Sony DSR-PDX10 Professional 1/4.7" 16:9 3CCD DVCAM Compact Camcorder with 3.5 inch LCD Monitor

Quite often I notice many reviewers associate the word "professional" with this camcorder, which is frustrating since this camcorder is not "professional"; it is a professional consumer (prosumer) camcorder. I own this camera by the way, but I am neither a consumer (respectively) nor am I a professional; I have been to Radio-Television-Film school, which has allowed me to become a photojournalist, but I would never consider myself a professional I have chosen to be this way because becoming a truly professional videographer slash cinematographer requires some extensive knowledge and experience two things which I don't have, and two things which you probably don't have either since your on Amazon's website looking at the Sony DSR-PDX10, and reading a review on the camera from someone who is on the job, but obviously has nothing better to do at the moment.

Nonetheless, I will attempt to divulge your wonders about this camcorder. As of the current, I have owned a PDX10 since the spring of 2004 which I suppose is something like a year and-a-half to be not exact. And since I am much better at noticing negative things, I will start with those bad things about Sony's little three-chip camcorder, the biggest problem being the chips themselves. The three charged coupling devices in this camera are all 1/ 4.7 inches in diameter (almost 1/5 inches in diameter) making these chips the smallest ones in the prosumer market. What does this mean exactly? Well it means that the camera is absolutely terrible in low light shooting conditions. It also means that the image is highly susceptible to noise a thing which wouldn't seem so bad if it were as aesthetic as film grain, but alas, this is interlaced digital video the farthest thing from celluloid. Small CCD's also mean that the range of optimal exposure levels for this camera is about as narrow as the mind of a narrow-minded person; thus, the image will yield the best quality when the lighting is bright and even. Because of this, the PDX10's image will look its best when the camcorder used for outdoor shooting situations (except at night).

This seems like a terrible camera now doesn't it? Not very professional at all, you say. Well, before you write this camera off, I must mention that the PDX10's image at its best is quite incredible for this amount of money. And to mention the unmentioned, this is the only camera in its class that will record in true widescreen (16:9) ratio the PD170 (Sony's next-best prosumer DV camcorder [$3,500]) can't even do this. Most cameras which claim to record in 16:9 either crop the top and bottom of the 4:3 image, or they squeeze the initial recorded image by electronically changing the aspect ratio (but not the physical aspect ratio) of the pixels, which will later be "stretched" out when viewed on a 16:9 television this process is physically degrading to the recorded image. Personally, I always record in 16:9 because when viewed on a 4:3 ("full screen") TV via DVD, the over-sampled image looks great, and is also future proof for viewing on 16:9 televisions in "full screen". In fact, the PDX10 has been a choice camera for underwater photographers who want to have the ability to shoot in 16:9 while keeping a small form factor; because of the ambient lighting found underwater, this camera will yield an exceptional image in such conditions (during the day, of course).

When I purchased the camera, I also purchased both wide angle and telephoto lens adapters that thread on to the front of the camera's fixed lens quite annoyingly. With the 2x telephoto lens, there is serious chromatic aberration (a condition which is best described in words as blue-ish slash purple-ish hazes of light around subjects displaced in the depth of the image) that worsens the further you "zoom" in. This condition is not so apparent, if at all, wile just using the fixed lens, but then you will be limited to a 12x optical telephoto range. Digital zoom is available, and is broken up into two areas of intensity; the first level is 24x, which isn't so terribly bad as other digital zooms, mostly because the CCD's have roughly one million pixels scattered about each of their tiny 1/ 4.7 inch surfaces, and the resolution of NTSC DV only asks for about half of those pixels to show a proper image. The second level of digital zoom is available also, but I wouldn't advise using it unless you're spying on somebody whose one eighth of a mile away from you.

A wide angle adapter is nice to have, but I wouldn't suggest using it if you are planning on zooming in a lot, otherwise you will have to be constantly adjusting your focus. Particularly helpful when using these fixed-lens cameras is an auto focus feature, or more importantly, a push-auto focus feature. For example, you may set the camera to manual focus, and if you don't feel like messing with the focus ring on the front of the camera, you may push a button on the side of the camera that will automatically adjust the focus without having to switch into auto focus mode. There is even a third way to focus, and that is via the LCD flip-out screen, which happens to be touch-sensitive. Just hit tap the screen in the area you want the camera to focus and it will do so makes rack focuses easy as h-e and two hockey sticks. All three modes of auto focus are very fast; Sony is known for having the best auto focus for video cameras, and this camera is no exception as it was originally designed to be Sony's flagship consumer model. Probably my second overall disappointment with the camera is the manual focus ring that has a naturally sluggish feel to it; I much prefer the precise auto controls found on Panasonic's fixed-lens cameras, which closely mimic the feel of a mounted lens. The PDX10's focus ring gets even more sluggish in cold weather, as the back side of the metal ring is coated with an anti-abrasive lubricant whose viscosity decreases congruently with the clime's temperature.

Since I'm on the subject of temperature and climate affecting the performance of the camera, I'll have you know that even the most extreme conditions for humans will not affect the performance of the PDX10. It is known that both altitude and temperature affect electronics in general, and when exposed to the most extreme conditions, they might cease to even operate. Such was not the case when I went skiing in Colorado during late December of last year. I decided to take the PDX10 on the slopes one day, and mindful of the temperatures, loaded the camera with a DVCAM cassette just to test what the medium was all hyped up to be. Somewhere between 12,000 and 13,000 feet at single digits Fahrenheit, I blasted down the slopes holding the small camera close to the ground with idle-as-possible hands; it was fun. Sometimes when you're skiing, within all of those layers of clothing, you kind of loose perspective on how cold it really is outside. Well, looking down at the PDX10's flip-out LCD, I noticed that something was wrong it looked like the shutter speed was low. But after skiing a little bit more, it finally hit my mind it was so cold that the pixel refresh rate had increased, or the liquid in the crystal display was getting too cold. That's cold. One of my friend's digital cameras wouldn't power up that's cold. I began to wonder whether or not my footage would come out ok, but when we all got back to the lodge and played the tape, it was just perfect. Maybe DVCAM does have some redeeming properties whenever you're 12,000 feet above sea level, freezing your rear end off, and happen to be taping something.

On other issues of durability, I would like to in fact mention more issues of durability. It just so happened that this camera, in an unfortunate series of events, was catapulted to the ground in such intensity that the lens hood became permanently distorted, the corner of the LCD flip-out panel gouged a scar into the side of the camera body, the original shotgun microphone was rendered snapped-in-half, the high capacity battery was dislocated from the camera body, and the optical sensor for the focus ring was knocked out of place from the impact. Fortunately, I was able to re-attach the battery and continue filming. I was able to fix the focus ring problem myself by taking apart the camera and doing some rudimentary drilling. I don't have any problems with the camera to this day (this happened a year ago). I have worked with other cameras of the like, and can say in confidence that the PDX10, and all Sony prosumer video cameras, feel more durable than the Canon GL series cameras, as well as the Panasonic prosumer cameras not to say that it is more durable, it just feels durable and has proven to be so. So if you have any doubts of durability, I can tell you in all honesty to not have any doubts of durability when considering the PDX10 and its durability.

What you are buying when you in fact buy a PDX10 is a very high-end consumer camcorder that has the ability, in some applications, to be a quasi-professional video camera. If you are interested in filming extreme slash outdoor sports, I would highly recommend this camera for its durability, portability, great auto features, great image stabilization, and better-than-consumer results which will impress the people who see your footage, and might even trick them into thinking that it was a professional camera. If you're in the market for a camera to use for event videography, I would suggest investing in a camcorder that is shoulder-mounted (Canon XL series are a bit front-heavy by the way) and looks good in various lighting conditions (look for a rating of 1 lux or lower), and has readily accessible manual controls. If you're just a very wealthy or eccentric person who would like a video camera to document their own realities, you'd probably be attracted to the new HDV camcorders. If you are buying this camera to make a bloody film or documentary, find out how much it will cost to rent a professional camera and hire a professional to operate it that will give you the best results. Final word: the Sony DSR-PDX10 could be akin to a very large sink with a disproportionately small drain, if that makes any sense.

I teach videography and have tried many different camcorders before deciding on the PDX10 as the best compromise between price, easy of use, and professional quality.

The best feature of the PDX10 is the dual-XLR audio inputs and good quality microphone normally included with the camera. Cheaper consumer cameras often don't even let you adjust audio levels, even if you did add an third-party XLR input.

Video quality is both great and poor--that is, great when there's plenty of light and poor when you're in low light or even not-so-well-lit ordinary indoor situations. I shot a well-lit scene with the PDX10 and, right next to it, a $20,000 Sony camera with a $5,000 lens, and nobody yet has been able to tell which is which when I show them the footage. (Interestingly, the more expensive professional camera also did poorly in low light conditions.)

I've heard some people say they preferred the old Sony PD-100A, which was the PDX10's predecessor. However, I have both and appreciate the many improvements to the interface and slightly better color quality of the PDX10.

The closest competitor to this is the Panasonic AG-DVC30, which has better low light performance but doesn't have as good 16:9 support. More importantly to me, the PDX-10 records in DVCAM format (on regular mini-DV tapes) which puts more data on the tape for each minute of recording. I have found to my great dismay that the regular DV format is VERY prone to errors, dropouts, and rapid tape degradation. I can't tell you how many of my projects have been ruined or nearly ruined by problems with DV! Since I switched to DVCAM-only hardware in my studio, I have NEVER had a visible dropout or data error, even when re-using previously recorded tapes (which saves money, and which only a suicidal videographer would try with regular DV).

Bottom line: Buy the PDX10 unless you need to shoot in low light, in which case you should get a Panasonic AG-DVC30 (and splurg on best-quality tape) or save up the extra money for a Sony PD170, which also has good low-light performance. The PD170 also has more bells and whistles (such as selectable frame rate and more switches so you don't need to use menus as often), but for my money I'd much rather have two PDX10's (or a PDX10 and a thick stack of hundred-dollar bills) than one PD170.

Buy Sony DSR-PDX10 Professional 1/4.7" 16:9 3CCD DVCAM Compact Camcorder with 3.5 inch LCD Monitor Now

This camera is great if you are on a low budget. In fact, as of this date, it doesn't get better. Everyone has mentioned the greats... tons of digital controls over your image, a touch screen, and xlr ins. That's great. If it makes a huge difference to you, the CCD chips are small, and thus a low lux camera. So if you are planning lots of low light, it may be worth it to spend more on more. The digital controls are great, but they are nothing like manual shutter speed and fstop. This is a great camera for the price. It has captured beautiful images for me.

Read Best Reviews of Sony DSR-PDX10 Professional 1/4.7" 16:9 3CCD DVCAM Compact Camcorder with 3.5 inch LCD Monitor Here

The Panasonic performs much better in low light and has more accessible manual features, and it's cheaper. I'm not saying that the Sony is a bad camcorder, though.

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ESTA CAMARA DE VIDEO SONY PDX 10 ES MUY BUENA, PARA FILMAR EN CONDICIONES DE POCA LUZ, SUS MICROFONOS SON DE BUY BUENA RECEPCION, SU PANTALLA GRANDE PERMITE VER SON MEJORES DETALLES LAS IMAGENES, LOS COLORES DE LAS IMAGENES PERFECTAS. NO LE PIDE FAVOR A LA PD150-PD170.

MUY BUENA VIDEOCAMARA.

Marcelo Mullo Torres.

Ecuador

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Motorola Additional Camera for Motorola MBP33 Baby Monitor

Researched the product heavily and when it worked, it was great. Gradually, night vision got weaker and weaker until it no longer worked. Six weeks was the life of this product. We called Motorola customer service and were told we'd receive emailed instructions on returning for a replacement. The phone agent said they could ship a replacement and send a box for the defective unit. Turns out this was untrue. Shipping it back, even after only six weeks, is the buyer's reponsibility to pay for and pack up. And then there is a 2-3 week turnaround time. I guess Motorola expects us to buy another baby monitor during the interim. I really like it but for what we paid ($250 for system with extra camera) I expect a little more goodwill. Don't make this mistake. Maybe our defective unit is in the minority but it's a hassle when it happens to you.

We bought this system a couple months ago and it works great! We added an extra cam a couple weeks ago. When we hooked it up we thought we recieved a lemon. Before I returned it to Amazon, I figured I would call motorola to see if I was doing something wrong. They informed me that this model MBP33 DOES NOT have the rotating feature. Its the MBP36 that rotates, etc. Hope that helps anyone that is looking for that specific feature with the additional camera.

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Please beware when purchasing. Although this camera is compatible with the 3.5" screen MBP36 Baby Monitor, it does NOT pan/rotate. Very annoying especially since this is the product that is LINKED to from the MBP36 page. :(

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We loved this monitor so much, we bought another camera for our second kid. I struggled with whether I could just pass the toddler's camera on down to the baby ... but decided I need to know how he was sleeping just a little longer. I'm glad we did, especially since the baby doesn't sleep well it's good to know how the toddler is doing without actually going in. Our model number doesn't have the pan/move/tilt or whatever so I don't know how that is.

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Have the main camera and its screen a couple of years ago. Now I have a new baby, and this suits perfectly to switch one napper to the other

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CIB CUC7281 700TVL Outdoor CCD Bullet Infrared Day Night Security Camera w/ S...

I just received this in the mail. I will update as I learn more.

1. No Power supply was shipped with the product. So far that is why I am giving it 3 stars.

Polaroid IP200B wireless IP Network Security Camera, Pan and Tilt, Black

I recently bought 2 cameras and I am very happy with them. Setup was pretty simple and it works well with my email account, it's a decent camera with a decent web interface that does what it's supposed to do and works reliably, supports modern features and multiple users can be configured with different access levels.

The pen and tilt moves almost silently, and are quick and precise. The LEDs on the rear panels can be disabled to be less conspicuous, in a nice touch.

I really love these cameras so far. They are good budget priced cameras and other cameras with an image that's no better and software that's much worse are priced much higher. It's a great balance of modern features and decent quality.

I bought 2 IP200's and an IP300 and only 1 IP200 still works. These are junk don't waste your time

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Absolutely the worst set up instructions I have ever seen. I own a mac and work with macs professionally on a daily basis. The software comes on a CD which won't play on your mac...and there are no drivers to download from their website. I tried doing this manually but the booklet of instructions that's included doesn't address this on a mac...only on windows machines. Oh wait, it does say, if you own a mac, "it's pretty much plug and play". Btw, the manual reads like a 5 year old wrote them, spelling errors in every paragraph which really makes you feel confident about the product. This will be going back.

*Update. Just got of the phone with their tech support. After 45 minutes of waiting, they realized that they haven't tested the product on the TWO most recent Mac OS systems...thus they have no idea if it actually works on Macs. They asked me to call back in two weeks to see if they would have an update. Impressive, isn't it?

Update 2. Stay away from this seller. Extremely unpleasant to deal with...will charge you shipping and restocking fee regardless of reason for return.

Read Best Reviews of Polaroid IP200B wireless IP Network Security Camera, Pan and Tilt, Black Here

Purchased this camera for an experiment, for the money and features it had to offer it seemed like a no brainer, after comparing it to similar

cameras in its price range and reading several reviews it has proven to be a wise choice, the camera is very easy to set up, and provides a very

clear picture, the user interface leaves a little to be desired, and the audio will not work for some reason, but audio is illegal to use in security

surveilance in many states anyhow, dollar for dollar , I would recomend this camera , it moves very smooth and almost silently, would be nice if they

improve the interface so that you can choose limits on auto scan movement, but I have yet to find a low end IP camera that does, and zoom again would

be a valued upgrade to it's performance, but is only available in more expensive cameras as well, try one, you should be pleased with it's performance

and appearance,

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The camera may be OK, I'm not sure as I never got it working. The software is terrible. The web server on the camera repeatedly prompts for a userid for any operation, but will not accept the default userid provided in the instructions unless it is typed in three times in a row. It looks like you can provide any old userid three times in a row and it will let you in to the site. Clicking on any page within the site prompts for userid once again. Looks like you can also hit "cancel" when prompted for a userid and still get in! Once in though, I couldn't get a video feed with either VLC on IE or Google Chrome or the Server Push Mode. That makes this thing pretty much useless to me. I'm sending it back.

Update: I skipped using IE and went to a Chrome browser, using the userid "admin" rather than the specified "Admin". It worked! Setting it up for wireless access was a snap. Next hurdle is setting up DDNS.

Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 MP Digital Camera with 10x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom

After researching other cameras in its class including the Panasonic DMC-FZ10 and Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z2, I finally decided on the Canon S1 IS. Having taken a few hundred pictures with it, I am completely satisfied with my purchase.

With this camera I have the flexibility to take pictures with point-and-shoot ease while also having plenty of manual capabilities available to take more artistic pictures. Although the camera has "only" 3.2 megapixels this is more than compensated for by the 10x optical zoom. With this zoom you simply don't need as many megapixels (although it would be nice) because you won't be cropping out as much of the picture. Instead of cropping out excess, you just zoom in while you are there and have a nice original to begin with. Furthemore, more megapixels don't necessarily mean a "better" picture. There are other factors like the lens, cmos, and other processing that will affect the image quality just as much as the megapixels if not more.

Image stabilization is an awesome feature and until now has been reserved for the more expensive cameras. This feature definitely helps with the long zooms and low-light conditions. With the long zoom you can do shots where the primary object is very clear while the background is all blurry. This isn't as easy to do on cameras with less zoom.

The physical layout and the menu interface are excellent. The placement of the buttons are very intuitive and the menu setup is among the best I've ever used on any electronic device. It allows me to use all the manual settings with ease and speed. I can't really think of any better way to set it up.

Although the viewfinders tend to make images look like they are overexposed I think that as the viewfinder ages and dims (as any LCD will do over time) the picture will improve and not look as overexposed. So, I think it is excellent foresight on Canon's part to make the pictures seem overexposed. Personally, I don't find it to be a major issue because I view all the pics on my computer before deleting them anyway. The swiveling LCD is a feature that is indispensible. Not only does it protect the LCD if you flip it around, but you can take pictures of yourself (or others next to you) or and you take pictures at weird angles (such as close to the ground or high above a crowd) without contorting yourself.

I don't find battery power to be an issue. Just get 2 or 3 sets of NiMH batteries and you should be fine for a long day of heavy shooting. Plus the fact that you can use AA instead of a proprietary module means you can use regular AA alkaline batteries in a pinch.

The movie mode is great not only because of the high quality movies, but also because you can zoom while taking the movie. Most cameras will not let you zoom and you have to leave it where it is. The only downside is that you will need a high-speed compact flash card (like the Sandisk Ultra II) to take the highest quality movies. Slower cards can't keep up with the high amout of data being written.

The focusing system is also great and not usually found on cameras at this level. You can move the autofocus box to any postion you want and set an autofocus lock so it doesn't change once you've set it. You can also use the manual focus if you can't get a good focus in low-light situations. There is a meter that pops up showing the approximate distance to the object that you want to focus to which is quite helpful. With the manual focus, I've been able to focus on any object without too much trouble.

There are only 2 things I would like to see improved. One would be some sort of battery meter but it would be wildly inaccurate without some sort of proprietary battery (which they don't make you use) so I'm ok with them leaving that out. I would also like the lens cap to 'click' on instead of just sliding on. I understand why they made that decision though: they want the cap to slide off automatically when you turn it on which is a convenience so I don't have to take it off every time I turn it on. These are just minor suggestions and really just personal preference things. Otherwise, this camera is perfect for the price and what you get.

I highly recommend this camera to anyone to both point-and-shoot people and people who want that along with some artistic flexibility. The feature set is unbeatable and the picture quality is amazing.

I have used the Canon Powershot IS 1 for over a month and have shot many 100's of images with it.

The good points:

*Produces beautiful images under most conditions.

*The image stabilization system works very well. You are able to take sharp pictures down to 1/6 sec in the wide angle position.

*I used it exclusively at Disney World for the Epcot International Flower Show and thought the night exposures were wonderful. No flash, just hand held photography.

*The movie mode works well under the difficult lighting conditions encountered at the night time parade at Magic Kingdom.

*The color saturation was beautiful. I used the Program mode mostly at ISO equivalent of 100 and the Vivid setting.

*The noise was minimal with the 100 ISO setting. The advantage is higher shutter speeds to stop the action.

*I was able to set the depth of field in Aperture mode for good garden bed shots.

*The 10/1 zoom is incredible!

The bad points:

*The Electronic viewfinder is terrible! The resolution, sharpness, color accuracy and saturation of the finder make you wonder what Canon was thinking of. An optical viewfinder is 100% better.

*The finder blanks out when going from dark to bright outside subjects, making fast picture taking impossible under many instances.

*The resolution is so bad that it is difficult to see if the focus is right on. It usually was.

*The Canon A-70 is a better camera for faster picture taking. However, the antishake and 10/1 zoom override all other considerations for me.

*The LCD viewer on the back of the camera is useless in the bright light and its color accuracy is terrible too. I have taken many beautiful sunsets and you cannot see the red sun in the viewfinder or on the monitor. HOWEVER the resultant images were spectacular when viewed on the computer screen.

*The battery consumption seemed to be higher than the A-70 but I did not do a very accurate test. I used two sets of NiMH batteries in a full day of shooting at Epcot. However I was shooting in movie mode some of the time and using a 1 GB flash cards to hold the many images. All the images were taken with the best quality jpg settings.

The bottom line is that the camera is very good for most picture taking opportunities, but is no good for fast moving objects such as flying birds.

Forget what you do not see in the viewfinder or the viewer and shoot away.

The big thing here is to have faith!

I give the camera 4 out of 5 points.

NEW! I just had to change the Time/Date battery. My instruction manual is WRONG!! The battery goes in with the (+)positive terminal up.

Fred Sgrosso

fsgrosso@hotmail.com

Buy Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 MP Digital Camera with 10x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom Now

After considerable research I purchased the Canon S1 IS camera from Amazon about a month ago along with the Lexar 12X 256MB Compact Flash memory. It arrived even before Amazon said it would! This is my first digital camera and so far I am very pleased with it. I wanted a camera that would take good travel pictures and images of grandchildren who often don't like cameras near them. I expect to print the better pictures as either 4x6 or 5x7 and occasionally 8x10s. At first I was reluctant to consider 3.2MP cameras but my research showed that a figure of merit for a digital camera should actually be proportional to MP times the optical zoom factor squared. This gives a heavy weighting to optical zoom (it's related to picture area) and it also means that you can avoid considerable cropping and wasting of MP. That's why people are often surprised that this camera does so well against its higher MP competition. It's also adequate for printing my size pictures. Unfortunately, most hand held 10X cameras used at maximum zoom also need to have a shutter speed of 1/400th of a second to avoid picture bluring caused by camera shake so that you can use this 10X feature only in bright sunlight, unless you support the camera. The Canon S1's image stabilization system allows hand held pictures with much slower shutter speeds so it is useful more often. I always leave it on and I've taken sharp pictures of ducks, birds, and, oh yes, our grandchildren at a playground. Our daughter, who is a professional photographer, has even commented on the quality of these candid shots, something she did not do with my film camera with lower power zoom. Independently, I also purchased a lightweight RipVan100 battery charger that can operate at overseas voltages and I carry around an extra set of charged NIMH AA batteries, just in case, although I've yet to need them. Of course, in a pinch, I can always use universally available AA batteries, another feature of this camera.

This camera, like all 10X zooms, uses an electronic viewfinder. I find that it is hard to see well in bright sunlight (especially if I'm wearing sunglasses), even at maximum brightness setting. Its resolution is also poor and the images often seem overexposed but, and this is important, the images don't shake at 10X with the IS on! and the actual pictures are correctly exposed. The swiveling LCD screen grows on you and you can take pictures looking down at the camera at waist level. The grandchildren may not even realize you are actually taking their picture, adding to the candid effect. I haven't found the lack of an autofocusing lamp to be a problem in dim light and you can always set the manual focus to about 8 feet (no zoom used) and everything from 4 feet to infinitity will be sharp. (I got this tidbit from my research).

After it was announced but before it was readily available the camera received so-so reviews but the recent user reviews from those who actually own and use one have been highly favorable and I agree with them. It's well made, not too heavy, and the basics can be learned quickly. Advanced users can find many features to investigate and I'm still learning how to use some of the exposure and focus lock modes for special cases. I think that using the Auto mode (or the Program P mode) with IS on will work for most people, most of the time. And, as an added bonus, you can even take movies (9 minutes/1GB at best quality) if you have a large memory. I'm glad I discovered this "fun" camera.

Read Best Reviews of Canon PowerShot S1 IS 3.2 MP Digital Camera with 10x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom Here

If you're like most people reading about the Canon Powershot S1, you've owned at least one or two digital cameras in the past, and chances are they've been the point and shoot kind. Now you'd like something with a few more manual controls.

I'm not going to repeat what's in many other reviews here (an amazing 10x stabilized zoom ... you'll find it difficult to move back to a camera without this, generally excellent photo quality, and really compact HOW do they fit this all in such a tiny package??) but instead I'd like to point out a few aspects of the camera that haven't been discussed that much in other reviews here.

1. Get yourself a basic book on digital photography, so you will actually use some of the manual features of this camera. A $15 investment will give you better photo results within 30 minutes. Guaranteed. I got myself "Digital Photography Pocket Guide" from Amazon and I can already see the results in my photos.

2. You'll love taking photos by using the viewfinder and not the LCD screen (which, at 1.5", seems dismally small for a camera such as this) the viewfinder is full of (though not cluttered with) details of your shot. Aperture, resolution, etc.

3. The zoom control is tricky and takes time to get used to. A slight flick of the control and you have quickly moved beyond 5x magnification. You'll get the hang of it quickly, but be forewarned that you will be frustrated using the zoom initially.

4. while other reviews have commented on using the Sandisk Ultra II card for taking VGA movies, I'm a little perplexed. While the movies are recorded on the card just fine, transferring them to my 2.4 gigahertz P4 machine leads to loss of data in the transfer and I am unable to view them properly. I am convinced there is an issue with the file transfer speed related to the camera's mechanism, NOT the memory card for I have tried multiple ones. If you are buying this camera purely for this reason, do check this out carefully so that you too don't deal with the same problems (besides, the 512 MB card allows barely two minutes of 640x480 video.)

5. The battery meter, which comes on only when the batteries are about to run out, could be better and indicate the approximate number of shots left. Come on Canon, you can do better...

All in all, these are small deficiencies, certainly not glaring. I'm pleased with my stabilized zoom camera choice (the Panasonic FZ series were too bulky, the Minolta Dimage Z series too plastic feeling).

One last point. Avoid the Canon PSC 70 carrying case made for this camera. Do read my review on that one should you purchase this camera.

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I bought this camera about a month ago after researching about a hundred different cameras. I was looking for something aroun 4-5 megapixels and $200-$300. This camera had lower megapixels (3.2) and it was at the top of my limits. I have one thing to say:

I am glad I bought it.

I received the camera in a matter of days from Amazon. That was normal for any order that I have placed with Amazon. Fast service. I received it just a few days before we left for a vacation to Disneyland in California so I did not have time to mess with it much, but I had time to play around with some of the features on the way down and I am impressed with this camera. I took pictures from day to night and from stills to shooting scenery out of our vehicle going 85 mph. Oops, I meant 75 mph officer. I would say that 99% of them came out great. I turned the video resolution down to the next one lower. A 512 MB CF card held about 12 minutes of video in one continuous shoot. That is probably the one feature that sold me on this camera. It did not have a limit on the minutes of continous video that could be shot. Other cameras had a 1.5-3 minute limit. I even used it to record half of a speech that I gave to a group to see how I presented myself. The camera was about 10 feet away and it still picked up my voice.

The included AA alkaline batteries went dead within about a couple of hours. I bought two sets of rechargeables and found that one set lasted from 8 am to 10 pm at Disneyland. And I took alot of pictures and video! One day, I filled two 512 MB CF Cards and one 256 MB card. That is my only suggestion with this camera. Buy rechargeable batteries and a larger CF card if you are going to shoot video. I am planning to buy a 1 GB CF card later.

When I bought it, I had the intention of selling it on ebay if I did not like it. No way. I am keeping it. Oh...one other thing in my favor, my daughter-in-law works as a photographer. She could show me things that camera would do that would have taken me quite awhile to figure out. She had a chance to use it and she was impressed with it.

Casio Exilim EX-G1 12.1 MP Slim-line Endurance Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black)

I'm very impressed with the EX-G1. I've been a long time user of Casio camera products, until an unfortunate camera meets water incident in the Caribbean forced me to buy a Nikon S3 which as performed well for several years, until it died. I bought a Pentax Optio WS-80 and was not impressed, neither with the cheap plastic feel, nor the quality of the photos. Blue sky almost always looked like cloudy sky. So, with Casio's new introduction of the EX-G1, I was intrigued to find out if the almost twice the cost as compared to the WS-80 was worth it. Jumping to the conclusion... yes, it's worth every penny. Here are things I like, and don't like. Slim design. Precision operation of controls. Interval shooting can be set to 10sec, 30 sec, 1min, 3min, and can record photos for 3, 10, 20, 30 minutes. The display can remain on during interval shooting, or you can configure it to be off (presumably to save battery power). The WS-80 didn't have a display on/off option, and the interval settings may be slightly more flexible, but it's insignificant. I also like the video record button, which with one press, starts filming. Casio's Best Shot mode is also accessed with a single button press. The WS-80 has the battery, memory, and USB port under a single cover, which was quite flimsy such that I believe a bad drop would render the camera less than waterproof. The EX-G1 has two compartments. The battery compartment has a substantial and solid stainless steel door that takes quite a bit of effort to get open; a butter knife might come in handy. Perhaps in time it will operate more easily. The memory and USB compartment is accessed via a thumb knob that pops open the compartment cover. I like the precision operation of this compartment, but am a little concerned about an accidental opening while snorkeling, as the thumb knob need only be moved about 15 degrees (1/8 inch) to open the compartment below. A better design would have been more of a screw operation requiring a full revolution. Then again, the real probability of me inadvertently turning the thumb know is probably unlikely. I do have some concern about the tripod mount being off center. I also like the gazillion programmable options to setup and customize the camera to my liking. For example, photo's can be shot in low, normal, or high detail, regardless of the size photo selected. Whereas the Optio WS-80 only took high detail photos in the 10MH mode. Small high quality photos are mostly acceptable for the photos I take. The USB interface is not "standard" such as what I use for my blackberry, or Motorola headset. It's just slightly different... would have been nice if it were the same as the other couple USB cables I have competing for USB ports on my PC, but that's not a big deal. For years I harped on a contact I have at Casio technical support to produce a camera with interval shooting... I'm happy it's here, and that it comes in a waterproof, shockproof design. Even the packaging (the box it comes in) for the camera is cool; it looks sort of like a rock. I do wish they included a printed manual (the included CD contains the manual). The Pentax Optio WS-80 is being returned, but for buyers on a limited budget, it may suffice; however, the EX-G1 is well worth the extra money.

Update one year later December 2010: During the past year I've experienced the following. The flash and shutter release got out of sync, so all flash photos were nearly black. I sent the camera in for for repair, and they needed to replace the main circuit board, which was out of stock. I was leaving for a trip, so Casio jumped in and sent me a refurbished unit, which was a blessing since the original was quite scratched. Very good customer service! I've used it underwater in the Caribbean. Underwater shots look good. One problem, however, is that it appears in high humidity environments, and when left in the sun, condensation builds up inside the lens, thus all photos are foggy until the camera cools. An extended dip in the ocean, or cooling the camera in the shade seems to fix that problem. I've had no problems with leaks in the camera, but would caution that sudden contact with water, or swimming, may well put excessive pressure on the seals and force a leak. So, in my opinion, it is good to walk into water with, but don't dive into the water with it. Daylight photo quality is good. Night time photo quality is disappointing. I had a Nikon S3 which had a night mode where the flash would fire several times to illuminate the background, and always got excellent results, but the Casio doesn't have this feature, so the subject is illuminated, but the background is dark, even using the night portrait scene mode. I really like the compact slim design that is the best of any on the market. I like the actual buttons rather than touch screen technology used in some cameras. I look forward to the next generation of the EX-G1, whenever that might be.

Update January 2011: I'm back from my two week Caribbean vacation and want to report the "new" (actually replacement camera) performed flawlessly and some of the fogging problems I had with the first one must have been related to water leaking, because I had no issues with this one, in or out of the water. In summary, I suppose the original one must have had just enough water leak into the camera to allow it to vaporize and fog the lense and sensor??? Anyway, I continue to be very happy. However, night photos just aren't as good as I've experienced with other cameras, as they tend to be rather grainy, even with the night landscape or night portrait setting. Day photos are superb. I shot all at the highest / largest setting 12 megapixels.

The Casio Exilim EX-G1 comes out of the box as a rugged and ready to go camera. Its build is sturdy, and although a little bit heavier than my previous camera (Nikon Coolpix S55), its slim profile more than makes up for it. Aesthetically, the red color version is beautiful and the aluminum casing makes it feel indestructible despite its small size.

I had no troubles opening the battery or memory card compartments. The instructions are clear and simple enough on the quick start guide that the full manual isn't necessary unless you need more detailed info (FYI, the full manual does come with the camera, it's just loaded on the CD, as opposed to a hard copy). The battery took roughly an hour and a half to fully charge. The user interface is friendly, and the navigation buttons are intuitive and well designed.

The Best Shot options, the alternative to Nikon's "Scenes," are plenty and quite nifty including ones I've never seen before, like the Ebay and Dynamic modes. The EX-G1 also allows for adjustment of flash intensity, which makes it a plus when a standard intensity level simply doesn't cut it for the different environments the camera is so well suited for. The picture quality, in both color and filtered modes, is comparable to my Nikon, which I thought was great for its price. The movie recording mode works quite well with good contrast and a relatively high resolution. There're quite a few features that I haven't yet figured out how to work, but so far, the EX-G1 hasn't disappoint!

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This camera is not waterproof as advertised. It has 2 compartments. One is for the battery, the other for the memory card. The door to the battery compartment requires 2 hands to open. The door to the memory card compartment opens seemingly on its own. It is a knob with little cogs located in very close proximity to most of the other controls for the camera that evidently turns easily without the user being aware. Unfortunately it opened the second time we had the camera in the water. This occurred while we were on our honeymoon and as a result we lost the pictures we had taken thus far and were left without the camera we had purchased expressly for the trip.

Casio refused to do anything for us stating that it was due to operator error. We were told that we "must have opened the compartment door." Why we would have intentionally opened the compartment door prior to entering the water is beyond me. We are now out $300, a camera and many pictures that cannot be replaced. Up until the time this occured we were very excited about the camera and had been showing it off and talking it up to family and friends. Now we are left with a very poor opinion of Casio, their products and their customer service.

I see that others have had the same experience with this camera in th short time since its release. This indicates to me a design flaw in the location/mechanism for the compartment door. It is my belief that Casio should do the right thing, admit they have a problem and compensate those of us who purchased their camera in good faith expecting a quality product that would serve us for the purposes for which it was advertised.

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The design issue I have with this camera is the knob you see on the side of the camera, it turns to open the door panel to the USB/Memory card. This knob can be turned by accident and open without you knowing about it. This happened to me when I put the camera in my swimming shorts pocket and went into a pool. My moving around in the pool with my girlfriend caused the knob to turn, opening the door and destroying the camera.

I call this a design flaw, because the door panel that covers the battery requires a pry bar tool that you attach to your camera leash. It's a two hand effort to get that door panel open, yet the USB/Memory card panel can be open with just a brush to the knob. As I found out I can open it with no hands!

When I sent the camera to Casio's authorized repair center. They told me Casio has instructed them that any water that gets into this camera is caused by user error and the warranty does not apply. That is pretty presumptuous, the user is always the cause of the problem...

Moral of this story, beware of buying a newly released product as this is Casio's first entry into the tough and rugged camera line. I'm sure this will be fixed in time and then it's a nice camera to compete with Cannon and Olympus, but until then, I recommend staying away from this camera or you will be like me, out $300 and looking to buy another camera.

Spoke directly with Casio customer service today and they confirmed what the Casio repair had told me. If the camera fails because of a water leak, it is the fault of the owner and not Casio. One brand new Casio camera heading to the landfill...

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When you open the box and pick up this camera for the first time, you notice two things:

First: Its heavy. Not too heavy, but heavy.

Second: Its thin, much thinner than I expected it to be.

When you start it up, you are dazzled by the brightness and clarity of the LCD display.

I was used to smaller and not so bright displays.

I had to make changes to the saturation to get good pictures. The one picture of my sisters dog, Polly is after

I made changes to the settings.

I am pleased, amazed, at the video this camera takes, again much better than I had thought it would be.

I am a little disappointed at the quality of the pictures, not so much the color, but the whites. On my two GS Dogs

where the white blends into the black, the whites seem more like grayish and the blacks are blotted.

I will play with it more.

I also can't find the owners manual; I don't know if I lost it when I opened the box or if it did not come with the box.

Not that REAL MEN use owners manuals anyway. But it would be nice. Nothing on their website as of yet.

One more semi-negative thing:

Battery:

To charge it, you must remove the battery from the camera. On the Kodak, you just plug the mini-usb cable in and while you

are transferring pictures the camera charges. I had hoped, this would be the same, as it is very smart of anyone to allow this.

I guess not.

The good news is that you do not lose your time / date settings when you remove the battery.

Overall, for about three hours of use, I am pretty impressed with the camera. Its heavy and seems like it is put together

to last. I hope so for the money it costs.

Canon EOS Rebel T3i Digital SLR Camera Body & EF-S 18-55mm IS II Lens with 75-300mm Lens + 16GB

I purchased this camera last week, no doubt the camera is awesome and one of the best in the price range, the reason I'm giving 3 rating is because of the seller. When i opened the box, .45x lens were missing and it was a surprise to see the lenses were in back order. If that was the case the seller should have intimated at the time of purchase or at-least before shipping. When I contacted the seller, I was told it will take 2 weeks for lens to arrive plus the shipping time. I'm still waiting for my lens.

Secondly the bag is of the cheapest quality one can find in the market, I would avoid carrying such an expensive camera in a cheap bag and risk a fall.

Basically the bag is cheap and also the extra battery is of some cheap quality, not the OEM canon battery.

Technically, I can't call myself a "professional" photographer because I've never personally sold my work-though as a graphic designer and Advertising/Marketing Manager, my work has indeed been utilized professionally.

I have been an avid and artistic photography amateur for decades, starting with the Canon AE-1 Program that I received as a wedding gift way back in 1983. (Amusingly, it was a gift from my new brothers-in-law at the behest of my new husband, but it was I who wielded it from Day One until it finally gave up the ghost some 20 years later. I clung to that camera longer than I did that husband.)

The T3i exceeds all of my expectations. The Program mode is super convenient and superbly intuitive for times when I don't feel like futzing around with settings--like when my college-aged kids recently visited me for Winter Vaca here in Puerto Rico. But when I'm scouting on my own with both tripod and time on my hands, I have every customizable bell & whistle I could ever want immediately at hand. Nikon's good, no question, but Canon's utility and lenses rock.

All of that said, after considerable research I knew that I wanted the T3i (more affordable but in every way that matters equally as functional as the pricier Canon models) well before I ran across Cameta Camera on Amazon. All I can say is that they offered not only the best kit prices that I found, but also a uniquely diverse range of kits to suit any enthusiast's particular needs.

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I bought this item from Cameta Camera. The product is excellent and the bundle is great. All the accessories seem to be pretty good. But the bundle came with one lens missing. On checking the shipping sheet, it said that that lens was on back order. I wish I had known when I placed my order. This is deception of the worst kind. I am very displeased with the seller. Amazon needs to better regulate these guys and make them follow ethical selling practices.

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the canon Rebel T3i and canon factory lenses are great as expected. This bundled package that cost less than the two lenses and camera body combined just made it so much sweeter. Granted most of the bundled items are cheap knock offs, but you are practically getting them for free so I can't complain. The memory card is a necessity and the remote shutter something I would have bought anyway. The memory card reader works well if you don't have a card reader port on your computer otherwise its useless. I haven't tried the flash and may never will because the built in flash seems to do everything I need. The bag, spare battery, cleaning kit (q-tips), and lcd protectors and UV filters are a nice perk. The additional (precision design) lenses that screw onto the canon lenses are fun to play with for a day but I will probably never use them again. Moral of the story: The Canon Camera (camera comes will battery, charger, and electrical cords), two entry level base models lenses, remote shutter, UV filters and memory card are worth more than the price of the bundle. Everything else is great fun to play with and nice to have but mainly cheap quality products to help persuade you to make the purchase.

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I ordered this camera package deal thru Amazon on Tuesday and got it 2 days later. Very fast service. Well worth the money I spent on getting it here just in time for a holiday weekend. Everything that was in the bundle package came with it.. No back orders... Took no time to charge up the battery and start snapping photos. This is a great camera! I would also buy from this company again.

Canon EOS Rebel T4i Digital SLR Camera Body & EF-S 18-135mm IS STM Lens with EF-S 55-250mm f/4.

Don't waste you time with the 18-55 kit !THESE lenses are better !

The 18-135 lens (which was specifically built for this rebel)rarely comes off the camera and performs quite well for stills.Also it is noticeably smoother to focus and quieter in video.The IS works fine and it is fairly compact and has a decent weight.

The 55-250 is reasonably sharp and adds quite a heck of a zoom for this price point but don't expect any miracles and you will be just fine.The IS is a must if NOT on a tripod.This lens is compact and has a nice weight as well.

Both are plastic but well built and I have detected no lens creep as I have on my 28-135.

The camera is simply the best rebel to date and quite a bargain with these lenses.

This is my Wife's camera and I have a hard time getting it away from her ! I have a rebel XSI and a 7D and let me tell you that I am now ruined by the T4I's flip out articulating touch screen and has become my "Go to" camera for any different composure shots and of course video !

As for the stats of these you can find them anywhere on the net and reviews as well.

This kit is an excellent addition to any photographers arsenal or just by its self.

Also there are a few(as of this date) specifically made lenses just for this rebel. No other rebel has had this.

So....have fun shooting!

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Sony Handycam DCR-SX45 AV Cable - TV Video Cord for Sony Handycam DCR-SX45

I lost the original cord that came with the camera. Went to four different stores, they not have it in stock and could not order for me. I was very happy to find this one online. Works just like the original.

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Sony Cybershot DSCW5 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

I bought the Sony DSC-W5 few weeks ago, so far I'm quite pleased with it. The choice was between this one and the Canon SD-400, both are 5MP as I think that's the optimum resolution for my use. Looks like both cameras have similar picture quality with a slight edge for the Canon.

So what decided me for the Sony? Mainly these 4 reasons:

I have a Canon G2, which is slow and bulky, but most of all, after 3 years of use the image quality is degradating. Paid $800 for it 3 years ago, one would expect a longer product life.

-Battery. Canon does not know how to measure battery power, it goes from full to empty in 5mn, that's very frustrating as you have to fully charge the battery the day before you're going to use your camera. Sony gives you a detailed view of the charge left, and even in the case you run out of it, you can plug in 2 plain AA batteries.

Sony is fast, very fast.

Sony has a large bright LCD, it's a pleasure to take shots and look at the pictures on the 2.5' lCD.

I found the sony very easy to use, the settings are easily accessible and are memorised through power ups (which is sometimes bothersome as you have to check all your settings before using the camera at the begining of the day)

About blurry pictures, on something like 100 pictures I only had a few that were blurry. Mainly if you press the button half way and wait for the camera to autofocus, you'll get a good picture. Also the flash is required as soon as the luminosity dims a bit. The only defect I could find is on the autofocus, I believe the balanced autofocus feature gets confused on some situations, even simple ones like a mountain landscape with no tree in front.

Setting the autofocus to center may solve the problem. Also Sharpness should be set to "+" otherwise you get very soft images.

Conclusion: A great product for the price, picture quality is fantastic (most of the times), the LCD is a charm to look at.

Just a clarification of the negative reviews below the "little waving hand" does not mean that the camera is moving. Instead, it means that you are trying to take a photo with a setting that would require a very steady hand to get a sharp result. That is why the hand doesn't go away when you put the camera on a table and you can still take good pictures under these conditions, if the camera is held steady enough. This is a great little camera that I have been totally satisfied with so far. And, just as an aside, this information is in the user's manual, it might be a good idea to read this over before writing bad reviews on this site.

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Just to be clear: this is a great camera. It feels solid, starts up instantly, takes good pictures, and has manual controls. It takes AA batteries, has an optical viewfinder, can take expansion lenses, has a huge LCD, and has an AF-assist lamp. Great!

I really like the manual controls. It takes a little while to get used to if you've always been a point-n-shooter like me. But having the controls means that you can take shots that a regular automatic camera in this class would never be able to get. There is actually a 30 second exposure mode, which is very unusual in this class of camera. Read the manual and you will be able to take photos in all lighting conditions.

Unfortunately, even with manual controls this camera suffers in low-light. All cameras without image-stabilization are going to tend to be blurry in low-light. But for some reason, Sony has made their cameras (even the P series cameras) especially sensitive. We were touring around cathedrals in Europe and it is very difficult to get a clear shot because you can't use the flash and the lighting is always a little dark. The solution is to use a tripod, which will give you fantastic pictures. But without one, you have to be creative.

But even so, when you set things up right this camera takes beautiful pictures well-saturated colors, not much graininess. But it will take some learning. If you just want a camera you can leave on Auto all day, you may want a different brand.

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We took over 350 pictures in Walt Disney World, two were blurry, the speed of this camera is incredible. I cannot believe how quickly we were able to shoot pictures. I am totally impressed with this camera. We have had a digital HP and Cannon and this is worlds above! I would reccomend this to anyone with children. The cannon took good pictures but the timing was awful. It could take 20 seconds for the camera to be ready for another picture. The Sony was ready in 3 to 5 seconds every time.

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I got this camera after passing on a 4 mp Olympus to my daughter and having my new 5 mp Canon stolen. I ended up almost glad that the Canon was stolen, because my new Sony is so much better. It is easy to use and fast (my husband is a track and cross country coach, and this camera is quick enough to get each runner as they pass during a race) and produces great pictures.

I also like it's size. I'm not a fan of the itsy-bisty, super-thin cameras; I like to have something to hold onto. This is still small, but not credit-card small. I love the big view-screen, though, and it works well in the bright sunlight.

I researched a lot of cameras, then took a chance and bought one I hadn't even looked into. I am so glad I did.