Optoma ML500, WXGA, 500 LED Lumens, Mobile Projector

I ordered this product on the day of release (not from Amazon, wasn't released yet). I am seriously impressed by it and will post a video after I clean up my place. It will also be with a cell phone camera so if it's not good enough I won't bother to upload it.

Fan & Brightness

Ok first, right out the box it is very bright and vivid. The colors really pop and are saturated, but in a good way. 500 lumens doesn't seem like a lot compared to bulb projectors but this holds its own. I have about a 90" screen right now with my light on and even on Eco mode (lower in brightness to save power everything is easily viewable. I don't even use regular mode as it makes the fan louder. The fan is not that loud but can easily be heard if the room is perfectly quiet. It sounds like a desktop computer with no dedicated graphics card. On Eco mode you can barely hear it. On regular, it's audible but nothing that would bother you. I sleep right next to it and it doesn't bother me one bit if I fall asleep watching a movie. In other words, don't worry about it. Some projectors have a problem with warming up and causing the picture to become out of focus but I leave this on all day and never have to focus it.

A recommendation, tape a piece of cardboard (or something that doesn't look as cheap) to the ceiling in front of the light that shines on the wall you are pointing your projector at. It will make a huge difference in brightness and won't affect the lightning in your room one bit. You will be able to watch TV with the lights on while only the wall with the picture on it will be dimmer. It works great and I don't even notice light is being blocked.

Keystone Correction

This projector has auto keystone correction as many projectors do these days although no one who uses projectors would recommend taking advantage of it. It distorts the picture because it needs to display a lower resolution to make up for the angle the projector is at Again, this is with all projectors. For a 90" screen my projector is about 4 feet off the ground and I use manual keystone correction set to 0. The image looks absolutely fantastic and I suggest you use manual and find where you can put the projector where you can set it at 0 in the menu. You will notice the top of the screen's image quality become dramtically better

Settings

Although I use eco mode all the time there is no quick setting on the remote for it. You have to go into the menus to turn it on and off. Play around with the color settings on the remote but you will find PC and Cinema look by far the best. Leave it on the best setting you find because it doesn't matter if you are watching TV or using your computer, those two will always be the best. Turn off auto source! It's super, super annoying. The second your computer or set top box does something and loses the connection for 1 second it will start cycling through trying to find a connection. I don't see anyone using anything but HDMI. Even if you did use another source just use the remote to change it. Trust me, its' really annoying. Now that I have it set on HDMI all the time I never have to change it.

Remote

The remote is very simple and I didn't expect much from it. I suggest you just get a learning remote and program the codes into that. It's too small and you will easily lose it. I just programmed a learning remote and kept the real one in a safe drawer.

Picture Clarity

Honestly, I hyped this projector up a lot and have been waiting for an LED projector with an acceptable amount of brightness. It definitely lives up to it. I can't wait to get home from work and play video games on it (which look incredible). I didn't play around with any color settings except the pre-chosen ones which I set on PC and left it (I feel it looks the best). Football looks amazing and walking into my roommates room who has a 37" LCD made me feel like I was watching it on a cell phone. This will ruin other screen sizes for you. I used to have a 50" plasma before I got this which was more expensive and I'm much happier with this. Sometimes when I use it I feel like I'm in the future (not kidding). The contrast ratio is a little low when the lights are on but don't let it discourage you, believe me, it's no plasma but it will not at all take away from the size and color of the image. Besides, anything that you want higher contrast ratio with you will turn the lights off anyway (even if you were watching on a TV) so that's not something to worry about.

Overall, I would give this 6/5 stars. I absolutely love it. If they come out with a 1080p version next year I'm getting it the day it's released. I seriously doubt I will ever buy another TV again. Feel free to post questions in the comments and I'll do my best to answer them. Hopefully I can get a hold of a real camera to do a video review because I'm not sure how well a cell phone will work.

Edit: Ok time for an update. I've had the projector for about 3 months now. I still love it and still won't buy another TV again. Here are things I came across over this period of time. These will be negatives that came up over time because I still stand by my original positive review so take that into account when reading this.

There isn't a way to split the audio at the projector. A commentor asked what to do when he wants to play something from flash. You would have to use the speaker in this case. I use my computer and a Ceton InfiniTV4 so it's like an all in one system (I never have to change the audio source so I never came across this). While I think playing from flash is worthless if you have a phone, laptop, or computer to hook up to this I guess it's a down fall for someone who does want to only play from the source

The projector, probably once every two weeks will turn itself off if I leave it on for a very long time (I'm not sure if it overheats or capacitors are overloading). YOu have to unplug the projector for a few seconds and turn it back on. I googled this and it happens with other projectors as well so I'm guessing it's a heat issue. It happens so rarely that I wouldn't worry about it. It's just something I wanted to include in the review. The projector can stay on for easily 12 hours, or even more. On the weekends I leave it on pretty much all day and night so I'm not entirely sure what is causing this.

Here is a funny problem that isn't an issue with the projector. It's actually impressive but it's sort of a downside due to the controller. There is an option on the remote that shows a bright lightbulb and a duller one. You would assume this is switching to eco mode to full brightness mode but all it does is change the color settings. I find it strange that someone would want to change the color settings MORE often than changing from eco mode to full brightness. At night when I'm going to bed, sometimes the projector is so bright it's like the light in my room is on. This is NOT a downside to the projector at all. It's just what happens when you have an 80" screen on your wall. You have to use the remote to go into the menu, go to LED mode, and change to eco mode (which is much more tolerable at night). I honestly leave it on eco mode most of the time and forget since it looks good enough most of the time anyway. It's just something I found weird that there isn't a quick switch on the remote.

Since the projection is 80" you can easily read text but it may be a little choppy. This isn't the projector's problem either. It's just the nature of stretching an image to 80". It's basically not as clear as a monitor (you wouldn't expect it to be). When you move the projector closer to the wall it looks VERY clear so I assume when a 1080p version comes out I'll be selling this and buying that.

So those are my negatives which really shouldn't deter you from getting one at all. I just wanted my final thoughts on it on here. Every single day I look up at my giant screen coming from this tiny box and laugh a little. It's seriously impressive. LED projectors are very young and I didn't expect such new technology to impress me so much. I can't wait to see the next 1080p version because I'll be getting it.

--Start of update on 1/22/2013

For the past few months, i have noticed that the video randomly goes blank, it displays "searching..." and the video comes back again. At first i thought it was not the projector. Later, i contacted customer rep and they said it's a HDMI bug (i should use shorter cables). But, i see the problem continues with all types of HDMI and VGA cables with different sources (laptop & cable box).

I am waiting for customer service to respond.

--End of update on 1/22/2013

This projector is worth buying. I am difficult at liking anything but this is a good projector.

+ Fan noise does make noise. It is not much and you don't hear anything when playing a video.

+ Video clarity is good. I don't see distortion or fuzzy pixels at all.

BIG issue : Using SD/USB disk option is good as no wires, but no audio outpput makes this meaningless (inbuilt speakers are meek)

When watching cable, if channel's resolution has changed then it tries to re-detect. Sometimes, it never finds, screen remains blank.

solution is hit HDMI again on the remote.

There needs to be an option to buy warranty to protect this investment

My Laptop --> USB --> Projector option to display laptop video didn't work. Customer Service is not able to solve this problem.

Note: Attached youtube video is a bit misleading. Projected video does not have any fuzzy pixels.

It is damn clear picture. I think the low lighting makes my Sony camera to creates a bit of fuzziness.

Note: Light coming from the projector illuminates the entire room

Note: Best results are when room is dark. Video is watchable is semi-dark / afternoons with blinds closed too.

Buy Optoma ML500, WXGA, 500 LED Lumens, Mobile Projector Now

::::.. I've been waiting for a decent led powered portable projector for a long long time. In the past the specs and performance of a led powered projectors were downright toyish. 30 50 lumens were way too dim, resolution was a new low, and the best connection you got was so 80's s-video. In the age of 1080p, over few thousand lumens, hdmi, HDTV, up conversion, and every other bragging gimmick the past "pico" led powered projectors ended up in gizmo crazys trophy stash, quickly forgotten, and I could see why...

::::.. Well this projector will change all that... There are other led powered projectors out there, some cost over $8000 that are focused on home theater, and there are comparable portable projectors like the LG HX350T (Only 300 lumen 1024 x 768 not even a true 720p), The NEC NP-L50W which has the same specs as the Optima, but costs over $750 and gets complaints on focusing issues, there is the ViewSonic PLED-W200 which is only 200 lumens,. The only one comparable to this projector is the ViewSonic PLED-W500 which is little more expensive. There are handful of others that won't get your attention as the ones that I've mentioned.

Most of them have some onboard memory for storing images, music, office files, and videos, and some have usb connection. I won't get into that because these are just added bonuses in which there was a small budget in developing, so the performance is very low at best (even dedicated media players have playback issues). Same goes for internal speaker which is ridiculously low and cheap!

::::.. Let's talk about this projector. This unit comes with all the connecting cables, but not the HDMI cable. HDMI connection is full sized, so you don't need a adapter. There is a VGA connection, S-video, full sized HDMI, mini USB, full size USB, full size SD, standard rca video and AV-in (3.5mm headphone type which feeds standard RCA video and analog audio). The unit comes is a really nice carrying bag, with front and internal pockets for all cables. The unit lacks lens cap which is odd knowing that it will be handled quite often. Built quality is really solid, all buttons are placed around some black brushed aluminum top, and have a good click feel.

There are tri rubber feet, front one can be raised, others are stationary. Focus ring is a little stiff causing you to play around little more..

::::.. Video, reason you buy a projector is for viewing things, not audio, or file storage, and you know better that for presentations you use a tablet or a laptop. Video on this thing is amazing! 500 lumens may seem tiny compared to a 2000 lumen projector, but this is a led light source. Colors are more vibrant, white is more white, and dlp helps to keep pixels unnoticeable, and blacks black. With any projector if you introduce some ambient light into the viewing room you end up with diluted image; black become grays, and dynamics go down significantly. Believe-you-me this projector copes very well with some intruded light. If you keep the image around 100" or lower the image is just right, it is sharp, saturated, good contrast ratio, and bright. Anything over that size will diminish sharpness , and black become gray. It will blow away LCD tvs, and plasmas due to the size of the image, yet keeping things crisp, and vibrant, of course in a well controlled lighting environment . I wish this unit had better blacks, but with tweaking its pretty decent... There are few image presets like PC, theater, user, vibrant. Pretty good starter presets, but NEVER assume they are the best presets! There are so many variables, image can always be improved, in my case a huge deal! Settings are limited, contrast, brightness, hue, sharpness and wall type. Wall type are presets made for different surfaces you can project your image on, It is really handy !

::::.. Unit comes with a small remote that has all functions. Had no issues beaming the remote signal to the unit from both the front and the back.

::::.. This unit runs very cool, fan noise is not that noticeable, very impressive. It amazes me that this little guy produces such gigantic bright image. I think that alone is stunning!

Startup and shutdown is quick. On my tests startup took 6 seconds, shutdown around 11 seconds.

::::.. This unit has a 60hz processing, and any other 90% of all the LCD, dlp, led, plasma tvs on the market. Yes newest models have 120, 240hz processing, but no one is amazed by them!

::::.. Led projector is Eco friendly in many ways! It consumes less power then conventional light source ( this unit consumes less power then a typical 40" LCD tv, yet produces over 100" image!), and the materials that are being used to make led is less abrasive on the enviroment using less energy to produce them, and less chemicals. It also outlasts typical projector light bulb by thousands of times! Typical projectors bulb lasts 2000hrs that declines in performance, led bulb 20,000hrs! It is THE main reason why the industry is switching to this technology.

So what and where can you use this unit for? Great for presentations, enough brightness for lit rooms, easy to read text, portable and light.

::::.. But this unit shines in home theater settings! 780p is stunning in a dark room with good projector screen with a good grain ratio. More importantly it can be used as your main tv for everyday, not worrying about bulb life or daytime situation.. Its fast enough for gaming, you will never look back again playing your favorite game on a 100" screen, it is amazing!!!!!!! No doubt this unit is a game changer, a new benchmark on portable led based projectors. It can only get better from here..........

Pros/Cons

::::..PROS

+ Brightness (500 lumens)

+ Led bulb/life (20,000 hours)

+ True 720p (1280x800)

+ Built quality, solid feel (hard plastic, some brushed aluminum)

+ Image quality ( solid vibrant colors, sharp, good blacks, good video response)

+ Portable (comes with great carrying bag with pockets for all cables)

+ Handels intrusive light very well (can be used for main tv with daytime light)

+ Cool operation, low fan noise

+ Variarity of connections (full HDMI, VGA, S-video, RCA video, AV 3.5mm video audio, mini USB, full USB, full SD)

::::.. CONS

No lens cap

Focus ring tight feel

Room for improvement of black level

Room for improvement of video processing (60hz)

Limited video controls (brightness, contrast, focus, sharpness..)

Limited media playback

Speaker is a joke....

Read Best Reviews of Optoma ML500, WXGA, 500 LED Lumens, Mobile Projector Here

UPDATE: January 29, 2012; I have posted a youtube video showing the focus at startup. As you'll see, it isn't that bad. It is slightly fuzzy but still readable and the videos don't seem to be affected (although I'm sure they are, if you look hard enough). With the price of this projector, the longevity of the lamp, and the quality of the picture, a 10 minute period at the start shouldn't be a huge problem for anyone. But to each his own. I still stand by my five star rating. I will update again if I come across something else. Good Luck!!!!

UPDATE: March 26, 2012; I continue to add videos to youtube. (optoma ml500 user review) I am 100% sure the focus at startup is because of the room temperature. Now that I am in warmer weather, the focus is clearing up in about 2 minutes. Once in the winter, I had the wood stove pretty hot, which made the livingroom warmer than normal and the projector started up completely in focus. So once spring and summer temps are up, there won't be a focusing period. One other small issue I have noticed is that the projector seems to need a system reset every 120 hours or so. I have over 800 hours now and it still works and looks great. However, every 120 hours or so it will shut down. I have to unplug it for about a minute. Then I plug it back in and it goes back to normal. Everything is still great quality. For picture quality and performance I still stand behind my 5 star rating. But because of needing a type of reset I would bring it down to 4 1/2 stars. This could just be my projector. I will update again. If you have questions, be sure to ask. It is amazing as I am writing this review on my 100" screen, sitting comfortably on my couch. :)

Update: May 6, 2012 Everything is still great. I have over 1200 hours now. Still shuts off every 120 hours (approximate). Quality is still great. Crisp picture from corner to corner. I have noticed that with Blu-ray the image is the best this projector will put out. So, if you have a Blu-ray setup, your movie nights will be outstanding with this projector. HDMI is the best input to use, VGA is very good as well. You will notice with the RCA video cable that the image looks very much like standard definition (which it is). But it still looks great. Let me know if you have questions or would like to see a certain video.

Update: November 17, 2012 I am at around 3000 hours now. I am still very happy with this projector. I can confirm, without a doubt, that the focus issue is related to the environmental temperature. Now that its winter again, if I don't keep the room temp up, there is a warm up, focusing period. The projector still requires a restart about every 120 hours. Very odd, but it works. Playing Black Ops is just amazing, movies are crazy good, and regular tv viewing is extremely inviting. I have had a couple of my family and friends buy a similar setup to mine cuz they are as impressedd as I am. It is very cheap when you compare to other projectors with the same specs. I now have about 9 videos on YouTube in response to requests. So, if you have a question or something you want to see, just let me know.

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I can't say enough about this projector. The picture quality is awesome! The colors are outstanding, the clarity is stunning and it is very bright. Whoever is saying it isn't bright enough during the day is either watching it outside in direct sunlight, or with no roof on their house. I keep mine on eco mode because this projector is bright enough to do it. We watch at all hours of the day, keep our two windows open AND have lights on and can still see the picture very clearly. One downfall of having more light in the room is the black levels are sacrificed. If you can't watch a tv with bad black levels during lighted conditions then this should only be for your theater room. But this is more than adequate at allowing you to watch tv in the daytime. You'll be able to read everything on the screen and see all the detail.

I've seen some complaints about fan noise, and this is NOT a problem. Who watches tv with the volume all the way down anyway. Even with the projector volume on low I can't tell its running.

I spent way too many hours researching this. But I am not one to waste my money so I wanted to make sure I would be pleased. And I couldn't be happier. If you are close to deciding on this, just do it. You will be impressed. The speaker does a good job, the fan noise is not an issue, the picture quality is amazing, it is very portable (although i'll probably leave mine mounted), and the rated hours of the led's are impressive.

For the money, this is the best projector you will buy. I am coming from a 57" sony HD tv and I won't ever get another tv after this purchase. I will however buy a 1080p LED projector when it gets into my price range.

Let me sum it up for you; PS3 games are out of this world, movies are like being at a theater, surfing the internet is crazy awesome on a 100" screen.

Pros:

-picture quality

-good speaker

-very nice at 100"

-very bright

-awesome colors

-fan noise is not an issue

-way too many positives to mention

Cons:

-there is an initial focusing period of about 5 to 10 minutes, not so bad you can't watch tv. Not bad at all. But if you want to surf the net, you'll want to wait for it to completely focus first. This isn't an issue for me because I have mine on most of the time. Who flips the tv on 30 seconds before they want to watch the most important thing they will ever see? AND you'll still be able to see it AND read it.

I have posted four youtube videos and will post more if you have a question or want to see something. Just ask!

You won't be disappointed!

Want Optoma ML500, WXGA, 500 LED Lumens, Mobile Projector Discount?

If you are considering this project, first thing to do is to ignore the 5 star reviews. I enjoy my ML500, but it's has too many issues to be a 5 star product.

If you decide to go with the ML500, the first thing you want to do after you unbox it is to throw the remote control that it comes with in the trash. Get yourself a logitech controller. The include remote is terrible. The second thing you want to do after you set it up is to find one of your THX certified DVDs and run the THX optimizer that is on the disk. This will help you get the best picture from you ML500. Don't worry about ordering the THX optimizer glasses, you don't need them. Also run the optimizer a time when the light level in the room is at the level you will normally use the projector.

My ML500 is ceiling mounted projecting a 132 inches on a smoothed and white painted wall. I use it for blu ray movies and games on the PS3. With this configuration, the room must be totally 100% dark to enjoy the picture. Any light from light fixtures or windows completely washes out the picture and makes it unwatchable. Maybe if I project a smaller image or used a $200 a gallon screen paint it might be watchable with some light present, but I doubt it. This isn't a huge issue for me as I usually watch movies at night, but I would like to play a PS3 game during the day sometime.. I mainly game on the XBOX which is on a LCD TV, so not a big issue for me. Lumens gets ***

One thing the ML500 has no problems with is colors. Colors are bright and very pretty, even at 132 inches. Colors get *****

Next lets talk about focus. It's true that the focus ring is tight so it's tough to get it exactly where you want it. You might read in other reviews that the image on the ML500 is "soft". I can confirm that this is true. Adjusting the focus and contrast with the THX optimizer will help though. I would say that it's good enough for movie and games, but forget it for anything text heavy and don't even try web surfing. The text will give you a headache. Now here is something I can't explain.... my project and screen doesn't move, it stays in the same place. However, I find myself adjusting the focus every time I use the projector. Doesn't matter if I let it warm up for 10 minutes or not. focus gets ***

Fan noise, forget it, it's terrible. Even being mounted 6 feet over my head it's loud and distracting. noise *

Sound forget it, you'll need to use a receiver if you want good sound. sound *

Movies and games do look great, but the one thing that hurts them is the ML500s refresh rate. When the camera in a game or movie is moving forward or flying, it looks amazing. But, when the camera moves from left to right or right to left is when the 60hz refresh rate becomes apparent. It's not smooth. If they came out with a new model that the only different was a higher refresh rate, I would buy it. refresh rate gets *

Even though the contrast ratio on paper looks bad, on my white screen in total darkness, it looks good. The blacks are black and the whites are bright. With any light it is terrible though. Contrast ratio ***

I'll update this review later, but even though I have pointed a lot of negatives about the ML500, you have to consider the price and $ saving not having to replace bulbs. Not to mention it is fun watching a movie on a 11ft screen.

I hope the next model has a slight sharper image, 120hz refresh, and make it compatible with the optoma 3dxl.

Wolverine PASS -100 Portable Battery Powered Hand Held Document Scanner

This scanner doesn't take up hardly any space and weighs next to nothing. It sits in my briefcase, unnoticed, until I need to scan something. It takes a few seconds to slip it from its carry pouch, slide it across the sheet, book page, business card, photo, whatever, and I'm done. There's no need to connect it to a computer until I'm back in my office and need to download the stuff I've scanned.

One option is always to use my mobile phone and I've found that can take longer just to get the scan. Getting a document lying flat is occasionally a problem. Having the lighting sufficient and positioning the phone at the right distance so the image looks reasonably "square" and not having a shadow can be a real hassle (and sometimes impossible). I can make it a little better later with software and that adds even more to the time. With all that the results are never as good as with this scanner.

The scanner has a solid feel. I've been using it for about a year and it's still going strong. All I've had to do in that time is change the two AA batteries once.

BTW, I feel that honest, effective reviews can take the place of first-hand experiences that are lacking in online shopping. I've always appreciated the help I've received from other reviewers and work hard to return the favor as best as I can. I hope you found this review helpful and if there was anything you thought was missing or unclear leave a comment and I'll do what I can to fix it.

We are a private, non-profit social services agency. The most important part of our work is done in homes. There are also many requirements about current documentation, so we need something we can use in the field to collect the documents. This little scanner does a great job on everything from driver's licenses to full size sheets of paper. It is easy to calibrate and use; it is easy to keep with you; it makes great images; and it is completely self contained. You supply the memory card (up to 32g) and you're ready to scan. Then, when you return to your home or office, downloading is easy. We tried one, loved it and bought four more.

Buy Wolverine PASS -100 Portable Battery Powered Hand Held Document Scanner Now

I really like this scanner as it serves the purpose for which it was purchased. I wanted a scanner that would allow me to store copies of medical references (to avoid having to lug heavy reference books to printers & paying for copies, etc) as a medical student/intern. I am using a 32 GB level 4 SD card, which I formatted within the scanner itself before using (formatting instructions in the manual). Works beautifully! It is extremely legible as long as you do some practice scans. You can check your work the first few times you use this by either pulling out the SD card and inserting into your laptop, or by connecting the scanner directly to the laptop via supplied USB-2.0 cord. I have not tried this on photographs (other than the printed drawing on our church bulletin, the output for which was very good), but it can scan in either black/white or color mode in either 300 or 600 dpi, so I don't imagine it would be all that sharp for someone meticulous about scanned photographs... but for $50, one realistically should not expect too much these days.

Anyhow, I do emphasize that you practice the pace at which one should be gliding the scanner over a document, especially if the source is a magazine or book that cannot be flattened well enough. That way, you can avoid worrying about whether or not you captured the image as you like should your laptop not be available for a quick check in the future.

If I recall correctly, the image can be saved as either JPEG or PDF (JPEG for sure, the PDF part is the part I cannot recall).

It comes with a nice pouch for the scanner (no room for the cord, though). The interior of the pouch is that soft material that doesn't scratch the glass, and the top of which can be tightened with a draw-string. If you have a decent-sized laptop case (aka, NOT a minimalist-type case), this should be able to fit in there.

Read Best Reviews of Wolverine PASS -100 Portable Battery Powered Hand Held Document Scanner Here

I don't usually do reviews of what I purchase, but this scanner is wonderful. It works exactly as described and is extremely handy.

Want Wolverine PASS -100 Portable Battery Powered Hand Held Document Scanner Discount?

Great little product. It has better resolution than Fujitsu's ScanSnap S510, even at low resolution.

You can scan from top to bottom or from side to side. The scanner has little marks indicating the optical lens extension. The only drawback is you have to scan accurately and fast, as it only gives you a window of about 20 seconds per scan. You say that's enough? Not really when you're trying to be precise, which is why it has four stars. You really have to have good pulse and precise timing for fast enough scanning of documents. I placed electrical tape on the documents for them not to move, as I scan swiftly and straight any document.

Problem is more noticeable with documents such as forms, as lines appear moved. It's not so much a technical flaw, except for the scanning window frame, as it is a human fault for the image to appear slanted in some parts.

Nikon COOLPIX P510 16.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 42x Zoom NIKKOR ED Glass Lens and GPS Record Lo

Let me start by saying I have been waiting for this camera since early February. And waiting and waiting long after it was supposed to be released February 15th. Today I finally got mine! (obviously only having it for a few hours won't allow me to give the best review but I would like to point out some of the things I have noticed)

I am an avid camera collector and Nikon fan, taking classes in high school and college (and the last thing I needed was yet another camera) but I was unhappy with my options. My DSLR took fantastic pictures but was too heavy to carry around for everyday use and my basic point and shoot was the perfect pocket size, but took less than decent pictures. I was hoping a bridge camera would solve all of my problems.

Pros so far:

Camera powers on very quickly.

Its surprisingly light and compact without sacrificing amazing picture quality.

The camera body has a nice grip on it so it's easy to hold on to and stays in your hand.

The pop out screen makes it oh so easy to see pictures you're taking at weird angles.

Easy to use (especially for those people who aren't comfortable with adjusting ISO and shutter speed manually but can be adjusted for those who are)

Has tons of settings (hard to say forsure but seems like it performs well in low light situations)

The zoom is INCREDIBLE (I can take a picture of a lego mini figure from 20 feet away with better clarity and image quality than I could right in front of the object with my point and shoot)

The downsides I have noticed so far:

-Video is alright, when I blow it up on my computer it doesn't look to be true HD quality but it's good. Also the zoom on the video can be heard no matter what which is a little annoying.

-The zoom on the actual camera is very slow if you're extending it the full range and it takes a few seconds to focus.

Battery life is not that good would definitely recommend getting a back up!

Overall I LOVE this camera. Sure you may find a Canon or Olympus that has slightly better reviews in one feature or another, but let's be real, no camera has it all. However, in my opinion so far this comes pretty close!

I have put together a slide show on the capabilities of the P510. It can be a telescope, as well as a macro camera as you can see in the video. By far the most versatile camera I have ever owned. It is an upgrade to my Nikon P90, and it is amazing.

The pictures of the moon and Venus were done on a tripod, but can you think of another point and shoot camera that can see Venus in its crescent phase? Incredible. And no sacrifice in macro mode as well. I have taken action shots in soccer from across the field with no vibration issues. I can't say enough about this camera! You can use it in action situations, for wildlife at a distance as well as amateur astronomy.

Please note that windows moviemaker reduced resolution to 640x480 on the video use it to gauge its versatility, not its resolution. The pictures are very sharp!

Buy Nikon COOLPIX P510 16.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 42x Zoom NIKKOR ED Glass Lens and GPS Record Lo Now

This is the perfect compromise camera for me. I gave up my DSLR to my daughter who is a serious photographer. It was a great camera but more than I needed. This is light, full of features and takes great pictures.

I've heard concerns about Nikon's battery life, but so far I've had tons of pictures and video off a single charge.

The picture quality looks terrific.

The zoom is amazing.

I usually don't care as much about these things, but the red color is great.

I doubt I'll ever use the GPS feature. It is usually pretty obvious where I am when taking pictures.

I highly recommend these extras. For $500 total you get an nice bundle.

1. The 2 extra batteries plus the wall charger will be very handy -2 Pack Battery And Charger Kit For Nikon P100 P500 P510 Digital Camera Includes 2 Extended (1100 Mah) Replacement Nikon EN-EL5 Batteries + AC/DC Rapid Charger + LCD Screen Protectors + ButterflyPhoto MicroFiber Cleaning Cloth $19.95

2. This bag is the perfect size for the camera, extra batteries and charger -Case Logic DCB-304 High/Fixed Zoom Camera Case (Black) $15.28

3. I'd get two memory cards. They have more space than you'll probably ever use. Each holds over 3,400 pictures, but if you take videos you'll have plenty of room and of course you want a backup. -Transcend 16 GB SDHC Class 10 Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC10E $14.98

Read Best Reviews of Nikon COOLPIX P510 16.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 42x Zoom NIKKOR ED Glass Lens and GPS Record Lo Here

I have had the Nikon P510 for a week now and have been comparing it to a Panasonic FZ150 that I am also testing.

The P510 is a very nice looking camera that has a quality look and feel. It has a nice textured rubberized material on the hand grip and it has a solid feel.

The camera powers on quickly. I took both indoor and outdoor pictures and I was happy with the results. The shot to shot speed is slower than the FZ150 and overall it does not feel as fast or snappy as the FZ150 in everyday use.

The 42X zoom is incredible but it was slow to focus, or would not focus at all sometimes with the zoom at it's outer reaches.

Overall I slightly preferred the picture quality on the FZ150 and had more keepers with the FZ150 due to its faster and more accurate auto focus. But if I wasn't doing a side by side comparison I would be happy with the picture quality on the Nikon.

The biggest problem I have with the P510 is it's video performance. The actual video image quality is excellent. In fact the low light video quality is impressive and considerably better than the FZ150. There are, however, three big problems.

1)Inability to focus at extended zoom range. After you zoom about two thirds of the range it is unable to auto focus. So while it has an incredible 42X zoom, it is not usable with video. And it's not like you know when it will loose focus so you just end up with a video scene that suddenly turns blurry as you zoom.

2)It refocuses every time you touch the zoom control. Even if you just slightly zoom, the camera looses focus for about one second before locking in again. You end up with a video clip that has multiple one second blurry segments intermixed within an otherwise clear video.

3)The sound of the lens zooming is picked up while recording. This is not just heard during very quiet scenes, it is heard all the time. I was surprised how loud it was when playing back a video.

If video performance is not important to you, the Nikon is a really nice camera. I am looking for a camera does well at both photos and video and therefore will be returning this camera.

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I bought both the Nikon p510 camera and the Sony hx200v camera to see which I prefer. I took numerous pictures with both, but decided to keep the Nikon p510. Although both cameras took very nice pictures, I liked the way that people shots came out with the Nikon p510, especially indoors. The Nikon p510 seems to give a nice "matte" finish to skin shots and with a bit more color, whereas the Sony hx200v showed/emphasized more skin flaws. Also, indoor pics with the Sony were inconsistent sometimes too yellow, and other times too white (overexposed). Although the Sony hx200v does have a "soft skin" setting, I felt it looked too unnatural (gave the skin too much of a porcelain doll finish). Also, the Nikon p510 seems to handle indoor pics better where there is a lot of backlight. Outdoor pics are nice with both cameras, but again I preferred the people pics with the Nikon p510 (the outdoor people pics taken with the Sony were more neutral toned). The only reason I give this review 4 stars is because the zoom can be a bit flaky when trying to focus with maximum zoom, in particular on small objects such as birds; sometimes it would focus right away, but a lot of times I had to keep adjusting the zoom before it decided to focus. Yet, I haven't had this problem with other types of pictures.

4/22/12 update: I think I found the solution to the problem I had with zooming on small objects. Pg 72 of the disc manual ("Using Focus Modes") talks about how to change focus modes. It seems that when I change the focus to "infinity", it focuses on the subject a lot quicker. I'm still going to play with this setting a bit more, but so far it seems to have helped. Also, after reading page 73 ("Available Focus Modes"), it looks like "manual focus" may also be helpful on zooming in on small objects. I will play with these settings for a while. If I find these settings consistently work, I will change my rating to 5 stars.

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VGA to HDMI Video Only Cable M/M, Black (Video Card Support Necessary) (6 feet)

They should have a disclaimer letting you know that VGA to HDMI is not possible simply through a cable. VGA is an analog output, whereas HDMI is a digital output. Without some kind of converter between the two it doesn't work. So a cable that has VGA on one end and HDMI on the other end will not do what you think it will do.

I'm sure there must be some use for this cable, but I don't know what it is. Don't buy it if you're trying to convert VGA signal to HDMI signal.

Ok, so I'm really not all the tech savvy, so I figured it'd be really easy to just get a cable that runs from my laptop to my pc ready tv... someone told me that all I needed was a VGA to HDMI cable. This is wrong. VGA is an anolog signal plug, whereas HDMI is digital. VGA is also graphic signal only, so your sound will have to come from your computer speakers. You will also have to reset all of the video settings on both your tv and pc to make them agree with each other.

If you are not very good at fiddling with these settings, i'd recommend you stick with what you've got... or pay the few extra dollars and get a tv conversion box for your pc. That will save many headaches.

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VGA is an analog medium. HDMI is digital. A VGA to HDMI cable will never work unless your video card provides for digital output through the VGA port. You must use a converter box to convert the analog VGA signal to a digital HDMI signal.

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Don't buy this cable unless the following is true:

1. your computer video card supports analog to digital conversion, all the way to output. Warning: very few computers will actually do this, primarily high cost systems.

2. you actually have a conversion box that will accept analog signal from your computer, and then convert it to a digital signal that it sends to your TV. If you don't have a converter, this cable is worthless to you.

The solution:

1. Buy a converter.

2. Use a VGA to VGA cable. This will allow you to transmit the video. Then have a separate audio cable to connect your computer to your TV for sound. This will get the audio/video to show up on your HDTV. Be forewarned however, that since you are still dealing with only analog, the picture quality will be less than you may be used to on your digital HDTV. It is not the fault of the TV or the computer or this particular cable. It is just a compatability problem.

I hope this helps.

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i was told this cable would work to hook my computer up to my TV in order to use my HDTV as a monitor. It is the wrong cable! The cable you actually need is a VGA to VGA cable. This is used for an entirely different purpose! It is used to hook a non-HDMI component (such as VCR, DVD, Tivo, etc) to your HDTV. I'm sure the cord works wonderfully for that purpose, but I was mislead as to it's function. I hope this review helps others not to make the same mistake.

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Polaroid Pro Video Condenser Shotgun Microphone For The Olympus Evolt PEN-E-PL3, PEN E-P3, E-PM1, P

This item claims to be compatible with many Olympus cameras because it connects with a 3.5mm plug. However, the Olympus cameras do not include that sort of audio plug. You really need to check your camera's actual connectivity specifications before purchasing and before assuming that it's compatible merely because your camera, along with innumerable other models, is listed as being allegedly compatible.

They aren't compatible unless your camera actually includes a 3.5mm audio plug. Also, this requires a hot shoe to mount the microphone and some of the listed cameras do not have a hot shoe.

This is careless, dare I say tacky, advertising claims.

Unfortunately I purchased this at the same time I purchased my EPL-1 camera. I was under the impression from another review that this would be compatible. The EPL-1 and many Olympus cameras use a proprietary input meaning that this microphones 3.5mm jack won't work. Also the unit that I was sent doesn't properly power on and has an overall cheap feeling about it. Instead go with the official Olympus product (see below).

Olympus SEMA-1 Mic Adapter Set for Olympus E-PL1 Micro Four Third Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera

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I have an Olympus Evolt EPL-1 and this thing works great. I really don't understand the issue with the other review. It is small enough not to weigh down the camera but big enough to give you great sound. Mounting was pretty fast and easy. The shipping was great since I got this directly from the seller and not amazon. I would say this is the nicest shotgun mic I have had. Would recommend again.

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CIB CUC8795 600TVL Outdoor CCD Bullet Infrared Day Night Security Camera w/ S...

The product description states that this camera has a 6 mm lens. In fact, it is 3.6 mm, i.e., a much wider angle. This is a problem in that you have to mount the camera much closer to the subject to see adequate detail, as for facial recognition, which may not always be possible. For longer range view, look for at least a 6 mm lens or get one with a zoom.

very satisfied with the performance of this camera as I have searched many times to find out which one is good quality with good price , after I received this camera , I dont believe how they are clearer than my others camera that I bought double the price , day time object look excellence , night time real good enough to see object with in 20ft , I would recommend this item to anyone who is in search of quality with fair priceUSA Security Store -CCTV High Resolution CCD 600TVL High Resolution Indoor/Outdoor Vandal Bullet Color Security Camera Infrared Day Night Vision with Sony Super HAD CCD Image Sensor

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Easy to install, the view is very good. Wide angle viewing. My other cameras only show small areas low quality. This one shows a larger area and much clearer.

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this camera is a great camera it show a great picture from about a good 60 to 70 feet away it very easy to install .

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I don't like it because is not night vision capable. You can not see anything on the dark with this even with you back up lights on. Picture quality is terrible -very blurry/fuzzy. I won't buy USA Security Store products again.

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X10 AirSight PTZ IP Camera Wireless Network Cam, Dome, Night Vision, 3x Zoom XX40A

I just bought a home that was burglarized during the DAY (ha!) while I was out. I have an indoor alarm system, so the alarm was set off when the window was broken. This was AFTER they had already stolen property from my backyard. I immediately commenced to beefing up my home's security (inside & out). My home-security provider has cameras but the cam with 360 view isn't water proof & the one that is, is static. Not to mention I don't want ANYONE with visual access to my home but me. I spent quite a while looking for a camera. It was VERY draining sitting here for hours at a time (for two days) looking for a Security Cam that had all the features I needed: **Outdoor/Waterproof **360 View **Internet/IP for remote access **Good Picture Quality **WiFi **$200 or less (since I'd be buying 4 or more) **Decent Reviews. I wasn't as concerned with whether it had I.R. night vision but that would be a definite plus if it did in addition to all the other features. Well the X10 AirSight PTZ IP Camera does have all of the above features. Now before I give my full review just let me say, DO NOT spend a ridiculous amount of money on these types of electronics. Price is not always synonymous with "quality". This is the attitude I had while shopping (especially after reading BAD reviews of some expensive models), not just because I would be buying multiple units, but because I truly believe that a $2000 cam wouldn't work any better than a $200 cam. Some may argue with me on that, but I own a few realty properties (and a business) and I feel this camera is more than ENOUGH to perform the tasks needed. I'm sure a $2000 camera might have even better picture quality but if you don't have a T3 internet connection to power it, you can't experience the full benefits. Therefore it's a definite waste of money.....Moving on.... NIGHT VISION: The Night vision isn't great, but the fact that it has it, is a plus for me. Besides, I already have 360 motion-sensor flood lights installed near the camera. If you're looking for an awesome night vision cam, then this isn't the cam for you. OVERALL CAMERA: It looks great, very sleek, professional & high-tech looking. It works great, I haven't had any issues with it malfunctioning. The picture quality is pretty good. The speed when panning & tilting is also pretty good. I do have experience with web-cameras, and any camera that uses the internet you need to have a pretty good internet-connection & networking gear to get the best picture quality & the speed of the camera controls. My internet connection is 100mbps/DL 20mbps/UL, and I have a NetGear Router: WNR2000 v2 (which I plan on upgrading to an even faster model) INSTALL: My home has concrete/brick veneers so I had my contractor drill the hole for the camera cable to fit through. Then drill holes for the screws in the concrete. He basically physically installed the camera (haha) but if I had the right drill bits for that thick concrete I could have done it. I didn't test the cam & set it up before having it installed, but I suggest that you do just in case there's an issue and you need to examine it. That way you won't have to climb back up a ladder to fool around with it. SOFTWARE SETUP: There are two programs. One can only be used from within the home to view each camera you have. The other is basically like a network/device discovery tool. Honestly now that I think about it both are useless since the camera is "Plug-n-Play", it has on-board programming. When you visit the IP address (direct or remotely) of the camera you can control it & configure it from there. The camera & you Router is all that is needed to setup & configure everything. However, initially you should still install both to your computer. You can always uninstall them later if you feel they're taking up space on your comp. PRODUCT INSTRUCTIONS: TERRIBLE! I give them 1-STAR for the package instructions. Surprisingly, the wording is just fine (since this is a product from China and their translated instructional manuals are usually terribly worded) but it is the fact that they give absolutely NO instructions on ***HOW TO VIEW YOUR CAMERA REMOTELY***. For people that have never used an IP/Network Cam, this is VERY frustrating. So I will post the info on how to setup ANY IP/Network camera you may have. ***Log into you router and use "port forwarding" feature for each camera you have ***If you have a dynamic IP Address (your IP address changes every time you reset/unplug your modem & router) use a Dynamic DNS Service (aka DynDNS or DDNS) ***Then configure the DynDNS feature within your ROUTER and also the DynDNS settings within CAMERA. WATCH THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO>>> /watch?v=iHTxuYa3Kzo

Belkin HDMI to HDMI Cable (4ft)

I have a Panasonic 32" 720p LCD. This cable was brilliantly long and I was a fan of Belkin products. Unfortunately, this cable led to white flashes associated with video and audio skips when I connected it to my laptop. I wouldn't recommend it!

I purchased this and an Atlona AT-HDVIEW VGA to HDMI Scaler to connect computer to big screen TV for conference room. The image initially displayed but with a lot of horizontal static, after ~30 seconds the screen would go blank. I switched to the cable included with the scaler and it worked like a champ. I highly recommend the AT-HDVIEW, I have used it in several applications with cables up to 50 foot with no problems until this Belkin cable.

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Bought this cable to connect my PC to my tv. Connection was made, but cable coudn't even transfer standard res DVD without having the video skip. I checked the DVD playback on the PC and no problems there. Trying to stream standard def video was even worse. Video AND audio skipped. Very disappointing.

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So far so good. It works, it appears to be made of high-quality material, and I have no complaints. What can I say beyond that.

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Great price for an HDMI cord! It does the job! We haven't had any issues with it and it is a good length!

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