Monday, September 29, 2014
Rain Cover For SONY CAMCORDER (PMW-EX1 HVR-V1 HVR-Z5U HXR-NX5U HDR-FX7 HVR-V1 HDR-FX1 HVR-V1U XH-G1
Friday, September 5, 2014
Lorex LW2003 LIVE snap Video Baby Monitor (White)
Since the video review is not very detailed, I want to add a few more comments. First, I absolutely recommend this monitor. I've listed some specific strengths and weaknesses below.
What I liked:
1. Good range. In my two story house I got decent coverage throughout. The signal was a little weak when I stretched it to its furthest possible range, but I never lost the picture.
2. On the small screen the picture is crisp, with good color. You will never have to wonder what you're seeing. Look carefully at the image on the video I took of the outdoors and you'll see a crisp blue autumn sky with colorful foliage.
3. I think the portability is a key feature. The monitor can be removed from its base and slipped into a pocket as you move around your house. Very nice!
4. You can add cameras, all of which show up on the monitor. You can then select which camera you want to "zoom" to on the screen. Hopefully you won't be monitoring four babies at once, but the capability is there.
What I would like to see improved:
1. Customer service! I always try to test this during a review, since it tends to be the "Achilles Heel" of modern commerce. I first let the customer service rep (Asian, but very understandable) know I was writing a review and had a specific problem I needed solved (see below). It became clear immediately that the rep was not familiar with the product. After about 20 minutes he admitted he could not solve my problem, but he promised I would receive a return call or email within a couple of hours. After ten days I have heard nothing. Unacceptable!
2. The monitor is promoted as a camera which can take snapshots of your baby, and the advertisements feature beautifully lit photos of babies. This is bogus. The camera has a whopping .3 megapixels. This is perfectly fine for the small monitor screen, but trying to use it as a camera to photograph your baby will result in a blurry, pixelated photo if you try to even print it 4x6. It puzzles me that Lorex even included a microSD card and adapter for you to transfer your pictures to a computer. You wouldn't really try to photograph your beautiful baby with a .3 MP camera, would you? Which brings me to another point . . .
3. The reason I called customer service was the image from the camera when I took a snapshot was not only rotated (easily fixed) but reversed. For instance, any printing would look backwards. I'm not sure if this is peculiar to the sample I received, but it's annoying to be sure. Yes you can fix this in a photo editor, but you shouldn't have to. I have no idea what's going on, and neither did customer service. The image is fine on the monitor screen, and the problem only shows up when you transfer a picture, which you are unlikely to do anyway given the poor resolution.
So let's sum up: I really like the Lorex Baby Monitor and I would definitely buy it. I take off one star for the failure of customer service to respond to my problem and the misleading pictures which imply the monitor can be used to take good quality pictures. If you purchase it with the idea that you are only monitoring your baby (pets, etc) and not capturing lifetime memories, you'll be very happy.We have owned this monitor for about 48 hours now and wanted to provide our first impressions quickly.
First, we have previously owned a Summer Infant video baby monitor with our first child two years ago. We were not happy with it. The sound wasn't great and the video eventually went out on it after about a year of use. With our second kid we decided to get another video baby monitor and looked for one that supported more than one camera. Let's just say that there isn't a high quality video baby monitor out there that I have found. I'll start with the pros.
Pros:
Video quality is as good as its peers. It won't wow you, but it serves its purpose. At night it has pretty good range and is more than adequate.
Little interference. We have cell phones, wi-fi, cordless phones, an audio baby monitor and many other wireless devices and we have not had any interference.
Range. Pretty good. We had the camera at the front of the house and were able to get a signal at the back. It was probably 35 feet away and had 4 5 walls in between.
Usability. The buttons are laid out well and intuitive. We like the form factor kind of like an old school candy-bar-style cell phone.
Two-way communication. It works when you can get the 'up' button to work (see cons).
Cons:
Build quality is subpar. The plastic is kind of cheap. The buttons are not responsive. The menu button and the up/talk button take multiple attempts to activate. It is as if the plastic buttons do not align properly. It can take 4-5 attempts to activate the menu at times. Very annoying. When scrolling through the menu the down button works perfectly but the up button works erratically. Often I just end up scrolling through the entire list using the down button. The other buttons, 1-4, left/right, power don't seem to have a problem so it may just be this particular unit. It makes me wonder if we will get a full year of use out of the monitor before it goes belly up, though.
VOX does not work. The monitor has a setting called VOX that only turns the monitor on after it detects a noise. It doesn't work on ours. We have power save off as the instructions indicate. We have put it in an empty room (i.e. quiet) and turned on the VOX to its lowest sensitivity (highest noise required to activate) and it just cycles on almost immediately after turning off. It just cycles on/off continuously. When setting it to its highest sensitivity we see no difference. We have turned VOX off and just use the power save feature (video turns off after a preset amount of time).
Audio. It is ok. Without VOX there is a constant light hum since the audio is always on. It doesn't get super loud either (not a big deal for us). No interference in the audio is a plus, though. The speaker is placed on the back of the unit. When you don't have the receiver in the cradle, the speaker can be muffled when you set it down. It will not stand up on end, so you either set the monitor down on the speaker or on the lcd screen.
Cradle. The cradle is a little annoying. The cradle has a male end of a mini-usb that the unit plugs into to charge. The slot the unit slides into on the cradle isn't really tight so it takes a little finesse to get the mini-usb to line up on the unit. Not a big deal but isn't as easy as we would like when checking out the monitor late at night.
The monitor is ok. Not great. I wish there was a high quality video monitor out there. I would definitely pay up for one instead of going through a new one every year.
Buy Lorex LW2003 LIVE snap Video Baby Monitor (White) Now
So far I like this baby video monitor.The video quality is great
Night vision works well
It works even with my WiFi 802.11g, 2.4 GHz cordless phone, 2.4 GHz wireless speakers and a microwave oven.
Battery life is good. I've had the receiver on for 5 hours and the battery indicator is down to 33%. This is with VOX and Power Save both off.
I dropped this 2x on our (hard) floor and it still works (phew).
I expecially like the 2-way communication. I don't use it a lot to talk to our baby. I found it to be useful when my wife is with our baby and needs to tell me something. Not only can I hear her through the handheld monitor but I could reply! It's like having a video walkie-talkie.
Uses a micro-USB (I think) connector for power. This is the same connector used by some electronics (like my old Garmin nuvi 350, my Logitech Harmony 550 remote, etc). If you want an extra charger in another room you could likely use one you already have that came with another product.
The camera has a rechargeable internal battery. I find this convenient when I want to temporarily move the camera (i.e., to keep an eye on our baby when in her swing) without fussing about power cords. I don't know how long the battery lasts as I only use it like this for a few tens of minutes.
Wish list:
Support multiple handheld receivers (so more than one parent can monitor the baby). I have not seen any digital video baby monitors support this.
It would be nice if the camera can be mounted on a tripod to make it more portable (i.e., bring it to my home office when bring the baby's bassinet there, etc).
I wish the handheld had a flip-out stand so I can prop it up while away from the charging base. This would be nice to have but not that critical for me.
What I don't like:
The plastic looks and feels cheap
The silver logo (not red and black as shown in product pictures) looks even cheaper -sort of like it was just spray painted on it (like an engineering project or a cheap Chinese knockoff... heck those even look better sometimes). I know this is less important than the technical features but still, appearance does matter. The monitor gives off a cheap vibe in my opinion.
Volume on the handheld monitor is kinda low
A crib mounting bracket would be nice to have. I considered mounting the camera on the wall but it was too far from our baby (and she does not typically face the wall!). Instead, I strapped it onto the crib myself but will have to move it once the child gets older and can reach it.
What I hate:
Sales and customer service is a joke! I have never seen live sales chat active and I've been checking for a month or longer. I sent an e-mail to customer support and nobody replied. I also left a voice mail for sales support and again no reply. [update 11/22/2011: Now tech support seems to be more responsive. I inquired about a replacement charging dock and received a prompt reply]
Recommended?
Sure! I still recommend the product but all bets are off if you need technical support.
Read Best Reviews of Lorex LW2003 LIVE snap Video Baby Monitor (White) Here
I felt that I had done the research and that I made a good choice. I should have known that with all wireless technologies there are weaknesses. This unit operates on the 2.4-2.6 Ghz band the same as all the wireless routers and phones in my neighborhood. Lorex also stated that going through walls would be different for each application, This was the case for me, I am in the next room and only have drywall and doors but the signal was weak. It was so bad that I would only have intermittent reception at best. The video was clear when it did work but the audio was choppy.My old fisher price monitor was clearer. When I called Lorex, all they had to offer was to move the camera around which made no difference. Since this is a safety monitoring device I had to opt to return it and to do more research on video monitors. I also noticed people mentioned in other reviews about the speaker being on the back. This is a problem when you set it down because you can only face it that way when out of the charging craddle.Want Lorex LW2003 LIVE snap Video Baby Monitor (White) Discount?
After our second daughter was born September 14th, 2010 we decided to purchase a video monitor. After several hours of reading reviews and researching online I decided to go with the Lorex LW2003. The primary factor in deciding to go with the LW2003 were the good reviews of its predecessor, and the many features the product description touted, primarily the distance it advertised from the base unit.Upon un-boxing it I felt as though I had made the correct choice. It appeared to be well built and the design just seemed better than our neighbors several year older Summer "night and day." The screen size was certainly much larger at 2.4 inches and the display unit was more like a cell phone than the larger unit of the Summer night and day. Upon turning it on I discovered that the underside of the glass covering the screen either had a piece of something in it or the screen had dead pixels. It was difficult to tell which, but I think it was probably something under the glass. I could have lived with the display issue and had planned on it. However what I could not deal with was that the advertised 450 ft of distance capped out at closer to 15 feet out our back door, approximately 30 feet from the unit. I realize that the 450 ft is labeled as (clear-line-of-sight) notwithstanding this my neighbor's much older, and much less expensive Summer "night and day" unit gets reception from several hundred feet away, across the street, through two houses and into our kitchen. Juxtaposing the performance of that unit with my newer Lorex2003 is very discouraging, particularly because the Lorex advertises a greater distance, and yet just a few feet beyond our back porch the monitor display reads, "searching for base unit." I can only assume that the wireless technology utilized for its "interference free digital signal" does not transmit nearly as strong of a signal.
If distance outside your house is not important this may be an ok unit for you. For my family with a new born and an active 3 year old who likes to play in the back yard it is not sufficient. For us it is nice to be able to step out of the house and have our monitor with us in case the baby wakes up while we are watching our older daughter play. This unit does not allow us to do that, while others, namely the Summer unit discussed above clearly does.
So I boxed it up today and I will be dropping it off at a UPS drop off tomorrow. I am thankful for Amazons return policy, but I won't be purchasing another Lorex. It looked like a good design, but when it comes to electronics function is always more important than form in my book. I will probably go with a Summer unit, or maybe the phillips unit.
DXG USA DXG-A85V HD DXG Pro Gear 1080p High-Definition Camcorder
The DXG-A85V to me was a "no name" that I was willing to take a gamble on for the price and cheap extra batteries (less than $10 each). I figured I'd record bowling before the Disney trip "just to be sure it worked ok". To my dismay the audio recording was so low I could bearly hear any bowling pins crashing out of the camcorder speakers. Even over my PC and TV the volume had to be cranked up to max to hear even below average bowling sounds. There are disclaimers in the owners manual and web site about its speakers being only 1 watt and its 15 feet recording distance. I think the main problem is the placement of a cell phone size microphone on the backside of the flip out LCD. I have since noticed that all the competition place their much larger microphones under the camcorder lens.
Customer Support was quick to answer my call and is located here in USA which is refreshing. However, none of that makes up for a poor Engineering design.
Just for the fun of it I tried recording at different resolutions and different sizes & manufacturers of SDHC cards, but same problem. Video flickered at high resolutions. I don't think it can write video & audio fast enough.
Consider it like a disposable camera due to other engineering limits already in it such as class 6 (how fast it writes data)with a maximum size of 16GB SDHC cards. (Class 10 32GB are now being sold).
I have since purchased a JVC which accepts a MINIMUM Class 4 speed and it accepts 32GB capacity SDHC cards.
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I am sorry to write a bad review, but this camcorder is disappointing in its 1080p video performance. It was packaged perfectly, and looks and feels like a high quality item, but the 1080p videos that it takes are just disappointing. That's why you buy a 1080p camcorder, to get good video images, right? Specifically, upon playback on my 40 inch HDTV 1080p screen, I noticed that the video images have streaks and flicker slightly, like the data off of the memory card is flawed. It was just not a stable, high quality 1080p video picture. I've taken about 100 hours of 1080p video with this camcorder, and I am sorry to say that I would not buy this one again. I do not recommend purchasing this camcorder try another brand.Read Best Reviews of DXG USA DXG-A85V HD DXG Pro Gear 1080p High-Definition Camcorder Here
Not the most impressive video cams. Can't shoot at full, or even half res without stutter. Lowest resolution barely passes for presentable. And yes, I'm using the recommended grade card(s). Tried shooting on a number of different rated cards but it had no noticeable effect/improvement. The playback was halting, and stuttering something fierce. Sound recording is horrible too. Overall, a VERY weak product... but what did I expect for "a bargain?"Don't waste the money. Save up for a real video camera. Wish I had.
Want DXG USA DXG-A85V HD DXG Pro Gear 1080p High-Definition Camcorder Discount?
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Canon XH-A1S 3CCD HDV High Definition Professional Camcorder with 20x HD Video Zoom Lens III
You can't rest the camera on your shoulder, but the image stabilizer helps and the grip and buttons are all well designed and easy to reach. I struggled through the manual, but fortunately bought Dan Curran's dvd about the xh-a1 which appears to be almost identical. This was a -hugehelp. I can't recommend it enough if you are at all unsure of what you're looking at. He goes through the simplest things (putting the shoulder strap on) to some very technical settings that you can do. The dvd saved me -so muchlearning time and also prevented some careless mistakes (like letting sunlight through the viewfinder).
This camera feels like a terrific tool that can do whatever you need and the picture quality--even on Auto--is beautiful. Having the two XLR terminals will make a big difference, too. The versatility and design really meets such a variety of needs--way too much machine/expense for "home video" (it's not the kind of camera people forget is pointing at them), but great if you want to shoot training films, web videos, independent films.
Technology has changed so much in the 20 years since I was in film school--and it's still hard for me to believe that such a great camera, capable of such a quality product, is available for under $4000.
Very impressed. Highly recommended.Canon XH-A1S 3CCD HDV High Definition Professional Camcorder with 20x HD Video Zoom Lens III
What can I say except this camera is the only one that offers everything you need in this price range. What really sets it apart is the two xlr inputs on the side allowing two microphones to capture sound, and it switchable between external and internal mics, or use both simultaneously. No other camera offers this. Get a lens filter kit and the wide angle and telephoto adapters and you're ready to create anything you can imagine.
I recently filmed a music festival using this camera for long shots, close-ups, cutaways, and static shots, everything looks amazing. A tip for the novice to high-def recordingkeeping the lens clean and checking it frequently is a must. The tiniest speck of dust looks huge on playback.
I've used it mostly on automatic setting so far as the the music festival was happening only days after receiving this camera but the little bit I've played around on manual setting promises unparalleled versatility, i'm very excited.
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This camera is not for the novice by any means because once you step out of the auto everything mode it can be quite complicated.Now that being said if it wasn't for all the manual settings and adjustments I would not want it anyway.
I have a Canon XLH1 and this camera makes the perfect workmate for it.
The picture quality is virtually the same so for a two camera shoot it's great.
Although it's about half of the weight of it's big brother the XLH1 it's still a little hard to hold steady since you can't rest it on your shoulder but the image stabilization is very helpful.
Also the auto focus is very fast and really comes in handy when you have to run and gun so to speak.
All in all this is a great camera with a awesome picture and I simply love it.I run and own one of Florida's most reputable paranormal teams "Team Phenomenon | Paranormal Bad Boys TV" and we need to high quality footage for our films. I looked at many other cameras but the XHA1s was by far the clearest in resolution. This camera is a snap to work with and the overall quality makes it worth the money. This is one of our main cameras we use for production of our films, videos and documentaries and if I could I would buy a second in a heart beat as backup. The camera battery life is exceptionally good and the features give your video that clear HD eye candy you want. This is the independent film makers top choice of cameras and I can get why, I simply call it an Orgasm in a box. because that is how you feel when you first get it in the mail.
My only two cons is that the front microphone head is kinda wobbly and it doesn't shoot to hard drive, Digitizing tapes can put extra stress on the heads. An hour long HDV tape equals to 12GB of hard drive storage so make sure you have an extra 1.5TB of external HD backup for your projects and never overwrite the original tapes. I buy my HDV tapes from Walmart which are 6 for $20 and work beautifully.
G.Mercado
Team Phenomenon Inc | Paranormal Bad Boys TV
This Canon cam has been a great investment to my company. It was easy to learn, fast to set up, and a pleasure to use; even when all the settings are on manual. All of the important controls are programmable hard buttons. Focus, Aperture, and zoom are all on the lens barrel for easy access. The picture is clear and the computer interface to the camera is a breeze. This is a real winner.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Hitachi DZ-GX20MA 2.1 MP DVD Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom
I wanted a DVD recorder as I was not happy with the results from my analogue tape camera. This Hitachi more than fills the bill. It is easy to use, has great accessories included in the box, even a first DVD disk. The manual covers everything with easy to understand pictures and text. I'm completely sold on the Hitachi.I purchased this camcorder to replace an old Sony. After 1 DVD-R recording, I have decided to return it. The low-light performance was the killer. I used it to tape our child's first Christmas in normal, indoor lighting and it is very dark, almost unwatchable. The set-up was quite easy, but what good is easy set up if it takes poor videos? I am opting for the Sony 403 model.
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Thursday, July 10, 2014
Canon EOS Rebel T1i 15.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD and EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS L
1. 15.1 megapixel sensor. Yes, the high megapixel count is impressive, but keep in mind that, as you approach higher resolutions, you need to ensure the lens on the SLR can resolve that much detail. Sadly, the included 18-55mm IS lens is functional, but the high resolution really shows the so-so quality of the lens. Even if taken at the proper focus, pictures can appear soft with this kit lens. Shots I have taken with Canon EF-S 17-85mm and EF 70-200mm L lenses are crisp. I don't have any gripes on image quality. There are some issues with noise on the higher ISOs that don't seem to show up on the Nikon digitals, but overall, the quality is amazing for the price. Skin tones, textures, colors are reproduced very accurately.
2. Digic 4. The Digic 4 processor appears to process/save the 15 megapixel images in the same time (if not faster) than the Digic III processor on the XSi (even in RAW+Jpg mode). I have also noticed that at higher ISOs, the sensor and the Digic 4 produce images with less overall noise compared with its predecessors.
3. LCD. The 920,000 pixel LCD screen is large (3"), crisp, vibrant and fully visible even in bright sunlight. In comparison, the Canon XSi SLR (which the T1i replaces), also has a 3" LCD, but with 230,000 pixels. The viewing angle is great as well and the LCD can easily be seen nearly 180 degrees around.
4. ISO 12800. Canon and Amazon are correctly identifying that the T1i maxes out at ISO 3200. Some less reputable dealers are listing an ISO 12800, which you should disregard. The ISO 6400 and 12800 settings are expanded ISO settings. The pictures taken on these two settings are ISO 3200 images pushed to ISO 6400 or 12800 by the Digic 4 chip before saving to the memory card. These pictures are extremely grainy and contain a lot of noise to the point of only being usable as for snapshots or adding an artistic effect to certain compositions.
5. Penta-mirror. That Canon is still using one in the T1i is disappointing. The penta-mirror viewfinder image is functional, but still noticeably darker than that of the penta-prism viewfinder in the Nikon D90 (which is the T1i's main competitor). I really would have preferred if Canon had kept the XSi's 12.2 megapixel sensor, forgone 1080p video altogether, and maybe upped the cost of the camera slightly to cover the production cost of using a penta-prism in the T1i. Honestly, unless you are massively cropping your images, or creating large photos, the difference between 12.2 and 15.1 megapixels really is negligible.
6. Size. This is the same body as the XSi, and therefore a bit on the smaller side compared to other digital SLRs. I have small hands, so the T1i is comfortable for me. If you have big hands, I can see this being a very difficult camera to use over an extended period of time. If you haven't handled a Canon XT, XTi or XSi, I would suggest you go to a store and hold the T1i yourself before purchasing it online. (I will upload a picture of the T1i in my hands to the user gallery for a size reference.)
7. HD Video. Yes, the Canon marketing department made a horrible marketing decision and pushed the T1i onto shelves limiting the 1080p recording to 20fps (frames per second). Recognize this as a marketing gimmick that allows them put a 1080p sticker on the camera box. The 1080p @ 20fps is fine most times, but seems a choppy if you have a lot of action in the frame or are panning quickly. The T1i's 720p video is recorded at 30fps and is clean, smooth, and sufficient for all but the most discerning consumers. One major criticism though is that the sound is recorded in mono, AND there is NO input for an external microphone.
A lot of pre-production reviews of the T1i criticize its inability to automatically autofocus while recording. I wouldn't put much weight in this criticism, mostly because neither of the other two SLR cameras with HD recording capabilities (Canon 5D Mark II and Nikon D90) can automatically autofocus while recording either. What you can do with the T1i is pan/zoom the lens and then press the AE lock (*) button to make the camera autofocus on the new subject (all while recording). A problem with using the AE lock button to have the camera autofocus is that the microphone for the camera is on the front upper left of the body near the lens mount. Therefore, the lens motor noise is picked up just as much as ambient sounds. Even with my quietest Canon USM (ultasonic motor) lenses, this lens motor sound is pretty loud in video playback. Although, remember, you can always manually turn the focusing ring on the lens to get your subject back into focus. It's not easy, but after a little practice, it's not all too hard, either.
Ultimately, you shouldn't let the HD recording limitations sway you one way or the other. This is an SLR camera -not a video camera. The HD video is a great feature, but if you're looking for something primarily to take video, look elsewhere. There are much better, cheaper VIDEO cameras out there which can record true 1080p.
8. Record button. For some reason, the record video button is next to the LCD screen (the same button used for direct printing). The first few times you take video, you'll intuitively find yourself using the shutter release button used to take pictures. The reason for this switch is that you can take a still picture while recording video, although, doing so will interrupt the recording.
9. Battery life. My first fully charged battery only lasted about 250 shots (no flash), but all charges since have given me in the range of 500-700 shots per charge. I'm guessing the first charge had such a short life because I spent quite a bit of time learning the camera, its menus, and settings.
10. Live View. I honestly can't review this as I haven't used it too much yet -I prefer using the viewfinder. One feature I can say is nice is that, on the LCD, you can digitally zoom in (up to 10x) on a section of your shot to ensure it is properly focused. This, and the fine focusing, can really help if you're into macro-photography.
11. HDMI cable. The T1i has an HDMI Type C output on the body to allow you to directly display pictures and video on an HDTV. A minor criticism is that the HDMI Type C cable is not included in the box. You have to buy it separately. It would have been nice if it were included, as it's not an expensive cable.
Conclusion. The T1i is a bit on the light end, yet the construction still feels solid. For the camera's price point, you'd be hard pressed to find any digital SLR out there which gives you all the capabilities and growth range of the Canon T1i. The camera is intuitive enough for those new to photography to pick and learn easily, yet configurable enough for advanced amateurs. If video is not a big deal for you, then get the Canon XSi. There is very little the T1i has (other than ISO 3200 and a sharper screen) that the XSi doesn't. Plus, with the release of the T1i, you can probably pick up a used XSi for a great price on eBay. My wife recently gave birth, and I'm not looking to record endless (never to be watched) tapes of video footage of our son, but I do want several minute clips of him as he grows through the years. I've always been more inclined towards photography, so this camera gives me a very versatile digital SLR that I need with the wonderful capability of recording HD video that I want.Here's a quick, first impressions (from hands on shooting) of the Rebel T1i. Although we'll need more scientific examinations to determine ultimate image quality and usability, I'll try to give a hint into the camera's potential.
I'll not go in to any real detail on the kit lens, which has been well reviewed. Let's just agree that $100 for a good quality IS (image stabalized) lens is a very reasonable value it you don't have another option. There are no obvious reasons this kit lens should make or break your choice of this camera over a competitor's.
Styling and build wise, the T1i is an XSi made over, which is not a bad thing. Some found that camera to be a bit on the small size for their hands, or a bit lacking in weight, but most like the size and weight (include me). It uses the same, proven battery and accessories of the XSi. I've already used some generic batteries that worked well in an XSi, with similar good results, but I do not want to lump all generics in the "good to go" category.
In using the camera, the first thing you'll notice over the previous Rebels in the marvelous LCD screen. Yep, the images look much cleaner even at the original size. Don't get confused if you compare this camera side-by-side and think it's images are all that much better. They just look much better on such a sharp LCD.
First looks at IQ (Image Quality) were very impressive. I tried using the camera in a variety of situtations (biased to how I would use it), and got very good results throughout. Focusing was typical for a better Rebel, and images looked good throughout the ISO range, based on reasonable expectations. I thought the Auto White Balance is a very good job compared to previous results I'd had with Canons in general. They weren't perfect, but the tungsten areas seemed to look better than average. All in all, I'd say Canon made reasonable progress with the jump to 15 meg, but probably no reason to trade-in your XSi.
Live View never has been one of my biggest thrills, but the sharp LCD makes it a bit more enjoyable. If I was still shooting macros, I would like it much more.
But the biggest advantage of the newer screen for some will be while shooting videos. I only did videos in the 1080p mode, and was impressed by the quality. Sound was OK, and I was a bit disappointed that Canon doesn't have an option audio input (ala the 5D mkII or camcorders with intellegent shoe). I'm also not sure how practical the videos will be, considering they aren't using a "direct to HiDef player" format like AVCHD or AVCHD Lite. Also, 20fps is a bit odd for 1080p, but their software does support frame grapping, which should give nice 4x6 prints (there's a bit more than 2meg per frame). The 720p is recorded in a more standard 30fps, which should also help with moving subjects. You can also shoot a full 15meg image while recording your videos. You videos are interrupted for about a second (you'll see a still image for that length in the video playback), but the high quality image will be recorded in its own file (no need to frame grab). BTW, autofocusing did work during this recording, but the noise was picked up by the mic.
OK, so I liked the camera, but how would I rate it compared to the competition. Well, compared to the XSi, it's better, but maybe not worth the money. The LCD is grand (that alone would get my money), and it's a no brainer if you need video or shoot lots of macros. But with resent price drops and combo deals from Canon, the XSi should still be strong based on value.
I've also had a bit of experience with the new Nikon D5000 (but even less so). Although initial pricing is about $50 higher on the T1i, I thought the Canon was clearly more interesting. I like the way Sony incorporated an articulated LCD, but hate it on the D5000. I was constantly setting the camera down with the LCD back being the first thing to touch. You might never break it, but you'll surely scratch the cosmetics. The D5000 doesn't have the motor built into the body, so there's a bit of a limitation to lens. However, the biggest drawback was that the D5000's built-in flash doesn't support their wireless flash system (with their new lineup, we'll have to move up to the D90). The D5000 really needs to be lined up against the XSi, not the T1i.
The 14mp Sony Alpha 350 might be a good value oriented competitor (when Sony offers bundles), but the IQ of the Canon's CMOS sensor is probably better in most moderate to low light conditions. I think you'll be seeing something soon to replace this model.
Thus, it's prime competitors should be Canon's own XSi, the D5000 (especially if they drop the price about $100 more), and for those with a bit more money, the Nikon D90.
The T1i carries on the tradition of Canon Rebels with a lot of "curbside appeal" matched with solid performance.**see update below, now give this camera a 4 star
**** Video Test memory consumption rates and max minutes per clip contained below.
I couldn't wait to my hands on the new Canon T1i. It was a stretch for my budget but had most of the 5d mkll features. I was excited. I pre-ordered a body (I already have 2 xti's and lenses) but the only the kits are/were available so I upgrade to get it before a SciFi convention I attended.
Higher iso and video, for the less than optimal lighting in the hall where the Celebs were speaking, attracted me.
I tested the video for memory consumption rate the day I got it, no problem for a 20 minute test run. I saw a little white bar on the right side of the screen appear get a little bigger, then disappear. I figured it was a buffer level. Next day at the convention during Jeri Ryan's appearance I took a few stills and flipped into the video mode, nice.... until it stopped after a few minutes. Set it back up, pushed record again a few minutes later stopped, no warning, no beep, just stopped. Try again, now I notice the buffer bar reaches the top, it stops. I am using a kingston 8 gig class 6 sdhc, freshly formatted by the camera. That sucks! I missed a lot of good video because this new marvelous camera can't write fast enough. This occured on 2 different but identical cards so I thought the camera was having problems. It was on the 720p mode, 1080 mode could only go 8 seconds.
****Update---I talked to Canon, to make a long story short, this camera is a bit finicky about which cards you put in it. Both kingston class 6 (fastest class) had problems, tried a kingston micro class 4 (slower) 4 gig and it worked fine, tried 2 Polaroid/pny 8 gig class 4's and they worked fine with only 1 buffer bar appearing occasionally, even on 1080. Canon guy seemed to like the sandisk brand. This begs the question of how can a class 4 work better than the class 6? I have a sandisk extreme III on order and will update this info if I have more problems with that.
My wrath now turns to Kingston, who service has been xlnt.
***update kingstonI returned a card to kingston, they sent a new one just as bad as the slow originals, which indicates ALL this type kingston are mot going to work in this camera for video.
******Another update, with a Sandisk 8 Gb Extreme lll card the video worked fine, no buffer bar at all. Perhaps there should be a recommended list of sdhc cards so others don't have the trouble I did.
That said, I was able to test the video as follows:
I have tested my T1i for memory usage in video mode, here are the results using a Sandisk 8 Gig Extreme III:
T1i Video Memory Usage Rates for a 1 minute file.
1080 mode 282 MB
720 mode 194 MB
480 mode 131MB
Following is for 5 minute file
1080 = 1,383 MB
720 = 988 MB
480 = 638
Any 1 clip can be 4GB max, so the following is an approximate max clip length
1080 about 14 minutes
720 about 20 minutes
480 about 30 minutes
These figures are approximate as the content of the video will affect the compression and amount of memory actually used but these are pretty close to an average time you should expect. I did a little rounding so these are probably the on the low side you may get a little more time, but not much, maybe a minute.
You can shoot as much video as the card will hold, just any 1 uninterrupted clip cannot be longer than 4 gig.
Shooting Video also eats the battery, buy extras, one Battery per every 8 gig card should be about right.
Bottom line-MAKE SURE you thoroughly test and 'season' the memory card BEFORE counting on getting complete videos. The first cards I tried did work on day 1 for 20 minutes but the buffer bar got to 3 or 4. Day 2 (the convention) was a different story, you read it above. DO NOT use KINGSTON CARDS.
Stills are pretty good but I noticed on blowing them up the noise almost looks like dusty distorted scratchy marks on the sensor, not just the colored freckles. My XTi is better, My Nikon d200 is better, my Nikon d40 is better in the noise department. I cranked up the iso to speed up my shutter and some of the shots looked like very dirty/dusty slides I have from the 70's. I guess you can choose between the noise or slow shutter speed with the movement blur, or both. See the customer images for a sample of the noise at 6400 iso.
****update on stills
Still shot Capacity on 8 gig card
Large + RAW =286
Just RAW = 359
Large = 1375
Medium = 2334
Small = 4175
* if you shoot any video mixed with the stills these numbers drop very fast.
Other review sites had a pre-release version of this camera and they had the same video problem, (they did not name the sdhc card they were using, but I'd bet it was a kingston). Unfortunately there were not any reviews of actual cameras when I ordered it, just press releases. Now you have been warned and now you have this review. When you lose the video as the couple says 'I do' or other critical moment, you'll curse too.
***I currently put a SanDisk 8 gb sdhc extreme III rated at 20 MB/Second, far and above the minimum class 6 rating of 6MB/sec, it seems to work flawlessly today, we'll see about tomorrow, but this showed no signs of the buffer bar on the side, looks promising!
***update SanDisk still working xlnt.
If you are going to do Video, and it important at all, I can only recommend the SanDisk 8 gb sdhc extreme III at this point. Just be warned that the video mode is very demanding and picky about the performance of the card, just the class rating is not to be counted on, as I found out the hard way. Some class 4's may work, even class 2's but that buffer bar will start showing up.
>>>>>>>> Be Safe Buy the Sandisk Extreme III.
>>>>>>>> Another user says Transcend 16GB Class 6 SDHC is performing well in video
>>>>>>used A-Data class 10 sdhc 8GB card with no problems
>>>>>>WARNING ---Centon Class 6 16GB SDHC crashed and as slow as Kingston DO NOT use CENTON cards, they do NOT comply with the speed rating.
>>>>>>Polaroid/pny 16GB Class 4 cards work OK as long as you do NOT take a still pic while videoing.
***Notes on Video File format generated by the t1i-
This camera saves the video in .MOV files, which is fine if you have an apple/mac, BUT if you run xp, you must convert this format file to something else (avi, mpeg,...etc)in order to make a dvd with the commonly found software. Canon DOES NOT provide any software to deal with .mov conversion or transferring to a dvd to be played by a dvd player. This makes life a lot more complicated. Sure you can search around, get a file converter, then import to a dvd maker, then burn a dvd. Why should I have to search for these utilities and go through all that? Why couldn't canon have just put a simple dvd transfer or mov converter program in the bundle? Or have I just not found it yet?
Canon, please remember, K.I.S.S. is a good principle.My Requirements for a DSLR were as below:
1. High Resolution LCD Screen.
2. Great/Easy to use User Interface.
3. HD Video 720 (30FPS) (1080 was optional for me).
4. Live View.
5. Amazing Image Quality.
6. Comprehensive Software Package.
7. Large Variety of Lens options.
8. Performance.
9. Obviously, Cost (
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
StarTech.com MXT101MMHQ30 30-Feet Coax High Resolution Monitor VGA Cable - HD15 M/M
Buy StarTech.com MXT101MMHQ30 30-Feet Coax High Resolution Monitor VGA Cable - HD15 M/M Now
I wanted a cable that ran from my computer to my HDTV, had great picture quality, and didn't want to pay for advertising(ex. MONSTER CABLE) .I was not disapointed. Very clear(and heavy) cable. It is very sturdy too. Contrast is awsome. Overall very nice cable for the price. I now use it to play games on my TV from my computer(and watch HDTV trailers)PS. even though it is 15ft long ...there is no ghosting or picture abnormalities.Based on other reviews I thought I would take a chance on this. It seems that there are different quality cables being sold under the same listing dependent upon who you buy from. Do not buy this from UCable because they are selling an extremely low quality cable. I immediately had severe ghosting when I hooked it up. I tried the cable with three monitors and it caused severe ghosting on all of them, I also checked the monitors with other cables and they all work great. When I tried contacting them for a refund for a defective product they told me that VGA cables are not for High Resolution displays like LCDs but only for CRTs (not true and contradicts the product description). Then they told me to write "Return to Sender" on the package to send it back, which wouldn't have worked since the package was already open.
Want StarTech.com MXT101MMHQ30 30-Feet Coax High Resolution Monitor VGA Cable - HD15 M/M Discount?
Stay away from this vendor, If you don't give him five stars you will get nasty emails from him! This man went so far as to go to Amazon and have my "Fair" review REMOVED! He's Dirty Pool, Im waring you! The product is inferior, you do not get what is in the picture either.Wednesday, March 12, 2014
JVC GR-SXM930U Super VHS Palm Sized Camcorder with LCD Monitor
If I were to mention a complaint, it would be that sometimes it seems as though it is half empty, but the owner's manual says that when in doubt, do nothing. Yes, nothing, at least until you can be reasonably sure that it is half-full. The owner's manual also suggest that calibration may be more easily achieved by soliciting the aid of a good friend, but not if you have the auto-dialer model, and your friend uses bi-focals.
I'll spend my last dollar and go into debt to buy something, anything. I need to feel like I deserve to buy this, but I've no more room in the closet and dialing for dollars is on the speakerphone. So, try one or two before everyone does. I hate being the last one to catch on to a trend that's why I don't by things on sale. I usually go to overpriced.com. I need more status, but my Visa needs to be paid. Don't tell me that I don't need no stinking Visa, our president said the good Americans spend money on luxury junk that's sold by corporations and made in sweatshops. Naftarific, Naftaexpeolidocious, Nafta-Roni, and when my job goes overseas, then I'm going with it, because I need to go in debt, then sit at my computer and write about all the neat stuff I bought for the closets and garage.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Nikon Coolpix S6000 14 MP Digital Camera with 7x Optical Vibration Reduction (VR) Zoom and 2.7-Inch
My only disappointment is that there isn't a "Sports" setting anymore, which was something I used a lot on my older models. However, the camera takes such fast pictures that it hasn't really become a problem as of yet.
Battery life is good... haven't taken the time to see how many pictures it has per charge, but it's held up through at least 200 pictures at a graduation I went to recently without any battery indications.
The charger is different than previous the Nikon Coolpix cameras I've owned, as it plugs directly into the camera as opposed to having to remove the battery. I'm not sure whether I like this, because the AC OUT cover is kind of stubborn to come out. Again, it's nothing that's become a problem.
The HD movie is pretty cool. I haven't recording much with it, but the quality on it is wonderful. The record button is on the back of the camera, by the menu, which makes it extremely easy to switch from camera to movie. No setting change! This is definitely one of my favorite features, and is perfect if you like to take both stills and video!
The zoom is great, and takes crisp shots from a good distance!
The smart portrait feature is fun, but probably not something I'll really use. It's a good replacement if you don't want to use the self-timer, but again, it's kind of a pointless feature. Still interesting, though.
I haven't played with the Subject Tracker yet, to be honest. I'll add more to this once I get a chance to mess around with it for a little while.
Overall, it's a great camera! Not too heavy, though certainly a little bulkier and heavier than my previous Coolpix camera. Hope this helped!
***EDIT 7/24/10
Okay, after playing with the HD movie, I must say that it's pretty great if you don't mind that it plays on quicktime. The quality is amazing... hard to imagine a digital camera could make video this clear! The Quicktime thing is fairly annoying, and makes editing stuff in Movie Maker a pain, since you have to use a media converter to change the format.
I did find out the sports feature does still exist, though not in the same place it has been on my previous Nikon Coolpix cameras. You have to use the menu settings and go under continuous Sports. A little inconvenient, but I was happy to find it is still on the camera!
The battery life is amazing. I took around 900 pictures in one night, as well as 15 minutes of movie and it is still not in need of a charge! With as many pictures as I take, battery life is a BIG thing for me!
Overall, I still think it's a wonderful camera and still recommend it after a few months of constant use. Nikon never disappoints!This camera rocks! The pictures are so crystal clear that it is like looking at them in person! I also like the 7x optical zoom, which you are able to use during video recording. It has easy buttons to operate and there are tons of options to play with and very user friendly. It also takes close-up pictures up to 3mm that are NOT blurry! It has lots of options to have automatically set and very easy to switch to when chanigng scenery or from portrait to landscape. It also has the option of choosing one of your own pics as a screen saver every time you turn on the camera. I like that I can change colors of photos (i.e. black & white, sepia) with the press of a button or use the "vivid color" option. It has a great stabilizer and facial recognition software to remove red eye, tell you when someone has blinked in a pic or can soften skin in a photo. I also have a Fuji Finepix SLR camera, but wanted a smaller point and shoot camera for my honeymoon to Alaska this summmer and I am psyched to use this one!Sorry, but this'll be brief. I decided to try a Nikon after many, many years of Canon usage (still have several). This Nikon S6000 seemed like a lot of bang for the buck. My impressions so far:
Pro's: Great pics, small size, easy to use, great macro, automatic scene selection, good focal length
Con's: Power button too small, takes WAY too long to zoom after turning on, zoom is in large jerky steps so it's hard to find that "right" framing, poor battery/SD cover design have to latch the door all the time (not spring loaded), flash use not always predictable in certain light.
Would I buy it again? Probably not...YMMVI bought this camera before my 2 week trip to Italy. My previous camera was a 2002 Nikon Coolpix 3500 which I liked but was outdated. This camera is a big improvement. And I used the video feature while on a boat along the Cinque Terre coast! It did a great job and I have a nice memory of that beautiful coast line.
The only thing I don't like is that it makes you charge the battery inside of the camera. But I only had to recharge the camera twice in 2 weeks and took almost 400 pictures and videos. So very happy with the battery power.
This camera is much lighter than my old camera and I love that. Very easy to handle and learn how to use; menus are intuitive. New features for me that I really like is the panorama shots and the auto selector. Didn't have these on the 3500.
Overall I love this camera but then I'm not looking for SLR quality. My main use is for travel photos.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Wansview NCZ-550W UPNP IP Camera H.264/Wireless/IR-CUT/Pan/Tilt/Night Vision
Saturday, November 2, 2013
GTMax 15FT Micro-HDMI to HDMI Cable (Red / Black) for Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX (HD/ HD XT926), DROI
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
NEC NP-V300W - DLP projector - 3D Ready - 3000 ANSI lumens - WXGA (1280 x 800) - widescreen - High
I tried an Acer 5360 before this projector and this projector blows the Acer's 3D & 120hz 2D away. Colors are excellent in 3D, motion is super smooth and there is ZERO crosstalk. Plus, this projectors extra 80 vertical pixels over 720p makes a noticeable positive impact on image quality as well.
CONS
-There is some minor rainbow effect when you shift your eyes really fast but its not a deal breaker and nowhere near as bad as the Acer 5360s rainbowing.
-This projector's zoom ratio is a joke and like most DLPs there is no lens shift so you are very limited if you plan on mounting it.
-This projector is about twice the size of the Acer 5360, but thats not a bad thing as this monitor feels like quality while the Acer was a total toy.
CONCLUSION
If you like 3D gaming and have a 3Dvision capable gaming rig, then this projector is a keeper!
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Pro-Techgroup 6 ft VGA SVGA UXGA Monitor Projector w/Audio 3.5mm Cable - Coaxial (RGB type) to supp
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Panasonic HC-X920 3D Ready HD 3MOS Digital Camcorder with Wi-fi (black)
Pros:
The WiFi features are pretty cool wirelessly stream videos to your HDTV/internet
(Note: Make sure your TV/DLNA device can play AVCHD 60fps files, for instance my Samsung TV can't)
Class leading image quality just got better with improvements in low light noise / image quality
Simply the best image stabilisation in this price bracket, the new level shot is sometimes useful but flawed (I currently don't use the level shot feature anymore due to the distortion when panning the camera)
Cons:
White balance takes a long time to stabilise expect washed out colors unless properly calibrated
(Check out this youtube video : youtube .com / watch?v=fa03lvcx4Ao (without spaces)
WiFi features take long time to initialise rendering it a hardly used feature in the device
Sometimes distortion can be noticed due to level shot stabilisation feature
Image quality not a lot better than previous models, Panasonic has put its focus on other areas like WiFi/Connectivity
The menu system is not easy to get used to, needs work/usability improvment around manual controls.
3D Recording is still a gimmick, don't bother about the 3D conversion lens no innovation here
Doesn't have NFC like other camcorders in the series although not a deal breaker
WiFi will drain battery very fast Battery life could be better
No internal memory although SD cards are quite cheap these days, having internal memory is very convenient and battery efficient.
Not many manual controls compared to Canon G10/G20
After extended use, the camera can get very hot in certain cases it makes the fan audible in video
Bottom line: A great camera for its price, however not free from flaws. Also at this price, internal memory should be included.
This camera has the best sharpness/detail among the prosumer camcorders.
WiFi adds a lot of convenience, however I personally would have preferred better color accuracy instead.
Also: Check out the review in camcorderinfo .com before you buy.I originally purchased the Panasonic 720, but needed the headphone jack, which is absolutely essential if sound is critical (there was an error in Panasonic's 720 information stating it had a headphone jack). The 920 is a great camera with true color reproduction, easy to use menu structure, and WiFi for streaming through Ustream is outstanding. The view finder is absolutely necessary when in bright sunlight. Great camera.
Buy Panasonic HC-X920 3D Ready HD 3MOS Digital Camcorder with Wi-fi (black) Now
Had The x 900-Low light to grainy,the 920 is clearer and I Think the steady shot is better.the fan is more silent-no Improvement onboard speaker, but the killer is no remote control is included-and I believe the app for the cam does not show data code or shut off camm like the 900 did -no where in description did this get mention -like whats in box-so had to return. still images good .liked the cam but they took away easy neccesties. even the cannon g 30 ,gives you a lousy remote.Read Best Reviews of Panasonic HC-X920 3D Ready HD 3MOS Digital Camcorder with Wi-fi (black) Here
I loved my old Panasonic 3 ccd DV camcorder but it was time to enter the HD era.Panasonic is the only manufacturer I know that offers the 3 light sensor option, that professionals prefer, while offering it at consumer pricing. This new investment did not disappoint. Its an excellent camera with the manual controls I need to frame the right shot.
I read some reviews about fan noise in earlier models, but I haven't noticed any noise problem in this model.
the movies are crisp and the colors are vibrant. The microphone, like my old model, has excellent range. I've never had to used an external mic on these cameras, but it's comforting to know they are equipped to use one.
This camera has the new wifi feature for external control. Since this is version 1, I'll give them a break. Someone needs to go back to the drawing board for the Droid interface. I was at least hoping I could use my phone to act as a remote control, since there is no remote unit that comes with this camera. Alas, the only thing Panasonic wanted the phone to do was to record (or take pictures) remotely.
A minus grade for the camera.
D plus for the wifi interface
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I bought this camera for vacation/recreation videos of my familyit came on time and had no problems whatsoever
the image quality is magnificent and the low light performance was impressive. the monitor screen is large and of high quality.
It is certainly bigger than the little sony cameras and there is no way to shove it in your pocket, you really need a little camera bag. I was concerned about having a card as opposed to internal memory, however writing to the card during long clips was seamless and fast and it eliminates the problem of internal memory dysfunction making the camera useless. There is no lens cap, there is a little motorized plastic shield that slides in and out when the camera powers up (this is really fast). I thought battery performance was really very acceptable. I never ran out of charge during normal usage on vacation.
I edited the movies in final cut pro X and was very happy with the result.
if you don't mind the slightly larger foot print, a great little camera for the price
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Fancierstudio 7" inch Articulating Magic Arm for mounting HDMI Monitor LED lights Camera Flash Brac
definitely recommend anyone looking for something like this.

