Showing posts with label infant optics dxr-5. Show all posts
Showing posts with label infant optics dxr-5. Show all posts

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Camera Body (Kit Box) No Lens Included

Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Camera Body No Lens IncludedI got this to replace my D60. I really wanted the D5100 but couldn't afford it. It has all of the basic features I wanted but is missing the additional resolution of the D5100, 14.2 Meg vs 16.2 meg, and the adjustable screen which is OK. The most important thing to me is that it uses all of my lenses and attachments I had for the D60 and uses them as well or better than the D60. It's a very nice camera.

It takes very nice HD video. It is limited to 10 minutes but when you think about it thats a pretty long video.

I'm glad I bought it!

I already own a Nikon D5000 and ordered the D3100 because of it's lower light capability and better HD video capability. HOWEVER, I was disappointed that some of the features I loved about the D5000 have been omitted with the D3100. The D3100 has no "scene" mode ideal settings for beach, snow, autumn leaves, pets, etc. This mode was replaced with a "guide" mode... not needed if you refer to the manual and if you are familiar with the camera.

Also, regarding my order, Cameta Camera stated that the camera, (body only), "includes ALL original camera accessories (the Nikon USA Warranty Card, Batteries, Cords, Instruction Manuals, etc.)" but NO cords were shipped with the camera. I will contact Cameta Camera about this.

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I agree with the reviewer who indicates the features lacking on this camera, including the warranty card from Calumet; however, those features are not ones I care about, want or use anyway (except the warranty card), especially the folly of video in a still camera. What I wanted was exactly what I got: the new Expeed 2 image processing engine found in the top end Nikon D3S and D7000 cameras, a new 14.2 MP CMOS (not a CCD), a very small size and a very light weight, without being flimsy or junky.

My complaint on professional gear and I have some is that it is too big and too heavy and it scares small children and others in the Third World. However, I want the high end picture making capabilities and muscle of the top professional gear in a light weight and small walk around camera and lens. That is what the D3100 is all about, plus, for the body only, it is still tremendous bang for the buck, especially when then used with a super standard zoom lens like the Nikon 16-85mm (forget the 18-200mm with its problems which I have also reviewed here).

Read Best Reviews of Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Camera Body (Kit Box) No Lens Included Here

I am incredibly happy with this camera! First off, the ability to buy just the camera body was very helpful, as it saved me about $50 on the kit 18-55mm lens, which I was able to put towards a 18-105mm lens. The camera itself works really well in a number of conditions. It has a really high max ISO, so you can shoot inside without flash and with high enough shutter speeds to prevent blur. Outside I was able to capture some great shots of sports games, where the "series" option and high shutter speed proved very helpful. If you are looking for a relatively inexpensive digital SLR camera, and are willing to drop a couple more bucks for a better lens/already have other Nikon lenses you can use, this is the perfect choice.

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I got around to writing review after more than a year since buying this camera. It meets my needs perfectly because I was looking for light-weight camera that gives good results indoors and has low shutter-lag. Indoor photos don't washout the subjects with excessive flash allowing natural skin tones to show. Shutter lag is low enough for capturing fleeting smiles. Size and bulk is small enough to hang on the neck or carry in a backpack.

Most of my pictures are taken in Auto-mode but I love the results. Only once I fiddled around with manual focus, ISO and Aperture settings for 4th of July fireworks. Pictures I got were magazine-worthy.

Battery life is long enough for over 400 shots, 16GB card is sufficient for lasting over couple of trips. I use Picasa for organizing photos and Sony's PMB for importing.

I skipped buying the kit from Costco because I know I would not carry around two different lenses, let alone switch them. Instead I bought 18mm-105mm lens and thank my good judgment every time I use my camera. Lens is good enough for wide angles and perfect for portraits. Bokeh effect is as expected (can never get that from even high-end aim-and-shoots). I have taken shots of rainbows, closeups of kids, super close-ups of flowers, city-life, dance performances, beaches, sunsets and whatever else I fancy.

I have never felt buyer's remorse for owning this. I just thought it is worth the expense to capture priceless memories of my kids before they grow up. I only wish D3100 had adjustable LCD like D5100's for taking ground-level photos or other unusual angles.

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Saturday, August 23, 2014

IOGEAR GHDC1402P High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet Supporting 3D and Audio Return, 6.5 Feet (Blac

IOGEAR GHDC1402P High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet Supporting 3D and Audio Return, 6.5 FeetThis is my 8th GEAR HDMI cable. No other cable I've found has heavy duty braiding around the cable like theirs does. And it had gold-plated plugs with removable protective plastic covers on the ends of the plugs. They come in handy for use with my laptop. Keeps the ends free of dirt between uses.

It is an HDMI cable. It's thick and sturdy, does everything it's supposed to. Plugs in, holds firmly, carries video and other signals. I have no regrets.

Buy IOGEAR GHDC1402P High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet Supporting 3D and Audio Return, 6.5 Feet (Blac Now

If you have this cable and you compare it to another similar type. You will notice that the quality is very good. And for the price, it is very good. Can't complain about it

Read Best Reviews of IOGEAR GHDC1402P High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet Supporting 3D and Audio Return, 6.5 Feet (Blac Here

Exactly what I needed. Long length and worked perfectly. Recommended by someone who knows electronics. I needed to have a reasonably long cord which would extend to a projector to be able to make a Keynote presentation from my iPad Mini.

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Sunday, August 17, 2014

Lorex Digital Wireless Outdoor Security Camera with Audio LW2220

Lorex Digital Wireless Outdoor Security Camera with Audio LW2220This is long, but you may soon be spending a good bit of money on these, so I hope that it helps. After using this for a month, I am impressed with the daytime picture quality, night image quality, wireless range and reliability, and build quality. First, this camera is large compared to most wired cameras. It will be noticed and seen which i think is a good thing. The IR illumination is bright and will reach the stated distance directly in front with a decent floodlight effect to see a wider area. I have 2 security DVR systems by another manufacturer (begins with S) which have wired cameras that are rated at 600 tvl and one 700 tvl ptz camera. This wireless camera has a slightly clearer picture with better detail than those wired cameras only slightly but since this is wireless I am very impressed. I would buy many more of these if I could but the cost is prohibitive you get what you pay for. I have tried other wireless security gadgets like driveway monitors and other cameras so I have learned to greatly reduce my expectations for the range, but this unit comes the closest to its advertised abilities. if you are having trouble with the wireless range because of several walls or a metal roof, put the receiver closer to the camera and purchase a long BNC cable (or RCA cable if only sending to a TV) to get the picture back to your DVR. You will need a female to female adapter if you use BNC cable. Using a cable like that may be what you want to avoid but I mainly wanted to avoid drilling a hole through a thick brick wall, so I didnt mind having some cable inside. You may only need a short amount of cable to get the receiver across the room to a window, instead of in a cabinet behind a bluray player, satellite dvr, large tv etc, which will really block your reception.

Installed top left of 2 story house. Reciever/Dvr is opposite side lower aft corner. Basically transmitting thru a large house. Reception signal is full almost constantly. Have a Dvr from another boxed set w/4 cameras and didnt feel like running the signal cables. The camera is about 30 ft above/right of front door / driveway. Fov allows me to see all the way to the street to the door in daytime. Nights not so much, although the area illuminated by the led 's is the primary area I wished to observe. About a 20-23 ft circle is very well illuninated, the the rest of the visible daytime area is black. I believe an identification of an individual could be positively confirme from the quality of the image. The only reason for not giving 5 stars is durability. The crimped mount spins where it shouldnt. Will update if any issues arise ****Update****Night vision quit after 7 days, Leds were still illuminated though, unplugged camera briefly and it started working again. Will keep updated.

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I have used several different wireless cameras in the past. This particular model is the best one so far. I have 2 of these cameras working flawlessly outside of my home. I have tried using similar cameras, the Lw2110 for instance, this is the best one. It costs twice as much as the Lw2110 but it actually works. I have them both going through a stucco wall and 2 interior walls and the reception is amazing. The cameras are about 80 feet from the DVR. Night vision is very clear and day vision is great, colors are great as well.

Read Best Reviews of Lorex Digital Wireless Outdoor Security Camera with Audio LW2220 Here

I wont say this is the best camera out there, but picture quality is good. Nothing much more to say concerning a camera like this other than it is a solid product.

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working good, I use about 75 feet in my control room picture is clear No distortion My operator happy with it.

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

Fujifilm Finepix F660EXR 16.0 MP CMOS 1080P HD Digital Camera (Red)

Fujifilm Finepix F660EXR 16.0 MP CMOS 1080P HD Digital CameraFujifilm's latest addition to their F series of travel zoom cameras is the FinePix F660EXR. Packing a telephoto lens, full manual control and Full HD video recording capability in a slim body, the F series is targeted at those who want serious shooting capabilities without having to carry too much bulk.

The F600EXR is available in black, blue and red. It's small enough to fit in a pocket, but a tad heavier than most ultra-compacts due to the slightly larger body and telephoto lens. The edges of the camera are well rounded and the glossy finish lends it an attractive look. However, you'll have to keep a piece of lint-free cloth handy to get rid of smudges that accumulate too easily.

Fujifilm has paid a good deal of attention to user comfort, especially while shooting. There's a large rubber grip on the front and rubber dimples for the thumb on the rear, just below the mode dial, for a slip-free grip. This greatly adds to the comfort and inspires confidence while shooting. The rear of the camera is dominated by a large 3-inch LCD screen, which has a resolution of 460K dots. The layout of the control panel is pretty standard with a 5-way d-pad and dedicated buttons for playback, video capture, F-mode and Display/Back. The F-mode button brings up a small menu from which you can set the ISO, image size, drive mode and color mode. A jog dial around the d-pad makes menu navigation a breeze. The d-pad arrows double as shortcuts for instant access to macro, flash, self-timer and EV controls. What we really liked was the placement of the mode dial. There's a small hump on the top right corner to angle the mode dial so that it can be rotated with only your thumb, and is right in front of you while shooting. The flash pops up from within the body on pressing a button on the left side. It's locked when the camera is off and automatically sinks into the shell when you switch off the camera. A mini HDMI port and a proprietary USB port for data transfer are housed under a flap on the right side.

Right from the shell to the buttons, dials and flaps, the build is excellent. We couldn't find anything tacky or lacking in usability. The only thing we didn't like was the all-glossy shell, which picks up smudges like a magnet.

Features

The FinePix F660EXR is pretty much the same as the F600EXR with the built-in GPS and RAW support removed. Both models, and even the F500EXR and F550EXR, share similar specifications and design. At the heart of this camera is a 1/2-inch CMOS sensor with an effective resolution of 16 megapixels. Note that this sensor is slightly larger (15 percent) than 1/2.3-inch sensors found in most compact digital cameras, so you can expect better control over noise with the ISO speed set even above 800.

At 24 mm (35 mm equivalent), the lens is wide enough to capture a broad field of view from short distances. You won't have to stand too far from a subject to shoot full-length portraits or large groups of people. Capturing distant scenes is effortless too, with the lens extending to 360 mm, which translates to 15x optical zoom.

Apart from the regular auto and PASM modes, the F660EXR offers EXR, Advanced, and Scene modes. For better understanding, each scene preset flashes a crisp one-line explanation along with a thumbnail example on screen. Some of the interesting presets are:

Natural and With Flash: Shoots two images in a burst, with and without flash.

Portrait Enhancer: Skin appears smooth

Dog and Cat: Optimizes focus by using face detection for dogs and cats.

Night (Tripod): Clear shots of night scenes at slow shutter speeds

Well this Finepix F660EXR have been in my wish list for a long time but I finally listened to my gut instinct and made the purchase of the ridiculous low price of $112 free shipping. These things sell for $300 on ebay. And the nice candy red color is even less than the other color options.

Ok now on to the meat & potatoes, does it take gorgeous pictures in low light or indoors which is the most important criteria to me? A big emphatic YES. I currently have a Nikon S 8100 which I'm perfectly happy with and I also owned and sold a Canon S95 not too long ago and this Finepix takes pictures just as good as the $400 canon s95 which also is rated as one the best compacts out there. I really didn't think it could best my S 8100 but it does. So why the switch? well I was able to buy the S 8100 for cheap and with this Finepix on clearance price of measly $112 it was a pretty decision as I could sell the S 8100 on Craigslist for prob more than what I paid for this Finepix.

What I love about this Finepix is that it has most of the advanced options as the S95 but it's much more user friendly for a novice like myself. NOTE: I maybe a novice but my eyes are as discerning as the pro users because I have much experience with video and home theater so I know what a good picture should look like. My Nikon S 8100 takes super nice pics as well but the scene options were a bit lacking, This Finepix is a perfect balance between the S95 and S8100.

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I like this camera. Lots of functions, and attractive, seemingly high quality. Takes a bit of time to learn the locations of everything. My only complaint is that you can't charge it through the usb port and that it has a special connector for the camera to the computer, not the typical android connector. So I have to be super careful not to lose or break it, and to remember to charge the battery in the battery charger. Other than those two things, it seems pretty nice so far. I particularly like the panorama function which is very easy to do.

Read Best Reviews of Fujifilm Finepix F660EXR 16.0 MP CMOS 1080P HD Digital Camera (Red) Here

I bought this for my husband as a father's day gift. It was a great little camera for taking on vacation and returning with snapshots of our travels. No problems with any of the features, most pictures turned out great the ones that weren't so good were operator errors. Great value for the price, and I did a lot of comparison shopping online and in stores.

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Not only do you get a lot of features for a very low price, but camera is relatively sturdily built, the automatic settings work very well, and it takes excellent pictures.

Only drawback is video: autofocus keeps trying to adjust itself, going in and out of focus while you are shooting, built in mic is poor and there's no mic input.

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Monday, March 3, 2014

Brother DS700D Compact Duplex Scanner - Retail Packaging

Brother DS700D Compact Duplex Scanner - Retail PackagingI just recieved this and it was easy to set-up even with a lack of instructions other than put disk in and load before plugging in the scanner. I tried various types of items to scan and all came out great. Color, b&w even a photo. It is small enough to fit in my bag next to my portable printer so I always have a scanner handy. I was very impressed with the double sided scanning which is fast and easy. I have already recommended this to my fellow sales people and i highly recommend it to all that are in need of a portable scanner.

I purchased this scanner to use with my iMac. Fortunately I also have a PC; otherwise I would return the scanner to AMAZON. The software works so poorly on my MAC that, in my opinion, it should not be sold as "compatible with Lion". If you are planning to use the scanner with a PC, buy it.

My Ratings:

For MAC: 0-Stars

For PC: 5-Stars

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I was looking for a document scanner for household use. This one had all the features I wanted, duplex, compact. So, I bought it. I was so disappointed by it's performance that I decided to return it the next day!

Pros:

1. Lightweight, compact.

2. Installs easy

Cons:

1. If you are feeding documents, there will be a black leading area at the top of the scan. Because it starts capturing the image even before the paper is into the scanning area. This is absolutely unacceptable. How does this thing make it to the market?

2. If you are trying to feed multiple documents, there is no way you can avoid the black area at the top of the scan.

3. The page is scanned kind of slanted, no matter how hard I try to scan it straight. The feeder won't eat the paper straight.

4. The PDF files generated are humongous! I understand these are image based PDF files, but my flatbed scanner does that too... but file sizes are manageable.

It was a total waste of my time.

Read Best Reviews of Brother DS700D Compact Duplex Scanner - Retail Packaging Here

This duplex scanner work well and has a good price, but would be excellent if it had adjustable paper guide to keep document straight.

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Have been 3 hours tonight trying to make my first scan on MAC...have absolutely given up. Have installed drivers a dozen times and done full installations and MAC won't recognize scanner connected. Haven't tried with Windows yet, wait tip tomorrow, i'm ready to toss it in the trash, or take back to store in the morning. I hope the review for Windows are correct but I have been hoping to move completely to my mac but have 1000s of pictures to scan.

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Sunday, December 29, 2013

Nikon D5000 12.3 MP DX Digital SLR Camera with 2.7-inch Vari-angle LCD (Body Only)

Nikon D5000 12.3 MP DX Digital SLR Camera with 2.7-inch Vari-angle LCDSummary:

Outstanding (absolutely stunning) image quality, especially in low light and difficult lighting (high dynamic range) situations

19 point-and-shoot auto modes great for beginners new to D-SLR

Extremely easy-to-use menu system

No compromises feature set not stripped of high-end features

Bright vari-angle screen with LiveView for hard-to-reach shots, but don't consider this a replacement for the viewfinder for most situations

Nice compact body easier to travel

D5000 vs. Nikon D60:

Dramatic improvement in low-light and difficult light image quality

Improved auto white balance (but still not perfect)

Slightly bigger (taller and deeper) body, slightly heavier

11 autofocus points, 3D matrix metering, Auto D-Lighting

Faster continuous shot performance (4fps vs 3)

Up to 63 JPEG/11 RAW images in continuous burst mode (the D60 can capture up to 100 JPEG/9 RAW images)

RAW+JPG with choice of JPEG compression

Full feature set including bracketing

13 additional auto / scene presets

Additional in-camera editing including perspective control and fisheye

Slightly smaller viewfinder, but adds optional grid line support

LiveView with HD Movie Mode

Multi selector supports diagonal movement instead of 4 directions

Quiet shooting mode reduces shutter noise in quiet situations

support for optional Nikon GPS unit

HDMI output

same outstanding 18-55VR kit lens

D5000 vs. Nikon D90:

Equivalent image quality, altho D5000 tends to underexpose capturing all detail vs. D90 tendency to overexpose high contrast shots

D5000 LiveView mode adds subject tracking

Easy to use auto / scene presets along with context sensitive help

More sophisticated interval shooting and time-lapse mode

Additional in-camera editing including perspective control and fisheye

Significantly more compact, lighter body

No autofocus motor in body for older or more professional lenses

No top LCD; must use back display to review settings

No depth of field preview

Lower resolution screen than D90 but vari-angle allows you to compose hard-to-reach shots

Slightly slower continuous shot performance (4fps vs 4.5)

Up to 63 JPEG/11 RAW images can be captured in continuous burst mode (the D90 burst is limited to 25 JPEG/7 RAW images)

Quiet shooting mode reduces shutter noise in quiet situations

.78x Pentamirror viewfinder vs. the D90's brighter .94x Pentaprism

Single command dial means more access to Menu for changing settings

Built-in flash cannot command external flash units with Nikon Creative Lighting System

No option for extra battery grip

Kit lens only 18-55VR vs 18-105VR

D5000 adds Airflow Control System in addition to dust reduction system

Better value, especially body only

Detailed Review:

Having bought my first D-SLR (a Nikon D60) last November, I was intrigued with the announcement of the D5000. At the time of my D60 purchase, I was considering the D90, but after holding both in person, I chose the D60 for its the much smaller form factor, lighter weight, and much lower price tag. I have been largely happy with the D60, although its low-light performance while dramatically better than my old point-and-shoot camera still wasn't fantastic.

Given the D5000 uses the same sensor and imaging sensor as the D90, but in a smaller lighter case, I decided to upgrade. And I must say I'm exceptionally pleased with the D5000.

What is to like over the D60?

1) Stunning Image Quality even in Low Light, without a tripod or fast lens

The D5000 takes exceptional pictures, especially in low-light and in challenging lighting scenarios. The D5000 is the first camera I've owned that can take a picture at night and capture everything (and in some cases more than) my eye sees. And this is in Automatic mode (flash off), without a tripod, using an average-speed (f3.5-f5.6) Nikon VR lens. Truly impressive.

I went back and took the same night shots in the same settings with the same Nikon 16-85 VR lens and the results are noticeably better on the D5000 vs my D60. The difference between the D5000 and D60 is almost as dramatic (in low light) as the difference between my D60 and point-and-shoot camera. I've posted a few example images to illustrate.

Images captured even at ISO 1600 have exceptional detail and very low noise. Even when you zoom to 100% the D5000 renders these tough shots beautifully.

Highlights are controlled and not blown-out, while even low-contrast areas of the picture are captured.

2) Ability to capture details in challenging light, automatically

The D5000's ability to capture all details of an image, even at night, with areas of highly contrasting lighting is even more impressive than it's low-light performance. As some have noted, the D5000 has a tendency to slightly underexpose these pictures to preserve detail. (The D90 tends to over-expose these shots, illustrating that the D5000 is not entirely a "D90 in a small case".)

In one example (posted to the customer images), a night-shot of the famous Castro Street theater the D5000 captured the bright neon signs, architectural lighting of the facade, and even the mosaic tile and billboards in the very dimly-lit entry. All again in automatic mode, no tripod, F3.8 ISO 800. When I post the sample pictures they will tell the story better than I could ever describe.

I can only think that this performance is related to a combination of improvements over the D5000: 11 autofocus points, 3D matrix metering, next-generation Active D-Lighting, latest Nikon EXPEED processor.

3) No-compromises feature set that is still easy to use for the beginner

One thing that annoyed me about the D60 was its lack of some features (eg. bracketing) intended to "dumb the camera down". The D5000 has every control you would ever want, yet its menu system remains extremely easy to use even for a beginner.

Example features the D5000 offers that are not available on the D60:

RAW-JPG ability to select JPEG quality (Std,Basic,Fine)

bracketing (useful for HDR post-processing)

and I'm sure there are many others I have missed.

The D5000 also includes a number of additional SCENE modes (a total of 19) for the beginner used to point-and-shoot simplicity. Everything from Night Landscape, Sunset, Food, Pet Portrait, Sports, and more.

4) Useful Live View and Vari-Angle Display for those hard-to-reach shots

A first for Nikon, the D5000 includes a "vari-angle" articulated LCD. Despite the specs on paper (230,000 pixels vs the 920,000 pixels on the D90) the screen quality is outstanding very bright and easy to see even in sunshine.

Using the Live View mode, you can take pictures in hard-to-reach angles such as above a crowd, or looking up from a low angle, or taking a self-portrait. What doesn't work so well in Nikon's implementation is that the hinge is on the bottom of the camera, so if you're using a tripod your choices are limited.

New to the D5000 LiveView (not on the D90) is subject tracking, which keeps focus on a moving subject within the frame.

As others have pointed out, the D5000 LiveView autofocus performance is very slow. The more that I have used it, I must say that LiveView performance is probably worse than your point-and-shoot camera. Some other owners on the Nikon forums have reported complete failure of LiveView autofocus, although on my D5000 it works.

As it is, I compose 99% of my shots in the viewfinder, which gives you the super-fast response of a DSLR in the first place. For me the ability to use LiveView in hard-to-reach situations is a nice feature.

What could be improved?

Well, first of all, the video is more of a marketing idea the sound is monoral, you can't change auto-focus once you start recording, and the video has the infamous "jelly effect" when moving from side to side

Although the case is much smaller than the D90, it's still over 1/4" taller than my D60, and doesn't feel nearly as comfortable in my hands.

The tilting screen is great, but the bottom-hinge design is of limited effectiveness when using a tripod.

Live View autofocus is very slow for a D-SLR (even worse in some situations than a compact digital camera)

Auto White Balance just doesn't get it right with certain lighting. But it's easy enough to correct with a custom white balance (if you have the time when taking the shot) or post-processing the RAW image. I just don't understand why my $300 Canon SD870 does auto-white balance so much better.

All in all, however, the outstanding image quality especially in low-light, and features offset the very minor areas that could be improved. For that, the D5000 gets my 5-star vote.

I got this camera back on July, its serial number is inside the range of the recall. But mine havent failed yet after 2 months of full time use.

So I just wont send it to repair until it fails, crossing fingers here though. Anyway if it ever presents a problem I will just send it to Nikon since it has full warranty and Nikon's policies are to repair the unit no matter the time or when it fails, could be a lot of time, they will repair it fast for free.

Ok now to performance, this camera performs as good as the D300 or D90 step up brothers IQ wise. High ISO performance is top notch, a few reviews over the net show that it has less noise than D300.

This little consumer grade camera will do just about everything than other more expensive DSLR's. Like full manual settings, high exposure shots, D-Lighting, in camera editing, etc, etc.

The little screen is just perfect, the size and weight too. The menu is user friendly, everything it has looks like a true 2009 model. 5 stars, cant find a flaw.

This camera lacks an integrated autofocus motor, but that feature is for use of older lenses and some exotic ones. So it has 87 variety of Nikon and aftermarket lenses to choose from,

that is one of the reasons I bought this camera, saving money discarding a feature that I wont ever use since Iam new to phootgraphy and Iam just starting making my own lens collection, with only new AF-S type of lenses that come with their autofocus motor. It doesnt have a top LCD display but I really dont like them, they look old. They are usefull, but really not a need.

It has the video feature, wich it isnt as a camcorder quality but way better than a Cybershot, and its a DSLR so I wont go deeper about its video performance, wich anyway is HD 720p, for short clips is perfect.

The 4FPS continuous shot is quite good, not professional but works pretty good, almost no different or noticeable than the 4.5FPS on the D90.

The thing I like most, is the lightweight, coupled with my 70-300vr its ironic how light it is next to a ton of weight from other cameras with heavier lenses.

Cant go wrong with this little camera. This is a great choice if is your first DSLR, or if its your 2nd body. Because if you are serious about photography, for more money u can get a more solid, body with more features, that are usefull for the professional photographer. But for everyone else, this 12.3 MP sensor is the same as the D300 or D90. The Image quality brings a tear to the eye, Period!

Buy Nikon D5000 12.3 MP DX Digital SLR Camera with 2.7-inch Vari-angle LCD (Body Only) Now

If you're looking at this camera, my guess is you've done your home work and figured out that if you want a good DSLR on a budget, your choice is pretty much down to D5000 or Rebel. I came to that conclusion fairly quickly but making that decision was not easy. On paper Canon had better specs for the price but both cameras looked close ...

There are numerous reviews comparing those cameras. Most of them are long, detailed and come to the same conclusion both cameras are good not really helping much at the end. So here I'll try to keep it focused and tell about the key differences which helped me to set my mind.

1. Low light shooting. Recently I went to a party and a friend of mine gave me his Rebel. What I didn't realize before is in order to autofocus the Rebel needs to pop up flash and fire it a few times. Of course, it's not at full power, but still it ruins everything because you can't take a picture without distracting people. You catch some interesting face, point, shoot and those few flashes totally distract the person. Nikon has a white lamp, it's enough to focus but most people won't get distracted. So if you plan to take pictures of people in party like set up Nikon gives you an advantage. (well, to be fair you can get an external flash which has a lamp for autofocus assist, but we are talking about the cameras here)

2. Tilting LCD. Rebel has bigger and better LCD. However, I'm not a paparazzi, but time to time i need to shoot over a line of people in front of me (parades, street performance, small crowded room etc). With the tilting LCD you can raise the camera above your head and still be able to frame the picture. I found that very useful and Nikon has an advantage.

3. Extra preset modes. Probably like the most people I used to keep the dial on "Auto" most of the time. And it worked ok most of the time. But I never could quickly figure out how to take a picture of my daughter blowing birthday candles or perfect sunset or something white on white etc. So when I tried the extra "Scene" preset modes on Nikon, I was really surprised how much better can those pictures be comparing to the "Auto". Try them out and keep in mind Rebel doesn't have many of those modes.

4. Feel. Nikon has very solid feel in your hands. Maybe it's subjective, but I do like this feeling.

So overall, Rebel does have a lot of specs slightly better than Nikon. It's smaller, lighter, the screen is bigger and has better resolution, it has more megapixels. Yes, it's all nice to have but this is a choice between good and even better. However Nikon offers some things Rebel just doesn't have (see above). So I bought Nikon and feel happy about it.

A few side notes. The cameras are getting better and better and in a couple years you'll be able to buy a much better camera for the same price. The lenses and flashes on the other side are not changing much and hold value really well. So if you have a choice, try to buy the best lense (and for an expensive lense don't forget to buy a protective filter) and flash you can afford and maybe save some money on the body and upgrade it in a couple years if some new cool technology pops up.

Hopefully my review will help you to decide one way or another.

Read Best Reviews of Nikon D5000 12.3 MP DX Digital SLR Camera with 2.7-inch Vari-angle LCD (Body Only) Here

I did a lot of research before I decided to go with D5000 including going to BestBuy and other camera stores and handling the camera to make sure it feels right. In the end I got the best deal through Amazon (even though a D5000 kit at Costco had an unbelievable deal). I choose not to buy a kit because I wanted specific lenses with the camera. I wanted one lens that I can travel with without the need to change lenses and another that I can use primarily in doors in low light conditions. I got the Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM IF Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras and Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras lenses. I also got a Nikon SB-600 Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras and an Eye-Fi 4GB Pro SDHC Wireless Flash Memory Card EYE-FI-4PC to wirelessly upload pictures to my laptop (D5000 has built in support for Eye-Fi SDHC cards). Last week Eye-Fi came out with Eye-Fi 8GB Pro X2 SDHC Class 6 Wireless Flash Memory Card EYE-FI-8PC that has more features and almost the same price (bummer!). I also got UV filters for both lens to protect the expensive lens glass.

The cameras I compared before buying were, Nikon D90, D60, Canon Rebel iTL, xTi, etc.

I have used it for two weeks now with great results. Camera is very easy to use, I still have not looked through the manual and have been able to find advance setting easily. The auto-focus with both the lenses is very fast (faster if using the view-port than using LiveView). I still have not been able to find a camera case that I feel good with that is compact enough to easily carry around and I can get my essential accessories in.

One big factor for me for selecting this camera was the swivel lens. Being a big guy, I run into scenarios where I do not have clear line of sight to the subject I am capturing and have always wanted the ability to move the camera higher or away from my body to take great shots and the swivel LCD does a great job at it. My tipod mount has not had any problem with restricting the swivel movement, but I have seen it at a store, where the tripod mount was huge and restricted the LCD movement.

Again overall highly recommended camera.

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Having had the D5000 for a few months now, and having used it with a few different lenses, I figured I'd better chime in here, in hopes of pushing this one's rating just a bit higher. It's certainly deserving. One of the reasons this camera got a bunch of bad reviews all over the place at first was because of the recall. Definitely a bummer. But by the time I received mine, the problem had been dealt with, and I received a perfectly working model. So how is it?

In a word: fantastic. I've owned one other dSLR in my life, and it was a Canon, and it was a while ago. Needless to say, this was a HUGE step up for me.

In getting truly serious about my photography, this camera has been the tool I've dreamed of having for a long, long time. It's fast, light, takes wonderful pictures, and is reasonably priced to boot. The menu system is well laid out, and there's a very useful info button if you want the quick-and-dirty of what a particular setting does. I've used this camera with Nikon, Sigma, and Tamron lenses, and with all of them it has just performed seamlessly. Of course, now that I know everything there is to know about this camera, it only makes me want a D3X that much more. But parting with 7k for a camera is more than a little crazy, especially at my level.

So my parting advice is this: if you really, really know what you're doing, you'll probably be a little disappointed and somewhat limited by this camera. While it does an admirable job at higher ISO's, it's no $7000 camera. In fact it's no $3000 camera. Meaning that you will see noise at the higher settings, plain and simple.

But if you're not expecting miracles, then this little gem of a camera might just surprise you with a few.

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Friday, November 22, 2013

Wansview NCZ-550W UPNP IP Camera H.264/Wireless/IR-CUT/Pan/Tilt/Night Vision

Wansview NCZ-550W UPNP IP Camera H.264/Wireless/IR-CUT/Pan/Tilt/Night VisionThe camera and software work flawlessly on a PC. However, the Android software does not work with Android 4.0...Ice Cream Sandwich...on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone. Also, you must use their proprietary software to access the camera. You cannot do it directly through the internet because they do not provide a website from which to log into. This camera would be 5 stars if it provided this type of access like so many other lower cost camers do.

Monday, November 18, 2013

ProAm 7" On-Camera LCD Video Monitor Kit with RCA AV Inputs

ProAm 7' On-Camera LCD Video Monitor Kit with RCA AV InputsI'm a portrait photographer but do video in my spare time. I bought this monitor to use for setting up shots and it's great to have the large screen to do that. Compared to my 7D's small 3" screen, it's much easier on my old eyes... Connecting to the camera is pretty straightforward, the cables connect directly to my 7D's AV cable. Note that this is not an HDMI monitor as another reviewer suggested. In any case, the image is good and bright, and I can set focus fairly easily. I'm happy with the product and would buy again.

The monitor works great. Got this for an HV30 that is connected to a "Shigg Rigg"/ I had a tough time finding a cable for the monitor. Later saw that you can use a regular 1/8" audio cable. Yes I said that right, you can use an audio cable from the monitor to the HV30. You have to change a setting on the camera itself, but once it's up and going it works great. Widescreen, but it's not HD.

Good Buy, and works great.

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If your looking for an external LCD this is it! The screen was bright and clearer than I anticipated. The resolution was good enough that I don't see the need for spending extra for an HD LCD. Overall, I am very pleased and could easily recommend this product.

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Initially purchased for my T2i but I use more with my Canon GL2 for superb monitoring. Work perfect with standard 3ccd camera. A little fuzzy with HD cams such as T2i/ 60D etc. But great because u can see all the menu functions. I will be purchasing the hd version in the near future. But the ProAm7 will get a lot of use on & off camera for music videos & even event videos such as weddings.

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It's sad when others in media rate this product highly, this is simply a horrible excuse for a monitor. Not mad at the manufacturers, you get waht you pay for. But some of the reviews are highly misleading. Great toy for kids not for work or even prosumer use.

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Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Q-See QCN7002D 720p High Definition Indoor IP Dome Camera (White)

Q-See QCN7002D 720p High Definition Indoor IP Dome CameraThank you Amazon Vine program for allowing me to review this camera.

Physical description. This is a very small dome camera. Measures about 3.5 inches in diameter. The housing is plastic and the camera itself is mounted in a plastic dome. Although plastic, the camera seems durable. I accidentally dropped it off my table at a height of 3 ft onto hardwood floor. Still works fine. Nothing broken. Closer inspection showed that the camera does not appear to have any weather seals. I don't think you'd want to use this in an unprotected area. The camera is meant to be used with power over ethernet. There is a splitter, and it does come with a 12v power supply. I tested it with POE and the separate power supply, works both ways. Included with this package is a 100ft length of white Cat 5e cable. I have 2 of these cameras, neither one came with any instructions or software. Not knowing where to start, I did contact Qsee. I was able to talk to a live tech support person. Although polite, he was not helpful. It seemed to me that they don't cater much to the home user, but more towards the professional installer.

Their website is good. All the necessary software is available to download, though it did take some searching. To ease the pain for potential users, I'd recommend downloading the user's manual first and read it for a good overview. Then download 2 programs: ConfigTool and Professional Surveillance System (PSS). The ConfigTool program detects all the Qsee cams on your network, provides with network address, and allow you to change the IP address, as well as other functions. Just a qualifier, I'm not an IT expert, so perhaps it took me much longer to figure some of this out. The camera can operate with DHCP (your router gives it a temporary IP address) or with static IP. Both my cameras came with static IP addresses. Ones that didn't match my network. It took me a while to figure out that the default on the camera was 192.168.1.xxx. My network was 192.168.0.xxx. Once I changed the IP address to match my network, I was able to access the camera via the web browser. The default username/password is admin/admin. I followed he directions word for word, and was able to get into the web interface of the camera to make some changes. I really like that you can put images to overlay your video. But to this day I'm not able to view live video within any of my browsers. This is not important to me since I use Blue iris to manage all my cameras. This camera does work with Blue iris software btw. The PSS software is excellent. Very easy to use. Flexible, and stable. You can view up to 64 devices simultaneously. Functionally it's very similar to Blue iris. The interface is more graphical, and nicer looking. I actually like it better than Blue iris. And it's free. But, it only works with Qsee cameras. I tried to pull up my foscam and Logitech cameras, and no luck.

Functionally, this camera has very good image quality. Better than the Foscam 8910, and almost the same as the Logitech alert. It does seem to do very well in low light. Better than the previously mentioned cameras. In fact, much better. However, there is no infrared illumination. This means that in dim light, this camera is great. In pitch black, it can't pick up anything. Additionally, this camera seems to lack some other important functions. There is no tilt, pan, or zoom. There is no audio.

I've not tested the mobile app for this camera.

Overall, this camera probably resembles the Logitech alert outdoor camera, but perhaps serves a different market. Both cameras are priced about the same, have similar image quality. The Logitech has audio. Neither have zoom, tilt, or pan. The Logitech is weather sealed, can record locally onto an microSD card. But the software stinks and you're limited to 6 cameras. As a home user, I find the Logitech more attractive. The Qsee has much better software, and is much more flexible in terms of expansion. But probably best suited to provide video security in a warehouse setting or some sort of business setting where flexibility and image quality takes precedence over features.

The camera is stationary, so if you need one that can move, this is not for you.

That being said, I liked most everything else about it. The picture quality was good.

, I found installation easy after reading the manual, and for home use, this fit the bill.

Buy Q-See QCN7002D 720p High Definition Indoor IP Dome Camera (White) Now

I bought this camera to monitor a vacation home and I am grad I did. Now, I have piece of mind and can always check to make sure no one is breaking in.

Read Best Reviews of Q-See QCN7002D 720p High Definition Indoor IP Dome Camera (White) Here

I should have read more closely. I've been using so many other wifi connected products like Belkin WeMo Home Automation Switch + Motion Sensor bundle for Apple iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch that I just assumed this nifty looking camera was wireless (to the internet) as well. It isn't. I'm just too lazy to string it though the walls. Better for someone building their house or handier than I am. Foscam FI8910W Pan & Tilt IP/Network Camera with Two-Way Audio and Night Vision (Black) looks like a better deal for me, although not as aesthetically pleasing.

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Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Kinamax BTR-LI40B-J 3.7V 1100mAh Lithium Ion Rechargeable Battery, Premium Cells from Japan

Kinamax BTR-LI40B-J 3.7V 1100mAh Lithium Ion Rechargeable Battery, Premium Cells from JapanI bought this battery as a backup for my "bring with me always" all conditions camera. I have one battery always charging rendering a fresh bat change when I need it on the go...Remove bat quick change recharge existing... works well...documented my summer adventures ready to go....

Using this with my Fuji FinePix and it works great! The battery is a slightly different model than what came with the camera but it has more power and lasts longer.

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