DXG USA DXG-A85V HD DXG Pro Gear 1080p High-Definition Camcorder

This camera is amazing! shoots amazing videos, the audio quality (AFTER THE FIRMWARE UPGRADE THAT YOU HAVE TO DOWNLOAD OFF THE WEBSITE YOURSELF) IS great too! I shoot in 720p 30fps cause my hd tv is 720p and my computer which is Windows 7 the editing software edits much easier with 720p 30fps but the camera picture quality is amazing, and so is the manual focus. If any of you guys are having probs with the audio it's because you have to upgrade the firmware, and with following the directions it should take you 5 mins tops. The camcorder takes awesome pictures! you need to hold the camcorder pretty still but like since I have picture taking experience I can do that. I use 12 or 20 usually. Also the memory card has a lot to do with it too! I have a 16gb Sandisk ULTRA and its class 6 or 4. and I have to say, its amazing with the camcorder. The manual focus for movie making and pictures is very useful! it came with everything you needed and then SOME. I think this camera is amazing and it's more for people who know how to handle technology as well as figure it out a lot more easier! :) 5 stars!

Bought DXG-A85V Camcorder because it listed a lot of promising features: 1080P,SDHC cards, replaceable batteries,etc. I had a very good experience with a camcorder in same price range with the Sony Webbie 1080P filming bowling competition, but its short 1 hour+ battery life forced me to use a portable car jump start battery and dc to ac inverter as a power source. This worked well-the Sony had great video & audio, but I was looking for a simpler solution! Also a trip to Disney is coming up and I wanted to film all day which ruled out the Webbie.

The DXG-A85V to me was a "no name" that I was willing to take a gamble on for the price and cheap extra batteries (less than $10 each). I figured I'd record bowling before the Disney trip "just to be sure it worked ok". To my dismay the audio recording was so low I could bearly hear any bowling pins crashing out of the camcorder speakers. Even over my PC and TV the volume had to be cranked up to max to hear even below average bowling sounds. There are disclaimers in the owners manual and web site about its speakers being only 1 watt and its 15 feet recording distance. I think the main problem is the placement of a cell phone size microphone on the backside of the flip out LCD. I have since noticed that all the competition place their much larger microphones under the camcorder lens.

Customer Support was quick to answer my call and is located here in USA which is refreshing. However, none of that makes up for a poor Engineering design.

Just for the fun of it I tried recording at different resolutions and different sizes & manufacturers of SDHC cards, but same problem. Video flickered at high resolutions. I don't think it can write video & audio fast enough.

Consider it like a disposable camera due to other engineering limits already in it such as class 6 (how fast it writes data)with a maximum size of 16GB SDHC cards. (Class 10 32GB are now being sold).

I have since purchased a JVC which accepts a MINIMUM Class 4 speed and it accepts 32GB capacity SDHC cards.

Buy DXG USA DXG-A85V HD DXG Pro Gear 1080p High-Definition Camcorder Now

I am sorry to write a bad review, but this camcorder is disappointing in its 1080p video performance. It was packaged perfectly, and looks and feels like a high quality item, but the 1080p videos that it takes are just disappointing. That's why you buy a 1080p camcorder, to get good video images, right? Specifically, upon playback on my 40 inch HDTV 1080p screen, I noticed that the video images have streaks and flicker slightly, like the data off of the memory card is flawed. It was just not a stable, high quality 1080p video picture. I've taken about 100 hours of 1080p video with this camcorder, and I am sorry to say that I would not buy this one again. I do not recommend purchasing this camcorder try another brand.

Read Best Reviews of DXG USA DXG-A85V HD DXG Pro Gear 1080p High-Definition Camcorder Here

Not the most impressive video cams. Can't shoot at full, or even half res without stutter. Lowest resolution barely passes for presentable. And yes, I'm using the recommended grade card(s). Tried shooting on a number of different rated cards but it had no noticeable effect/improvement. The playback was halting, and stuttering something fierce. Sound recording is horrible too. Overall, a VERY weak product... but what did I expect for "a bargain?"

Don't waste the money. Save up for a real video camera. Wish I had.

Want DXG USA DXG-A85V HD DXG Pro Gear 1080p High-Definition Camcorder Discount?

Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Silver)

[This is the same review I posted for the kit. If you're getting the body because you don't like the 18-55 lens, keep in mind that some dealers offer this camera in a kit with the much nicer 17-85 USM IS (image stabalization) zoom.]

The new Digital Rebel XTi camera should appeal to a wide variety of users: those wishing to upgrade from a point & shoot digital, or those wishing to improve upon their first generation digital SLRs. Features and value make this a 5-star camera, but it won't be everyone's cup of tea.

Compared to the previous Digital Rebel XT, important improvements are:

1) 10.1 megapixels. In digital camera circles, this is like saying a car has more horsepower than an older car. While this alone doesn't mean "better" pictures, in reality, combined with other improvements in hardware & software, the results typically are better.;

2) 2.5" LCD panel. This alone has more than one advantage. The obvious first one is that our pictures look larger in review. The second, and for someone approaching 50 (like myself), is that the LCD is now used for all the camera's data (shutter speed, aperture, shots left, etc.). It's much easier to read than the small LCD typically located on the top of the cameras. It might use up the batteries quicker, but, heck, if you can see the info this much easier, then so be it. One complaint, it does not appear that the data rotates when you do verticals (like the Sony Alpha 100).;

3) 9-point AF. The number of points are improved from 7, but the real key here is that it's the system from the 30D, which had a much higher degree of accuracy than the previous Rebels.;

4) Picture Styles. I didn't really appreciate them at first, but simply put, this is like the days of film, when we could use a "portrait" film or "landscape" film. For those that don't like to do a lot of computer work, these can be VERY handy in getting the right look in the camera.;

5) Dust cleaning system. OK, I think the dust problem will probably be a little overblown, now that Canon offers a solution, but it is a real, if not great, threat. Additionally, the way Canon has implemented it is second to none. The first is through hardware. An ultrasonic filter can simply shake the dust off. Second is through software. If you spot a nasty piece that won't shake off, you can do a reference shot, and have the dust removed by software on your computer.;

6)The grip has been improved a little. The rubber on the grip is improved, and an anti-slip strip has been placed on the back where the right thumb goes.

Most all other things Canon is know for still exists. The camera focus fast and quietly. Camera operations are quick and easy to locate and use. Pictures look great.

Now for the other side. This is an unusual time in that all the big players are comming out with a 10 megapixel camera at the same time, so the Canon has some stiff competition. Here goes a simple comparison.

1) Compared to the other two cameras already available, the Sony A100 and Nikon D80 (both also 5-star cameras), the XTi is considerably smaller, and somewhat lighter. Some will like this, even some with medium to medium-large hands. But most people with larger, and some with somewhat smaller hands may prefer the other two choices.;

2) The battery is somewhat smaller than its rival's, and may drain a bit faster due to the LCD being used for info all the time.;

3) Functionally, the rear LCD is not as nice as the Sony's. The Sony's rotates, can be set to enlarged type (50+ user again), and the system that turns it off as your eye approaches also starts the AF on the Sony. [Although many like the top LCD, the Nikon way of needing to push a button on the back, then peak over the top to see what you're setting is not as nice].;

4) No in camera stabalization. The A100 can shift the sensor to help eliminate camera shake. Nikon and Canon require you to purchase rather expensive lenses to get the anti-shake.;

Also, soon to be added to the competion will be the Pentax K10D. Specs are sketchy right now, but it appears to be enter the competition as a 10 megapixel camera with built-in anti-shake (much like their K100D).

Of these 3 currently on the market, the Canon is the least expensive; therefore, it's up to the other 2 to show they are worth more, a very difficult task, indeed.

You'll find plenty of technical reviews on the web regarding features and specs for this camera.

The best thing I think I can provide is my short experience with this camera, so if you used to have a high end P&S camera and is looking to dive into the DSLR world, you are where I was a few weeks ago.

I owned a Sony F717 which I really loved, but honestly, all I did was set it to Auto and take good pictures. The problem was that I had a toddler at home that doesn't really like to wait till the camera took a few secs to focus and take the pic. I was missing those smiles and moments just because the Sony couldn't take pics fast enough.

I decided to look into newer cameras... Initially my budget was around $400 and I was looking to buy the Canon S3. But after spending several weeks online reading reviews (like you probably are right now), I decided that I wanted a DSLR (you'll find plenty of technical reasons in the web and other reviews). I was then ready to buy the Canon Xt (But the Xti was just around the corner, so I decided to wait a couple more weeks and when the Xti was finally released on Sep 1st, I went to Best Buy and got mine)

It's my third week with the camera, and I'm loving it. I can take pictures of my son faster than he can say "bugga bugga bugga". While I'm still learning how to use the camera to its potential (I've been trying to learn how to shoot pictures in manual mode instead of full automatic), I've been fully satisfied with the results so far.

If you're doing what I did last month, you're probably reading tons of reviews of this camera, the Canon Xt, Nikon D50, Nikon D70, Nikon D80, etc. Don't waste your time on the details.. They're all excellent cameras, and if you're coming from P&S, any of these cameras will be an awesome one for you to learn.

I warn you though. The biggest danger of buying this camera is that you'll soon be lusting after lenses... Now I spend hours on the web checking reviews of Canon, Sigma and Tamron lenses, and believe it or not, it's much harder to buy lenses than to buy a camera.

PS: A Great book I I got was "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. I actually got the book before the camera, and it was one of the main deciding factors that got me into DSLR instead of a pro P&S. The pictures that Bryan shows in this book are amazing and you need control. Now I'm paranoid with getting the smallest Depth of Field possible in my son's pictures (You'll understand this if you get this book or any other that explains concepts of Exposure)

Update (10/04): After weeks digging forums and reviews, I decided to purchase 2 lenses... The canon 50 f1.8 and the canon 70-300 IS. I'm not going to go over the details for these lenses in this review, but wanted to let you guys know that deciding which camera was the easy part. Deciding the lenses is where all the pain resides.

Buy Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Silver) Now

I had the Rebel XT and about 8 lenses and was thinking of getting an upgraded second camera body. So when it came out the 30D was a logical choice, but it was not really much of an upgrade from the 20D, which I resisted, so I was not really sure what to do. Then I had all but decided to just take the plunge and get the 30D when I heard the first rumblings about the XTi.

Then I started to learn the details about the XTi, more mega pixels, same auto focus, same screen, picture styles, dust cleaning! The only areas that the 30D won in my opinion were build quality, spot meter, and estimated shutter life. Those 3 categories were not enough to convince me that the 30D was worth $300-$400 more than the XTi especially since the XTi had won or tied in most categories. The way I look at it is that the camera bodies are not nearly as important as the lenses, they change so fast that it is not worth it to me to spend more for longevity when it will be outdated in a year anyway. Spend $1,500 on a lens, use it for a lifetime, spend $1,500 on a camera body, regret it in a year. I fully expect the upgrade to the 30D to be released within a year, and now that I have saved by getting the XTi I will have all that much more to put towards it when it comes out.

So basically what I am saying is that, in my opinion, the XTi is just as good, if not better than the semi-pro 30D, so why pay more? Switching from the XT to the XTi was very simple, I can use them both now without any problems. The batteries, battery grips, remote shutter release, and most of the other accessories are also compatible with both, which is nice to keep the amount of gear you need to carry to a minimum.

Unless you want to move up to a full frame sensor, I can't see any reasons why you would not want to go with this camera. If you read books on photography from just 1 or 2 years ago you will realize that this "entry level" camera has features that were not even available on top of the line ($5,000+) camera bodies. With the speed that camera bodies advance you might as well buy the entry level body every year instead of making a huge investment in the pro level bodies and then being shown up by something 10% of that price in a year or two. Not that there are not reasons to buy one of those bodies, I just don't seem have any of them.

Read Best Reviews of Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Silver) Here

With emphasis on portability, Canon's Digital Rebel XTi is designed for first-time DSLR photographers and travel enthusiasts. Measuring 5.0" by 3.7" by 2.6" and weighing 1.1 lbs., it is about as large as the largest point & shoot cameras and one of the smallest DSLR camera bodies on the market. Its size is the source of both popularity and criticisms. If you have large hands or a heavier lens, it may feel too small. An optional battery grip can help, but some will want something more substantial. Visit a store nearby to find out for yourself.

The package includes camera body with a lens cap, battery, charger, manual, catalogs, neck strap, USB and composite video cables, and CD-ROMs. You will need a lens and CompactFlash memory card. There may be some static energy in the packaging, so remove the lens cap in a dust-free environment such as the bathroom to prevent dust entering the sensor. Much promoted sensor cleaning system helps, but it's best not to get any in the first place.

Canon sells 4 versions of XTi: black or silver finish and with or without EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. Black or silver is largely a personal preference, but most lenses, most accessories, and all but low-end DSLR camera bodies are black. As for the kit lens, it can be an affordable introduction to DSLR and capable if used exclusively at f/8 or f/11 apertures (soft at other apertures). In other words, the lens is not ideal for shooting under low light. If you don't have to get a zoom lens now, start with Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II. It is famous for top-notch performance at very low price. Due to XTi's APS-C image sensor (compositions are multiplied by 1.6x), this lens becomes 35mm-equivalent of 80mm.

If you have the budget for a good zoom lens, at over 100 lenses, Canon has you covered. Some of Canon's popular zoom lenses include EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, EF 17-40mm f/4L USM, EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM, and EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. If these are too pricey, third party vendors such as Sigma and Tamron make Canon-compatible lenses for less. Their focus is not as nice as Canon's USM but they generally outperform Canon's lower-end lenses.Tamron's SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) and Sigma's 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC and AF 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC macro are popular among budget-minded photographers.

With 10.1 megapixels image sensor, the XTi can benefit from sharper lenses. Although increasing the resolution over same image sensor area can increase noise, Canon has improved the sensor technology to maintain low noise floor and high dynamic range. Performance wise, there's very little to criticize. Great example of Canon's trademark smooth, high contrast, saturated, and low noise. Noise remains low even at ISO 800. It is said that shooting RAW is equivalent to getting an extra exposure (1.0 EV) and it can help you maintain usable details with acceptable noise at ISO 1600. Low noise gives XTi a bit of an excuse for missing in-body image stabilizer. According to Canon, lens is more effective location for image stabilizer, especially telephoto. That's true but I think the feature would've been nice to have. As a consolation, the XTi has mirror lockup that reduces vibration caused by the mirror movement. My sole performance criticism is the metering mode. It includes only partial and not spot metering mode (very useful when shooting high contrast scenes such as candlelit birthday cake). Perhaps more problematic is the evaluative metering mode, which occasionally underexposes images by 2/3 EV or so.

Some have criticized XTi for "plasticky" build. Except for the metal lens mount, the exterior is largely made of high quality engineering plastic with rubbery paint. If you drop it, it will probably crack or break, but it's sturdy and well made. Flipping on the power lever, it starts up almost immediately ready for use. Much promoted auto sensor cleaning kicks in when powering up and down. As with most DSLRs, there's virtually no shutter lag and it focuses in a split second (especially when using a USM lens). In continuous shooting mode with a fast memory card, it can take 10 RAWs or 27 JPEGs at 3 frames per second. RAW images are 10 MB each, so get a speed 2 GB or larger memory card, such as SanDisk's Ultra II series.

Replacing both 1.8" LCD and info display is 2.5" high resolution LCD with LED backlighting. It displays current camera settings, photos in memory, and menu. Thanks to greater real estate and more refined user interface, XTi is very intuitive and pleasure to use. The minus is 10% lower battery life, which was merely adequate to begin with. XTi has 95% crop 0.8x optical viewfinder that displays 9 auto focus points, shutter speed, aperture, and more, but misses ISO speed, white balance, and metering mode. Overall, XTi's viewfinder is more than adequate but pales to Nikon D80's larger and more comprehensive one.

Highlights of software package are ImageBrowser (Mac OS X Universal Binary), ZoomBrowser (Windows), and Digital Photo Professional (Mac OS X Universal Binary and Windows). ImageBrowser and ZoomBrowser are easy-to-weight lightweight applications for managing JPEG and RAW. Digital Photo Professional is considerably more powerful and lets you use XTi's dust delete data feature for removing dust its sensor cleaning hardware couldn't remove.

Want Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Silver) Discount?

I've been using the 400d/XTi for about 2 weeks now, and I love it. Shutter response is very fast, and the LCD is easily readible, even in very bright conditions. The 9 point AF is far superior to the 7 point AF offered on the 300 and 350d models, and the added resolution (10.08 MP) is a nice bonus. The anti-dust protection, particularly the automatic sensor cleaning, is great as I change lenses quite often.

I'm sad to say that the 400d has replaced my (more expensive) 30d for most applications. The 30d clearly has a better build quality, but that's the only advantage I can see at this point. If you want a lightweight, moderately inexpensive prosumer-grade camera, the 400d is about as good as you can get for the money.

PLEASE NOTE: if you are new to digital photography, the camera is important, but lenses are FAR MORE IMPORTANT. If you want to get great results with the 400d, you're going to have to buy good lenses. The kit lens (18-55, NOT USM) sucks -it makes a good paperweight, but that's it. If you're a beginner I'd recommend the 50mm f/1.8 MK II (or the f/1.4, if you can afford it) to start. The f/1.8 MK II is cheaper than the kit lens, and while it's a prime (doesn't allow you to zoom) it's much sharper in low light conditions (and the f/1.4 is even sharper than the f/1.8).

Overall, I give this camera a 9 out of 10. For the price, it's the best you can get. Just remember, lenses are more important than the camera. A 300d with L-series lenses will outperform a 400d with low/consumer grade lenses in all settings. If you already have a 300 or 350d, save your money and invest it in better optics. If you don't already have a dslr, this is perhaps the best entry-level model on the market.

Logitech Alert 750n Indoor Master System with Wide-Angle Night Vision (961-000376)

First of all the SETUP is very easy. The on screen prompts will take you though the steps.

1. Install the software.

2. Plug the master network adapter into the power outlet and plug the Ethernet cable into your router

3. Plug the camera into power outlet and click yes to update firmware (adapters and camera).

NOTE: Do not unplug the camera or the master adapter during the update.

Wow that was easy. It took less than 15 minutes to get the system up and running.

You can even use your neighbors WiFi signal (please ask first) more below.

PICTURE QUALITY

The picture quality is great (but not HD and not what you have come to expect from a digital camera) during daylight hours but not so great at capturing clear pictures of moving objects in total darkness. However in my case I have a flood light with motion detector that comes on when someone enters the area at night making the video bright and clear.

MOTION DETECTION

What I like is that you can draw areas on the actual image from the video camera to trigger recording. In other words you can eliminate false recordings from cars going by or movement outside your property.

You set up each camera individually providing ultimate flexibility in alerts, sensitivity and recording. In addition, once you have created a LogitechAlert account, you can select which cameras triggers an email alert.

EMAIL ALERTS

You set the LogitechAlert account up from the Settings Menu (the gearwheel icon).

From here you can enter several email addresses. I have mine set to send a text to my cell phone (as I don't have a smart phone with email and web access).

Most cell phone providers offers an email address starting with your cell phone number that will be forwarded to you as a text message.

Please look the email address up on your providers web page. I can not put them up due to Amazon posting regulations.

You may get charged for each text by your cell phone provider so make sure to set the Alert Frequency and Motion Filter conservatively (from within the Settings Menu Alerts-Advanced).

As mentioned above, I have not received one false alarm although my system is still set using the default values.

RECORDING WITH PC TURNED OFF THIS IS A GREAT FEATURE.

The camera(s) stores all motion triggered activity regardless if you have the PC on or off. To review all recorded activity, start the PC and click the "Enter Playback Mode" icon. A very intuitive calendar and timeline shows up indicating recordings. Point to a time and click on play to see the activity.

UPDATE:

You can review/playback history from only the dedicated PC on your network.

Logitech suggests not loading the software on more than on PC on the network.

If you do, you can only watch live video but review/playback will not work from the other PC's (also unexpected results may occur).

NOTE: You can view the real time images from anywhere on the web with the free Logitech Web Alert Viewer. To get full control with playback via a remote PC you must purchase the Logitech Web and Mobile Commander for an annual fee* of $80 (at the time of this writing).

Unless...

You keep a PC turned on all the time and control it from any PC (or web enabled phone) on the web using Teamviewer or LogMeIn (both are free for private use you can download the programs from Cnet.com). Then you can access the Logitech Alert Commander interface as you normally do from home.

UPDATE 1: I am using the free version of LogMeIn and it works great. The only disadvantage is that you can not hear audio from the home computer. But you can see the live video feed and use playback along with camera adjustments etc. Actually you can operate your home computer just as if you were sitting in front of it. You can access it from work or anywhere in the world via the internet.

UPDATE 2: I have now used both remote programs for over a month. Logmein appear to be unreliable with respect to video quality. TEAMVIEWER IS THE WINNER (To get perfect video quality: select "View", "Optimize Quality" from the TeamViewer screen on the remote computer). TeamViewer will also let you transfer recorded video files (or any file for that matter) when you are away from home.

Cost for leaving your home computer on all the time.

The cost for a 40 Watts consumer** 24 hours per day, 365 days per year = $35/year at $0.10 per kWh.

However, LogMeIn allows you to use "Wake Up On LAN" so you can turn your home computer on from the remote computer (Too much to cover here).

* Come on Logitech!!! Reduce it to a $50 one time fee and sell more systems to happier customers.

** One UPS manufacturer estimates 40 watts power consumption from an entry level desk top with a 20 LCD monitor. Turn the monitor off and bring the cost down even more. Also set the hard drive to turn off if not in use via Windows "Power Options Interface". You may also be able to set the home computer to "Wake up on LAN".

INSTALLATION OF THE CAMERA'S POWER/DATA ADAPTER IN THE ATTIC

First of all I wanted to hide the wire to the camera.

Logitech's instructions show the power/data wire going from the camera to a power outlet on the side of the house.

Consequently a thief can easily unplug the camera.

Solution

Pull an extension cord from a power outlet in the attic (or somewhere else) and connect it to the grey power supply/adapter for the camera.

IT WORKS!!!

NOTE: WHATEVER YOU DO WHEN PULLING WIRES MAKE SURE THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH LOCAL CODES.

I know Logitech Customer Service had told another reviewer "The adapters CANNOT be installed in the attic".

Logitech may be concerned about high attic temperatures present in some climates.

My attic does not get very hot; in addition I mounted the adapter just above the lower perimeter soffit vent where outside air constantly flows in.

The power/data Ethernet cable to the exterior camera (mounted under the roof overhang) is now routed through the soffit to the camera adapter in the attic.

Drill a 9/16" (14 mm) hole to allow the Ethernet plug to pass through the soffit. Mount the power adapter over the soffit vent with the power cable coming out at the top as shown in Logitech's instructions.

NOTE: I used a 100 foot grounded heavy duty extension cord plugged into a grounded power outlet. I don't know if using a grounded outlet and grounded extension cord matters because none of the adapters are equipped with grounded plugs. You may not need a heavy duty cord as the camera adapter uses very little power.

PREVENT BLACKOUT DURING POWER OUTAGES USING A UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)

I still want the surveillance system to work during power outages or if the power line to the house is cut.

The Manual tell you it will not work if you use a surge protector or UPS.

Solution

I already have the cable modem and the wireless router plugged into an APC BN600R Battery Backup (UPS), so all I had to do was to plug the black Logitech network adapter into the UPS and pull an extension cord from the UPS to the grey Logitech camera adapter. All the equipment is fed from a single UPS.

IT WORKS!!!

The disadvantage is that you have to pull extension cord(s) from the UPS to the camera adapters. In my case it was not a problem because the extension cord would drop down from the attic between the studs in one of the walls to where I have my router.

I am sure you can use a higher capacity UPS as long as ALL your Logitech adapters are connected to it.

WHATEVER YOU DO WHEN PULLING WIRES MAKE SURE THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH LOCAL CODES.

SOUND/AUDIO

Out of the box there was no audio from the camera.

Solution

To turn the sound on:

1) Un-mute from the Command screen (slider at the right hand bottom) and

2) Click on Settings (gearwheel icon) and click on the camera name (your camera(s) will be listed by the name you give them during setup "Entry way", "Hall way" etc.)

Then check the box Enable Audio (after accepting the legal notice).

Note: If you have more than one camera, you have to Enable Audio for each one.

GOOD QUALITY PRICE RATIO

Overall I will rate the Logitech 750e a quality system for the money. As an alternative, you can purchase professional systems that will cost thousands of $ but is unlikely that they have the remote access this system has.

Perhaps Logitech have "beefed up" the mounting hardware for the camera. My hardware is rigid and of good quality. Another reviewer had problems with the hardware.

(I tightened and pre-adjusted the holder/adapter and added a drop of Locktite (blue) to the threads prior to installation. It is easier done on the ground as compared to the top of a 15 foot ladder).

UPDATE: The mounting plate is covered with a rubber cover. You have to tighten the holder rod FIRMLY to the base to ensure a rigid mount (or else the camera will wiggle).

Also, one of the cameras would turn freely no matter how hard the thumbscrew was tightened. It turned out that there is a phillips screw hiden inside the short rod which is being clamped by the thumbscrew assembly. The phillips screw was loose. Simply remove the thumbscrew completely to take the assembly apart. Then tighten the phillips screw and put it back together.

Logitech, QA/QC you need to address this issue. This is probably why so many people are complaining about the camera mount.

ALARM SYSTEM Section added October 7, 2011

Before installing the system I had tried a couple of alarm systems with wireless sensors on the windows and doors. It was a lot of work to set up and configure but I could have lived with that if it wasn't for the false alarms. THEY DROVE ME AND THE NEIGHBORS CRAZY.

Now I use the Logitech camera-setup as a silent alarm system. The email/text message alert tells me if a camera detects motion and I can immediately check what is going on over the internet via my Android phone (I finally got one) or from the PC in the hotel lobby.

This way you can actually watch what is going on in and around the house before calling the police.

Suggestion: Add the number for the dispatcher at your local police station to your phone book. (Calling 911 from Florida will probably take too long if your house is in Maine).

Here is what I have learned.

A camera MAY report motion (and send an email/text message*) if the shadows from clouds etc suddenly moves across the area the camera is set to monitor. I say MAY because it very seldom happens.

The solution is to exclude these window or potential "moving shadow" areas from the cameras trigger area(s).

A camera WILL report motion if a large insect or flying leaf moves over the trigger area. Even a small chipmunk on the ground will trigger the camera. Consequently I do not use an outside camera to send me text messages if motion is detected.

When an outdoor camera is operating in night vision mode insects are attracted to it like a regular light bulb. Fortunately it is only a special type of insect that triggers my camera. It looks like a white flying spiral worm that is one to two inches long and 0.5" in diameter (I have not observed any other type of insects trigger a camera).

* Providing you have armed the system.

HOW TO CONNECT WITHOUT CABLE, DSL or ADSL INTERNET SERVICE Section added February 21, 2012

We have a cabin without wired internet service and without 3G broadband signal. The good news is that my year-round neighbor has internet service and a WiFi router. The signal from the router is very weak. However I managed to get EXCELLENT signal strength using the Alfa AWUS036H 1000mW 1W 802.11b/g USB Wireless WiFi network Adapter with 5dBi Antenna and Suction cup Window Mount dock for Wardriving & Range Extension antenna connected to the USB port on my computer.

Next step was to get the signal into a router. Again, Alfa to the rescue; they make a small but very sophisticated router that connects to their antenna (or a 3G USB adapter). Alfa R36 802.11 b, g N, Repeater and Range Extender for AWUS036H can also be used as a 3G Router Enables you to Extend to Signal that is picked up by the AWUS036H and distribute the internet to multiple Users (Desktops, Laptops, tablets, iPods or iPad...

It was very simple to set up: WiFi signal from neighbor -> to Alfa Antenna -> to USB port on the R36 router -> to the black Logitech network adapter via Ethernet cable -> to PC running the Logitech software (this last step is optional).

NOTE ALL COMPONENTS MUST BE POWERED DOWN AND UP AGAIN FOR THE CAMERA TO BE FOUND AND BECOME LIVE VIA THE Alert.Logitech.com website.

That was easy...

... and my neighbor did not have a problem sharing his WiFi signal in the spirit of neighborhood watch and safety.

BONUS

Now we have our own private LAN with full WiFi and internet access for all our WiFi gadgets throughout the cabin.

Ever wondered how to set up a PRIVATE LAN using your neighbors WiFi signal NOW YOU KNOW!

SUMMARY

Very easy setup

Great picture quality in daylight but not in total darkness

Motion detection is very reliable

Flexible email alert settings

Workaround if you don't have a phone with email or web access

Recording with PC turned off great feature

Workaround to avoid paying $80 per year for remote access

Attic installation of the camera's power adapter

How to connect "Battery UPS backup"

How to turn the sound feature on

Using the cameras as a Security System

Connect the system to the internet via WiFi or 3G

I hope this review helps you. The system is very easy to get up and running. YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Disclaimer, I am retired and do not work for or have stock in any company. I write reviews because I use them extensively myself before I make a purchasing decision.

I've been waiting for an inexpensive HD security system to come out. This system is pretty good and, for the most part, does what I want it to do.

SETUP: Setup isn't too bad. Just remember to read the directions but there are a few gotchas such as, you can't plug the camera side or the network side plugs into a power strip because of the circuitry screws up the data making it out of the power strip. This leads to the first problem I have. You have to use a dedicated outlet for each plug. In my older house, plugs are few and far between.

SOFTWARE: The software installation was quick and painless. Immediately the software updated the firmware for my camera which was nice. The software controls are OK. It's missing some key features in my opinion. There is no "record" button. So it only records if it detects motion. I want the ability to be able to record on demand.

MOTION: You can select up to 6 zones that trigger recordings and alerts when there is movement. The downside is, the zones are only square. I wish you could make angles as well. The motion is too sensitive imho. I have it all the way down and it finally seems to be only pick up large movement.

CAMERA: The camera is of very high quality. It is all metal and it feels solid and like it will last a long time. I was surprised on how well built it is. It also has a microphone that works really well. It picks up everything. The last thing is the night vision. It works pretty good. The image quality is pretty good. I give it an 8 out of 10 when looking at the picture in the software. To my surprise, the image when viewing the videos manually are better!

REMOTE VIEWING: Viewing the image on my iphone is pretty cool. There is about a 5-10 second delay, which is to be expected. Viewing the image at is decent, though you already know from the other reviews that there is no sound with remote viewing.

ALERTS: The email alerts are cool but I wish they would send you a screen shot as to why there was an alert. So imagine you get an alert, you log onto or view the picture on your phone and now whatever it is that triggered the alert is gone, so you have no ideas what happened. On top of that, the free viewing doesn't have any way to rewind to see what's going on, so you'll have to wait until you get home. One workaround is, if you have remote software for your PC, you can remotely connect to your PC and view the software that way, but most users will have no idea how to do this.

The other alert is right on your desktop, which seems cool at first, a sound is made and then a small picture pops up. the problem is, you can't click the picture to make it bigger, it just disappears after a few seconds.

OTHER: The cord that comes with the camera is not long enough. I think it's 25ft. Which is decent, but they should give you 100ft for the money that you pay. You can buy more cord but I feel you shouldn't have to with the first camera.

All in all, I like this setup though it could use some improvements here and there. I plan to keep mine and add more cameras hoping they improve the software.

UPDATE: After doing some research over the weekend, I realize how bad the Logitech software really is. Instead I decided to go with software called, "Blue Iris" which is worlds better than the Logitech software in every way. So much so, I paid $50 for it. After that, I realized that the appeal of the Logitech camera system starts to fade since I could literally buy any camera and use it with Blue Iris. Currently I am running Blue Iris with one Logitech 700e and my Logitech C910 HD webcam and it works flawlessly. Admittedly it's not going to be as easy for normal folk, but for a techie like me, it's more than worth the effort. Bottom line, if you decide to get the Logitech camera, don't waste your money on the "System" package and just get the camera and purchase Blue Iris instead. Or, do what I plan to do, research similar cameras and see what my options are.

BTW If you want to just connect to your camera, download VLC player and then use the "Advanced File Open" menu and type "" or " Cheers!

11/5/2011 Update: OK, I've had the cameras for almost a year now. I've been really happy with them. For the price, you can't beat it. I raised the stars back to 3. I still ding it for a few things. I really wish it was 30fps, but I guess it would be a lot of bandwidth over the internet, so they probably made a decision to chop it 15fps to conserve bandwidth and to save a little money on the camera side. I still use Blue Iris for 99% of my recording(I record 24/7 for 7 days). I actually use the email alerts with Logitech over Blue Iris since Blue Iris has a bug where it spits garbage onto the screen and falsely sets off the motion. I mentioned in my earlier review that there are no pictures with the email alerts. I was wrong, there is! I have caught somebody casing my house(they ended up robbing my next door neighbors house), I caught an accident, and a couple of drug deals. I see which critters walk around my house at night(raccoons, cats, and skunks), and catch everything from spiders to birds to every solicitor that comes to my door. I love knowing when people are coming and going. I see when packages are delivered and all with great clarity. If Logitech could add 24/7 recording, diagonal blocks on the motion page and lower the price of the yearly subscription, I would give them a 5. Anyhoo, just thought I'd post again since I felt my 2 stars were a bit low.

Buy Logitech Alert 750n Indoor Master System with Wide-Angle Night Vision (961-000376) Now

We have always been Logitech users and strong supporters so choosing their outdoor security camera seemed to be a no-brainer. Unfortunately this was not the case. We don't know whether it is just this product group or a corporate change in direction butThis product is poorly thought out, the support is all but non-existent and overall experience is regrettable.

Others have mentioned the sad state of the bracket. I did not imagine it could be so bad. It is worse. It is weak and flimsy and, if the extension arm is put on, destined to fail.

The product description says: "Complete outdoor digital video security system, easy to install, no new wiring or networking needed". While possibly true in some cases, it certainly was not in ours.

Few of us have a free wall outlet within a few feet of our computer yet you must plug a giant power supply/HomePlug bridge into a wall outlet by your computer. It cannot plug into a surge strip or UPS and, if you place it in the upper outlet (as illustrated) it will block the lower. If you try to hang it off the lower outlet it is unsecured and is constantly trying to fall out. So much for dependabilityno backup and limited stay-in. And you are out one entire outlet.

The power supply/HomePlug bridge then is supposed to plug into your router with a short, flimsy flat CAT-5 cable. If you are wireless you are out of luck. It is "wireless" meaning it uses HomePlug powerline carrier but not 802.11 Wi-Fi.

If you have anything else plugged into your router you may also be in trouble. I have a network printer, streaming DVD , satellite dish and a DSL modem which all got along fine before. When I plug in the Home-Plug device the whole network goes down. Tech Support might help me trick it into functioning but they do not call back or answer emails.

The outdoor installation is interesting, too. The HomePlug bridge/power supply plugs into a right angle adapter that cannot fit in an outdoor box with anything else. It also wants to rock out of the outlet and must be secured. You are out one entire outlet.

The two circuits for the two HomePlug adapters have to be free of other devices that might interfere. If it doesn't work the instructions say to "just" plug it in to another closer outlet. So you have the "freedom" to mount it anywhere you have a dedicated outlet that has nothing else on the circuit. You cannot, necessarily, place the camera where you wanted to place it. I had an electronic outdoor lighting timer that could not coexist with the HomePlug. You are now out one entire circuit.

The outdoor supply/bridge is on a 2 foot cord and can be placed anywhere. Anywhere, that is, within about a foot of the box in a single acceptable orientation at the same height as the box and with a drip loop below. It cannot mouth sideways right or left, above, or upside down. And then for the best partit cannot be mounted in the sun! You just bought an "outdoor" system that cannot be mounted in the sun!

The camera once mounted on the aforementioned flimsy bracket is then wired with an equally flimsy flat CAT-5 cable. The camera and the power supply have to be opened up to receive it. Oh, by the way, the camera cannot be mounted in the sun either! Their outdoors must be different than my outdoors.

After it doesn't work you call Tech Support and hold for half an hour if you are lucky. The guy then tells you that he thinks you have a bad camera but that he has to escalate to Second Tier Support who work sometime Monday through Friday. They do not call or answer your email.

My wife and I are both technical people in the electronics industry. We are not intimidated by technical issues and know quality when we see it. We haven't seen it in this product.

Read Best Reviews of Logitech Alert 750n Indoor Master System with Wide-Angle Night Vision (961-000376) Here

Will it be a good system one day? ...probably it does has tremendous potential but honestly, it's not ready for prime time having spent almost $2000 to buy and install this system, I'm committed and just hoping that one day soon Logitech will issue a MAJOR software update (and some firmware improvements too) that lifts this camera up to the level it deserves. RIGHT NOW, the cameras are substantially under-served by the software, which is almost so elementary it's pitiful. And if I were to go away and the power flickered, even for ten seconds, I'd have 0 access to my system and no way to reset it. Again, RIDICULOUS!

I finally managed to get Logitech's attention with a rant on their forum (like so many of us have had to do) and they actually had a L2 supervisor call me we had a nice discussion but basically nothing great came out of that except a lot of promises for future enhancements if they are true to their word, I may ultimately be a very happy user, but so far, I could have gotten twice the cameras for half the price in another brand probably not the video quality but acceptable. That is Logitech Alert's saving grace: video quality during daylight hours, is excellent. At night, not so much.

Wake up Logitech! You have a great product with lousy software (and even worse "support") time to get your software engineers off their hind ends and get this nice camera system working like it should! It's taking way to long and the general lack of "response" from Logitech on the forums is at best, limited and contrite. After spending nearly 2 G's, I expect better than that.

Oh, one more thing: if you want to have "full function" access on your Iphone or via a web browser, you will have to pay an annual fee not very reasonable at $89/yr especially when the only thing it brings is ability to playback "motion alerts" (of which there will be MANY if it's raining or snowing or the wind is blowing because their sensitivity controls are not able to adjust for these normal, almost daily "events" and cannot distinquish between rain falling and some unauthorized human prowling around your home or business. AND you cannot have full control of your cameras if you install this system on your laptop and go on a trip you must leave the "Commander" on the network for it to work otherwise you are limited to your SD recordings (all 2 GB of them, which can be a day or so if it's raining!)

Good luck but if I was you, I'd wait until you see some glowing reports about improvements and software enhancements before spending this kind of money. It's just not quite ready for prime time.

Want Logitech Alert 750n Indoor Master System with Wide-Angle Night Vision (961-000376) Discount?

From the moment I opened the box the Logitech Alert 750e Outdoor Master Security System with Night Vision was very easy to understand and had great setup diagrams with color coded ribbons for stress free setup. Where I was mounting the unit 20 feet off the ground I connected everything in the house and tested it to make sure it was working first. Once the camera was mounted in place I simply adjusted it to the area I wanted to monitor and then used electrical tape around the mount joints as they are not as tight as I would have expected and I did not want to have to climb a ladder after every wind storm to adjust. Setup was very quick after installing the mounting bracket.

It should be noted the the ribbon (power) cable that connects to the outdoor camera is so flat and thin that you can bring it in through a window without compromising the window seal when the window is fully closed. This is a huge plus as I did not need to drill a hole for it.

I set up email alerts and also I highly recommend if you have some blowing tree branches in view as I do that you set up particular areas for movement detections. If you do this and set the motion rate for recording you will capture only scenes of interest which makes it so much easier when reviewing recordings.

The master system comes with the network hardware and the invaluable command center. This is extremely easy to navigate. You can zoom, pan and tilt effortlessly. I am thinking of adding this software for remote viewing as well.

The night vision is suprisinging very very good in low to know light. I am extremely impressed with the night vision and have to say that it is well worth the extra money.

The only drawback I can see to this system is that if you enable and use the audio component which comes built in and has great range, picks up way to much wind. I would like to see an add on for wind noise reduction. This would not keep me from highly recommending this product. I did a lot and I mean a lot of research (hands on and reading) before making my decision to purchase this camera and I am very glad I did.

I highly recommend this product! Picture is extremely clear not washy like others. The audio is good enough to capture voices and sounds with in the entire viewing areas and sometimes beyond.

I was not able to figure out how to upload a few pictures with this review otherwise I would have.

Thank you Logitech for a superb and well built system that seems to have it all.

Save 1% Off

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Canon VIXIA HF G20 HD Camcorder with HD CMOS Pro and 32GB Internal Flash Memory

Right out of the box, it seemed very solid and high quality which one should expect for the price. The new lens hood not only works better, but also looks a lot cooler. The touch tracking focus works great and is extremely useful. In low light this camera really is just amazing. It's much better for that than any dslr I've used. The image stabilizer is very helpful. I have compared it to my dslr footage and it is MUCH more stable meaning you probably don't need a shoulder rig. I just wish that the focus ring was not so hard to turn because some times i mess up the video when trying to turn it really far. The only advantage for me when shooting with a dslr is that you get manual zoom. But it's still fine with this camera. Also, the battery that it comes with is very small, so I would recommend buying some extras. The off brand batteries will work great and it's super cheap. But other than those two things, this camera is just perfect. If you aren't super picky about audio than this is fine. But if your in a production business and need really good sound quality, you should look at the xa10.

I was a little hesitant to buy this because I thought it was going to have a deeper depth of field according to what I have read about camcorders in general. Someone also told me that camcorders don't have a shallow depth of field. When I first took it for the test, i was quite surprised. The performance was really pretty good, so don't be too worried about that if you like a shallow depth of field. Using manual focus is great and I can get a lot out of focus.

I don't think that it's weather proofed, but i have never had a problem and am never afraid to take it out in some snow which I do quite often. Like I said at the top, it is quite solid meaning it's pretty heavy compared to the other camcorders i was looking at below $1500. So if you want to go skiing with it and put it in your pocket, it will weigh down your jacket. So bringing a backpack if your going skiing or for a hike is a good idea.

I love using dslr's and were used to them. But now I can never come back to dslr's. Using this camera is just so easy and simple. You can start shooting so quick. The start up time is pretty good, especially compared to dslr's I've used. I know that some nikon's have auto focus for video, but there is no comparison. The auto focus on this camcorder is lightning, and i never worry about it in low light. Also, most dslr's that do auto focus during video is loud enough to ruin audio. And obviously, This is completely silent. And this makes the camera just that more simple and easy.

I am very happy with the camera so far. I have tried to upload some test video but it said that it wouldn't except the format. So if you already have a g10, than it probably isn't worth upgrading. But highly recommended and you will most likely be satisfied.

I thought I would never get a camcorder with all the high tech HD video modes of capture out there these days. I found using video on my Canon 5d mark II superb in quality but lacked real layman control. I missed being able to focus instantaneous in a shot and the form factor of a DSLR as a video camera definitely is not there for run and gun situations I am finding my self into chasing a 2 year old around. Sure you can spend money on an elaborate setup that can turn the DSLR into something like a camcorder but I like the compactness the likes of the G20 offered.

So enter the Canon Vixia HF G20. I was interested in a sub $1200 HD camcorder and I am always a first to want a new thing so in return, and you, get an early review having 2 weeks with it so far. From what I know the camcorder is exactly the same as the G10 predecessor except for the new HD Pro sensor that allows more light capture. So I preordered and at the same time ordered this great book (I know its for the G10 and XA10, but all the G20 has is the better sensor) Professional Results with Canon Vixia Camcorders: A Field Guide to Canon G10 and XA10 Now with the camcorder, I am happy I have read the book and use little of the huge manual that came with the G20.

So far it has shocked me how well the camcorder takes video and although the controls do take a little time to master, the touch screen works well. Maybe they did improve on it from the complaints I read on the G10.

I did drop one star for two reasons. The battery that comes with it is terrible so you best splurge on the max capacity one Canon BP-827 Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Vixia HG, HF S & HF M Camcorders (Retail Packaging). Also I wish they included a shoulder strap to carry the camcorder around easily.

So I will promise to update in 6 months, but so far so good!

Buy Canon VIXIA HF G20 HD Camcorder with HD CMOS Pro and 32GB Internal Flash Memory Now

I recently bought the Canon VIXIA HF G20.

I am a musician and I needed a camera that could record in excellent HD quality and also allow me to record for a long period of time.

Everyone was telling me to go with a DSLR camera,yea they are awesome but they still are primarily for taking pictures and for my long hours of

High definition recording purposes in the video format those cameras would be a waste of money and not a smart move. So I was looking for a solution,

A camera that could give me extremely great results like a DSLR and record for hours. In short this camera certainly does that,I have only scratched the surface with the camera

but it has given some excellent results. Once I make some new videos I'll certainly be posting them. The first day I got the camera I recorded my brother covering a Johnny Cash track

and I used the 70's film effect to give the video an old school feel. I sent the video in to my final cut and my old settings were that the video should give me an output of 720 P,anyhow

for my new videos I'll change the out put to 1080P on my final cut to deliver the full quality. So I uploaded that video and the results were excellent,the built in camera even caught the sounds

extremely well.

The build quality is excellent,and its very comfortable on the hands while it is being held. The touch screen has a great response,although at times your fingers can have a hard time in clicking on something you

specifically want but that's a very minor thing and it rarely happens. I would highly recommend that you get extra batteries for this camera,personally I bought the Wasabi Power Kit. This Wasabi Power kit includes 2 batteries and 1 charger for the Canon BP-827,

the batteries are excellent and the charger is excellent too. These batteries are built well,they work properly and each battery gives you about 4-5 hours or more recording time in the highest video quality on the camera. The Wasabi power kit is also very easy on your pockets,my suggestion is do not waste cash on those Cannon Batteries,you'll thank me later for recommending these to you. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049VMMZ2/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i02?ie=UTF8&psc=1 this is the link for the Wasabi power pack.

The built in memory is excellent and you get two extra slots to place in your desired SD cards in each slot for more memory if required. The camera is also very user friendly the manual is presented and explained properly. You even have an option to connect an external mic in to the camera,Canon has some of its own mics that you can buy separately but you can also connect your own desired mics in to the camera. There is even a mini advanced shoe for the placement of the mic on top of the camera. In conclusion I highly recommend this video camera,this is a consumer based product that gives out an extremely professional video output. Canon have done an amazing job on this camera and I absolutely love it.

Read Best Reviews of Canon VIXIA HF G20 HD Camcorder with HD CMOS Pro and 32GB Internal Flash Memory Here

This is a great home video camera for family recordings. The image stabilization is the most amazing feature on this camera, but the facial tracking focus is really cool too and our second favorite thing. You can touch the screen and the focus will track whatever the object was, very nice for crowds or varying object distances.

The color is great as is the low light performance, this camera really is fantastic for those that just want excellent quality home videos in an easy to use package. It doesn't have the 60p recording and a couple other pro-level features, but it does home videos very, very well. I would highly recommend this, just keep in mind, you'll need to accommodate for a good amount of data if you record often at high resolutions.

Want Canon VIXIA HF G20 HD Camcorder with HD CMOS Pro and 32GB Internal Flash Memory Discount?

I record a LOT of live performances, where its typically very dark, with fog and flashing lights/lasers. I think this is the most extreme that anyone could ever hope to record on a budget of under 20k. The G10/G20 are the ONLY non-pro camcorders that are usable for this. I have 4 camcorders total, so I will compare/contrast them in the context of how I use them.

1) Canon g20. G20 is essentially a g10 that has been fixed. Audio is MUCH better, Digital zoom has been removed (it was useless on the g10), Telemacro has been added. Powered IS has been moved to the touch screen and replaced with a 'Pre-Record' button (but this is changeable in manual mode), the low light seems a tiny bit better, side by side the g20 looks a tiny bit brighter than the g10, but where it REALLY makes a difference is the noise in the video. Shadows are cleaner/crisper.

2) Canon G10. This was the prime camcorder before I got the G20, I would try to hand record the entire concert on just this. With the other 2 camcorders as 'emergency backups' to clip to if I absolutely could not save a section of video (like someone walking in front of me, or a band member jumping off stage without me catching it). The Audio was beyond piss poor though, despite my best efforts it would always sound tinney, and lack on vocals.

3) Canon M30. I used this as the backup, Usually very dark and nearly unwatchable. Colors usually off. However, prior to the g20, this was the best source for audio, when connected to a shotgun mic. Audio is FAR better than the G10, but close to the G20.

4) JVC Everio 440US. Not even sure why I would bring this or set it up. Unless the lights were very bright, it just picked up noisy black, and the audio was tolerable, but far from good. It really was useless unless it was less than 2' from a person. During daylight its actually a GREAT camcorder, but has basically no low light ability.

I LOVE the new hood design, its nice having a cap built into the hood. Eye piece looks nicer.

Overall the g20 truly is a g10, specs are identical. I suspect there was a firmware update and very minor hardware changes to make the new model. I was actually trying to buy a second G10 when this hit the market. I was pleasantly surprised at the minor changes, but if you are buying this as an upgrade from a G10.... Maybe hold off till you can grab the g25 (pro model) or g30 (which supports 60p), otherwise you will likely be disappointed. It IS better than the g10, but not by enough to justify spending a grand to upgrade.

Some Misc info for people to consider buying with this:

58 mm uv filter (evena cheapo will be fine... just protects your lens from scratches/dirt/etc)

3000 mah wasabi extended battery pack, (works perfectly in this, shows time remaining, etc)

2x32 gig SDHC cards. Comes with 32gig built in, but its nice to know you have 3 separate places to record to. Plus the usb interface is slow for dumping video to a computer.

DSLR Rig Shoulder Mount Movie Kit for DV Cameras & For Nikon D3/D3S/D3X/D40/D50/D60/D70S/D80/D90/D7

• Make you shoot or video production steady, precise and smooth
• Long time shoot or record comfortable, won't feel tired
• All hand grips and joint of the shoulder mount are rotatable and adjustable
• Make commercial and professional movies at a very lower cost
• Precision-machined Follow Focus system provides repeatable, accurate focusing

value. at first it's awkward then you'll manipulate it to a personal sweet spot. it's pretty solid, it doesn't feel cheap, it's far more steadier than handheld plus this shoulder rig that cost less than a los angeles parking ticket.

used with a T3i for videography

Buy DSLR Rig Shoulder Mount Movie Kit for DV Cameras & For Nikon D3/D3S/D3X/D40/D50/D60/D70S/D80/D90/D7 Now

Good for what it is and the price is quite low, so can't complain. It has many configurations and if you don't like the ones they reccomend, you can even unscrew the "bars" and attach them to your liking, for example, I wanted a camera cage/fig rig type setup with a 7" monitor on back, I tried the reccomended setup from the picture, but it was not balancing correctly and while it looked good from the side, viewing it from the front made it looked quite odd, so I removed the long pivoting handle from the back and switched it with one of the short handles to the sides of the rig(depending on if you are right handed or left handed), and looked nice and balanced very well. The only bad thing is that you have to tighten it all quite a bit which raises the fears of breakage as there is quite a bit of plastic in these areas, but then again at this price point you cant expect too much!

Read Best Reviews of DSLR Rig Shoulder Mount Movie Kit for DV Cameras & For Nikon D3/D3S/D3X/D40/D50/D60/D70S/D80/D90/D7 Here

Really loving this unit. Postponed getting either a monopod or a nice tripod for video because this seems to take care of most jobs right now... Also putting off sliders and dollies.

First project shot with it (a music event) got lots of good feedback, and the steady itself got people talking so they were less self conscious and interactive.

Planning to shoot more scripted work after getting used to this. Added a rail system and follow focus. Will have viewfinder to attach to swivel screen on my D5100 by the end of the week.

There are two main ways I have found to use on shoulder. They don't use extra weight and it doesn't rest on your shoulder.

The longer way, extend middle to full length and grip the right angle in your back (shoulder blade), pushing away from your body with your [right] hand on the handle and focussing with your [left] hand braced by the palm on the other handle. This works because the two segment stretch can only be tightened at 90° or 180° and doesn't come loose from the pressure. All the joints have a little give except that one. This position puts the viewfinder many inches beyond your face.

The other shoulder mount folds the two segment together (0°) and tightens it down about 90° into your shoulder blade, so your face can press against the viewfinder for a 4th point of contact. There is a long channel to tighten the camera/rails down to get it comfy.

Haven't needed to use After Effects warp stabilization with any of the shots from this yet, which is great.

Very happy with the purchase. Recommended. Also, get some short thumb screws right away so you can mount other gear on the various points available (recorders, etc,).

Want DSLR Rig Shoulder Mount Movie Kit for DV Cameras & For Nikon D3/D3S/D3X/D40/D50/D60/D70S/D80/D90/D7 Discount?

I would definitely suggest this to anyone who has a small budget but needs a rig. Great for filming. I wish it had a quick plate for easier camera removal and that I would have been informed ahead of time that you are using an Allan Wrench for the important adjustments. Don't force the arms as they will move under enough pressure and cause strip things sooner. Most of the bolts are replaceable if they get stripped. The instructions are a little fun to read at times as they are mainly pictures with lots of Engrish. If you know this stuff ahead of time you won't sweat these little cons and be happy with the pros as it gives you so many different position options for a steadier shot.

Wheni bought this rig for my Nikon D7000 it came extremely quickly but it wasnt that steady. i added different weights to the back of it and now its my main source of video steadyness

Nikon D3100 14.2 MP Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens with 16GB Card + Backpa

Very trusted source, Very good camera for the package. I use to shoot professional photography & my wife wanted a better digital camera. I considered over & over some of the canon packages as its what I always used and they never let me down, a lot of my competition in the days used Nikons so I knew I wasn't going wrong with the decision and since Nikon & Cameta Camera offered the Nikon package as a better deal I chose this one for my wife. It has more bells & whistles on it that will keep her busy for some time. Very good, EXCELLENT PICTURE quality and service from Cameta, Very trustful source arrived before expected and packaged very well so if it did get bumped around during shipping would NOT of harmed this camera in anyway.

I will make the lens purchase for her from them thats for sure.

Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera and DIGIC 4 Imaging with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 I

I got the camera in a big nice package with all the items & camera properly packed.

Camera is working perfectly ok. All the parts sent as part of the deal is nice & new as promised by Big Value.

I strongly this retailer to everyone else.

Everything arrived five days early. The camera, SD card, everything works great except a few items were missing from my kit that I ordered. I'm missing

1Lens/LCD Cleaning Kit

1Mini Table Size Tripod

1Pack of LCD Screen Protectors.

I managed to grab this deal at a price of $812. You can't complain when the camera is $850.00 and you get that at a cheaper price and get all this other stuff for free basically.

Another reason I downgraded it one star was because of the level of cheapness that some of the items were. The lens aren't entirely that great but do the job until you get canon ones, I got an olympus bag (not a canon bag), The SD card reader fell apart on me during the unboxing.

I'll upload an unboxing of this kit soon so you can see that this is a legit deal in case you're thinking about buying it.

Update:/ 4/21/12: I received my missing parts days after I complained. The package was in a small case and was a simple mistake. I give them back another star for their quick customer service.

Ryan

Buy Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera and DIGIC 4 Imaging with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 I Now

This product was given as a gift, when I opened the box everthing was packed in great condition, the camera took great pictures and the battery lasted several hours on continual shooting

Read Best Reviews of Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera and DIGIC 4 Imaging with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 I Here

I can't say enough about the camera as far as the quality of the images produced and the functions you get. It is a great entry level DSLR packed with amazing features at a very reasonable price. In fact the price is so close to a point a shoot digital that it is almost a no brainer for the average Joe/Jane.

The body is plastic compared to professional grade Canon cameras which makes it feel lighter than say the 60D. This is a plus if you like light weight cameras, but does leave you feeling cheated when holding the 60D in another hand. Still the flip out screen, HD video and easy to use interface makes this an amazing deal.

As for the bundle, the only thing I really value is the memory card, filters, and the extra battery. Everything else is very poor quality and the tripod is a hazard. If you can get just the Battery/Memory bundle do that and save some money for higher quality supportive accessories. I recommend Magic Lantern installed for those wanting to maximize the functionality of this camera.

Want Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera and DIGIC 4 Imaging with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 I Discount?

My bundle arrived 4 days after I ordered it. Everything came neatly packed in the box and works great. The extra battery came fully charged, so I could use it right away. The camera's image quality is amazing. I would recommend to everyone, especially if you can find this bundle for a great price like I did.

Save 50% Off

Premium Grade (6 Foot) HDMI to Mini HDMI Cable replacement

Bought this cable to connect my canon digital camera to my HDTV. The cable does as it is advertised to do. No problems so far

Before I have a second tought to buy this product because it is cheap i was thinking low quality and maybe it's not works to my 7d camera but i was wrong it turned out it's works well it's delivered real 1080p.

Buy Premium Grade (6 Foot) HDMI to Mini HDMI Cable replacement Now

I'm sure there's a "serious videophile" who'll claim to see some difference on his TV when using solid gold, jewel encrusted cables sheethed in the braided hairs of the firstborn daughters of a small town outside Vienna, but they're lying. HDMI carries a digital signal which is not subject to "noise" or signal degredation like analog cables. This cable works very well for me and is well constructed. Most importantly, it fits my Canon Vixia HF200--the sole reason I bought it.

Read Best Reviews of Premium Grade (6 Foot) HDMI to Mini HDMI Cable replacement Here

The cable works as advertised and the price is unbeatable. I am not using it for a camcorder but for a canon elph camera with HDMI out. The photos and videos look great

Want Premium Grade (6 Foot) HDMI to Mini HDMI Cable replacement Discount?

I'm using this to view pictures and video from my "point and shoot" camera. The cable is very good for short money, the pictures in HD through the HDMI cable are wonderful.

Save 97% Off

Lorex LNZ4001i Wireless Pan Tilt Easy Connect Network Camera (White)

Lorex advertises these as "Easy Connect" WiFi Cameras that any halfway computer literate person could setup on their WiFi in their home. That is "NOT EVEN CLOSE TO BEING TRUE". I am an Electronic Technician with 25 years of experience and I bought $600.00 worth of them trusting the Lorex brand name. I've got about 50 hours now into setting these up and still many key functions are not working. I bought (3) cameras and went through setup step by step.. all went well for awhile.. but they would not connect wirelessly to the WiFi.. I called technical support, held for 45 minutes only to get somebody in India telling me I needed to do a 30 minute product registration on-line before they could talk to me.. hung up.. did that.. held for another 45 minutes to an hour.. finally got an Indian gentleman that didn't speak good enough English to understand much.. after he went through the same exact steps that I had done 50 times before said " that's all there is.. it must be your wireless router" "I can do no more.. get a new router"... I knew that wasn't the problem since every other wireless device works fine with my WiFi.. but bought a new router.. 2 hours setting it all up.. went though the camera setup again and it failed exactly the same as before.. Worked on it myself for 30-40 hours.. got parts of it to work.. called back technical support in India at 7:00PM to get help.. held another 45 minutes only to get someone to take my name and phone number that would call me back later..They called back around 10:00 after I'd went to bed.. Bottom line.. Camera Sounds Cool..Does Have Cool Features If You Can Get Them To Work.. Setup and Most Features are much to complex for the average person to setup (and actually get to work).. Customer Support is Non Existant.. Lorex if you are listening and have any shred of concern about your reputation.. my cameras are still not working.. give me a call (but please not from India..) Phone 620-235-4829..

I have 4 of these cameras and two of the less expensive 3003i cameras. All of them suffer from software quality problems. They are decent cameras when they work, unfortunately they need frequent reboots since they stop serving out video periodically. Roughly once per week, I have a camera that just stops working.

Another gripe when you reboot the camera, it does not return to the position you want. It returns to its default position, which is not usually where you want to point the thing.

Low-light/night performance of this camera is quite good.

The yoics remote access service is also sketchy. Registering the cameras with the service requires persistance, but once they are registered, they seem to work that is, until they need to be rebooted.

Forget about support hardly any is offered, and there are no software updates (for these cameras) published on Lorex's site. This is not a good sign for the longevity of these cameras. The iPhone app for accessing these cameras is broken in iOS 5. It did work well in iOS4.

Bad software all-around ruins what could have been a decent product.

Buy Lorex LNZ4001i Wireless Pan Tilt Easy Connect Network Camera (White) Now

The design of this camera is very simple. It looks cool and it turns and swivels to almost any angle, however it is not the most accurate. It will not stop on a dime, so to speak. The worse part of the camera is the tech support which you will need. They have out sourced this task to india and you know how that goes. Huge language barrier and some person behind a computer saying that they don't see a problem and the problem is on your end. They keep blaming problems on the user end networking, which they do not touch. Another huge problem is that you have to open your ports on your router. Which leaves you computers and your home network exposed. Which is horrible from a security stand point. They wanted me to set up my router under the DMZ which is like a fire wall and my entire network was exposed on the internet. Now I would like to use and operate the cameras but I do not want my home network exposed and get hacked. There are too many ID thefts happening and I do not want to be a victim.

Not a plug and play. Exposes your home network security to use. Look for something better and easier to set up and use.

Read Best Reviews of Lorex LNZ4001i Wireless Pan Tilt Easy Connect Network Camera (White) Here

If you have cable internet such as Comcast, you only have maybe 2 ports open for port forwarding.

Port 80, and maybe 85. This Lorex needs 4 ports if you want the Iphone to work using the Lors2 app for Iphone from Itunes apps. Also you will not be able to use port 80 with Comcast home internet

Want Lorex LNZ4001i Wireless Pan Tilt Easy Connect Network Camera (White) Discount?

I bought my new Lorex LNZ 4001i IP camera and tried to follow the quick start guide to get it installed. I wasn't having much luck, and after a couple of hours trying, I registered it to activate the warranty then called tech support. I went through support levels 1, 2 and 3 before the 3rd guy, an American, got it to work on my iphone. After I hung up, I noticed I could no longer access the camera on my desktop computer. Also,now my existing Lorex eco dvr system could not be assessed from my iphone or the computer. The problem is, the dvr and the ip camera are set up to use the same router port 80, so the tech had to change settings on my dvr. By that night the ip camera couldn't be accessed from the iphone anymore. I didn't panic though, I just called tech support again the next morning. The first tech sent me on to a level 2 tech because she was not a router port expert. The level 2 tech, an Indian guy, was a real expert. He straightened everything out in a couple of minutes. I wish I wrote down his name or number so I could give him credit. He explained what he was doing, but I probably won't remember well enough to do it myself next time. Anyway, It's working great now. The only problem is the iphone app. For one thing, it does not let you use the digital zoom and the picture keeps freezing and dissappearing untill you tap on the camera you want to view again. I think its a great camera and it works great on Internet explorer, but the problem is with the iMobile2 app. I'm sure that can be improved.