Canon EOS 5D MARK II + Canon EF 28-135mm Lens + Canon EF 75-300mm UltraSonic Lens + Canon 50mm Lens

I would hesitate to purchase a package that includes a Canon EF-S 75-300mm Zoom Lens in a package for a camera that will not accept EF-S lenses.

If you don't want to became a joke, keep away from this package. this package is like put the chicken wings into a jet body.

Really doubting anyone will buy it. If want to buy it, that means you need a book to study first.

The full frame camera like 5D mark II/III is not ready for you yet.

Buy Canon EOS 5D MARK II + Canon EF 28-135mm Lens + Canon EF 75-300mm UltraSonic Lens + Canon 50mm Lens Now

This is a complete ripoff. The EF-S lenses that are included with this package will not work with this model of camera!

Read Best Reviews of Canon EOS 5D MARK II + Canon EF 28-135mm Lens + Canon EF 75-300mm UltraSonic Lens + Canon 50mm Lens Here

The camera box was tampered with so I wasn't comfortable with using the camera with my clients. I own a photography studio. I was under the impression after reading the details on the product that all I repeat all the lenses would work with the 5D mark II. Only two lenses would work others were either too big or would not stay locked into place on the camera. The tripod doesn't work. I do not see how Amazon will let them sell anything on their website anymore after this incident.

Want Canon EOS 5D MARK II + Canon EF 28-135mm Lens + Canon EF 75-300mm UltraSonic Lens + Canon 50mm Lens Discount?

Just know what you're getting when buying.

I was not aware that in this particular Canon model, that not all of the focus points will give you a sharp focus. This by far has been the most disappointing thing given how much this camera costs. You can only really rely on the center focal point. I do believe the new Mark III will correct this issue only wish I would've known before I bought it!!

Love all of the other features, but of course they're not nearly as important as being able to get sharp focus!

You do get 3 Canon lenses, so the camera + lenses and a few of the other items; camera bags, tripod etc probably make the price equal to about what you would pay individually (or at least I hope). :) I'm not sure I needed the extra non-Canon lenses, and don't think the quality is nearly as good as the Canon and they require manual focusing, but of course you won't be paying Canon prices for them...so ok for a starter kit. Not sure the flash is helpful since Canon and other reviews I've read say that using anything other than a Canon flash may not sync properly and you risk damaging the camera -hardly worth taking the risk so now I have to purchase a Canon flash...another 200-300.

On the upside, you do get great shots with the center focus and if you're not worried about super tack sharp images when using the other focal points then no worries. All of the other features of the camera are great. The customer service of the company was good, and I got the camera quickly, so no complaints about buying from them or through Amazon. Only wish I'd known about the focusing issues prior to shelling out so much money. :(

Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera w/EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Standard Zoom Lens +

The lens and camera are great. Was a little disappointed in some of the other stuff. Bag is cheap , table tripod won't hold up camera. But the camera itself is great.

Canon PowerShot ELPH 110 HS 16.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 5x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom 24mm

I love this camera but the battery life sucks. Picture and video quality are great. I also liked the accessories as well.

Was very pleased with my purchase. The extra battery was a plus. Not much of a warning when the battery is low so always have the extra battery on hand and charged. Very easy to use.

Buy Canon PowerShot ELPH 110 HS 16.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 5x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom 24mm Now

the extras were great and the camera is a cannon so what could be wrong

I would suggest this to any one who needs a point and shoot camera.

the pictures are alot better than my old camera took so i should thank my husband for dropping my old one

Read Best Reviews of Canon PowerShot ELPH 110 HS 16.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 5x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom 24mm Here

Pentax K-r 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Black Body)

Over the past four years, I've owned an *ist DL, a K100D and a K2000. The new Pentax K-r feels like a huge improvement over its already excellent predecessors.

NEW FEATURES:

The most obvious improvements are the great new features. The K-r now has a dedicated focus assist lamp. In short, it's unintrusive compared to a strobing popup flash and it works great. I can't believe it took Pentax this long to give us this feature.

The K-r also supports both a proprietary lithium ion battery and AA batteries. You'll have to find a special adapter to use AA batteries though. Unfortunately, Pentax didn't bundle the adapter with the body.

K-x users will also be familiar with the in-camera HDR feature. The K-r includes several HDR settings including auto, standard, strong 1, strong 2, and strong 3. HDR mode is easily accessed by pressing the Info button.

Movie mode is available once again, but it's still not particularly robust. You can shoot in 720p at 25fps, which is an odd frame rate. AF isn't available while you're shooting, but I've found that manual focusing is easy enough with the right lens. I didn't have any problems with my FA 35mm.

Auto white-balancing is greatly improved over the K100D and the K2000 also. You can now shoot in tungsten light without having to manually set the WB. No more horribly yellow photos indoors followed by extremely blue photos outdoors when you forget to white balance again!

Finally, my favorite new feature is the selectable 11-point AF. When it's enabled, you can press the OK button to bring up the point selection interface and use the arrow keys to select your focus point. When you're done, press and hold the OK button to close the menu so you can use the arrow keys for other shortcuts again.

INTERFACE:

With each new release, Pentax's interface has improved and the K-r is no exception. For people coming from the older *ist DL and K100D bodies, you'll immediately notice that the four arrow buttons now have double purposes. Instead of pressing FN + right to get to the ISO menu, you just need to press the right arrow button. Users of the K2000 will find the interface very familiar, but still improved. The Info button now brings up the grid of commonly used settings such as HDR modes, JPG/RAW, metering settings, AF mode, etc. Each setting is represented with an icon or text label and moving the cursor over the setting allows you to quickly cycle through the different modes using the dial. It's similar to pressing the OK button the K2000, but now with more options and fewer button presses.

When you preview your last JPG photo, you also get the option to save it as raw. This only works with the last photo taken, probably because the camera only stores the raw data for one photo at a time. This is a great feature for those who prefer to shoot in JPG and still occasionally use raw.

BUILD QUALITY:

The build quality of the K-r is as solid as every previous Pentax dSLR body that I've owned. The battery compartment latch is slightly improved over the K2000 and the K100D. It's a little hard to describe the new latch, but it's easy to use and much harder to accidentally open.

PERFORMANCE:

I loved the low light performance of my K100D and I enjoyed the newer interface and faster AF of my K2000. The K-r again gets the best of both worlds with very clean photos at ISO 1600 and even faster and more decisive autofocus. It's also now capable of shooting at 6fps in continuous mode.

OVERALL:

The Pentax K-r has really exceeded my expectations. The improved performance combined with the new features makes the K-r a joy to use. It's an excellent entry-level dSLR that it will satisfy even more seasoned photographers who want a compact spare body.

I upgraded from the Pentax K-2000 to the Pentax K-R. I have only had the camera a few days but I already have a good impression.

First, the LCD display is good, really good. A huge upgrade from the one on the Pentax K-2000. With this screen it is easy to verify the right focus, love it.

The camera is very fast. Fast at focusing, talking the pictures and fast going through the menus. Now, activate some of the special features like filters or lens distortion correction and things slow down. I think it is a fair exchange.

The camera brings a new battery that last a LONG time. In theory you could use AA batteries but you need a $35.00 adapter that the camera did not bring. I'm not going to spend $35 for an adapter, I would rather pay for another battery for that money. Pentax dropped the ball on this one.

The visible focus points make a BIG difference. I had defaulted the K-2000 to center only focusing to avoid problems. I had been doing this for so long that I didn't realize how useful it would be to have an 11 point focus system. This is a big improvement.

Live view is a LOT faster than the reviews give it credit for. I had NO PROBLEMS telling people to pose and using the face recognition in live view to take the picture. Once you focus it does a zoom in on the focus point for a second. I like the feature as it lets me verify focus.

The biggest surprise was the low light capabilities of the camera. I can shoot at ISO 1600 without having to worry about noise. Even if I shoot RAW there is not much noise to talk about at ISO 1600. ISO 3200 is still very usable and with some Photoshop using Raw files they are easy to make usable for 8 X 11 pictures. The K-R is a HUGE improvement from the K-2000 in this area.

Build and Handling: It feels just like a K-2000 and from the outside it has few differences. The biggest change was the menus as they have been GREATLY improved making finding and changing settings very easy. The camera is still noisy and in a quiet environment it will be noticed as you take the picture. Since I shoot a lot in Church environments I would have rather have a silent camera.

Low Point: The video is not really a big feature. Mono sound, you can only record up to 20 minutes as the sensor heats up too much, 25 fps, no automatic refocus, no aperture control after the movie starts. In short, don't buy the K-R for the movie mode, that is just a basic feature in the camera. Live view is the REAL improvement.

So I find the K-R a very good upgrade from the K-2000. The pictures look great and the low light pictures are excellent. Only two issues are the basic video feature and the lack of the AA adapter in the package. The fast focus, fast shooting, improve LCD, visible focus points, amazing low light pictures and live view make the K-R a great upgrade for K-2000 users.

Buy Pentax K-r 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Black Body) Now

As a Canon 5DII shooter needing a compact SLR for hiking or backup on trips I got a good deal on this K-r and immediately set out to find fault with it. I had the box ready to send it back. My nitpicking was in vain; I like this little guy!

I let my Pentax K20D go to my son to get more pics of the grandkids out of him, leaving me without a Pentax body. I already own a couple of Pentax digital lenses, and I thought that a compact DSLR was preferable to holding a miniature camera out like a baby with a dirty diaper to compose, or dealing with one of several miserable electronic viewfinders.

The K-r has a bigger, clearer LCD screen than the K20D, image quality is noticeably better in the shadows than the K20D, and the penta-mirror optical viewfinder competes well with its CaNikon peers (at this price level). The ergonomics fit me fine, and the interface is very simple. In fact, I am familiar with Canon and Nikon SLR's and I find the Pentax interface to be straightforward and well thought-out. LiveView is very smooth in use, and is a great help in focusing a manual-focus lens, such as for macro use.

Unlike my Canon 5D2, proper exposure reads in the middle, without any underor overexposure that I can see. If colors look too cartoonish for you, simply select the Natural jpg mode. As other reviewers say, there IS a tendency to blow out strong highlights. If the picture is that important to you, shoot RAW and be extra careful. Setting minus Exposure Compensation and processing for the highlights (Adobe Camera RAW) should not cause noisy shadows with the K-r. Set the K-r to shoot your RAWs in the DNG format, and do your processing in ACR. In my testing, hot spots in the scene, such as a sunlit white wall, really do show up hot. You must adjust for that with ANY camera. Also, you will have SOME blown specular highlights with any digital camera in some situations. Finally, use at least a Class 6 card, or it'll be slow writing to the card.

In summary, the K-r is compact (especially with the DA 21 or DA 70 pancake lenses) and competent. It's a pleasure to carry around in a small bag. It is feather-light without being at all flimsy. Great buys in Pentax lenses for the K-r include the new 35mm f2.4, the old FA 35mm f2, the F and FA 50's, and the F and FA 28's. The 55-300 tele zoom is decent, but don't expect Canon L performance ($350 lens vs $1,200). If you MUST have a zoom, an excellent choice would be Tamron's 17-50 f 2.8. The Tammie is significantly better than the Pentax kit zoom, which is, in turn, not junk, just a cheap zoom. Don't shell out for the Tamron Image Stabilization; get the non-IS version. You already have in-body IS with the K-r.

The Pentax K5, for double the money, gets you a brighter viewfinder, better weather-sealing, better high ISO images and bigger files. At about $550, The K-r is a good buy. You can expect the price to come down even more as the next "latest and greatest" comes out.

Read Best Reviews of Pentax K-r 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Black Body) Here

Ordered this camera from Emmy Photo. The original camera that I was sent had the light meter calibration off by more than 2 stops. Sent back and promptly received a replacement unit. The LED display on this second unit began to fail within a matter of weeks. Emmy will not take back the second camera, so am sending back to Pentax.

Note added in postscript: I contacted Pentax today regarding warranty service, and was told that I was responsible for shipping and insurance costs sending this unit back to them for repairs. I was further told that I should expect turnaround of up to 4 weeks.

When I requested free shipping and exchange for a new unit given that I had been sent two defective units in a row, I was told that "this is not Pentax's warranty policy".

Want Pentax K-r 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Black Body) Discount?

From the factory, the K-r front focusing was really bad (tested 3 lens: 18-55mm f3.5-5.6, 28-90mm f3.5-5.6, and 35mm f2.4). I had to AF Fine Adjust to -10. I then found a nifty app called PK_Tether, which allows you to put Pentax cameras (K-x, K7, K5, K-r, K20D, K10D, K200) into debug mode. That enables you to get to the Debug menu and do AF calibration. I am not sure what the max is but I went as high as -19. You would want to reset the AF Fine Adjustment to 0 before using the calibration. That way you can do fine adjustment from the calibrated setting.

Other than the front focusing issue, the K-r could use the individual AF fine adjustment setting for up to 20 lens feature available on the K7 and K5. Otherwise, the K-r is a great camera with the fix mentioned above.

Epson PowerLite S1+ Multimedia LCD Video Projector

When searching for a projector I had the following criteria which the Epson S1+ met.

Low Cost Best price I found Amazon 749.00

Low Noise Epson S1+ is 33dB

Minimum 800x600 Resolution

Native 4:3 Aspect Ratio

High ANSI Lumens Epson S1+ is 1400

Decent Contrast Ratio Epson S1+ is 400:1

Low Cost Bulb replacement ($150-$200)

For the cost, there was no other projector on the market that could compete. I did not want the lower end DLP projectors, due to rainbow effects that can happen. I also wanted a projector that would be cost effective after the initial purchase. The S1+ bulbs can be found for $150.00 to $200.00, compared to $350-$400 for competitors. BTW: This unit will be used in a small church for Sunday services and cost was a big factor when investing and researching bulb replacement costs.

How does it work?

We get a great image for our church service with full house lights on, this projector is brilliant. Very, low noise. Most of the time it is used with PowerPoint presentations, but it also does a great job with DVD projection.

Image Size?

This unit projects a BIG image from a short distance, if you need a large picture, but do not have the space...this may be the projector for you.

Quality?

I am really impressed with the fit, finish and quality of the Epson projector and will be purchasing the Powerlite Home 10+ for my home theater.

How does it compare?

I have an Infocus X2 and and NEC VT470 projector and I would take the Epson S1+ over either one of these any day.

-Yes, since this is an LCD projector it has several limitations, including the screen door affect and is also has limited resolution at 800X600. Although many people kick up a fuss about both of these traits, neither really matters. If you sit close enough to see the screen door affect or the individual pixels for that matter, then you probably won't be able to see the whole screen because you are sitting less than one foot away from it.

I bought my S1+ about 2 months ago and use it everyday. It has taken a beating when I take it friend's houses, parties, ECT. But has shown no signs of the abuse. When it is set up anywhere from 30" to 60" it looks the same as plasma or a large projector, except it is better because it does not have the glare of a normal TV. Since it's purchase I have also set up a 14-foot screen made of poster board in my garage (it will project nicely almost anywhere on almost any surface), which looks awesome and beats almost any other theater that I've ever been in.

When I first started looking through projectors I wanted something that should accept any interface that I threw at it. When I came across the S1+ I was intimidated because I didn't know how well it would project video games such as Halo2 for XBOX. After it's purchase I was relieved to find that I could have my computer, XBOX and PS2 all hooked up to the projector at the same time and switch between them using the remote control that came with it. All of them are awesome, especially with surround sound and games like DOOM3. Even when split into 4 screens for Halo, it's still quality. Also this is a pretty bright projector, I can have my windows open with several lights on and still easily the screen as if it was a TV.

This costs less then a plasma or a projection TV and can be made much smaller or larger then either. When they say 30"-300" they mean it. It will consume any wall you put in front of it.

Last, it is the easiest thing to transport I have ever seen. For a LAN party I throw my projector, surround sound system and my XBOX into my backpack, jump on my motorcycle and am off in just a few minutes.

If you are new to projectors or are just looking for a large HD TV at a good price, then this is the one that I recommend.

I am not sure how long the bulb last (some people say they die quickly), mine is just passing 500 hours, but they only cost $175, which is significantly less then most other projectors (around $350).

Buy Epson PowerLite S1+ Multimedia LCD Video Projector Now

Before getting into how this projector works, I need to preface by saying that I am on my second projector and third bulb in 2.5 months. I teach school, and need the projector about 4 times/day at 15-20 minutes per use. Perhaps I should have considered a machine capable running consistently during a demanding duty cycle, but solid state electronics are usually not phased by this (and the bulbs, priced as they are, should not be either.)

When this projector works, it works well. It has a nice, bright image and good clarity/detail. It is quiet, runs cool, is light, and fairly portable. Compared to others on the market, the value per dollar is excellent. I seem to have had machines with teething problems though.

My first projector, purchased new mid-January of 2005, exhibited all the symptoms of a bad bulb within 2 weeks, and 20 hours on the clock. I called Epson tech. service, was walked through some diagnostics, and was told that a new projector would be out quickly. I received my "new" projector (actually a refurb. unit with more hours on the bulb than mine had) the next morning. Great turnaround, but to get a refurbished unit for my two-week new one, especially with the bulb hours as they were was no bargain. I called customer service to voice my opinion on this and they agreed that I was due compensation I was promised a new bulb but never received it. I am still fighting for one.

The second projector worked for another 2 weeks, then operation became intermittant for a few hours, then the unit stopped working completely.

After another over the phone diagnosis, the rep. told me the bulb was bad, but that bulbs were out of stock -same story I had received earlier. As of this writing, I am still waiting.

I don't know if this problem is endemic to this machine, but mine is certainly no gem. Maybe I need a heavy-duty model. I've always followed directions for cool down, haven't abused it, but continue to suffer the same problem on what is becoming a consistent basis. If I was rich, this wouldn't be problem, I'd just trade up. I give this machine a "C", and I give Epson's Customer Service Dept. a "C-". Next time, initial cost will not be such a huge issue in my purchase decision.

Read Best Reviews of Epson PowerLite S1+ Multimedia LCD Video Projector Here

Just purchased this (check online for rebates) for a budget home theater setup. We are using this projector on an 80" screen in a very dark basement. While you can certainly get better contrast and brightness from other projectors, I challenge anyone to find a better value for this price point. I was not really expecting much from the projector when we purchased it and thought that this may be a good device for the kids to watch movies / play games on. But are finding that we are watching many more movies on this great projector. Low upfront costs and low bulb replacement costs make this a good choice if you are just getting into a front projection system.

Want Epson PowerLite S1+ Multimedia LCD Video Projector Discount?

I bought this little projector mostly to attend on-line classes with, and to have a way to play games when my brain was full (which is very often;)). I also wanted a way to watch TV without having a big & ugly TV in my home office. A projector seemed the best solution, so I gave it a go.

The Epson has generous connectivity options, which allowed me to hook it up to numerous video sources simultaneously, and then switch between them all (yeah!). I have it as S-Video from my cable system's DVD R/W recorder, computer / component video from my main computer, and the 3-RCA video/audio (composite) connectors from my x-box.

In fact, the Epson sits right on top of my x-box, making for a highly cool, highly compact gaming unit with awesome capability. It takes a few minutes to transition from gaming in a fishbowl to playing in a life-size environment & getting accustomed to so much motion. Screen is plenty bright, though some of the darker interior scenes from the likes of Halo-1 are best played with the lights down (my screen is about 6 X 8 feet, 1.83 X 2.44m).

The device has fittings for ceiling mounts, but I'm more inclined to the portability of the included carrying case, if anything.

Switching between the video channels is either by hand-held remote or via the little control panel situated on top of the Epson. There is a second remote that is for operating your computer's mouse for presentations, including page up/down & L/R clicking, and it works great on xp pro with the included IR (InfraRed) USB receiver. Sounds complicated but installation was all of plugging the little IR cable/module into a USB port & then playing with the neat-o mouse remote. This is great for remotely fast-forwarding through commercials when playing DVDs through a computer. The projector has IR receivers fore and aft, BTW.

The main remote controls the video input selection, speaker volume (including mute), on-screen menu (very easy to use, with lots of selections for picky people), freeze video, a handy one-button color mode (Theater, Presentation, etc), Aspect ratio (2 settings), and ZOOM.

Video quality largely depends on the type of video input you apply to the Epson, with composite at the low end, s-video in the middle, and computer / component as highest picture clarity. The differences between these input types are about an order of magnitude, everything else being equal. By all means opt for computer / component input! Its like night and day as far as video quality goes.

Presentation fonts come through crystal clear, as do digital images, and watching a cable program or DVD on the unit is great fun (especially through the computer / component video port, where the picture is crystal clear). Although not what you would build a breathtaking home theater system around the Epson is nevertheless a practical, fun, truly plug & play projector that will connect to just about anything and go.

5-stars, among the entry-level projectors.

Olympus C-8080 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Wide Zoom

The Camedia body design has always been traditional, which I've favored over Sony's outlandish model F717 & F828 body/lens layout. The C8080 has a nicely refined body style. It's a compact 4.75" wide, by 4.7" deep, and 3.4" high. For old-school film SLR users like myself, it resembles that look and feel. The ergonomics is just about perfect. It's a real joy to hold, even with one hand. The controls are easy to see and become acquainted with. The shutter lag is almost undetectable. And if you set it for continuous frames (1.6 fps), it will give you 3 to 5 shots in quick succession. The lens and picture quality is up to par with the previous Camedias. Olympus lenses are outstanding. The 8 megapixels sure help.

The things I like about the C8080 are: 2 memory card slots (CF and XD)and you can toggle between the 2 cards. So if you have a 512 MB capacity for both cards, that's 1024 MB total. If you want more, get an IBM 1GB microdrive. You don't have to download software. Plug into the USB 2 in your PC, and you're in business (Win XP os). The viewfinder is electronic, which saves on battery consumption. The display screen can tilt up or down, and is visible even in bright sunlight. It's very comfortable to hold and shoot. And of course, it's got 8 megapixels. The thing I don't like about the C8080 is you have to remove the battery to charge it.

For pro-level amateurs and professionals, I recommend it highly.

If your like me and dont have a bunch of lenses already there that could be added to the camera as in the Canon Rebel then the next best choice is to try to get a camera that has all you need in one camera. This camera also feels better than any other camera I tried. And I tried them all, HP, Canon, Minolta, Fuji, Sony, and Olympus less expensive older models.

That is what I see is one of the main advantages of the Olympus C-8080. It is a very flexible highly featured camera. The lenses on it feature both wide and telephoto capabilities and Olympus has taken the time to make sure that the lense does well in these areas. They were special produced for this camera.

I have been able to get some excellent image quality out of my Olympus C-8080 so far. By excellent I mean that there is alot of detail in mid tones. Some of the noise artifacts in high contrast areas in other cameras such as purple hazing seem to either not be there or greatly reduced. In other words I have not seen that as an issue. This is attributable to a new CCD for the camera that impliments cyan dots into the color capture system. I love the extra colors I am getting from the CCD on board that has increased my color ranges in blues and greens as well as neutral shadow areas.

Olympus also implimented an anti noise feature in this camera that is said to help with those issues.

This camera is complex. It will take alot of time to be able to use all its featured capabilities. The menu system is intuitive and very customizable.

Am I glad I bought it? Yes definitely.

Also look at the built in historgram. Better than any of the competion. That is because it has a historgram in a historgram. You can learn on line how to use historgrams and then that feature will mean more.

Negatives:

Red laser focus system can be blinding for shooting portraits

lack of stablization system like Minolta uses

Lack of illuminated controls for night shooting

Buy Olympus C-8080 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Wide Zoom Now

Make sure your read the last paragraph of this review to see why an outstanding camera gets only three stars.

Before buying this camera I read a variety of professional reviews on various websites. The consensus seemed to be that this was the best of the lot of the new 8 megapixel cameras. As a lifetime Canon owner who also has a Canon D60 6.3mp SLR digital camera I was disappointed that the new Canon Pro1 didn't get as high ratings, but I believe that quality pics beats any brand loyalty that I might have.

I was in the market for one of these new high resolution cameras because I wanted something to carry around for quick shots when I didn't want the trouble of lugging my Canon D60 and a host of lenses.

I took it on a recent trip in to the California coastal mountains. I was totally pleased with the results. The professional reviewers were all concerned with noise in higher ISO settings for this breed of cameras. All of my pictures were shot in the range of ISO 100 to 160 in bright light. I used Photoshop to greatly enlarge pictures taken at 100 and 160 and compared them for noise. ISO 160 pics were noisier, but still printed out clear 7.125 by 9.5 prints. Colors were very accurate, and I noticed no significant distortion.

The large number of buttons and menus posed no real problems for me. You just work yourself gradually into this, and soon you are at ease. I particularly liked the button on the top that allows you to make a custom setting. I use it for ISO settings, making it a breeze to quickly change ISO when I want to.

What criticisms can I make? Here's my brief list:

1. Buttons on the top right of the camera are very crowded, and it takes a while to get used to them, and not be changing the wrong one. I find it somewhat difficult to hold down the custom button and rotate the selector wheel at the same time.

2. I am not too enthralled with the electronic viewfinder. I found it sometimes difficult to see things clearly, and colors were harder to detect as accurately as in a normal viewfinder. I particularly had problems adjusting a circular polarizer filter to best effect.

3. I am used to manually zooming an SLR camera, and the power zoom on the c-8080 is a bit frustrating. It is difficult to zoom to the exact point that you want. You keep over and under zooming it. But I suppose this is a problem found on most power zoom cameras.

As most professional reviewers have noted, this camera is built like the photographic equivalent of a tank. It feels solid and indestructible, a heft that you usually find only on very expensive professional cameras.

Oh yes. Why did I give this camera only a three star rating. When I received the camera the software disk was broken. The disk is important insofar as Olympus is too cheap to provide a complete manual with the camera, and a further 180 pages or so of it are on the disk. Three phone calls and an email, and over a month later I get a software disk in the mail. But it's not for the c-8080. Another phone call and I am told the that the c-8080 disks come only with the camera itself. They have no extras, and I will simply have to do with this one which is written for other cameras. It supposedly will suffice for the camera to computer interface, although the c-8080 is missing from the reference manual of listed cameras. When I first called and waited on hold for a long long time no one even new how to deal with this problem. I was given the run around from department to department to department. You better hope that nothing is damaged in shipment, and that you never ever need tech support from them.

Read Best Reviews of Olympus C-8080 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Wide Zoom Here

After some extensive research on 8-megapixel digital cameras, I decided on the Olympus C-8080 for several reasons. I'll highlight a few of them below.

* The magnesium cased Olympus C-8080 has a quality feel to it in my hands. It feels solid. This camera won't creak or flex when handled like some of the others I tried.

* The Olympus C-8080 power up time is extremely fast which is important for catching those special moments. It has one of the fastest power up times of any 8-megapixel camera.

* The C-8080 has one of the best lenses available in its class with just the right balance of range and speed... The lens is rather large for good light gathering ability. It's also very sharp. At 5x and 28mm 140mm (35mm equivalent) range, some might lean more toward a camera with a broader optical range sacrificing speed and quality. For me, it's about quality not quantity! I find that I often use 28mm indoors where space is limited or for those wide outdoor scenic shots. And 140mm is usually sufficient for most of my 'telephoto' needs. You can also purchase optional adapters for wider angle or more zoom if you find it necessary.

* Battery life on this camera is top notch... it's one of the longest lasting and far superior to most other 8-megapixel cameras. Although I own 2 batteries for my Olympus C-8080, I have yet to need more than one for an entire day of shooting. My findings pretty much mirror what the professional reviewers have tested with regard to long battery life on the Olympus C-8080. I have yet to see my 'low battery' indicator come on!

I should also mention that I wear eye glasses which is a problem for me with some viewfinders. Not so with the Olympus C-8080. The ring surrounding the viewfinder is rubberized and when I place the lens from my eye glasses up against the view finder, I can see the entire frame clearly and comfortably. The viewfinder also has a diopter adjustment to compensate for less than perfect vision.

Some people have commented that the controls on the Olympus are a bit confusing. The camera is very versatile with many features and I've gotten used to the controls. Also, the power on/off button is located fairly close to the shutter release button but I got used to this within just a few minutes. It really isn't a problem. Unless you're seriously lacking in manual dexterity, you'll get used to it very quickly.

Also, don't skimp on the memory card. I have a 512MB xD card in the camera and keep a blank 256MB card in my pocket in case I fill up the first card before getting a chance to download all the images to my PC. I might just get a 512MB CompactFlash card as well since the camera has a slot for both xD and CF style memory cards.

To quote another reviewer, the Olympus C-8080 is the one to get!

Want Olympus C-8080 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Wide Zoom Discount?

Some thoughts from an amateur having been using it for a while. Note that my overall score is high and I'm very happy with this camera: bang for the buck this is great.

So these comments are deliberately critical since I think that's what most people want to know about. If something really cool stands out such as dark frame subtraction on this camera for us astronomers then I'll point it out.

1. Do not look at this camera as a 'point and shoot, slip it in my pocket' sort of camera. This is big, has many functions and can be overwhelming at first if you're new to this level of camera. That said the functionality and positioning of features is exemplary: for example the dual use of buttons to allow quick access to features and settings. Also, assuming you've got the camera setup how you want it you can flick it on and be snapping away pretty quickly; the 'user setting modes' are great in this regard, since you can save different types of setup to allow quick access.

2. In auto focus mode, the camera can be a little slow to focus and you can miss your intended photo moment frustrating! You can set it to manual focus mode, but that can be slower since there isn't a focus ring for you to turn a-la-SLR. You have to use the buttons to focus and that can be tricky with your eye wedged up to the viewfinder on sunny days!

3. A full printed manual isn't provided it is online on the CD only. I think that is cheap, Olympus!

4. I'm an astrophotographer and so far I've only been able to take piggy-back shots (not a problem with the camera I just need to make some adapters). Dark frame subtraction in night mode is extremely useful, but so far it seems the noise generated by the CCD is too much for it to handle, even in relatively short exposures (on a 75 degree F night at ISO400). I'm going to try slower ASO speeds since that should improve it a litle, and I know cooler evenings will help a great deal, but still not off to a great start. Also, cooling would help but at 800 bucks you can't get everything! ;-) ADDENDUM 9/NOV/04: this camera works OK as an astrophotography camera, but basically you get what you pay for. Because it isn't an SLR, it is difficult to achieve focus using the camera with it's fixed lens, through an eyepieve and into the telescope. hugely magnified and actually too much noise to speak of. I'm persevering, but I'd recommend the extra step to an SLR if you're going to be into astrophotography (Canon 20D)

5. The remote shutter release doesn't plug into the camera: you have to buy a power battery holder and plug the shutter release into that. That seemed a little stupid to me and just an excuse by Olympus to make you buy more stuff.

6. I find it very frustrating that you can't plug the camera in to the mains (with the optional mains adapter) and CHARGE the battery with it still in the camera. You have to remove the battery and use the separate battery charger. That means more stuff to carry and that's annoying.

7. Battery life seemed exceptionally good to me, but because of the charging scenario described above, I would get a spare battery

8. Video quality is good: I've taken a few but for some reason I have to convert them on my PC, presumably because of some coding issues (they import into Adobe Photo Album v2.0 but won't play). ADDENDUM 9/NOV/04: this is now resolved and is not an issue related to this product, but rather some clash in load order between Adobe and Quicktime.

9. I don't like Camedia Master, whatever version. I'd personally recommend the use of a separate photo manager and ditch Camedia. The only useful thing I've gotten out of it so far is stitching some panorama shots together, which worked quite well but it won't stay installed on my PC just to do that! Other software can do that, too!

Overall? I like the camera and it's taking some great shots that have printed onto 11x14 photo paper to produce stunning images. I find it comfortable, easy to use (after a simple learning curve) and everything you'd reasonably expect from a camera at this level.

So far, though, I haven't been that impressed with the night time photography but I'll be able to test that extensively soon so will update this review at that time. ADDENDUM 9/NOV/04: my conclusion for astrophotography is it is worth saving some extra pennies and going for an SLR (the Canon 20D). For daytime shooting, this camera has produced some stunning shots and I'm extremely pleased with it.

Happy shopping

JB

Konica Minolta Dimage Z3 4MP Digital Camera with Anti Shake 12x Optical Zoom

Having some experience with SLRs before the digital age, and having used a 2.1 megapixel Canon Ixus 300 for three years, I was ready for an upgrade. At the same time I was pondering whether to buy a digicam that can shoot stills, or a stills camera that can shoot video thus covering both my needs with a single device. Carrying two devices, two AC adapters/chargers and potentially two different storage media was out of the question, although some manufacturers allow you to use the same storage medium and battery if you buy only their products. I decided for a stills camera, but demanded video capture of 30 frames per second. This requirement excluded almost all the cameras within my price range.

Another key consideration was speed. The Ixus is notoriously slow both during startup and shutter lag, too slow for my baby son.

Finally I imagined a camera with 5-6 megapixels and a fast lens (ideally f2.0), fairly compact and relatively light weight.

Exhausting research showed me that the ideal camera does not exist. However, some cameras do have 30 fps video: SONY W1 or P100, The Panasonic Z10 or Z20, Kyocera M410R, and Konica Minolta Z2. The three latter manufacturers offered large zooms as well. However only Panasonic offered a stabilized zoom, and on the other hand was so big tha I decided against it.

All the above cameras offer only middle-of-the-road resolution of 4-5 megapixels. On the other hand, friends with higher resolution cameras tell me that they never use maximum resolution anyway, so I decided I could compromise on the megapixel race and get some other useful features instead.

When the Z3 with stabilised zoom was released I took a chance and bought it here at Amazon although none of the established digital photography websites had yet reviewed it.

Having used the Z3 for a week and taken about a hundred photos, I am pleased with my decision. The photo quality is as good as I expected, as regards sharpness and colour. The optical 12x zoom is fantastic, and with 4x digital zoom you can shoot the moon and have it fill the entire screen in fairly good resolution. I could read the lisence plates of cars standing 200 yards away.

Additionally the camera is fairly compact but has an unusual shape, so get the Konica Minolta case for it.

Video is very good, as expected. You get a built-in loudspeaker for instant playback. Besides you need a fast SD card, I got a 512 MB Sandisk Ultra II and am happy with it. An additional plus with SD cards is that they fit into my Palm Tungsten handheld for direct downloading of photos.

The instruction manual is good as well, not too big but detailed. Unlike cameras like Olympus C-5060 and C-8080, that have received a lot of praise for their optical qualities but criticism for their complicated menu structure, the Z3 is very straight-forward with just the right repertoire of features. It is really easy to use. When we add quick startup and focusing, I feel most of my requirements are met.

I also bought the 2500D external flash with vertically swivelling head, which came at a very competitive price compared to dedicated flashes from other manufacturers. The built-in flash is nevertheless quite strong in most indoor situations.

Such features for 499 dollars is a good deal. However Konica Minolta have chosen very cheap solutions to some other needs:

the LCD at the back of the camera is very small, and it does not swivel. All other comparable cameras have larger screens, most of them swivel. If your eyesight is not 100%, get a different camera.

the built-in flash does not pop up when needed, you have to push it up with your hand.

The lens itself is not threaded, only the barrel around it. You have to buy a big adapter in order to attach the most basic UV filter. The camera will also not fit into the case with the adapter on.

low light metering is poor, often impossible. A focus assist lamp should have been included.

the body is plastic. It feels fairly sturdy but many competing cameras are made of metal.

Konica Minolta did not bother to include NIMH batteries in the box. They are absolutely necessary but cost extra.

it is a pitty that such a big lens is not f2.0, only f2.8-4.3. The older Olympus C-5060 and Canon G3 have it why not newer cameras?

To sum it up: if you need a digital camera beyond the basic point-and-shoot type, video matters a lot to you, and you are willing to carry a somewhat bulky camera around in order to get a big zoom, the Z3 may be the camera for you. Unless you are willing to wait for a future Z4 or Z5 that has it all.

Plusses

12X zoom with anti-shake lets you take pictures of things that are difficult to capture otherwise. For example, I take quite a few pictures of my animals, and when you get close to them, they tend to move. This camera lets you maintain your distance and get a good shot.

Video mode is good. High res, and works surprisingly well in low light.

Very good ergonomics as far as controls are concerned. Menus for various camera modes are well laid out.

Exceedingly fast operation. Turn it on, and it is ready to go. Repeated shots are also very fast.

Easy access to real time histogram of current image.

Reasonably powerful flash.

Great macro and super macro mode.

Takes AA batteries and SD cards.

Minuses

Small LCD display, but with some use, you'll be able to tell if you got a good shot or not.

I think familiarity with some of the other picture taking modes of the camera is a must (i.e. aperture and shutter priority modes).

Some purple fringing at high zoom.

Noise in images, even at low ISOs.

Some difficulty focusing in low light situations.

I haven't noticed any problems with capturing video to my SD card, like the other reviewer mentioned (I have a Kingmax platinum card). Nor do I think the SD card door is `flimsy'. It is thin to be sure, but I've never had a problem with it.

I think color saturation is fine. Color balance is very natural on normal setting. Vivid color setting produces rich color. Battery life seems decent to me, I use high capacity NiMH cells.

Overall, this is not a SLR, but you're not paying the same money either. Overall, I think this is a decent camera and worth the price.

Buy Konica Minolta Dimage Z3 4MP Digital Camera with Anti Shake 12x Optical Zoom Now

I needed a camera for a cruise we were taking to Anarctica and wanted a digital camera with a large zoom. After trying to decide for about a month, I bought the Z3 and an Olympus C770 together. I decided to keep the Z3 and return the C770, mostly because of some of the great features on the Z3. The antishake really seems to make a difference and I like how fast the camera is. The C770 wasn't exactly slow, but with the test pictures I took with it I got a lot more blurred ones than with the Z3. The ultra high speed shooting modes on the Z3 are great and I got a lot of pictures I would have otherwise missed with slower shooting rates, especially when taking pictures of wildlife. As one of the other reviewers mentioned, it sounds like a machine gun when its taking pictures. I could see it being a lot of fun with candid shots too. The focus is fast and there is almost no lag taking pictures once the object is in focus. Its still not quite SLR fast, but this camera's not an SLR. The zoom is great and when showing pictures to other people on the ship they couldn't believe how close the camera was able to get with just the optical zoom. The pictures it takes are pretty good, there is some purple fringing on some things, particularly in dark areas at higher zooms, but you really have to get in close or blow the pictures up pretty large to notice. I took a few videos on my trip to and thought they were pretty good. The focus seems to hunt a little bit at times which got a little annoying, but this isn't a video camera. I thought the white balance and color was very good and I had only a couple of pictures that I would say the colors were off. The white balance on the Z3 in auto was better than the Olympus, where I seemed to have to manually change the white balance modes, especially when taking pictures outside.

Now for my gripes. The body and its panels all seem on the cheap side. The access door for the USB cable is just a soft plastic flap and the access door for the SD card is kind of flimsy. I've accidently caught the SD card door on things a few times and worry it might get really caught one day and rip off. I've been tempted to but some tape or velcro on it to do a better job keeping it closed, but haven't been able to make myself do it. The Olympus body was metal and the access doors on it seemed a little sturdier. The Z3 also eats alkaline batteries and you'll want to buy a set of high capacity Li-ions. Once I bought a set I would easily get over a full 1GB cards worth of shots (almost 500) before having to change batteries. The Z3 does have a hard time focusing in low light and I agree with the other reviews that a focus assist light would probably help. The Olympus was no better. I also sometimes have a hard time finding the shutter release without hunting for it and every once in a while I catch myself trying to press the bezel surrounding the shutter release rather than the shutter release. I also wish the flash would either pop up automatically or have a button like the Olympus, rather than having to grap a little tab on the side of the section that pops up. It was sometimes really difficult to do with gloves on or even without having to stop what you were doing and look at the top of the camera. Also, plan to buy a higher capacity SD card because 16mb is a joke. I have just a regular speed SD card and have not had any of the problems some people were describing capturing video, but I do wonder if I would be able to capture more continuous shots in the ultra high speed modes without the camera having to pause. The Z3 is also a little larger (maybe bulkier is better word) than the C770 and while I felt I could have fit the C770 in a large pocket or even wife's purse, the Z3 won't fit in either.

So to sum my review up, the Z3 is a good camera with some limitations. Its probably the cheap feeling construction that keeps me from giving it 5 stars.

PROS:

Speed, speed, speed

Anti shake works

Great zoom

Good menu system

CONS:

Cheap feeling construction

Eats Alkaline batteries (plan on buying Li-ion)

Wish flash was easier to pop up

Its a little bulky

Read Best Reviews of Konica Minolta Dimage Z3 4MP Digital Camera with Anti Shake 12x Optical Zoom Here

I have the Konica Minolta Dimage Z3 for about a week. Here are my comments:

positive aspects:

* the camera is very fast, it feels simply awesome to shoot some photos with it, altogether the handling is very good

* the best feature is definitely the 12x zoom with anti-shake. It may seem unbelievable but you can take perfectly sharp pictures at telephoto without the use of a tripod

* the UHS capture and movie mode are great

* a lot of manual features

* reasonable price

negative aspects:

* images are quite noisy

* the saturation is (below) average

* the camera does not fit into my pocket :-)

My conclusion is:

If you are an enthusiastic amateur like me, this is the perfect camera for you. Although the image quality is a little disappointing all of the other features make this a wonderful camera.

Want Konica Minolta Dimage Z3 4MP Digital Camera with Anti Shake 12x Optical Zoom Discount?

First of all, let me say that I LOVE the Z3! I would give it five stars, except for the comments below. The anti-shake technology is impossible to believe until you have used it, then you find yourself doing ridiculous things like hand-holding at an equivalent 300mm and 50th of a second--and getting acceptably sharp photos. I have gotten 1 shot that enlarged to 5x7 nicely, shooting from a braced position at about 1/4 second and ridiculously long zoom, (at least 300mm equiv.,) although I admit that only one shot out of half a dozen was that sharp.

The light weight is a pleasure to work with after my Nikon 35mm's, and at 250+ highest quality images on a 512MB SD card, you just forget about running out of "film." If you start getting low, you can reduce the resolution to 1/2 the 2272x1704 "normal" size and still use low compression, doubling the number of available shots at the cost of big enlargements. (It will also shoot about 30 min. of low-def video on the 512card, but I haven't tried it.) I would happily leave all the Nikons at home and take the Z3 as my primary camera for most anything except for two things.

Now the bad news. The built-in flash sucks, and because the exposure is read off the CCD the only supplemental flashes you can use are hotshoe mounted and dedicated to the Z3. No off-camera flash is available. The built-in flash is useless beyond about eight feet in dim light, which is no big deal because...

You can't see squat in the LCD viewfinder in low light anyway, and the camera doesn't have a supplemental focusing light. In a dimly-lit living room, you just aim blindly, hold down the shutter button, and the camera fires when it thinks things are at optimum. They usually aren't. The flash does a good job at what most built-in flashes do well...fill flash...but don't go anywhere at night or indoors thinking you have a flash on your camera. You mostly don't. And then there's the red-eye problem. My son-in-law has pale blue eyes, and I haven't gotten a really good shot of him yet, even from the side. The camera begs for off-camera capability. Synch plugs take so little space...but then there's the dedication thing.

Having said that, I do primarily nature photography in the daytime, so I haven't felt the need to buy a hotshoe flash or a digital body for my Nikon lenses. The latter, however, is just a matter of time. The Z3 is not a professional's camera, but I'm here to tell you it's a camera that a pro can have a helluve lot of fun with!

If I had it to do over again I'd spend the extra $60 and get the equivalent Panasonic strictly because of the low-light focusing l.e.d. aid, (it, too, has anti-shake, although a different system,) but I'm pleased with the Z3 and expect to have it for a long time.

Save 33% Off

Net Media NM-MM70 Single Channel Video and Audio Modulator with Gain Adjustment

I've had this on my system for about a month now with no problems. I'm using it to assign a channel to my baby cameras so I can put them on my whole-house video distribution system. Now I can watch the baby cam from any TV in the house. This thing works just as the manufacturer claims. It's smaller than a deck of cards, lightweight, and it's easy to set the output channel. The video quality is great--completely clear. It might not be the cheapest, but I've been using another surveillance camera/modulator combo by Net Media for 2 years with zero problems so I trust the company.

We bought this modulator to get access from a video feed into a room with only RF access. Very easy to install; the RF signal looks great. We aren;'t using the audio path, but if it's as good as the video to RF conversion, ten the audio should sound fantastic also.

Buy Net Media NM-MM70 Single Channel Video and Audio Modulator with Gain Adjustment Now

InFocus IN5104 High Performance Meeting Room Widescreen LCD Projector, Network capable, Optional Le

If you're having problems doing presentations in large rooms where you can't turn the lights down (like a presentation in a hotel ballroom) this may be your answer. It projects almost everywhere without a problem. Lots of adjustments in the menus and it seems to take a beating. InFocus projectors are also pretty popular so you can usually find bulbs and service from multiple sources and the prices reflect that.

The downside is it is a BIG unit. If you have to travel by air or are in a situation where space is tight, you may need to leave something else home to fit it in it's about four times bigger than my Epson and that one isn't a mini either.

Save 33% Off