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

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Lorex LW241 LIVE sense Wireless Video Home Monitor

Lorex LW241 LIVE sense Wireless Video Home MonitorI bought this monitor because of a friend referral. I also bought the Summer 3.5 Touch, and the Motorola MBP35 (3.5 screen). I originally bought the Summer Touch but wasn't 100% sold on it. That is why i purchased the other two.

First off, the good:

Screen Clarity Seemed better than the Summer and about the same as the Motorola.

Night Vision This monitor had the best vision at night of all of the monitors. Everything was much brighter and easier to see. (also listed in the Negatives later).

Battery life It seemed to get around 5 hours on a charge. About the same or a tad less than the Summer, but about 2 hours better than the Motorola.

Ability to record and save. I only played with this feature, but I thought it would be great to have if a nanny or babysitter was over and you could keep track of the actual happenings with your baby. Neither of the other two monitors had this feature.

Lullaby function I'm not sure how much this would actually be used, but I thought it was a nice feature to have. The Motorola also had this.

Night Light Again, not sure how much it would be used, but another nice feature. Neither of the other two monitors had this.

VIDEO STAYS ON when off of the charger. I thought this was a great feature because on the other monitors you have to keep pressing the video button after it automatically times out after about 2 minutes to be able to see the screen and what is going on. They do this as a power saving feature but it is more aggravating than anything. The Lorex stays on and makes it easy.

The ability to add other cameras and be able to view them all simultaneously. The other two monitors allow you to add cameras, but have to view one at a time. Again, not sure if most parents would ever need this, but it is a nice feature.

Now, with the BAD.

No Zoom feature on the Lorex. Both the Summer and Motorola have this ability. It has a pretty clear picture, but there are times where I want to zoom in on my child and could not.

No Panning feature on the Lorex. Both the Summer and Motorola have this. While this may be ok with some who just want to see a certain area of the crib, or don't mind leaving the camera in a fixed place, it could be an issue for others. I thought I could easily get past this, but I couldn't.

Audio When compared to the Summer, you practically had to lay your ear on the back of the monitor (where the speaker is) to be able to hear the child. The Summer picks up the swing going back and forth, and allows you to adjust the volume to hear much more than the Lorex.

The Talk function. If you put your mouth right on the microphone, it works ok. However, testing it with my wife and the Summer, she continuously said the Summer's sound quality on the other end was much better.

Audio Alerts. a great idea for a feature, but it randomly worked and was more irritating than anything.

The Auto Mute, and Scan features. While these are great features to have, they did not seem to work. They randomly chose when to turn on and it usually had to come from a loud noise, but sometimes chose not to even come on then. And YES, I did adjust the sensitivity on the side.

Skype while this is a GREAT selling point, it has its flaws. First, you cannot plug the monitor into a Mac computer to use this feature. Second, even when plugged into a PC, the video is so far behind and lacking once on Skype, it takes away the usefulness of the feature all together. Sometimes it would not even show movements that clearly happened.

Inability to connect the monitor to a TV or other video source. The Summer allows you to connect the monitor to a TV through RCA/mini usb so that you can view it on a larger screen if desired. The Lorex and Motorola do not.

The Night Vision. While stated as a positive earlier (which it is), it also has a slight negative. The LED's on the camera are red and clearly visible at night, whereas the ones for the other monitors are not. This may bother or alert some children/etc., and may not for others. It is just a point I thought I should mention.

After wanting to love this monitor and replace the Summer with it (already sent the Motorola back due to lack of technical support and inability to plug into another video source), I am afraid I am going to have to send the Lorex back as well. I wish someone would take the good parts of each of these monitors and combine them, but as of now, they have not. For now, we are sticking with the Summer monitor because it had the least negatives of all 3. I think the main reason I wanted something instead of the Summer monitor is because they specialize in baby clothes, products, etc. Motorola and Lorex specialize in communications and surveillance, therefore I figured there products would be better. I was mistaken.

The LW2451 unit just arrived this afternoon, but since there are no reviews as of yet, I thought I would post one so people would have some initial idea of how the system performs.

The setup only took a few minutes. It started beeping right away. It turns out that it was the alert that the child is making noise. The loudness of that alert is configurable. It stopped once I stopped touching the camera.

The camera is small, about 4 inches tall. It pans and tilts, no zoom. The resolution of the image seems fine. I did see some noticeable color shifts (hue). I will try it again in daylight and see if that is still true. Given how far it tilts, it strikes me that it would work well with a wall mount (bracket not included.) I placed it on a tall dresser right next to the bed. Because of that, and my unwillingness to move the bed or dresser, I had to put a small box under the rear to get the 20 degrees I needed. Someone setting it on a lower table or one just a little further from the bed would not have any issue at all getting a full view of the crib/bed. The camera has an on/off switch, volume for two-way talk and a sensitivity control for how loud the child must be to set off alerts on the monitor. The IR LEDs are visible as very dim red lights. My daughter noticed it, but it did not keep her up. They are barely visible.

The monitor is a convenient size, about the size of a smart phone. It has dedicated volume buttons. Button placement seems well thought out. There is a mini-joystick for pan/tilt/menu nav, press to accept. The power adapter can be plugged into the cradle or the monitor directly, which appeals to me. There is a great deal of leeway when setting it in the cradle... Placement doe not have to be exact for it to charge. There is a stand so the monitor can sit upright without the cradle. There is a swing out antenna which does add a bar of reception, but I have not needed it yet.

It seems to be playing well with my wireless router, but I would not want to guarantee there is no interference at all until I run a few more speed tests.

The camera and monitor are made of the same white plastic that most nursery products are. It is lighter than it looks, which I know does not alway convey a sense of quality, but it seems solid enough and I would not want them to add weight just for that.

Pros:

System performs out of the box as advertised.

Has features of systems costing a lot more.

Night vision works well

Sound is clear

Cradle and charging well thought out

Temperature is always visible on monitor and is proving to be accurate.

Menus are simple and easy to navigate with thumb controller

Reception is great

Volume can be turned all the way of if desired.

Video can be turned off if desired.

Lots of buttons and functions

Cons:

Operating pan/tilt or moving through the menus causes beep which may wake spouse

Sensitivity control for alert that says child is making noise is on the camera, not monitor.

Would benefit from a few more configuration options such as turning button beep off.

My voice sets off the noise alert when using the two-way talk feature, so I have to wait for the 3 beeps to end before I can hear the person on the other end. That meeans I miss the first word or two of the reply.

No zoom other units that offer this supposedly get very graining, so I do not care for it.

The monitor has been runing for over 4 hours, so the battery performance seems quite good.

My experience so far has been excellent.

Buy Lorex LW241 LIVE sense Wireless Video Home Monitor Now

There is a SERIOUS lack of reviews on this fine product, so I'm writing my first Amazon review to give people more information before they buy. I would give this a 4.5 because of the few CONS listed below, but since I can't, and there are so many PROS, I'm giving it "5 Stars"

We received it in the mail today and the camera is MUCH smaller than we thought it would be, which is great because it fits well on the shelf above our daughter's bed. The monitor is cool, sleek and feature filled...too cool in fact, we had to have a firm talk with our five year son old about playing with the features because it wasn't one of his disposable toys.

The last monitor we had was simply a static radio wave audio monitor which had not worked for some time, and with a new baby on the way we needed something. We had originally purchased the Motorola MBP36 which seemed great, but as a protective dad, I wanted something to watch how the baby sitters handled my two hellions while we were eating Thai Food. After hours of reviewing iPhone apps, cameras, monitors, etc, this seemed like the perfect fit. What sold me was the video: easy to use, set up, and was MAC capable. The camera doesn't have to be plugged into the computer (like some other baby monitors) but the monitor does (which is great because that's when we'd use it as a nanny cam).

With regards to the first review, you CAN actually turn the beeping of the buttons on the monitor down by turning down the Alarm Sound. So now my five year old and I can geek out swinging the camera around while not waking up the rest of the family. I wish the camera could be controlled from our iPhones, but as an engineer and a pilot, I think this product is overall pretty sleek. Here's the breakdown:

PROs:

Pan/Tilt all around the room

Auto IR night cam (no need to turn it on like some other cams)

Good quality video day/night (unlike other cams. Example footage from the Amazon product video is accurate)

Intuitive monitor and simple controls (My five year old gets it)

Camera Skype account was easy to set up with set-by-step directions

No white noise when monitoring. Just comes on when the kiddo starts cranking.

-Nifty features:

Talk through monitor (to sooth baby or freak out the dog...both work great!)

Musical soothing tunes

Skype dial up for mom & dad, or aunts, uncles, grand parents...but they can't see inside your house unless you hook in the monitor and turn on Skype.

Record onto a mini-SD. Don't have one, but neat.

Expandable to four cameras, can be the LW2400 ($50-$70) or LW2451 ($91-$150) prices from Amazon, any other cameras?

See all four cameras at once (control them one at a time if needed!).

Auto-sound detection so you don't hear static while you're trying to sleep.

Temperature monitor and alarms

Timer alarms, if you need it.

Extendable monitor antenna to walk down and get the mail.

CONs:

Green light is always on the camera (nothing a little electrical tape can't handle)

Auto-sound detection sensitivity is on the camera, not the monitor

Musical tunes rhythm is a little quick, and songs change automatically which is a bummer

Lack of zoom

Lack of tilt/pan through Skype (obviously. Hopefully Lorex will push a native app as a software update)

3 Steps to view on Skype as Nanny Cam (not bad, but if you do these out of order, and open Skype first, the Skype camera defaults to the iSight and you have to go back into PREFERENCES and re-select the Lorex camera):

1) Plug in Monitor

2) Then open Skype to that account

3) Call the Lorex Skype account your set up to view

Again, I understand the third party app requires help, but I think code could easily be added so that Skype automatically opens when the computer detects the monitor and closes down when the monitor is disconnected.

However, these may be considered Nit-Noid CONs to some, and, in fact, they are small potatoes, but some factoids that some may find interesting. Overall, great camera and system! I have to go, my son wants to play with the Monitor again!

Read Best Reviews of Lorex LW241 LIVE sense Wireless Video Home Monitor Here

I don't even have a baby -what I do have is a teen and a tween. I also have a finished basement where my kids hang out and I like to monitor what goes on down there. I can clearly hear and view from 3 floors up! The clarity is superb, the features are great. As the description states, you can hook this up to skype so you can even see what's going on if you are not even home. So when my teen is babysitting, I can see what's going on from my iphone via skype! How cool is that?! There is also a "talk" button so if you choose, you can use it as an intercom system. I have been playing around with it and so far, I'm super impressed with what this can do. If you have any place in your home you want to monitor, this is the item. This is not just a "baby monitor", it's an in-home surveillance system and can even give you peace of mind when you aren't home. I would think this would be a great item to keep an eye on a puppy as well. Highly recommend. It is expensive but the quality and features make it worth the price.

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First child is on the way and we needed a baby monitor for the home the Mrs. gave me the task of picking one out, and based on the specs, this one seemed to be exactly what I was looking for.

Set-up was super easy you just plug in the camera and the base charger, and the two instantly find each other. Picture quality seems good, I like the temperature display, and the ability to hear what's going on in the room with the camera.

Now for my one gripe: I chose this particular camera in large parts because of the Skype integration. Our entire extended family lives at least 8 hours from us, so I really, really wanted a way for them to be able to log in and see the baby whenever they felt like it. After getting the camera all positioned, I went to set-up the Skype part on the computer. You plug the monitor portion into your computer via the included USB cable, create a new account, tweak a few settings, and viola! your camera is now broadcasting to Skype. BUT it will only do that when the monitor is synced to your computer via the USB cable. As soon as you unplug it, the connection is lost and you can only see the video on the monitor.

I was pretty bummed out when I realized this, to be honest. Yes, if grandma calls and says she wants to see the baby, I can easily hook the monitor back up to the USB cable, but that's not what I was looking for. And forget about the new Dad being able to just take a quick peek at his sleeping baby when he's back at work.

I'm going to keep the camera for now, because I like everything else about it. But if I do find one that has all these features, plus real Skype integration, this one is going back.

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Friday, August 22, 2014

Moultrie Gamespy 6 Megapixel Digital Infrared Mtm Game Camera

Moultrie Gamespy 6 Megapixel Digital Infrared Mtm Game CameraMy husband & I purchased this camera to set up in our backyard and take pictures of our nighttime "critters" and also to use when we go hunting. A family member was using one of these at the deer stand this season and that is why we purchased this particular camera. Batteries last ~ 10 days with photo and videos set at highest resolution and frequencies (obviously it will depend upon how often the motion sensor is triggered). Daytime photos/videos are in color and are excellent with good range across the width of our (suburban) backyard; nighttime photos/videos are in black and white only (using infrared rather than bright flash) with very good detail. At night, the subject is difficult to determine when it has its nose on the camera, but if it's a foot or so away, the detail is good. We leave it out 24/7 in all weather and it has performed perfectly. You can set the camera on a flat surface if there's no concern of it being knocked over; or use the included very long strap to secure it to a stationary object for more stability. You will need to purchase an SD card to capture the images (16GB is the maximum which can be used; I purchased an 8GB card for $25). The camera comes with USB cable to attach to computer, but I find it easier to just pop the SD card out and use card reader to transfer images to computer and clear off the card.

its a great camera, have that and the modem and cant be happier. I can be thousands of miles away and keep an eye on my woods.

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This was a gift for my boyfriend for Christmas and he loves it and is still finding new things to use on it. We do want to buy the additional accessories so he can use his cellphone to check and download pictures but it is pretty costly so that will have to wait.

Over all we have for sure gotten a Great cam for our money !

Read Best Reviews of Moultrie Gamespy 6 Megapixel Digital Infrared Mtm Game Camera Here

This thing is awesome. Took about 20 minutes to figure it out along with the cell modem I bought for it. Sends pics over ATT to a website.. saves a ton of time and fuel going into the site before critters arrive.

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I purchased this Moultrie tracking camera because I already owned one but it was a disappointment. It would work some and shut down some.

The multi-shot feature would take the first pic but the next ten pics would be half pink and half black. I thought at first it was the

san disc I purchased so I changed them out and by the third disc the camera would not scroll the features. It is being returned.

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Saturday, May 31, 2014

PowerShot A2500 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and 720p HD Video Recording (Silver)

PowerShot A2500 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and 720p HD Video RecordingGot this yesterday and like it, had Canon PowerShot A2300 IS 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom (Black) before. Just to note, PowerShot A2500 is an entry-level pocket camera which is very similar to PowerShot A2300: 16-megapixel 1/2.3" sensor, DiGiC 4 processor, and 5x zoom 28mm wide angle lens, 2.7" LCD. Even 720p HD video capabilities are the same.

Pros:

1. What really distinguishes it from its predecessor is Smart Auto Mode recognizing 32 shooting environments and adjusts settings for better quality. It automatically selects the best shooting settings for optimal quality based on the environmental factors (lightning I guess) to provide point'n'shoot simplicity.

2. 16.0 Megapixels, with loads of resolution pictures are still clear. High resolution is also good for producing biggest printouts.

3. 5x Optical Zoom is sufficient in most cases.

4. DIGIC 4 Image Processor. Not as fast as DIGIC 5 though fast and powerful enough to give you advanced system options, provide quick-shoot with reliable performance and low battery consumption. As far as I know DIGIC 4 is currently Canon's most efficient processor for budget cameras. BTW it has some Eco mode, that is said to be providing even faster warm-up times and saves the standard battery, but I haven't tested it yet.

5. Very lightweight, just put it into your pocket, can take it everywhere.

6. Price tag $99. You can't get any better camera for the price.

Cons:

1. Like A2300 it lacks optical image stabilization, though it's got digital image stabilization.

2. 1/2.3" sensor. Well, entry level CCD providing good pictures, not of a DSLR quality, that's all I can say.

Summary:

Sure this is not the best camera in the world. I definitely knew it when I bought the camera. BUT, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of pictures I shot.

If you're like me (not a pro) and looking for a budget point-and-shoot camera taking family photos and events, mostly shoot in daylight or good lighting, I'd definitely recommend it, taking into account its price tag of $99 just about right.

IT IS EASY TO USE AND THE QUALITY OF THE PICTURES IS AMAZING. I DON'T THINK THERE IS A BETTER CAMERA IN THE PRICE RANGE OF THIS ONE. JUST SPENT 12 DAYS IN ITALY AND TOOK OVER 1000 PHOTOS THAT ARE LIKE POST CARDS.

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This is my first digital camera and it's so easy even I can take great pictures. I especially like that I can take stills and videos with the same camera. I highly recommend this camera.

Read Best Reviews of PowerShot A2500 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and 720p HD Video Recording (Silver) Here

This camera is perfect for me. Easy to use, takes high def pictures, and small enough to put in your pocket or fanny pack.

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So lightweight and easy to use I wish I had gotten one sooner. loaded with great features.

only cons. haven't had time to learn how to use all the features yet.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Opteka VLB-3 Video Light/Microphone Dual Cold Shoe Y-shaped Splitter Bracket (Includes Sony AIS Ada

Opteka VLB-3 Video Light/Microphone Dual Cold Shoe Y-shaped Splitter BracketThe bracket is made of metal and very sturdy. The shoe adapter is plastic and doesn't tighten down very well it strips if you over tighten, which I found out is very easy to do and makes the bracket useless.

I happen to have a metal cold shoe adapter (HDE 1/4"20 Tripod Screw to Hot Shoe Adapter) and added a wing-nut on top and it works great. This basically makes it the same cost as the more expensive Cool-lux Light & Sound Bracket, Camcorder Dual Mount Bracket for Video Lights & Microphones which looks like it already comes with a metal shoe adapter.

I have a 160 LED light and Rode mic attached, the same as manufacturer picture implies (but mounted the other with Rod mic on the higher bracket since the other way blocks some of the light). Considering the weight it holds the plastic shoe adapter might have snapped anyway.

I own a small camera so I had in mind to put a light and a microphone, when I tried to tide the plastic thing went loose, I had to put some Teflon to make sure doesn't fall.

If wasn't for that I would recommend this product.

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The bottom hot shoe on this is just too big to fit on any camera that I have. It does come with a sony adaptor, but I have never used it since I do not have a sony camera. I had to file down the edges on the hot shoe so it would fit on top of my camera. I am surprised at such low quality from Opteka

Read Best Reviews of Opteka VLB-3 Video Light/Microphone Dual Cold Shoe Y-shaped Splitter Bracket (Includes Sony AIS Ada Here

So this right out of the box wouldn't even stay tightened. It would just re-run through the threads.

I had to ninja this item which I bought simultaneously together.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005005EEM/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00

So now, with that it finally stays. There are versions that are full metal, and just know this won't even hold its own weight on your hotshoe, let alone a light, Rode VideoMic or anything beyond.

If you get this and ninja it or a better version, grab this too.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CNPK3M/ref=oh_details_o02_s01_i00

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A very cheap product. Does not come with hotshoe adapter for Sony alpha series like promised and when mine arrived one of the metal brackets was completely bent shut, making it useless. Obviously a company not focused on quality. Obviously not going with opteka ever again.

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Friday, May 9, 2014

3:2 Swi-View LCDVF LCD Viewfinder for Canon 60D, T3i, any other 3:2 3" LCD Cameras by Carry Speed

3:2 Swi-View LCDVF LCD Viewfinder for Canon 60D, T3i, any other 3:2 3' LCD Cameras by Carry SpeedI am using this on a Canon 60d and I wanted to provide some details as to how this LCD viewfinder/loupe functions for me. Please note: I noticed that the same reviews come up under two different products, so I want to be clear that my review is for the 3:2 Swi-View LCDVF LCD Viewfinder for Canon 60D, T3i, any other 3:2 3" LCD Cameras by Carry Speed SOLD by Photo Smart, NOT the one sold by Cowboy Studio. The Cowboy Studio offering, according to them (in a customer service email), does not come with the neoprene cover that allows attachment to your swivel screen. The one that Photo Smart offers comes with: viewfinder, strap, microfiber cleaning cloth, two metal self-adheasive frames and neoprene cover.

First off, I have never been interested in permanently attaching any metal frame to my LCD to allow the typical magnetic attachment of a viewfinder/loupe. That is why this product is so beautifully elegant. The one from Photo Smart comes with Carry Speed Swiview Swi-View for LCD View Finder fits any 3" Swivel LCD Screen as part of the kit.

If you purchase the Cowboy Studio offering: 3:2 Swi-View LCDVF LCD Viewfinder for Canon 60D, T3i, any other 3:2 3" LCD Cameras by Carry Speed you will need to purchase the Carry Speed Swiview Swi-View for LCD View Finder fits any 3" Swivel LCD Screen as well if you want to use it with your 60d or T3i swivel screen and not require the adhesive frame.

Attachment is a breeze with the neoprene wrap, just flip out your LCD, wrap the viewfinder with the included Swi-View neoprene cover and secure to your LCD.

**A word of caution, if you out in direct sunlight, be sure to bring something (the included microfiber cloth works great) to put over your viewfinder/loupe when you are not actively using it. The direct sun can shine in and burn your LCD very quickly much like a magnifying glass.**

This viewfinder solution provides great results and allows you to see much more clearly when adjusting focusing during video recording, especially in very bright conditions. There is no diopter adjustment on this model, but I wear glasses and have no problem getting good results with my glasses on. You can check the accuracy of the loupe by holding the camera focus button halfway and once the camera is finished focusing, be sure what you see through the viewfinder/loupe is in focus as intended.

I use this solution with my 60d and my "DSLR Follow Focus" from DSLR Solutions (google search) mounted on a modified version of the CowboyStudio Shoulder Support Pad for Video Camcorder Camera DV / DC and it works great! I am able to put my eye up to the viewfinder attached to my flipped out swivel screen and walk around and focus with near identical functionality to a larger shoulder mounted camera.

Conclusion

This viewfinder/loupe is a fantastic value costing a fraction of the more expensive offerings and produces really nice results. It makes hitting critical focus during video recording much easier and will be a regular addition to my camera setup. Since I did not see many reviews talking about how this product works with Canon 60d, I wanted to provide some insight. I hope some people find this information helpful.

This looks like an pretty good item, but I wanted to warn Canon T3i users as the description says it works with that.

The T3i has a viewfinder than is closed. You open the viewfinder, swivel 180 degrees, and snap it back into itself. Now it is just like any other camera. To protect it and put it away, you swivel it 180 degrees and snap back in.

Here's the problems. If you mount the metal frame, it's adhesive. if you try and "put away" the viewfinder it will no longer work, you'll have to leave it in its

open" position with the viewfinder exposed.

I thought I could get around this by purchasing the metal mounting hardware that mounts to the bottom of camera. This would work very well, but if you have a battery grip on your camera liek mine, forget it. It won't work.

I am rating this high as I can see it would work well with other cameras, just not the Canon T3i (600d) series.

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It should be obvious to anyone that this is not a true LCDVF model viewfinder. The seller should get dinged for this and be forced to correct their wording, but I'm not going to base my review off of a misleading title since I knew what I was getting into when I made the purchase.

This little gem is at the right price and the optical quality is perfect for me to finally rack proper focus with my t2i. The construction is hard plastic and seems like it will take some abuse. Inside of the tunnel it is lined with a felt like material, which picks up lint pretty easily. Comes with a handy lanyard and a neoprene carry case.

I originally mounted it directly to the camera, the paint started flaking off the first metal bracket within a few hours but the effects were only aesthetic. Magnet holds strong and takes a forceful bump to knock it off the mounting bracket.

My screen protector finally showed up, so I pulled the original metal bracket and mounted the second one that comes with directly to the protector. I like this route because there's no longer any adhesive touching the camera, but I need to find a better way to secure the bottom if it's going to go through any type of abuse.

In my opinion, someone finally priced a view finder appropriately and this one does exactly what it is supposed to do.

Read Best Reviews of 3:2 Swi-View LCDVF LCD Viewfinder for Canon 60D, T3i, any other 3:2 3" LCD Cameras by Carry Speed Here

I love this little thing! It makes filming in daylight so much easier, makes focusing on moving shots easier, adds some stability to the shots as well, and cost a tiny fraction of what other companies make too. Only warning is to be careful not to leave the open/exposed side out because it has a sort of carpet-like fabric inside that can collect dust. I recommend using your extra magnetic strip, leaving it in the plastic bag, and putting that on top to act as a plastic screen to cover the opening.

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In the first week I used it twice. Went to take away from camera and one magnet pulled out of viewfinder. The viewfinder works for what it is but quality not so hot.

Justin

Pacenotes.tv

Monday, March 31, 2014

OPTOMA TECHNOLOGY SVGA 2800 LMS 3500:1 CONTRAST HDMI 2XVGA-IN VGA-OUT AUDIO-IN AUDIO-OUT 2

OPTOMA TECHNOLOGY SVGA 2800 LMS 3500:1 CONTRAST HDMI 2XVGA-IN VGA-OUT AUDIO-IN AUDIO-OUT 2i set this up as soon as i got it, being super psyched! before this i had purchased the shift3 lightblast entertainment projector and was sorely disappointed. therefore, i decided to up my price range a little. i bought this for around 200$ and it was worth it. currently i have this set up approximately 12 feet from my screen. my screen is 5' across & tall.

pros

it has most any hook-up you could want.

it projects well enough even with a couple lights on, but projects amazingly in a dark room. it has better picture quality (both sharpness and color) than my old TV and my laptop combined!

it's easily set-up and you barely have to do a thing.

the warranty is amusing to read (the projector isn't covered if it is wrecked in a casualty... =P ).

the bulb is easily replaced.

it has both focus & zoom and both are easy and work very well.

it looks good.

it's pretty quite.

it has a remote.

cons

it kicks the fans on immediately and constantly runs hot, although this is a trend i've seen with every projector.

the sound output port is rather pathetic and insufficient to hook up to something such as surround sound, but there are ways around this (don't put sound into it and run the sound directly to your speakers)

it says it has a built in speaker system, it has a volume control, but the speakers don't work the best...

it needs time to cool down after using it (the fans run for an extra 2-3 min. after it's off).

Ive got to say, i was a tad skeptical at buying this projector. for a little under 400 bucks, i didnt know what i really was getting. I was getting mixed details about the projector, saying it was a xvga, then it says its a 720p projector. I didnt know if the 720p was a lie. Well, the truth is, natively this projector is a 4:3 aspect ratio xvga projector. But boy does it know how to push its limits! I attached a blue ray player via hdmi to this bad boy and it looked GREAT! The quality of the projector is really really nice in my opinion. not only does it have the hdmi port but it has vga, and a composite, and a sound in and out port too. I love this projector and watch all my movies on it.

It says its a 70in projector but im telling you with the 2800 lumens it has, you can go larger and STILL have a great image! i was projecting onto a 80in screen and it looked great and it could keep getting larger if i only had a larger screen!

i say, get this, you dont need the 600 dollar 720p projectors, i think this one does just fine!!!!!

The zoom lens helps a tad, but its hard to get a large picture when the screen is close. You would need to tape on a wide angle lens to do that, which i have done :) HAPPY SCREENING!

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I ordered my OPTOMA projector because it offered high quality and versatility in terms of brightness (2800 lumens), and input formats. A nice bonus that I hadn't seen before is the VGA out, which I will use to string together multiple displays for my installations.

HOWEVER, What is sorely missing is a lens cover. Many other manufacturers' designs include a slider that opens/closes a lens cover or at least includes a removable lens cover. This had neither. It must be an oversight, because the TS551 comes with a travel bag which suggests that it is meant for portability.

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El producto cumplió con mis expectativas. Excelente imagen, muy brillante, lo uso aun a plena luz del dia y se ve muy bien, lo uso para ver películas y para jugar con el wii. Muy contento con este producto, lo recomiendo

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I use this projector everyday for my PS3, Wii, Computer (movies and games), and Digital HiDef cable and it looks awesome on everything. Bright at night and during the day, and it goes past the 70 inch size. We have it mounted to the ceiling about 14-15 feet from the wall and it goes up to 130 inches without distortion. You don't have to look at it dead on either to see it you can see it from all angles clearly. The only bad thing I have noticed about it was that the audio out plug is bad it sounds all crackly and distorted but if you have your own surround sound system and you just hook up the video signal cords you will be fine.

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Monday, March 17, 2014

Dayton Audio HR13C25 16.5 ft. High-Speed HDMI Cable CL3

Dayton Audio HR13C25 16.5 ft. High-Speed HDMI Cable CL3Cable was installed in wall as part of upstairs renovation. Has worked well since initial plug-in, no issues. Excellent cable at a very resonable price, would purchase them again.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

ViTiny Pro10 Portable Digital Microscope 10x - 200x

ViTiny Pro10 Portable Digital Microscope 10x - 200x
  • Built in 2.8" full color TFT LCD screen: 320 x 240 pixels for preview
  • Magnification: 10x to 200x (Optical zoom: 10x to 40x, Digital zoom: up to 5x); View Range on 2.8" LCD Screen: 6x4mm at 10x magnification
  • Digital Camera: 2M pixels; Photo Resolution: 1600 x 1200 pixels, JPG file; Video Resolution: 640 x 480 pixels, AVI file (320 x 240 pixels, MP4 file); TV Image Output: MP4 file; Web CAM Function
  • USB Cable: 1.1 speed for transferring images to a PC; AC Adapter: 100-240 Volt, 50/60 Hz for world-wide power requirement; 32MB internal Flash memory for saving images; Micro SD Card Slot: optional cards used up to 2GB
  • Multi-LED Lighting Function: adjustment of light source from different direction; Special Effects: Grey Scale, Inverse, and Embossed; Measurement Function: measurement of length, perimeter, area, angle, etc.

This little jewel opens up the digital photography world to the next step past macro-photography. It is a handheld microscope camera with video capability. Unfortunately it is subject to the same optical physics that make a microscope difficult to operate focusing and depth of field. However, one has a two eyed view on a 2" x 2.5" screen on the back of the instrument rather than the microscope's small round lens. The screen upon activation tells you that it is a "Digital Mobile Microscope". While useful for field applications where it it difficult to bring the subject to the instrument, one is more likely to bring mobile subjects to the kitchen table or work desk.

The manual seems to be a machine translation from some undetermined source language and is therefore somewhat limited. It needs to be rewritten by an American who has learned to use it. However, once one figures out the basics and determines that the instrument is relatively rugged, most functions can be determined using a combination of paging through the manual and pushing buttons.

This instrument should find use among naturalists, (professional & amateur) forensic professionals and anyone interested in exploring and documenting the world below the limit of visual acuity. Buy it now and generate a demand for the next model with more features.

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This is a great product to have if you are curious about the "small" world around you. For me, it like to have a convinient extra special eye to look this amazing world. This product is pretty small, like a regular digital camera, to fit in your pocket and palm. It is really light (< 160 g) to carry. But it has power of magnification up to 200x. It is a real field microscope, no PC monitor needed to use. With it, I looked at the insects around house and yard. See some pictures and video on Youtube (search Vitiny) and . I also used it to inspect the coins, stamps, money, diamonds, jelwery, and stones. I also used it to do some research on the particles, like silica gels for chromatography, fibers for nonwoven fabrics, fillers for coating and inks, pigments for paints. I am also surprised of the functionalities of this products. It can be used as a webcam. There are serveral view modes to see the objects. Many measurement and picture/video editing functions in the software. Overall, this is an amazing product, really beyound my expections. It really worth my money. There is no similar products at this price range. The more expensive products Dino-Lite Portable Microscope / Display Kit,Handheld Digital Microscope used for science researches are heavier and bigger, without the same power. Many handheld microscope cameras, like this one Dino-Lite AD413T Portable, handheld Digital Microscope / Camera with Measurement Function, needs a PC to see.

Monday, January 20, 2014

New Kamerar Tank TK-2 cage with rods support

New Kamerar Tank TK-2 cage with rods supportThis was my first camera cage. I run a small video production business as a hobby-gone-horribly-wrong, so take this all into consideration.

PROS:

* Affordable...This is the best cage I could find for the money.

* As the name "Tank" implies, it is very tough and sturdy. Nothing feels cheap or flimsy.

* The fit and finish is very nice and I noticed no scratches or overly sharp edges. The packaging was decent and it was really easy to figure out how to set it all up.

* The Tank will fit a T2i/T3i/T4i with battery grip or camera-only on a quick-plate. I hear it will fit a BMCC although mine is still on back-order so I was not able to confirm it.

* This beast has so many attachment spots that you will never outgrow it.

* The rods and tripod assembly are great quality just like the Tank. The rods are threaded on both sides so you can attach longer rods or use them in conjunction with other 15mm rigs.

* The Tank is very versatile and configurable. I was able to flip sections, subtract rods and configure it to my specifications quickly and easily. You may need to get a little creative to make it perfect for your camera.

Cons:

* The red twist knobs are not ratchets, they are static and may stick out depending on how much you need to twist them. Ratcheting twist knobs would be awesome, but you can always upgrade them later.

* This may not be the best rig for a Canon T2i/T3i/T4i (although it's what I use it for and will keep using it) for a few reasons. The battery cut-out on the bottom plate does not line up with the battery door on the camera (not sure what DSLR will work, maybe 5d/7d?), the Swiss rods interfere with the HDMI cable placement when using an external monitor,and the Swiss rods do not allow enough room to open the SD card slot. I was able to make all this usable by mounting the camera backwards on the Tank and removing one of the Swiss rods from the SD card slot side to fix all these issues. The Tank is still very stable with only three Swiss rods holding it together. The only problem I have not figured out yet is changing the battery while keeping the camera in the rig, I think an external battery option may be the best solution.

Overall the Tank is an awesome affordable cage to build upon. The rods are very usable and allow for a follow-focus and matte box in the front and you will need another set of rods with an adapter for the rear if you want to turn it into a shoulder rig. I have a 7 inch monitor on a magic arm, a zoom recorder, matte-box, follow-focus, and there is still plenty of room to spare. The possibilities are endless. The pros outweigh the cons. I am certain this rig will outlive my camera.

I hope this review helps you.

This cage is quite solid and large enough to fit my d800 with the zacuto zfinder pro guerrilla plate.

Made in the USA, at china prices. What else can I say?

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Yep it's true. Very solid aluminum construction and works great. Nice finish. You can attach almost anything you want and then some! Would be kool if it could accomodate a battery pack for my DSLR not tall enough. It is very solid and works with just the camera and has a spot to change the battery. 5 Stars for a taller one.

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This is going to add some weight to your rig, so make sure your tripod head can handle it. It is now too heavy to counterbalance on my 701HDV.

It gives me a ton of options for mounting mics, lights, monitors, etc. I had to remove a swiss rod to use the screen on my 60D, but it still works great.

The thumbscrews on the cage are not ratcheting. I had a problem with the one on the right rod blocking the battery door. I had to put some washers under it so that it would snug down out of the way.

I wish that some of the holes were either unthreaded 1/4" or more threaded 3/8" so I can bolt cold shoe adapters on without having them face the wrong way.

Overall the quality is very good. I would recommend this to anyone looking to add a support system without breaking the bank.

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I read several reviews before purchasing this cage, and I am glad I did. I love the build quality. Perfect for my needs.

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Thursday, January 2, 2014

GTMax Bluetooth Wireless Mini Keyboard with Cleaning Brush + 10FT Micro-HDMI to HDMI Cable for Amaz

GTMax Bluetooth Wireless Mini Keyboard with Cleaning Brush + 10FT Micro-HDMI to HDMI Cable for Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7 inch, Kindle Fire HD 8.9 inch / Kindle Fire HD 8.9 inch 4G LTE Tablet , 2012 Modelwould have been better to spend my money on a better quality keyboard. This keyboard is a cheap toy. it took too much pressure on the keys to operate. It's as if the the accessories were an apology for the cheap device. connected/paired just fine, but only worth three dollars, not $26.

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Monday, September 23, 2013

Konica Minolta Dimage S414 4MP Digital Camera w/ 4x Optical Zoom

Konica Minolta Dimage S414 4MP Digital Camera w/ 4x Optical ZoomI researched digital cameras for several months to find THE one for me, a digicamaphobe. THE camera is the does it all AND at a reasonbable price Minolta s414.

I considered Canons, the G2, the Elph s230, various Olympus cams, and the easy,cheesy Sony. The elph was easy to use, but small, awkward, and distance shots were blurry and pixilated. I tried a friend's Olympus, but it was kind of complicated for me, downloading seemed a pain...My sis emailed me Sony pics she took, but the quality wasn't there...In April, while shopping, a friend pointed out the Minolta s414, 4 megapixels and 4 times zoom with movie and sound. So, I researched it...From reviews and info about the s414 I learned it was truly awesome with options galore. Additionally it was considered "user friendly"... I showed my boyfriend the info I'd found...An amateur photographer, he'd had never thought digicams could produce the quality of his NIKON, but he was impressed with the research I showed him; so he bought one. He was immediately blown away with the quality from the moment he started using it. His first macro shot of flowers with the s414 convinced him to set aside his Nikon. Then he had me try he camera...and had trouble wresting it away from me, because the Minolta s414 REALLY IS USER FRIENDLY.

I had to have the s414, and we went to buy mine...In addition to "user friendly", we found "sold out" at three stores... At the fourth stop, we bought the demo... along with rechargeable batteries, a 256 picture card and card reader...

Sunday, June 8, armed with our s414s, my boyfriend and I went to a dance recital and took some stupendous pictures in sepia and black and white as well as color ...EASY. ..After downloading the pics, we were amazed as we zoomed in on an eye to see the outline of my daughter taking the picture was reflected in the pupil!!! I took 100 pictures and made three quick films, plus reviewed and downloaded the pics before needing to recharge the batteries...Now how awesome is that? This camera RULES...

I remain very happy with the S414. In fact, I have sold or given away almost all my other digicams. The one problem area with this Minolta had been its heavy battery use, but since I switched to 2,000 mAmp Monster batteries, this has become much less of an issue. I append my original review below:

**************************************************************** This is about my 12th digital camera, and in general each one gets better in several ways as the technology expands. This one takes the place of a Sony P72 which I bought for about the same amount of money 8 months ago. However, the Minolta brings several higher end features to the table, including a 4 megapixel resolution (great clarity in poster-sized enlargements possible) and a true, 4X optical zoom, which was my main reason for upgrading. However, the icing on the cake, it turns out, is the 414's faster CPU, allowing it to wake up quickly and to write and recover faster btwn shots. In fact, it is so quick that it allows for continuous shooting of digital stills at 0.8 second intervals until either the battery is exhausted or the memory card is full. Likewise, it takes fairly good quality video *with* sound, as well as allowing for voice over of still images. The controls are logical, intuitive and clearly marked, the thru-the-lens framing is bright and easy to use, and playback on the 1.8" LCD is clear even in bright haze. Even the synthesized camera-like sound effects are good; they are a pleasing means of non-visual feedback to the user. Of course, it's a camera, so the quality of the photographs is what really counts, and here I can say the Minolta optics are superb, easily trouncing the Sony & Olympus cams I've been using of late. Battery life has not been an issue for me, weight and balance are okay, and even the non-integral (but tethered) lens cap hasn't bothered me. It does, of course, need a much larger memory card right away; with a 256MB CF card I'm getting about 120 shots at the highest resolution.

In short, this is an amazing camera at a very good price.

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I cannot begin to tell you how impressed everyone was with the pictures I took with this camera. Many have seen digital... but this is something else. And for under [money]? 4MP images, 4X OPTICAL Zoom -you won't find that in a Canon for under [money]. Even better -standard AA batteries so you'll never have to worry about your battery pack being depleted with no options or having your batteries become irreplaceable after a few years. IT takes video too and the 320 x 240 videos are usable, cute, and a nice additional feature. The ease of use is excellent. And best of all the vivid quality of the images combined with the sharpness left me impressed. I didn't need to refer to the manual during first use to get started. Very simple. Need to read to understand all the features.

UPDATE:

Most of the few bad reviews that drag down the rating of this camera are due to the common misperception that using regular AA batteries is the norm. READ THE MANUAL PEOPLE! ALL cameras are the same in this regard and everyone will tell you to BUY RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES. Yes, they make a HUGE difference. I have a set of 1850mAh which will easily last me 125+ shots with the LCD on, reviewing the photos, etc. What is great is that this camera CAN use standard AAs if you are in a jam, one of its greatest assets. The picture quality is superb for the most part. Like all other cameras, autofocus is not perfect but it is very good and many of the pictures have just overwhelmed people who see my work. There are numerous other features that this camera offers and for 4 megapixels, the options and the price, this camera is a total steal. It feels good to grip in the hand. For some this camera might be a tad large and slightly heavier but you get quality photos which is the bottom line. Get a tiny camera you'll get much lower battery life and picture quality. Make your decision regarding the trade off. Having seen the pictures from this camera I would easily have paid more.

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I have owned two other digital cameras, this was to be a replacement for a dead 3.2MP Casio QV300EX. I am a point-and-shooter primarily, but like to have the controls when I feel creative. If all you want is an auto setting camera, you can do much worse. However, if you are at all interested in manual control, look elsewhere!

The bad:

1. Only two aperature settings

2. Lens does NOT zoom when in Macro mode

3. In manual mode, the LCD does NOT display the focus. The user is expected to view the focus as a number displayed on the LCD, i.e. 0.6m, etc. This makes it impossible to get the correct focus in manual mode.

4. Has problems in low light getting a good focus. My test photos were blury in evening light, the kind of light that makes for some of the best photos. This is probably due to the relatively slow lens.

5. Lacks shutter priority mode. Come on!

6. Battery door seems fragile and is hard to close. The tabs that lock it into place seem to be stuck when sliding the door, I'm afraid over time they would break.

7. Too easily turned-on while in the pocket/bag.

The good:

1. Solid metal case

2. Turns on quickly

3. Good battery life

4. Good feel in the hands

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The S414 is an excellent choice if you are looking for an all-around awesome camera. A very good fried of mine has the S404 and loves it. I consider myself an advanced photographer that has been fighting off the digital craze. Until now 35mm is had been dear to me but the instant gratification of digital is amazing. I am very happy with the manual settings that let me be creative. The auto setting also takes very good pictures. My 10 year old daughter has no problems in taking nice shots. I would recommend NiMh batteries and at least a 128 meg CF card. I purchased a 256 meg card and at medium setting the card will hold over 400 images. At this price with all the features...well I am very happy!!!

Monday, September 9, 2013

Q-SEE QD4801B 480TVL Night Vision Camera REPLACES OLD QSC48030

Q-SEE QD4801B 480TVL Night Vision Camera REPLACES OLD QSC48030The camera has pretty good night vision and clarity but it's field of view is VERY poor. It really does not cover the area I want in most places I need cameras so I had to get some other ones for certain spots. Overall a good camera but except about at least a 10 foot blind circle below the camera in an average size room.

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