Showing posts with label remote video monitoring system. Show all posts
Showing posts with label remote video monitoring system. Show all posts

Friday, September 12, 2014

Lowepro S&F Audio Utility Bag 100 for Photographers

Lowepro S&F Audio Utility Bag 100 for PhotographersThis turned out to be perfect for field recording with the Zoom H4n. I am taking audio production in college and have a ton of stuff to carry around when field recording. I use the bags in a carpenters format, zipped together on a belt and hanging in the front like a carpenter would where a tool belt /bag. The bags can also be unzipped from each other so you can have one with studio cables etc... and the other for field work with a super cardioid shotgun mike. The shotgun pocket on the side is pretty cool but haven't needed it for that yet. Bags are really well made, super nice ring pulls on each zipper, straps well made and can be removed to use the bags on my ThinkTank photo belt!

A bit on the pricy side but very well worth it Definitely recommend this setup to other audiophiles!

simple, functional, really good quality and easy to access. You can use them for cameras, lenses and flesh lights and small camcorders...

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Very Happy with the Design and material quality comes with a strap that can be used as a belt or shoulder strap would this wrap around a larger type person maybe maybe not but there is an extension available for the larger type person sippers and clips rear strap to utilize it with the lOWEPRO TECHNICAL BELT it also has side pockets for neccessary additions the bags also have an interior bag for cables or other necessary tools nice addition has external rain cover the cover is built in so no loss ideal for climate or other uses one important thing cable exit holes are in the right places lowepro got it right

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The bag arrived today. I was impressed by the overall layout of the bag with its compartments, external headphone hook, and attachment rings, however the zip-together feature of this bag was the instant deal breaker for me. After looking the bag over (hadn't even pulled the tags off yet) I decided to zip them apart. The first time I attempted to seperate the two bags, the small metal bottom tang of the zipper came right off of the fabric! This is the part that's crimped around the fabric, that you fit into the bottom just before you zip it. As you probably know, there's not a lot to be done once that happens, except to replace the whole zipper, which was impossible without ripping the side seams out of both bags. Attempting to reattach the tang would have only worked a short time, and would have come off again. It's not like I was rough with it either, so it was an accident waiting to happen. Another thing I noticed was the belt loop tabs seemed like they were cheap nylon covered flexible plastic that velcroed at the bottom of the bag with an overflap. This would be very clunky to attach to my belt and remove while wearing it, and I certainly would not trust expensive gear to its security without also using the shoulder strap. Overall, the outer ergonomics of the bag really failed me, not only in quality and comfort, but also in execution. I suppose if you didn't use that breakaway feature much it would be ok, but why not just get either a single large bag, or a harness/belt multibag system. This bag tries to answer both but accomplishes neither, owing to the way it goes together. I think I would have used quality snaps or clips and sewn nylon tabs for both the interconnect and the belt attachment.

Back to the zippers. I suppose early failure may have been a fluke, but the other zippers on the bag were not smooth operating, either, unlike say a YKK or Talon, etc. You had to hold the outside of the bag, prying back the zipper's overflap, to make the zipper open and shut without it hanging up. And if you have audio meters or record light that you want to keep an eye on during a shoot, simply leaving the zipper open will not give you a good view inside, unless you hold or prop the bag open. A zipped flap top would work much better, like on a bike bag. Say, that gives me an idea...

My takeaway impression the poor quality of the zippers in general, and the use of a zipper for separating the bags specifically, is the achilles heel of the entire design. I certainly would have used Velcro or external snaps with d rings for bag interconnects, as they are a major stress point. Mind you, I was not wearing the bag, nor were they filled with gear when this happened. Shame on Lowepro. You can do better. I am giving this three stars overall, as most of the rest of the bag seemed fairly well thought out, and the zipper problem may be a fluke, but I don't think so.

Not to rail on the subject, but poor quality control in manufacture is an unfortunate outcome of outsourcing and working to a price point, and you really DO get what you pay for. I will likely just pony up and buy something serious for my audio gear, like a Petrol or Portabrace bag. Ten years from now, my audio bag will be barely broken in, and the others will all be long forgotten.

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Monday, July 21, 2014

Larger 2.8" LCD Door Peephole Viewer Camera and Monitor

Larger 2.8' LCD Door Peephole Viewer Camera and MonitorI got this unit from my brother for Christmas and I just love it'

My Mom and my kids can now see who is at the door before they open the door to strangers

It has a very clear picture and look like it belongs on my door . Very good looking inside the door and from the outside you cant tell its a camera. Looks like a regular peephole.

I installed it myself in less then 10 min.

I was curious and checked out other similar units on amazon like this and found none of them looked as good as the one I got. I dont know how well other door viewers work but I can say this unit looks and works great.

I would recomend it.

I put Duracell batteries when I got. It's been almost 2 months now and it works great. I haven't replaced the batteris yet.

Visitors are well visible in the screen. The unit is installed indoors.

Something that is not mentioned in the product description is that the shaft of the viewer lens that connects to the device is adjustable and will accomodate thick doors (it's a screwable part). They even provide 2 adjustable shafts 2 thumbs up!

My 2 negative notes are:

The instruction sheet is all pictograms and does not give certain key details such as the drill bit size to use for drilling the whole in the door.

The battery compartment cover looksflimsy. You can actually see it bend because of the underlying batteries pushing against it. If this cover breaks I don't think it will be possible to operate the device.

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I live in a condo in a busy area. I installed this LCD digital camera peephole replacing a regular peephole. The picture on the 2.8 inch screen is much clearer and easier to view than the tiny fisheye view that it replaces. I have an outside lighted entry way to my condo door. The screen adapts from bright daylight to dim nighttime light. The picture is clear both day and night. The camera is actually inside the peephole. Other products available has the camera mounted inside the door, facing into the peephole, rather than inside the peephole. The cover for the batteries is located on top side of the indoor device so that the batteries can be changed without removing the device from the door. According to directions, the device will give an onscreen warning when the batteries need replacement.

My original 1/2 inch hole had to be made a little larger to fit the new peephole. I used a uni-bit to shave the hole a fraction larger. I mounted the outside camera peephole part first, and adjusted the peephole camera until the picture was level with horizon. I then completed mounting the inside monitor to the door. The entire project took me about 1/2 hour because I knew ahead of time that I needed to shave the hole a little larger. I was prepared with the drill and uni-bit.

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Just moved into a new house and the peephole was so blurry you couldn't see anything, I took it apart and it's just the crappiest little plastic bits so I tossed it in the trash and ordered this. Very happy with it. Easy to install and you can actually see detail, not just some big shadow at the door.

One note on the install, if you are replacing an existing part like I did you will probably need to drill out the hole to a bigger size. Not a problem except the size needed is slightly larger than 1/2 inch (0.55) and most drill sets and stores don't have bigger than 1/2 bits. I ended up buying a unibit which worked fine as the door was hollow and I just needed to drill the wood on both sides.

I like the fact the batteries can be changed without removing the unit from the door. Also the silver "V" metal part in the box a tool for tighting the nut that screws onto the lense. Instructions are ok but it still took me awhile to figure out what it was for since there isn't a picture of it anywhere.

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Installs easily and viewing screen shows wider angle. The problem I have is on a covered (enclosed) porch, the face is not as clearly shown due to the back lighting effect. I'm going to install a motion sensor light above the door to see if this solves the problem. I don't know if the motion sensor will work on the covered porch in daylight even though it is darker than the outside background.

UPDATE: I ordered a Mr. Beams Model MB371 motion sensor LED light. It comes with a remote control for operating the light manually. I mounted it above the door so it shines down on anyone standing in front of the door and at night it illuminates the face for easy recognition. The instructions say it only works in complete darkness, but I found a FAQ on their website that says they will either modify when you order to remove the ambient light sensor or they will email the instruction on how to do it yourself. It is very easy to do, and solved my problem. The additional remote control allows you to turn the light on in case you don't make it to the door in the 30 seconds before the light turns off automatically and there has been no movement to keep it on.

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Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Paanasonic MW-20 iPhone / iPod Audio System with 9" Digital Photo Frame

Paanasonic MW-20 iPhone / iPod Audio System with 9' Digital Photo FrameCompared with some other similar models, this photo frame has significantly better image quality. The resolution is excellent. It comes with an Apple dock. Plays videos and music from iPod/iPhone. I had a Sony photo frame that gave me numerous problems like image freezing (I had to turn it off and then on again), clock not working, could not retain radio tuner presets. This Panasonic photo frame doesn't have any of these problems (but it also doesn't have a radio tuner). I've had this unit for about six months. I was disappointed that it did not come with dock adaptors for iPod/iPhone (they have to be purchased separately). It also does not have a buzzer alarm but uses the connected iPod/iPhone as an alarm to play music (not video).

Friday, June 20, 2014

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom LensMany people have stated the facts about this lens. Instead of restating them, let me add what I use it for:

For nature photography, this is the only lens I need. Just put something pretty in the foreground (flowers, rocks, etc.) and let the lens magically stretch out the horizon to add drama and flair to the shot. Makes beaches MAGICAL... Makes forests imposing. Adds desolation to the desert.

And from a business perspective:

As a wedding shooter, I use it to stretch out small/boring churches and make them more dramatic. It is also great to use from above for dancefloor shots and really makes the shots DYNAMIC and interesting.

And finally:

If you are deciding between this and the 17-40, let me save you some time... there is a huge difference between 16mm and 17mm. Don't waste time buying the 17 and then selling it at a loss to upgrade like I did.

If you're going to go wide.. go wide baby. ;)

I have owned both this and the original version. The new lens is better in the corners and flares less but the corners are still a little soft at f2.8 and you can get the lens to flare a little if you try. I haven't seen the loss of clarity above 20mm that others reported. Perhaps you would see a slight difference in eyelashes if you did a lot of portraits but this is probably not the best choice for a portrait lens. It is a somewhat better lens for shooting landscapes and other shots where edge to edge clarity is important.

But the differences between the two versions are minor and in some instances irrelevant. If you don't shoot a full frame camera the soft edges don't appear in the photo. And flare is a minimal issue at most. It rarely appears and is easy to fix in Photoshop if it does. I would opt for the original if I didn't shoot full frame based on the price difference alone.

My only problem with the original was when I had to shoot hand held. Sometimes you can't bring a tripod along which rules out shooting at f16 or 22 so I occasionally ended up with shots that were soft in some of the edges. The new lens will solve that. That is the only reason I decided to upgrade.

I haven't used many other lenses in the same range so I can't compare quality with other makers but I'm not aware of anything reputed to be better. I have Canon primes as well as other Canon zooms and in actual use all are generally close in quality. I use the primes if possible when I plan to crop or enlarge a lot but I could still get by nicely with the zooms.

So, if you shoot less than full frame or if price is an issue, get the original. If you shoot full frame but need maximum clarity in the center (portraits for example), test both versions first. If you shoot full frame and need maximum edge to edge clarity, go with the new lens.

Update: Having shot this lens for a long period I would discount the comments about problems above 20mm. I owned the first version as well and I don't see a difference in the 20mm to 35mm range. On the contrary, I am increasingly impressed with the image quality and sharpness of this lens throughout the range. I recently used it into a very narrow slot canyon where I couldn't take more than the camera and the lens attached to it and took shots from 16mm up to 35mm that all came out very sharp and rich. Granted I wasn't shooting wide open because I needed lots of depth of field but the point is the lens delivered the best shots of that trip. In terms of versatility, this lens is unmatched for wide angle use by Canon owners. I also have the 14mm f2.8 II, 17mm f4. TS/E and 15mm fisheye for comparison. This is the one wide angle lens I always take along.

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I've read some pretty critical reviews of this lens; from my perspective some of these could be due to an occasional bad copy, but others are likely due to the owner expecting way too much from a UWA zoom lens. Most complaints center on lack of corner sharpness and/or light fall off/vignetting at the wide end and wide apertures. I've owned and extensively tested 4 high end UWA Zooms to date now; the Canon 16-35 f2.8 L II, the 17-40 f4 L, the EF-s 10-22, and the Nikon 14-24 2.8 ED (the accepted gold standard for UWA Zooms), and can tell you that the Nikon is the only one that can reasonably (but not perfectly) hold the corners at the extreme wide ends of FL and aperture. Not surprisingly however the Nikon is yet another $400-$500 more expensive than the 16-35II (even more when you factor in the adapter to shoot on a Canon). In real world shooting at f/8 to f/16 however, I can confidently state that you are not going to see any meaningful difference between the 4 lenses without resorting to some serious pixel peeping gymnastics, and even then I'll gladly take bets that most couldn't tell the unlabeled photos apart. So confident in fact that I finally traded in my revered Nikon for an excellent copy of the 16-35II.

Yes, this lens exhibits some corner softness and light fall off at the wide end and/or at f2.8, however this starts to clear up nicely even as low as f/4 and is gone by f/8. By comparison, if you really want an eye opener, look at the vignetting on the 17-40 wide open (f/4) two thirds of the image is dark with only a small central spot unaffected (incidentally, those that post that the 17-40 suffers no corner vignetting are probably shooting JPEG and not examining the RAW image). Contrast this to the 16-35 wide open at f/2.8 where only the extreme edges and corners are dark. Same with corner softness, it does exist at f/2.8 but clears up nicely by f/8. In all cases, if you shoot this lens at the same settings as the 17-40, it outperforms its smaller cousin in all aspects (and the 17-40 an excellent lens in its own right). The 16-35 is more than just a 17-40 that goes to f/2.8, it is a significant improvement at all apertures and focal lengths.

I did some extensive testing with filters and found, contrary to claims in other reviews, no detectible difference in vignetting between a slim or regular UV filter at the 16mm wide end. Maybe there is a slight difference that some purists can see, but for the life of me I can't tell the difference, so I use a regular thickness filter for the convenience of being able to use the normal dust cap. The 82mm filter size is also often cited as a point of criticism. Yes, 82mm filters are larger and more expensive, but that's the price you pay for a lens with these specifications. At least this lens will accept filters, try that with the Nikon. Finally, I've also heard criticism that this lens starts to go soft above 24mm, but I personally haven't seen any evidence of this either. Maybe those are bad copy issues again? But mine is perfectly sharp (stunningly sharp in the center) throughout the entire range.

In short, if you absolutely must have a UWA Zoom that has razor sharp corners at f/2.8, you're going to need to go to other extreme measures such as the Nikon 14-24 or maybe a Zeiss, but then you've got all of the manual focus/exposure issues to deal with. In most real world applications at f/8 to f/16, this lens easily holds it's own against the Nikon 14-24 and definitely edges out the 17-40. In my experience, if I am shooting at f/2.8, I'm likely trying to blur the background anyway, so why would I care if the corners are soft? And if shooting in low light I can't notice the vignetting in the corners either. In any case, it's easily corrected in DPP anyway.

Read Best Reviews of Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens Here

Allow me to fill in a little niche gap here. Obviously this is a great lens for still photographers, but for all of the DSLR filmmakers out there who are having trouble with lackluster and muddy video results, the problem lies not with your camera; you need to step up to the L-Series glass. The primary issue with the 7D, 5D Mark II, etc. is the chunky artifacting and pixellation that comes from the poor compression codec built into the processor, or so we all thought. However, the key is, primarily, the quality of the glass in front of the sensor. This lens seems to nullify nearly ALL of the drawbacks of the HD video processing in my 7D. I can expand frame grabs up to 4k resolution, and they still hold up! 2K and 3K looks fantastic. THE GLASS MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. It's borderline magical.

This lens is nice and fat, just like a cinema lens, and therein lies much of its power. The bigger glass allows more light to enter into the sensor, giving the camera more "information" to pack into the frame, whereas with cheap, small lenses, the sensor has to essentially blow up and extract a muddy image from a tiny window. Drop the contrast, sharpness, and saturation settings to zero, add some L-Series glass, and your DSLR video can compete with Genesis, Viper, and can even hold its own against Red, at 1/10th of the cost.

This lens is perfect for the 7D's APS-C sensor. With the 5D, vignetting is a bit of an issue wide open. The focal range is perfect for walk-around footage, steadicam shots, and wide-angle effects shots. Consider this an essential range.

If you want professional-quality video, you need to have L-Lenses. I no longer care about the cost...I am immediately replacing my lens lineup with L-Series glass. I can't believe I've run a photo/video business for 6 years without L lenses! Besides, compared to other lens manufacturers, L-Series lenses are actually quite cheap. I've had the benefit of comparing this with Panavision lenses and I can assure you, there's no significant difference in the results. NONE. This is a gold mine for independent filmmakers.

Shell out the cash. AND be sure to add a few hundred more to the cost of this lens, in the form of high-quality filters! Protect your glass! And do it properly...there is no point in spending $1k+ on a lens if you're going to ruin it and put a piece of plexi-glass in front of it...just because you want to save $50. Get a $100 multi-coated (MRC) UV filter from B+W and just think of it as an insurance policy on your lens. Put on the filter the moment you take out your lens and never take it off.

Happy shooting! You will love this baby.

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UPDATE: Since posting this review, I have done further experimentation and am coming to a conclusion (no new info from Canon thus far) that (in addition to this lens's gaussian factor) this new version is just more difficult for current camera bodies to focus, which is probably 70 percent of the problem that I'm seeing. Since this was released for the new 1DmIII camera body, we can hope that the 19 enhanced cross-type sensors will handle this lens better than current bodies. I am leaving the rest of the review as written, because the tradeoff against the long end is real, as is the gaussian effect beyond 24mm relative to the original version. Also because it accuratley reflects how others will encounter this same phenomenon. Based on this, I would up my star rating to 3.5 if they had decimals.... Also: Would like to clarify my remark below about it cleaning up the corners as advertised. I mean that remark to apply to the 16-20mm range only, because at 24mm I have a test shot showing a better corner from the original version I lens, which is to re-emphasize that 24mm is the point where the older lens takes over... END UPDATE

Canon has hyped this new lens as an improvment over the great original 16-35, but in reality it's not a net improvment at all. Rather, it is just a tradeoff... What they're not telling you is that, compared to the original version, this lens goes soft at focal lengths beyond 24mm, where they are near the same in quality. I acknowledge that the new lens DOES clean up the corners as advertised, but if you shoot people for a living like I do, be prepared for soft eyes and disappearing eye lashes looking back at you. In many common shots this lens cannot resolve eye lashes at near distances, where the old version can and does... If you hate seeing soft eyes in a slew of your professional pictures, you will find some consternation in this lens just as I have... I am not happy with the compromise at all... Everything else about the lens is what you expect from a Canon L, which is to say it has awesome build quality and it's heavy. I have already owned two copies of this lens and have shot and tested a third. They all have the same softness problem. It was apparently a deliberate design compromise, but Canon's support techs have not yet been brought up to speed on how to explain or position this to customers, at least not in my experience. I have frustrated them by asking this question on the phone repeatedly, and they can't answer it. They're starting to get mad when I call back... I did send my first one in for calibration. They found something to adjust, but it did not help.... Moral of the story: If you like your original version, DON'T sell it. You need BOTH. This new one will effectively be your 16-20mm, and the old one will be your 24-35mm... I think it's very sad needing to carry two of the same lens, but that's what this situation has come to. We definitely needed a fix at 16mm, and this one provides it. But it comes at the expense of messing up the 24-35 range where the original version was awesome and where it is still the king.... Others have pointed that you can sub the 24-70/2.8 into this range, and I agree, but at the expense of having to change lenses way more often and having to always have the 24-70 available.... I'm finding this new situation very iconvenient.... Personally, I'm just going to think of this as the super bulky and inconvenient 16mm prime that they should have built instead.... Oh, and final note: Canon continues to make the old version of the 70-200/2.8L despite having added the IS version. I think this 16-35 thing should be that way, too, because many people who do my type of work for a living will choose the sharpness of the original lens over the corner-CA-elimination factor of the newer lens. If I had to choose just one of these lenses, I would choose the OLD one, which I would rate at 4.5 stars versus this turkey. I think discontinuation of the original version at this point in time would be both unwarranted and mildly insane. Can you tell I like sharp pictures?

Friday, February 28, 2014

JVC GR-AX760U VHS-C Compact Camcorder

JVC GR-AX760U VHS-C Compact CamcorderBought mine at a university surplus auction a couple of years ago. It is a good camcorder with lots of nice features. You can buy optional remote control on ebay, and control the camcorder basic functions with wireless remote control up to 25 feet away. Uses standard VHS C cassette. Two recording speeds SP and EP for extended recording time.

Snapshot function allows you to capture a digital still shot on tape for 5 seconds. Stabilizer feature allows is an anti jitter technology which helps keep recordings smooth and professional even with shaky hands. Built in battery charging system with charge indicator, charges battery when camcorder is plugged in and turned off.

RCA audio and video outputs allow for connection to TV.

Special effects. Only thing I would change, is the camcorder has a short battery life. Battery only lasts four hours on continuous use before it needs recharging.

Overall compact, light weight, good quality, and ideal as a good travel camcorder.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Canon EOS Rebel T3i SLR Digital Camera Kit w/ Canon 18-55mm IS Lens + Canon 55-250mm IS Lens + Huge

Canon EOS Rebel T3i SLR Digital Camera Kit w/ Canon 18-55mm IS Lens + Canon 55-250mm IS Lens + Huge Accessories Package Including Wide Angle Macro Lens + 2x Telephoto Lens + 3 Pc Filter KIT + 16gb Sdhc Memory Card & Much More!!I received this package last week and must say i am real happy with the overall package price. How-ever there is a few items that i must say is so low quality & really isn't suitable for the camera it came with.

The full size tripod is not close enough to be sturdy enough for this camera & would only have the worry that it would fall over at some point. Mini Tripod also, is only good enough for a small point & shoot digi cam.

The flash gun, again too under-rated (specs) & low quality for a camera of this type.

The camera bag is far to small to carry the camera & equipment that was in the package. Barely enough room to carry the camera with Lens attached & battery charger and that is all you get inside it.

As i said though, overall this is a great deal. But i had to go out & purchase a new bag, tripod & a proper flash which has cost me approx. $500 at the local shops. No heartache really, but it did cost me more time to go and get these items. If i had known at the time of the order, i would of purchased these extras through Amazon at the time of the camera order & also saved more money this way.

What i would rather see included in this package, is for the above items to be removed and have the suppliers include a more suitable backpack style bag. I just think it's better to have less in the package, but have more quality & suitable items especially with a camera of this quality.

I hope this helps spme people out there that are looking to buy this or a similar package.

I bought this package for the t3i's hd video capabilities. First day I took it out on the job the case's strap broke. Next the charger broke. The tripod was terrible from the start. And just now while shooting a music video for a dj for my internship the sd card broke on me for no explainable reason. All of the Zeikos and Digital Film accessories are absolutely horrible. If you're willing to spend this much money on the camera and lenses alone, go for it. If you want quality accessories to go with it, don't buy from Sunset.

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I've not had my camera long and have only taken 200 pictures, but let me tell you, I am impressed! Don't get me wrong, I know very little about cameras. I am not a photographer. I just want to take good pictures of family, friends, places and everyday life in general. That being said, I am an outdoor person, hunting & fishing and wanted to take better wildlife pictures. I chose this camera because of the reviews and all the auto features. I chose this package because it included the "IS" lenses and the best price. I took pictures of deer in the woods behind my house, that I literaly couldn't see until viewing through the camera's zoom lense and the pictures were great. The everyday pictures around the house are great as well, there is much more depth in the pictures. As I am not a photographer I do not have the word bank to describe the difference. Auto focus is for definitly me. I do plan on taking classes so that someday I can play with all of the manual features but until then, THIS CAMERA MAKES ME A MUCH BETTER PHOTOGRAPHER!

Read Best Reviews of Canon EOS Rebel T3i SLR Digital Camera Kit w/ Canon 18-55mm IS Lens + Canon 55-250mm IS Lens + Huge Here

I ordered the Canon EOS Rebel T31 complete package deal. Opened up the travel quick charger and found out the hard way that the battery doesn't fit. I looked at the package and it states that the charger is for Canon NB-7L batteries.

Please pay close attention to everything when unpacking the box and not assume everything is going to fit together.

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So let me start by saying that this is a fair price for what you get.

Awesome Camera!, Good lenses and filters. That was worth it. What is completely useless are the tripod, camera bag and I received an 8gb SD card not 16gb. The seller did try to contact me before he shipped it out...that said I called back 3 times and got no return phone call...I assume it was about the 16gb card. I got the bundle a day later. it seems he threw in a few extra camera batteries to make up the difference...which is fine...I don't care about that so much. But the tripod is way to flimsy for the weight of that camera. The Camera Bag is way to small. It also came with a sub par flash...however it's not useless. I bought a Canon 580EX II Speedlite flash separately and will use the flash that came with the kit as a secondary slave. If it were a dream kit...I would take out the current tripods, camera bag, and flash and replace them with a decent tripod that can handle the weight of the T3i.

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Monday, November 18, 2013

Sony Cybershot DSCW1 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black)

Sony Cybershot DSCW1 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical ZoomI purchased this camera on July 29, 2004 and have been very happy with it's performance. It takes great pictures, easy to use, great menu's and it is very good looking. The DSC-W1 has exceeded all my expectations and has been a pleasure to use. If you are in the market for a point and shoot, plus, numerous and easy adjustments, your'll love this camera.

Great camera although a little slow when taking pictures in low light conditions. I got a kick out of the bad review from Dec 22, 2006. The same thing happened to my DSC-W1, although it is not megaPixels dying. The dark spots are caused by dirt trapped inside the camera from using it in a dusty location. I had mine cleaned (including CCD) and the dark spots are now gone.

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Likes: The camera has an infinity (sideways 8)feature for focus. I really like this feature! Many of the new cameras only have auto focus and because of this the new cameras blur too much making the video useless in tight shots. So this is a real plus for this camera.

Dislikes: In video mode you CAN NOT zoom in or out of your subject while recording a video.

Dislikes: The Battery door on this camera breaks very easily. A trick I found was to buy a screw that fits the tri-pod hole and get a washer big enough to cover the broken battery door.

If you can find a good used one buy it. but to pay $300 plus for a new one is not worth it.

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Although I received this camera as a gift in 2004 ... I still have never found another digital camera I like as well. It is easy to use and takes great pictures. I have purchased (2) new cameras for my children ... a 9mp and a 10mp (not Sony) and my Sony still takes the best pictures in the house. Don't know what I'll do if it ever stops working. It has been a very durable camera and I love the video mode when I have to take short videos as I dont have to haul video camera with me too.

Great quality!

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You got it... I loved this camera until I was on vacation in New Zealand and my mega pixels started to die. Yes, within two weeks of the first one dying... three of the mega pixels died leaving me with these nasty looking black circles in all of my shots. I sent it back to have it repaired and they told me it would be the same price as buying a new camera. So... after a year of a decent camera, I found it just didn't last for the money. I am back on the market for a new camera. I wouldn't recommend it because of that purpose and the cost of having it repaired after a year when it could also break. On the plus side, I loved that it was black and could fit in my pocket.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Essentials Bundle for Nikon D3200, D5100 & D5200 Digital SLR Camera and 18-55mm VR Lens with 32

Essentials Bundle for Nikon D3200, D5100 & D5200 Digital SLR Camera and 18-55mm VR Lens with 32GB Card + EN-EL14 Battery + 3 Filters + Hood + Tripod + 2 Lenses Set + Remote KitThe two converter leens to wide angle and zoom are completely useless. There are better packages you could choose. Save money and buy another pack. tripode memory and remote are the only think worth the money here.

Monday, August 19, 2013

Looxcie HD Explore Weather Resistant Video Cam with Live Video Streaming - Retail Packaging - Black

Looxcie HD Explore Weather Resistant Video Cam with Live Video Streaming - Retail Packaging - BlackI own both the Looxcie 2 as well as the new Looxcie HD and the difference is fantastic. I mostly use the new HD for my mountain biking downhill runs and the HD picture is fantastic, comparable in every way to the GoPro we also use but without the loss of depth perception you get with the GoPro's fish eye lens which is nice for capturing the trails in more detail. The noise reduction the looxcie has is also great, little to no wind noises during our rides with still capturing the sounds around us.

As mentioned it can heat up a bit but I have found that is only when using the wifi mode and streaming content to the phone and/or internet, and lets be honest, it should heat up due to the increased power consumption as does the phone when your streaming media. but you can turn on the wifi just to position the camera then turn it off and record at will with just a flick of the power button which saves both battery and hassle.

I have learned from Looxcie support that a newer mounting system is on the horizon for the more "extreme" adventurers out there which I can not wait for. The standard mounting is good and the camera is durable as I have already taken a spill or two on my bike with it, but i like to protect my investments and its nice to see the folks at looxcie keeping people like me in mind.

being able to live stream content (tried this the other day with a friend in san franscisco, im in LA) is just awesome, and I am able to catalog important events such as next week im going to record (via ball cap mount) a family members estate planning session and documentation for the future.

All this flexibility in one camera is why it gets 5 stars from me.....



Attached the Looxcie on top of a pinewood derby car to see what kind of video it shot. Mounted it using the helmet mount that has a sticky bottom. The quality was really good. The color balance too was good given the harsh fluorescent lights under which this was shot. Great field of view -nice and wide and no distortion as with other fish eye lenses. The audio is clear, the noise of rushing wind is non-existent. Very pleased so far, it's got me thinking about all kinds of other interesting points of perspective I can shoot. The device does get fairly warm after a while of continuous recording but so does my friend's GoPro.

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I've had this for about a week. You can use it to stream live video over your iPhone and to save movies. I like it because it's quite small and the HD video looks great. I used a GoPro before but I found the fish eye field of view disturbing and the colors of the video never seem quite right, whereas the Looxcie video is excellent in comparison. I had some trouble connecting it to my iPhone initially but seems fine once it's set up.

I took it to the skate park with my kids to live stream some of the kids' new tricks to their uncle and aunt. Very cool. I plan to use this a lot, next I will hook it up to my helmet for my next bike trip.

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Despite other negative comments on this unit I still think it's worth the money. When you want something simple to capture those video moments without having to carry a bulky unit like a camcorder or goPro( attached) only to your handle bar, this is the way to go. On amazon you can get this as cheapas $249. The unit came with 2 attachment units which normally cost $20+. You still need to get the SD card but this can be easily purchased on amazon or ebay for a fraction of price.It's worth it.

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I bought this looking to have a POV video camera for life's little moments. I received it, opened the box and found it was a bit larger than I was thinking it was. I charged the battery, slapped in an SD card and tried it out. First thing I noticed is that the "wifi" connection to my Galaxy Note 2 is sketchy at best. It always lost connection and I had to re-pair them constantly. A very big annoyance.....and a deal breaker for me. It gets extremely hot as well even after running for only a couple of minutes. This "could" be a very nice set up. Fix the pairing issue, cooler running and just make sure that it works like it's supposed to. I may have just gotten a bad unit but I returned it.