Showing posts with label dual monitor video cards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dual monitor video cards. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

DSLR Rig Shoulder Mount Movie Kit for DV Cameras & For Canon EOS Rebel T3/T3i/T2i/T1i/EOS 1D MARK I

DSLR Rig Shoulder Mount Movie Kit for DV Cameras & For Canon EOS Rebel T3/T3i/T2i/T1i/EOS 1D MARK III/1D MARK IV/1DS MARK II/5D/7D/20D/30D/40D/50D/60D/XS/Xsi/Xti SLR CamerasYes, you should buy this. It is a very versatile shoulder rig. It is not perfect but with some minor modification it sure becomes PERFECT. What modification I would recommend.

I added a counter weight to he back leg rig. I put the weighted leg over my shoulder and the counter weight make the rig feel solid and secure. (I use an ankle weight rapped around a 6mm x 2 in. bolt/screw put in back attachment point.

I switched out the star alan wrench locking nuts with 6mm real alan wrench bolts. (if you don't do this you could strip put the star bolts).

I added a quick connect to the camera attachment.

I on the bottom of the camera mount I added a quick connect. And I use it to attach the shoulder quickly to a monopod. This really works well for extra stability. I bought the smallest monpod I could find on Amazon (Velbon Ultra Monopods 5-section ) and a cheap ball head (Sunpak 620-CPG Pistol Grip). The monopod is only 10 in. closed so I leave in on the shoulder rig (folded back) all the time. When I need it, I can either extend it to the floor or extend it only a little and brace it against my body. This really works wonderfully.

I really like this rig. I think you will too.

Very Handy and a must for your production gear! I'm very happy with this purchase and it is very useful.

Buy DSLR Rig Shoulder Mount Movie Kit for DV Cameras & For Canon EOS Rebel T3/T3i/T2i/T1i/EOS 1D MARK I Now

Great product! Easy to use and fairly priced. For anyone working in film not wanting to spend hundreds of dollars for a shoulder rig, this is the perfect solution.

Read Best Reviews of DSLR Rig Shoulder Mount Movie Kit for DV Cameras & For Canon EOS Rebel T3/T3i/T2i/T1i/EOS 1D MARK I Here

I really want to love this unit, but with my Canon Mark II and a large lens, the unit feels like it gets torqued from the weight of the camera and accessories. It seems like I can never get the nuts tight enough and the arms slip. Paired with a monopod, the unit works best and feels the most secure. I am sure with a smaller lens it would be fine, but I may have to upgrade to a more professional grade unit at some point. This works for now.

Want DSLR Rig Shoulder Mount Movie Kit for DV Cameras & For Canon EOS Rebel T3/T3i/T2i/T1i/EOS 1D MARK I Discount?

I ordered this DSLR Rig Sholder Mount Movie Kit for DV Camaras & for canon EOS Rebel T3i as a Christman gift for my son. It is exactly what he wanted. Great product, Shipped very quickly and arrived with 3-5 days. Great product and great seller. Thank You.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Dayton Audio HR13C22 6.6 ft. High-Speed HDMI Cable CL3

Dayton Audio HR13C22 6.6 ft. High-Speed HDMI Cable CL3I have owned the overpriced Monster Cables in the past and to me these do as good or better in picture and sound quality at a tenth of the price.

Best Buy wanted $129.00 for one four-foot Monster cable, these were $12 for two six-foot cables. Wow !

There isn't a whole lot to say about a cable, but this is one of the better cables. I purchased mine from Parts Express, through Amazon because it was slightly cheaper here. This cable has very good reviews on the Parts Express website. I purchased two of these for $4 per 6' cable, plus shipping, although now I see the price was raised since then.

It supports all the features of HDMI 1.3. Some cables don't, from what I read, some features of HDMI are optional to add to a cable. My cable is also more of a flat black color than it is the gray color shown in the original photo. I posted a couple pictures of my cable to show the color.

Buy Dayton Audio HR13C22 6.6 ft. High-Speed HDMI Cable CL3 Now

dayton audio is the best bang for your buck products.

even their cheapest stuff is better than the average products.

dont overspend for an hdmi cord, this runs perfectly as it should. it runs my blu ray player and its crystal clear

Read Best Reviews of Dayton Audio HR13C22 6.6 ft. High-Speed HDMI Cable CL3 Here

Product is exactly as described. I was impressed with the quality of the sheilding as the cable is thick which is good as this cable was going to be permanently installed in my wall for my flat panel. Hooked it up and got a good signal, nothing else to say, it is a digital signal so either it works or it doesn't. Would buy again, great price for a good product.

Want Dayton Audio HR13C22 6.6 ft. High-Speed HDMI Cable CL3 Discount?

This is the only HDMI cable i'm currently running, through cable to tv, also my first hdmi cable owned, prev. ran component video as hdmi's in the past were pricey. i like that i get audio through it too not that it matters, but with the price of these now i could easily see myself buying a couple more sets and running them for video and audio if i didn't already run dig coax audio cables for movies/cable.

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Monday, July 14, 2014

Nikon D300 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Nikkor Zoom Lens

Nikon D300 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Nikkor Zoom LensI am a technology geek. An early adopter. I also work in the outdoors, shooting wildlife photographs. I used to use film cameras, and unfortunately was spending far more money in developing costs than groceries! So I made the early move to digital with a little point n' shoot Olympus. Many times I was so frustrated that the camera was almost thrown overboard. Then came the Nikon D70, a digital SLR. I was hooked. I loved being able to shoot 6 MP shots, 3 frames a second. Being able to preview pics and throw away what I didn't want. But soon my D70 was looking long in the tooth so to speak, so I began researching and prowling around for a new camera. My boss also used to shoot a D70, and had just made the jump over to a Canon D40 as the lenses were cheaper. Me, I'm a pretty loyal guy, so I gave the D300 a hard look.

I looked at many websites and forums that compared the top DSLRs. And I kept coming back to the D300. Even Macworld gave it their recommendation, so I went online and bought a package that included a D300, a 70-300 VR lens, a 2GB card and shipping for 1999.99. The camera arrived, and here are a few observations after only a few days use:

1. This is a heavy camera. Very solid. Heavier than my D70, but the weight is balanced feeling.

2. SPEED!!! Wow! I am using a Lexar 2GB 300x card, and when I hit burst rate the other day, I shot nearly 13 frames in about 2-3 seconds.

3. LCD display is incredible! At 3" in size, it really enables you to get a good feel for how the camera is operating. Live View is a new feature for when you are using a tripod or having to hold the camera at strange angles---it seems to really work well.

4. In camera processing---some features that I used to wait to process in Photoshop I can do in the camera now (red-eye reduction, etc.) Very helpful.

Now for the things I don't like (which is a very short list at this point):

1. Getting CF cards that really take advantage of the camera's lightning speed are expensive!

2. Lenses for this camera are expensive!

3. Owner's manual leaves something to be desired in explaining how to use the camera.

I am an intermediate user, and so I feel a bit lost trying to figure out all the options of this camera and how to best utilize them. But fortunately for you and me, there are lots of books, websites, etc, to help you take this Ferrari and use it to its' fullest extent! If I had to choose a camera again, I would DEFINITELY buy the Nikon D300 again.

OK, after reading all the online reviews and professional reviews and stewing over it for a few weeks I jumped on this one with the "kit" 18-200 VR lens. I am not a pro, although I have considered doing some pro work, but I take my photography seriously. My subject is mostly family/grandkids and local scenery. I am constantly experimenting with settings and never used the standard icon selections on the mode dial on my D50, so this camera seemed a natural upgrade to me.

First, I am absolutely enthralled. This is an absolutely fabulous equipment combination. There seem to be few settings, options, or configurations that I could have dreamed of that would have made me happier. Things I love:

The 18-200 VR lens; I have taken pics at 1/30 of a second at full 200mm zoom that I wouldn't have thought possible. It really does prevent most motion blur. Besides the actual camera this was the best part of my purchase. I rarely miss a shot for need of changing lenses, my former lenses being an 18-55 and a 55-200. With the flexibility of the camera itself and my second lens being a faster 30mm f1.4 this is pure photography fun for me. I know that some pros have dissed this lens as being less than pro, with distortion at certain extremes and some blur in the midrange 135mm. For the photography I do this is not important. When I do notice some distortion it's not important and I have not seen any blur, though I may not be looking close enough.

Auto-ISO: Still playing with this feature but the cool thing is that you can set it the minimum shutter speed you want and it will step up the ISO to keep that speed when needed. 1/30 seems a good speed with the VR lens, though there is sometimes subject motion blur (not camera motion blur), but this is also fun to play with. It can always be bumped up to 1/60 or more.

External controls: Most of the commonly-changed options are at your fingertips which means you don't need to visit the menus as often. I have a friend with a D40x and most of the options are in menus and my D50 has some on external buttons. The D300 seems to have a good balance. You very clearly could not have put all the menu items on external buttons on this camera!

Speaking of menus; I have a great fondness for the help feature available on this and on my D50. Not sure of other maker's cameras but if you don't know or don't remember a feature the help button will nudge you.

The customizable individual lens focus adjustment feature is the cat's meow. My aforementioned Sigma 30mm lens has never focused properly and I was able to quickly adjust this in-camera. Henceforth, all my pictures taken with the Sigma lens will at least be properly focused!

OK, one of my favorite features; the intervalometer. Ooooo, Ahhhh. It can be used by itself or with multi-exposure. By itself you can set it up to take pictures at whatever interval you like. This can be great fun. I set it up on a tripod at our reunion to take a picture every minute while we were playing cards, even catching my brother with Easter eggs over his eyes. This almost makes up for the lack of an infrared remote capability, though I guess they could not have included everything and to be fair, it is available with external added equipment. Multi-exposure is also pretty cool. More stuff to play with.

Some observations; if you have an event coming up get the camera early and play with it. I was still figuring out the settings when I went to a family reunion and took 1500 pictures. Many of those were multi-shots of the same subject so I dumped the extras and ended up with around 500 good pictures. I took some group pictures and some were blurry because I misunderstood a feature or two.

I take a lot of profile pictures and the only way to properly focus on these is to spot focus on the nose or eye. I would have liked a feature that recognizes a profile and focuses properly without changing settings. I guess that is asking a lot! Maybe in the next generation.

The weight of the device is off-putting for some, though not for me. I have big hands and the camera fills them nicely and the "balance," the way it feels in one's hands when it is turned different directions, feels just right to me, similar to the way a well-balanced 18v cordless drill feels. Though heavy, the weight is evenly distributed and it can be turned and manipulated without strain, at least not for me.

The battery life for me has been less than the 1000 pictures others have been getting. More like 500 or a little more. I'm not sure if this is because of the VR lens because I have not used my Sigma much yet. 500 is still a lot and I am not unhappy with this.

The only other "issue" if you can call it that is the front aperture dial; My finger sticks to the rubber around it which makes it more difficult to turn it. Just a nit-pic (pun intended) and something I will get used to.

Overall, I can truthfully say I love it. It doesn't get much better than this!

JCF

Buy Nikon D300 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Nikkor Zoom Lens Now

This is a fantastic camera. I upgraded from a D80, which I was happy with, but this camera is in a completely different class. Handling is excellent, build quality superb and colours are fantastic. The Active D-Lighting is a great feature, and the high ISO performance is unbelievable.

Read Best Reviews of Nikon D300 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Nikkor Zoom Lens Here

This is one heck of a camera. I have had Nikons (F5, F, 8008, F4), Canons (Rebel), Leica (M3, IIIc), and Hasselblad (500 CM) and I think this is the best I've had in terms of feel, features, and picture quality. I'm slowly putting it through its paces and find the camera to be responsive and easy to use. I thought that I would be intimidated by the controls, but am picking things up pretty quickly. It's getting me back into photography and makes it all fun again!

Want Nikon D300 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Nikkor Zoom Lens Discount?

Hi all... I'm an enthusiast photographer from Sri Lanka. I got my D300 about a month back from amazon through a friend in USA. It's my 1st DSLR and I'm completely blown away by it and the photos it takes. Almost everything about this camera is nothing short of amazing.

There's only one downside worth mentioning and it's the Live View. Once you turn the shooting mode dial to LV, nothing appears on the screen. You have to press the shutter release once to lift the mirror and have the view on the LCD. But after taking the picture it goes blank again and you have to press shutter release to get the view back. This is an inconvenient and time consuming process. And I think Nikon have been a bit ignorant in this aspect. But this doesn't put me off at all because live view is something that I use very rarely.

I won't talk about any of the plus points of this cam because I want to keep this review short. Let me just say that everything other than live view is nothing short of brilliant.

About the 18-200 mm VR lens: In my opinion, this is the best kit lens out there. The quality it delivers is exceptional for a super-zoom and also for a kit lens. Unless you do macro or extreme telephoto work this is just about the only lens you need.

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Olympus Evolt E510 10MP Digital SLR Camera with CCD Shift Image Stabilization and 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6

Olympus Evolt E510 10MP Digital SLR Camera with CCD Shift Image Stabilization and 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 and 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 Zuiko LensesI have had this camera for about a month and after using this, I felt compelled to write this review, especially after seeing some comments from first time SLR owners.

My advice to them, please think carefully before buying a dSLR. If all you are going to do is set this camera in Auto mode and shoot, you are making a mistake, an expensive mistake. E-510 or any other dSLR is not designed to excel in this department, definitely not as good as an advanced P&S.

If you want better image quality (color, dynamic range, low noise at high ISO, interchangeable lens etc) and convenience (IS, more buttons, speed), DSLR is the way to go. With power, comes the responsibility. You should also be ready to take the challenge of trying out different settings and spend some time in post processing the RAW images. You can get dynamic range that no P&S can match, if and only if, you are ready to spend the time on it. JPEGs straight from camera will not be significantly better, unless you tweak the settings for each situation perfectly.

Most complaints about this camera are about focusing, under or over exposure. You have to learn how an SLR camera works. There are different metering and focusing modes and you have to choose carefully. Also you have to decide whether to shoot aperture priority or shutter priority based on situations. You can also choose whether to shoot for high key or shadow areas.

No SLR in auto mode can give you a perfect shot of a person when the sun is behind him/her. Either use the proper P mode, or you use spot metering (or at least fill flash).

When something is moving, shooting with slow shutter will also result in blurry image and an SLR expects that the person behind the view finder knows these basics. So my advice is, read the manual and try out all the options and find the modes that suit your needs.

Also, the default ESP metering on this camera is a bit off. It's actually set to ESP + AF in factory. In my experience, if you change Menu2 > Metering to ESP, it works better. You might also consider turning the Noise Filter off for ISO 100 shots. It makes the images sharper (even with sharpness -2) and you can get details that you can't get in any other entry level camera at this moment. But, you might get some visible grains.

What I like -

1. IS, all my lenses are stabilized and I can get sharp shots sometimes at 1/30 when using focal length of 300mm in 35mm equivalent.

2. Clean high ISO, up to 800 is completely usable with little noise reduction. ISO 1600 gives you better or same results compared to other brands, only Canon is half stop ahead.

3. Image quality. The details with noise filter off, the color and the sharpness are wonderful. The dynamic range is not best in it's class, but with RAW files and a little time with Lightroom, it's not really an issue.

4. SSWF. The dust buster in this camera works, unlike other brands (read Canon/Sony/Pentax). Never got a single dust peck on the sensor and I change lenses frequently.

5. Live view. This is the only one in this class at the moment to have this feature. Another Olympus model, E-330 has it, but it was too expensive. This feature really helps when you have time and your eyes are tired. Also when you are shooting macro in an awkward position or using a manual focus lens and want to do precise focusing with the live view magnifier. This is a life saver for me that I can still use old manual focus lenses.

6. The size, weight and ergonomics. With the kit lenses you get 28-300mm range covered and NO OTHER brand can get you this quality in this size and weight. D40x is as good in handling, but lack of IS (and the price/weight of their VR lenses) was a deal breaker.

7. Speed. It's always ready for next shot. In drive mode, you can get 3 frames a second unlimited in HQ JPEG. With RAW, it's limited to 10 shots at the same speed and after that speed reduces to around 1.6 fps. Better than most in it's class if you have a fast card. I don't miss a shot these days due to camera.

What I don't like -

1. Though viewfinder is brighter than some previous Olympus models, it could be bigger. LV helps, but it's not usable always. A small issue considering my eyes aren't too bad.

2. Focus confirmation using manual focus lenses. Though I didn't buy this camera for this purpose, it would have helped a lot. Especially when Panasonic L1 and Pentax models have it, it's just a software fix they have to do so I am hoping they'll release a firmware with this fix.

These are just minor gripes and the second one is easily fixable. All in all, I would say this camera is a winner in the hands of a little experienced person, but a new owner will just need some time to get to know this little gem. IMO, it's the best camera in it's class today if you can live with the "Made in China" sticker on it.

As a professional photographer I have used Cannon and Nikon cameras. I purchased an Olympus E-500 two years ago and was impressed with the sharpness, color capture, and other features. Needing a second camera I tested several Cannon and Nikon pro-level cameras. I found the Olympus E-510 equal or superior to each in edge-to-edge sharpness and color capture using color charts and sharpness charts. Additionally, the ease of use of the E-510 was a contributing factor. I am also impressed with the four-thirds system lenses produced by Olympus; they weigh less then their equivalent lenses in the Cannon or Nikor lines and I feel give better edge-to-edge sharpness. The only negative is the narrow line of pro-level lens in the Olympus line.

I recommended the E-500 to my photography students and now I'll recommend the E-510 as the cost factor is important to students. If you are looking for a solid D-SLR I highly recommend the E-510. I suggest that consideration be given to purchasing the Olympus "high-grade" lenses rather then the kit lens for the advanced photographer. The kit lenses are fine for the consumer.

Buy Olympus Evolt E510 10MP Digital SLR Camera with CCD Shift Image Stabilization and 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Now

I would give this camera five and a half stars, really, if not for one issue.

And a pretty serious one.

But first the good news: the camera is great.

It works blazing fast, controls are excellent and so is the level of control.

All important SLR options, all those many competitors usually "reserve" for "professional" models like all metering modes, auto ISO limit, custom WB, mirror anti shock, remote control capability, manual focusing after AF and even shutter release priorities are there.

Anti-dust system and set of two lens gives you worry free 28-300 (10.7x) range, image stabilization works surprisingly good, widely rumored problem of dynamic range that is half EV below the competition is not visible in 99.95% of the pictures. The rest 0.05% requires microscope and 100% zoom to point out the blown out highlight.

All things considered an excellent camera and value for money.

Of course, there are many things one may complain about, like slow kit lens (and fast lens are available, but expensive) or aggressive noise filter at high ISO (and it could be turned off) or one second delay at start up (never bothered me much) etc. But all these issues are pretty minor and every camera has list of them.

***

Now the bad news low light focusing. I just do not understand that.

Here it is: below certain light level camera just struggles to get focus. That level is somewhat below standard living room illumination so it does not bother many people in standard situations, but try to shoot at the dark bar or at the street in the evening and change in camera behavior is dramatic. Suddenly it may take several seconds before focus is locked way too long. Using flash to illuminate target does not help much flash keeps strobing and strobing and strobing again and finally, when focus is locked it takes additional second to charge it for the shot. I rarely meet people who would stand still for that long... They think I made three pictures of them already, when I accomplished, well, none!

I perfectly understand the technical issue of focusing in low light, but... I am old Olympus E10 owner and it have never bothered me much with this issue. Cheap Canon A70 have never bothered me with this issue either well at least nobody expects performance from $200 compact camera.

May be these old cameras are not trying to get perfect focus when they cannot, may be they limiting time to some reasonable interval I do not know, but Olympus should fix the problem. It is a show stoppers.

For now I turn off AF illumination and switch to shutter release priority in low light situations but I need to recognize it first. I prefer to have slightly out-of-focus pictures, than no pictures at all. Olympus, do you hear?

Read Best Reviews of Olympus Evolt E510 10MP Digital SLR Camera with CCD Shift Image Stabilization and 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Here

I got this camera after reviewing & trying out several different brands at local stores. Compared with the others, the only one I liked better in the hand was the N80, which is considerably more expensive & lacks anti-dust & body-based image stabilization. The viewfinder on this camera is smaller than you're used to if you've shot 35mm SLRs for years, but it's not bad.

Now that I've been using this for a couple of weeks, I like it even more. The body-based image stabilization works well, I can hand-hold the long lens of the set (150mm) for a 1/20 second shot, and it comes out very clear, no visible shake. I can't really comment on the usefulness of the anti-dust capabilities, but have switched out lenses several times, & no dust spots are apparent on my shots. Image quality is great, but the Oly software is worthless. Terrible UI, and the included software that can do decent post-processing of the raw files is trial only. Photoshop Elements w/ Adobe's raw processing & batch conversion from the camera's ORF files to DNG's works great for me. The kit lenses are good, very comparable to old Zuiko lenses from the manual focus 35mm days. Fewer lenses are available for this system than for e.g. Canon or Nikon, but most of the needed lenses are out there. Only thing I really miss is a good fast prime (25mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 would be very appreciated, Oly!) Overall, I'm totally pleased w/ this camera & would recommend it.

Want Olympus Evolt E510 10MP Digital SLR Camera with CCD Shift Image Stabilization and 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Discount?

Have had this kit for a week now and am throughly pleased with my purchase and Amazon's service. I ordered the kit Sunday evening, paid $8 for 3-5 business day shipping, and it arrived Wednesday afternoon, 2 days in my book. I am a noob at digital SLR photography, though I have used older film SLRs, and was able to get some amazing fireworks shots last night using the 40-150mm lens on a tripod (M-mode, 8s, F16, ISO 100, SHQ JPeg).

I am totally amazed at how easy it is to change settings. The buttons are well placed, at least for me, and the menus are very intuitive. I "glanced" through the manual before the camera arrived and began shooting as soon as the battery was charged. I've had nothing but fun, none of the usual frustrations with something new.

It's a lot of money, but I can't believe it won't last me many, many years and the kit lenses are very good, though I'm already drooling for the EC14 (and an EC20 would be even better to double the range).

If there is one negative I can think of it's getting used to shooting with 4x6 prints in mind. Oly uses a 4x3 format and that doesn't translate directly to a 4x6 sheet of paper. Mind you, I don't print often, but it's something to consider, especially if some of your family/friends are computer shy. :)

The other negative might be the Master 2 software. It is painfully slow, but does a good job for free software. I personally use Picasa for most things and Paint Shop Pro when needed.

EDIT: I just found out Amazon has a 30-day price guarantee. This means I will be getting a nice $88 refund on my credit card. Have yet to be disappointed with Amazon.

Friday, April 25, 2014

CowboyStudio 1000W Continuous Video Lighting Kit with Stand, Bulbs, and Softbox

CowboyStudio 1000W Continuous Video Lighting Kit with Stand, Bulbs, and SoftboxThese Lights seems flimsy when you are setting them up but they are not. It takes about 15 min to set them up and the instructions that come with these lights are pretty good. Now, these are not alien bees but they get the job done. If you are on a budget these are a must buy. Especially for home studios.

Check out the image here:Hope I helped

Ok, I bought this after reading all the reviews good and bad. For the price this product is great. It is top quality? No. Is it the best soft box you can buy? No. But for the price it is a really good value. The stands are actually rather sturdy, and it does exactly what it is supposed to do. I cannot afford to drop hundreds or thousands on quality lighting equipment for my hobby. I like to spend a bit more on cameras and lenses, not lights right now. But this soft box represents a good value and is 100 times better than the desk lamps I was using. I got this one just to try it out and now that I did I wish I had gone for one of those 3 light set ups. The light it puts out is good bright and soft. It was not easy to put together, but it was not horible either. my advice is that if your soft box seems akward uneven or distorted make sure you have the little poles seated deep in the base. It does not seem very portable, so taking it up and down would be a drag, but that is not my application currently, I am going to just use it at my house and leave it together. I watched the video online and set it up in about 10 to 15 min. I say buy with confidence as long as you know what you are getting... this light set up is cheap and effective. just treat it with care and it will last a long, long time.

Buy CowboyStudio 1000W Continuous Video Lighting Kit with Stand, Bulbs, and Softbox Now

If you have $80 to spend and need a continuous light source with a soft box and a stand, this is your only option. Let's be honest though, the soft box and light are of marginal quality and will not stand up over the long term, but as I said, if you have $80 this is it. One of the light bulbs arrived as non-functional and my purchase was discounted because of that.

The other issue I've seen is that the color temperature of the lights is not true daylight, but if you shoot in RAW, you can fix that.

Would I purchase again? Probably not, but like many of you reading this, I was on a budget so this is what I have for now.

Read Best Reviews of CowboyStudio 1000W Continuous Video Lighting Kit with Stand, Bulbs, and Softbox Here

I love this softbox and highly reccommend it to photographers or youtube people like me. It gives more than enough lighting. I don't even have to turn on all the lights and the price you can't beat!

Want CowboyStudio 1000W Continuous Video Lighting Kit with Stand, Bulbs, and Softbox Discount?

Recently started shooting videos of family and friends. I did not have any light other than what is in my house and was looking for an expensive set up for additional light. This light is just what I needed. The set up was pretty simple considering I have never put together a light box before. The seller provided me with online instructions on how to assemble and also included a video showing a guy putting this light box together. I am very pleased with my purchase.

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Thursday, April 24, 2014

GE 45233 Wireless Camera with Night Vision

GE 45233 Wireless Camera with Night VisionI purchased this unit to add to the wireless camera system that I had bought locally. This is the secondary camera for the Wireless Color Camera with Receiver 45234 (). First of all, the price was the lowest that I had found. Shipping was FAST. Unit came well packed and in perfect condition. Easy to hook up. Just mount it in your desired location, plug it in, and set the viedo input selector on the receiver. Mine is connected to a tv and vcr player/recorder. Camera image is identical to the original one in the wireless camera system. If you plan to use this unit at night, do not mount it in a window, as the night vision lights will only reflect back into the camera. Therefore, either use it for interior purposes, or mount it in a sheltered location outside. Mine is mounted over the entry door on a covered porch, so there's no weather exposure issues. If you need an extension for the 8' power cord, the distributor () can sell you a 15' extension cable for the camera. You might need the product number to research this: Wireless Color Camera 45233. They also carry a battery pack that they say lasts up to 5 hrs. I'm very happy with my purchase.

This product should have stated it is an ADD-ON Camera, DOES NOT have a receiver...

Buy GE 45233 Wireless Camera with Night Vision Now

i purchased this camera along with the camera and wireless reciever base set from walmart, the picture quality is quite nice and the night vision is great, i really like the wide viewing angle, i use one camera as a nanny cam in my sons bedroom, and it works great for the times when he starts crying in the middle of the night and i want to see whats wrong without actually going into the bedroom, i use the second camera outside mounted under my porch viewing my entire yard and alot of the street in front of my house, outside view is a little washed out looking but quite detailed, a neighbors car was broken into and the camera caught the whole thing and was clear enough to make a positive description on the person, it was about 8pm so it was just getting dark outside. Overall i say for the price and quality you cant beat it, the range varies depending on your walls and electronics in your home, the only electronic that messes with it is my old cordless phone, my new cordless phones dont mess with it at all, i also have wireless internet in my house and that doesnt affect anything either.

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this camera is great for close range coverage. but do not have 2 of them too close together. there is interference.

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This does exactly what it says it does. We have two because the viewer can show two different cameras. One is stationary mounted and the other we can put where we need it to watch our daughter. The camera I have no issues with and does in fact work in what I would call zero light conditions. So they have been great and we haven't had any problems at all. The viewer part that goes with this and the whole system together has it's limitations but that's just because of the nature of the product. I don't think I'd use this as a home security system type item if I were seriously concerned about monitoring something. It's just too "iffy" with transmission due to walls and other items using the frequencies for serious stuff. However, if what you want is something that would be satisfied by a baby monitor type level of function, then this will not disappoint you.

The night vision part of this camera is surprisingly good for the weight of the product. Were the "transmission" issues not there, this would be amazing. But those issues are things in our home and the limits of the transmission and not product defects. I'm not disappointed with this thing and I would buy it again without hesitation.

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Friday, March 14, 2014

Cam Caddie Starter Kit

Cam Caddie Starter KitIf you plan on using your Battery grip its going to be a supertight fit or may not fit at all. It you plan on using a follow focus, attached via a L-bracket the battery grip has to be removed. DSLR fit the Cam Caddie better if you don't use the Battery Grip. The mounting screw for your camera could easily get lost because it is not attached to the bottom of the Caddie. Other than these limitations for DSLR it will work for low angle shots.

I use this for getting low shots of little kid running around. I also use it to shoot my friend's son skateboarding. It creates smooth shots without a lot of painful set up time. It sets up in seconds and does the job quickly and easily. I use it with my Nikon D7000 DSLR camera for smooth HD Video.

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Product is made from plastic as other have mentioned. It is not designed to do much else other than what is illustrated in the promotional videos located at the manufacturers website, so watch those first before you buy. Best for low angle hand held shots and that's about it.

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This is a well made caddie. Works well for stability and low angle shots. Putting this on a scale system should prove very useful.

My only complaint is the shipping packaging. The caddie is shipped on flat cardboard with a small built in box for the accessories. This box is very poorly made, and allows the wing accessory to tear through the box and fall out. My first shipment had no wing, so I called Amazon, who sent a replacement. That package also lacked the wing, which had torn through the box. In both cases, it was clear that the wing had fallen out before it packaged for shipment to me. Amazon suspended shipment to investigate the problem, and refunded me the cost of the wing. I bought the wing separately.

I recommend this system, especially if you need to mount a recorder, lights or a monitor on your rig, and you don't want to spend a fortune.

Finally, the rig is a bit flexible, which bugged me at first. But it actually seems to help smooth out the shake, which in turn makes shake correction work better in post.

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This product is great, the only thing is that when I try to attach my LED light the wholes are big enough to insert the LED light. Its durable and I use this almost every week. Its a bit pricey but it is a good product

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Monday, December 16, 2013

JVC GY-HD200UB High Definition 3-CCD MiniDV Professional Camcorder with 16x ProHD Fujinon Lens

JVC GY-HD200UB High Definition 3-CCD MiniDV Professional Camcorder with 16x ProHD Fujinon LensThis camera has the features that I was looking for. The fixed earpiece is abit aukward, but a seperate headset works fine. I was looking for a broadcast quality camera, and the price was within my budget.JVC GY-HD200UB High Definition 3-CCD MiniDV Professional Camcorder with 16x ProHD Fujinon Lens

I have the 'UB' version which allows a 1080 stream to a external drive or recorder like the Sony MRC1K.

I shoot in 720 50p and it produces such a nice progressive image.

Recommended camera.

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I bought this camera to make youtube videos with the audio is great and the quality overall its frickin awesome

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Sunday, December 8, 2013

Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2 Zoom Lens with Built-in Motor + 3 UV/FLD/CPL Filters + Trip

Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2 Zoom Lens with Built-in Motor + 3 UV/FLD/CPL Filters + Tripod + Accessory Kit for Nikon D3100, D3200, D5100, D5200, D7000, D7100 Digital SLR CamerasNice package of goodies for the same price as most places charge for just the lens. The lens itself works nicely. Sharpness is better than I'd expect for a lens at this price point. I have all Nikon lens and needed a long lens (over 200mm) for my kids sporting events. I didn't want to spend alot so I took a chance on this Tamron. Even without the vibration reduction at 300mm the outdoor shots are sharp. Low light, not so good. The motor hunts sometimes when lots of targets are at different distances. I'm used to the quickness of Nikon auto focus and this is slower but still very usable in most situations.

The macro is very good as well. The pix are sharp, edge to edge and color shows little signs of bleed.

The construction is what would be expected for an inexpensive lens. Although it feels good and handles well, I would be careful to not bump into anything. Switching to manual focus is easy. The zoom is smooth. Getting into and out of macro requires you to take your eye off the subject, look at the lens and line up the limits additionally you don't have full range of the lens in macro. The filter is cheap but functional. It also comes with a lens bag and a nice shade.

As far as the rest of the package, the lens cleaning kit and protective covers are OK, probable worth a couple bucks. The tripod is a good solid tripod well constructed, again, for the price! If your looking for top quality your going to have to dig deeper in you bank account, otherwise a very good value.

I bought this for my husband for our anniversary. He loves it, and my wallet loved the price. We are not professional photograpers so we do not need $700 + lens for our camera. This lens has worked great for us. We took our grandchildren to the beach for their first time and we have some great candid shots of them. My husband could be on the balcony of our house while they were on the beach and never knew they were being photographed. I reccomend this lens.

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Friday, August 9, 2013

RCA CC6263 VHS-C AutoShot Camcorder

RCA CC6263 VHS-C AutoShot CamcorderTHIS IS YOUR TYPICAL CAMCORDER. IT WORKS FINE. THE ANIMATION FEATURE IS NOT THE KIND YOU'D WANNA MAKE A CARTOON OR CLAYMATION WITH, BECAUSE IT ONLY GOES AS LOW AS A QUARTER OF A SECOND PER SHOT. THE 20X ZOOM IS GOOD, AND THE COMPACT SIZE IS ALSO GOOD. THE ONE BAD THING ABOUT THIS CAM IS THAT IT HAS A DOOR PANEL LATCH THAT IS WEAK. YOUR SUPPOSED TO CLOSE IT BY PUSHING A BUTTON, NOT BY SNAPPING IT. IF YOU ACCIDENTALLY UNHOOK THE PLASTIC LATCH, YOU'LL HAVE A CAMCORDER IN WHICH YOU'LL HAVE TO TAPE THE DOOR/PANEL CLOSE.

Lights, Action, Camera...This is a very good camera; light, easy to use, simple to understand, all controls are easy to reach, picks up the sound of a needle dropping on the floor, vcr mode lets you playback what you taped, and great in low light! Also, less gadgets mean longer battery duration! But, it does NOT have a view screen on the side (that lets you take your eye away from the viewer), or a speaker to let you hear sound during playback, or a light.If you like to keep things simple, Buy It!...fade to black.

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I concur wholeheartedly with all the good reviews here--we've had this camcorder for many years now and have shot hundreds of hours of video with it. It's great! One possible design flaw is the rotating eyepiece or viewfinder. Over the years the ribbon cable inside it wore out and I had a dickens of a time finding another. There are parts lists several places but no diagram to determine the part number, even from RCA (Thomson)service centers. If your display has gone to black and white or otherwise fritzed out, try moving the eyepiece down toward the stored position and see if it comes back (mine did, in green). If so, this cable is likely what you need. The part number for the cable is TCE 244342, and with shipping it ran about $30. Well worth it to keep this camera going. Order from Thomson Consumer Parts at 800-338-0376. As of this week they had about a hundred left in inventory. Good luck!

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this is a good camera ...the door is flismy

and i had the battery lose its charge several times

my new problem is the viewfinder decided to give up on me

with a white screen ...grrrr

anyways it was an awesome camera while it lasted

rock and roll!

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The CC-6263 has a fade-in and -out option that adds a professional touch to your recordings. For artistic flexibility, RCA includes the wide-format 16:9 mode. You can also record in a special animation mode that creates the illusion of movement for an otherwise stationary scene when you shoot a series of slightly different poses.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Nikon D3 12.1MP FX Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Nikon D3 12.1MP FX Digital SLR CameraThe three major factors that, for me, make this camera (2 of them apply to the D300) so incredible are . . . well, the full frame sensor (finally), the outstanding low-noise/high ISO performance . . . and the extraordinary color! The photographer has a greater deal of control over color than ever before and the results are stunning (use Picture Control). And noise (the digital equivalent of film grain) is at least a 2-stop improvement over the previous D2x. Actually, it's probably 3 stops, but say 2 to be conservative. Believe it or not, ISO 6400 is actually usable! (The D300 is one stop less)

While those features were the most compelling ones in my view, there are plenty of others that are a big plus, such as:

~ 9 frames per second

~ 51 point AF

~ Live View

~ 12mp CMOS sensor, self-cleaning on D300

~ A new 3" LCD--about 4x the resolution as previous LCDs.

The list goes on, but you should read the tech specs and professional reviews. Suffice it to say it is loaded with features and handles like an absolute dream!

Compared to Canon's $8000 professional models, this camera has a very clear advantage. Sure you lose some megapixels compared to the MarkIII, but that's not so important for the majority of (but not all) photographers.

Another thought . . . while this is a good deal at $4999 compared to Canon, you can get almost the same camera for $1799, with the D300. If you don't need a full frame . . . or the extra 1-stop high ISO, the D300 offers about 90 95% of the features and performance of the D3 for 40% of the price! If you want to get the best possible picture quality for the lowest possible price, consider the D300 and put the difference ($3200) on some of Nikon's great new professional lenses.

As of this January 2008 writing, this is listed on Amazon at $6399 through Cameta Camera. PLEASE DON'T buy at this price and allow yourself to be exploited by the backorder situation. Instead, pre-paying $4999 for it at your local camera store puts you ahead of everyone else on the waitlist who merely put down deposits on it. Or wait until it comes down here on Amazon. Again, $4999! That's the price. There is no need to pay an extra $1400 "sucker fee" for it just to have it a few weeks or maybe a month or two earlier. You survived until now without the D3, so you can make it a little longer--just don't pay more than retail. $4999! $4999. $4999. Get the point? :-)

Post Script, April 16, 2008:

I notice this is now being sold by 17th Street Photo, who I've not done business with, but at least they are charging the *correct* price of $4999. First it was a $1400 markup, then $500, and it's good to see the price gouging attempts appear to be dying down.

Post Script #2, November 2, 2008:

How times change--the gouging is gone, and so are the backorders. The price has dropped below $4500 I see. My opinion on this camera remains unchanged in the 11 months since I first got my hands on it, and it's as excellent as it ever was, but now, with the introduction of the D700, I would have a hard time spending the approximately $4300 it now sells for, when the D700 is selling for $2699. The D3 is better built, and shoots 9 fps vs the D700's 8 fps with battery pack, but I don't see it being worth the added $1600 cost unless you're a professional who shoots every day.

I recently sold my Canon 1DS Mark2 and the accompaning 14 mm wide angle lenses because after trying out a Nikon D3 I found the Nikons pictures so much better. True, the Canon software is easier but to me the ergonomics of the D3 are better than the Canon 1DS Mark2 while the detail, clarity and accuracy are still better. Even 24" poster comparisons between both camera's have the Nikon winning in every detail. I am now a proud Nikon owner I think although Canon has more pixels 16.3 versus 12.1 the pictures at large a simply not as good. I perform operative photography and am in the process of finishing a book on Female Reconstructive surgery this is were the comparisons became for my field so much more apparent. The colors for the Nikon are just so much more dynamic and precise while the Canon is not as vibrant and demonstrative of detail. I found for comparisons sake that the Canon videocamcorder XL H1 colors versus the Sony comparable model to again lack color precision, depth of field and to simply to the less experienced eye to lack quality needed for surgeons. So I am now going to start to build a Nikkor lens assortment. By the way I took 20000 with my Canon so I know its downside well under all conditions. The Canon was sturdy and never a problem but its performance is only 80 percent of the Nikon and Nikkor lens

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Had it a week, the ability to shoot at ISO 6400 without noise means goodbye to flash. All my old manual Nikon

lenses work better on this camera than they ever did before on ones which shot film. Probably because the camera corrects the mistakes I make.

The colors are also wonderful. I like them vivid, and the D3 delivers. The dynamic lighting which tones down the

highlights and brings out the shadows without messing up to colors is also great.

I would recommend this camera to anyone who has the bucks, otherwise the D300 is nearly as good for less

than half, if you don't mind DX format.

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After having used Canon for years (from film based EOS -1 to IDMKII, a 5D, and even a 1D MK III), there is just no comparison! This camera handles like it was designed by a photographer, not a tech. It's easy to do everything you want, and the quality is simply outstanding. If you're debating it don't. Just get one and you'll understand!

It has a TON of incredible features, but here are some of my favs:

I know everyone praises the low light abilities and they are outstanding. I am able to get landscapes that would have been impossible before. I normally had to shoot ISO 100, so a tripod was mandatory. Now I routinely use 400 and even 800! I can get into tight spots and hand-hold now! This feature alone has completely changed the way I do photography!

Another feature that I really like was the smaller AF areas. If you're doing wildlife, it makes it much easier to lock on to your subject when the animal is in heavy brush (you know, like all the time). The Canons would always have a hard time in these situations, the Nikon grabs the focus immediately.

One last feature I'm really excited about is the virtual horizon. It makes keeping the camera level just so much easier. It has two ways of showing it the first is a big display on the back that looks like it's out of a 747 and is kind of useless. The second is to set your function button on the front of the camera for virtual horizon. Just press that in with your pinky while you look through the finder and the exposure meter turns into your virtual horizon. Just get it to "0" and you're level. Much easier to do than it sounds. I always thought My shots were level, but I was really surprised how often I needed a little tilt one way or the other.

The camera has incredible autofocus, a viewfinder so good you can actually manually focus with it if you like, an incredible screen on the back you can use to check focus accurately (impossible with any current Canon, at least by comparison), and so much more. Just a fantastic overall camera.

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Yes, it's expensive. Yes it's heavy. Yes, it's unbelievable! If you make your living as a photographer this is the camera for you. You can get a very good image in almost total darkness! The images that you get with this camera are fantastic. If you can't afford the five grand, get the D300, it's almost the same camera at less then half the price. I know I own both, and use both. As great as the D300 is, the D3 is even more so. It's like driving a Mercedes Benz as opposed to a Bentley! If you want all the technical reviews and specs go to the Nikon web site. I am a professional photographer and make my living with a camera. I have it pressed to my face all day long. The D3 makes my day easier. I use the D300 as my back up camera. Cannon has finally been out classed by Nikon. What took Nikon so long?