Wansview Outdoor Waterproof Wifi Wireless/wired Ip Camera with Night Vision, Motion Detection Alarm

This cam is a Wansview NC543W.

UPDATE: 2.12.2013

Cam is still functional :) What I thought was wonky color balance is I believe due to no IR cut filter, the IR emitters are always on which screws up the color balance.

UPDATE: 3/15/2012

The cam still works! Yea! The color balance is still awful. Boo!

UPDATE: 4/19/2011

It took about five days of emailing back and forth to finally get ATC-whatever-LLC of Naperville, IL interested in sending me a new cam. Customer service after the sale with ATC-whatever-LLC of Naperville, IL is very poor. I would never buy another product from them ever again.

UPDATE: 3/30/2011

The cam stopped working about two or three weeks ago. If I power-cycled the cam, it would work for about five minutes and then become unresponsive. Wansview emailed me the firmware after I contacted them about the problem, loaded the firmware and then the cam seemed to work okay. After about an hour of operation, it was broken again. I'm done with this cam. I think (not sure though) this cam appears in different permutations Smarteye for one. Dealing with Chinese support via email was very cordial and they were responsive, but completely unproductive.

After reading the seller's (not Amazon unfortunately it was ATC-whatever-LLC) return policy, it was a bit convoluted and I'm not sure what the warranty policy is. After reading ATC's diatribe about returns, I think I'm going to throw the cam away and never buy a product from ATC-whatever-LLC again and probably never buy a Wansview cam or its other variation, the Smarteye (assuming I'm correct about the relationship.)

What a shame...

--End of update--

NOTE: All features and functions will work in Internet Explorer (like two way sound.) You can view the video in Firefox/Safari/Chrome/etc., but you will not have full features and functionality.

I have several webcams keeping an eye on our ranch and I do have a bit of experience with higher-end models (Toshiba/Panasonic) so this review will evaluate this cam relative to my experience.

Basically, you shouldn't expect a ~$90 cam to perform like a ~$900 dollar one. There are a lot of trade-offs with the low-end models a poor quality manual (in this case written in 'Chinglish') that assumes you already know most of what they are attempting to describe to you (they don't want to spend a penny more on a tech writer than absolutely necessary.)

The firmware might not be as fully developed as other higher-priced cams case in point with this one is there are no real color balance controls. You get 50 or 60 hertz or outdoor mode. In lower light conditions, the color balance is really, *really* bad. The color balance might be really bad in brighter light, but I don't know since that is not my application for this cam. And the image sensor might not be first quality and size of it makes a huge difference. This cam will display a max resolution of 640x480, not too bad and a useful size.

So what about this cam?

For about 90 bucks, it is a pretty good deal. Here are some caveats and features:

it is a good deal if you do not need detailed step-by-step instructions to set it up

it is a good deal if color balance isn't a big issue

it is a good deal if you can deal with a *very* incomplete manual it has no explanation about the audio out, audio in, alarm connections, or any API (application programming interface.) In fact, it is like Wanssview allocated xx dollars (Yen?) to the manual when that amount was reached, they pulled the plug on the tech writer. To be blunt, the user manual sucked big-time

the IR (infrared) night view was very good. I don't know about the range since my objective is to keep an eye on an automatic animal feeder which was only about eight feet away from the cam. In total darkness, I can plainly see the feeder in all detail. I was impressed!

it has no built-in microphone or speaker, but has the capability of both. The microphone feature does work I tried it!

in lower light the cam is not particularly fast you will get image blur on an alarm trigger

If you buy this cam, "OSD" means On Screen Display this is not mentioned anywhere in the manual. For "Motion Detect Armed" Motion Detect Sensibility [sic] 1 is the least sensitive and 10 is the most it took an email to China to figure this out. 7 seems to work the best for me.

If 90 bucks won't make a difference with your kids eating and having adequate clothing or not, buy this cam and play with it. If 90 bucks *is* a big deal to you, I would stick with Linksys, Dlink, Panasonic, etc.

Update 7/26/12:

All of these cameras seem to have the same "flashing" problem. It isn't clear if it is the "IR Cut" filter or some other problem. They also might as well be black-and-white given how terrible the color is. If something happened and video from this camera needed to be submitted to authoritiesit would be next to impossible to actually identify anyone in it.

The "flashing" problem seems to occur at a particular light level (much too bright for the "IR Cut" filter if it is working normally), so at least twice a day (or more often in changing weather conditions) the cameras brightness rapidly changes between light and dark for 30 minutes or more. This triggers both the camera's internal "motion detector", as well as the motion detection algorithms in security DVR software like Blue Iris or iSpy. In other wordsyour mailbox, FTP server, or DVR will fill up with completely useless images, very quickly.

Technical support via email says a "Factory Reset" will fix the problem. Not only doesn't it fix the problembut you then have to set everything up again from scratch, which is a problem if you are using them via WiFi in a not-easily-accessible location.

Alsomounting these cameras outdoors means you pretty much have to cut and splice the 5v power cord, and use a lot of tape or an outdoor box to keep the connectors in. They come with a short cable and a set of connectors that you would have to drill a 1.5" hole in the wall to route inside. The power supply is only indoor rated, and is too big to put in an "In-Use" covered GFCI box. Of courseyou can't return them without the factory-provided power supply...

Update 6/12/12:

I dropped my rating to two stars.

While probably still a good value for the money, these cameras have at least one serious issue. I returned one, but the replacement has the same problem. A friend of mine bought two cameras at the same time I did, and has the same issue with hers as-well. The cameras flip randomly between their "IR CUT" filter and normal in certain lighting conditions. This causes random light/dark flashing at various times throughout the day. This flashing, besides being extremely annoying, also trips the "motion alarm", sending hundreds (or in the case of one of my camerasthousands) of bogus motion alarm pictures out. If you use their software to record videoyou will get many-many hours of nothing but flashing video filling up your HDD.

One solution I found online is to either color-over or tape-over the light sensor on the camera. Tried thatdoesn't work. I requested support on Wansview's Web site a week ago, and have heard nothing. There also aren't any firmware updates available for these cameras. I guess we can keep returning them for new ones, but since this is happening on 4 out of 4 (actually 5 if I count the one I've already returned) it's pretty clear it is a manufacturing defect. All four came from different vendors (via Amazon) Wansview should just give one the option to turn the stupid filter OFF! They do seem to work quite well at night, but during the daythey are almost useless for hours at a time.

Leaving my old review here for reference...

I recently bought two of this most-recent version of Wansview outdoor security camera: NC543W. The camera has a solid aluminum housing and appears to be well-sealed from the elements. I bought three similar cameras last year. They are cheap and the picture quality definitely isn't HD, but they are very usable.

The camera's I bought last year came with terrible "Chinelish" manuals that were almost impossible to read. They also didn't come with any kind of viewing/recording software, forcing me to use marginally-implemented browser-based viewers or 3rd-party software. I'm very happy to say that this has changed for these two most-recent purchases. More effort was clearly put into the user's manual, and the included "multi-view" software works very well. The really big bonus with the viewer software is the ability to record video, as opposed to just still images.

As another bonusthe cameras will work with uPnP routers (or you can manually set up tunneling) and Wansview provides a DDNS server, making it very easy to set the cameras up for remote viewing. The manual does a decent job of describing the setup for this, but non-geeks may need to get a bit of help configuring their router if necessary.

The camera has an "automatic" software color filter that is supposed to just kick in when in IR nigh-vision mode. I suspect this may be causing problems for some. I've found the color during the day to be very acceptable. In low-light there is a definite color shift, mostly noticeable at dusk and dawn.

I really only have two issues with these cameras, preventing a 5-star rating:

I can't get the Internet Explorer version of their Web viewer to work. I've tried it on three computers. The plugin install seems to "blow up" and I get nothing but a blank view. It's possible this is due to over-zealous security settings on my part, but I'm not going to lower my standards to install a plugin. I don't get any kind of an error message or pop-up. The other browser version works just fine on Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. It also works great on iPhone and iPad, although there are some great 3rd party camera viewers for them, as well as Android, that work fine with these cameras.

It is difficult to accomplish a good outdoor mount of them due to the length of the connector cable and the size of the network jack. If you want an inexpensive "clean" installyou pretty much have to drill a 1" hole to route the cables through to the inside. The power adapter and its cable are not outdoor rated, and it doesn't appear any of the other connectors will last long outdoors without some kind of protection. It's probably possible to cram everything into a water-tight exterior box, which is something I'm going to experiment with. I'd much rather drill a small hole for the power adapter cable (and network cable, if necessary) than a 1" one. Tacking things up under an eave seems to be the cheapest option, and I don't believe that will make it through winter. Power-over-Ethernet would make things easier, but would likely raise the price of the camera.

Like I saidit's a great camera for the price. If you want good color balance and a higher resolution with more featureslook at spending 3-10x as much. If you want a reliable (at least in my experience) security camera and don't have a lot of money to spendthis is a great deal.

One bit of adviceit is difficult to tweak the motion-sensor sensitivity, especially outdoors where things like trees and shrubs blowing in the wind can set it off. This isn't really the fault of the camerait's just the nature of such systems. These cameras can generate a LOT of email, so if you use that method of "alarm" notificationsget yourself another email account with a lot of space on one of the big providers. That way you won't flood your personal email account. If you use FTPyou will want to frequently audit the server's disk usage, or use an automated process to delete older uploads. If using the multi-view software to record videobe sure to enable the feature that automatically deletes older videos if you are running out of disk space. I recommend using a dedicated partition or external disk.

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Review Update of 7/25/11

A NEW (replacement) Wansview NC543/W outdoor wireless IP camera arrived today! The seller honored their (3-year) warranty by returning a New camera, not a refurbished unit! Based on this experience, I highly recomment the (Chicago) seller and Wansview camreas! The other two cameras are still working Great on my wireless network!

Review Update of 7/23/11

I was just notified that the seller was sending me a new camera to replace the defective camera. If that's true, I'm impressed! I'll post a final review when it arrives.

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Review Update on Wansview Warranty Problem

Perhaps I was too hasty in my first review, so I have changed it. I finally received a RMA & address to return the camera, which was returned on 7/13/2011. I'll post another update when the camera is returned.

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This review is about a Wansview NC543W warranty problem.

I purchased three of these cameras in a popular auction Website in Nov.Dec. 2010. They have worked very well since installation (only about 6 7 months), until recently when one camera just "died". It has no power and you cannot communicate with the camera via a CAT5E cable nor wirelessly. Additionally, the camera does not show up with the "IP Camera Tool" that looks for any camera on the LAN, even when it's plugged directly into the router.

The problem I have is not so much with the camera, although I'm beginning to be concerned with the quality of Wansview products. My biggest concern and problem is with the Chicago, IL seller in trying to get warranty repair/replacement/RMA shipping instructions. At first they were very helpful in trying to understand the details of the problem. Although it took a little time & patience, when all the details were provided, the seller agreed to examine my defective camera, and replace it.

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Product died within a few hours on being installed. No support by the company, nor will they exchange it under their 'warranty'.

Avoid this company and its products.

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This camera same as HooToo HT-IP212 Outdoor Wired/Wireless Surveillance Camera. Same problems:I am very disappointed with this camera. In the wireless mode camera works only within 10Ft. This is it.

I am Computer and Network Engineer with 17 years of experience. I am setting up a various PCs and computer based devises all day long. I know how network works very well. This camera is a POS.

Do Not Buy it unless you want to use it as a hard wired camera. You can connect RJ 45 directly to you Router. But if you have to run a wire, than you do not need the wireless component.

Software is not too bad, but camera sometimes loses its network settings and you will need to re-set it again.

Lorex Edge LH328501C4T22B 8-Channel DVR and 21.5-Inch Touch Screen Monitor with Internet, 3G Mobile

The first unit failed within a few days. I thought it was just a fluke so I ordered another one and it failed within minutes. My suggestion is: If you buy this, set it all up on a table and let it run for a week or two before you go to the trouble of running cables and installing cameras.

I have another Lorex security system that works fine, which is why I bought this one. I just wanted to upgrade to the higher capacity touch screen.

Bought this system plus wireless cameras and it was awful. Wireless range was terrible, and half the wired cameras malfunctioned, no pic or sound. The lcd screen constantly froze. And to beat all when we had incident to show police, the memory wouldn't let us have it. Lost forever. Thanks a lot lorex....

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Take away the touch screen aspect. Works perfect. If I didn't know it had a touch screen, I'd be real happy. However, the touch screen works only when it wants to, which isn't often. Both the monitor and the dvr have been replaced. Lorex can't figure it out.

The installer from InstallerNet can't figure it out. Then again, he mentioned it was just his 3rd install job of this system and complained he only got half of the $1,602 I paid to InstallNet to get him.

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Sony Alpha ECM-SST1 Stereo Microphone with 3 Filter Set + Cleaning Kit for 3, 5, NEX-F3, NEX-C3, NE

Great price for the kit you get...the microphone works wonderful and I do use the filters. The rest of the accessories really aren't necessary for me though. I know the microphone alone is around $100 on Sony's website.

Canon PowerShot A70 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

this camera is perfect for people who are starting off their digital camera career. it will work as a point and shoot but this is a camera you can hone your creativity on. when you're ready to experiment, the A70 provides a high degree of manual control for a camera at this price point.

pros:

very nice resolution

3x optical zoom lens

amazing manual control for the price: manual focus, selectable ISO sensitivity, and exposure (aperture priority, shutter priority, or manual)

good metering and good tonal balance maintains shadow detail

good natural light white balance, strong and balanced colours

AF assist lamp helps auto-focus for low light situations

nice layout of controls and easy to understand

very nice build quality feels more expensive than what its price would suggest

bright, detailed LCD monitor

good shot-to-shot times, quick start-up time too

movie clip mode up to 3 minutes

low noise at ISO 50 (keep in mind that ISO 50 for this camera is actually ISO 100 for everyone else; likewise, ISO 100 is in reality closer to ISO 200, etc)

impressive battery life plus it uses non-proprietary AAs (but i'd recommend buying rechargeables)

excellent value no one else offers this feature set at this price level

cons:

slight chromatic aberrations visible

AF Assist lamp doesn't have enough power at telephoto zoom

moderately underexposed flash shots

RAW format not supported

no histogram available useful to see if photos have correct exposure

distracting mirror finish frame surrounds the LCD monitor

competition is lighter and smaller, but also does not give the same amount of manual control

the supplied 16MB CF card is not adequate be ready to shell out more $$ for more memory

i was surprised by this camera. at its price point, it has the most features among cameras available today. this camera will work well with beginners (but who'll want to spread their "creative" wings later) but will not disappoint more advanced photographers on a budget. definitely a camera to add to your short list.

This is my first digital camera purchase, so I did a lot of research to find the best camera for [the price]. I can say with certainty that this camera fits the bill! It is 3.2 Megapixels, which some may not feel is enough, but unless you are going to print out photos larger than 8x10 I don't see any reason you would need a higher resolution. In fact, most of the pictures we take aren't even at the highest resolution possible.

The 16MB CompactFlash card that comes with this camera is way too small. Look at getting at the very least a 128 MB card, or even a 256MB or 512MB card.

I don't have any complaints about this camera. In dark situations, the LCD becomes very grainy, but the pictures you take look great. Red eye reduction works wonders as I have yet to see any red eyes from pictures I've taken. In the sun, the LCD similarly gets sun circles, but those are not apparent in the final image when you take a picture. The shiny chrome finish around the LCD is a little hard to deal with in the sun, but it's easy enough to get used to.

I highly recommend this camera. It's geared toward the point-and-shoot consumer, but it has settings and the ability to add attachments for the more avid photographer.

Buy Canon PowerShot A70 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom Now

This camera has features that are absolutely unheard of in its price range. It has full auto controls, full manual controls (i.e. Shutter-speed priority, Aperture priority, and manual focus), as well as a dozen or so photo effects. They use the same DIGIC processor and AiAF system (5-point) as higher end models, so pictures come out very crisp and clear. Night shots are great as well, thanks to the AF-assist lamp, which is not a standard in other brands. One minor problem with night pictures is the red-eye effect, even with the red-eye reduction mode. This is somewhat expected, seeing how close together the lens and the flash is. However, this can be easily corrected with the included software package.

Another deciding factor for me is their use of standard AA batteries instead of a proprietary battery pack, which can be fairly expensive. In a cram, I can just run to the store and grab batteries off a shelf, or have another set of NiMH rechargeables handy. I also love the body size. I was considering buying a Canon S230, which is one of the smallest digicams out there. However, the ELPH series do not have any manual controls, the flash is weak, has a lower power zoom (2x as oppose to 3x), and they use a proprietary battery pack. The A70 is only slightly large than the ELPH. I actually like the size and the right hand grip on the A70, which gives you better control and balance of the camera.

The A70 is a very quick camera. It takes about 2.5 seconds for the camera to power up and be ready to go. Focus takes about a second, and you only have to wait about 1.5 seconds in between pictures. In playback mode, it takes a little bit over a second to go between pictures in high res mode. There is a lot of information displayed for each picture, with the exception of a histogram. However, once the pictures are downloaded to the computer, you will have access to the histogram.

Other bonuses that I like about the A70 is the Stitch Assistant mode, which helps you make great panoramic shots. It also has a video capture mode (up to 3 min) as well as audio memos that you can add to each picture taken. This camera also supports some direct printing to some printers.

All in all, this is a great camera for a great price! The pictures turn out great, even for a novice. And for the adventurous, there are plenty of manual controls to play with. There is no other camera in this price range that has all these features, combined with the great optics known for in Canon cameras.

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I received my Canon A70 about a week ago in the mail. This is my second digital cameramy first being an old Olympus D360-L point and shooter. Thus far, I love my new camera! I can go on and on about it, but I'll try to summarize what I like and don't quite like about it.

Likes

1. Lots of manual controls shutter speed, real manual focus, white balance

2. Great pre-sets these let me take great pictures for certain pre-set environments (fast action, portrait, panoramic, slow shutter, etc...) Easily accessible on dial at the top of camera

3. Nice size not too small and light, so my twitchy hands don't mess it up too much, but not bulky like some of the other cameras with manual controls

4. Battery life I still have not run out of a charge, during a day or two's use. (Note: I use 1600 mA LiMH batteries and charge them after every day or two)

5. Sharp screen hi-resolution screen, though not terribly bright in direct sunlight

6. Great looking pictures!

7. Video mode, with sound up to 640x480 for 30 secs, and lower resolutions for much longer.

8. Looks great!

9. Able to fit additional lenses as well as waterproof housing (Not that I'm planning on getting these yet, but its nice to know I have the choice to!)

Not Likes:

1. Takes a bit of time for the zoom lens to extend when turning the camera on.

2. Plastic tripod mount

I've printed my cropped 8x10" photos out on my Canon S600 printer on glossy paper and they look awesome!

Anyways, I really like this thing a lot, so I heartily recommend this to people who are looking for a point-and-shoot, as well as those who are trying to learn to dabble a little bit more with their camera's manual controls (like myself!)

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Besides the Canon name, the first thing that draws me to this camera is the way it fits in the hand with its right-hand grip, and its just-right size...not wafer thin, but not bulky, either. I've had the camera since August, and I'm going to start with its few problems, and then list all the things I like about it:

Problem 1: Maybe it's just this particular camera, but sometimes the macro lens just does not want to focus on the closeup object. I have had to turn the camera off and on a few times to get the macro to work. You know it's working when a little frame appears to show you what it's focusing on. It has a very hard time finding the object if it is similar to the background color. I discovered that sometimes the focus frame doesn't appear just because I'm trying to take the picture from too close, so I have to back it up a bit. Because I use the macro lens a lot for photographing items that I sell, it is not the absolute best for macro photography, but I have been able to get some spectacular photos with it, especially if I do some detailing in Photoshop Elements.

Problem 2: Bright red and blue come out too intense, and I often have to tone them down in Photoshop.

Problem 3: Screen hard to see in sunlight.

That's all for the problems!

Positives: Can take about 300 photos on rechargeable batteries. It has a lens cover that opens and closes automatically when you turn the camera on or off (NO CAP!) The buttons are placed in easy-to-find places and work easily. They are not itsy-bitsy so I don't accidentally hit the wrong one. No toggle buttons! It's easy to figure out how to do some photography besides just point and shoot. With a little time reading the manual, I learned how to turn off the automatic button, and take pictures on the manual switch, adjusting the amount of light allowed in the lens...easy. Crisp, clear photos. Takes short movies with sound. Sturdy, reliable, and once again... feels just right in the hands. I am not a professional photographer, but have found it a great, inexpensive digital camera to use in my business, and the photos sell my products! Great price for what you get!

Swann Alpha D02C5 SWA43-D2C5 4 Channel H.264 DVR and 4 CCD Weather Resistant Cameras

My husband and I got this security system to protect our home, workshop and barn. Packaging was good, instruction manual and quick start guide were easy to use. Everything we needed to install was in the box including mounting brackets, screws, mouse, remote control, etc.which I appreciate. We had no problem getting the cameras up and running and viewing them on my computer. Picture is really clear-color by day and black and white on the night vision mode. It works by motion detection so hard drive space lasts a long time and it automatically records over when full-30 days and counting of space so far. I had some questions about viewing it on my iPhone so I called Swann Customer service (1-800-627-2799) and I gave her permission to use logmein and take over my desktop and she set up the whole thing remotely while I sat back and watched-cool! Really nice people at Swann California office. I called once after hours to ask about viewing my security system with a Blackberry (yes you can)-and I got to speak with someone at their home office in Australia-they were very cool. Overall very good product and great customer service. I'm ordering another one to put up at my mother's house to help her feel more secure in her home. We saved more than enough installing our own system myself to pay for hers.

These have given us new piece of mind with our security at our business. It was easy to set these units up, and they were operational right out of the box. Quality construction and visibility even at night is very good. We are able to easily view over the internet, and keep recordings on the DVR.

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RESEARCHED MANY SYSTEMS BEFORE BUYING. THIS UNIT OFFERS FULL FLEXIBILITY. AND I WOULD BUY IT AGAIN, SET IT AND FORGET IT. EXTREMELY EASY TO SET UP AND USE. VERY GOOD DEAL. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

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before purchasing this product, I did a LOT of research. the resolution on these cameras is not as good as I was expecting, but then again, it was $500 (or thereabouts) and you get 4 cameras, the DVR and the cables, so it's a pretty good deal. this system is pretty easy to hook up and get running. getting the system hooked up to my home network and available to watch cameras over the network was a little more of a task. I probably couldve called tech support and got it really quick, but I like to figure it out myself, and I did.

the app. in the itunes store that they recommend did not work however, but not a big deal, I eventually found an app from another company that works great with the system. I can't watch the cameras from my phone unless i'm connected to my home network, but I think I just need to spend some more time figuring it out.

also, it's a nice feature to be able to set the motion detection so that a moving tree branch won't set off the record feature, but it's really touchy, even on the lowest setting, and the system ends up recording even the most minor of movements, but again, probably some tweaking needed on my part.

overall, pretty good system.

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The purpose to having one of these is having the ability to play a recording back. Good luck with that. If that's not enough, maby all the freezups will change your mind. What a piece of crap.

Camax 5.6" 1280*800 Pro HD Field DSLR Camera monitor HDMI, CVBS with Peaking

The Camax 5.6" external HDMI Monitor work very well with my Nikon Cameras.

I have it attached to my TriPod leg so that I can view my Videos while shooting 360 degrees

The 1280x800 display is better sharpness than the Camera LCD and it also has focus peaking.

Basic monitor. No battery nor power supply. 7-24 volt DC power supply I had in the basement. Will take some cam corder batteries. Good price point. Picture quality acceptable.

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Datacolor DC S3P100 Spyder 3 Pro

I've used three other monitor calibrators and in my opinion this is a mid grade product. This item is superior to the Huey Pro since it's able to calibrate hybrid backlit monitors like the Dell Ultrasharp 2408wfp but the ultimate downfall of this product is that it does not measure luminance.

I was able to accurately calibrate color but the brightness of the monitor was blinding even when I set my brightness to ZERO, luminance level was measured at 320 cd/m2. I had to returned this item to purchase a X-rite Eye One Display Two since the calibration tool and software is similar to that of the Lacie Blue eye pro but more importantly it measures luminance for accuracy. With the Eye one display two I was able to calibrate my dell 2408wfp luminance to a comfortable 120 cd/m2 and still maintain superior color accuracy and good contrast.

If you don't have problems with brightness and just need color accurate calibration then this item is for you. But if you spend long hours in front of overly bright LCD monitors and need color accuracy without fatiguing or damaging your eyes then consider the Eye One Display or even Lacie Blue eye.

This review won't compare this colorimeter to other brands/models. However, the capabilities of the Spyder3Pro where exactly what I was looking for, and I detail some of the results.

I bought this item after shooting my first wedding. I had noticed that previously, all of my photos had to have some additional correction to get anywhere close to what I had on screen when sending them to print, and even that was a crap shoot.

This little gem has completely fixed the issue. True, there is a *slight* variation from printer to printer (as I didn't buy the elite package that profiles your printers too), but it's not noticeable to most people.

Down to details:

* It's very nice to be able to set multiple monitors in multiple locations and know that the profiles you have will definitely work. I can match up computer LCD displays, CRT televisions (or monitors), or even wide-screen plasmas and projectors to become color corrected.

* The ambient light sensing ability is another big plus since I take my photo editing with me to multiple locations on my laptop. This is important if you're switching from working in daylight to fluorescent to incandescent light. There can also be issues when you're working in a space where bright light is being reflected off of colored walls or some other surface and can effect the color cast in which you're viewing your work. Odds are, if you care enough to be considering one of these, then you'll care about these issues.

* Since I've had my laptop for almost 4 years, you can bet that the screen's LCD had changed in hue. After correction, it was ridiculously better. Now, not only does photo output look better, but working in other types of applications is actually a little exciting with such vibrant colors that I hadn't seen in years, if ever. Before, I thought it was simply the glossy screens my friends had on their newer laptops that made them look better (I'd never get oneglare is too annoying). Now I know it was simply the color profile.

* This Spyder is much smaller than my friend's Spyder 2, and still produces the same or better results. It even includes a stand (with threads on the bottom for mounting) to sit on your desk or wherever to let you know if lighting conditions change enough to warrant a different or new color profile. The unit comes with a rather lengthy USB cablegood for desktop usersand slide-able counterweight. Both worked like a charm for me. I only wish they gave you a case to protect it inside your bag.

Some system specific anecdotes:

* Profiles can be custom named (of course) under Mac OS and will show up in the Display->Color pane of the System Preferences app in Mac OS X. Just make sure that you don't have "Show profiles for this display only." checked if you want to see your new, custom profiles.

* While the new profile for my laptop screen made a DRASTIC difference in the look of the rest of the system, Aperture seem to adjust much less. This is probably due to the associated RAW processor accounting for display settings when throwing up previews. That being said, I noticed a much larger shift when working with flattened or RAW images in Photoshop. Lesson learned: when using Mac OS, Aperture does a much better job account for display aging/profile shift.

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I don't know what some of these reviews are saying... I just received mine today and it works great! I do also have the huey, and that works ok, but the Spyder3 does a much better job and the colors look more vibrant and photos look the way you want them to when you print them.

Also I have a new iMac with a CRT on the side so i have two monitors. They are both easy to calibrate with the new updated software on the website.

Go ahead and splurge.....!!!!!!

Read Best Reviews of Datacolor DC S3P100 Spyder 3 Pro Here

Product worked great. I can't believe the difference. The lack of documentation was somewhat annoying though. Also I would advise to download the updated setup program from their website instead of using the one on the provided disk.

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I researched up and down this product the Spyer 3 Pro and iOne Display and after reading endless comparisons detailing the pros and cons, I chose the Spyer3Pro. I read EVERYTHING for three weeks. It seemed to me that the big difference was the help and the easy easy walk thru that you get with teh Spyder, where I heard that the iOne display really comes with nothing to help you out or help you make your choices as you go. I really wanted that help. It was so easy to use and it brought my Imac 20" monitor right in balance, even though it hadn't been out so far.These mac monitors can be really really bright, so right befor ethe adjustment, I drop my brightness down to a little below half way and then begin the calibration. Remember to turn off all screen savers that might pop on and to do it in a dark room without the lights on. I am very very pleased. I did not experience any of the greenish hue that some users did.I have heard of that but read that support will help you and that you would do a reinstall or they would link you with the latest version of updates. Mostly I heard it happening on ibooks. This seems rare from what I read.

I just did a print job with a Giclee printer online and I had the ICC # for the paper he was using to print my work. When I proofed that profile in PS it was EXACTLY what I got from them a week later and exact match. all I needed was to know what color space to save my artwork in, and know what ICC profile to proof against and I was all set. The printer I used also had recommended the Spyder Pro or the Elite and said they liked how consistent and easy it was and they had switched from using the iOne display a while back. No regrets! You will get a good calibration ay a fair price with a details help menu and support. The support I contacted a day before calibration, sent me the latest install software for mac OSX.6.4. I just installed the one from the box, then went online to the link the support sent me, entered my serial number and added the most recent install software to my HD. EASY! A good buy! Better more accurate color without a doubt.

Canon PowerShot ELPH 115 16MP Digital Camera (Blue)

I bought this just to have a point & shoot still camera for my vacation. I bought it because it was bright blue & uses the type of card I liked. It worked fine. Didn't think too much one way or the other. (I couldn't figure out all the settings, but I didn't try too long either)

My friends & I decided to make a video & I said I'll bring my camera and act as the VJ (I'm camera shy). I had no idea how good the picture was until I transferred it to my computer. I was literally shocked.

I'm so happy I bought this camera.

This is the second Canon PowerShot I have purchased. The qualify of the photos is superior, the zoom capability is amazing, and the convenient size enables it to fit into purse, pocket or palm. A great little camera!

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Here is an example of the video quality of this camera. It does really well with light, but not so well in darkness. If you want to make a video in a dark setting, it is a good idea to go out and get an LED flash light, or find a way to get some light on the subject. Both Amazon and Ebay sell the LED lighting camera accessory. Also, in order to remove the sound from the video, I ran it through Microsoft's movie maker. Movie Maker can edit videos in HD also, and it's free from Windows. However, that would only be the Windows 7 and 8 editions.

Read Best Reviews of Canon PowerShot ELPH 115 16MP Digital Camera (Blue) Here

I really like the size of this camera. it fits easily into my pocket. The zoom has a good digital extension for usae on bright sunny days. The quality of the photos is good but not as good as the larger, PowerShot SX260HS. I got it because of it's easy portability.

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Great Camera. I love the size and the quality of the pictures. Its good to take anywhere easy fit in your purse.

Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 18-135mm EF-S IS STM Lens

I had this long awesome review and Amazon lost it of course. So here goes a second try.

This is my second Canon camera. Previously I have owned Olympus and Minolta cameras. I owned a t2i before this and used a t3i for weeks for testing purposes. I will try to cover most aspects of the new features and image quality. For testing purposes I used a Canon 17-40L lens.

Look and Feel:

Not much to say here for the look of the camera. Looks almost the exact same as the t2i, t3i. The battery grip and accessories all fit the same. One thing that is different from the t2i is the proximity sensor. On the t2i it was below the optical viewfinder and above the screen. On the t4i it is above the optical viewfinder. I use an eyecup(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003Y06336)and it used to make the screen shut off on its own regularly on the t2i. This is a non issue for the t4i. There is also an added dedicated movie button in the power switch now.

Feel is a little different. The t4i feels more sturdy than the previous two rebels. The buttons are more solid and the selector wheels are improved. The adjustment wheel has better clicks and don't feel like you could easily flick it and change a setting by accident. The mode selector wheel is sturdier as well. I notice this because my t2i used to regularly switch to A-DEP mode when I would pull the camera out of my bag and I would get upset if I missed a quick shot because of it. I feel this will be a non issue with the new model. One issue I have is using my eyecup mentioned previously. The flippy screen catches on this and is just a slight annoyance but not a huge deal in the grand scheme. The rebel series always felt a bit small in the hand for me so I now use a battery grip which adds weight and substance to the camera.

Touchscreen:

When I saw rumors that the t4i would have a touchscreen I first said I wouldn't buy it. I figured this would be a gimmick and offer limited functionality. Then when i saw the press release and videos from Canon I changed my mind. I was sceptic of a couple things I will address here. I will start with the touch to adjust. Right now I feel kind of wonky using the touchscreen to make most adjustments to shooting in manual mode which is all i shoot in. But I consider this like moving from a blackberry to an iPhone. You are used to using buttons and the keyboard for so long you are lost on the touchscreen at first, but with time it ends up faster and easier. So in time it will end up faster for me to adjust by touch I am sure. It is in two spots already. ISO adjusting always seemed kind of odd to me on the rebel. The ISO button was placed so you had to kind of search for it and then do a three button combo to set it. On the touchscreen I find this easier. A couple taps and its done. The other major place it's easier for me is AEB. Bracketing on Canon is typically a pain. Hit menu, find the exposure selector, hit OK. Slide the wheel, hit OK again then press menu. On touchscreen you just press the exposure and tap a couple times to set the bracket.

Touch to focus was something that I didn't see coming from Canon. When they announced it my thought was it would be OK but nothing great. I figured it would be where you would touch on one of the 9 AF points you would like the camera to use. But thanks to the hybrid CMOS on the camera, it is truly a touch to focus. No matter where in the frame you press the camera will seek out and quickly focus on that area. This function works much better than I anticipated and I may use it in the future. At first I figured this would be a selling point for soccer moms but I was incorrect. I have not used the face detection follow focus to comment on it yet.

Image Quality:

This is the most important thing in the end when you buy any camera. How will my images look? The t4i does not disappoint. Thanks to improvements in the processor, focus, sensor and noise reduction software the t4i simply crushes the previous rebel cameras. We can start with the White balance. On the previous rebels and even the 60d, white balance was not so great. A yellow or tan-ish hue was almost always present and reds were soft. Canon has addressed this issue and images are clear and cary a nice contrast throughout the image. Auto focus I have touched on. Moving from 1 to 9 cross type AF points and a new added contrast detection sensor for AF makes a world of difference. Focus is fast and true and doesn't waste time seeking as much as before. In live view mode in low light, the digic4 and old sensors were pretty bad. A lot of seeking and misplaced focal areas. This is greatly improved with this model. Because of these reasons if you shoot in auto focus or any auto mode on the camera your images will turn out better.

Low Light/High ISO:

When the digic 5 was announced Canon touted this as being able to provide up to 75% better image quality over the digic 4. Of course I didn't buy into this because it's Canon and they were there to sell you. With the t4i Canon added the digic 5 as well as some new noise reduction software to boot. How did it make out? I tested these things against a Canon 60D. Same lens, same settings. In RAW at ISO 6400 the image quality looked at least twice as good over the 60D in terms of noise. At 12800 its laughable. That being said, on my t2i I would not use an image over ISO 1600 to print or display or sell. On the t4i I would gladly use ISO 3200 and at times 6400. Auto focus is so much improved at high ISO and low light that it's one of the first things you notice when comparing the camera to the 60D.

Battery life: Have not used it a full day to test yet. I imagine if you use full time AF it will go down slightly from the previous models.

Other Additions:

Scene Intelligent Auto....Used for one shot. Seemed to be OK but I am a manual shooter. I am sure this would work well for most beginners.

Handheld Night Scene....This takes 4 quick shots in a row and then in the camera combines them to reduce shake and noise. At 6400 ISO the image did result in less noise over standard shooting in RAW. This mode can only be done in JPG. I can see it being very good indoors at functions or for quick night shots outside.

HDR Backlight Control....This will do in camera HDR. It takes three shots of various exposure and combines them to improve highlight and shadow detail.This worked well and didn't produce too much noise in low light. It does not produce an image that people now days think of in HDR with blown out tones and surreal feeling to it. It is more traditional in where it just makes shadows appear less and corrects some blowing out by brighter lights in a frame. Works well for what its supposed to be. Also only available in JPG

Autofocus during video...Worked well and somewhat fast with my 17-40. Still allowed some noise from the lens searching for focus, but I wasn't using one of the STM lenses designed for this function.

EDIT: Since my initial review I have had a chance to test video with an STM lens and try out the face follow focus. The STM lens does improve focus speed quite a bit in video and is much quieter. There is still a little noise but may be something you don't notice depending on the scene you are shooting. Face follow focus works better than I thought it would. It can actually focus on an object as well as just faces. It follows through the frame very well and precise even in low light. It's nto super fast to focus but still works well.

PROS:

Outstanding Image Quality. Even at higher ISO

Touchscreen

Ease Of Use

5 Frames Per Second Shooting

Auto Focus

CONS:

Built in stereo mic is kind of pointless unless you use an STM lens. Maybe even then.

The bezel around the touchscreen is uneven, but that has nothing to do with function. It's just poor design.

Learning curve on the touchscreen

Feature guide...It makes touchscreen control unbearable. Just disable it as soon as you turn the camera on and save yourself the frustration of being told why you need to change ISO every time you touch the button for it.

FINAL WORD:

If you were holding back or looking for a reason to upgrade your digic 4 based camera this is the one you are looking for. Compared to the t2i/t3i/60D this camera will offer you better image quality, focus, low light performance and ease of use. Yes the 60D is an "upgrade" over the rebel line but as of now, you'd only gain size, weight and one stop of shutter speed over the t4i with the 60D. With the t4i you'd gain better images, video, high ISO performance, touchscreen, shutter lag and a few other things. This camera offers many new technologies and additions from Canon that aren't seen on any other camera in their line up. If you are a beginner or someone with a previous rebel looking for a nice camera you will find this camera to offer many things that you will enjoy in a first camera or an upgrade. This camera can make your photos better by taking the same photos as you would have with the previous models just with the improvements and that is what you should look for. The t3i was a small upgrade form the t2i and Canon has made up for it with this rebel.

If you do own or buy this camera join the flickr group we have made. It can be found at Flickr /groups/canont4i/

I've only had my T3i for about 8 months when this came out but I read the details and decided to pre-order. The new T4i just arrived today (body only) and I've been playing around with it all afternoon using my 50mm 1.4 lens.

All I can say so far is WOW I'm very impressed with the upgraded autofocus, the touchscreen, as well as the new focus selection methods. There is a LOT less delay when you move the camera and what you see on the screen in Live Mode. Live Mode is MUCH "snappier" feeling. When you turned on the T3i in Live Mode, it would have a little rectangle you could move around the screen to make sure the camera was focusing on what you wanted. But with the T4i, this system is much more versatile. You can tap the screen to instantly set a focus point, or you can move the little box around (which is much smaller and more precise now and it will also FOLLOW your focus point when you move the camera around!), or you can allow for a more "general focus" by getting rid of the little box and letting the camera choose how it wants to focus, similar to how it works when using only the viewfinder to take photos. When you do the "general focus", a bunch of little boxes appear on the screen letting you know exactly which parts of the photo are in sharp focus the T3i did not do this and only relied on the positioning of the focus box.

The continuous autofocus during video worked very well on my 50mm 1.4 lens sure, the focus motor was a little noisy, but if you're taking scenic shots or something where you'll be replacing the audio with music anyway, motor noise is a non-issue. If you're doing interviews where the person is talking into a lav mic, it still won't be an issue because the lav mic will be too far away to pick up the motor noise. Motor noise is only an issue if you're using the built in mic, which I would regard as an "emergency only" mic anyway.

So all this means that you do NOT need an STM lens to use continuous autofocus the main purpose of the STM technology as I understand it is to make autofocus FASTER and QUIET. Video autofocus with my 50mm 1.4 is what I would call "fast enough" meaning, it is a bit slow compared to a camcorder (and noticeable on-screen), but not so slow that it should distract my viewers from the content too much. The only time continuous autofocus won't serve you very well is in dark rooms where it can't lock on to anything very quickly. My 50mm 1.4 lens hunted for focus in very dark areas so in situations like that I would manual focus.

Video is excellent quality as always. If you're used to the T3i video, this is just as stellar and tends to make people and scenes look better than they do in real life (when using the 50mm 1.4 at least) They've moved the video mode to be part of the on/off switch instead of on the mode dial which is where it was on the T3i. This allows you to pick a mode on the dial and then turn on video straight from there and make use of those settings. So you can do full auto exposure video, full manual exposure video, or Program Mode video very easily.

I also love the increased ISO to 12800 and the ability for the camera to take multiple exposures and combine them to help eliminate noise and camera shake. This works very well for my purposes. It's a small thing but something I've not noticed anyone else talking about is how much BETTER the shutter sounds. Somehow it's more satisfying and reminds me of the more expensive cameras.

HDR Mode: I've uploaded some of this camera's HDR photos to the image section on this page so you can see how well it did combining 3 photos at 3 different exposures the T4i can do this in camera with no software needed. It takes 3 quick photos and processes them for a few seconds and then the result is the image you see. The 3 originals do not get saved. To save them, you would have to use manual exposure bracketing which this camera does quite well. When using HDR mode, you only have to worry about getting proper focus and then everything else is taken care of for you. Some of the images can come out looking a little weird, but if you take 2 or 3 different versions at different focal points, you should get at least one that looks very nice and detailed with lighting that doesn't look too cartoony. One thing that surprised me was how, in one of my photos, a car unexpectedly entered the scene while it was taking the 3 shots. The resulting image had NO car at all. Pretty cool.

CONS: So far, the only thing I DON'T like about the cam are the buttons somehow they feel cheaper and more fragile than on the T3i. I'll update this if I discover anything else not up to par.

Overall, I love the camera and am very happy with my upgrade over the T3i. I'm really looking forward to seeing what the new STM lenses can do.

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You're thinking of getting the t4i, reading the reviews, comparing it to the t3i and countless others and pulling your hair out at all the pros and cons? Am I close? I'm a photographer and have used this, the t3i and its sony equivalent. I might be able to help. Here's hoping :) Let me start with an anecdote, (you've read enough technical jargon for now so consider this a breather)

I film eagles on the isle of Mull in the Scottish hebrides and the landlady I stay with was telling me about this other photographer who visits her little cottage (it's beautiful by the way, you should visit if you get the chance). So anyway, she is cooking tea , as she does if you ask her nicely. While it's cooking he shows her one of his photos, probably of a sea eagle catching a fish. Everyone wants to photograph one of those even though its on every other postcard in Scotland. Next to a highland cow looking over a gate its the top photo/cliche to get.. Anyhoo, she looks at the photo and says "wow that's great...you must have a brilliant camera" .

So they sit down for supper a bit later and its delicious, she is a great cook. He says "This is lovely...you must have some great saucepans!" boom boom.

But herein lies the real point of this camera. You know its the person behind the camera that takes the pictures but do you really know it? This and the t3i take pictures so good (if you have the skill) you could blow it up the size of front door but are you going to want to. The thing no sellers want to tell you is that for years, maybe 5 , all of the big names have been making great dslr. Since the nikon d40 perhaps. But you really want to know, if you bought this, would you be happy or buying a pup. Be reassured that neither canon, nikon or sony make chocolate teapots. They know how to make a great camera and this is one. It's biggest difference as you will have read ad nauseum , is the touch screen. is it worth it. It is if you like touch screens (I do). That's not flippant, it's how it is.

So the photos will be great and its a great camera, you've read other reviews so I won't duplicate what you have already read but one thing you may not have read is about the video. All the makers have got dslr right. No pups in sight, but video is a relatively new feature and Sony have tbh been leading the way. This camera sets to rectify that by having autofocus. A lot of places on the net, say it's not needed, you should be using manual focus. Nonsense. Manual focus is ok at times but can be a pain. Filming your dog on the beach for example..The autofocus on the t4i is actually pretty good. Not as good as a camcorder but pretty good. The slowest part is for it to get going. But when it's locked on its sound. Well worth having. So thats sorted right..err no, not really. This is the 650d 's killer feature. Trouble is, they left out the killer feature on the 600d. The 3x zoom with "no loss in quality". So here is the choice if you are buying this for video.

if you want you're 300mm zoom to be able to zoom to 900mm for filming sport or wildlife. It's the t3i for you.

If you love the idea of autofocus (or hate the idea of doing it the old fashioned way) its the t4i for you.

In my opinion if you're considering the other makes like Sony, it comes down to who makes the the lens you are likely to want. I know I have focused (blabbed on) about video but hey, there has been thousands of photo reviews already about iso , shutter speed etc etc. Nothing for me to add there!

So if you are considering using it for video here are a few "must have" things you will need to go with it.

Velbon DV7000 3-Section Ultra Heavy Duty Tripod with Geared Center Column, 2-Way Fluid Head and QB-6RL Quick Shoe, Max Height 64-inch, Supports 9.9 lbs

58mm HMC Ultraviolet UV(C) Haze Multicoated Filter Doesn't have to be this particular one but hey..

Oh and the one that should have gone top of my list

Make better videos with your dslr or camcorder (gives details of the counter intuitive settings that actually work best :) )

So now I have spent ten minutes typing away, telling you how I like the t4i for video (I do) do me a little favour and click that you find this helpful. Unless you don't. Either way you will enjoy this camera but do consider the little brother the t3i also. We live in good times to take photos as there are so many great cameras and this is definitely one of them. One more thing I forgot to mention (and yes it is regarding the video) is that to get great video you need to use the right settings in the menu. Unfortunately these are counter intuitive and if you don't use them you may be under whelmed. If anyone wants them, comment and I will try to post a link

Read Best Reviews of Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 18-135mm EF-S IS STM Lens Here

I have the T3i and absolutely love the camera. Its feature packed and has incredible image quality. I recently purchased the T4i (body only) and was thoroughly impressed with the first press of the shutter!

Cross Type Focal Points:

Not only is the shutter quieter and faster than the T3i's, the enhanced cross type focusing on all points combined with the new image sensor is WAY FASTER and MORE ACCURATE than the already good but not great T3i. I rarely use the outer focal points on the T3i because the focusing is slow and unreliable, its always been center point or manual focus for me. Not so on the T4i! Super fast focusing on all points and great image quality!

Touch Screen:

Excellent addition to any DSLR and it works wonderfully! Everything you can do from the Main Menu button on the T3i and the Quick Menu button can be done through the Touchscreen's interface on the T4i. EVERYTHING!

Constant Auto Focus:

I tested this feature with my existing lenses and yes, you do notice the hunting and hear the autofocus motor (which will vary from lens to lens) but I have not tested it with the new 4omm or the new 18-135 STM lenses, yet.

Custom White Balance:

I believe this is new or I just never used it on my T3i. A very nice grid displays from the Quick Menu that allows you to set a custom white balance. No, this is not just selecting AWB from the white balance options, thats still available but the custom piece appears to be a new feature. (I could very well be wrong about that one)

The ADEP option has been removed from the dial. I rarely used it but it was nice having the foreground and background in focus option available in the 'manual' region of the dial.

UPDATED/CORRECTED INFO:

Earlier I made a correction regarding the lack of digital zoom. Well, the final correction to my previous correction is this, there is in fact no digital zoom. At least none I can find that is recordable while in video mode. You are still able to zoom in and essentially magnify a selected area but when you begin your recording the cropped or zoomed area goes away and your standard focal length will be recorded.

The viewfinder has a slight amber color as opposed to the bluish hue on the T3i. I can't say I see if this is a benefit or not but its worthy of mentioning for those doing research.

A friend asked me how much I think the T4i is better than the T3i. The only answer I had was this, "I was considering getting a 60D to take advantage of the faster shutter and better focusing (9 point cross type). Seeing how well those improvements on the T4i work, I forgot all about the 60D!" I know the 60D is better built and has a better/larger viewfinder but for my money, the T4i fit the bill!

These are things I've found to be improvements and overall nice features about the T4i but you should do as much research as possible. DPreview . com is an excellent site for camera gear information but the last time I checked they did not have a hands on review, only some canned information from Canon. Another great, I MEAN GREAT site is The-Digital-Picture . com. Again, too new for a review to be there but I encourage you to go there, absorb and be a well informed consumer and a better photographer!

Now I wonder if that 70D rumor is true.....

Want Canon EOS Rebel T4i 18.0 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 18-135mm EF-S IS STM Lens Discount?

I upgraded from Canon T1i to Canon T4i. Having this T4i camera for 3 days and taking more than 1,000 pictures in different modes and environments, I want to write a few words for other fellows.

The main reasons for my upgrade are: 1) 9 cross-type focusing points; 2) Faster shooting burst rate; 3) Continuous video focusing; 4) Touch screen (very useful features). The picture quality is from very good to excellent. Color tone is realistic. Pictures from T4i camera look better than pictures from T1i camera in term of white balance and sharpness (probably from the benefits of 9 cross-type focus points). It is definitely more snappy in sport mode, focusing is fast and burst rate is good. I do like the continuous focusing feature in the video mode because of the convenience. It takes between 1 2 second to focus to new scene and you can hear the focusing noise from the lense. Definitely, there are rooms for improvement (faster focusing and reduce the motor noise during focusing) in video feature. I don't have the new Canon STM lense, so I don't know if it is quite or not.

This camera is good enough as an entry level and for people who to upgrade from their point-and-shoot cameras.

Link to some sample pictures that I took with my Canon T4i camera (go to flickr.com and search under tags only for henrynnguyen). I uploaded the orginal picture size (3456x5184 pixels), but the flickr.com reduced the picture size to 1365x2048 pixels. Hopefully that you still have a sense of how the picture quality look. Most of my pictures were taken in raw format, then converted to jpeg format using Canon provided software. The lenses that I used were Canon 50mm F1.4 USM and Canon 28-70mm F2.8 L series. The memory card is ScanDisk 32GB, UHS-1 rated. The Canon T4i camera performs as advertised by Canon. My main interests are accurate and fast focusing with high burst rate (who is not???). Overall, this is a very good entry dSLR camera. So, I am happy with the product and intend to keep it.

Fujifilm Finepix Z5fd 6.3MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Chocolate Brown)

It has a very cool feature: the face recognition, it works very nicely. I have been toying with it just for fun and the camera recognizes most of the faces as long as they are fully facing the camera or not looking away more than 50% to the sides. It's a very cool feature and it does it's best job in focusing and color compensating to make the faces look better.

The camera is very slim and fits nicely in any of my pockets. To turn it on you just slide the cover to the side and are ready to shoot. Plenty of manual settings and some buttons to get to specific functions.

With a 2Gb memory card I get almost 30min of video at VGA resolution, more than enought to get the funny little videos and show panoramic views of a place.

Another cool feature is the "normal & flash" option, which takes one picture with ambient light and immediately another with flash, so you can be sure to get a good picture at least.

I'm very happy with this camera.

Only low grade I can give is the lack of an optical viewfinder, I find that the large LCD display is not very useful on harsh daylight (as I'm used to reflex cameras) and I don't like to hold the camera so far away from my body because of the instability that causes. It would be nicer to hold the camera against my face to provide support.

--------------

Additions after reading the above reviews:

All true complaints of the reviewers, but there are some solutions.

Set the auto switch off to 2 minutes, even if the camera is turned on in your pocket (it does when you slide it into the pocket due to the direction of the opening motion).

Battery, at my pace, the battery won't last a full day, so I bought a backup battery, very cheap and convenient.

Finger blocking the lens, is just a case of learning how to hold the camera. At first is annoying but is no big deal after a few days.

Quality of lens, hey if you want professional quality, this is not the camera, this is an point and shoot camera, convenient to carry at all times, just to grab the photo opportunity and avoid blaming yourself the rest of your life for not getting "that shot" on time.

This is a decent camera. Like most compact cameras is suffers a bit in low light but it's still better than any I tested in the Sony line. Every time I pick the camera up, I'm blown away by how light it is. It almost doesn't feel like I'm holding anything. The photographic power of the cam is pretty good... to the point that I gave up the 8mp Sony T20 for this 6mp. This cam doesn't take pics as fast as the Sony but it is still unlikely that you will miss a shot. This camera isn't slow, the Sony is fast. I always say go to a store and try before you buy as I did and I can say I'm pretty satisfied with this buy.

Buy Fujifilm Finepix Z5fd 6.3MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Chocolate Brown) Now

Bought this (in the nice brown color) after great experience with two other F30 cameras. It has the same sensor but not a great lens, so I was a little skeptical of image quality.

As expected, the sensor is good (but not as great as the F30) and the lens is a letdown. Colors are very accurate, but images come out fuzzy due to noise. Camera loves 400 ISO when on auto.

I set it manually to 100 ISO and took an indoor shot. The center of the image was very sharp but the edges came out pretty soft and *noise is visible* at this lowest ISO setting; an important issue to note. I bought the Z5fd mainly for indoor shots. Outdoors, on a bright day, I have no doubt that the results will be excellent.

I agree with most other reviews about the excellent metering. Pictures come out very nice.

It is a good pocket-able camera at the ~$150 price-range. My only other experience with a similar camera is with a Sony T9 which takes horrible indoor shots. The T9 has an image stabilizer while the Z5fd compensates with face detection.

People looking at the Z5fd camera may instead want to pick up the F20 while it is still available. I would return the Z5 but wife loves it (sleek and brown in color) so it stays.

I have mixed feeling about this camera. It has a good form factor, great build quality and ease of use, but image quality is a letdown.

In short:

Image Quality: above average for folded zoom optics; below average when compared to an F20/F30.

Build Quality: Excellent

Lens: barely Average

LCD: Nice and fluid

Metering: Excellent

Image stabilization: NO

Face Detection: Yes

Read Best Reviews of Fujifilm Finepix Z5fd 6.3MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Chocolate Brown) Here

I own a Fuji S3000 big view finder, 6x zoom, takes the best pictures in the world BUT it was too big to carry at an outing all day long. Loving my Fuji, I decided to stick with what I know, so I purchased the Fuji Z5fd 6.3MP.

No regrets, I love it. It is user friendly, most can figure it out without reading the owners manual. Its small, I like the slide over the lens to protect it when not in use. The pictures and videos are outstanding!! The function to shoot the same scene with and without flash is my favorite.I have found a lot of my pics inside look better w/out a flash since using this. The button for this setting is right on the back of the camera (no having to look through menus to get to it) I'm not going to retire my big Fuji, but now my little fuji can go every where with me without carrying a camera case. My one dislike, no view finder But it seems all other brands are omitting them on the compact cameras also.

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I'm very pleased with this camera. I love that:

1) It's smaller than an iPod. I can carry it in my purse or slide it in my pocket.

2) All of the pictures look great--even shots of animals. I take a lot of photos for an animal shelter, and my old camera took horrible pictures of pets. The animals were always blurry with neon green eyes! This camera has taken great pictures of the animals, with and without flash.

3) It is PINK. It's really not wine red--it's actually an adorable, iridescent pink. Love it.

Oh-I also love the video camera option, and the battery, which lasts a really long time, even when I watch and re-watch the videos.