Sony screen just looked better defined. Also, when panning, the autofocus reacted faster to my movements. My wife has small hands and this was one of the smallest ones out there so remember to consider size and weight. The resolution is very clean and the controls are all well placed. I didn't use the software that came with it, opting for Pinnacle's StudioDV. It comes with the Firewire card, software and cables. It's works great and is easy.

The Sony has a few key features like a mic input, which is important. If you are getting better picture your going to want better sound. The built in mic works good, but if you zoom on something distant, you're going to want an external mic. The hotshoe takes intelligent accesories, like a zoom mic or a flash that syncs with the still pics. It takes both DV tapes with and without chips in them. Be sure to get the tapes with the chip in them. You need the chip to index your pictures. This is important when connecting to your PC. The included 4MB memory stick holds about 30 pics at 640x480 (60 at lower resolution) and allows you to mix stills with your video for some nice effects. In addition to the night shot feature, the stabilization is far superior than any others I tried. Some only worked until you zoomed, others said they had it, but I couldn't tell. All the Sony's seemed best here. The battery life was about 50 min using zoom and the flip out display. The display tells you how much time in minutes you have left to record. Much longer lasting batteries are available, but there is no memory effect so you can charge at any time.

The camera is great for quality, feel and ease of use. I did have to download a driver to use the camera as a netcam and it would have been nice if it came with the Firewire cable in addition to the serial cable. We restled over the price and, while you can get a very good camcorder for less, we just couldn't pass up the Sony after holding it and comparing the features and quality. My wife and I are very happy with it and, if you can afford it, this ones the one to get.

This is a very good mid-entry Camcorder with the more than the standard features. This extremely compact unit nails the basic necessities (LCD screen, LCD swivel, steady-shot, 2-nightshots, and excellent output options IEEE, S-video, RCA). You get all the Sony amenities of scroll-select dial and a slew of A/V rec/playback options. Sony pushes the value-added package with the tight Carl Zeiss lens; the true optical zoom capabilities has something to be desired with the 1.7-3.3-33 ratio. However, you can't complain too much with the 20x and 120x digital option that performs quite decently. The color view finder can extend and pivot quite a nice mechanical option while having the ability to save battery life or if you're doing fixed-position video taping.

The digital photo on Memory Stick is a thing of beauty (transfer to tape and vice versa also an option). The TRV11's size is comparable to a digital camera. This allows me to just carry the TRV11 around having the option of motion or still capture forget the digital camera (as long as you've got good lighting).

My only complaint is a Catch22 the MV tapes can only be inserted from the bottom of the unit. This creates a problem for tripod mounted shooting. Sony organizes all this technology into such a small package it's hard to complain. 4 stars for the standard Sony-pricing premium though.

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I was looking for a camcorder that would provide me with excellent video recordings and the ability to transfer the recordings to the PC for editing and then sharing them with my friends and relatives.

The Sony TRV11 has an excellent imager and the Carl Zeiss Lens is the best available. I am completely satisfied with video recordings. The color viewfinder and a 3.5" display that can be rotated to face the subject are really worthwhile. I have found that kids are better on camera when they can see themselves. The instant replay on the LCD is also a very good feature. As a novice getting used to STBY and REC, I have used this feature a lot to record over bad shoots. Also, if you plan on shooting still images on tape or memory stick, this feature allows you to instantly determine whether you need more shoots to get the best pose. I strongly recommend a color enhancement light if you are doing indoor recordings, which is available as an accessory. I didn't want to spend on that right now so I move my halogen torch lights into the rooms that I wish to record. It is inconvenient but works great. TRV11 offers a 3 way PC link by means of an adapter for the memory stick, a serial port or a firewire port. If you have an ancient computer like I do and do not want to spend on a new computer, you will appreciate this.

Read Best Reviews of Sony DCR-TRV11 MiniDV Camcorder with Built-in Digital Still Mode Here

This is a great camera and they've packed a lot into this tiny unit, but for Mac users, beware: the PictureLite software that comes with the camera is for Windows users only. Be prepared to plunk down another $60+ for an adaptor in order to access jpgs on the Sony memory stick in the camera. Don't bother looking on Sony's website for answers to why there is no Mac version existing or coming...the issue simply isn't addressed anywhere and related Belkin products that promise to transfer still images do not transfer jpgs; only still video frames.

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I bought the Sony DCR-TRV11 specifically for an African Safari, and am extremely pleased with the performance. I filmed through drenching rain, low-light conditions, over horribly bouncy roads, and the results are amazing. It is easy to learn to use the basic functions (I only had it for a week before departure, and didn't have much time to practice filming), and the quality makes even the most novice film-maker look good. Battery life is great (I took two with me and never ran out of power--even on days when the Safari Lodge generator failed and I couldn't recharge), and while the outside casing is a little worse for the wear, the camcorder performance is undiminished.

Q-SEE QD6004B-N 600TVL 1/3" 2.8-12mm Varifocal Sony Effio-E Super HAD CCD II Weatherproof Outdoor I

I have a QSee system installed at my house. One camera in the front over the driveway had a problem at night seeing in darkness. When our floodlights came on it would washout the image and either way (in darkness or with the floods on) the previous camera we had didn't work. So I checked Amazon and found this one. Great camera for the price. Plug and play installation bc I had already installed a camera in this location. Make sure you check which type of connectors you have. Installed the new camera in 20 mins. Has some cool features I didn't have before like zoom and focus which made it nice to customize for my driveway. Great night shots now in total darkness, iris works well when floods come on, and has enough detail to see who and what in dark situations. Only issue was the zoom and focus knob is located with the camera. My monitor is in a different room so it was tricky to zoom, focus, and position camera by running back and forth to monitor/outside, etc.

For $137 the quality of the picture is not what I was hoping for. Picture quality is about the same as that of less expensive units I have.

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Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Zoom Lens & Can

The flash that came with the kit does not work, DavisMax is a pain in the neck to deal with, finally got the flash refunded for half the price you can buy it for on Amazon....what a rip off. A close friend bought the saem kit and it came with a different flash, much better quality and it works....so the kits are not the same.

Also the bag is way too small for the kit, had to buy another bag.

camera and included equipment perform as expected, fabulous pictures! Very fast ship and well packaged against damage, happy customer all around

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After considering more than one camera I decided to go with the cano t3i it is my first digital SLR. Not only the camera is great but the bundle was great. And also the price was great for this bundle. Very happy over all.

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it was grateful to have this item in the estimated time but i had no time to test it as i was travelling to Egypt, but when i try the flash i figured out that its not compatible with the camera, there is no way to send it back to USA so i just throw it.

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Great buy. It has everything you need for you to get started with your new camera. I haven't found a better buy yet!