Showing posts with label monitor computer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label monitor computer. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Schlage WCW100 LiNK Wireless Network Camera

Schlage WCW100 LiNK Wireless Network CameraThis is my 3rd attempt at Internet monitoring of my home. I started with Panasonics, then moved to Logitech's WiLife system and now I've had the Schlagelink up & running for 2 months.

I abandoned the Panasonic because it was way too finicky to keep the weblink going. Constant tinkering & calls to tech support were required (tho their tech support people are tops). Their cams were pretty good with better resolution than the Schlagelink; they also feature pan & tilt, absent on the Schlage.

The WiLife looked promising, was simple to set-up & had very good resolution with both indoor & outdoor cams; these added a minimal degree of zoom to the mix. Unfortunately, they are electrically really skittish and any kind of interference knocked them out, sometimes fatally. I had bought 8 cams before I gave up.

Now the wireless Schlagelink is a bit coarser image and is essentially fixed, but it has never gone off line and looks stupendous on the iPhone app. Interestingly, while all my other Schlagelink modules (3 door locks, 3 thermostats, 3 light controllers) rely on the wireless bridge included in the starter kit, the camera runs independently of the bridge. Even better, if your wireless goes down for a bit, it will reconnect when the wireless is up again & in a pinch it can even "borrow" a neighbor's wireless if available.

I'd like to give it 4.5 stars because of the limited resolution & lack of features, but as it fully delivers what it promises, I'm going to go all the way.

This will be a quick review. A lot of people had complaints with the resolution of this camera. What happened was Schlage was limiting the resolution and really compressing the data link through the bridge in 2009-2010 for whatever reason.

In 2011 they announced at CES they will allow high resolution down-link (its now an option) @ full 640 x 480 resolution at 30 frames. The feature is now enabled and works great. The camera's resolution has greatly improved and looks much better.

Now they need to add IR, motorized, and outdoor cameras to their line up!

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I have 3 of these but there is no practical use for them. easy setup. At times they become "disconnected" and must be powered down and brought back up (great when I'm not home I'll have to get the pets trained to do that).

When I log on I usually see an empty room or a door. Two minutes is the max you can view at a time.

If you are engaged with something unless you can run to a pc / phone and login, you will miss whatever it was that occurred (such as an attempt to guess the codes of their locks). Currently there is no way to record what it sees it cannot even take a picture and email it. The company's response when asked if they will add this "we are researching it (for over a year now)". The locks are great, cameras may be ok for observing people family members (creepy I'd suggest a web cam where they KNOW you are watching) or pets in a room (that is fully lit and a very narrow view), but do not depend on any form of recording or pictures for any event with other devices.

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This camera is a great addition to the Schlage Z-Wave system. The camera is an on-demand camera that can ge engaged from your smartphone. When I view it on my smartphone it looks fine. It is meant as a surveillance camera and not an HD camera. I agree that with technology today, the quality should be better. However, the downside of that is you will pay for that in speed and data charges on your phone. I primarly use the camera from my smartphone as I bought the Schlage system to keep an eye on my dogs and the comings and goings of the dog nanny while I am away on business trips and vacations.

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Unfortunately this is the only camera that works with the Schlage Link system. That's about the only good part of this camera. This is a low quality camera that does not allow you to record, notify on motion events, or email you an image of motion detection. These are very basic functions of other IP cameras. To make matters worse, they don't allow you to login into the camera any other way than to pay Schlage $12 / month and use their website.

The Schlage Link system works on iPhone but they haven't updated the app in over a year, and it doesn't work natively on iPads, or utilize iOS 4's backgrounding or display.

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Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Optoma HD20, HD (1080p), 1700 ANSI Lumens, Home Theater Projector

Optoma HD20, HD, 1700 ANSI Lumens, Home Theater Projector
  • True High Def 1080p Resolution, 1.2x Manual Zoom and Focus
  • 1700 Lumens Brightness, Lamp life: 4000/3000 Hours (STD/Bright), 4X speed (RGBRGB) color-wheel
  • 4000:1 Contrast Ratio (On/Off), 500:1 ANSI Contrast
  • 37.6" to 301.1" Screen size,Offset: 116%,16:9 Native, 4:3 and LBX Compatible
  • Two HDMI, VGA-In, Component Video, Composite Video and +12V Trigger

I first wrote this review on another site, and now that I've had more time with this projector I have added and changed a few things and am reposting the review on Amazon. I think more people will look to Amazon when purchasing this projector, especially since the other site is not stocking it anymore. Hopefully this review helps those of you who are on the edge about purchasing this projector.

Pros: Good looking, gloss-white finish. Low-noise fan on normal-bulb mode. 4000 hours lamp life on econo is greater then most projectors! Good enough to use in bright mode to use with lights turned on in the room. In the dark, it looks simply amazing!

1080p content looks very good. Blu-rays played from a PS3 (or other blu-ray player) look awesome. I watched Kung-Fu Panda and was "wowed" by what you can notice on a much larger screen. I just watched Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen on it last night and I was amazed at the details and I noticed things I didn't even notice when I saw it in IMAX. This might have been because in IMAX you have such an insanely huge screen that you miss some things you might not have noticed before since you have to actually turn your head to look at the entire screen. Still, blu-ray content is amazing to see with this projector. I find it very hard to believe you can buy this for under $1000.

Video games look awesome. It works well with PS3 and 360 consoles. You get a huge advantage over other players when you can see them off in the distance before they could actually see you on a normal HDTV. This of course all depends on the size of the screen you use. I'm using a 92" diagonal white screen by EliteScreens. Not the greatest of screens but will get me by for a year or two until I get the funds for a good, fixed screen.

When using my PS3 with my tv I set the RGB color-spectrum to limited range in the display options on the PS3. On the tv, with the setting on full it would be far too dark and black out way too much shadow detail. On this projector you can turn on full-range and make use of the entire spectrum and it will give you better blacks and whites this way. If you put this projector on the bright pre-set setting (not high lamp mode) then you can blind yourself by the whites this thing is capable of in the dark. Bright setting should really only be used when you have a lot of ambient light to fight with. Otherwise the Cinema, Reference, or your own custom settings with the help of a calibration disc is probably best.

There are lot's of options for adjusting brightness, contrast, sharpness, etc. Everything you find on current HDTV's seems to be a setting you can change here. I personally find cinema mode is about perfect for use in dark environments where you can shut off all the light and enjoy a movie. Sharpness is used differently on this projector then it is on many HDTV's. With my tv I took the sharpness down to zero, because all it was doing was adding pixels to make the picture appear sharper and it would actually take away from the realism of the picture. On this projector the default value is 7 and if you lower it you are actually softening the picture and going negative with the sharpness effect. I found the sweet spot to be 10. At the value of 10 I get extremely sharp, crisp looking text in all my games and the picture looks better at that setting then at the default of 7. Anything below 7 would turn too soft and look blurred... like looking through a water covered windshield.

The Optoma features automatic shut-off which you can adjust. By default I believe it is turned off. I set mine for 15 minutes. This feature will automatically turn off the projector after no signal is detected for "xx" amount of minutes. Very useful if you are not the only one using the projector and have fears of friends/family leaving it turned on.

Cons: I have been used to using a Samsung 46" LN46A650 model tv, and then going to this, there is a very noticeable difference in black level. You will not get the deep blacks with this projector that you can on a good HDTV, but thankfully it doesn't ruin the experience. Black level detail is there, which is good, it just does not produce an inky-black. It's more of a very dark shade of gray. I messed around with the Digital Video Essentials blu-ray for the contrast/brightness adjustments for a while. I was not able to get the entire line-chart to display. Either the whites would get too washed out and too bright, or the darks would get too dark and force the white sections to get dark. The projector seemed about correct with out-of-the-box settings on cinema.

I did not mess around with deeper menu's such as the gamma, and film modes, or try changing the colors yet. I'm not experienced at self-calibrating, so don't take my word for it, but I could not get the contrast portion much better then it already is out-of-the-box.

Auto-focus would have been a nice option. It's not a big deal if you get this projector mounted and won't have to keep moving it. You can just find the right spot and leave it there, and it should be fine. On that note, if you are planning to leave this on a coffee table it will probably work alright. At first, I tried to shelf-mount this projector to save having to buy a ceiling mount. I had it about 5 feet above ground-level and I could not get a picture I was happy with. I had to angle it way down by rotating the back legs so they were fully extended and then adding a couple slim-cd cases to raise the back even further. I adjusted keystone all the way and it was still off and looked like a trapezoid. Unless you plan on using this within 3 feet of the floor, I would expect to be ceiling mounting this baby! There's your warning to anyone wondering about this.

None of my cons knock a star off my rating on this wonderful product though. You can't really say too many negative things about a 1080p projector for

Saturday, June 7, 2014

FUJIFILM FinePix JX310 14.1 MP Digital Camera (Black)

FUJIFILM FinePix JX310 14.1 MP Digital CameraThis is a wonderful camera! I've used it for a few months now and it's great for the "Point & Shoot" type. I only have one complaint...the slide and lock cover on the camera used to protect the SD card and Battery is way too loose. The cover pops open every...single...time I try to take a picture or pull it out of my pocket. I find that a piece of electrical tape keeps it secure during use.

I am very pleased with the camera and the speedy service I got in recieving it. The camera works very well and have taken several pictures with it.

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Friday, June 6, 2014

TENVIS Wireless IP Pan/Tilt/ Night Vision Internet Surveillance Camera Built-in Microphone With Pho

TENVIS Wireless IP Pan/Tilt/ Night Vision Internet Surveillance Camera Built-in Microphone With Phone remote monitoring support(Black)This might be the first review on Amazon of the Tenvis JPT3815W. I originally wanted to go with the Foscam since it was the most popular of the same type of IP camera, but decided to take a chance with the Tenvis. The little booklet manual was easy to follow and has good illustrations and photos. Set it up first with the ethernet cable before attempting wireless setup. The software auto-detects your network and puts the camera in the same IP address range. I got it all working and was viewing over the LAN in under a half-hour. With some port-forwarding knowledge, you can set the camera up for remote view on your smartphone, which I did with the excellent Android phone app, TinyCam Monitor Pro. Picture quality is good and focus can be manually adjusted by turning the ring around and night-vision works very well.

When operating, a green LED flashes continuously but unfortunately there is no way to turn it off in the software and hopefully the manufacturer will have a fix for it sometime in the near future.

I was looking for an inexpensive way to monitor my house while away and this product exceeds my expectations. While the setup can be challenging, the Tenvis technical support was very prompt! This product allows me to monitor my house (and pets) where ever I may be through either 3G access from my smartphone (either android or iphone) or internet access. The Pan and Tilt functionality of this camera allows me to monitor my entire living room with just one camera. Therefore, I'm able to sit at work and scan my living room to make sure my everything is ok. Also, it has 2 way audio where I can hear what's happening at home and also talk through the camera. You can also record through the camera (to your pc) and take "snapshots" of moments in time. I've looked at other surveillance systems and for the price of just one camera, this could not be beat. You can add up to 9 cameras and monitor your entire house. There is also an "alarm" function that will email you if there is "motion" in front of the camera. It takes "snapshots" of the motion and includes them in the email. This amazes me for the $60 price range. To get the most functionality out of the camera remotely, you must use Internet Explorer, but you do have limited functionality from other web browsers. The "smartphone" functionality is much more limited than using a web browser, but to be able to view your house through your phone is pretty impressive. I've just ordered two more cameras for my house which is still "cheaper" than many of the other surveillance systems I've seen that ultimately have fewer bells and whistles. I've very impressed with the camera!

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I have 3 JPT3815W cameras (plus 1 of a different brand). These are about as easy to install within a LAN as any other wireless device. However, setting them up for access from outside a LAN is more difficult. To be specific, I happen to have an Actiontec DSL Modem and I was able to achieve remote viewing only after configuring the modem to allow 'port forward' for each of the cameras. To accomplish this, I assigned port numbers of 8080, 8081, 8082, and 8083 to each camera respectively. After this I signed onto the Actiontec and created a port forwarding table. (I did this by entering each one of these numbers as well as each cameras IP address). Then, because my Internet service provider uses Dynamic IP addressing, I signed up with a DNS service provider. I elected to sign up with NO-IP at a cost of $15 per year. (Note that DYNDNS charges $20 per year). However, if only one domain is being setup then there is no cost to sign up. After obtaining my DNS account with NO-IP, I was able to create 4 separate hostnames and to then associate each camera's IP address and port number to that particular hostname. (Tenvis offers technical support if it is needed).

Read Best Reviews of TENVIS Wireless IP Pan/Tilt/ Night Vision Internet Surveillance Camera Built-in Microphone With Pho Here

These cameras are nice when they work, but they don't work very long. Ordered 2 of them. First one failed the second day it was in use. Second failed 2 weeks after the return window closed, which means I get to deal with warranty support via Tenvis. Both cameras were mounted inside the house. Meanwhile my Foscam, which has been abused by being mounted in a cold garage, is still going strong more than a year after I bought it. Tenvis appears attractive because it's about $25 or so cheaper than the Foscams, but the failure rate has been unacceptable.

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We've been upgrading our security system from Logitech cams to IP cams, and let me tell ya, the difference is stark. Logitech's security cams have always been wonky, but now with the addition of these new IP cams, Logitech's shortcomings have become stark. Do yourself a favor, and get these IP cams instead.

> Foscam vs Tenvis

This Tenvis looks to be identical to this older Foscam FI8918W. Tenvis performs just as well as this old model Foscam, but has a slightly narrower Pan & Tilt range:

Tenvis: Horizontal 270°; Vertical 90°

Foscam: Horizontal 270°; Vertical 120°

That 30° difference in the vertical lens movement can be a big deal, depending on the environment where you're using the cams. A little extra coverage is never a bad thing.

> User Interface

Tenvis just doesn't even come close to Foscam in this department. Foscam is much more refined, pleasing to the eye and just downright easier to use. Tenvis, by contrast, appears much cruder and rudimentary. The UI is loaded onto each cam itself, so all you need is a web browser to view all the options. Tenvis basically has the same features, but just not laid out as nicely as Foscam.

> No IR LED Control

One stunning omission with the Tenvis' functionality, is that you can NOT turn off the infra red LEDs manually. This is important, because IR LEDs will NOT work through glass. Even though IR isn't visible to the naked eye, the cam certainly sees it, and if you try to place this in a window looking outside, all the cam sees is a white spotlight reflecting off the glass. So in that instance, turning off the LEDs would be helpful. Also, there's some cam locations that have plenty of light, even at night, so turning off the LEDs would help make the cam more stealth. As it is, this is just not possible with Tenvis.

> Performance

The wireless range doesn't appear to be as good with Tenvis compared to Foscam. However, adding a longer external antenna seemed to help the issue. I got this one: WIFI 10 dBi 2.4GHz Antenna and they work quite well. About 3.5x longer than the antenna that came with this Tenvis. Definitely worthwhile.

> Value

We got this Tenvis for about half the cost of the new Foscam FI8916W New Housing. At that price, we just couldn't pass up on adding another cam to our system. This cam is excellent for the money, but Foscam is better constructed, IMO. This one just feels a bit cheap by comparison. However, once it's mounted, none of that really matters, since it functions just fine.

> Not As Many PTZ Presets

Foscam has 8, Tenvis has 6. No stark difference, but certainly worth noting.

> Works With Blue Iris Software

We recently upgraded our software to Foscam Blue Iris Professional, and let me tell ya, it's fantastic. Puts Logitech to shame for sure. Blue Iris works with almost every webcam, USB cam, and IP cam on the market. Setting up this Tenvis on it was quick and seamless.

**Note** You can use EITHER Foscam or Tenvis settings for this cam. Both work. Just good to know, in case some unknown conflict arises.

> Picture Quality

The images from the cam look fantastic. Seems to be on par with Foscam in this dept. Nice, crystal clear images, and very detailed. Almost looks HD, even though it's the old standard of 640x480.

> Pan & Tilt

Tenvis isn't as smooth as Foscam with the pan and tilt movement. The motor works fine, but the images can be a bit jerky. This might be related to wireless range. Nothing terrible, but worth noting.

> Iffy Mounting Bracket

By far, Tenvis is inferior to Foscam in this dept. Their mount just feels cheap by comparison, and like it could easily break if you over-tighten your screws. Plus, the angle adjustment knobs just don't stay in place as nicely, or clamp down as tight as Foscam's mounting bracket. If you bump your Tenvis, or don't handle it gingerly, the bracket moves from where you've set it and you have to make readjustments.

> Loud PTZ Motor

If you're planning on recording audio from this Tenvis, be aware that the mic picks up the PTZ motor while it's moving. When the PTZ motor stops, you can hear audio just fine. But once that motor kicks in again, you won't hear much, other than that PTZ motor whirring quite loudly into the mic.

> Setup

You'll need some knowledge of IP addresses and basic routing, but nothing difficult. A few paragraphs of reading at most. Very easy to setup and get going. Mine was up and running within 15 minutes. Granted, it was another day or 2 of tinkering to refine everything exactly how I want it, but the initial setup took no time at all. I didn't even read the enclosed material; just jumped right in and got it all setup in a snap.

Bottom Line -This is a fantastic IP cam for the money, but the user interface isn't as user friendly as Foscam. If I need another budget cam, I'd definitely get another Tenvis. However, if there's a deal to be had on Foscam, I'd pick that one over Tenvis for sure. We're quite happy with our Tenvis, particularly at the price we got it for. Hands-down it kicks Logiteh's arse; very nice to finally be dumping WiLife. Happy! ;oD

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Monday, February 24, 2014

BenQ MX511 2700 Lumen XGA 3D Ready DLP Projector

BenQ MX511 2700 Lumen XGA 3D Ready DLP ProjectorBenQ MX511 is 3D ready but it does not support HD source for 3D. You can see 3D only using composite (yellow) or s-video cable (advised by BenQ tech support). To see HD 3D you need HDMI 1.4 input and this projector only support HDMI 1.3 input. I hooked up Sony 3D Blue ray player (BDPS470) with HDMI 1.3 to this projector and this combination was not able to project 3D image on screen. It automatically playback to 2D/1080p. Menu Option in BenQ for 3D setup also got disabled/turn off with this setup. I have checked with composite cable to see 3D with DLP link ready glass and 3D was horrible with no depth, seems like 2D.

I am really quite pleased with this projector. Wanted a projector to replace my very old NEC SVGA one with hdmi for xbox gaming and dvd/etc in the basement and i am now projecting about a 5ft high image on a white painted wall. Was looking extensively for months, comparing lamp life, native output, etc, etc, and waiting for something acceptable at the price point i wanted. Found this one for $449, which was well below what i expected to pay, but there is no comprimise.

DVD quality was excellent as well. I played a few games of Black Ops standing up, and found myself trying to look around corners and up over things. For the price and with 3d ability(which i cannot comment on yet), i could not be happier. Colors are really good with a # of preset and configurable settings via the small remote. Audio is obviously not going to knock your socks off, as i haven't run it through the amp yet, but it is still more than acceptable. Kicks my upstairs HD toshiba picture actually. Great deal and no real compromise for an excellent viewing experience for those not 'needing' it to be the absolute best there is out there.

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i purchased the mx511 about three months ago. i have to say it's awesome. hdmi works great. it's the only thing i have hooked up. i have it hooked up to my directv and ps3. i am running through a viewsonic vp3d1 adapter. i am using cheap 3d dlp link glasses made by futurecinema.. i am totally pleased. if you shop around, you can get this unit for around 450.00 and less if refurbished. i am not going to waste you time talking about the clarity of the picture. it's awesome. i have watched 3d through espn 3d, 3net, on directv and it looks great. i have also bought and watched tron:legacy, resident evil:afterlife, piranha, the green hornet, alice in wonderland, tangeled, cat and dogs 2. as i said before, they look great. regular blue rays play perfect. if there is one the to gripe about it's about my samsung ht5500 bluray surround. hdmi doesn't pick up thru it. i have heard that samsung has had the same problems with certain manufacturers. not a deal breaker.

Dec 9th 2011 update. samsung blu ray system works . had a bad 45 foot hdmi cable

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I have had this projector since January 2012, have put about 110 hours on it so far.

I am including the guide on how to run 3D from your computer onto this projector below. but first pros and cons.

I bought it for 350 from staples canada (toronto)

Pros:

Great picture quality

Great color reproduction

All the standard features + hdmi (at 350 HDMI is pretty good).

Cons:

Loud fan (according to my standards, others may think its alright)

very poor instructions in the 3D department from Benq, and thats where they lost the point.

How to run 3D on this projector.

1Buy the glasses. (I got "Sintron" 3D glasses from ebay for $31, they work very well)

2secure a VGA cable. (HDMI will not work, dont waste your time)

3download the "stereoscopic player" from 3dtv.at (dont buy it yet, just download free first try and see if 3d works for you)

4connect the projector via VGA and go to display properties -> advanced, set the resolution to the highest resolution possible at 120Hz. its important to set it at 120 HZ (may also work at 100HZ but 120 is better)

5Press the menu button on projector's remote, you will see that the 3D is now available, select 3D and turn it on.

6open your stereoscopic player and go to File -> settings -> playback options. in "Viewing method" pick "Software pageflipping" in "glasses control" pick "DLP 3D Ready Encoding". under Preferred viewing methods Stereoscopic pick "Software pageflipping".

7hit ok.

8now play your SBS movie and it should be throwing 3D on the wall.

P.S: if you didnt turn on your 3D glasses. smack your self :) .

I hope this helps

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Bought a factory refurbished MX511 about 2 weeks ago. It is very bright and works well even in a moderately lit room. I use it mostly for Xbox 360 and it looks great. I have it projecting a ~116" image and the quality is very good. Great projector with HDMI input. If the lamp lasts as long as advertised or even close this projector is a fantastic buy.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

JVC Everio GZMG77 2.0MP CCD 30GB HDD Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

JVC Everio GZMG77 2.0MP CCD 30GB HDD Camcorder with 10x Optical ZoomWell friends, if you have been searching for a bevy of great features, simplicity of use, great video and audio quality all in a micro-sized package, this unit may be the end of your search.

I had spent a great deal of time and effort comparing the various camcorders on the market before I made the move to the JVC Everio GZMG77 2.0MP CCD 30GB HDD Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom several weeks ago. I was looking for a full featured product that would travel well, provide long operational time, give me plenty of built in functionality yet one that didn't bust my budget.

This unit has proven itself worthy across the board. The "77" is so small that I find myself forgetting that I am carrying it around in the palm of my hand. When things happen that I want to capture I just flip open the view screen and within a few seconds the "auto on" feature has my camera in hot stand-by ready for action as it unfolds. The (30GB) hard drive has proven sufficient to record a wedding, HS graduation, two trips to the beach, a weekend to Disneyland and stuff around the house with over three hours to spare (all in the ultrafine mode)!

Downloading and producing DVD's is a snap and the quality is superb even on my DLPLCD 16:9 format Display at home.

If your considering this unit I have a couple of (must have) recommendations for maximum usability with minimum of fuss:

First off get additional batteries. The one hour is small and light weight and last me around 45-50 minutes. I purchased two additional batteries. One is rated at 3 hours and the other at 5 hours (a little large on size but great run time)! This gives me more then enough "pocket power".

The second recommendation would be to purchase one of the many stand alone battery charges on the market. I ordered a battery and charger package on Amazon (ESPOW Equivalent JVC BN-VF714, BN-VF714U Battery and AC/DC Charger Set. [ 1400mAh ] ) This charger allows you to charge a battery without having to use the Camcorder itself. This particular model even provides AC or DC charging options.

Bottom line... I am very pleased with the JVC "77" and believe you will be too.

Bought this for a trip to southern Africa. It is my first camcorder I was always turned off by the idea of lugging around tapes or blank DVDs. I have used ultrazoom digital cameras for all my other trips, so I am familiar with making manual adjustments for different situations.

I was amazed at 1) how easy the Everio was to learn and use, 2)how small and light it is, and 3) the large storage capacity of the HDD.

I had to set manual adjustments for lighting and exposure a lot of the time. The AUTO setting is best when it's bright sunlight and fairly even brightness of objects other times of the day, or when there are dark AND light objects in the field of view, you're better off using MANUAL. Video I shot at sunset and sunrise came out good with very little grain, but it is best if you use MANUAL setting and keep the camera stable.

The zoom control is pretty sensitive takes some getting used to being careful about how fast you zoom the lens.

Would have liked this model to have a light for night video rather than just a flash for still photos.

The battery recharged quickly and I bought a second one from a third party. The battery life is as advertised, which isn't bad considering the power it must take to run the big LCD display and the hard drive.

I think the video quality is excellent. Incorporated the video along with digital stills into a travel DVD we produced. The quality when displayed on my large LCD flat panel TV is great. (Remember though that this is NOT an HD camcorder.)

On my trip, I ran into a fellow who had the new Everio model with the 3CCD sensors. Our videos of the same scenes looked very similar in quality.

It's simple to edit the video files with the supplied Cyberlink software. Upgrade to the full version is reasonably priced compared to buying Adobe Premiere Elements.

Overall, I thought this was a good first camcorder purchase. I'll carry it along on other trips.

Buy JVC Everio GZMG77 2.0MP CCD 30GB HDD Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom Now

This unit has a very user friendly interface and is very easy to figure out for the average consumer. I work in the motion picture industry as a cameraman, so I do have a unique perspective. It does take a while to figure out the software and the the best way to download the video, but once you get it, it's as good as apple pie. The one downside is this unit's operating temperature. It gets very hot the longer it's powered. But that's the price you have to pay with a hard drive camcorder this small. Even with the state of the art Professional High Definition cameras in the motion picture industry, you still have over heating issues as well as power consumption issues. Eventually this will be solved, but for now, this is as good as it gets.

Read Best Reviews of JVC Everio GZMG77 2.0MP CCD 30GB HDD Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom Here

The zoom is incredible. The camera's multi shot works great. The colors recorded are perfect, the sound great. I can record up to 8 hours (depending on battery life)and combine still shots and video on one recording.

Totally awesome. The best camera/camcorder I have seen after weeks of detailed research.

If you want quality and a reasonable price, buy this one.

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P.S. If you are a Mac user and want to import these videos into iMovie i have found the perfect app. (note: i have no affiliation with them). I searched around for weeks and tried every app i could get a demo for and I have to share that VisualHub by techspansion is the best of the best. it was effortless to install and use. I didnt change any defaults and it converted the widescreen .mods perfectly into dv format which i then imported into imovie. the jvc included app Capty does not do this, it squashes the dv files and you are forced to use other means to get the aspect right.

visual hub is also universal binary and thus very fast on the mac...

the demo is free and i highly recommend it to mac users.

until iMovie can read .mod files i can live with this one extra step!

Enjoy your Everio!

CZR

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Apple Mini Display Port (DisplayPort) to HDMI Adapter w/ 6 feet Male to Male Hdmi Cable, and a Auxi

Apple Mini Display Port to HDMI Adapter w/ 6 feet Male to Male Hdmi Cable, and a Auxiliary 3.5mm to 3.5mm 3.2 feet cableThe adapter and HDMI cable work perfectly for my Macbook and Vizio TV. The items arrived quickly and I am completely satisfied with my purchase.

Works like a dream. Nice to connect the laptop up to the TV to view shows and movies since I don't have cable anymore

Buy Apple Mini Display Port (DisplayPort) to HDMI Adapter w/ 6 feet Male to Male Hdmi Cable, and a Auxi Now

Works just as directed. If your tv screen isn't reflecting your computer you have to change the output settings on your Mac. We looked on YouTube for a video.

Read Best Reviews of Apple Mini Display Port (DisplayPort) to HDMI Adapter w/ 6 feet Male to Male Hdmi Cable, and a Auxi Here

The HDMI cable is pretty shotty, but the adapter is worth the price alone. Save yourself some cash and go for it.

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Everything works great and the price is much cheaper than buying these cords in a store. It did take a few tries to get everything plugged into the right place on my TV.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Canon EOS D30 3MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)

Canon EOS D30 3MP Digital SLR CameraIf you want the ultimate in digital photography, the Canon D30 is the ticket as of December 2000 -especially if you already own Canon EOS lenses, because they're completely compatible. Canon won't call this a "Pro" camera, because it's not as weather-tight as pro models, but the body is rugged and the output is first-rate.

The D30 has enough features for professional photographers, yet a novice can get great looking pictures from the start. As you learn more about the camera and its capabilities, your images really start to shine.

Want to experiment with long-exposure photography? Go right ahead! Feedback is instant. No more waiting for processing. No more developing costs. Want to blow up your photo to 8x12 inches? No problem. With a little massaging via Adobe Photoshop (tm) and/or Genuine Fractals (tm), even poster-sized prints look great, using photo paper and a photo-quality inkjet printer. Software to get you going, including Photoshop LE, is included.

The D30 accepts IBM Microdrives (1 gigabite of storage in the camera!) as well as compact flash. The included 16 meg flash card is enough to test the camera, but you'll really want to get something bigger, right away. The D30 offers a variety of image compression options -including the Raw format, which allows the most flexibility and avoids jpeg artifacts. The wide variety of storage options means freedom to shoot at will and experiment. An included cable allows you to connect your camera to your computer's USB port and download images at will.

As I said, all Canon EOS lenses will work with the D30, but there is one difference to consider. Because the CMOS chip is smaller than a 35mm negative, the field of view is different. For example, a 100 mm lens on an EOS film camera works like a 160 mm lens on the D30. They call it a 1.6x multiplier effect, but what it means is that long-distance shooting is easier, and to get wide angle shots, you have to get a REALLY wide lens. For example, a 14mm aspherical wide angle results in a 22mm wide angle shot on the D30.

When the D30 was first released in the Fall of 2000, the demand was far beyond what Canon could produce... in the United States and around the World. As of this writing, the cameras are still in short supply, but well worth the effort and the investment. Kudos to Amazon for adding the D30 to their digital photography offerings.

All of the nice things you're hearing about this camera are true. If you already own a camera in the Canon EOS line and are ready to upgrade to digital, this is the path you want to take. It has all the features a sophisticated amateur wants, plus a healthy serving of "professional" features thrown in. And as others have said, all the lenses and most (not all) of the accessories you already have will work with the D30.

There are a few drawbacks, however... For one thing the autofocus relies on an incandescent lamp rather than the infrared found in nearly all other EOS models. This is a curious choice on Canon's part, it almost seems like they didn't throw in professional-quality autofocus for marketing reasons, since there's a true pro-level Canon digital SLR due out later this year.

Another drawback is that the included software, called ZoomBrowser EX, is not that great. It's designed to help you capture, download, and catalog your digital images, but it runs out of steam once your image library grows to a non-trivial size, and if you want to merge databases because you've done collection on another computer, the software more-or-less becomes unusable.

Also, you end up paying a lot more than $3000, even if you already have the lenses from your other Canon EOS camera. First comes the Compact Flash cards (you really need to get at least two of these so you always have a spare). Figure on getting at least two 128MB CF cards, if you really must have a microdrive that will cost you more. Plan on getting an extra battery too. Then there are the Canon accessories, like a better (infrared) autofocus lamp, an electronic timer for long exposures and intervalometer work (which the included remote-capture software does not do well), and you get the idea... you really have to budget $4000.

Having said all that, this camera really is a joy to use, and once you get used to the instant feedback, your shooting skills will improve, and you'll start getting compliments on how good you are. It really *is* that *good* of a camera. Just be warned that you are jumping into the deep end of digital photography if you get this camera. ... ;-).

Buy Canon EOS D30 3MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Now

Awesome Camera. If you are interested in the sharpest digital photos this is the camera for you. I recommend the Canon EOS D30 unequivocally; it is the best you can buy without breaking the bank. If you already own one of the Canon EOS' then your lenses will fit. The compact flash included is pretty skimpy and my Speedlite 430EZ didn't work. Picture quality is outstanding. Read some of the comparisons with the Nikon and you will see that the D30 beats it for about two grand less. I am totally enthusiastic about it. The instruction booklet is clear and easy to follow. You can use the new 340MB to 1 gig mini-drives to store a whole vacations worth of pictures. I recommend the Speedlite 550EX to expand your abilities.

Read Best Reviews of Canon EOS D30 3MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) Here

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We have tried many digital and analog camera and we are currently working with a total of 7 cameras and one of the most valuable is the D-30.

Our main digital photo cameras are Olympus E-10 and Canon D-30. Both are working well with MicroDrive 340 MB.

A little comparison of the two cameras :

The Canon D-30 camera is perfectly designed for photo reports, quick sequences, dynamic pictures and offers the possibility to change the lense. We use this camera specially outdoor and she delivers brilliant pictures. The way how to make pictures with the D-30 is very similar to analog photography.

Olympus E-10 has a higher resolution, perfect for more artistical oriented pictures, the chip and the lense are very sensible for light and you can shoot in dark conditions. The camera is working slowly and quick senquences or dynamic pictures are very diffcult to shoot. The feeling of making pictures with the E-10 is different from traditional analog photography and only experience will teach the photographer to make correct decisions, specially regarding dark light conditions and the usage of flash.

In other words, if you are searching for a camera that : will mainly be used outdoor should have changeable lenses (compatible with almost all Canon EF lenses) setting quickly the correct autofocus storing quickly the pictures displaying quickly the images in the control LCD monitor large battery and image storing capacities then the D-30 is exactly what you need.

Precautions : use only brand compact flash memories (we had problems with CompactFlash memories of different noname producers) MicroDrives should not exceed 340 MB (big MicroDrives become hot and the reliability of the camera is not insured) 1 battery pack should be enough for approximately 600 pictures. Think to buy enough battery packs.

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Wow! This camera makes photography fun! I am by no means a professional photographer, but I do take a lot of pictures and try my best to compose, light, and develop good shots. This camera makes it very easy to experiment with different types of conditions on the fly. The resolution is more than enough to get excellent digital images, and the electronics are top notch so far. My first SLR, a film-based Nikon, is a good performer, but messing with the film is painful, and unless you take really good notes, you cannot match the settings to the frame as easily as you can with this camera. The D30 makes learning the techniques so much easier and more satisfying.

A couple of drawbacks -the default settings for capture format is large JPEG, instead of the native RAW format. It is a simple task to set this, but I took a number of pictures before I figured out (upon download to my PC) that I wasn't using the RAW format. Also, I recommend at least adding a 128MB flash card. The 16MB card you get with the camera is not useful unless you live by your PC -it really is only good for a quick demo. I can get 93 images (large JPEG) on a 128MB card, which was enough for me to shoot a day's worth of shots and then delete the stuff I didn't want at the end of the day using the camera's editing features.

This camera is more than enough for a wannabe photographer, and makes "going digital" worthwhile because you get everything you need in one package -ease of use, SLR features (changeable lenses), and a good price in this category. This is a nice product.