Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V 18.2 MP Exmor R CMOS Digital Camera with 30x Optical Zoom and 3.0-inch L

For some reason this was available in New Zealand, via Asia, before the US/UK release. I've had it for about a week now. So, it is as spec'ed in the preview comments about it so far from the various websites.

It starts fast, focuses quickly, does not have shutter lag and is easy to handle and has tons of functions. It handles well for its size and does not feel heavy. Having the zoom on the side of the lens is great makes it more stable to hold the camera. I've taken some pretty amazing shots with it the zoom allows good creativity and the low light capability produces detailed and pleasing shots. How much different this camera is to the previous model I'm not really sure in terms of the additional megapixels via the new sensor. My previous camera was a Olympus E620 DSLR in comparison there is less detail with the Sony, although not hugely noticeable on a 23" LCD computer monitor. The camera is a lot of fun to use and it just begs you to be more creative when shooting. The partial colour shots are great. The LCD screen is very good, nice and bright. Nice touch to use the optical viewfinder and have the screen turn off. The built in user manual is great to look up what a function does without having to refer to the manual. Also when you find what you want it provides the option to go to that function right away so for example I wanted to look at the ND filter function, once I've read what it does I can then select to open the function from the help screen rather than exiting help and then trying to find it through the menu system.

It provides good flash coverage and the slow-sync function is great to prevent those deer in the headlights shots as this flash can put out a lot of light.

The superior auto mode is good for the stability/less blur in long range shots as it takes multiple photos and apparently works out which is the best photo to save. This is great as at maximum zoom the camera shake from your hands can be a problem if you've ever experienced using a megazoom before. Personally without that image stabilisation and multi-shot taking having a megazoom is a bit pointless as you'd never take good photos at long range without frustration.

Shooting movies and the ability to shoot a good sized still at the same time is very impressive probably one of the best features as I've always wanted to be able to take a high MP shot during a video shoot because that's when you typically need it and on other cameras it was always one or the other but not both at the same time. The video quality is very good. No issues there and the zoom works well when videoing. The microphone does pick up background noise around the camera (ie from people talking nearby) and without a zoom mic option is somewhat limiting. That said the audio capture is good.

Other good things HDR similar function to my iPhone 4S produces good highlighting without overcooking the photo. When it is taking multiple photos with HDR and other functions it takes a few seconds time to process and save these but I guess thats normal. The menu system is good particularly given how many functions this camera has.

I use it with a Sandisk 32GB Extreme 32GB SDHC Flash Memory Card (Class 10). Seems fine to use saves quickly. It is probably better to get higher spec cards like this one if shooting HD video.

On the downside... the lens cap can get stuck if you don't remove it before turning the power on. Flash there's no button to pop it up as per usual cameras you need to use the jog dial and select flash to get it to pop-up. Once set it then pops up the flash when needed. The LCD screen doesn't fully articulate but that is not a major for me.

In summary it will never please the pro's out there the image quality is very good but not perfect. Good enough for most people wanting the "best for me" rather than "best in the world" class of camera its affordable, has huge capabilities, more than acceptable image quality and fun. A family orientated camera for sure that everyone can pick up and use and get pleasing results (and compliments).

There is a link to a few photos in the comments section (all handheld shots, no photo editing). Have added some more photos very pleased with the colour accuracy.

A bit more on zooming in photo or video mode and focusing speed which is typically an issue with superzooms. To me the Sony seems quick to focus at maximum zoom in photo or video mode. We're certainly not talking more than a half a second to a second say from one subject to another at the far end of the zoom. It's quick and smooth with no hunting zoom noises. Would be nice if someone else reviewed this camera to concur!

Wanted a superzoom with Panorama mode so the choices are fairly limited. This week both the Sony HX200V and Nikon P510 came out so bought them both to compare. The first review by "techguy" gives some nice details about the camera so I won't repeat his comments. I've played with them now for a couple of days and do not claim to be an expert by any means so take these comments with a grain of salt. These are just initial impressions.

I found overall the Sony took nicer pictures than the Nikon which tended to give a slight yellow hue on grass. And when enlarging the pictures the detail was better. The Sony produced slightly clearer pics both indoors and out and skins tones were a little warmer and more natural. The Sony also allows you to adjust the color and vividness to personal taste, don't believe the Nikon allowed for this.

I did like the size and feel of the Nikon better, the menu was a little more user friendly I thought and so was the layout of buttons. Start up time was about equal, although be aware with the Nikon if you choose to have it display the "Coolpix" icon it delays this by a couple of seconds.

One feature I found very useful is the Sony tells you how much time remains in minutes, not just a bar graph, I hate running out of power unexpectedly. Biggest gripe so far with the Sony is the power cord/charger. It's nearly as big as my laptop charger. Wish they would do it like Nikon or Panasonic. I travel on a motorcycle and space is very limited so this is a pain.

Sony puts the Panorama mode on the top dial while Nikon buries it with the Scene mode and the view finder turns on automatically if you put your eye to it, both thoughtful touches. I really wanted to like the Nikon more, mainly due to the better charger layout but in the end, good pictures is what it all about so the Nikon will be going back.

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I found myself wanting to up grade my super-zoom point and shoot camera. I had a Samsung HZ50W and was

very happy with it, but I felt it was time for change.

I read reviews from everywhere I could, from camera experts to everyday people, I decided on looking at five

cameras, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V, Fujifilm FinePix HS30EXR, Nikon COOLPIX P510,

Panasonic DMC-FZ150K, and Canon SX40 HS.

I decided if I was spending $400 to $500 on a camera I was going to try them out in stores first. I like to buy things

online, but I don't like returning items, so off to the local shops.

First I'll have to say that I drove about 90 miles to look at cameras. Unfortunately I couldn't find 2 cameras, the

Fujifilm FinePix HS30EXR or the Panasonic DMC-FZ150K no one carried either one.

I played around with the other 3 cameras quite a bit, all were very nice and I don't think I would have gone

wrong with any of them. It was little things that made me pick the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V. The Canon

had I smaller screen and auto focus seem to struggle at times, plus 2 different sales people told me if you buy

a Canon get the extended warranty, although I don't see any issues like that in any reviews. The Nikon was nice but

it seemed to miss a good shot more often, whether taking to long to focus or a little blurry.

The Sony seemed to focus fast and get the shot way more often and the 3 inch screen was nice.. I have now

owned this camera for a week and can't stop taking pictures and video. I have tried to put this camera in every

situation possible and it has worked every time. So far I've taken pictures at my son's tennis meet, other son's

band concert, portraits, the dogs, flowers, landscape, low light, no light, bright light, very close, full zoom, burst modes

and couldn't be happier. The video is great , I still can't believe how smooth and detailed the video, I took of my sons

band concert, holding the camera by hand no tripod and at half to full zoom.

I am an amateur photographer that takes about 100 to 1000 pictures a week and have for 15 to 20 years,

we have had more cameras than I can count, including SLR DSLR, point and shoot, and video cameras.

As with every camera there are a few cons, The viewfinder is not very good, but I love that the camera switches

to it automatically when you go to look through it. Also no Raw image, my last camera had it and I was just starting

to learn how it use it in editing. 29 minute video length limit? I don't know if that will ever be an issue, but why the limit.

And I've never seen this on a point and shoot camera, but why can't we turn off the picture preview and have a live

view all the time, it would be much easier to follow the action whether in burst or single shot mode.

I am very happy with this camera, and I can live with the few cons I found, Thanks for reading, hope this helps.

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There are three cameras that one should consider the Canon Powershot SX40 the Panasonic DMC FX150 and then this one the Sony HX200V.

Researching these three is interesting because you will find sites listing each of the three as the very best over the other two. I think the bottom line is that any of the three will give good photos and satisfy the user.

I purchased this camera because of two features that are largely ignored by the professional reviewers but to me they give this camera the edge over the others. First is Sony's proprietary optical steady shot stabilization. A good stabilization system is extremely important because no matter what the camera if you don't have good stabilization or a tripod then you have fuzzy pictures. Here is what Techradar had to say in their review of the HX200V; "We got sharp results at maximum zoom from shot to subsequent shot when it was used handheld. That's almost unheard of on rival models. On most superzoom rivals we've needed to take two or three shots of the same subject to arrive at one that wasn't soft." The reader should go to the Techradar site review and then go to SAMPLE IMAGES. The first photo is taken at wide angle and shows a long tree lined path ending at a distant white building. The next photo was taken handheld at the same spot but now at full telephoto and WOW. You now clearly see a fence that you did not see before and the paint is rusted in spots and there is an emblem on the fence that you can read. Also go to SENSITIVITY AND NOISE. Here you can see how the level of noise at different ISO settings effects the photos. Which brings me to another subject. Some professional reviewers point out that higher megapixels do not necessarily mean better photos because noise can increase depending on the CMOS sensor which is true but then they are completely baffled at why the Sony engineers increased the megapixels on this new camera. Well I'm not sure either however I am sure they didn't make the camera worse than the competition but rather better.

My second reason for selecting this camera is the Superior Auto Mode. This mode shoots multiple shots of the same scene in rapid sequence and then creates the best single picture as a composite Here is what Squidoo says in their review; "Get cleaner, more dynamic pictures and fewer missed shots. The DSC-HX200V automatically recognizes the correct scene mode, then quickly shoots and combines up to six shots to produce images with greater clarity, optimum dynamic range using backlight correction HDR technology and lower image noise using 6 shots layering technology. Superior Auto intelligently detects 33 scenes for still images and movies, making it easy to get the best shot." If you Google tumblr HX200v you will see sample photos of the Superior Auto Mode which are impressive.

So did the camera meet my expectations, yes it did. The stabilization worked as advertised however the lens does have limitations. It works best in bright light. The alternative would be stepping up to a more expensive and larger Digital SLR camera along with lens. For example Canon has a 800mm lens to fit the more the expensive cameras but it is 18 inches long weights 10 pounds and costs $13,499.00.

The Superior Auto Mode also met my expectations. It does not improve all photos but it does make astonishing improvements in photos that would benefit from this mode such as back light etc.

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Most likely you have already read professional reviews of this item, so I will not repeat the list of features. Here are bits of info that I didn't find in reviews when I was shopping, and had hoped someone would post, along with a few surprises I found:

1Once you turn off the annoying start up tone, it takes less than a second to be ready, a big plus

2There is a zoom/focus ring. It is electronic, I would have preferred a mechanical one but it works well. Zoom or focus selectable by a switch

3The sweep panorama mode works well with the exception of the fact that it has a fixed width. If you don't sweep far enough within the allotted time, e.g. because you don't want too wide a panorama, the rest of the image will be filled with a grey filler. I hope a firmware update will fix this as it looks hideous.

4Macro photos are not the greatest.

5Ability to select the mode automatically works well.

6When powered on, the extending lens struggles if lens cover is still on. Would have been nice if it were removed automatically (too spoiled, I know)

7The included charger is an in-camera charger. It can power the camera for use and also while connected to a PC. To charge an extra battery, you'll need to buy a separate standalone charger. While connected to a PC, the camera charges the battery through the USB port.

8Great camera. Amazon and Beach Camera are outstanding.

9The bundle from Beach Camera is great (Make sure to get the one with the 16GB card)

I like the camera and will definitely keep it for years to come.

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TP-LINK TL-SC3130 IP Surveillance Camera, CMOS, 640x480, Motion Detection, Mobile View, Up to 30fps

ME GUSTA MUCHO, SE ADAPTA A MI LOCAL, APENAS PARA LO QUE NECESITO. EL DISEÑO ES MUY BONITO, Y ES DE FACIL ADAPTACION.

I used this cam inside my house just to watch when I am traveling, working faraway from home or something like that. I can install speakers in this equipment and if I wanna say something at the other side of the world the person who are in my home will hear. Have a good image ( not perfect ) but I can recognize a object 20m fair from the cam at night, on the bright day I can recognize everything that cam is able to record.

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I recommend Foster instead. Better than TP in color, sharp picture, user interface options, tilt option, and price. I'm using it as a baby monitor. The only thing TP has better than Foster is sound volume, same clarity and white noise when silent. Worst on TP that I could not stand and had to return it was the color and sudden loud static noise, though the static seems to only happen on explorer and not firefox, but some functions not available on firefox. TP was minimally functional, but at it's price compared to Foster, completely not worth the hassle.

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Camera works ok with a nice picture as well as the audio, although the wireless feature has not ben tried out as yet.

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Olympus D450 1.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

I started out thinking I was still a year away from affording a new digital camera with the features I wanted. I decided to hold out for a zoom lens and at least 1024 x 768 resolution, or wait. After a lot of research, I knew I wanted an Olympus, because of their excellent optics and their camera-first, digital-device-second approach, and because my Olympus 35mm point-and-shoot had served me well.

I thought my best deal would be on a used or discontinued model; however, because the original price of the 500L, 600L, and 400Z had been so high (in the $800-1200 range), the asking prices for these had not come down as much as I'd hoped, and what I had to be willing to pay had crept up as I shopped. When I saw what the 450Z was going for, I whipped out my credit card. Now that I've played around with it for a few weeks, I can't imagine there's a better digital camera for the money right now. I've compared with a couple of friends that have Nikon CoolPix cameras, and I suppose there's something that's better about them, but I can't honestly tell you what that would be, and the Nikon is twice the money!

The 450Z is an improved version of the well-received 400Z, but at a radically lower street price. Some of this is due to the packaging - the 450Z leaves out the FlashPath floppy adapter (typically $70-90 alone) that was standard in the 400Z -but clearly the manufacturing costs are coming down rapidly.

This camera performs incredibly well on the bottom-line measurement: It takes stunningly detailed and accurate pictures under a wide variety of conditions.

We've gotten used to accepting less than perfection for pictures taken in other than bright sunlight at normal distances. The 450Z adds several categories of picture-taking where you can now get predictable results: Flash, macro (including with flash), indoor lighting, low light, etc. There are just enough features to make the camera useful over the range of conditions, but not so many as to intimidate the snap-shooter. Because of the intelligence of the autofocus, exposure control, and white balance, it is still a great point-and-shoot camera.

Many features are related to getting the picture right at the right resolution, such as spot metering, exposure override, mode (resolution), different flash modes, macro, etc. Other features are related to viewing and managing the pictures you've taken. You can plug the camera into a VCR or TV monitor (RCA video jack) and give a quick slideshow of what's in memory. You can get around the small size of the LCD display (and this is one of the better ones) by zooming in on one segment (out of a 3 x 3 grid) of an image, to make sure the detail is there.

One other feature that other reviewers have found important: The 450Z will store images uncompressed, if you choose (the file size is huge); most other cameras up to this point perform at least some compression, even on high-quality settings.

The only thing I couldn't do well -and this may just take some practice -is action shots. All digital cameras have some lag between the time you decide to pull the trigger and the time the image is committed to memory, and this takes some getting used to, but the 450Z is quicker in this respect than its earlier counterparts. One significant feature is the "burst mode", which allows you to keep capturing images (about 1-2 a second) as long as the shutter button is pressed, and until the buffer fills up (seems to be about 6-10 images).

Most of us get into digital because of the cost and overhead of dealing with film and processing, only to have to scan prints or pay extra to the processor for digital images from film. Depending on resolution, you can get up to 122 images onto the standard 8MB memory card before unloading, and that's very liberating -no more agonizing over whether to take another shot! However, once you play around with it a while, the mind starts to boggle at the possibilities, and film cameras seem like Stone-Age technology (especially since we are approaching the resolution of film with the million-plus pixels you can store in an image now).

The 450Z is a milestone in the improvement of digital cameras, a quantum leap in value vs. features and quality, even compared to other Olympus cameras. You won't believe how easy it is to get breath-taking digital photos. Get one!

I am one who always jumps into new tech stuff during the first or second wave. I have been holding off on a digital camera purchase for more of a value reason than anything else. When I saw this camera loaded with features combined with my experience with Olympus, I knew I was time to buy. I was still slightly fearful that the process from taking shot to downloading it to my harddrive would be cumbersome; however, this was not true.

The software that comes with this camera is powerful yet straight foward and easy to use. The images are great and a lot of fun to have instantly. IT WORKS JUST LIKE A GOOD AUTO FOCUS 35MM.

Cons: Uses batteries quick if you use the LCD and during the download to PC process. It takes a long time to download a 8mb smartmedia card (30-40 pics @ medium quality). It does not come with a case. The LCD is just below the optical eye opening so your fat nose smudges the LCD screen everytime you take a picture.

FINAL WORD: BUY IT --IT'S GREAT along with: 1. Case 2. Rechargable Batteries 3. Get a 3.5" Floppy Smartmedia Reader and skip the download process all together.

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I bought this camera because my wife was tired of scanning pictures for online auctions. When I saw how good the pictures were, and how well they printed on an HP PhotoSmart printer (even the 640x480 as an 8x10 was beautiful!) I realized I had a great match! Get NiMH batteries, for sure, but you can use it without the screen and save power. Also, Olympus sells (and you can get it here at Amazon) a PCMCIA adapter for the SmartMedia cards, which pretends to be a spare hard drive. Cool! Get the 16 or 32 MB Card if you take lots of pics, but at lowest res I get 240+ pics on a 16MB chip.

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I joined the digital parade after an agonizing 6 months of comparison and indecision. I liked the Sony Mavica features, especially the floppy disk method of storing images. I've used my work's Mavica 91 and loved its simplicity and great ability to take indoor pictures without a flash. I also loved the rechargeable 'smart' battery which Sony sells with its product; it actually tells you how much time you have remaining before a battery change is required. It could also do short MPEG motion pictures with sound. The big negative: it's huge and weighed a ton. It's resolution wasn't sufficient either.

I finally ended up with the Olympus 450z because of its high resolution, its available floppy adapter, its many features for the price, and its compact size -its virtually identical to my old 35MM model. It takes great pictures, but isn't as capable in low light conditions as the Mavica 91.

The Panaroma picture capability was a feature which I never thought of using -until I saw the software demo which was included with the camera. It's like magic -it puts together a panarama of pictures into a single composite image. Truly amazing.

In summary, the 450 is a great camera, albeit only slightly better than the 400 and doesn't include the floppy adapter as the 400 did. Great yes, but the price really hasn't dropped as I had hoped. Finally, if you're thinking ahead, you'll order 8 or 12 NiMH batteries and a recharger, a 16 or 32 meg SMART Card, and the Floppy adapter. You've suddenly got yourself a $700-$800 camera outfit. Shop around there are cheaper places to buy your camera.

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As so many others have noted, this is a GREAT camera for the money. It's loaded with features seen only on more expensive digital cameras (changeable ISO values, great low light capability, a true optical zoom lens with the ability to add 2X digital zoom on top...I could go on and on about the *pros*.....there are so many!

Here are the *cons* I've picked up so far:

1. Camera does eats its four AA alkaline batteries quickly, especially if you use the LCD a lot. THE FIX: I purchased rechargeable 1400 mv NiMH Nexcells and a Maha C204F charger for under $40 online and neatly solved this problem.

2. Not the most intuitive menu and button system. THE FIX: reading the manual before trying to use does help. A *quick guide* sheet comes with the camera...keep it handy to figure out those features you don't use often. Now I know how to use the features that are important to me and don't have to refer to the manual any longer.

2. Manual is confusing with three languages/page. THE FIX: English is primarily on the left-hand pages so look there first. Dog-ear the content index page so it's easier to find what you are looking for later, and keep the one-page "quick guide" that comes with the camera handy.

4. If you are going to take panoramic photos, ONLY THE ***OLYMPUS*** SmartMedia CARDS WILL SUPPORT THIS FEATURE! If you purchase less-expensive brands like SanDisk, you won't be able to take panoramas. THE FIX: Purchase Olympus SmartMedia cards on auction sites or at bidding sites online...I bought my Olympus 32 mb card for $45 under the Olympus website price.

5. Slow photo download rate. First of all, I didn't find the serial port download overly slow, especially compared to other digital cameras. However, since camera has to be on during the download, I recommend purchasing an AC Adapter (doesn't have to be Olympus brand) to save on batteries. But if you're a speed freak, then THE FIX: Purchase either the USB or FlashPath Floppy Disk Adapter....either will speed up download time considerably.

Bottom line for me....best camera for the money, hands down! Buy one for yourself and see!

StarTech.com MXT101MMHQ30 30-Feet Coax High Resolution Monitor VGA Cable - HD15 M/M

I have a really sharp Trinitron monitor which came with a decent quality video cable and text was sharp and clear. Recently I bought a new top-brand Geforce 4 Ti4800 video card and, after installing it, text became significantly ghosted. I later heard that the manufacturer used cheap parts which degrade the signal at high frequency (above 60Hz) when used in 2D (i.e. text) mode. I had to switch to 60 Hz to get sharp text, which still wasn't as sharp as it was with my previous graphics card running at 85Hz. Every step above 60Hz became increasingly ghosted. 85Hz and higher is much easier on the eyes, so I searched for a VGA cable to replace the one that I thought was pretty good. I decided to try a mid-priced cable, this Startech model. I liked their site and felt confident that they were selling a quality product. I connected it and PERFECT! I was back to sharp, clear text at 85Hz (and all the way up to 144Hz). This is an excellent cable for a great price and if you suffer with blurry text or ghost images, please give this one a try.

I use this cable to connect my HP laptop to my Toshiba 42HL67 HDTV. Crystal clear signal, easy to connect, fantastic price! At big box stores, the same type of cable sells for $20+!

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I wanted a cable that ran from my computer to my HDTV, had great picture quality, and didn't want to pay for advertising(ex. MONSTER CABLE) .I was not disapointed. Very clear(and heavy) cable. It is very sturdy too. Contrast is awsome. Overall very nice cable for the price. I now use it to play games on my TV from my computer(and watch HDTV trailers)

PS. even though it is 15ft long ...there is no ghosting or picture abnormalities.

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Based on other reviews I thought I would take a chance on this. It seems that there are different quality cables being sold under the same listing dependent upon who you buy from. Do not buy this from UCable because they are selling an extremely low quality cable. I immediately had severe ghosting when I hooked it up. I tried the cable with three monitors and it caused severe ghosting on all of them, I also checked the monitors with other cables and they all work great. When I tried contacting them for a refund for a defective product they told me that VGA cables are not for High Resolution displays like LCDs but only for CRTs (not true and contradicts the product description). Then they told me to write "Return to Sender" on the package to send it back, which wouldn't have worked since the package was already open.

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Stay away from this vendor, If you don't give him five stars you will get nasty emails from him! This man went so far as to go to Amazon and have my "Fair" review REMOVED! He's Dirty Pool, Im waring you! The product is inferior, you do not get what is in the picture either.

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Cable Matters 35 Feet Gold Plated DisplayPort to HDMI Cable

I had been looking for something to hook my Lenovo ThinkPad T420 up to an HDMI based display (both a projector and a 40" TV). I almost ordered one of the cheap adapters I found on Amazon until I read the reviews that they got stuck in the Display Port on the computer and would not come out. I then opted to go for a cable with the Display Port on one end and the HDMI on the other end. This cable is great. Does exactly what I needed it to. I get full 1920 x 1080 on both the projector and TV which is the resolution they support, and the sound goes through as well. Couldn't be happier.

My HP EliteBook 8560p has a DisplayPort video output on it instead of the older HDMI type of port. There are a pretty good number of "adapters" on the market, and also short cables, but I wanted a durable end-to-end solution with none of the opportunities for issues that an adapter introduces. I wanted to get this cable from AmazonBasics or from Cables-to-Go, because I've have very good luck with both of them. As it turned out, when I was shopping, this one from "Cable Matters" was the only option that met my needs. I am happy to say, that I am not disappointed at all. The cable does great at sending high definition 1080P 120hz video and high definition audio from my laptop's DisplayPort to my TV's HDMI input. It works wonderfully, and I'm very happy.

The cable is well made and has good, solid, connectors on both ends. It is the correct length and was packaged properly. It is malleable, yet solid.

I have no complaints at all about this cable. The price was a little steep at $25, when I bought it, but considering there is no competition yet for this length cable, I'm not too surprised or upset. I can remember paying two or three times that amount for a similar cable at brick and mortar stores, back before there were alternatives.

I highly recommend this cable. If there is anything else that you'd like to know about it, that I forgot to put in this review, please let me know in the comments section, and I'll address it.

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I purchased this cable in order to watch content from my Lenovo T410 laptop on a HD TV. The laptop has a DisplayPort (DP++) output and the TV has HDMI input.

Simply by connecting the ends of this cable to my laptop and TV, I had an 720p HD image of my laptop screen almost instantly. However, there was no audio.

The lack of audio was *not* due to any flaw in the cable. In the process of troubleshooting, I saw several websites which simply blamed this sort of no-audio problem on a "cheap cable" -but, while this cable is certainly inexpensive (which is one of the reasons I got it!), it has no trouble carrying audio (and very clear audio, at that).

I eventually found a Lenovo forum which held the answer: "First go to your audio settings by going FN + F6, choose 'Audio Defaults + Settings'. Then choose your TV as the default audio."

This did the trick for me -I instantly had audio (both through the laptop speakers and the HD TV).

The poster on the Lenovo forum also had this piece of advice (which I never followed, since the first step solved the problem for me): "Now the sneaky part. Push FN + F7 and choose 'Projector Only', then sound will come out of the TV. Took me forever to figure out." Again, I had no need to do this, but I'm re-posting it in case someone else does.

In summary, after some fiddling with my cpu's settings, this cable delivered all that was promised: crystal clear audio and visual from my laptop to my HD TV. Note: I have only used the cable on a handful of occasions during the past few weeks, so I'm not in a good position to evaluate its durability. As a previous reviewer has mentioned, when the DisplayPort end connects to the computer, it "latches" into place, and a small panel must be pressed in order to release it -this "release latch" doesn't feel like the most sturdy thing in the world, but it hasn't given my any problems so far, and handled gently, I would imagine that it will continue to function just fine.

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(I own the 15' version of this cable)

I bought this cable to connect my Dell Precision M6400 to a TV.

I knew that DisplayPort (and obviously HDMI) is capable of carrying an audio signal, but I didn't know my Dell was wired to have the audio go through the DisplayPort ... port. It is, and this cable is a credit to the DisplayPort spec. I can't vouch for every implementation of DisplayPort working as well as mine, but here's how it works for me with this cable:

(Windows 7 x64, btw)

a) plug HDMI cable into 1080p TV

b) plug DisplayPort into laptop

computer auto-senses that the TV wants 1080p (or it is guessing, not sure which)

computer changes my desktop resolution from 1920x1200 (16x10) to 1920x1080 (16x9 1080p standard res)

desktop is now mirrored on the TV screen and audio is coming through the home audio system

I could change settings so that the TV is a 2nd monitor that extends my desktop or whatever I want, but in my case, the default behavior is perfect.

Great quality cable, excellent connectors that feel sturdy and like they won't fall apart with use.

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My Dell Precision M4400 has a DisplayPort rather than a HDMI port. I wasted a lot of time looking in local stores for a DisplayPort to HDMI cable. Don't waste your time, order online. The cable arrived in about a week with regular shipping. Cable is thick giving the impression that it will last awhile and connectors seem sturdy.

When I plug in the cable, Windows 7 adjusts the computer screen resolution and immediately displays the image on the TV in addition to the computer. Initially, a small sliver is clipped on all 4 sides of the image due to TV "overscanning". This is not a cable issue, rather a TV issue. TVs should have a setting to correct or turn off overscanning.

Some online comments mention having trouble removing a DisplayPort adapter from their computer because it clips into place. With my particular computer and this specific adapter, I have not had any problems. The 15' length was perfect for my situation. This cable was exactly what I needed.

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JVC GZHM960BUS Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom and 3.5-Inch LCD Screen (Black)

The JVC GZ-HM960 is a great camcorder. I have compaired it to the Canon HFR500, the JVC E210 and the JVC GZ-HM300 and the 960 beats them all hands down. The day and night videos are spectacular. The sound is good as is the zoom. After using all the settings I find the auto mode without the face detection on and shooting using the uxp and xvC mode produce the best video. Remember as with all camcorders the finished product on a Bluray or DVD depends on your computer and program. So don't blame the camcorder. The start up is not cheap but the results are great and once you spent the money to get started it will pay for it self with the enjoyment of having what I consider is Broadcast quality videos that will wow all. 3D for me is a fad which doesn't get my attention. Just simply a great camcorder and mine is refurbished at a great price.

This one I bought out of my thrust towards video/photography. First video camera for me. JVC has done a good job with this camera but if you are looking for a good zoom this is not the one for you. 10x optical (or 15x dynamic) was not enough for me. Remote that comes with the camera is not that great and I had to use it with within 1 meter range to get it worked and also you have to point it sharp towards the camcorder. Remote and HD were the reasons I bought the camera, this one is 60i I guess not 60p. Low light feature doesn't work that great but that I guess is still an issue with all the camcorders. Storage was not an issue with 16GB inbuilt memory. The battery goes fast which is another problem with all the camcorders. 3D feature needs you have a 3D setup, tv, dvd player, googles etc which is not still common. Price around 300 was not bad when I bought this, certainly doesn't worth more than that. I returned the camera because of zoom and remote issue.

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Pro-Techgroup 100 ft VGA SVGA UXGA Monitor Projector Cable - Coaxial (RGB type) and 4 twisted pair

I needed something at least 50 feet and excellent quality and affordable priced. This cable cost the same as most 50 foot and not much for ratings. I loved how it talked about not loosing the picture quality as some cables do past 40 feet and this is 100 feet. Would buy this again if I ever needed another cable over 50 feet long. Did I mention fast shipping? Came 3 days before the estimated delivery!!! Just in perfect timing for us to use it after we decided where we mounted the projector at our church!

Nikon COOLPIX L26 16.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Zoom NIKKOR Glass Lens and 3-inch LCD (Silver)

I wanted to love this camera based on the other reviews, but it came up short for me. Because I do a lot of high-resolution scrapbooks and greeting cards featuring my kids, I needed a camera that could outshine the 8MP camera on my iPhone (and let's face it, the iPhone's zoom feature is a joke). 16MP was more than enough, and the pictures came out beautiful, but there's a fatal flaw on this camera I just can't ignore:

It's useless for children. My toddlers move -fast-, and the shutter speed on this camera is absolutely appalling. By the time the camera is able to capture the shot, the moment is completely lost and gone, and that's 50% of the reason I wanted a new camera (the MP resolution being the other 50%). At least now I know when I go to buy a different camera to watch for this feature. I find it incredible that my phone captures photos more instantaneously than a Nikon.

If all you take is still shots, this may be the camera for you. I was impressed with the photo quality, the make of the camera, the ease of use, and the controls. The zoom feature is great but again, much too slow to capture the nanosecond of time children are stationary. The 3" LCD is also very good quality and the auto-focus works very well. The auto scene settings are really all you need to create great photos.

All in all, this is a good, but not a great buy. I can't overlook the Achilles' heel of the ultra-slow shutter, but I would recommend this for someone who only needs still or landscape portraiture.

UPDATE 4/5/12: after returning this camera (thanks Amazon), I purchased the Panasonic DMC25K. Although about $35.00 separates these cameras, I was more than satisfied with my new purchase. The Panasonic's shutter speed, controls, and scene modes are far superior for such a small price difference. If you're shopping around with a little flexibility in price, I can't recommend the Panasonic DMC25K enough over this Nikon.

When buying electronics on the internet you never really know what you're getting; sure the details of the device sound impressive but are they really, and is it the best deal possible with the constant progress in technology? (Hopefully this review will answer those questions.)

The Nikon Coolpix L26 is simply an excellent camera for an excellent price. 16 mega pixels make the photo clear and crisp; good for landscapes, amateur photography, and candid photos. The 5x Zoom is adequate and suits the camera very well. Best of all, the camera is very easy to use and because its battery operated all you need to do is insert the batteries and a memory card and you're good to go.

In conclusion if you want a good camera for a low price that's pretty idiot proof this is the one for you and apparently is for me as well.

Buy Nikon COOLPIX L26 16.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Zoom NIKKOR Glass Lens and 3-inch LCD (Silver) Now

Received this camera about a month ago, and even though it is a point and shoot camera, there are a lot of options to learn, so I am taking the time to do just that! I actually read the instructions (downnloaded the PDF manual)and fleshing it out...the 3" screen was the main draw to this camera, as was the price-under $120.00, and the simple controls that sit just right of the screen....also the fact I can use regular AA batteries and/or rechargeable...comes in 3 choices of finish-red, black or silver. Good documentation available...Nice camera for the price!

Read Best Reviews of Nikon COOLPIX L26 16.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Zoom NIKKOR Glass Lens and 3-inch LCD (Silver) Here

I truly deeply LOVE this camera; it is sooo easy to use and the quality is there. It even lets you select the final size of your photos in pixels. Uploading pictures is a PLEASURE, NOTHING COMPLICATED IN USING IT, unlike other digitals. It is truly a point and shoot camera! I take photos of fast moving puppies and it keeps up with them, no blurs! I recommend it to all! The price was more than worth it without having to spend thousand(s) of dollars. It is meant for the amateur photographer and is simply an absolute VERY TRUE JOY to use! I can't say enough about this VERY excellent camera. Wish I had had it years ago, but maybe it would not be the excellent camera it is today! This is the VERY best digital camera I have ever used and meets all my needed requirements, especially for the puppies in picture taking! It replaces the KODAK cameras I have used over the last 11 years with Kodak now going out of business in this area anyway. I recommend it to all amateurs, well worth the money which is not that much.

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What a great little camera. Point and shoot and the picture quality is fantastic. Large view field for those needing glasses. I love it

Sony A77 24.3 MP Translucent Mirror Digital SLR With 16-50mm F2.8 lens

My rating reflects the camera as a whole. I bought it, use it and love it, but I'm going to take a different approach here and review one aspect of this camera: the viewfinder.

Most of the professional reviews I've found for the Sony a77 (dpreview, etc) are entirely missing the point. The electronic viewfinder alone is reason enough to consider this camera a step up from a traditional DSLR, even if the DSLR you were comparing an a77 with had identical specs. I'd say the a77's viewfinder is a pleasure to use (and it is), but even that is missing the point.

This viewfinder will change the way you use your camera. It'll change it for the better because it gives you greater control over the camera than you've ever had before.

Because the viewfinder is an OLED video screen in the eyepiece instead of being a typical piece of glass, you're seeing something entirely different. Something more useful.

An optical viewfinder shows you what the lens is seeing. An electronic viewfinder shows you what the sensor is doing. Think about that for a moment. Let's say you own a Nikon D7000 and you boost exposure compensation. Do you see any change in the viewfinder? Of course not. You'll see that change in the photo you take. That's how SLRs have always worked, even back in the days before digital. Ah, but with the electronic viewfinder in a Sony a77, when you boost exposure compensation, you'll see the image in the viewfinder become brighter, just as the shot you take will be brighter.

An even simpler example: Look through the viewfinder of a DSLR and choose an exposure point. Pick a dark spot. Nothing changes in your viewfinder, right? Pick a bright spot. Do you see any change in the viewfinder? Of course not. But, in the a77 viewfinder, you see the exposure change because the viewfinder is showing you what the camera is doing rather than only showing you what the lens is seeing.

Here's how most of us probably used our DSLRs: You pick the camera up to your eye. You look through the viewfinder to frame your shot, etc. You take the shot and then pull the camera away from your eye so you can review the shot you just took, using the LCD screen on the back of your camera "Ah, shoot. Blown highlights." You lower exposure compensation, put the camera viewfinder to your eye, frame up the shot again and take it again. Then check it again on the LCD screen on the back of the camera.

In other words, it's a game of switching from viewfinder to LCD, LCD to viewfinder, etc etc etc. Back and forth.

With the electronic viewfinder in the Sony a77, you don't have to do that anymore. You can literally see the changes you're making in the viewfinder. And, better still, you can set up your viewfinder to review the shot you just took for 2 seconds (or 5, though I find 2 to be enough). So, you take the shot and immediately see the shot you just took without moving the camera.

This electronic viewfinder is an absolute pleasure to view, and it can do some amazing things.

Want a level laid over the shot you're about to take? Put it in your viewfinder.

There's an excellent tele/crop feature in the a77 that drops the 24 megapixel sensor down to 12 and doubles the length of your lens' reach. Thus, a 50mm lens becomes a 100mm lens, and you're seeing this change perfectly in the electronic viewfinder.

There's also an option to check your focus. Click a button and the viewfinder will show you a super-zoomed in view so you can check the precision of your focus. There is absolutely no way this sort of thing can be done with an optical viewfinder.

I've seen so many reviews talking about the weaknesses of electronic viewfinders in comparison to optical viewfinders, but they fail to mention the weaknesses of optical viewfinders. Now that I've made the switch to an EVF, I'd really hate to have to switch back. After using the viewfinder in this Sony a77 for a day or two, you'll realize just how limiting an old fashioned optical viewfinder really is.

Specs only tell you what a camera is capable of, but as we all know, photography isn't about the camera. It's about the photographer and the photo taken. The viewfinder in this camera will give you, as a photographer, more control over your camera than you've ever known. The buttons and dials give you control over the camera, but the EVF literally puts you inside the camera. It's an awesome experience. I suspect that, ten years from now, most DSLRs will be this way too (they'll be SLTs instead of SLRs, in other words).

I've only owned my a77 for a week, but I love it. The first time I took it out shooting, I was nervous. $1400 is a heck of a lot of money for me, so I worried I might have made a huge mistake buying this thing... but as I used my new a77 that day, I just kept saying "Wow."

Obviously, this is a great camera, but the real story is the viewfinder. All I can say is wow. I certainly wouldn't want to go back to an optical viewfinder after using this thing. No way.

The Camera Fairy blessed my porch last Friday and handed me an Amazon box which upon opening, disgorged a familiar black and orange Alpha box with my A77 body inside, safely cushioned in bubble-wrap. In addition to the charger, manuals and ads, software CD, neck strap and USB cable, there was an empty space (sadly) for the kit lens. Since I already own a very nice Minolta 28-75 f/2.8 standard zoom, I passed on ordering the A77 with the new 16-50 f/2.8 SSM "kit" lens. I put quotes around "kit" because the new 16-50 is anything but a standard starter lens. It has a constant f/2.8 maximum aperture, solid build and is weather-sealed to match the A77. Though not designated as a "G" or "CZ" lens, in tests it approaches the performance of Sony's excellent 24-70 f/2.8 Zeiss and is actually designed to fill the same effective focal length range on the APS-C cameras that the 24-70 does on full-frame. I planned on replacing my Minolta lens with the Zeiss next year but this new "kit" entry seems to be a serious alternative and since it is designed for the smaller APS-C sensor, manufacturing cost savings make it a heck of a bargain at half the price.

Look and Feel

If you have never handled a pro or semi-pro camera body, the tactile difference between a polycarbonate and magnesium alloy shell is immediately noticeable. Even though the body only weighs a little over 1½ lbs (without lens), it feels solid. It has a rubber grip that extends around the back on the right to cover the thumb rest area. The grip itself is deep and fits my medium-wide hands comfortably with a secure feel when holding it one-handed. The body is a little taller than the A700 but more rounded with a matte finish that gives it a no-nonsense appearance. I wouldn't base a camera purchase on how pretty it was, but I appreciate the look of a well-made tool whether it is a Kitchen-Ad mixer, a drill press or a tripod. The A77 is a well-made tool and that makes it pretty to me!

It's What's Outside That Counts

The control layout is a bit different than the A700 but the main controls are similar enough that I was comfortable with it after only a few minutes of fiddling with them. Sony's Quick-Navi menu system from the A700 is gone but the replacement is not a step backward. All of the main functions except stabilization on/off can be accessed either with a dedicated button or on the LCD with a press of the function button. the The stabilization on/off being relegated to the menu instead of having a dedicated button was surprising at first, but after thinking it over, I decided that I really never switched it off unless it was for one of the rare times I was using a tripod (or by accident) and all too often I forgot to turn It back on. Having it on by default and being able to set the menu to come on in the same position that you left it is a workable alternative to having a dedicated switch. One addition is the movie button. Yes, movie. The A77 is the first DSLR I've owned that can do movies and in addition to a full movie mode on the mode dial, there is a record-it-now movie button that lets you start a recording of that unexpected UFO encounter with your default settings at a moment's notice. Now I just have to remember that my DSLR takes movies!

The LCD screen is the same size as the one on the A700 and has the same extremely high resolution but with improved brightness and contrast making it easier to see in bright light. Unlike the A700 the A77's LCD is articulated. Very articulated! The mechanism is very sturdy and can be tilted or swiveled into almost any forward, rearward or sideward position. It even allows you to flip the screen inward in the collapsed position for protection.

The top of the body includes the aforementioned dedicated function buttons plus a monochrome LCD with it own dedicated backlight button that displays the basic camera settings at a glance. The selection on the mode dial is a little different from the ones on the A700. The multiple scene modes are replaced with a single scene mode position and the various modes are now chosen on the rear screen using the joystick control. The additional scene modes have been replaced with settings for Movie mode, 12 fps shooting mode, Sweep Panorama and 3D Sweep Panorama.

The pop-up flash has a new mechanism that slides the flash forward and up to reduce the chance of the lens/shade blocking it. There is also a button to pop the flash up rather than the manual flip-up on earlier 7-series models. On top of the flash is another new thing for me...there's a microphone on my camera! Maybe I'll have to try this movie thing after all. The autofocus mode switch near the lens hasn't changed but the depth-of-field preview can now be programmed to show either depth of field or a preview of scene settings.

Inside counts too

The first "inside" part that I checked out was the viewfinder. After reading all of the doomsaying from the fear, uncertainty and doubt threads on the forums followed by nearly unanimous praise from people who had actually used the camera, I had to see for myself. I have had cameras with EVFs that were considered good. My Minolta D7i was hopelessly outclassed by the full VGA EVF on my Minolta A2 (yes, full VGA on a digicam bridge camera back in 2004!) and I was impressed by the A55 that I tried at a local store. About the new OLED viewfinder on the A77, all I can say is....wow! I imagine if you had 20-10 vision and were college-trained to pick flyspecks out of ground pepper, you might be able to see pixels in the image. I certainly can't. It's like looking at a good 17" XVGA monitor from about 2'-3' away. The image is sharp and contrasty with nicely saturated color. The only clear reminder that it is an electronic image is in areas of very bright highlights or deep shadows where the dynamic range of the display cuts off before you eye would through an OVF. If you pan quickly, there is a faint fuzzing of vertical edges, but no serious degradation and no color tearing at all. Following a moving object is no more difficult than it was with my A700. As light gets lower the image grains up and gives you video noise sparkle which worsens as available light decreases. but still lets you see to compose down past where it would be practical or even possible with an OVF. Those are the basics. The initial plusses and minuses, so to speak. Now for the cool stuff! The list of add-ons in the menu includes options for showing all info (OCD mode), no info (just basic shooting info at the top and bottom), graphic mode (like the NEX LCD info display), Histogram overlay and electronic level. On top of any of these you can add a grid with a choice of a 4x6 square grid, rule of thirds or diagonal lines. The real value is something I missed when I went from my Minolta A2 to the 7D DSLR, namely that the viewfinder can be set to display exactly what the sensor is set to capture. This is really helpful when you are working in mixed light or mixed shade where auto white balance will often fail. Too blue? You see it. A little green from fluorescents? You see it. You can tweak settings until it is corrected and check the results in real-time. Another plus is that you can review the image for critical focus or exposure directly in the viewfinder in the brightest light and see it perfectly. Speaking of critical focus... Most of the better DSLRs can magnify the live-view image for critical focus, but in the field it is often difficult to see clearly. Being able to look through the viewfinder and see a magnified image centered on any point in the frame is a real winner. Another great tool is focus peaking. This is a tool used in videography to highlight the parts of the frame that have the highest contrast (sharpest focus) so the cameraman can quickly determine where the focal point is while filming. What it does is create a colored halo (choice of red, yellow or white) on the edges of objects in the in-focus area that is very easy to see even if you are looking at a washed out LCD with the camera at an angle that makes using the viewfinder difficult or impossible. My bottom line? The A77 EVF exceeded my expectations. It offers a razor-sharp image that displays a larger, brighter view than any APS-C camera (the A700 is one of the best) and nearly as good as the full frame cameras. It also has some technological tricks up its sleeve that are more than marketing gimmicks and offer real functional value.

Deeper Inside

Really deep inside is a somewhat controversial Exmor sensor. It is 24MP which is far and away the highest pixel count of any APS-C camera on the market today. Why controversial? If you have been following the build-up to the release of the A77 and the initial reviews, you have surely seen endless threads on whether Sony should have put so many pixels on an APS-C sensor or spent their efforts on making a lower pixel-count sensor with stellar high-ISO performance. There are also thousands of images with accompanying text declaring its image quality is anywhere from better than medium-format to worse than a cheap compact. In truth, it is neither. Rather it is an advancement in sensor technology that trades some high-ISO performance for some pretty remarkable low-ISO resolution. It also makes a couple of steps ahead in color accuracy and dynamic range.

I am not one to snap a photo and peer endlessly at each pixel blown up to 100% on my monitor, searching for something to b1tch about. I prefer to look at the images as I expect to display them and determine if they will look good. So far, the A77 looks good. Real good.

Tools to Get Those Images

In the past, having "special" modes on a DSLR other than P-A-S-M (Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual) was pooh-poohed as a sure indicator of an entry-level camera that catered to photographers without a clear understanding of basic settings. Though this sounds a little snotty, it was generally true with helper modes like "Sunsets", "Sports" and "Landscapes" to preset the beginner's camera for best-bet shutter and aperture combinations for those subjects. I always thought that some of the more advanced cameras might benefit from some presets that would quickly get you near the optimal settings or add functionality that would be hard to set up manually. As I mentioned earlier, the A700 had a selection "special" settings on the mode dial for just that purpose and after checking them out when I got it, I never actually used any of them. That may change with the A77. While diving into the scene mode menu on the A77, it earned guaranteed return visits when it revealed a hidden gem in the Hand-Held Twilight mode. This first appeared on the higher end Sony compacts and is quite a useful feature. It fires off a series of shots in rapid succession then matches and stacks them to reduce noise and enhance detail in low-light situations. Image stacking has been available in Photoshop and other dedicated programs for years, but having it done for you in-camera is pretty cool. Some of the other features that have migrated from the compacts to the NEX and now to the DSLRs are Auto HDR and Sweep Panorama. The Auto HDR is similar to the Auto Bracket feature found on many DSLRs to trigger a series of exposures with ascending values to be used to create an HDR (High Dynamic Range) image. Auto HDR goes one step farther by actually combining and processing the images in the camera. Maybe not as "pro" as sitting in front of a computer and processing/tweaking the files in expensive software for an hour to get a natural-looking dynamic range enhancement, but Easy and Good trumps Hard and A Tiny Bit Better any day. If you want to do more than natural and create HDR art, the auto-bracketing covers up to a 6 EV span and there is always manual. The list goes on...

Shooting

Quite simply...I like it!

It is solid, well-balanced, easy to grip and has a control set that grows familiar very quickly. I originally chose the A700 for its control ergonomics and the A77 may end up being a bit better! There's the huge, bright viewfinder and an acrobatic LCD that makes low, high and odd angle shots easier than ever before.

The fastest autofocus I have ever had the pleasure to use and it is accurate too. If one of my lenses backor front-focuses, there is a menu to compensate with micro adjustments that registers and saves the adjustments for up to 30 lenses. Technological assist for critical manual focusing is very useful.

Fully metered, focus tracking continuous shooting at up to 8 fps is probably more than I will ever need and if it isn't, the more restricted 12 fps mode should cover it.

Image quality is pretty amazing. I haven't tried out the RAW files yet but the JPEGs are quite good. If they improve the JPEG engine with firmware like they did with the A700, I may never use RAW.

And then there is the movie mode...up to 28mbs 1080p60 recording with full-time autofocus or manual focus assisted with peaking...

The features and combination of features fills a 240 page manual and rather than plod through them here ad nauseum, I'm going to go enjoy the rush of photographic inspiration that always comes with a shiny new tool!

Down The Rabbit Hole...?

Is the SLT design with a high-quality electronic viewfinder the wave of the future? Maybe, maybe not. There is personal preference and user inertia involved as with any major change. Remember, it wasn't until digital capture surpassed the film in working quality the it was widely accepted by working photographers and it took years after that to pry film out of some of those cold, dead cameras. The usability of the A77 viewfinder certainly has captured my interest and the interest of a lot of people that would have (and did) scoff at the idea.

Is 24MP too much for APS-C? Some would say yes and I might have been one of them. Certainly the high-ISO performance would have been improved with fewer and larger pixels but for print sizes up to 12x18, the ISO 6400 images are pretty darn good and that places it at least two stops better than the A700 even with double the pixels. At ISO 100 to 400 in good light (which covers portraits and most landscapes) the level of detail is truly amazing and rivals the current crop of full-frame cameras. If you add the improved dynamic range and better color fidelity I might still say that 24MP is too much, but with a lot less conviction than before.

I hope this answered a few questions, I will add more images and perhaps some comments as I get more familiar with my new friend.

Happy shooting!

Buy Sony A77 24.3 MP Translucent Mirror Digital SLR With 16-50mm F2.8 lens Now

UPDATE 12-11-11

Last week we put our 2 SONY SLT-A77s through the ultimate test.

We were the official photographers on the Rock Legends Cruise and shot over 9,000 excellent photos over 3 days. I had to only reboot my A77 3 times but my wife did not have to reboot hers at all.

We shot about 65% of the concert photos with no flash in low natural stage light and got amazing results with very little ISO noise problems.

We also shot our 1st and 2nd rock videos with the A77 and were amazed at the results. I was set up about 15 feet from the main PA system right stack and the sound was not blown out even though I only used the on-board microphone. The stereo sound is crystal clear and other than some faint wind that was picked up the audio was perfect!

We've received hundreds of compliments on our concert photos and many are from Canon and Nikon users :D They have already been published on several online rock magazines and there are a lot more to come :D

ORIGINAL POST:

We were going to preorder one of these SONY A77s here on Amazon but my wife and I don't have enough patience ... plus we didn't want to risk the initial shipment from Sony being sold out before it arrives in the US... so we ordered 1 from a Hong Kong E seller Sunday night and received it this morning (Wednesday). (only $1329 delivered!)Wooohooo!

It's quite a bit bigger (than our A55s) but it's not too big for my wife's normal sized female hands. It's a lot heavier (than our A55s) but not too heavy for her to use(she's our top WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER). She's been shooting 5 straight hours with it now with 3 different lenses.

The new SONY A77 looks absolutely awesome! Sony has put all the buttons for everything nicely placed right on the body. There is very little need to go to the menu. The manual seems very comprehensive and since we already had 3 A55s it was very easy for us to breeze through and just highlight the new stuff.

As far as photo quality if you are upgrading from an A55 we didn't expect too much more than the size/definition you gain with a 50% increase in MPs. We were wrong, the photos are phenomenal! If you are upgrading from another camera brand you will be stunned! My recommendation to all you Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Olympus, and Fuji users... If you are thinking about upgrading your outfit, DO IT! Sell everything you have and grab one of these revolutionary new cameras and some legendary MINOLTA LENSES, or the SONY 16-50, "G" Lenses, or Carl Zeiss lenses. You will be opening up a whole new world of photography excellence!

The 1st 25 quick photos we shot with an APO Minny 100-300 look excellent on our 42" TV!

Update 10-14-11

We have now shot almost 5,000 great photos including 2 weddings. The 2nd wedding we shot was outdoors on a dreary, gray, rainy day and the photos came out fantastic. As a matter of fact they were so good that we sold our last 2 SONY A55s and ordered another SONY A77 with the 16-50 2.8 LENS which will arrive Wednesday-Thursday next week.

We shot the 1st 5,000 shots with version 1.02 and experienced none of the issues that others have seen. We updated to version 1.03 yesterday, but since we had no issues we really don't have a comparison.

Update 10-24-11

We now are the proud owners of 2 of these beauties plus the new SONY 16-50 2.8 lens. The camera and lens go together like peanut butter and jelly! They are so fast together that the finished photo has appeared on the screen before the subject has finished saying "cheese"!

We have shot our 3rd wedding, our 1st with good lighting. The photos that we took were nothing less than stunning. We are off today to shoot our 2nd engagement session and we are both like kids on Christmas Eve with every new opportunity to shoot. This camera grows on you every day and even though we have had the 1st one almost a month it is still exciting to use.

UPDATE 10-31-11

We have now taken over 6,000 excellent photos with our 2 SONY SLT-A77s. So far zero problems with either camera. We went out yesterday and shot with a handful of MINOLTA lenses and they all performed wonderfully on the A77s! We also now had the opportunity to shoot a few hundred shots with some of the new in-camera special effects. The color extraction is amazing, and you'll really like the pop and vivid as well!

If you google our company name you will find our site with hands on reviews and photo samples under the SONY|MINOLTA tab of both the camera and lens.

Read Best Reviews of Sony A77 24.3 MP Translucent Mirror Digital SLR With 16-50mm F2.8 lens Here

What a stunning camera this A77 is.

Forget the dated Canons and Nikons(good though many are); tomorrow is here right now! Of course, if you are already bogged down with another manufacturer's lenses and kit, you'll almost certainly disagree.......we understand and sympathise!

Let us look at a few facts and leave nefarious comment to the bitter and twisted.

1. This camera does not have a big flappy mirror assembly....thank you,God...even my digital Hasselblad cannot negate the appalling vibrations from its mirror (and there is actually a dedicated program in the software to delay shutter activation by 50, 100, 200 ms...or whatever to cover the failing up). Yuk.

2. The A77 does have a super electronic viewfinder that even when wearing complex prescription specs,copes superbly.And you actually see what you are taking ALL the time. I have been using this sort of viewfinder for over ten years and always have preferred it to my Hasselblad....and optical viewfinders don't come much better than Hasselblad's.

3.The frame rate at 12fps is magical.....no one else comes near.

4. The image stabilisation is in the body...thank you again God...so even the G lenses are good value. The standard range is almost cheap!

5. As STANDARD the camera does 12fps, sweep panorama, video, HD,and 3D and GPS. No fuss, it's all there.

6. The artificial horizon feature,,,,as well as yaw sensing...is absolutely great. Who needs spirit levels now?

7. There is a HUGE, yes HUGE, supply of Minolta lenses stacked up on eBay and elsewhere, that make experimenting with this camera a real joy.....instead of seeking a mortgage everytime you decide to try a new lens combination!

8. AND....AND, this thing has over 24 Mpixels of sheer resolution.....cropping has never been such fun!

9. The body is a metal casting and is sealed against a goodly level of water intrusion.....tough as old boots, if my 10 year old predecessor is anything to go by.

10. It costs far less then you might think too. Buy the body and try some of the 'giveaway' used lenses before you commit to your final choice.Do try the 18-250mm superzoom.

All in all, an exciting major step forward.

Go and enjoy it!

Want Sony A77 24.3 MP Translucent Mirror Digital SLR With 16-50mm F2.8 lens Discount?

All I can say is wow....

The resolution with the 16-50 f2.8 is outstanding. The EVF is a joy to use, the camera handles very well and is easy to use. I love the fact that what you see with the EVF is what you get on the photo.

So far, of the couple of thousand shots its performance is great... Love the focus peaking (shows you what is in focus with a hi-light color) its great for tweaking the focus.

I have not used the focus tracking for sports yet, but my tests (with a dog) show that it seems to work pretty well I will leave others better qualified to answer that usage.

Pros:

Resolution !!!

Nice interface (most of the options are really close to hand and because of the EVF you don't even have to take your eye away from the viewfinder.

That EVF !!

Focus peeking and zoom functions allow you to nail the focus.

Cons:

Its not quite as good at handling noise at very high ISO (aka VERY low light) as say the Nikon D7000.

The focus square confirmation can be a bit hard to see sometimes.. It really should be configurable.

All in all = I highly recommend this camera. This is coming from a canon SLR->DSLR user for 25 something years..

I will try to add a couple of images taken with this camera to the page.

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Fosmon® High Speed HDMI Cable Gold Plated Digital Audio / Video Cable Premium Quality (15 feet)

Cables are working perfect at a significant savings when compared to to retail chains such as best buy.

It is not durable. I had mine about a month and it broke, so I bought the same one, and sure enough it only lasted about 2.5 months. So then I bought a THIRD one, and it broke AGAIN! The metal piece bends sooo easily...the cord is strong, but it the two ends of it cannot be touched. I had mine going from my computer to my tv, and it would get plugged and unplugged a few times a week. Only get this product if you do not plan on touching the cord after it is installed.

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Using these HDMI cables on a 7.1 Surround Sound receiver will make you feel like you were deaf before you used them. The channel separation is supreme with ZERO bleed over. I hadn't realized how much I had been missing.

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This cable by Fosmon is a thick, high quality cable which is far more reasonably priced than many HDMI cables you will find. In my mind, it strikes a very good balance between price and quality. The cable itself is thick and heavily shielded against interference, yet it is supple enough for one to work it into whatever configuration is required. The HDMI connectors on either end, along with the fittings surrounding them, are of very high quality, and you can immediately feel the quality of the material used to mount when you pick them up see the closeup images provided here to get a sense of what I mean).

These cables are available in a variety of lengths, so make sure you order a cable that is long enough to meet your needs. This one is 15 feet long. Five stars for quality, four stars for price (you can get much cheaper cables, but they won't be at this level of quality).

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When you never had one what do you say. send me one and I will try it. that would would work

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Canon VIXIA HFS10 HD Dual Flash Memory w/32GB Internal Memory & 10x Optical Zoom - 2009 MODEL

I have owned a small wedding videography company for 5 years and after using this camera for a week I am incredibly pleased with it. If you want the smallest camcorder you can get without sacrificing video quality in any way, than this is the camcorder for you. I am amazed at how small this thing is while still having a professional grade lens. This is the same Canon lens as on their GL2 which is probably the most popular entry level professional camcorder ever (which I have owned for a few years).

Pros:

1.) Professional camera lens with superb HD video quality (even in low light situations). I cannot express enough how amazing the pictures look.

2.) 32 GB of internal Flash memory (This is the only difference from the HFS100)

A.) Flash memory is instant. No waiting for tapes to wind or hard drives to spin.

B.) Flash memory helps keep the camera small.

C.) Flash memory protects data from being lost due to the camera being dropped or hit (a real problem with hard drive cameras).

3.) The still picture quality, even with the built in flash, is unbelievable for a camcorder. I feel like I am shooting with my Rebel XTi.

4.) I love the auto open and close lens cover. It only opens when you are actually shooting. If the camera is off or if you are reviewing it immediately closes.

5.) Menus are very easy to navigate.

Cons:

1.) Doesn't come with an HDMI cable. Since it doesn't take a normal sized HDMI cable I think there is no excuse for that.

2.) Doesn't come with a battery charger. You either have to spend $50 to get one or recharge batteries using the camcorder itself.

3.) $200 more than the HFS100 for only 32GB of internal storage is way too much. Should have only cost an extra $100. Unless you need to be able to record more than 2.5 hours of shooting without changing SDHC cards, then get the HFS100 because 32GB class 6 SDHC cards only cost $100.

4.) Only comes with the BP-809 battery which doesn't even last an hour. So you will need to buy the BP-827 which costs another $150. The BP-827 does stick out from the back just a slight bit, but not even an inch and is totally not noticeable nor does it add any real weight.

5.) 10X optical zoom is a little slim for my liking. I am used to 20X.

This camcorder is basically a professional lens barrel with an LCD on the side which gives you the best picture quality possible while keeping the size incredibly small. I cannot encourage you enough to get this camcorder though I would advise the HFS100 over this to save a little money. Remember, the HFS100 is the identical camcorder except it does not have internal memory.

Canon VIXIA HFS100 HD Flash Memory Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

The Vixia HFS10 is an upgrade for me, coming from the Canon VIXIA HG20 AVCHD 60 GB HDD Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom. I've been enjoying the HG20 for a few months now, so being able to dig in to the new features on a 2009 model camera has been a real treat.

Right off the bat, the video image quality on the HFS10 is incredible. Hands down, the best I have ever used. Facial recognition is blazing fast and accurate, even when people are moving reasonably fast. Recording in low light indoors produces bright and clear results. Recording in very bright light outdoors produces a razor-sharp picture with virtually no halo effects or bleeding. This is where Canon really shows off the new Digic 3 processor.

The 10X optical zoom is smooth, and doesn't lose focus easily when zooming in and out. However, at this price point, 10X is certainly on the lower end of the spectrum of what's available. While that's disappointing, the image stabilization definitely makes up for it. At full zoom, the image stabilization compensates for normal "jitters" exceedingly well.

On the still image side, the Digic 3 is able to bring some nice surprises, as well. The "real" pop-up flash works better than expected for indoor shots. For most point-and-shoot scenarios, the HFS10 will stomp all over Canon Elph cameras, and comes pretty close to what you'd expect from a PowerShot (albeit, at a different overall resolution).

Again, the image stabilization really shines with still pictures. But one thing I did notice, is that the HFS10 seems to do "strange things" with still images in low light. Things that should have halos (e.g. sunsets) don't, even with different CP and UV filters.

Speaking of filters, the HFS10 has a 58mm lens barrel. So, you have tons and tons of filter options at every imaginable price point. Out of habit, I threw on a SUNPAK CF-7034 UV Ultra-Violet Filter that I had lying around my SLR gear bag along with a spare cap. Though I'm not real big on Tiffen glass, I also tried out a Tiffen 58MM Circular Polarizer, which produced really interesting results with some nature videos.

Anyone who has used a previous generation Vixia or Canon still camera will feel right at home with the menu system. The layout is basically the same, and functions are right where you'd expect them to be. For those not familiar with Canon cameras, getting used to the menu system is very easy.

The only thing that really took some adjustment was using the "time machine" feature that lets you go back and record something that happened three seconds in the past. It works flawlessly, but adjusting to the delay in the viewfinder was really difficult for me to get used to.

Also new for this year: logical port placement, and decent quality port protectors! The HDMI, USB, and component connectors are on the right side of the camera and have a sturdy plastic door to protect them, instead of the flimsy rubberized plugs on last year's models (and they're no longer behind the LCD!). Strangely, Canon has chosen to move the battery release behind the LCD, making it a bit awkward to switch out batteries.

The included Canon BP-807/808 battery consistently gives about 90 minutes of continuous use. I was happy to see that last year's batteries are compatible, so I've been using a Canon BP-819, which gives just over 200 minutes. Although the BP-819 is a larger battery, it's almost flush with the back of the camera when installed.

Of course, the included software is trash. I installed it for the sake of reviewing it, but really, if you're looking to spend this kind of money on a camera, you owe it to yourself to spend another couple hundred on decent video editing software. As a Mac user, iMovie does a passable job, but takes forever to do its various conversions from AVCHD. I stepped up to Final Cut Express 4, which works perfectly with this camera. Of course, there are many options for Windows users as well.

The biggest shortcoming -and this is huge if you travel with a laptop -is that Canon still seems married to the idea that you can't export pictures or video from the internal memory without plugging in to AC power. I can't for the life of me figure out the logic behind this. If you have a fully charged BP-819 (or even an 807, for that matter!), that's not nearly enough power to copy over some still pictures, in Canon's estimation. Of course, you can save everything to SD and just pop the card out, or do camera-to-card-to-computer copies, but it's ridiculous that you can't import ANYTHING from the internal memory without being plugged in to a wall.

Were it not for that, I'd be comfortable overlooking the other minor imperfections and giving this a solid 5 stars. And, if you're not planning on doing more than recording and watching your videos when you're away from home, consider this a 5-star review. But if you're planning on uploading a few videos and / or pictures while you're on vacation (or something more professional, like mobile editing), don't plan on doing it without access to AC power.

All things considered, though, if I was looking for a camera in this price range, The Vixia HFS10 is the first and only camera that would be on my list.

Buy Canon VIXIA HFS10 HD Dual Flash Memory w/32GB Internal Memory & 10x Optical Zoom - 2009 MODEL Now

I exchanged a Sony HDR 500v for this camcorder after getting a loud hissing sound from the sony. That gave me a chance to actually play with the sony a little bit before returning it. In a few words if you are familiar with manual controls in photography, you'll love the Vixia (which is my case). If you need something simpler, point-and-shoot-kind-of devise, go with the sony. I'm a professional photographer who does video for fun and I absolutely like the amount of manual controls this camera offers. (The sony didn't even have a sound level meter that you could turn on! A must if you use a second mic.)

It also has this 'springy' on-screen-menu that allows you to change your recording settings in as little as two steps. Very very helpful, again for the person who likes manual controls.

Another feature which I really like is the fact that they placed the remote control sensor on the LCD viewer, which allows you to use the remote control to actually record from any position as long as you have a direct view of the LCD screen. The sony has the remote sensor in the front which forces you to be in front of the camera if you want to activate the recording (almost impossible when you are anywhere but in front of the camera). For example if you mount your camera on a monopod when you need to get a shot over a crowd of people, and your fingers cant reach the record button because it is too high, with the sony is impossible to use the remote to do this because the sensor is in front of the camera even if you have very long arms you still are going to have a hard time making it record. Both Canon and Sony removed the LANC input on these new cameras so there is no way to operate them remotely with wired LANC controls. So in the canon as long as you have the LCD facing you then you can use the remote control to start/stop recording.

And one more little thing which I think is great is the ability to turn the recording light off. (The red light you see in the front of cameras) This is great because some people get uncomfortable when they know they are being recorded. When they think the camera is off they act natural and thus you get better expressions in your video.

Read Best Reviews of Canon VIXIA HFS10 HD Dual Flash Memory w/32GB Internal Memory & 10x Optical Zoom - 2009 MODEL Here

Canon VIXIA HFS10 is currently the top-of-the-line Canon consumer camcorder. It takes very good quality full HD video (one of the best among consumer level camcorders). The optical image stabilization is very useful and face detection is accurate. Autofocus is very fast and the menu system is intuitive. Low light capability is decent (but improved a lot by using the video light for video recording or internal flash for taking photos). The pre-recording mode is very useful for shooting sport, action, fireworks, child and other scenarios where it is often hard to predict when those Kodak moments will exactly be until it has happened/passed. It also has filter thread so you can install lens filter to enhance the video/image and to protect the lens. The LCD is very sharp and clear from wide viewing angle. It has a dual shooting mode where video recording and photo taking can be done without switching settings.

Taking photos with Canon VIXIA HFS10 is also very good. Image quality is very sharp with 8.59-megapixel CMOS image sensor that is also found in Canon DSLR. Taking photos in continuous mode is also very good (about 4 frames per second, comparable to DSLR cameras), however, the shutter response is nowhere near the DSLR (it's slower than DSLR), and I'm used to the DSLR almost no-lag shutter response so I will continue to use my DSLR cameras most of the time. For point and shoot customers, they won't notice the shutter lag (as it is the same if not better than most point and shoot camera) and they will probably be able to replace their point and shoot camera with this camcorder as it produces image quality better and sharper than most point and shoot cameras.

Pros:

1. Video quality (1920 X 1080 Full HD) comparable with many professional camcorder and is one of the best quality for consumer level

2. Image quality for photos are sharp and vivid (8 megapixel).

3. Zoom Covers super wide angle to semi-zoom (6.4mm to 64mm) before the 1.7x magnification.

4. Built in 32GB built-in flash memory

5. Very effective optical image stabilization (a combination of optical and image sensor stabilization)

6. Lens filter thread (I installed 58mm UV/Haze filter to reduce UV and also help protect the front glass element)

7. Autofocus is very fast and includes a very accurate face detection to keep people's face in sharp focus

8. up to 24 hour recording in LP mode (with 64GB total memory, 32Gb built-in, and 32GB SD card)

9. Innovative Pre-record mode is available (and never miss critical shots anymore)

10. Video snapshot mode (shot short movie clips and blend with music tracks)

11. Almost instant on and record (stand-by to recording in less than 1 sec and from off in less than 2 sec)

12. Continuous mode for taking photos is very fast (though the shutter lag isn't nearly as good as SLR cameras)

13. Record HD videos and take 6MP photo to memory card simultaneously

14. Small but bright video light and photo flash.

15. Built-in automatic lens cover

16. Wireless remote control included

17. Bright and clear 2.7 inch lcd screan (and the image is sharp)

18. Very easy to navigate the menu (even though there are so many options and settings available)

19. 24p cinema mode and 30p progressive mode included

20. pre-programmed video and photo mode (sunset, night, beach, spotlight, fireworks, etc)

21. Aperture priority, Shutter priority, and Program mode available (in addition to Auto setting)

22. Dual shot mode (capture video and photo without having to change setting)

Cons:

1. Only 10x optical zoom (not sure why Canon doesn't make this top-of-the-line camcorder 20x or 30x optical zoom)

2. No seamless recording transition from one memory to the other memory

3. Included batteries only last about 75-90 minutes of recording time

4. Shutter response still not as fast as DSLR

5. Low light performance is average (improved if using the video light or internal flash)

6. A bit bulky compare to many other flash memory camcorders

7. Not the lightest camcorder but still lighter than DSLR cameras

8. 24Mbps recording mode has many restriction (require fast speed flash memory, and not all DVD player can playback)

9. No touch screen LCD

10. Non-standard accessory shoe terminal (better than none though. can use VL-5 video light or DM-100 microphone)

11. Must plug in ac adapter to transfer internal memory data to computer

12. No optical viewfinder

13. HDMI cable not included

14. Doesn't come with external battery charger (use the camcorder to charge the battery instead)

15. Top-of-the-line price

In conclusion, Canon VIXIA HFS10 is targeted for those who are looking for a consumer camcorder with the best video quality with a lot of internal flash memory (32GB) that can also take photo with the best image quality and the largest megapixel to date for a canon camcorder (8MP). Basically, Canon Vixia HFS10 is currently the top-of-the-line Canon consumer level camcorder.

Also check out the following Canon camcorders that has comparable main feature (Full HD video and DIGIC DV III image processor) before deciding to buy Canon VIXIA HFS10 (and decide whether any of these camcorders will fit your needs therefore avoid paying the premium that Canon VIXIA HFS10 command):

Canon VIXIA HFS100 (no internal flash memory, 10x optical zoom, 8.59-megapixel CMOS image sensor)

Canon VIXIA HF20 (32GB internal flash memory, 15x optical zoom, only 3.89-megapixel CMOS image sensor)

Canon VIXIA HF200 (no internal flash memory, 15x optical zoom, only 3.89-megapixel CMOS image sensor)

Sidarta Tanu

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Since there have been so many long reviews posted already, I will try to keep mine short and sweet. I'll just highlight some of the things that stand out to me and make a few comments.

Verdict: If you can afford it, probably the best (certainly one of the best) consumer HD video cam on the market today.

Features:

Outstanding lens

8.59-megapixel CMOS image sensor!

Quality build

Excellent picture quality

Good auto-focus system is fast and accurate

Optical image stabilization

Reliability and easy transfer of flash based system.

Decent 32 GB of internal flash memory

Good menu system is easy to use and understand

Built-in mic port

Superb feature set lots of bells and whistles (serious amateuers rejoice!)

Near pro-level capabilities and lots of manual control

Good macro capabilities

Excellent remote control capabilities (can control from many angles)

Gripes:

No optical viewfinder (sadly, becoming the norm)

No separate battery charger included (but more the norm these days, alas)

No HDMI cable (ditto)

Expensive (but you get what you pay for)

Batteriesyou will need to carry several

Must be on A/C power to transfer (but can use SD card as alternative)

Overall, an outstanding camera that is fun to use and yields great results. The latest in a long line of outstanding consumer video cameras from Canon. If you are serious about video, this is your camera. I am giving it 5 stars because, even though it's not perfect, it's the best I've ever seen.

Serous videographers will love this camera. Five stars!

========================================================

P.S.

My two cents worth if you are an average joe looking to make family movies, you should still consider the standard def models. They have far more zoom range and are much easier to hand-hold and shoot. They produce great results, there's lots of low cost and good editing software, their resolution is great for DVD's, and the tapes are easy to use and store. You really need a tripod with HD cams, and editing is much harder and more difficult. The picture quality on the better std def cameras is excellent, not HD, but plenty good. And you can save a ton of money. I still use my std def cams for lots of family stuff.