Nikon Coolpix L14 7.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Blue)

I've been toying with the idea of getting a digital for years but I wasn't sold on the picture quality, (without spending a great deal of money) and I'm frankly a film snob. I have a vintage Fuji SLR and a Canon Photura which both produce great shots but are cumbersome to chase the kids around with. I wanted something easy to set, with minimal buttons so my kids could use it as well, but with a quality worth printing at least a 5x7 with. The specs are well detailed in the description so I'll just go general. I found the camera very intuitive. I haven't looked at the manual but all the modes are easy to figure out by the 'press a button and see what happens' method. Editing on the fly is quick and easy, the video I took looks as good as a minidv tape, the pictures blow up well. It fits in my front jean pocket or in a small matching Samsonite hardcase I found for $4. With a 2 GB card I can do 30 minutes of video or about a thousand pictures. This camera is advertised as long life batteries and so far I've done about 200 photos and 15 minutes of video on the supplied batteries. One negative is the shutter time when using flash mode it is s-l-o-w. You can't catch something quickly, you're going to get three or five seconds after you think you are. However, turning the flash off made this shutter as fast as my Photura, (if not as fast as my SLR) but still had a lag time between shots. It's a trade I can live with since the multiple exposure settings make it easy to compensate for not using the flash. The design is excellent. I'm left handed and a lot of things designed for one handed use annoy me by placing buttons where a left handed user will hit the wrong ones. Although there are three buttons on the top of the camera, I had no problem at all with this. The kids are very interested in the stop motion feature. While I got this as a snap shot camera for my own use, it would be an excellent choice for an 8 year old's first camera. I spent a long time (about a year) choosing between a Nikon, Canon or Kodak model. I think the Nikon was the right way to go for ease of use, results, and visual styling. Couldn't be happier with it.

I'll start by saying that this is a GREAT, maximum bang-per-buck 'point-and-shoot' compact digital camera. I conducted a LOT of research before I decided on the 'Coolpix L14', and it is one of my best purchases ever. I've been using an old Fujifilm 'Finepix 2650' (2 megapixel) for a few years now, and it's served me well. I wanted a more compact, simple to use and intuitive brand-name (like Nikon, Canon, Sony, etc.) digital cam that took high quality pictures in 'auto mode', and still had some advanced features and options that I could use in a 'manual mode' for even more control of the shot. I also wanted a camera that would use both 'AA' batteries, and high-capacity rechargeable 'AA' batteries, if I so choose. This camera takes both, and the batteries last a lot longer than many other cameras that I researched (Nikon claims about 1,000 shots with 'Energizer e2' lithium batteries), owned, or borrowed. The LCD screen looks sharp and crisp as well, and I like the 'face finding' and 'red eye fix' technology too, and they both work quite well. In addition, I tested it's video abilities as well, and the audio/video look and sound seamless, although you really need to get a 2GB card to get any meaningful length video out of this cam. The pic transfer software also works perfectly with my Windows XP PC, with no glitches. In summation, for the price, this cam is a truly GREAT buy, and it looks GORGEOUS in blue too (classy, expensive look)! Hope this review is helpful.

Buy Nikon Coolpix L14 7.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Blue) Now

I just recently purchased this camera, and after using it for only 5 days I have decided to return it primarily because the image quality is very poor. The images are soft and washed out, not sharp and crisp like I have come to expect from Nikon (I have the D80 as well). The menu system is very primitive but it is still functional. The only good thing about this camera is its very low price. But, I feel that this camera is a bad value, even at this price. I have decided to pay 50% more and buy the Canon SD1000. The images from my old SD230 (3 megapixels) were much better than with this new Nikon (7 megapixels).

The Good:

low price

light and small

takes AA batteries

The Bad:

-soft pictures

-washed out color and general haziness of images

-very long delay between pictures (especially with the flash)

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The best thing about this camera is its video capabilities. Full screen, 640x480 video with good color and low light performance. You MUST add at least a 2gb card to take advantage of the video options.

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My experience was much the same as TechnoGeek's. Almost every picture I took was blurry. Outdoors it takes fairly decent shots, but indoors it is extremely finicky. I poured over the manual and tried every combination of settings, but I could not get the camera to take consistently clean pictures. The action settings seemed to have no effect. Just taking a still photograph indoors with the flash usually came out blurry. The manual even warns not to press the button too hard, saying otherwise pictures could come out blurry. (!) With the flash was always better than without, but at no point could the pics hold up against a family member's Olympus FE 180. Worse still was how slow the camera responded, taking 3-7 seconds to save a picture. The voice recorder would have been a very useful option had the camera taken decent pictures.

Campro Adjustable Swivel Shoe Mount, Accessory Shoe To 1/4x20 Thread for Mounting Video Monitors

useable, but the rubber on top of the screw didn't last more than one use. I had to replace it after the first use with a random part I had left over. Plus shipping on this small piece was almost half the price, doesn't add up for me. Great customer service but not the best quality of product.

Meade LS 8-Inch ACF (f/10) Advanced Coma-Free Telescope

Someone finally made an easy to use telescope. My Meade etx-90ec got probably 4 hours use in the last 10 years. We used the etx-ls for 4 hours already in one night. The alignment process is very simple and takes about 8 min. You don't even need to be around for the process. Mine came with software version 1.6a, the very latest as of today, and I've had no issues. You can buy a cheaper scope and you can buy a better scope, but this will be the most used scope. Great job Meade. There are a lot of features I'd like for this scope, but overall it's just about perfect.

UPDATE (12/13/2010):

Telescope broke rather quickly. It was working great, then one day it just started giving a power error and the LCD stopped working. I tried to get it up and running again, but ended up having to send it into Meade (what a pain to ship it back!). Hopefully things work out, because the scope was awesome while it worked.

UPDATE (1/5/2011):

Got the telescope back. It's even more broken then before I sent it in. I was having power errors before, so I went to check that repair, but the scope can't even find GPS satellites now. I called the company I ordered it from (not amazon), and it's past their 30 day return window, so I'll have to deal with Meade more to get it fixed.

Meade's response was to ask me to reload the firmware onto the telescope and to try to realign the camera. I don't quite know why realigning the camera would have any affect whatsoever on acquiring GPS satellites, but their customer service agent said it's just the way it works. Which, translated in my head means, "please just figure this out on your own since this is my first day on the job." I don't understand how a telescope that is designed to just work out of the box and take care of itself now requires me to be realigning CCD cameras and putting the exact same firmware on it that it already has on it. I'd also like to point out that when the telescope was returned to me there was a checklist where their QA department tested everything. Either they aren't doing their job or the telescope got damaged being returned.

I have had my LS-8 for about 7 months at the time of this writing. Overall, I am giving it 5 stars. It is perhaps the best telescope I have ever owned (currently own 6 scopes).

When set up in a relatively open area, it does its magic very well. Simply turn it on, and in around 10 minutes it will be aligned and ready to go. GOTO's and tracking are excellent. The optics are exceptional, as I have come to expect from most Meade products. The appearance and workmanship is outstanding.

I should mention mine came with firmware update 1.6a which seems to have solved the problems reported by early purchasers.

Now, for some specifics. The GPS unit is very sensitive to where the scope is set up, and if there are any large objects nearby, you wont get a GPS fix. The way around this problem is to keep batteries installed in the LS. These will maintain the date, time and location. So in setup, you just tell the scope to NOT use GPS, and it will go through the alignment process just fine. And yes, use an external power source do not rely on the internal batteries because they will be used up too quickly.

The other thing to look at is stability. The scope shakes a bit more on its tripod than other scopes I have used of this size. This is a potential problem when focusing. I ended up purchasing a Meade electronic focuser attachment and this solves the problem nicely, albeit at a price of around $250.

The LS meets many needs. For the aging experienced amateur (me), the automatic alignment is a godsend, saving the pain of assuming contorted positions to center alignment stars. And the GOTO's and tracking are excellent so you simply sit in a chair and let the scope do all the work. And the optics are as good as I have seen in this design.

For outreach at star parties, the LS's talking feature is a great attraction for people.

For the newcomer, it is not a bad choice provided that you are comfortable using computer and electronic technology. Trying to learn your way around the night sky can be daunting the LS does the work for you, giving you time to simply observe. And in time, you will learn your way around the stars.

So, while not a perfect telescope. what it does do has earned it 5 stars.

Buy Meade LS 8-Inch ACF (f/10) Advanced Coma-Free Telescope Now

Just got this today. I was rather worried given the feedback on earlier versions. But the firmware version 1.6a does just what they promised. Well packaged, it arrived in great shape and did not need collimation. The set assembles easily and quickly and is not a heavy load I can carry the entire assembly in both arms without straining. The startup was a bit scary because it asked to reload firmware but after that the software runs fine. GPS was less sensitive than my car GPS and would not align in cloudy skies but did just fine when I tried it later in the evening. The Goto works like a dream and slews to objects just fine, though it will need centering once I figure that out. I bought the Meade 4000 eyepiece set and it got the kids and I up and running observing Jupiter immediately. Overall I am totally satisfied with this purchase and would highly recommend it. It is also a relief as I live in Singapore and would not be able to return it easily if it wasn't working. Well done Meade! (just need to sort out the firmware message)

Update 31/7/2011

Turns out the firmware message did mean a problem. The firmware did crash in the end. However I would say that the Meade telephone support is not half bad. This is important as I do not want to send the telescope back if I can avoid it. Basically needed to reload the firmware. I did this using a microSD card in a miniSD adaptor (2GB)downloaded the firmware through the Autostar software then transferred the card to the telescope miniSD slot and turned it on. Once the firmware reloads, the telescope is back to normal. Just a point to note, you may have to download the firmware more than once to get it properly set up on the miniSD card. I suggest keeping a dedicated miniSD card with the telescope so it can be ready for use if required not had to repeat the firmware reinstallation since I did it but you never know. The version is still 1.6a, which does the trick just fine. As it is an automated telescope, it helps to be somewhat computer literate just in case something happens.

Read Best Reviews of Meade LS 8-Inch ACF (f/10) Advanced Coma-Free Telescope Here

I enjoyed the ETX-LS 6 ACF so much I upgraded to its bigger brother, the LS 8 ACF. The increase in light gathering over the 6 is apparent, yet its still very portable. The GPS issues are a thing of the past, I have done test after test and it has worked 100% of the time. The GoTO accuracy is wonderful, I can consistently put objects in the field of view of a 14mm eyepiece. I love the ability to interface the telescope with a computer without the need for adapters or expensive programs, it worked without a hitch with free programs like Stellarium. The Meade optics continue to impress me, and the ACF optics are fantastic, so much so that I can honestly say that I'll never own a standard SCT again. I've been use to the Astronomer Inside feature from the earlier ETX-LS 6, and not much has changed with the LS 8 ACF, its still fun and downright informative, and a big hit when your sharing the view with family or the public during star-parties.

I recommend a few things. One, obtain a large PowerTank, the largest you can get to supply power to the LS 8 ACF, batteries just aren't going to cut it. Two, get an AC adapter, so you can plug it to power from home or a camp site. Three, purchase a miniSD card. I purchase a Kingston from Amazon. You will need this to upgrade your firmware if needed down the line. I used 1.6a, and its been very solid for me.

Some things I didn't like. The finder LED is too bright, and the tinted plastic makes centering challenging sometimes. The AutoStar Suite is outdated software, just use Stellarium like I do. There is some vibration noticeable when your focusing with this telescope. This has more to do with single-arm 8" scopes then anything else, the Celestron's have the same issue with their 8" models, this direct from some of their owners. Although this initially was irritating to me, I don't even notice it anymore.

All in all, the LS 8 ACF has great optics in a very portable package that has made stargazing downright easy and fun, from novices to experienced observers. If your a visual observer like me, I can't imagine you not enjoying the LS 8 ACF. Big Fun.

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I received my Meade LS 8" ACF two weeks ago fom another dealer, but I only took it out yesterday, 3-30-2010. Upon switch on, the handbox controller read:

"LS 1.4a

Flash error

Reload firmware".

In spite of this message, it proceeded to align, supposedly finished the alignment, but was way off. I shut it down, and repeated the procedure.

Same error appeared, but the alignment seemed better, so I did a "goto" Mars.

Mars was not in the field of view (FOV) of the supplied 26mm eyepiece. I managed to get Mars in the FOV after 7-8 manual movements at speed 5.

Next "goto" Saturn: nothing in view, could not get to Saturn although I could clearly see Saturn with naked eye.

I tried the Meade webside to see if I could reload the firmware LS 1.4a. It does not exist. Meade's customer service says they do not have the firmware either, and the only option is to send the scope back for a replacement!

Is this a joke or what?

If the new one works it promises to be fun.

Nikon D3200 Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens (Black) + 55-200mm VR Lens + 32

I researched this camera for awhile and knew that this was the one I wanted. then I started researching the different sellers and packages. I am glad I chose this one! every accessory I received with this package by far exceeded my expectations. great quality stuff for a great price!

If you know you want the Nikon d3200 with the extra 55-200mm lens then definitely get this package!

I was a little nervous making such an expensive purchase from Amazon, but I could not have been happier with the product I received. It shipped very quickly, and every item was included as described. I have not had any problems with the camera, lenses, or any of the other accessories. This was such a great deal for the quality of the product and the number of accessories you get. I highly reccomend making this purchase if you're looking to buy a Canon D3200.

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I was an avid 35mm SLR photographer back in the day. Years ago my last SLR broke and I replaced it with a pocket sized point and shoot. I complained for years about the poor quality of that camera until my wife got fed up and got me this kit for Christmas. It is such a joy to be able to take real photographs again.

I'll leave the really technical stuff about this kit to more advanced folks. I am totally satisfied!!

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Got this camera for Christmas and although there is a lot of camera, it can also be used surprisingly easily with the auto functions. Can't wait to take this camera on our next vacation.

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No better deal available and just as advertised! What a package everythig you need to have to be enjoying photography and then some! The camera is an outstanding entry level SLR and the features perfect. Auto everything if you want and the lenses work with ease. Display information teaches as you go and/or helps in manual mode, want a movie you got it! Enjoy

Swann SW-P-BCC High Resolution BulletCam Compact Color Weather Resistant Security Camera

I have two now and another on order. These are great little cameras for indoors, and out. They do say water resistant, but I am going to fabricate an enclosure to keep the sprinklers off. They can be hidden from view. I put one in a window looking out. Another is outside looking down the driveway. Mounting tip: use the screws provided and a 4-12" piece of 2x4. Very portableand concealable! Good color picture. NOT day or night, no infrared LEDs. But overall picture, in daylight color runs circles around Swann Bulldog (and cost 50% less). I am going to use with street lamps & security type lights. Does have audio, but I have not used that. For what it is, it is very cost effective. Good color picture, and clarity upclose (my license plate) and accross the street (can identify neighbors at 50 feet). I can see leaves move in the wind, and adjusted the motion detection sensitivtiy for these cameras in the Swann DVR down.

Swann customer service did have a phone system problem when my camera failed after three months of use. After digging for the phone number of a real person, I called and Swann in Santa Fe Springs made it right, talking the retailer into swapping my inop with a new one. I am happy with Swann.

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I PURCHASED THIS CAMERA I THINK A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND MOUNTED IT IN THE OPENING IN FRONT OF MY TRAILER HITCH USING A PIECE OF STYRAFOAM THAT I CUT AND BORED A 3/4 INCH HOLE FOR THE CAMERA AND HOOKED IT TO A MONITOR IN THE CAB. I RUN IT THROUGH THE CAR WASH AND ALL KINDA OF WEATHER AND NEVER A PROBLEM. I CAN USE THE MONITOR TO LINE UP MY TRAILER WHEN IM HOOKING IT UP AND WHEN I REMOVE THE TRAILER HITCH I CAN WATCH FOR OBJECTS BEHIND ME WHEN I BACK UP. A GREAT PRODUCT. I HAVE A 2010 GMC NOW SINCE THE OTHER TRUCK WAS TRAIDED

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HDMI (Type A) to HDMI Micro (Type D) , High Speed Cable with Ethernet for HTC ,Motorola 6 feet

This cable works great with my Kindle Fire HD 7" output to all my TVs. The cable was well made and exactly matched the item displayed for sale.

I can access my Dish Network Hopper at home by their App (App not on Amazon) and watch all channels via the receiver's tuner or shows and movies that I have on my DVR. The Dish Remote Access App for the KFHD and the HD output to TV, really makes the KFHD a great deal for me for that alone. I also enjoy the Crackle App for KFHD on Amazon as well for same reason.

Of course without this cable to connect the KFHD micro port to a TV by a table makes it all possible to share and enjoy on the big TV screen.

Good cables, made well. Bought 5 and all 5 were in excellent shape and work great. Hooked right up to my Droid X and to my plasma T.V. A great product for the price that gets the job done.

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I purchased several of the cords so that I could leave them plugged into my TVs and just walk up and plug in my phone and tablet. One of the cords works great but the other one doesn't work so good. Sadly it only works if its held in a specific way. Only one of my three cords was bad though so I don't mind too much. It would have been nice if all of them worked.

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Super cheap and it works. What more could you ask for? Using with my ASUS TF300 Transformer with no issues.

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This works to connect the fire hd to your TV. It took a long time to arrive, but the cable is perfect. (it arrived within the stated time, 3 weeks) I would buy another if i needed one.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9K 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom (Black)

First, I should qualify this by saying I've been a huge fan of Panasonic digital cameras since I bought the DMC-LC20. I later upgraded to a DMC-LC33, and now, I've taken the plunge and bought the FX9.

The camera I compared this with the most, and nearly bought was the Canon SD400. And I actually was really close to buying the SD400 over the FX7, but luckily I waited long enough to hear about the FX8 and FX9 being launched in the US. I could not have made a better choice.

Panasonic's carried over some of the best features of some of its previous lines:

Size: This camera is tiny. It fits nicely in your pocket. The black version of this camera also looks really sleek. Very nice brushed finish to it that doesn't get fingerprints on it too easily.

An absolutely beautiful 2.5" LCD screen. Seriously, this screen alone is reason enough to get the FX9 (207k pixels) over the FX8 (114k pixels). It is simply amazing. You can tell right on the screen whether the picture you took is in focus, and the colors are just more vibrant.

The Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) is works wonders for this ultra-compact camera. Some would argue that well, if you had an optical viewfinder, you wouldn't need the OIS because you could stabilize the camera against your face. But seriously, who uses a viewfinder with an ultra-compact digital now? Digital SLR, sure, but an ultra-compact? Granted, if a viewfinder is important to you, this camera may not be right for you. But really, with the 2.5" LCD, you won't miss the viewfinder. I actually compared shots between the SD400 and FX9, and at full zoom, you can really see that the OIS helps with the image's focus.

Leica lens: Gives amazingly sharp, vibrant pictures.

Burst mode: Allows you to take literally an infinite number of pictures in rapid succession in well-lit (no flash) conditions. This is an amazing feature for taking action and sports shots. I loved this feature on my old Panny cameras and I still really enjoy it on this one.

Picture Review: The picture review on this camera is amazing. First, you can zoom up to 16x to check the clarity of the picture. Second, you can zoom out and review 25 thumbnails at once. 25! That's what a 2.5" LCD can do for you.

Movie mode: Although a HUGE memory hog, the movie mode is vastly improved from the FX7. In fact, one reason why I almost opted for the SD400 was because the movie mode on the FX7 was pretty much useless. The FX9 takes great video, and the image stabilizer (detailed below) works to help stabilize the video image.

Powerup lag and time between pictures has been excellent.

Some of the cons of this camera:

The on-off switch of this camera could be designed better. I've accidentally turned the camera on several times while reaching into my pocket and have resorted to turning the mode dial to Review mode whenever I pocket the camera to prevent any damage to the lens motor.

Unfortunately, they've done away with AA batteries, but in a camera of this size, AAs wouldn't even fit. So I can understand the transition to proprietary batteries. At $69 a pop for a spare OEM battery though, that sorta hurts.

Once again, Panasonic has seen fit to package the camera with pretty useless software and a practically unusable 16MB SD card. Come on... 16MB? That's good for no more than 8 pictures in full-resolution.

I hear the FX9 isn't great in low-light condition and has a weak flash, but I haven't had too many problems with it.

Of course, which digital camera you buy depends on what features are most important to you. I bought this as a camera to bring anywhere I wanted to go. I realized that the bulk of my old camera was preventing me from bringing it out everywhere, so I decided early on to get an ultra-compact. So far, I've been exceptionally happy with my purchase.

I exercise with my dog every morning early am. Ok you want to know about the FX9 not my dog. My point is I live near a pretty park, and very beautiful woods. I always wanted to take some shots of the early morning beauty but I didn't want to carry my huge Canon G4 around. Long story short, I started hunting for one of these pocket sized cameras. I read TONS of reviews and looked at sample pictures. Finally I got taken in by the cuteness of the Casio s500 camera. I had it about 1 week and after the cuteness wore off I had to return it as the pictures OVERALL were pretty bad..and lacking detail etc. Next I had a gift cert to "another web site" I decided I'd try the Canon sd450. Well that camera actually is quite good. But I still wasn't THRILLED. So I used 1 more gift cert..to another site..and just had to try this Panasonic FX9 camera. Like a crazy person I kept A-B-eeeing The SD 450 with this FX9. In the end I ended up loving the FX 9 while just liking the Canon. I must say for indoor flesh tones I must give the edge to the SD450. However after much reading I found if you set the white balance manually on the FX9..it looks pretty awesome on people..on everything. Outdoors I just use auto white balance. One major reason I'm SO impressed with this little guy is about the 2nd day I had the FX9 i accidentally dropped in on a VERY hard floor from 5 feet above the floor. It slammed to the ground right on the lcd and slid about 3 feet. I felt sick. But it only had a TINY dust like scratch. Everything still worked...this thing can take abuse ..though that's the last thing I wanted to do to this FX9.

In the end..I found that overall this camera is just awesome. The user inteface will just MAKE you like it. It's SUPER easy to use..and feels solid as a rock. In the end...it's about picture quality.I'd say the pic quality is about as good as it gets in this class..and I ought to know having owned 3 cameras in this category and the FX9 to me is the CLEAR winner!

Buy Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9K 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom (Black) Now

I was originally planning to buy Dimage X1. However, after some researches, I decided to go to Panasonic. This camera is just what I wanted, compact-sized(size of cigarette pack) and image stabilized.

For outside shooting(under daylight), it is not really necessary to change many settings, but automatic shooting is good enough like most cameras. However, this camera shines for indoor shooting with the image stablization.

For those who are new to camera, let me say that image stabilizer is not a miracle-maker letting you to get clean and sharp picture in the middle of earthquake. However, it is capable of compensating shake of hand holding camera good enough if used with some physical stabilization, or if there were nowhere to put your arms, with timed shutter. This camera has 2-sec and 10-sec timer, and I mostly use 2-sec without using flash indoors. (Force of pressing shutter may give camera shake that image stabilizer cannot compensate, so timed shutter is very handy.)

Result? Good enough, although I could see some noise indoors with automatic ISO setting(it usually sets ISO to 200 for some reason).

One thing: most of my indoor shootings are still-life(many times in macro mode). I haven't tested it for portrait yet, but I guess that shooting portrait in some distance may require less concern for hand-shake, unless under low-light condition.

Battery duration seems very good, too. However, extra battery will be nice.

Complaint: (maybe or maybe not)

1. Single file of 6 megapixel picture usually costs between 2 and 2.5 megabytes, but Panasonic only included 16MB memory. Is it a joke?

2. It's not really a complaint, but big LCD screen means more chances of getting scratches. I use the protective film (designed for PDA, so I have to cut it to right size) for all of my digital cameras.

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9K 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom (Black) Here

Ok, I haven't had this camera for a long time yet (a week perhaps), so this review is just what i had gathered from it so far. I might update it some time later.

I must say that this was an excellent buy for me. When i first took it out of the box, i was stunned by the beauty and small size of it (the black finish looks awesome). It's very small and lightweight, even with the battery and sd card in. So, for looks, this camera definetely scores very high.

Some reviews i found when i was deciding whether or not to buy this camera said that the controls were kind of confusing. On the contrary, i found that the controls were relatively easy and only took me about 2 mintues to comprehend. Although i agree that the buttons might be too small for some people with large fingers, I think that it would do for most people (It's great for me).

Two of the major selling points for me when shopping for this camera were the Mega OIS and the large 2.5" LCD. I must say that the OIS works like a charm in low light conditions. It even works in the movie mode. =), i love the movie mode from just a few samples i have taken, they seem to be great. The 2.5" LCD also gives me a great view of the pictures i had just taken. I can tell that the power lcd mode does work, although i cannot say how well yet b/c it has been cloudy everyday since i've gotten the camera.

I also found some reviews saying how flimsy the cover for the battery and sd card compartment was. I, again, find this not the case for me. the cover has a lock/open switch. when its locked, it seems to stay closed; when it's open, it swings open lightly by a spring in the hinge. I honestly cannot say how long the battery life is, but from numerous other reviews, i think it ranks above average.

The performance of the camera is good enough for me. It starts up pretty fast (maybe about 2 seconds?) and has very little shutter lag. The zoom works pretty fast and you can use the extended zoom feature that allows you to extend the optical zoom to 4.1x (compared to the regular 3.0x), but it reduces the number of megapixels as well. The burst shot mode on this camera works fine as far as i can tell. all in all, i think the performance of this p/s ultra-compact is more than adequate.

Now, I didn't give this camera a 5/5 b/c it does have its imperfections (minor ones, but imperfections nonetheless). I cannot say that I'm an expert in image quality (this only being my 2nd digicam, the first a canon powershot s45), but i have noticed more purple fringing than my old camera. The images at the higher isos can sometimes be a bit too noisy for my tastes, but i rarely have to use high iso b/c of the OIS. I've also noticed that in low light, sometimes objects (especially skin) may have a yellowish tint to them. I haven't tested out the flash thoroughly yet, but i've heard that it isn't the best (nor the worst) indoors. Again, these imperfections do not bother me so much, as i rarely print very big sizes, but it might be a major issue for some other people.

I also have some minor gripes about the bundle the camera comes with. The 16 mb sd card that it comes with can store about 5 pictures at max resolution, I mean come on... The wrist strap that the camera comes with looks and feels as if it would fall off your wrist at any second. I had to use the wrist strap that my old camera came with as it had a little thing that allowed you to tighten it around your wrist. I haven't tested the software out yet, so i can't say anything about that. One of the things i like about the bundle is that the battery charger has a built-in plug, so you can just put the battery inside the charger and plug it into an outlet. However, some people may find this a bad thing as you have to take the battery out of the camera in order to charge it. I personally like this better for travel b/c i dun have to carry around a big bulky dock for my camera.

Another thing, when you buy this camera i suggest you also buy some accesories for it, some of which can be:

an extra battery i dun have 1 (and i don't plan on getting one), but i dunno, maybe you don't like charging?

a case it might be hard to find one that fits your needs, but i recently ordered a Lowepro Slider 20 from best buy. It says online that the camera should fit, but i'll have to see for myself in about a week.

LCD screen protector i dunno if it really needs one, but ever since reading those reviews of the fragile Canon SDxxx lcd's i've been a lot more paranoid about them. Plus, it can't hurt to put one on. I mean, hey, a larger lcd does mean a bigger chance that it's gonna get scratched. I'm getting a Brando Workshop Ultra Clear screen protector might be a tad bit too expensive, but i hear it's pretty good.

And last but certainly not least, a SD memory card a MUST have accesory. the 16mb card supplied is a joke! I got a 1GB SanDisk Ultra II and i'm loving it. A good SD card completes this whole package!

I recommend this camera for a person who wants a small, beautifully designed, p/s digital camera, but doesn't need DSLR image quality or to print pictures that big. For any reason whatsoever, whether you want to impress you friends with its good looks, or if you simply want an ultra-compact rather than carry around that bulky SLR, this camera is a good choice. While not without it's imperfections, I think that this camera, bundled with its amazing Mega OIS system, is an excellent buy, but I'll leave the deciding to you.

Happy camera hunting!

btw, since it's almost Christmas, I'd like to say Happy Holidays to all and Happy New Years!

Want Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9K 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom (Black) Discount?

In my opionion, the Panasonic DMC-FX8 and FX9 are the best choices in the ultra compact camera category. I have owned a couple of the Canon SD cameras (SD200 and SD300) and the pictures produced by the FX7/8/9 are vastly superior, esp. with Indoor Shots. The Image Stabilization really helps in Indoor, Low-Light Settings which if you are like me, is where you take the majority of your snapshots. The Canon SD500/550 are arguably better cameras due to their bigger sensor, 7 MPs, and stronger flash BUT they are not small enough to toss into my front pocket (a pre-requisite). As for the cracked LCD screens, google "Canon and Cracked LCD Screen". It is not an isolated problem! The best precaution you can take is two-fold. Buy a LCD screen protector as well as a hard camera case (I review one of each btw).

Finally, the FX8/FX9 have corrected the two major complaints people had with the very popular and well-regarded DMC-FX7. They now boast a faster AF, a longer-lasting battery and 640x480 Movie Mode. If they had manual controls, they would have created the elusive "perfect ultra compact" camera!

Nikon D7000 Digital SLR Camera Body with 18-300mm VR Zoom Lens + 32GB Card + Case + Filter + Remote

D-7000 is as expected V.good :). The 18-300mm lense is heavy but has good depth in pic's and v.good zoom range, will recommend if you are travelling. Nice lense.

Would give zero rating for tripod and other accessories. For the price I paid close to 2G for total package you expect better quality product. Only after 1 week travel the tripod is falling apart. The cleaning kit is a waste, remote does not work and the carry bag does not have a zip and is bulky. I used a different bag for the travel because I am afraid of camera falling out of bag.

Over all recommends to buy the camera + Lense. Great lense :)

Do not be fooled like me in package (all the other stuff is cheap stuff which is useless).

After using Nikon D90 for about a year, I and my wife decided to get a Nikon D7000. Although we are still learning the features of D7000 with 18-300mm lens, there is no doubt that D7000 is another super product made by Nikon. This package comes with a Nikon case, which is perfect for the camera.

Buy Nikon D7000 Digital SLR Camera Body with 18-300mm VR Zoom Lens + 32GB Card + Case + Filter + Remote Now

As an amateur using this for work, I've found the camera and lens to be easy to use but providing great quality photos. I could not be happier with the camera and lens. The tripod that came with it in this package is ridiculously weak, barely strong enough to hold the camera and not anywhere strong enough to count on to hold the camera up. I don't understand what caused anyone to pair this weak tripod with such a camera as it ends up being counterproductive: I want a tripod to take stable photos but end up with something less stable than if I was to hold the camera with my own hands.

Read Best Reviews of Nikon D7000 Digital SLR Camera Body with 18-300mm VR Zoom Lens + 32GB Card + Case + Filter + Remote Here

Whatever the camera is good or not, I am really unhappy. The sellers were so inefficient. I could not believe that this package took them over 48 hours to prepare and send. I chose stand shipping because I thought that I could get the package in five days. My order was issued at the night of October 14th, but it arrived at October 23, which was not as same as what the Stand Shipping described. Angrily, when I wanted to change my shipping speed before the package was sending, the sellers just told me the package was in the shipping department and was not able to change. I was just blowed off by him. To be honest I hate those kinds of attitude for customers.

By the way, last time, when another camera package which I bought months before came without one item, this seller did not give me any massages until I connected with them by myself; than they finally told me about the missing item. At last, they sent that missing item to me, and I got that missing item two weeks later than it should arrived.

The last thing that I want to say is that the D7000 is a really high-performance camera. It is much better than the D5100 which I had before. Maybe the few disadvantages are: 1st: It is much heavier than D5100. 2nd: its LCD screen cannot turn as D5100.

Want Nikon D7000 Digital SLR Camera Body with 18-300mm VR Zoom Lens + 32GB Card + Case + Filter + Remote Discount?

Pentax Optio W60 Waterproof 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Zoom (Ocean Blue)

UPDATE: This review was updated on 9/1/08 to reflect the announcement of the Olympus 1050SW.

I am a self confessed camera freak. I have owned the Pentax WPi, W10, W30, and now, the W60. My other primary cameras are the Canon SD 870 (with waterproof housing for diving) and a Canon SLR system with L series lenses, etc. I live in Hawaii and I travel for a living and I can say that without a doubt, the Pentax W series of cameras have been my "go to" cameras for any activities that involve water, snow, sand, or dirt. They take A LOT of abuse even if they don't advertise that fact like Olympus. For optical quality in a "friendly" environment when I don't want to lug my SLR, I prefer my Canon SD 870 which has noticeably better optics.

Like many people who somehow trashed their previous W series camera, I have been waiting over a year for the W30 upgrade and I can report that all in all, the W60 is a worthy upgrade to the W30 if only for the 28mm lens. In addition, it's lighter, the screen is brighter, and it's got a couple of useful software upgrades. I've been using the camera for a month now.

Make no mistake, this is a "fun" outdoors camera. If you're not going to take your camera in the water, to the beach, or mountain biking stop reading now and find a camera with better optics. The W60 is just o.k. and certainly no worse than the W30. As for the barrel distortion at 28mm, it's probably just slightly worse than my Canon SD 870 which means that the distortion is there and is noticeable, but for a group shot at the beach or trying to get the full length of a kayak AND an isle in the background, I'll live with the ever so slight distortion. You can always just click the lens down to 37mm and eliminate the distortion just like any other compact.

I'll also confess that I'm a Mac user and therefore don't know how to read manuals. Because of this, I find the "smile detect" and "blink detect' features amazingly annoying although they seem to work as long as your subjects are not wearing sunglasses. Fortunately, for illiterate and/or lazy idiots such as myself, you can ignore most features and easily find the important ones like underwater white balance.

Here's what I like and dislike about this particular model.

LIKES

1) Nothing beats not worrying about sand, water, dirt, or mud. I had the Olympus 1030SW for two days before sand screwed up the retractable lens cover (great idea, poor execution which has been addressed on the recently announced 1050SW). Also, if you let your kids take photos like I do, you can worry less about camera damage when one of them inevitably throws your camera at the other one or tries to hit them over the head with it in the pool.

2) 28mm lens. Wide angle (vs. the typical 38mm) is an option I'd rather have than not. Also, there is a crazy "wide" feature that's a bit different than panoramic stitch that actually works pretty well. In a nutshell, two portrait shots are stitched in camera into a 5MP 21mm image. It's by no means "publishable" quality, but I've actually been having quite a bit of fun with it.

DISLIKES

1) HD movie clips. I was very disappointed that the 720p movie clips are only 15 fps. My old Canon S80 had the same specs and I find the jerkiness at 15 fps too distracting. The initial press release (specs since updated) didn't disclose this. Oh well. I'd still buy it. 640 movie clips at 30 fps are as clean as expected and the shake reduction works fairly well (but reduces the frame to something less than 28mm). Also, a note on reviewers who complain about sound recorded from the focusing drive, switch to infinity focus which works fine in 90% of all situations and that annoying sound will be eliminated).

2) Noticeable barrel distortion at 28mm. Like I said earlier, better to have the option available and zoom in when able. Even at 28mm, your shot won't be ruined. Also, if you have a mother-in-law you can cleverly position her at the end of the frame and the distortion will make her look slightly thinner (in case she accuses your SLR of making her look fat).

3) Still no travel charger included or officially available (which I find inexcusable) although inelegant third party solutions exist online (and the multi battery use ones still work even though they've changed the battery model).

4) No external user replaceable lens protecter. Come on Pentax engineers. How hard would it be to design an exterior casing that allowed for a user replaceable transparent protective "filter" like an SLR. There's a reason I've bought four models. I trash them.

Now for the important feature: Underwater Imaging

If you want a camera for scuba diving stop reading now and go buy yourself a Canon with any of their factory built cases. This is not a diving camera.

If you want a camera for snorkeling, kayaking, surfing, or kiteboarding; or if you plan to take your camera to the beach; or if you like hiking in the rain or mountain biking, you will be stoked with this camera. (Previous W series models I owned worked fine in the snow and cold whereas my compact Canons sometimes freeze) The Olympus 1030SW is a close second for me for the following reasons. 1) I like the rectangle form factor of the Pentax a tad more; 2) I find SD cards more convenient than XD cards (plus I own a bunch and my computer has a slot for them); 3) a personal bad experience with the 1030SW retractable lens cover; 4) movies on the Olympus models are capped at 10 seconds (vs. the size of your memory card on the Pentax 30 minutes on my 4GB card); and 5) the Pentax is noticeably lighter (but does not feel cheap). I think there's also some merit to the fact that this is Pentax's sixth generation of W series cameras. They've learned a lot. Also, I should mention that I used to use a Sony compact with a waterproof "Sport" case and besides making the whole camera "fat", the picture quality suffered greatly.

UPDATE regarding the new Olympus 1050SW: While i have not used this camera (to be released on 10/31/08) from the specs and photos I can see that they have addressed the retractable lens cover issue with a Sony style system however they have increased the focal length to 38mm (equivalent). I'd still prefer a 28mm. Also, 640 movies are still inexplicably capped at 10 seconds vs. the size of you memory card for the Pentax models.

Underwater videos of kids in the pool rock (set focus to infinity in the Settings menu to avoid mechanical noise). Videos of them surfing are priceless (buy yourself a neckstrap). Being able to wash your camera off at the end of the day is amazing. It's also kind of fun to drop it in a mug of beer at the Hofbrauhaus in Munich and freak your friends out.

I highly recommend the Pentax W60 for anyone that has an outdoor lifestyle and likes to record memories. It's a great secondary camera when paired with something a bit more serious like an SLR. It is not the best camera for going out for a night on the town and it's not the best camera if you're going on the vacation of a lifetime that doesn't involve a lot of water or dirt. Have fun!

UPDATE: This review was updated on 9/1/08 to reflect the announcement of the Olympus 1050SW.

I am a self confessed camera freak. I have owned the Pentax WPi, W10, W30, and now, the W60. My other primary cameras are the Canon SD 870 (with waterproof housing for diving) and a Canon SLR system with L series lenses, etc. I live in Hawaii and I travel for a living and I can say that without a doubt, the Pentax W series of cameras have been my "go to" cameras for any activities that involve water, snow, sand, or dirt. They take A LOT of abuse even if they don't advertise that fact like Olympus. For optical quality in a "friendly" environment when I don't want to lug my SLR, I prefer my Canon SD 870 which has noticeably better optics.

Like many people who somehow trashed their previous W series camera, I have been waiting over a year for the W30 upgrade and I can report that all in all, the W60 is a worthy upgrade to the W30 if only for the 28mm lens. In addition, it's lighter, the screen is brighter, and it's got a couple of useful software upgrades. I've been using the camera for a month now.

Make no mistake, this is a "fun" outdoors camera. If you're not going to take your camera in the water, to the beach, or mountain biking stop reading now and find a camera with better optics. The W60 is just o.k. and certainly no worse than the W30. As for the barrel distortion at 28mm, it's probably just slightly worse than my Canon SD 870 which means that the distortion is there and is noticeable, but for a group shot at the beach or trying to get the full length of a kayak AND an isle in the background, I'll live with the ever so slight distortion. You can always just click the lens down to 37mm and eliminate the distortion just like any other compact.

I'll also confess that I'm a Mac user and therefore don't know how to read manuals. Because of this, I find the "smile detect" and "blink detect' features amazingly annoying although they seem to work as long as your subjects are not wearing sunglasses. Fortunately, for illiterate and/or lazy idiots such as myself, you can ignore most features and easily find the important ones like underwater white balance.

Here's what I like and dislike about this particular model.

LIKES

1) Nothing beats not worrying about sand, water, dirt, or mud. I had the Olympus 1030SW for two days before sand screwed up the retractable lens cover (great idea, poor execution which has been addressed on the recently announced 1050SW). Also, if you let your kids take photos like I do, you can worry less about camera damage when one of them inevitably throws your camera at the other one or tries to hit them over the head with it in the pool.

2) 28mm lens. Wide angle (vs. the typical 38mm) is an option I'd rather have than not. Also, there is a crazy "wide" feature that's a bit different than panoramic stitch that actually works pretty well. In a nutshell, two portrait shots are stitched in camera into a 5MP 21mm image. It's by no means "publishable" quality, but I've actually been having quite a bit of fun with it.

DISLIKES

1) HD movie clips. I was very disappointed that the 720p movie clips are only 15 fps. My old Canon S80 had the same specs and I find the jerkiness at 15 fps too distracting. The initial press release (specs since updated) didn't disclose this. Oh well. I'd still buy it. 640 movie clips at 30 fps are as clean as expected and the shake reduction works fairly well (but reduces the frame to something less than 28mm). Also, a note on reviewers who complain about sound recorded from the focusing drive, switch to infinity focus which works fine in 90% of all situations and that annoying sound will be eliminated).

2) Noticeable barrel distortion at 28mm. Like I said earlier, better to have the option available and zoom in when able. Even at 28mm, your shot won't be ruined. Also, if you have a mother-in-law you can cleverly position her at the end of the frame and the distortion will make her look slightly thinner (in case she accuses your SLR of making her look fat).

3) Still no travel charger included or officially available (which I find inexcusable) although inelegant third party solutions exist online (and the multi battery use ones still work even though they've changed the battery model).

4) No external user replaceable lens protecter. Come on Pentax engineers. How hard would it be to design an exterior casing that allowed for a user replaceable transparent protective "filter" like an SLR. There's a reason I've bought four models. I trash them.

Now for the important feature: Underwater Imaging

If you want a camera for scuba diving stop reading now and go buy yourself a Canon with any of their factory built cases. This is not a diving camera.

If you want a camera for snorkeling, kayaking, surfing, or kiteboarding; or if you plan to take your camera to the beach; or if you like hiking in the rain or mountain biking, you will be stoked with this camera. (Previous W series models I owned worked fine in the snow and cold whereas my compact Canons sometimes freeze) The Olympus 1030SW is a close second for me for the following reasons. 1) I like the rectangle form factor of the Pentax a tad more; 2) I find SD cards more convenient than XD cards (plus I own a bunch and my computer has a slot for them); 3) a personal bad experience with the 1030SW retractable lens cover; 4) movies on the Olympus models are capped at 10 seconds (vs. the size of your memory card on the Pentax 30 minutes on my 4GB card); and 5) the Pentax is noticeably lighter (but does not feel cheap). I think there's also some merit to the fact that this is Pentax's sixth generation of W series cameras. They've learned a lot. Also, I should mention that I used to use a Sony compact with a waterproof "Sport" case and besides making the whole camera "fat", the picture quality suffered greatly.

UPDATE regarding the new Olympus 1050SW: While i have not used this camera (to be released on 10/31/08) from the specs and photos I can see that they have addressed the retractable lens cover issue with a Sony style system however they have increased the focal length to 38mm (equivalent). I'd still prefer a 28mm. Also, 640 movies are still inexplicably capped at 10 seconds vs. the size of you memory card for the Pentax models.

Underwater videos of kids in the pool rock (set focus to infinity in the Settings menu to avoid mechanical noise). Videos of them surfing are priceless (buy yourself a neckstrap). Being able to wash your camera off at the end of the day is amazing. It's also kind of fun to drop it in a mug of beer at the Hofbrauhaus in Munich and freak your friends out.

I highly recommend the Pentax W60 for anyone that has an outdoor lifestyle and likes to record memories. It's a great secondary camera when paired with something a bit more serious like an SLR. It is not the best camera for going out for a night on the town and it's not the best camera if you're going on the vacation of a lifetime that doesn't involve a lot of water or dirt. Have fun!

Buy Pentax Optio W60 Waterproof 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Zoom (Ocean Blue) Now

Clearly, this is not a camera for everybody. It's designed for those outdoor enthusiasts who's willing to trade the picture quality for the taking anywhere feature. I wish I could have a compact camera that can be used anywhere but still has DSLR picture quality -but that camera doesn't exist!

If the underwater capability is important to you, then there are not so many choices out there -and the only two get head to head are Olympus 1030 and the Pentax W60. Both are 10M pixels which I don't think it's really needed -you can't fully use the 10M capability because of the lens quality. Some important difference:

Olympus can go 30 ft deep, Pentax 10 ft.

Olympus is crash proof, Pentax is not

Olympus's lens is 28-105, Pentax is 28-140

Both can take video of 640x480, up to the size of the flash card (Olympus may need a firmware upgrade), but Pentax can take 1280x720 in 15 fps.

Olympus can't use zoom during video taking, Pentax can, but records the zoom sound as well.

Pentax has slightly better picture quality, but little noisier.

Pentax uses SD/SDHC card, Olympus uses xdpicture card, which is more expensive.

Finally I decided to go with the Pentax.

Things I like besides the under water capability:

Feature rich. There are 24 different scene mode, a good fit to novice users, and there are also face detection, blink detection, smile detection and some on-camera editing capability. You can also do the slide-show on camera.

Easy to follow interface. I learned to use more than 90% of the functions without even reading the manual.

Macro that closes up to 1cm, not so many cameras are capable of that.

Picture color is normally good.

Live histogram view

Things I don't like:

Poor low light performance, very noisy

The so-called image stabilizing is just to bump up the ISO, which cause noisier image

Below average image quality (comparing other point and shoot)

Metering/White Balance/EV Adjustment only available in the P mode! This is my biggest complaint. I don't know what's in Pentax engineer's mind. I can live with no AP/SP/manual mode, but I still need these adjustments!

No lens cover. Even though there is a protective layer in the front, so one can't touch the real lens, but that layer can still get dirty and I'm also afraid to simply put the camera in my pocket with other stuff.

With all that said, am I returning the camera? The hell no! I have my DSLR for better image quality, but I still need a compact one that I can bring with me on trips to ski, beach, or even snorkeling!

Read Best Reviews of Pentax Optio W60 Waterproof 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Zoom (Ocean Blue) Here

Because of serious spray I needed a waterproof camera with a wide angle lens for an August 11 trip to Niagara Falls ("Slowly I turned.."). I saw the Pentax Optio W60 on Amazon with an expected release date of August 5 so I was preparing to settle for the W30. Then, while surfing the site it came up as "in stock" on July 10. I immediately ordered it with Super Saver shipping and had it in my hands by noon on July 16. This was way faster than I had hoped for. I spent the next 11 hours studying it and the manual.

The manual is 240 pages, all in English, soI am not going to bore you with a list of features. You can see them for yourself on the Amazon and Pentax web sites. What I will say is that the pictures I took while learning the camera last night were excellent. If this camera does not meet all your needs in a point and shoot camera then its unlikely anything will. It definitely meets my needs. Its waterproof and shockproof and has a 5X zoom (28-140, 35mm equivalent) as well as 5.7X digital zoom and movie mode with zoom and sound.

My only suggestion, at this time, would be that the battery compartment door latch button could be a little more substantial. You will need an extra D-LI78 battery or its higher mah equivalent. The supplied battery is only 680mah.

I spoke with Paul at Pentax customer service. His recommendation was that there was no need to spend extra for class 4 or class 6 SD cards, class 2 cards would be fine. Because of built-in camera hardware limitations I would only gain minimal write speed with class 4 or 6 cards. I did as he suggested and the write speed is very fast with the class 2 (standard) Sandisk cards.

As a former photo retailer with over 20 years experience in camera sales I feel safe when I say "BUY THIS CAMERA!" You will not be disappointed.

Want Pentax Optio W60 Waterproof 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Zoom (Ocean Blue) Discount?

I just got this camera the other day. So far it seems like a good compromise camera. I kayak a lot, and I don't want to risk my digital slr when I'm out on salt water. I've hesitated a lot before buying a waterproof camera because their quality for the price has always seemed less. I finally bit the bullet on this camera because of the 5x optical zoom and the ability to take macro pictures from 1 cm away. Unlike the olympus underwater camera this takes SD cards I couldn't see buying an xD card. This camera is capable of taking beautiful photos, the 1 cm macro is fun shove my camera into a flower and see what I get.

Negatives so far:

Lots of noise in low light, especially when zoomed in

I don't like that there's not a cover that closes over the lens when you turn off the camera. It means you should definitely have a dedicated case for it.

Optical image stabilization would have been a great addition to this camera.

I bought the kata snapshot D camera case for the camera and it fits well:

Kata Ergo-Tech Series Snapshot D Small Flap Pouch

http://www.amazon.com/Ergo-Tech-Snapshot-Digital-Personal-Electronics/dp/B000I3XY2A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=photo&qid=1216695649&sr=1-1

samples pics and more details at:

Fujifilm FinePix SL1000 16 MP Digital Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Black)

I got the camers 3/15/13 and so far I am impressed. I am not a pro photographer but I do make software for a living. We make a product called iWatermark for Mac, Win, iPhone/iPad and Android so we quite a bit of experience with cameras. If you are interested our site is available with a search of Google (reviews don't allow links).

This is my initial review. To get it out of the way the highlights are 50x zoom, Raw as option, video up to 440 fps (at very small rez). I've tried them all. They work as advertised and they are awesome features for a camera this inexpensive.

Features

* 16 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor. Photos look great.

50x optical zoom lens (35mm equiv: 24-1200mm). Simply awesome.

Great Optical image stabilisation

3 inch 920k dot tilting LCD screen. Love the tilting LCD very handy when shooting over peoples heads. Also for shooting at kid or pet level.

Hotshoe

920k dot electronic viewfinder (EVF)

Full 1080p HD video recording with stereo sound and at 60 fps.

ISO 100-12800

1cm minimum focusing distance

HDR & panorama modes

Full manual controls and RAW shooting

10 fps continuous shooting full rez or down to 480fps (240 x 180 pixels) or 240fps (320 x 240 pixels) or 120fps (640 x 480 pixels).

Many special effects.

Switch on Time to Taking a Photo 2.55 secs

Shot to Shot without Flash 1.4 secs

Shot to Shot with Flash 2.8 secs

I am still experimenting with the huge number of features in hardware and software of the camera and will report back when I get some time.

It is the most powerful, versatile and inexpensive camera I've ever owned and I would recommend it highly. I have tried all the other super zoom cameras and this is the winner for me.

PS To solve the squabble by two other reviewers the manual zoom is in the usual place by the shutter button on the right top and on the left side middle of the lens. It works well and smoothly with a bit of noise.

Being skeptical about buying a DSLR (due to the cost mainly) I decided to try out this bridge camera, and I must confess I was more than impressed. The main feature of course is the unbelievable 50x zoom, which is totally stunning, and will help you take photos you could never have imagined. Photo quality is quite good, although noise does make its way into certain iso settings, but it's not that obvious and you can easily correct this by "playing" with the settings(or lighting, if possible) . The camera focuses really quickly, though in macro mode if the light is low it may have a bit of a difficulty focusing. You can set the shutter and the aperture, or just switch to auto and let the camera decide what's best for it's shot. Generally, the photos in auto mode are very good, unless you want to tweak the settings for a specific shooting. You also get many creative options, like the toy camera effect and the cross screen, among others, which can give nice creative photos without the need of additional editing. Video quality is simply amazing, and luckily the camera keeps its focus(unlike previous Fujifilm models). There is also the option of raw saving, if you have the need for it. The lcd screen is crystal clear and it can tilt so it makes taking low or high photos a piece of cake.

My only complaints:

-the proximity sensor on the eyepiece is a bit tricky because it can be triggered by your body or hand and the lcd switches off to the eyepiece, which is kind of annoying ( you can select for the lcd to be always on and render the sensor inactive, which is exactly what I did).

-the sound of focusing is apparent in videos ,like in previous Fujifilm's models.

-Battery drains quickly especially if using the zoom, so you better have a couple of extra batteries at hand.

For its features (especially the 50x zoom) and price, this is definitely a bargain. Due to the small amount of noise at certain iso settings I would give this camera 4 stars, but because of the price it is offered and the features it has, I chose to give it 5. Overall I'm very pleased with it and very happy that I bought it!

Buy Fujifilm FinePix SL1000 16 MP Digital Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Black) Now

Very pleased with this camera. I would like to make it clear that I am not a pro in photography, so those who expect an expert review may skip reading mine. I bought before this one Nikon COOLPIX S9200 16 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 18x Zoom NIKKOR ED Glass Lens and Full HD 1080p Video (Black) and had to return it since it was making blurry pictures and could not lock focus, also: when zoom used , the focus was missing at all. This Fuji camera is big (but light) and not so easy to carry everywhere or put it in your purse, but it is definitely worth carrying it. The pictures are crystal clear even when you use just automatic settings, or at night time(night pictures are a big issue with almost all cameras, but not with this there are modes for beautiful night landscapes) . It is easy to lock a focus, also you don't need sturdy hand quite shatterproof.(Make sure to hold the zooming lens underneath for extra support check some youtube videos from fuji for instructions). The 50x zoom is amazing you can use it as a binoculars and see exotic bird in the sky :). The close up photos of a flower or leaf are so crystal and detailed beautiful. The 360 panoramic pictures also! The videos perfect.

CONS: Many people complain that the lens cap has to be removed manually for me this is a minor inconvenience (this is a huge lens and closing and opening automatically requests a lot of power).

Also: the battery doesn't last a long time, but it is not expensive, I would buy a spare one to carry in the camera bag.

I still have not tried all the modes and possibilities of this amazing camera. I have to say Well done, Fuji!!!

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The Fuji SL 1000 is a great all around camera. The construction and features are user friendly and the quality of the pictures for the money, are second to none. I also own a Nicon D 7000.

What I realy like about the Fuji is that is a lot lighter and with features that the camera offers makes it a great camera for travel.

If I realy want the best pictures quality wise then I use my Nikon, but like I said for travel and wildlife photografy I don't see any other camera comming even close to this one once again for the price. I paid a little over $ 300 in amazon. The other camera that I considered very carefuly was the Canon sx 50 but the price difference was sustancial and I went with the Fuji.Battery life is a little bit short but for a little over $ 20 you can get the Wasaby replacement batteries (2) of them plus an extra charger.

Once again I do not have any reservations recommending the Fuji SL 1000 as a secondary/Travel-wildlife camera

Want Fujifilm FinePix SL1000 16 MP Digital Camera with 3-Inch LCD (Black) Discount?

The Fujifilm FinePix SL1000 is Fuji's mid-level super zoom bridge camera. The S series is a notch below Fuji's high-end HS series of bridge cameras. Although it lacks some of the settings and features of the HS series, the SL1000 does have some features that are impressive. The main feature is its massive 50X zoom lens. Before I go any further though, I must point out that although this camera looks a little like a DSLR, it is not. It is a bridge camera with the same tiny sensor as you average pocket point and shoot camera. It is just housed in a DSLR style body, with some extra features and a massive zoom lens. Now that we got that out of the way, on to my review. Unboxing the Fuji SL1000, I noticed that it weighs slightly less and is slightly smaller than the Fuji HS50EXR super zoom. It weighs much less than my DSLR. In the box are the usual assortment of accessories. I was disappointed that there is no lens hood. First charge of the battery took about 90 minutes. The proprietary battery is charged in a proprietary external charger. The camera itself has average build quality and is almost entirely plastic. I was disappointed that even the tripod mount is plastic. The camera's ergonomics are very good, and everything is well laid out. No SD card is included, so make sure you have one. A fast "Class 10" speed card is recommended. The SL1000 menu system is very simple and easy to figure out. The camera has a variety of shooting modes including full automatic and "manual". There are also some built in filter effects which are pretty neat. I was disappointed there were no settings to adjust the camera's Noise Reduction like there is on the HS Series. The SL1000 does have RAW Mode which is a very good thing.

I set out on a sunny day, and took over a hundred pictures under various conditions. I used several different modes and settings. I shot mostly in (P)Mode, and auto mode. I used Fine/JPEG Format, not RAW. Refresh time between shots was very fast. I noticed that when shooting in shady conditions, the camera would use an unnecessary high ISO. Sometimes 400 or higher. I turned off Auto-ISO and manually selected ISO 100 or 200 if needed. The 50X zoom lens performed well. It's incredible 24-1200mm range didn't disappoint. The 3" high resolution screen is very good. It's is clear and bright. It isn't an articulating screen though. It only slightly tilts, which I thought was kind of a weird design. While out, I also took several minutes of video to evaluate later. When I got home, I also shot a few dozen indoor pictures for testing purposes. I shot most of them in simple auto mode to see how the camera would handle low light without any help. After shooting 100+ pictures and several minutes of video, my battery still shows as full which tells me battery life is very good.

When I finished my testing, I hooked the camera up to my PC and HD Monitor using the included USB cable. Thankfully, the cable is standard and not proprietary. Once downloaded, my results generally very good. Almost all my outdoor pictures came out excellent no matter what mode I used. Details were great. Colors were accurate. I didn't notice any optical aberrations, etc. The Fuji's Image Stabilization generally did a great job, but a steady hand is needed at the high end of the zoom. The overall results were almost as good as my higher end HS50EXR, but not quite. I did notice a little image noise, especially when the camera went above 100 ISO. My indoor results were good too. Image noise wasn't bad up until ISO 400, and still acceptable at ISO 800. I have no doubt that with a little tweaking of the camera's settings, my results could be even better. My HD test video came out excellent too. It did not disappoint on my HD monitor.

The Fujifilm FinePix SL1000 is not a DSLR, and it isn't perfect. It is a very good point and shoot camera with an incredible lens though. With a little trial and error, it produces very good results outdoors, and good results indoors as long as you keep the ISO as low as possible. I recommend it.

Pros:

Incredible 50x Wide Angle Zoom Lens.

Electronic Viewfinder.

Hot shoe.

Good automatic modes.

Manual controls.

RAW Mode.

Generally very good image quality indoors and out.

Very good 1080i HD video quality.

Fast focusing and refresh time between shots.

Very good battery life.

Good value.

Cons:

Average build quailty.

Tiny 1/2.3-inch CMOS Image Sensor.

Image noise noticeable above ISO 100.

No noise reduction settings.

No lens hood and mediocre accessories.

Proprietary battery.

Sharp VLZ5U MiniDV Camcorder with 2.5" LCD, Memory Slot and 8MB Card

i purchased this item 1 year ago. Basically as soon as the 1 year warranty was up my camera began turning on, but shutting right back off. My camera like the others on this page also, came on with a "DEW" warning. I have made several attempts to have Sharp try and fix this problem to which they have basically told me they won't/can't do anything to help me. Trust me when I say I will NEVER buy another Sharp camcorder/camera after the way i was treated on this one. PS. I had only used the camera approx. 5 times...this was clearly a poor choice on my behalf that I will be sure not to make again!

DO NOT BUY ANY SHARP PRODUCTS.

I unfortunately own a Sharp VL-Z3U camcorder which has been rendered useless by an ongoing DEW error (I store the camcorder in my family room and live in Michigan not humid enough to justify this problem).

After speaking with Sharp's customer relations, they informed me they no longer make camcorders and can do NOTHING for me. They obviously stopped making camcorders because they were not good at it. The cust rep was also VERY RUDE to me and sealed my decision to NEVER BUY ANOTHER SHARP PRODUCT AGAIN.

My Sony camcorder still works after several years I just bought the Sharp to upgrade to digital tapes (it died in only 16 months).

Buy Sharp VLZ5U MiniDV Camcorder with 2.5" LCD, Memory Slot and 8MB Card Now

I bought VL-Z5U model, and I am very pleased with its performance so far. It has cyristal clear LCD. Even in very low light conditions, it produces very quality videos. However, do not try to capture an image in total darkness because the camcorder does not have a nightshot feature for recording in total darkness. The gain-up feature for low light conditions works very well to brighten the objects. In very quiet environments, the camcorder does not record any disturbing motor noise. There is no need to say anything about the compact and stylish design. Comparing with other brands with the similar class such as sony, panasonic etc., the price is cheaper. The only drawback I found is its relatively shorter battery life. Since the battery snaps under the LCD, which makes the camcorder more compact, there is no possibility to use a bigger size battery with a higher capacity. However, an additional battery solves the problem easily. If you are searching for an camcorder with this price range, do not hesitate to go with Sharp.

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I bought one of these cameras and it worked great at first. But a week or 2 after the warranty expried, I started getting a DEW detection error. It would go away occasionally but always comes back. Sharp wanted $140 to try to fix it. After a serach of the web I found others who were having the same type of problem. I would certainly steer away from this product.

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After owning the viewcam for about a year, I started to get a dew error that renders the camera useless...and there's nothing you can do. Sharp says to leave the camera door open for 2 hours and then try again. You can leave it open for 100 hours in the desert sun and you'll still get a dew error. EVERYONE that I speak to that has purchased this camera has the same problem. DON'T BUY IT.