SVAT PI1000 Covert MPEG4 DVR - Recording System with Built-in Color Pinhole Surveillance Camera Hid

Covert MPEG4 DVR Recording System with Built-in Color Pinhole Surveillance Camera Hidden in a Motion Sensor

This is a supper covert motion sensor little camera. Lots of modes, qualities and sensitivity to choose from in the menu. Stand alone with batteries or use supplied 12v adapter. I called Support to ask a couple of questions and the guy was unrushed and pleasant. You can paint or camouflage all but the lens, so concealment will be easy. The motion sensor is through the pinhole lens at the bottom. Plays on your TV or load to computer with card reader. The picture quality is very acceptable and in color. I'm tempted to spring for another one. Keep an eye on your vehicle or campsite while your off having fun.

Rob

This video recording does not work well when I put it in continuous mode.

I wanted it to record over the beginning when memory is filled.

What happened is it will record and play back properly untill the memory is filled up. After that the screen goes blank (black) every other second. This makes it very hard to view the video. It may miss some action when you need it. It is ashamed such a good product with a bad bug.

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At first I debated this product due to mixed reviews, but knew I had to at least try it. The installation is not difficult at all. If you're hands on and like tinkering with things then this is for you. The instruction book will make it seem harder to operate than it really is. One you plug it in and get it going you can easily navigate the menu screen and figure out how to get it working, but it works! As for lighting you will need to place this in a well lit area, so don't put it facing sunlight or bright light or it's pointless. At night time there is nothing but darkness because this is not a night vision ready camera. I love that it comes with an SD storage card that you can also view from your laptop computer and the quality is also clear. I tried it on Media Player on Windows Vistas and it worked, but you don't need a computer to playback. The video will play back on a t.v. if you have the audio video plug-ins, can be hooked up to the ones on a VCR, DVD, or DVR. As for batteries it's still working pretty well with standard energizer batteries that aren't lithium, but there is also an AC adapter included it can run off of. If you want to use that you need to mount the camera (mounting bracket included) close to a wall plug. The mounting bracket is not difficult to install, it has a a small circular mounting plate with three screws, plus and extended arm, which I left off and just used the swivel bracket which will tighten once you know the direction you want the camera pointing. I like the product it is on the pricey side, but well worth catching shady people, especially if you live in an apartment building where too many people from management to maintenance have keys to your place and you can't always know when they come. If the price ever goes down I would be quick to buy another one.

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SVAT Electronics Covert MPEG4 DVR With Built-In Color Pinhole Camera in PIR Sensor This Camera was easy to set up and takes just seconds however but you need a TV with digital hold in order to set it up. Which is easy if you have a TV less than 10 yrs old. I bought an old TV to try to monitor and set up several SVAT systems but it didn't work. As soon as I hooked it up to a newer TV it worked perfectly an was set up in seconds.

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Bought this because someone was taking the bulbs out of garage light. Thought I knew... this proved it .. every bit from entering yard to taking bulb. Clear video, gets only the action when in motion mode. Small card holds days of video clips. Setting on next to least sensitive... it got a grasshopper who flew in front of it.. Can't say enough about the qualitiy of this camera. It also greatly impressed the deputy who saw it before suggesting the bulb stealer stay out of my yard. I had it plugged in electricity. The videos are extremely clear for at least 60 feet... and that is from inside building looking out. Can't say enough about the amazing quality.

Sony LMD1410 14 Inch LCD Professional Video Monitor

Having owned and used two of these Sony's for a couple of years in a professional video production setting, I'd recommend the LMD-series with one exception: poor audio design.

With Sony's long-standing reputation as a leader in audio products, I was both surprised and disappointed that it would put out a professional grade, state of the art TV monitor with just MONAURAL audio jacks, and a very poor (inadequate) amplifier/speaker combination. If you're going to have an audio in/out loop thru for each source, why not have stereo in/outs?

Professional VTRs recordings have often used "narration only" on one audio track and music bed or "nat sound" on the other, so only having one track go thru the cue monitor can be confusing.

I use this model constantly in cueing and playback of DVD & tape/DVR segments for hotel, theatre, and concert events; and I almost always have to bring a separate Fostex or Anchor powered monitor speaker to be able to hear clearly whatever source I am cueing or playing. There just isn't much volume behind the built-in speaker. And some audio sources overload the front end of the built in amp, giving the impression of a distorted source material.

I have Pentium-90 (i.e., OLD!) laptops that have better built-in volume and audio quality than this Sony.

Apart from sound, the video features (both in 4:3 and 16:9, and underscan modes) are everything a video pro could ask for. It's nice having A/B switching between two composite inputs (as well as a separate button to switch to a component/RGB third source), to minimize the number of monitors I need on a setup. And having S-video (Y/C mini-DIN) loop thru on the composite input (in addition to BNC) saves cabling and D/A patching on S-video sources. NTSC and PAL systems are supported in the menu.

A P-I-P (picture in picture window) option would have been nice (like on my home Sony, which even has an A/B swap between the PIP windows).

Rack-mount bracket options and standard VESA (100mm) mounting holes (for wall or arm mount), round out the versatility for the end-user, in addition to the stock table stand.

Even though this model is now discontinued (2010), it can still be found at various Sony dealers, and here on Amazon.com. The replacement model is the LMD-1530W (which is widescreen format).

Toshiba PDR-M81 4MP Digital Camera with 2.8x Optical Zoom

This is my first digital camera. I've seen other digital cameras in the 3+ megapixel range and this beats all of them. The picture quality is amazing. It's very easy to use and all the features in the camera are for the beginners/novices, but I guess if you're into professional features you wouldn't be spending under a grand. As far as the other comments I read, the USB connection has no flaws on my computer. It's quick and easy to use on the two picture software I have. The only flaws are the battery use and the 8 meg card that it comes with. Upgrade to the 128 meg and take 2400 X 1600 pics up to 84 times. Also, upgrade to NiMh rechargable batteries.

I have had this camera about a month now. It takes beautiful photos outdoors and the zoom is great. It's easy to use. I haven't used the movie mode since I already have a great digital camcorder. This is my 3rd digital camera. The last one was a Toshiba 2.1 megapixel and it was okay, but the 4.2 megapixels make the jump to 35mm quality photos. The largest I've made a photo was 8x10 so far, but it was clear and not a pixel in sight. A definite "keeper".

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I have the toshiba M81 and I have had a great time with it. I am new with the digital camera routine and this camera seems so easy to use and the quality of the photos (even on the low image) are great and print out so clear. It takes great pictures in low light without a flash. This was one quality that I wanted. I am so pleased with the camera that I also bought one for my son and his wife. He has emailed me several pictures and again, the quality is superb.

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Overall, this is a nifty lil' 3 megapixel camera.

Pros:

Solid contruction.

Ample features

Excellent image quality

Ease of use

Good value for money

Cons:

Toshiba is not really a camera mfr. Amazon sells better cameras made by camera-only mfrs.

Lacks more advanced features, such as appropriate ISO step boosts.

Internal flash can cause red-eye too often

Although this camera has a lot going for it, don't get it. Amazon features many more cameras in the 3+ megapixel range that are superior. In particular, for a similar price as this one, look at the Nikon Coolpix line of excellent digital cameras.

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I found this camera to take good pictures for a 4.2 MP, and I love the short videos it can record. It's user-friendly. Mine has worked well for about three years now. I am getting ready to get a new camera, however, and I've decided to go with a Canon. Canon has a much better reputation for good customer service, and that is important to me. With my Toshiba, I was just fortunate not to have anything break down.

JVC Everio GZ-MG670 80GB HDD Camcorder (Black)

This is a decent camera for the money. Large HD and easy to use laser-touch controls make using the camera a breeze. BUT--the camera records the video files in a file format called .MOD. This is different from the standard .mwv/.avi/.mov files which are supported by most media players and video editing programs. JVC provides a very sub-par program which allows users to download/manage/edit/convert the files, but because this camera records in this MOD format, users are stuck, forced to use the JVC-provided software. This software is fine for very simple home use--uploading to YouTube or converting to iPod, but if you want to do anymore than that (like use the files in Windows Movie Maker) forget it. They won't work. To get these MOD files into a usable format, there are a few MOD file converters out there, but be prepared to try each to find the one that works for your needs and then shell out additional $ for the software.

My taking the time to discover all this was more of an inconvenience than anything else, but buyers need to be aware of what they are getting with the Everio BEFORE they buy.

The ease of use, and quality for the money CANNOT be disputed..... I have been using this camera for a while now, and all around, it's great.

The software is well rounded and refined, and the features are second to none. I bought this, and have NO regrets whatsoever. Don't be put off because of the movie file extensions, as it is not a problem like the guy in the other review said. If you are not computer literate, then buy the VERY handy dvd burner that is directly compatible with this camera, also made by JVC, which is Everio/hd Share Station Portable DVD Burner, model number CUVD3. Just type that into amazon and search, easy as pie.

overall, a fantastic camcorder, and VERY EASY to use... even I figured it out without the instruction book.

Awesome system, just get it and don't get bogged down in the complications of the other camcorders available....

5 stars, my highest recommendation.

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I've had this camera for a about a week now, so far it's exceeded my expectations. Here was few points of criteria for me:

1. Trying to stay around the 300 dollar budget (factoring in the cost of flash cards vs. built in hard drive allowed for a leverage of going over). 80GB = 19 hrs of recording time at the highest level settings, more then enough for vacation, christmas, babies first step and then some! I look at it as a plus, how many people do you know or how many times have you used a tape and re-recorded over some event, accidentally...

2. Good lens, provides good zoom range, plus some sort of stabilization (digital seems to work fine for me), would of preferred optical stabilization though.

3. Low lux, this camcorder, based on the reviews I read, had better then average for standard def video against camcorders at the same price point. Most HD camcorders at this price point performed very poorly.

4. HDMI output, what's not to love about being able to use 1 cable to hook up to the tv?

If you've gotten this far, and done a little research on this camera, then you've read the complaints about movie file format. Well, they work fine in windows 7, plays them fine, right off the camcorder with windows media player, and can be edited by windows movie maker, only issue with it, is that is doesn't read time & date stamps that are associated with each .mod file.

Pros:

small, price, hdmi output, recording time.

Cons:

no mic input, not sold on the laser touch functionality.

I've included a link below for the review site that helped me in my decision.

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Love this camcorder!! Took this on my wedding cruise and the videos are great and the zoom is unbelievable!!! Battery life was very good also, although I did take a spare battery with me but I never used it. It is very easy to use and not hard at all to figure out all of the functions.

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We bought the camera to replace our 10-year old Panasonic PV-L50 VHS camcorder. I tested a display model at a local Best Buy and was amazed at the clarity of the pciture when I zoomed to maximum and was able to read clearly a small sign (letters between 1/2-inch and 1-inch high) about 60 feet at the end of the aisle). The display model was the last one available, so I passed on it there, and bought it through Amazon.

The JVC is light and easy to hold. The "record" button is easily accessible without being too close that you can accidentally hit it.

Before buying, I read reviews about JVC cameras and was somewhat concerned about ease of editing film clips. The reviews made it seem a complex process. I'm a novice with digital camcorders, so this was my biggest fear. As it turns out, once I became familiar with Windows Movie Maker, there was nothing to fear. If you're unfamiliar with Windows Movie Maker (it came with my Windows Vista), be prepared to spend an hour or two to get familiar with that program editing a couple of clips, splicing them together with the storyboard feature, and successfully saving it to a CD or hard drive.

Look at getting the DB Roth deluxe accessory kit for tripods, carrying case, long-lasting battery, and other useful acessories.

Sony DCR-PC55 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom (White)

If you're looking for a camcorder that can produce vivid colors and crystal clear picture, stop reading this review now. This camcorder is not for you.

If you can live with a medicore picture quality, but have the ability to virtually pocket a camcorder anywhere you go, read on.

The Styling:

No doubt, this camcorder exudes sex. Glossy finish with chrome accents. Bling! The styling is very appealing and will demand attention. The physical size is so small, it can be pocketed in a pair of jeans. However, the dimunitive size is also its disadvantage. Stabilizing the camcorder with one hand was a challenge due to it being so light and small. The physcial shape of the camcorder was very awkward to hold. Many times, the index finger would partially cover the lens during taping. It was just natural for the index finger to overlay on top of the lens. The zoom button is positioned for a thumb activation. However, when the thumb is re-positioned to employ the zoom button, the grip on the camcorder is compromised. The user will feel like the camera will drop from their hands when using the zoom button.

The Picture:

Outside daylight recording is acceptable. Color re-production is decent. There were still some slight noise in the image. However, there was an un-acceptable amount of purple fringing. This can be seen when recording a dark subject against a bright background. For example, point up at tree branches against a cloudy grey sky. The edges of the branch glows purple.

Indoor recording with common household lamps was littered with noise and poor contrast. The overall picture was very grainy. There were no details in black objects. For example, a black leather chair just shows up as a black object with no other details such as wrinkles or texture.

The Audio:

Audio recorded in 16 bit sounded very good. Voices were clear and with faithful reproduction. However, at times, the microphone was able to pick up the actual tape winding mechanism of the camcorder. It was a constant high pitch whine that can be heard during playback. This is most likely due to the fact that the camcorder is so small that the distance between the microphone and the tape motors are minimized. The same condition was exhibited during the usage of the zoom button. Loud clicks can be heard during playback as the zoom button snaps back.

Conclusion:

This is definitley a case study of Quantity vs. Quality. There is a price to pay for ultra portability. In my opinion, the size of this camcorder has reached the point of diminishing returns. In other words, the camera is too small to be ergonimically correct. The size also compromised the audio and video performance. Buy it to impress your friends......just don't let them watch the final result.

The Sony DCR-PC55 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom is aboslute one of the best MiniDV Camcorders on the market. Even at its original retail price, Sony has packed so much technology into that sleek design that it's truly an amazing gadget. Another feature that I totally loved about this Handycam was that the instructions for use were made clear and operating the camcorder is almost as simple as taking photographs. And you don't at all have to worry about being a professional-the Sony DCR-PC55 MiniDV Camcorders computer will help you out. I tend to have a small shake in my hand when I am holding an object for an extended period of time. After I took my first videos, I assumed that when I played it back I would notice the small movment. To my total surprise, this amazing Handycam with 10x Optical Zoom knew that my hand was shaking and immediately compensated for it. To me, that was a feature that was worth a great deal of money in itself.

There are plenty of great features, more than you'll ever need-but everything you need just in case you want it. My neigbor borrowed it on a trip to Hawaii and apologized over and over as they had left it on a patio and it was exposed to about 30 minutes of light rain. They were ready to buy me a new one and I told them the only change in the camera was that it looked at little cleaner! It's not intended to be placed in water, however I discovered (after researching it on the Sony website) that the body of this small but mighty camcorder is sealed in a manner that keeps it somewhat resistant to the elements.

I did a great deal of research and many comparisons. I spent time online and then went to 2 different electronics stores where I could hold and visualize the camera. I fell in love with the compact design and how comfortable it felt in my hand. Since I did plenty of research, all I had to do was wait for a sale and immediately I made the purchase. When I opened the box I had everything I needed to start shooting photograhs, just after I ready the easy instructions for use. They even provide additional support online that answers questions that might not be addressed in the booklet that is included. Sony stands behind this product and has a toll free customer service number if you have any questions or need support that you couldn't find online. They offer a great warranty and my research on returns is basically that there are not that many.

I hope that this review was somewhat helpful. As I mentioned, there is a ton of great information that you can review. When I'm buying something I always appreciate the opinions of others who have actually purchased the products. Typically, I do my own research and THEN I like to read a review that reminds me that I am making a great purchased. Again, I hope this was helpful at least in part!

Peter Cannice

Scottsdale, Arizona

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Pros: Compact, lightweight, portability, easy to use, big screen, good reproduction

Cons: Microphone sensitive to wind, getting used to not having a viewfinder, bad low light performance.

Summary: I picked this camera as an upgrade for my old Canon ZR10. The first reason I chose it was the small size and portability. With a good light conditions, this little beast do its best shots, but in low light conditions this camera disapointed me (specially compared with mi old ZR10). Please don't buy it if you have plans to use it for stills shots because it has a low resolution.

The included handycam station have all the ports (Firewire, USB, power, video) you need to conect it.

The big touch screen is a must, because the screen is the only way to access the camera controls (besides some of them in the edge of the screen).

You can have a camera with more characteristics and better image quality for the same price, but if your concern is the size and portability this will be your best choice in the world of the mini DV format.

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When you buy a product that is designed and meant to fulfill certain needs, just expect the best performance out of those features.

The PC55 is a camera for the everyday home shooter, easy to use and made with the best SONY quality for one of the smallest MINI DV camera ever created.

If you are thinking about buying this camera don't hesitate one minute, this camcorder is one of the kind, it gives you pretty much the flexibility and video quality of a regular camcorder but with the amazing bring-it-in-the-pocket size and all the coolness and attention that it brings along (let it be your best Ice breaker, believe me it works like heaven!). I work for a camera store and let me tell you: we haven't received one return of this model during the time I've worked there (8 months), which proves the high quality SONY has built into this model. I have been using mine for a few months now and all I can say is that "the product is great... period!".

Let's get real, the 500 bucks you are paying for it is not for the film quality kind of movie you get in the picture (for that you need to spend at least a couple of thousand dollars) but the portability and worriless of no need of the big luggage a camcorder used to be in the past" (some times people don't realize a motorcycle couldn't be compared with a truck or vise versa).

About the picture shooting option, well let's see! A camcorder is for videos and a digital camera is for photos, if you want to have them both in one package, that brings excellent quality, you'd have to spend a lot of more money than if you bought them separately, let me explain you in a few words, the average photo quality for a MINI DV camcorder is 1.3mp or lower (the same quality you get out of your cell phone camera) to be honest with you, the manufacturers add this option just to give it an extra feature and at the same time take more money out of your pocket, with tape less digital cameras it happens the same way, the video and sound quality are very poor; so why bother paying more for a camera with both functions being excellent (there are quite a few out in the market now, starting around $1200 for models of similar size) instead buy two little cameras, one for each use, for half of the price.

If you are looking for a cool, high quality & durability MINI DV camcorder with the smallest size available in its kind, The SONY DCR-PC55 is your BEST option.

To finish, I just want to wish you all enjoy, more than the product, the unmemorable moments you will live with your loved ones because of this little fellow.

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I've had this camcorder for a week now and I think it works great .. except for the touch screen feature. That takes a little getting used to .. especially when accessing the special features (such as fader effects) while filming.

The digital still quality is poor when recording directly to the memory stick .. but the same images taken as a still from prerecorded tape is much clearer.

All in all it is a good product .. just takes some getting used to.

C2G / Cables to Go 40303 High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet, Black (1 Meter/3.28-Feet)

The cable performs exactly as expected. I plugged it in and the picture quality is great. The connectors fit firmly and the cable has a good, sturdy feel to it.

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Metz MZ 52822D 28 CS-2 Digital Flash

I have a Canon EOS 1DMarkII with a 580EX flash that only comes out with me for serious shooting trips and assignments. Most of the time I just carry around my Canon SD 800IS camera. What limits most point and shoots is the lack of a proper flash. Forgot that crap in the manual about built-in flash good for 12ft, yeah right, who measured that?

The Metz flash is about the same size as my SD800 or slightly thicker than a pack of playing cards (easy to carry around). It's a lot of plastic, but then again my 1DMarkII and 580EX is a back breaker to carry around. The Metz flash is probably no more susceptible to damage from drops as any digital camera. It works beautifully on auto mode, most point and shoot digital cameras can be trained to work with it, on my Canon SD800 this means firing off a test shot with the Metz in learning mode. There are numerous advanced functions that the Canon external flash for point and shoots don't have, this is why I chose Metz. To be quite honest, when I'm using a point and shoot, I want everything to just work on auto and this is where the Metz excels. If you've never heard of Metz, just speak to pro wedding photographers, this company knows how to make flashes and has been doing it for years.

If the photo is too dark or bright after the flash fired, just press the + or key to immediately adjust and reshoot. It's that simple! The flash head is probably at least 5x larger than the flash on my SD800IS so it does reach beyond 12ft. It comes with wide-angle and telephoto reflectors that are compact and easy to clip on. Flash is rated to 100 shots on 2 fresh batteries; so far I've taken 50 shots and no problems. Easy enough to carry around extra batteries if required.

So you're asking yourself why you don't just dial the ISO to 400 or 800? Almost all point and shoots have crappy grainy images at high ISO and my Canon SD800 is no exception. With the Metz flash I can leave my camera set to ISO 100 all the time and get the sharpest highest resolution photos that my camera can output! Worried about whether you'll actually carry it around? I use 2 $10 neoprene fitted cases I found on eBay to store both my camera and flash and it's hardly noticeable in my jacket pocket. This is a great product that every point and shoot camera owner should have!

****** Jan 2008 Update ******

After 1yr of use I still love this little flash. I see that Canon has made their own small point and shoot flash. The advantage of this Metz flash is that it is not limited to use with any one brand. It syncs with Canon, Nikon, Olympus etc so if you ever change brands you don't have to buy another small flash again.

This little flash is a great slave flash it uses your camera's flash as a trigger (I set my camera's flash to 1/128th power, so its doesn't light the subject, but still triggers the Metz flash). I like that you can set this little flash to the side of a subject for nice modeling light and you can place your camera way away (I've tried 60feet or so), use a long lens and still get great exposures. I bought a second one the two Metz C28's work together beautifully and there is nothing to set up they just work : ).

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This flash was purchased for my Canon Powershot A590 IS. After considering the Canon equivalent of this flash, I purchased the Metz and am very happy with it. The fold-up camera stand stays with the flash, so there is no fear of losing it. The stand length and screw location are adjustable for just about any type of compact camera.

What really sold me on this model was the ability to adapt this flash to a variety of cameras. Although it cost a little more, I like that flexibility.

After a few test shots I was very impressed with the output. I turned off the lights in a small room and used only the camera and Metz flash, with the Metz off to the side and bounced off the ceiling. The room was completely filled with light but there were no harsh shadows. For this flash newbie that is a huge improvement!

The "Easy" mode really is easy. Hit "plus" for more light or "minus" for less, and adjust after reviewing the picture on your camera. One thing that is a little confusing at first: the camera will remember your last setting and make it the new "0." If your last setting was at the highest output, it will appear that only "minus" settings are available for the next picture.

At first the "manual" and "auto" modes did not seem to work. I re-read the manual and finally adjusted the time that the flash measures between pre-flash and flash. This worked, although I am not sure why, since these modes still worked after adjusting back to the original setting.

"Manual" mode allows for adjustments based on desired power output (full power down to 1/16th power); "auto" mode allows for exposure compensation to be set in 1/3 stops, to plus or minus three stops. Camera settings are input in these modes also. (A fourth mode only works with a special master flash.)

One final note: the manual states that the flash must be turned on for 10 minutes once every three months.

Although it took a few tries to get everything working correctly, I am very happy with this flash. A lot of control will be there when I need it. Am looking forward to being able to use flash rather than avoid it.

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I highly recommend the Metz 28CS-2 flash. I now have two of them in addition to my Canon 580 EX Speedlite.

The Metz is a slave flash with no master required. This is not really an oxymoron but This flash is triggered by any on-camera flash, even a flash on a point-and-shoot camera. I use this flash off-camera with both my Canon S90 and my Canon 550D.

Having a slave flash that can be triggered by any on-camera flash is a rare luxury as you usually have to purchase a master flash to trigger an off-camera slave flash and may also have to plug a slave mechanism into a slave flash to use it off-camera.

One caveat is that the accompanying user manual for this flash is nearly impossible to comprehend and may have been written by someone from another planet. Just joking. But do not fear. I try to keep it simple. Here are two ways I have discovered to use this flash.

1. I would suggest using this flash in Manual mode combined with "Preflash suppression" mode with am on-camera flash triggering it. If you do this, be sure to first disable the AF Assist Beam on your DSLR or your point-and-shoot camera.

2. Since I cannot disble the AF Assist Beam on my S90, I use a different mode for this camera. If you cannot disable the AF Assist Beam, you can use it in Manual mode combined with "No preflash suppression" mode with a point-and shoot camera or a DSLR Mounted speedlite. It triggers prematurely with the on-camera flash on my DSLR in this mode when the AF Assist Beam is enabled.

I think one of the two above combinations will work for most cameras.

For either of the methods I just described, I set the exposure manually using the "P1" function. It has an exposure range from 1/1 to 1/16.

This flash is so simple to use and does not require buying into any complicated/expensive flash system to use. I hope Metz does not discontinue this flash although I do see dwindling supplies and think it may be on its way out.

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I received the shipment of the flash unit in short order. I have used the 28 CS-2 about four times. It really makes a difference in my photos. I use it with a small point and shoot Fuji F20 camera which takes real good pictures in low light. The CS-2 flash makes all the difference though as fill flash or as a flash from a different angle it removes alot of shaddow. It also throws light far beyond the limits of the built in flash, of the F20, which is by comparison quite weak. I was in the habit of just turning off the built in flash and forcing the camera to select a slow shutter speed and lower f-stop. It is easy to set up and the learning function is super. The unit is great because it gives you alot of control over the flash. There is a function to control the level of light output and manual settings are provided. It is compact and the bracket, which is collapsable, screws into the tripod mount and is adjustable for length.

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