Digital Binocular Camera - Black (VIV-CV-1225V)

the technology was lacking, the digital zoom at 5 megapixels was not good, the glasses view was always better than the pictures, also the eyepeices would not spread far enough to be used as binoculars, tried them on 6 adults......returned for refund

I ordered these for a trip I was going on. Diving with Great Whites in Mexico... On the way there from San Diego, there would be a lot to see. Needed binoculars... Don't make the same mistake. Absolutely terrible. Here are the reasons not to purchase these:

Ease of use with so little to configure, should have been quick and painless not the case

Battery life is very short A little over an hour

Bundled software is poorly designed

Digital images no where near as sharp (the binocular lense is not the lens that takes the pictures/video)

Ultimately, I got what I paid for. Next time, I will invest in a product that works as advertised, which means that the investment will be significantly higher.

If you're looking for something simple and have low expectations, by all means, order Vivitar Binoculars... Otherwise be prepared to spend a lot more or better yet, just buy binoculars without a camera...

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For the money it's just OK. The cd rom that came with it unbelievably had the WRONG manual imbedded in it. I am still trying to get a manual so that I can decipher the mediocre menus. Image quality is about what you would expect from a cellphone. Also you do not get an image of what you are seeing in the binocular. It looks to me like it is about 50% or even less of the magnification that you get with the binocular view. Technically it may be correct but from the standpoint of an average user the difference in the field of view is quite striking.

If you are very careful to hold still you can get an OK image. I keep playing with it so I guess the compromises are reasonable.

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I really had a hard time with this item because all the reviews on digital binoculars were bad. This was a Father's Day gift for a bird watcher and thought it would be nice but was leary. We got this one because it was MAC compatible over others that were just Windows only. Since it was a gift I haven't used it but the comments I got were, it is lightweight, would fit in your pocket and be easy to carry anywhere. I saw pictures from this digital binocular and they were very clear and crisp. So far I believe it is a hit.

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The binocular/camera works fine however, the software that came with it (Vivitar Experience Image Manager) does not work.

I tried to install the software that came with the product (it didn't install), I was given a link to install and that didn't work.

They sent me another disc and that didn't install the software either. 3 times and I'm thinking of returning the binoculars if they can't fix the problem.

I have a new Dell computer with Windows 7 which the software says is compatible with the software.

Canon Vixia HF M500 Flash Memory 1080p HD Digital Video Camcorder with 32GB Card + LED Video Light

My boss bought this video camera for my job after I done extensive research on what cameras were available within the price range he wanted to spend. I used the camera immediately without the accessories for about 3 months and the camera is great. No problems so far. Uploaded video and did some editing. Sound is ok. Not very good in low lighting, however, I didn't know how to adjust the iris at the time, but now that I figured that out, all is well.

So I pulled out all the accessories because I need to utilize the microphone to get better sound quality when I film outside. And I pulled out the light as well to make sure I know how to attach both to the camera. And this is when I discovered the problem.

When the accessories are attached, the LCD on the CANON VIXIA-M500 cannot open all the way! It opens about 90% before hitting the mic. So I thought I will switch the mic to the left and the light to the right. Same situation. The problem? The view finder is larger than most camcorders. This will work much better with video cameras that are less than 3.5 inches across.

As for the rest of the accessories...the telephoto lens is a joke. I don't see much difference with and without the lens. The light is only good if you are within 3 feet of the subject. Not sure yet how the mic works. My opinion: Not worth spending the extra money to get the camera and all these cheap accessories. Take the time to do your research and pay the extra money to get quality items. You'll thank yourself later.

*** Ok, i posted this in haste... I simply moved the arm attachment forward and the LCD opened all the way. (Yes, I called myself an idiot... thank you... lol!) However, my review still stands. Buy the camera sans the accessories***

I seem to have problems loading it up to facebook and utube. Pixil is worthless can't even use it, no instructions.

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

The accessories were great. The merchant delivered quick and fast as promised. The 32 GB sd card is good for recording videos. The wide angle lense is great for shooting field activities of marching band competitions.

All the goodies brought, the accessories such cleaning kit and protective lenses no problem. The most important item, the wide and telephoto lens, no good. One worked and not the otherone. Once contacted the tech of the company in an attempt to fix the problem, the exchange of words were not pleasant. My mistake to purchase lenses of a camera at a cheap price, you get a cheap item.

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Nikon Coolpix P5000 10MP Digital Camera with 3.5x Optical Vibration Reduction Zoom

I was looking for a small portable camera to complement my Nikon D70 and D80 DSLR. Small enough to fit in my pocket or on my belt, light enough to always have with me, yet have advanced capabilities and produce good quality photos when I did not have a DSLR with me.

I have tried many cameras from Nikon and Canon. The P5000 has the right set of features and price to meet my needs. The Canon G7 does have some superior features, but is larger and weighs more so does not fit in my shirt pocket but OK in coat pocket, and is ~$100 more. I have had the P5000 for almost a week and it has been on my belt in the leather case every day. Very travel friendly. I also have the small light SB-400 iTTL Flash in my brief case to add more Flash capability and it is great.

Picture quality is finally what has to be good. The P5000 produces very good IQ with that "Nikon Color" I am used to. I tested the P5000 in good lighting versus my Nikon D80, Nikon S7c and CoolPix 5400. The D80 wins hands down as the best quality. But the P5000 is much better that my other CoolPix. Plus going back and forth from the D80 to the P5000 was smooth due to button placement and similar shooting style. The hand grip on the P5000 is excellent for such a small camera too. I have posted my test pictures on another site if you look at Nikon Talk Forum on DPreview dot com and search for "P5000 vs S7c vs 5400 First Impressions"

Cheers

I have had my P5000 for less than a week and really am impressed with it. The color is good, the photo quality is good. For such a small camera, it has good ergonomics and most functions are easily accessed by by buttons or dials. It has full manual controls and noise levels are very good for a 10 MP camera. The VR stabilizing function works well. It makes the perfect accompaniment to my D50 and D70 when I need a smaller purse or pocket-sized camera.

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I recently bought this camera to replace my well used Nikon Coolpix 7900. It takes fabulous photos and the multitude of manual controls is exceptional but what was Nikon thinking by having such a noisy autofocus motor in this camera? It makes a constant whirring sound--it's almost like you are using a camcorder instead of a still camera. There is no way to shut the sound off. I can hear it quite clearly even when just holding the camera in my hand. This issue is now being reported in the Nikon forums. It was a deal breaker for me. It was just too annoying and I returned the camera to the store. The sound is loud enough to record when using the the video setting so if you like to take videos alot you might want to read up what others have to say in regards to the noise issue. Otherwise, it's a first rate camera that takes photos almost the equivalent of my Nikon D50. What a shame that Nikon didn't address this issue before sending the camera out to customers.

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I've had this for a couple of days and love it! Its a great point and shoot, provides crisp, clear, beautiful images in auto mode. But, it also allows you an incredible amount of control and versatiltiy with the preset modes and the manual modes. You can get great results with "art-ier" shots that encorporate depth of field, saturation, etc.

I've had great luck shooting in an indoor setting with natural light coming through the windows and lots of flourescent light coming from overhead when I've adjusting the white-point accordingly. It performs well in low-light situations too. I like the programmable function button that gives you a short-cut to the screen that pertains most to the situation you are shooting.

The portability, image quality, add-on lenses, shoe for a speedlight flash, price, and proven Nikon quality, make this a great choice for someone looking for the most versatile small digital camera they can get.

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I bought and returned this camera.

If I returned it, then why did I give it a respectable 4 rating? Because in many (most) situations, it takes very nice pictures, it is small and stylish, it has full manual controls, it has a hotshoe for an external flash, it can accept different lenses, and it takes SD cards.

Why did I return it? Because it has one fatal flaw. Despite being billed as the flagship point & shoot camera for Nikon, and despite the many cutting edge features, and despite the great qualities noted above, the auto focus is VERY SLOW. It makes this camera almost unuseable if your subjects are moving kids, which is why I bought the camera. I lost at least 1/2 the shots that I tried to take of my kids because I couldn't get them focussed. If you read the various photography forums, there are several workarounds that help somewhat, but at the end of the day, the AF is still slow.

If you don't plan on taking candid shots of your kids, then this could be a great camera for you. I took several hundred wonderful pictures before I returned it. Just not of my kids.

By the way, I ended up buying a Fuji F31FD. I won't go into great detail about the pros and cons of this camera (and it has both), but I'll just say I kept it and I like it. The AF is much faster, and it has the added bonus of being one of the best (if not the best) low light cameras on the market today.

Easystore 4 GB Class 2 SDHC Flash Memory Card

I bought two of these 4 Gigabyte cards. I tried them in my HP digital camera and received a "card unreadable" error. I tried putting them into my computer thinking that maybe they needed to be formatted...and both cards crashed my computer. I can understand that maybe one card every now and then might be a dud, but what are teh odds of me getting two duds? I guess you get what you pay for.

Worked in two different products, no issues. For the money, it's 5 stars. Works as designed.

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This is a cheap quality card. I would not trust this card with take pictures or anything that cannot be easily reproduced.

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I tried 3 different SD card readers, none can read it although all 3 can read a Kingston 2GB card, and one card reader can read my other 8GB SDHC card. This is the first SD card I have problem with.

Though my ASUS netbook (which has a built-in reader) is able to read it, it is still inconvenient.

Anyway, go with other brand like Kingston, Sandisk, Transcend, A-Data etc.

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This card works great and stores alot of pictures and video on my digital camera. The only con is that the card reader on our computer won't read a class 2 card. But that was easily fixed. I got a card reader with a usb cable that hooks up to the computer for about 1 4. No big deal. And now I can use that to upload photos on my laptop which doesn't have a card reader but does have a usb connection.

Just note that you may need a card reader especially if your computer's a couple years old.

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Sony NEX-VG30 Handycam Interchangable Lens Camera (Black)

Pair your VG30 with 16-50mm f2.8 Sony lens (with E Mount adapter ring) and you have an excellent low light video camera. My videographer swears that the low light capability of VG30 competes with camera in 4-5K price range. I saw the results myself and I must say that video is sharp and bright. We purchased our camera without the kit lens since its f3.5-5.6 range (in Wedding video business a lens that is f5.6 is considered as a paper weight). Another lens that we are planning on pairing this camera with in near future is the 35mm f1.8 e-Mount and the 85mm f1.8.

I am a sucker for prime lens and to me as a photographer, I want my video guy to get shots that are in par with photos that comes out from a prime lens.

Was everything I expected it to be. Still in the process of understanding all it can do. The pictures are crisp and it's quite fast. The view screen on the camera could fool one into thinking the picture is not so great, but when you check the picture after you see that it is actually very crisp. They could have had a much clearer viewer screen so that people are more sure about the picture quality but I imagine over some time one will get used to the screen quality.

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Fujifilm Finepix S9100 9MP Digital Camera with 10.7x Wide-Angle Optical Zoom

I purchased this camera about a month ago and have taken approximately 2,000 pictures to date. I've taken indoor, outdoor, telephoto, macro, everything except the video. Sorry I should have played with that too, but it is not the primary reason I bought this camera. I wanted a camera that expanded the capability and control of my small point and shoot camera, an Olympus C-50 (which I am quite pleased with). I am very happy with the results of the S9100.

This is a substantial camera. It feels more like my Nikon 8008, so don't plan to put it in your pocket when you take it on a trip. I have had three Olympus digital cameras and was looking to purchase another Olympus but I was disappointed with their offering in the ultra zoom class.

Because I already had several xD cards it was a plus that this camera gave me a choice of two different media types. I also liked the manual zoom because this camera felt familiar, like an SLR. Using AA batteries was another plus I was looking for. I see some folks say they are disappointed with the battery life, but I haven't found that to be a problem. I use 2900mAh NiMH Rechargeable Battery and I have yet to run out of juice on photo shoots of over 200 pictures. I have not used alkaline batteries, but I understand they do not last nearly as long. I use the EVF more than the large digital display (probably from old habits of 35mm cameras) and that may have something to do with it too. I think the manual zoom has to save a lot of battery power when compared to some of the competition.

There is a lot of discussion about image stabilization, and I never had it in my other cameras, so I don't seem to miss it. I haven't had many blurred photos but I do use a mono-pod or tri-pod when it is appropriate. But even hand held, this camera produces excellent images even up at 1600 ISO. There is some noise, but I don't think it is too bad. Printed photos come out excellent. I have several printers and a large format HP plotter that can produce 36" x 36" prints and I am very pleased with the results.

This camera has excellent versatility, the zoom is great and the macro mode gives you wonderful capability to really get in close. I have been shooting primarily .JPG but have experimented with .RAW. From what I read this format it will extend my ability, but I need more time to learn about RAW processing before I can provide an intelligent discussion. I like the idea that RAW is there if and when I decide to use it.

In conclusion, I am happy with my purchase and would buy this camera again. If you are looking for an alternative to a dSLR that provides a lot of versatility and control this one merits a close look.

I know someone who passed on buying the Fuji S9100 because it only had a 10.7x zoom, in favor of a 12x zoom. She did not understand how to interpret the lens specs.

This camera has something fairly rare in a digital camera, and especially rare in a super zoom: a true wide angle lens, going down to 28 mm equivalent focal length. Most digitals start at 38 mm or 35 mm. That extra 7 to 10 mm makes a huge difference in the angle of coverage.

I had a 28 to 85 mm zoom for my 35 mm slr, and it cost more than the S9100, and weighed more, too. And here you are getting a lens that goes all the way to 300 mm. My longest zoom lens only went to 200 mm on my 35 mm, and it started at 75 mm. That weighed several times more than this camera, and was hard to hold steady. I rarely used a 200 mm without a tripod.

With the S9100 I still use the wideangle most, but I am surprised how much I use the 300 mm telephoto. It also has a 2x digital zoom, which, because it has a 9 mp sensor, is actually useable, though I would shoot at lower resolutions. And I am surprised how sharp the pictures are, even without image stabilization. But then I know how to steady a camera, such as leaning it against a wall.

I use the tilting LCD display a lot. It is great for candids; which is especially important with a semi-pro camera like this. It is not just about being secretive; it is about retaining the candid quality of the photo.

Attach the neck strap and use it, always, always. Combine it with the LCD display flipped out and you get a sort of TLR effect: It was easier to hold a TLR Rolleiflex steady at slow shutter speeds than an SLR held to the eye. The trick is to pull the strap tight against your neck and lock your elbows against your sides.

Remember, you can always crop a picture to produce more of a telephoto effect, especially with a 9 mp image. But you can't widen a picture in processing -unless you use panorama stitching (anyone even actually use this???).

The S9100 has the best video recording I have used in a digicam. With the manual zoom, it is easy to zoom during filming, silently. Going from 28 mm to 300 mm creates a powerful effect.

This lens is magnificent. It is essentially the same lens as is on the 6000, I believe. Fuji knows how to make lenses. Their medium format wideangle lenses, such as for the GW690, are legendary. Having a fixed lens barrel, while less compact, is far more sturdy. Those telescoping lenses are fragile if knocked while the camera is on.

Fuji also knows how to make film. And in the digital era, the camera is the film. Their expertise in color management is evident in the accurate, pleasing tonal quality indoors or out; but it helps if you know how to use the manual color balance setting. There is a chrome setting which boosts the saturation and contrast, intended to match the qualities of slide film. It is great for average snap shots, but can produce over saturation with things like colorful flowers.

I have used this camera for about four months. I haven't used all the bells and whistles regularly. I tested the manual focus, and it is well-designed, with focus assist via directional arrows, plus the ability to magnify the central section. I see it more as an extended focus lock.

I have used several external flashes with it, and the camera still works. Some camera brands can be damaged by flashes with a high trigger voltage, reportedly. A bounce flash will help you get pro looking shots indoors.

I use the 800 iso setting for night shots. There is some grain, but that's life. I come from a film perspective, and the grain is about what you would get from shooting b&w at that speed. When I switch the S9100 to BW, the grain becomes less noticeable, and makes the 1600 iso setting more useable. I also cut the resolution at iso 800 and 1600. Reducing the contrast and sharpening also seems to help. As I see it, the iso 1600 is there for use when there is no alternative. A newspaper photographer could get useable shots with it.

I seriously considered the Fuji S6000 because of its superior high film speed performance. But it is 6 mp, and lacks some of the S9100's more advanced features. If you need less grain in your high iso shots, the S6000 may be a better bet. The S6000 would be an excellent camera for a newspaper to hand to a reporter.

But the grain in the S9100 is not as bad as some say; I, and others, think they are looking at the full magnification images, which at 9 mp can be about three feet wide or more, depending on your monitor. THEN you can see the grain at the pixel level in even the 200 iso shots. So what?

I often shoot at less than 9 mp. The camera has a 3:2 setting that gives a wider ratio more like a 35 mm shot. It also produces a smaller file, about 2.5 mb. That's what I use the most. It is especially suitable to wideangle shots. But I also am getting fine results in lower resolutions.

This camera originally sold for twice the price, at least when the S9000 came out, and it was a good value then. Now it is one of the great camera bargains on the market. But it may be more camera than some people need. This is probably true of a lot of fancy cameras on the market. Don't buy a camera to make a fashion statement; buy something you will enjoy using.

For me, the Fuji S9100 is fun to use; it is easy to get great pictures without getting a headache.

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Well, I don't even know where to start for this camera. But about a year ago, when this camera first got launched to the digital camera market, it costed nearly twice as much as what you can pay for it now. For the price, this camera has alot to offer. I just love the color tone of Fujifilm. You get a very studio-like effect with Fujifilm CCD technology. This camera has many manual controls and features that will interest both professional and amature photographers. The 9 Megapixel can really be helpful when it comes to cropping. The pictures taken by this camera is bright and clear. The camera picture can be noisy if you set the ISO above 400. So, for the best result, just set the ISO level as low as possible (lets say ISO 80?). The 10.7X zoom lens is very convenient when you want to get close to the subject you are shooting. I used this camera for every occasion and it never failed me. I heard alot of complaints about the poor battery life of this camera, but just buy NiMH battery that is about 2500 mAh and above and you should get about 200-250 shots. Make sure to buy at least a 2 GB memory card because the picture files are pretty big, especially in RAW format. Also, for the price, this camera feels VERY SOLID in the hand. It feels very professional and sturdy (MADE IN JAPAN). The buttons are nicely placed and very easy to use. Make sure to buy an external flash if you want to do some serious light photography. I recommnend the Sunpak 383 non-dedicatted flash to go with this camera. It works together really well. Anyway, for $407, you cannot get a better camera than this one. Thank you Amazon for making this good deal possible. Again, I highly recommend this camera.

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I have owned this camera since November 2006.

I would have liked to have given the S9100 five stars, but the auto mode leaves something to be desired. To get the best images, you really need to use the manual settings.

I have had excellent success in all areas with this camera. I have taken crystal clear macro shots of jewelrya notoriously difficult subject. I have taken great indoor, low-light shots without flash. I have had difficulty with the auto focus in these special situations. But the manual focus is easy to use. Color and contrast are true to life. I have been able to take pictures in situations that I couldn't have dreamed of with any of the point-and-shoot models that I have used.

Some people have complained about the graininess of higher ISO settings. You can select your ISO in auto mode. Mine stays at 80 most of the time. I use only use 1600 when I want the grainy effect. You can not select the ISO in stabilization mode. Flash exposure compensation is selectable in P,S,A and M modes. It has 5 settings.

Battery life is good, but then again, I almost never use flash. The low light capabilities are so good that I don't need it most of the time. My Energizer 2500 mAh NiMH batteries last for hundreds of shots. Sorry, I never really counted exactly how many. I rarely need to change them during a session.

The lens is threaded 58mm, so you can add filters if desired. You can also use a shutter release cable. I have not experimented with RAW much because I use Paint Shop Pro for editing, and it requires that my RAW images be converted to Tiff to manipulate.

This camera is excellent if you:

1. Read the manual

2. Use manual settings

3. Practice

If you are looking for a point-and-shoot. This probably isn't the camera for you. However, the creative controls are excellent. I highly recommend this model for the serious amateur.

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I bought this camera as something a bit more capable, but not as expensive as an SLR. With a zoom equivalent to a 300 mm lens on an SLR, I certainly saved myself a heap of money over buying an SLR setup with the same capacities.

I use this camera mostly in manual. That was my aim in buying it to get more proficient in using the manual settings. A few times I have switched it to auto, and haven't been all that impressed. The autofocus seems a little unpredictable, but there is a single press manual focus button on the left side, as well as a focusing ring, and these do me very well indeed. I don't think I would recommend this camera to someone who wanted to use it mostly as a point and shoot.

It loses one star mostly because of its poor macro capability. For really really good closeups it just doesn't come close to my Konica Minolta DImage Z6.

I was a bit lost without image stabilization at first. This camera compensates for not having this by jacking up the film speed when in auto, and if I want to use it in manual and handhold, of course I have to do the same. Since I use a tripod a lot, this is not too much of an issue for me. I've heard a lot of bad press on the graininess at higher ISO, but I have found them to be at least as good as film if not better.

The colors are great. I love my range of menu options, though there is nothing too extraordinary about them. This camera has more buttons than some, but once I got used to them, they make my selections so much faster when I am shooting in changing light conditions.

I like the fact I can use a cable release with this camera. I have used it for quite a bit of low light work, and the fact that I can dial it right down to a twenty second shutter speed or even to B is fantastic.

I've found it pretty hard to find image editing software to work directly with raw images from this camera.

It's working really well for me as a prosumer camera. However, I still think that if I could go back, I might go for a Panasonic DMC-FZ50 10.1MP instead. Maybe. I would have to check that one out more thorougly first.

Polaroid XS7 Waterproof Hi-Def HD Sports Video Camera Camcorder with Helmet & Bike Mounts + 16G

good accessories but not really hd

said the lens has an angle of 120 ° when the camera has the lens 70 °

The Polaroid XS7 Waterproof Hi-Def HD Sports Camcorder is the ideal camera for a fun and easy experience capturing your adventures anywhere life takes you. Just press the record button and you're instantly recording up to 720p HD video at 30 fps, plus you can capture 5-megapixel still images. Also features: 2-inch touch LCD screen, microSD card slot, 120-degree wide-angle lens, and an underwater housing (waterproof to 30 feet deep).

Vivitek D940VX 4300 Lumen XGA DLP Projector

I did not personally use this projector. It was purchased as a replacement for one our recreation department was using. Same brand and they loved it.

I buy these for work and we have them running 24/7. They last for about 15 months with the original factory bulb, but when the bulb burns out, we've replaced it with a new bulb and the picture is very dim, pretty much not usable. Remember, we use it 24/7 so this may not affect your application and it lasted over a year...

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Panasonic LUMIX DMC-ZS6 12.1 MP DIGITAL CAMERA BLACK - 3.0 " TFT Screen LCD Display!!

Panasonic makes the best compact superzoom cameras! Here's why. I was a professional photographer for over twenty years and recently sold all my professional film cameras (35mm, 21/4"x 23/4" and 4" x 5"). I've been searching for a compact superzoom camera that I can keep with me at all times to catch those once-in-a-lifetime shots without the expense or weight of a Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera. Keep in mind that a compact superzoom has a smaller imaging sensor and will never truly compete with a high quality DSLR but if you want the best camera available in the compact point-and-shoot category then Panasonic DMC-Z series of cameras wins hands down. I've conducted an exhaustive search of camera review sites and have found Panasonic to consistently meet my standards of excellence. You don't have to take my words for it, you can check out my claims for yourself at the digitalcamerareview and dpreview web sites.

OPTICS:

The heart of any camera is the lens. Nothing else in photography counts without good optics. Panasonic uses Leica DC Vario-Elmar lenses in many of their cameras. Amongst professional photographers Leica has a reputation for quality akin to Rolls Royce. Leica appears to have maintained their reputation in Panasonic cameras by avoiding significant optical flaws. Most superzoom camera optics suffer from multiple flaws. Two optical flaws that I find completely unacceptable are chromatic aberration and uneven or soft focus.

You'll see chromatic aberration as a color fringe (red on one edge and blue or green on the opposite edge) along the edge of an object. It's often most visible near the corner of the image and along the edges of high contrast subjects like a dark car in front of a bright building. Sometimes chromatic aberration is so bad that it can be see in the center of a 4" x 6" photo but it's most often only visible when enlarged to full screen on a 17" or larger monitor. In my opinion, when it comes to chromatic aberration, Panasonic consistently out performs all competitors including Nikon, Canon, Olympus and Sony. I strongly suggest you see this for yourself by looking at web reviews that have full resolution images. Click on the full resolution image, zoom in and scroll from corner to corner and you'll see what I mean.

The second major optical concern is focus. Some camera lenses are sharp in the center of the photo but go slightly out of focus towards the edge of the photo. This usually isn't a problem if you are only going to use your multi-hundred dollar camera to make 4" x 6" prints but soft focus can be a huge disappointment when making larger prints or viewing the photo as a full screen image. The Leica lenses on the Panasonic cameras appear to excel in the category of sharp focus. Again, I suggest you see for yourself by zooming in on full resolution images available from some web review sites.

Other optical concerns include barrel and pincushion, which describe how vertical and horizontal lines can be curved in the photograph even though they were straight in real life. Some barreling or pincushioning is inherent to every zoom and are usually only noticeable at the widest angle or strongest telephoto settings. This type of distortion can be so severe that it distracts the viewer from appreciating the subject of the photograph. Leica does a superb job of minimizing barreling and pincushioning to the point that I find this type of distortion within acceptable limits.

My final comment on the Panasonic DMC-Z series optics is that the wide-angle setting on the zoom lens is equivalent to a 25mm lens on a 35mm camera. In my experience, the wide-angle lens is the most important feature of a zoom lens. You can always crop an image to get the equivalent effect of a stronger telephoto (of course you'll lose some resolution) but there is no similar way to compensate for not having a wide enough lens. Sure you can paste images together using a panoramic mode but you wind up with a long narrow picture that's difficult to put in a frame. Plus, except for the latest top-of-the-line Sony, you can't paste a large group photo together because people will move between shots.

SENSOR:

If the heart of a digital camera is the lens then the soul is the imaging chip and the camera's internal image processing software. Panasonic excels in this area too. Again, I strongly suggest you see for yourself by zooming in on full resolution images available from some web review sites. Every digital camera has software that is designed to minimize the noise introduced into the image by the sensor. If noise reduction is too strong then details are lost and objects start to look like cartoon drawings. If noise reduction is too weak then smooth areas like blue sky or concrete look unnatural because they're covered with dots. Panasonic has managed to achieve a pleasing balance in this category.

CONCLUSION:

Finally, I'd like to mention that, for the most part, I don't care about what photo editing or cataloging software comes with a camera. There's plenty of great software available from third party vendors and if the camera is not capable of producing a quality image then the accompanying software is absolutely useless to me.

So the bottom line is that the Panasonic DMC-Z series has the best combination of lens & sensor/built-in image processing software of any of the point-and-shoot cameras and is the most capable of producing an image that can stand up to being enlarged. Additionally, considering Costco has the Panasonic on sale this month along with their great return policy, I consider Panasonic a great buy.

Like some obsessive compulsive reviewers I literally spent days pouring over that latest generation of digital equipment. My goal: to find the best all around performer that had the fewest compromises for typical family outings, including vacations. As background, I'm a former Nikon F 35 mm photographer, back in the day when high end photography was a real hobby. Not that it isn't today, but there are simply too many choices and not enough to base a decision on. Back then, if you had the money, you bought a Nikon F series.

Goal: Excellent photos and videos. Good machine ergonomics. Pocketable.

This seems to be the desire of many manufacturers but how many actually get there?

None.

How many get close?

One. Panasonic.

Their Lumix Z series especially with the decent Leica lenses take photos worthy of a pro. Make no mistake, these are not SLR quality, but they are close enough that when intertwined with the compromises, makes them the end of the rainbow, at least as far as I'm concerned.

As for video, the HD video from this unit is excellent. Is the sound perfect? Nope. Is it in any of these cameras? None that I've seen. Does it matter? I've flipped and flopped between splitting the purchase between a flash memory video and a cheaper point and shoot.

But for the average family photographer, why don't you want both in one? Why don't you want something in your hand all the time that lets you capture that Kodak Moment? Heck I take more stills and videos with my Iphone than with any camera these days just because . . .its there.

On a planned vacation or outing, you want more detail. And the Lumix Z series comes through. Crisp photos. Sharp video. And adequate sound.

On the sound, I almost passed on this camera because someone dissed it for the sound. A low level hum. After all, I'm a details kind of guy, so how could I live with that? Do you actually hear it?

Yes, you hear it when you are zooming. No surprise here. The mic is integrated with the body so there is no way to isolate it. Is this a minor matter. I believe so. The key is that you will get decent stereo sound of your family and you will be listening to THEM and won't care if you hear a minor hum in the background. For reference, my 3 chip panasonic miniDV camcorder had a minor hum too. But everything else line up so well, I loved that camera.

The key thing with the Lumix Z, is that the audio is crisp and you will get the shot.

Windnoise is an issue with ALL video cameras and addressing it is fairly straightforward. After noticing this on my first outing, I came up with a cheap fix. I cut a square of paper towel and two strips of blue tape, loosely covering the mic. I experimented in medium wind and it suppressed the wind significantly. As you probably know, you can buy blue tape at any Home Depot or probably Staples. If this sounds like a pain, remember, that pro photographers go to a lot more trouble to get great shots, so consider this trivial.

File size of this older model: An 8gb sd card will give you 8min in HD movie mode. Considering most of your shooting will average 30 sec, you've got 16 segments, before you offload to your laptop. How much usage time does the average home video camera in a year? Just 30 min. Some years more, some less.

Should you buy the Z7 instead, with the fancy new AVCHD? Certainly you will get more recording time, but will you need it? What you may get is the hassle of dealing with a new codec to decompress those files, not something you bargained for. On hassles, I almost gave up and chose a Sony, only because it is so user-friendly. But the photos were class C, and Z's were Class A.

By the way, steer clear of the cheaper FH series. It may have HD video, but side by side it with the Z series and you will see its not worth consideration.

For those interested, my runner up is the Canon 780. But its form factor is too small and the lcd shrunken. Its actually not as comfortable to use. And the images are class B.

Hope this helps!

Buy Panasonic LUMIX DMC-ZS6 12.1 MP DIGITAL CAMERA BLACK - 3.0 " TFT Screen LCD Display!! Now

This, the latest in Panasonic's ZS-line of point-and-shoot cameras, is a huge improvement over the ZS3 I previously used (see review at: Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD (Black)), and addresses many of the admittedly minor issues I found with my original camera.

Pros:

The new ZS6 (and it's stablemates the lower end ZS5 and upper end ZS7) now allows complete exposure control. The camera comes with Aperture-Priority, Shutter-Priority, and a Manual Mode that allows adjustment of both. All three of these modes are accessed on the relocated Mode Dial and when in Manual Mode a light meter-type display is superimposed on the screen.

Another big complaint I had was lack of in-camera control of picture adjustment parameters. This has also been addressed, with complete user control over the big four -Contrast, Sharpness, Saturation, and Noise Reduction.

Same great 25mm-300mm Zoom (35mm equivalent) carried over from the previous ZS1/3 line. This is quite simply the best compact travel zoom on the market in my opinion.

Cons:

Battery life is still a major issue, and SterlingTek's remarkable replacement battery (see my review at: SterlingTek's POWWER Panasonic DMW BCG10PP Digital Camera ID secured battery) with much longer life (which I purchased for my ZS3) will not work in the New ZS5/6/7 line. SterlingTek advised me today that they are aware of the problem and are working on a fix.

The ZS6 only allows for one My Scene selection on the main dial. The ZS7 to my understanding retains two because it also retains the separate activation button for video mode whereas the ZS6 has a selection for that on the Mode Dial.

Still no RAW capability.

There is no hard-copy of the instruction manual; it's on the accompanying disc. This is quite simply unacceptable for a camera with this many features and which requires extensive study of the manual to truly master. And I shouldn't have to go to the expense of printing out 150+ pages to make up for this cost-cutting scheme.

Best Deal:

I purchased this camera a month ago at Costco, complete with belt-attach leather case and 2GB card, for just under $290. Then just yesterday I went to Costco and got an additional $50 off because they came out with a coupon for this marvelous point-and-shoot.

Conclusion:

Highly recommended as a backup for your primary DSLR camera, or for when carrying a big, heavy DSLR is not practical.

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic LUMIX DMC-ZS6 12.1 MP DIGITAL CAMERA BLACK - 3.0 " TFT Screen LCD Display!! Here

Note: This is more like 4.5 stars. Panasonic DMC ZS6 is basically a compromise mixture of Panasonic ZS5 and ZS7. It more closer to the ZS5 although some features like 3 inch 460k LCD from ZS7 is there. It is mostly sold through Costco or in this case, Amazon.

I brought this to replace my Panasonic TZ4 which had an unfortunate accident. I must say that as a casual shooter (not a high demanding professional), I found this camera superior to my old TZ4 in just about every single feature. If you are old Panasonic hand, you will be able to get into this camera almost instantly. If not, its still pretty easy camera to learn, they even got a short printed booklet for you. The detail stuff lies in their CD.

The outside photos are quite excellent. Indoor photos are also quite good but I thought the flash was bit on the weak side and I was slightly unhappy that I could not find a flash compensation mode in this camera. My Canon point and shoot like SX120 got one, why not a Panasonic?? The camera was pretty easy to hold and control. It can handled all types of SD cards. It uses a lithium battery with pretty decent lifespan. I shot two videos and 300 photos and the there are still two bars left. I strongly recommend that you carry a spare anyway. The scene modes are pretty good. I tried out their "Ai" mode and it work pretty well. I would have test it out for a prolonged period of time before I can say one way or another. By that time, Panasonic could be out with their "ZS1000" or something.

The video is HD but uses a MPEG mode. There is a certain limitation due to that. You can only use about 2 gig of memory space regardless of the size of your card. I am not really sure why but that is way Panasonic has it designed. But the video is pretty good and it will serves as a back up to my regular camcorder. In this area, I think Canon's point and shoot cameras got everyone beat.

There is a definite improvement in their macro section. It far more clearer then any of the Panasonic I owned before (about ten counting this one). I love the Panasonic camera because of their extra optical zooms. The regular optical zoom is 12x, pretty impressive range at 12 meg mode. When you scale down to 8 meg, the zoom goes up to to 14.7x. When you scale down to 5 meg, the zoom goes up to 18.8x and I usually shoot my p/s camera at that scale. At 3 meg range, you can shoot up to 23.4x zoom, all optical of course. ZS6's 25mm wide angle is truly impressive. When you add the wide angle with the super zoom, you got a camera that is truly awesome in what it can do for you. You won't get this with any other brand name.

Another thing worth mentioning is the autofocus and capture speed. Compared to my old TZ4 camera, this camera is like super fast. Even at 8 meg or 5 meg scale, I was able to focus and shoot and do it again over and over at a speed I thought totally impossible with my old TZ4. This is pretty impressive feature.

So if you are looking for a great point and shoot camera that can take great photos, got good video and impressive range of zoom, this is it.

Want Panasonic LUMIX DMC-ZS6 12.1 MP DIGITAL CAMERA BLACK - 3.0 " TFT Screen LCD Display!! Discount?

Selected the Lumix ZS6 after researching, and changing heart that was set on a Canon. And Costco was selling it for $240, with case and 2gb memory. Hurry, ends in June 2010. So played with it a bit. Like the HD video. Records in MOV format. Very nice, but not like DVD sharp, but still great. Photos are excellent, like top 3, not THE best.

It has manual features up the wazoo it appears. But for a guy like me that doesn't tinker much at this point, the iA (intelligent auto) is amazing. Just set it and forget it. Don't need to worry about exposure, aperature, lighting, not even what scene mode as it picks that by itself as well. Face finder is cool. 3" LCD screen is amazing. Zooming in video is wonderful, something my Sony couldn't do. Feels solid. Feels heavier than most it's size.

Will be on vacation in July. Will fill in more afterwards.

UPDATE AFTER VACATION:

Took the camera to Albuquerque, Pikes Peak, Oregon coast, Washington coast, Seattle, Vancouver. I use iA mode, for the most part. I think everyone elses comments are right on so, I won't duplicate comments.

Here's what I found with iA mode, the red item on the dial. It worked wonderfully mostly. In the highest zoom, took clear, sharp photos, even though I felt a little unsteady. Because it's wider angle lens, I have zoom in on subjects or objects far more often than cameras with a smaller angles. Image stabilizer worked well. Out of 1000+ photos, I had about 4 that were blurry. This camera did what I want to do, just point and click. For mountain scenes, it picked landscape setting automatically. For faces, the Lumix selected portrait. In dark areas, selects lower light settings. For macros, it selects the macro setting. For scenery way over there, selects infinity setting. I don't do a thing.

It's not perfect. Here's a couple of annoyances. In iA mode, there isn't a quick force flash on setting, only a force flash off. In areas, like shadows or sun behind subject, it wasn't always smart enough to know to flash. In fact, it flashed less than 50% of the time. I wanted to force flash, but doesn't seem to be available in iA mode. So I had to switch to "P" mode to force flash. Also, when you want to do a macro, and the scene is a little busy, it has difficulty to focus on that one object you want clear. Because I don't know the manual settings yet, there were a handful of macro shots I could not take, the iA mode couldn't focus on.

Some reading about this camera said the sound is mono. But it has left and right microphones.

I just want non-blurry, decently lighted photos most of the time. It takes care of that, that my previous Sony DSC-W5 couldn't do.

By the way, I also bought this extra battery, I think 2, with car charger as well for about $35. Works well. Then at another website, bought an 8bg, class 10, memory card, brand AData, for $17. That's what I used. Worked very well. And save tons of money.

Sony Cybershot DSCT5 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black)

I owned the predecessor to this camera, the DSC-T1, for 1 year but dropped it in water last week and killed it. I tried drying it out for a few days but when I plugged it into the charger it just got overheated. I liked my DSC-1 and had paid $500 for it so when I was shopping and comparing cameras I was happy to see that Sony upgraded to the DSC-T5 with many improvements in the last year. I got this almost as soon as it hit the stores and paid $345 more technology for a cheaper price. Here are several reasons I chose this camera again over higher MP rivals and brands:

1 I love the slim, sleek design and the large 2.5" viewing screen which is larger than most cameras, large or small, provide.

2 The Carl Zeiss lens takes a very crisp, clear picture with 5.1 MP but you must make minimal adjustments to the built-in configuration with the camera once you take it out of the box. Otherwise, you will see darkened and blurred photos if you use the factory settings.

3 This camera practically fits in the palm of my hand and it does fit into a shirt pocket or a back seat jeans pocket to go anywhere, and it does go everywhere with me. I do not recommend the back seat pocket though. You can also use the supplied wrist strap for portability (and safety) and you should definitely buy a small, padded protective case.

4There is no pop out lens, you just flip down the small plate on the face and you have instant power, ready to snap a pic in 2 seconds.

5 The movie length is only limited to the size of your memory card, unlike most camera that have more MP but are limited to 3 minute movies. Good for when I want to film speeches or mini-movies such as: my 2 nieces having a watermelon eating contest. A 1 GB stick = 12 minute movie. I paid $75 for a 1 GB stick and there is a 2 GB available so far (SanDisk makes a compatible version of the Sony stick and SanDisk is almost half the $)

6 Even though I killed my DSC-T1, the battery, memory, adapters etc are compatible so I can use them all with the DSC-T5 EXCEPT the docking station from the T1 does not fit the T5.

7 The DSC-T5 has a faster shutter speed THANK GOD because the only think I disliked about the T1 is that, by the time I hit the button to take the picture, there was a 3-4 second delay between the flash and the actual picture being taken. Most people lost their smile thinking that the flash meant the picture had been taken. Sony fixed that problem with the T5

8 I seriously considered buying a camera with 8, 10, or 12 MP and pretty much decided on the Canon EOS Digital Rebel because a friend who is a professional photographer has it and he loves it, even better than his Nikon. The Canon shutter speed is much faster and I will probably buy it later when I am ready for a professional camera. However, the Canon is bulky and this Sony is so small and sleek it goes everywhere with me, is very light and I love the compact design. I have a small leather pouch that I had with my T1 and the T5 fits fine. It clips on my belt or I throw it in my purse and I am out the door. You can not do that with the Canon Digital Rebel. Make sure to get a camera bag for this camera, it is very delicate. My leather one was $25, it clips on my belt and it holds the camera, extra memory sticks and an extra battery.

9 The T5 is lighter than my T1 was but the ONLY things I would change are . . . had to be something rightthe camera body on the new T5 is very shiny and glares like a mirror in sunlight. The old T1 had a flat silver surface and no glare. Another thing I wish for is you can not use zoom while in movie mode, but it has a great zoom while in picture mode. The movie screen size can be adjusted and yes, the movie is a little grainy but you see and hear people from 15 feet away with no problem. I would also like to plug the camera into my laptop and store movies directly to my hard drive rather than transferring them later via the supplied cable. However, transfer time from camera to PC is very fast with the supplied USB cable and software and the cable will also plug into your TV for a slide show.

10 If you have patience, the next generation of this camera is due to hit the shelves in Jan 06 and should have a 6 MP with a flat black body optionmuch like the RAZR. Should be other improvements that Sony is just releasing and you can get the latest on that from the Digital Camera Review website where I get valuable info (I swear this is an independent review I do own this camera and I do not write for anybody)

Overall, I like this camera for its convenience and 5.1 MP delivers a very nice photo quality picture. Great convenience.

Inside this tiny little camera is a digital photgraphy powerhouse. My ONLY complaint is you cannot zoom while taking movies. Otherwise, the camera takes beautiful pictures (using one of many settings) and you can even take pictures in a widescreed HD format! The 2.5" LCD screen on the back is so large, you can see every detail of your pictures as you take them. And the biggest plus, your length of movies is limited only by the size of memory stick. If your memory stick is 1GB, you can take one continuous movie using the entire memory (About 14 minutes, depending on subject movement, lighting etc.)

If you use a digital camera for auction purposes, the magnifying glass setting will capture the smallest of detail for super close up photography.

An excellent camera for the price. Don't hesitate, you will be very pleased.

Buy Sony Cybershot DSCT5 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black) Now

This camera really takes good pictures. It is so small and light that it goes just about anywhere. Sony really did a nice job with the Lithium battery. It's one of the few that actually tells you the time you have left to take pictures.

The only thing I could find wrong with this camera is the movie feature. While the sound is good the image is grainy.

Read Best Reviews of Sony Cybershot DSCT5 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black) Here

In the technical specifications above, it says that this camera will take "Memory Stick PRO Media". It will not. It will only take "Memory Stick Duo" and "Memory Stick Pro Duo" memory (the 1/2 size little Sony memory sticks) -such as this part number: SDMSPD-1024-A10

Love the camera.

Want Sony Cybershot DSCT5 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black) Discount?

the online pictures do not do this camera justice... the black color makes it quite elegant, and the combination with silver and the svelte body is downright sexy. Sony has always been known for their design edge, and the T5 does not disappoint. the 2.5" LCD is large and bright, updates instantaneously with movement, and shows lots of detail; the matte coating helps the viewing under bright lighting. the operation of the camera is simple, because Sony has put very few buttons on the camera itself (most of the options will be via the internal menu). by the way, changing shooting options are updated live via the screen, so it's nice to get a glimpse of how that photo will look at EV+7 vs EV-7.

with any camera, the most important part obviously is the actual quality of the photo. with the T5, you're getting 5mp of very nice, clear photos. however, cameras with the internal zoom design tend to produce softer looking results, and T5 is not excluded; this means that at 100% viewing, the details are simply not as sharp as some of the cameras that use an external zoom design. (keep in mind that the tradeoff is very fast start-up times, slim and small body, and less "conspicuousness" -nothing screams "tourist" more than when those zoom lens start popping out.) but 70% and below, the pictures become very sharp and clean, and realistically, no one is buying this camera and expecting to use the photos without resizing, so the lens design can't really be considered a flaw. that said, 8x11 prints are very do-able with this camera. the colors are very natural, though perhaps comparatively cool if you look at Nikon or Canon (it's a matter of preference); if you'd like warmer photos, you can boost the saturation inside the camera menu. under less than optimal conditions (ie, indoors), camera shake becomes a problem, especially with today's diminutive models. T5 doesn't have a image stabilizer, so getting sharp photos indoors can be tricky, and the softness problem (from lens design) gets worse at the same time. i've figured out 2 ways around it. one, you can depress the shutter button completely at once (not the half press focus, then full press shoot); the camera will quickly focus and take the photo, and since you're using 1 motion, you decrease the chance of hand movements. the other is to use Burst mode: take 3-4 photos at once, then choose the best. using this latter method, usually 60-70% of the results i get are quite sharp and suitable for printing.

camera buying today is tricky business; you can't go by just the brand, since even famous makers produce flops (eg, Nikon's S series take pictures that are notorious for their blurry corners despite the reputation of the maker). the Sony T5 does not disappoint overall, because it doesn't have that many flaws; except for the lack of an image stabilizer, it has all the features a point-n-shooter (and even more advanced photographers needing a 2nd camera) will want and handles almost all lighting situations well, producing clean, pleasing results. at the end of the day, a camera is only as good as you learn to operate it; learn the weaknesses of a particular model, figure out how to bypass it, and you'll get great results everytime. with that said, in terms of pricing, design, and photo quality, it doesn't get much better than the T5; you'll not only get good photos, but look good taking them too.

Pentax Q 12.4 MP CMOS Sensor Kit with 8.5mm 1.9 AL Prime Lens(White)

My main camera is a K-x with a slew of Pentax "limited" lenses. So I was a bit concern about the small sensor on the Q. However I am more than please with the image quality. Certainly is in not as good as an APC size sensor. But the results are significantly better than anything I expected. Up to 800 iso the results are almost comparable. Above 800 iso the noise is an issue, for me, not usable above that figure. On my K-x I get acceptable results all the way up to 4000 iso.

However the results I am getting are better than anything I have seen with a 4/3 system, which I think is the intended compotition. Given the size of the camera and the build quality I am very happy I bought it. The Kit lens has outstanding optical quality and a classic 50mm lens equivalent (47mm) field of view. The "02 Stand zoom" has some barrel distortion issues but they are correctable with in camera software and the zoom range right in the popular range 28-85mm equivalent.

Overall this is a fantastic camera for street photography. It fits into your coat pocket and you can take it anywhere. I ofter forget it's even in my pocket, it's so tiny. But the quality is still about 90% of my considerable larger Pentax K-x. It has all the same SLR type functions as well and a slew of digital filters.

I would recommend looking through samples in the "Pentax Q" group on Flickr.

I bought this camera on a whim thinking it would be fun to play with. Well, it's that & a whole lot more. It feels like a little brick in your hand. The controls are laid out just right. And most of all the pictures are excellent. After all what is a camera made for? To take pictures,right. So forget all this crap about sensor size, how many lines per inch, and all the so called professional reviews.

If a camera feels good in your hand & the pictures are great & you enjoy taking pictures with it. That's the one for you.

By the way I've been in photography for forty plus years.

John

Buy Pentax Q 12.4 MP CMOS Sensor Kit with 8.5mm 1.9 AL Prime Lens(White) Now

The idea of a compact system camera is to take the important internal bits of a DLSR and pack them into a smaller package. This is a small package. Heck, it's tiny really. With the lens off, it's a small, compact camera. With the lens it's obviously a bit bigger, but should fit just fine in a jacket pocket or small case. It's smaller and lighter than either the competitors (I'm thinking GF3 or NEC-C3) but perhaps not meaningfully since they'll all fit in a jacket pocket, and none of them will go in your pant pocket.

Okay, good enough so far, but the sensor (which of course is THE big deal in a DSLR) is a small 1/2.3 inch unit. Same size as that found in low-end compact cameras. You might have interchangeable lenses, but it's a compact camera sensor that is good for its size but is still very small. That means noticeable noise even at ISO 250 and no real ability to go past ISO 800.

To the Q's credit, it has a very fast f 1.9 lens that lets in twice as much light as the GF3's f 2.5 or the NEX-C3's f 2.8 lenses. And there is sensor-based image stabilization. The combination leads to respectable low-light performance at moderate ISO.

Oh. Performance. Yeah, here the camera falls flat on its face. The autofocus takes forever (multiple seconds), powering on takes an eternity (four seconds at least), and there's a terrible gap between autofocus confirm and the actual shutter. Compact camera performance really. And this is after firmware upgrades. Video looked okay, but I'm not an expert.

Pros:

Really quite small

Interesting lens options, this fast 47mm equivalent, the zoom, fisheye...

Very well built

Different than anything else out there

Good low light performance

With the small sensor, real possibilities of interesting lenses such as a super-ultra-mega-zoom (30x or more)

Menus from the Pentax DSLR line

1080p video with stereo mic built in

Cons:

Tiny image sensor which...

...leads to noise at high ISO

...has locked you into the 1/2.3in world which may or may not be a success

...has a lot of cheap, compact camera heritage seen in...

...slow autofocus and slow operation, delay on shutter

Quite expensive

So, in essence, I kinda like this camera, but it's not for everyone. There are real compromises in its construction and perhaps too much focus on miniaturization. For the money, I'd seriously consider other options before jumping for the Q and would probably recommend waiting for version 2 on the Q on general principle.

Full disclosure: I received this camera free of charge for the purpose of reviewing it.

Read Best Reviews of Pentax Q 12.4 MP CMOS Sensor Kit with 8.5mm 1.9 AL Prime Lens(White) Here

I have read all the reviews of this little Pentax camera I could find before purchasing. Many people are focused on the image sensor size and various other technical aspects but for me the overall experience with the camera interface, capabilities and image quality are the real measure of success.

Overall this is probably best classified a niche camera and not intended to replace your higher end DSLR units.

The camera is physically small but not too small to handle or use. Lens system is tiny but good optically. Camera body is 3.9 x 2.3 x 1.2 inches. I purchased an adapter to use normal sized Sony and Pentax lenses with the Q. The use of the larger dslr lenses extends the cameras usefulness a bit but changes footprint dramatically.

I find the Pentax Q a very small full featured and capable camera. Startup time for my unit is on par with all my other big bodied DSLR cameras. The focus speed is certainly not the fastest but mine will focus within 1.5 seconds max with kit lens. All the normal manual and automatic features are available that I normally use from my Pentax K-r or other.

I restrict the ISO settings to 1250 max for low light photos and have taken excellent pictures. Yes the image sensor size does limit the very high ISO ranges based on noise introduced but most cameras have this limitation. The dual position flash is interesting solution to avoid lens light blockage. The HDR in camera process works well.

Writing speed of images to SD card is acceptable when saving both RAW+JPG images at same time. Just saving RAW or JPG images are as expected much quicker with a decent image burst speed for an inexpensive camera.

Rechargable battery provides me with about 200 continuous use images without flash.

It is not a Pentax K-5,Sony SLT-A77 or Nikon J1. Think more of a Panasonic LX5 with interchangeable lenses. In my opinion, if you are interested in a TINY interchangeable lens camera with dslr like capabilities then this is a good choice.

Want Pentax Q 12.4 MP CMOS Sensor Kit with 8.5mm 1.9 AL Prime Lens(White) Discount?

Don't read the paper specs and do the knee jerk reaction of "oh it's a small 1/2.3'' sensor, so it must not be any good."

The Q is a great little photographer's tool and a lot of fun. The sensor does better than most think and combined with the fast 01 prime lens, it is far more capable than many think. I have the LX5 and in lower light the Q outclasses it (not saying the LX5 is a bad camera, it's also a nice camera).

The other thing that is missed is that the Q has perhaps the best photographer centric controls of any camera in its size and actually, several bigger cameras than it. This may sound silly but when you are doing photography, the more the camera "gets in your way" the less intuitive the workflow from seeing to capture is.

The Q also sports some rather odd characteristics that punch way above its weightlike 1/250th external flash sync (that's in medium semi pro DSLR territory), unibody magnesium-alloy build (like a pro dslr), full photographic controls in an easier to use interface than many other cameras.

The bigger cons of this camera has been its launch price. At $375 USD here at Amazon the price it's more than a share of fair, as you get a nice lens too. If you have a chance to see one in person pick one, it's just not the same as seeing it in pictures.

The Q is quite a capable camera if you are interested in pushing your photography and sticking with it, pros and cons. It's a camera you can "wear" and carry at all times with its prime lens, and other lenses could even fit in your other pocket. And with the latest firmware upgrade Pentax released a while back the speed of operation improved in a notable way (i.e. it no longer takes 4 seconds to bootnot at all).

Think of it as a digital Diana or Holga thanks to its jpeg filters and customization, but with the capability to punch much higher than that when used judiciously with RAW. And it's fun.

BL-VT164WP HD - H.264 Wireless Pan-tilt Network Camera, (White)

I have used Panasonic Network Cameras (C131A and C230A) for years with generally good results, and when my C131A unit failed, I purchased this one, as Amazon referenced this product as a newer version of the C230A. As any users of these Panasonic Network Camera's know, it is not a trivial process to get these cameras up and running with all the port forwarding, and wireless configuration settings, but after a few hours, I did get it functioning with my PC. Turns out though, that unlike the previous Panasonic Network Camera's, this one (BL-VT164W) requires viewer software to be installed on your PC, and to view the picture through this software. Contrary to the package that states "Remote Viewing from any computer or smartphone" no picture can be seen on a MAC, iPhone, or iPad. When you use any non-PC device, it asks to download viewing software, but of course there is no viewing software for any device other than a PC. Panasonic Technical Support verified that this product does not work on a MAC or mobile devices. Waste of time, as this product clearly is not as advertised. Will return.

I was skeptical when ordering this camera, as it has such a poor review rating on Amazon. All other panasonic cameras have excellent track record with consumer, but not these latest BL-VT batches. Why? Panasonic made a foolish decision of designing entire UI around some Windows IE plugin. So if you go to the cameras webpage on anything other than IE, it will not do or show ANYTHING. Even if you go to page with IE at first it shows nothing, you must install the plugin, then tweak IE security setting to allow it to run, and only then can you finally access the admin page. This is a major flow for me as I am mostly an OS X/Apple user. Thankfully there is Virtual Machine, so I was able to get Windows 8 running n OS X, then I spend an hour troubleshooting these tweaks above. And Finally Voila -Admin interface for camera pops up. The interface is powerful and allows many cool configuration tricks -resolution, motion detector, alarm trigger, and so forth.

Contrary to popular belief on these Amazon comments, you can view the camera image in ANY browser, using the . So these pains are onl related to configuring the camera and using some of the advance features. Furthermore, this camera is onvif compliant, so MANY iPhone, Android, OSX, Windows, Linux, and so forth, software supporting onvif will allow you to view the image, pan and tilt, zoom, change resolution, and so forth.

**The One big feature I could not get to work is, two way audio. The methods listed above for viewing video all work well and as far as I could tell miss only one feature, besides configuration tweaks. I could not figure out how to 'speak into the camera' from any iPhone App or non-IE browser. You can hear the sound, but you can not talk back, which is a shame, because using IE Plugin as a client you can speak with the person on the other end, without any additional hardware, which is rad!

So this bring me to this frustration point. I took a leap of faith ordering this camera, having never seen or used a panasonic Ip camera of its class. I was hoping it would look as good as it does on the photos. It looks way better! Its a very well designed piece of hardware. The features are amazing, it has 3 pairs of dry contacts, so you can make it work with ANY standard home automation system, door strike relay, alarm panel, and so forth. The image is good., It not only supports two way audio (with IE only -see above), but the microphone and speaker are built in. It has a well functioning motion and heat sensor. Its is cute to boot! And I think the value is hard to argue with. I could not find many alternatives for IP Cams that cost around $250...this is a VGA price range today. Add the extra features above and and you can hardly find any alternative. The closest maybe Axis M1054, which has no wifi, no pan and tilt, and costs $100 more!

So, yes all this considered, its frustrating that in todays age of so many options interbrowser/interplatform options, some fool at Panasonic decided that the way to go is make this camera fully usable and fully configurable ONLY with the use of an IE plugin and limit their market share to not just window users, but those willing to figure out the plugin install and security tweaks. Its a foolish move, and doubly disappointing when the hardware is so sweet and well thought out. Also it seems that previous version of panasonic cameras have a universal webadmin interface, so this was a conscious change for the worst.

I will keep my camera, because for the price, I am willing to deal with IE only admin panel, and no 2 way sound through iPhone, but I think most people would take the easier route and get an Axis or similar competition camera for more money. So I hope Panasonic reads these little reviews and makes so software changes quick, before this awesome product goes the way of Palm or Motorola. i.e.: companies with amazing hardware, but frustrating as hell UI experience.

Buy BL-VT164WP HD - H.264 Wireless Pan-tilt Network Camera, (White) Now

Bought this camera as a replacement for a BL-C131 that died. I have owned Panasonic cameras from the BL-C30, C131, C230 and now this VT164WP. This is not an improved BL-C230 camera it is an entirely new camera with very little in common. Some improvements, a few steps backward.

It connects to your network much like the older Panasonic cameras. You need to have a working knowledge of IP addresses, port forwarding, and MAC address filtering to set this camera up just like with the older Panasonics. I have my camera connected via a LAN cable to my router. The older cameras had two MACs, one for the hard wired connection, and a seoncd MAC for the wireless interface that was one digit higher than the wired interface MAC. I THINK this camera gets away with one MAC, but I haven't explored that thoroughly. At any rate, the wireless MAC address can be easily viewed under the "Wireless", "Status" menu.

Once you get it on the net, you will find an entirely new user interface when viewing through your web browser. No more PTZ "joystick" type controls in the left control pane. The PTZ controls are below the picture. The presets must be selected from a drop down menu (not the preselect position numbers 1 thru 8), and then you must click a "Go" button. Not nearly as handy as the old interface.

The new sensor provides a clearer picture. The panning range is about the same as the 230 series cameras, but the tilt range is less. The sensitivity in low light situations is improved due to the ability to set sensor shutter speed and thus lengthen the exposure. You will trade off sensitivity for blurry motion, but it does work well and I found a balance between acceptable sharpness with good exposure in dark locations. I rate this feature as an improvement over the older cameras.

The motion detection and controls are all new too. WIth the older cameras you set motion sensitivity and threshold once, it it applied to all positions and the entire viewing screen. Simple, but could be a problem when you had shadows of trees setting off the motion detector needlessly. This new camera has a differeint approach. You set motion sensitivity and threshold separately for each preset position (Home, Far Upper Left, etc.) AND within each preset position you have up to 4 motion zones you can select (by drawing a rectangle on your screen) and set the sensitivity and threshold separate for each zone. What does all this mean? First, if you set the motion for say the Home preset position, then at a later time move the camera once or two clicks to the left or right (or up or down) off of the Home position, your camera will not catch motion it is not in its Home position. You need to set motion detection up for each and every preset postion you have set if you want it to trigger on motion for those positions. This can be a pain, but it does give you much more control over what is captured. Second, for each preset position, you can set up to 4 different zones of motion detection each with a different (or same) sensitivity and threshold. So say you're in your Home position, you could set a zone on the left side to catch all motion with a high sensitivity and low threshold, and on the right side where you have problems with tree shadows moving, you could set a 2nd zone with a lower sensitivity and higher threshold. Again, you can define up to 4 different zones for each position, but you don't have to. For most of my positions I just set one zone to capture the whole viewed area and set the sensitivity and threshold to balance desired captured motion vs false triggers. These new controls can be a bit daunting, and the instruction manual does a very poor job of explaining them in English (nothing new here), but once you experiment with them you'll get the hang of it and have a lot of control over motion detection. Most of the time you'll just set one zone for the entire viewed video area.

And there are additional features new to this camera. A Privacy Zone control where you can select up to two zones that you do not want the camera to display, and backlight compensation where you can set zones that provide very bright illumination and compensate for it. I have not tried these features yet.

Unlike previous Panasonic cameras this camera has no internal memory to capture motion detection and review later. You have to set up email or FTP forwarding to capture triggered motion. I consider this a big disadvantage for my purposes. I really depended on the internal memory to review captured motion. Now I have set the camera to forward all motion to my email address, and I have to perform a lot of email management.

Sidenote: I have no trouble viewing and hearing audio over my Android phone using the IP Cam Viewer app. And I can view the video on my new PC running Windows 7. But I have yet to get audio to come through on my Windows 7 PC. The camera defaults to G.726 audio, and Windows 7 does not natively support the G.726 codec. I downloaded the Sharp G.726 codec to my Win7 laptop and got it to receive the camera's audio, but I have yet to crack the code and get a codec that will work on my new Win7 PC. I'm sure it's me and just a matter of time until I get it working. The camera does allow you to change the audio coding to G.711, and when I do that I receive the audio thru my new PC just fine. But that causes other problems with my Android phones, so I'm gong to stay with the G.726 setting and work through the problems on my new PC. Just a "heads-up."

All in all, this is a new camera, with a new viewer interface and a new control and setup interface. It will take you time to get used to. There are some nice features they added, but they can bog you down at times. There are some mis-steps as well: No internal memory, smaller tilt range, a somewhat confusing interface that is not as nimble as the previous interface. I wish Panasonic had stayted with their previous interface and added the new functionality and setup menus as needed. They just had to go and change things. I doubt I'll be ordering any more of these VT164WP cameras unless Panasonc provides a software/firmware update to the camera that offers going back to their previous interface.

Update 11/8/2012: I finally figured out how to get the audio to come through my new Windows 7 PC. I needed to download and install a new version of Java. After that the G.726 audio comes through fine. I still am mnot happy with the new User Interface. This camera and its interface was obviously designed by "geeks" who play with drivers, ports, and security settings all day. An internet camera for the public should not have to be this difficult to set up and use.

Read Best Reviews of BL-VT164WP HD - H.264 Wireless Pan-tilt Network Camera, (White) Here

Excellent image quality, alarm functionality, and remote access. But, no internal storage of images associated with timers or alarm. Must externally record, FTP to server, or e-mail images in order to subsequently review images associated with alarms. These little cameras continue to work well inside and, if protected from rain, outside down to 15 below zero F.

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Almost all IP cameras are a pain to configure and setup and the Panasonic BL-VT164 WP is no different. If your lucky your efforts to setup port forwarding will be successful. Once setup though this camera has better than average image quality in well lighted areas.

I use this camera to remotely monitor and I don't record or require notifications so I can't comment on those features.

Despite other what other reviews say, I was able to view on my iPhone and iPad without the need of an app or other software.

Simply type your external ip address with the port forwarded to and add /cam.

Ex: 62.257.140.9:80/cam

Viewing on Internet with Internet Explorer will require a small download for audio and video control software.

Unfortunately IP cameras are not yet user friendly so expect to do some research and understanding of router setup and port forwarding.

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The 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.